Devil vs. Alpha

New York City

He was a few yards away, but I knew it was him immediately. I could sense him.

My eyes traveled over his golden skin, over his rippling biceps, his tight abs, and back up to his strong jawline.

Maybe it was bold of me to take him in so shamelessly. I didn’t want him to catch me.

He couldn’t catch me. That would ruin everything.

I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about. So I kept watching.

I watched as he ran his fingers along the bark of an old tree.

He looked around, like he was trying to find something. Or someone?

But no, he couldn’t know I was here.

He walked up to a different tree and, this time, reached out with both hands, holding the tree.

He slid both hands down, and I watched as his ripped arms strained against the thin fabric of his T-shirt.

How I wanted those fingers to be trailing me, to be holding me…

He was the only man, the only living creature, that could arouse me. And, no, I don’t mean arouse me that much. I meant physically turn me on. At all.

My eyes were glued to him—his muscles, his jaw, his dark, wild hair.

I could feel my body reacting. I was tingling in places I never tingled, needing to close the distance between us.

I took a step out from my hiding spot. It might have been a bad idea, but I didn’t care.

This was what I wanted…no. This was what I needed.

I took another step.

Another step.

He turned his head.

Another step.

And then I gasped.

Because a dagger had soared past my shoulder, thrown from somewhere behind me.

It moved through the air at warp speed, and a moment later, it hit him. It impaled him. Right through his heart.

I was frozen, shocked. My mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.

I turned to see behind me. I tried to find where the dagger had come from, who had been responsible. But I couldn’t see anyone else.

It was just me and him and the forest.

He must have felt my gaze on him this time because his eyes flashed up.

He was looking right at me.

I couldn’t run. I couldn’t hide. He saw me.

And I knew. I knew that he thought I was the one who’d thrown the dagger.

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t innocent. Not even close.

He was on his hands and knees now, trying to keep his eyes open. Trying to keep them locked on me. And my heart was still racing. He was the only man it could race for, after all.

Go to him, Eve.

Help him.

Touch him.

But I stayed frozen, right where I was.

When he took his final breath and then lay still, a new calm washed over me. I let out the breath I’d been holding.

It was finally over.

My eyes shot open. What was that?

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

A goddamn phone was ringing. My goddamn phone.

I looked around. I was in bed, a white bed. Everything was white.

I didn’t have time to read into it right now. Besides, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what it was about.

Especially as the days kept passing. As we kept getting closer to…

Beep.

A text.

I hadn’t heard from him in a couple weeks, so he must’ve found something important. He’d been spying for me, doing research and recon.

I read the text.

London

It wasn’t quite raining, but the air had a mist in it. Made me feel damp, like a sponge sitting on the edge of a sink.

It was safe to say I hadn’t missed London.

I’d spent a lot of good years here, with Killian, when he was growing up. I rounded the old church and found myself in an empty parking lot, hidden away in some suburban neighborhood.

Killian and I never went to the church, but we used to come here to watch the sun set sometimes. But that was a long time ago.

5:59 p.m. He was right on time.

The motorcycle sped into the lot and came to a stop right in front of me, braking so hard that steam floated out into the air.

I watched as Killian hopped off the bike and steadied it, pulling his tinted black helmet off.

His golden eyes had nothing but mischief inside them, and they flashed at me, his face unable to conceal the smile tugging at his lips.

“What, you’re trying to impress me now?” I asked him, nodding to the motorcycle.

“I’m doing a pretty good job. Admit it,” he responded.

I took it. “If everything’s in here…”

“Everything and more. The whole bloodline,” he assured me.

I couldn’t help but feel proud. Looking at his dimpled cheeks, now covered in scruff, it was like he was a man. A talented, highly useful man.

“You’re not going to get a tabloid story out of me, Kil.”

“Come on,” he pressed.

“Look, everyone knows about the Morgans. They’re the most respected humans in America, and because of the deal they struck with the West Coast Pack all those years ago, they’ve been living on Pack territory, untouchable.

“So?”

“So, legally, her daughters are too young to claim it. The oldest one is seventeen.”

“What? They don’t teach you world history at the Academy?” I asked, a smirk on my face.

He rolled his eyes. “The fortune can only be claimed by Elena’s daughters when they turn eighteen.”

I shrugged. “Someone has to. Because if someone wipes them out before then, the fortune would be up for grabs. That’s a whole lot of incentive.”

I turned to go, but Killian grabbed my shoulder. “You know something else. About the people trying to hurt them.”

“I can’t help you unless I know things,” he said, crossing his arms.

“Fine. What do you want to hear about? The mafia? The mafia knows about the fortune, and they’re plotting their next move. Then there’s the rogue werewolves. They’re always looking for a boost in income. And let’s not forget the vampyres.”

I clapped him on the shoulder. “They’ll be okay, Killian. I’m pretty good at what I do,” I said, tossing him a smirk. He nodded.

“I’ll be in touch,” I said, turning on my heel and starting the long journey back overseas. To the West Coast Pack.

I smiled. “No goodbyes,” I shouted back.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long,” he yelled. “I get bored.”

Lumen

When I was deep enough inside, no more pavement in sight, I told him to stop.

“Here’s fine.” I got out.

Humans like him weren’t exactly welcome in the territory of the West Coast Pack, unless they’d been cleared for residency. Or unless they were a Morgan.

And this forest, the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, was very much West Coast Pack territory.

But I was here for a reason. And I wouldn’t let something like potentially getting caught by a werewolf guard, or an Alpha, stop me.

I’d dealt with far worse before, after all.

I wasn’t exactly invisible, but I wasn’t completely visible either.

I was like a dimmed version of myself that someone would have to squint to really see.

And then I was swinging from trees, jumping from one to the next.

After thirty or so miles, I started to slow down. And then I landed in a tree, using its leaves to shield myself, just in case. Because there, ahead of me, about a mile away, was Lumen.

I took a deep breath, knowing that the last mile would be the toughest.

Every Pack city had security parameters around it, with highly trained guards keeping watch.

And the problem with werewolf guards was that their noses were their best weapon.

But it didn’t matter.

I had a job to do.

I took off with a leap, landing in another tree, and then jumped to the next. I was swinging from branches, getting lower than the treetops so I could blend in with the leaves more easily.

A werewolf guard.

But not just any werewolf guard. I focused my sight and was able to make out the pin on his security vest, indicating he was in the Alpha’s own personal security team.

Great.

But before I could do anything else, the guard’s eyes shifted to where I was.

So I took a gulp of air and leaped straight ahead, hoping that my dimmed body would make me hard to see. But it didn’t matter if I was barely visible, because the guard used his nose to track me.

I kept moving, kept running, and risked one glance over my shoulder.

The guard wolf was right there. Snarling, teeth bearing. Not more than two steps behind me.

Lumen

I know I’m fast. My special genetic composition, mixed with the magic I’d earned throughout the centuries I’d been alive, made me one of the fastest in the world.

But a werewolf in wolf form was a tough match. And this one specifically was more athletic than a typical wolf.

I’d seen his pin. He was part of the West Coast Pack’s Alpha’s personal security team.

What was the Alpha’s security personnel doing keeping watch over the perimeter?

The Pack’s best security guards were usually kept in the Pack House, not deep in the forest.

And Gabriel, the West Coast Alpha, had appointed one of his guards to keep an eye out for their arrival.

I heard a growl. He was right behind me.

A claw reached out and touched my shoulder. Sharp nails dug through my leather jacket.

I looked up for long enough to realize we were now in Lumen.

We must’ve sprinted past the city gates without pausing. I risked a glance behind me.

The security guard was farther behind me now, clearly exhausted.

That was the good news.

There were four other wolves racing beside him now.

I didn’t look for long enough to see if they had Alpha Personnel pins of their own. It didn’t matter.

I knew I couldn’t keep running, I had to find a better solution.

I turned a corner, sprinting down a back alley. The cobblestones were making it difficult to keep up the speed, but that was when I saw it.

The sewer grate.

I smelled it immediately.

My boots were heavy in a thick sludge, and I thanked my lucky stars I had landed on my feet.

Imagining falling on my hands and knees sent a shiver through me.

I started walking down the tunnel headed north. I wasn’t about to stick around to see if the wolf guard figured out where I’d gone.

It had taken him a while, but Killian had nailed down the address I needed.

The address of the house the Morgans had just relocated into. It was in the area known as Woodsmoke.

The sun was about to start setting, and the streets were quiet. This was a wealthy neighborhood, filled with designer stores and well-dressed families.

Great. My leather and combat boots will fit right in.

I started walking, closing my eyes again to remember the map of the neighborhood Killian had given me.

I opened my eyes again, taking off in the direction of the house. I kept my eyes open for the rest of the journey.

I knew that just because I’d evaded the wolf guards in the city’s entrance didn’t mean they’d given up looking for me.

Not that they’d be able to tell what I was off scent alone. Nobody could.

But they’d be able to figure out I wasn’t one of them, and that meant I was a threat.

So I’d have to keep an eye out for any unwanted company and stay off the streets as much as possible.

It was a good-sized house, traditional looking with white pillars in the front and a freshly manicured lawn.

I knew Gabriel had put the family up here, that they’d come to some kind of deal about new residency.

After all, humans weren’t normally allowed in Lumen City. But the Morgans weren’t ordinary humans.

The history of their bloodline is drenched in power and wealth.

If the Morgans hadn’t struck a deal with the Pack, allowing them to develop on the land and even sponsoring their development, the Pack wouldn’t have grown to be as prosperous.

That’s something that the West Coast Pack hasn’t forgotten.

I climbed up the steps and knocked on the Morgans’ new front door. Waited a few moments…nothing.

I’d been through too much today to have any patience left, so I knocked again. Louder.

She was beautiful, that much was clear. With pale blonde hair and big blue eyes, she looked like a life-sized Barbie doll.

“Uh, hello?” she asked, scrunching her nose.

The scrunched nose had nothing to do with the leather.

“DAD!” she screamed, turning back into the house. A few seconds later, Martin Morgan appeared, walking through the foyer.

“Hello? Can I help you?” he asked, squinting his eyes at me.

“No, Martin. But I’m here to help you. Your family’s in danger.”

I could tell he was confused, but he just patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Go to your room, Anya,” he instructed her.

“Go,” he said, more firmly this time. With an eye roll, she complied.

I started talking. “I’m here to protect your family. To do so, I’ll need a few things from you—”

“Wait just a minute,” he ordered. “Who did you say you were?”

“I didn’t. I’m Eve,” I said, extending a hand for him to shake. He just looked at it.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t know an Eve.”

“We’ve never met, Martin.”

“You’re not a werewolf,” he said, looking into my eyes. “Gabriel put an order out for the Pack for everyone to leave us alone. But you, you know who we are. You knew my name. And you’re not leaving us alone. No wolves disobey the Alpha like that.”

“So you shouldn’t be here. Lumen is Wolf City.”

“I’m here to protect your family,” I repeated. Now I really had no patience. “Can I come inside?”

“What? No—” But he was too late.

He spun around to face me, anger fuming off him. “I will not have some… some strange woman force her way into my home and get me and my family in trouble! And what is that…smell?”

“I don’t believe you! And I want you out of my house right this—”

That was it. I didn’t have time for this.

The process was easy because he was human, which meant it only took a few seconds for me to start reading his mind.

She looks like a seductress. Look at the leather. Be strong. Kick her out, NOW! Protect the girls.

The poor man was terrified. “Now, Martin, come on. You think I’m some sort of sex worker?”

“What?”

“You really think that low of me? That I’d let the mafia control me?”

“How did you know I was thinking that?”

Martin sank down onto the sofa, like he was trying to process everything but having trouble.

“Hunted? I have my sources.”

“Why? Why would you protect a family you don’t know?”

The truth ran through my mind, but I knew I’d already given him a lot to take in. He was in no state to handle the truth.

“I’m not a werewolf, Martin, but I’m very powerful. And I like to use that power for good. What’s happening to your family isn’t right.”

I took a seat beside him. I looked right into his eyes and saw the heart of a man who’d just lost his wife, who was doing anything he could to protect his daughters.

“I’d do it anyway,” I said, shrugging.

After a moment, he nodded, resigned. “Right,” he said. “Okay.”

Martin shook his head. “We just got here yesterday. The girls have been unpacking.”

“Good. They’re starting school next week, I assume?”

He nodded. “The high school nearby.”

“It’s first thing tomorrow.”

“I’ll be joining you.”

“Dad?” We both turned.

There at the edge of the living room was Martin’s eldest daughter, Reyna. She had dark brown hair pulled behind her shoulders and pale skin that shone in the dimly lit room.

I stood. “Hi, Reyna. I’m Eve,” I introduced myself. “I’ll be living with you.”

She looked at me then back to Martin. “Dad?” she asked again.

“We’re in danger, honey,” he said. “Eve’s here to protect us.”

“What kind of danger?”

“You were supposed to be in your room!” Martin scolded.

“You were supposed to tell us the truth,” she shot back.

“Morgans!” I silenced them, standing up.

Reyna snorted. “You’re barely over five feet.”

I sighed. My eyes locked on a lamp on the table behind her.

The lamp slowly lifted off the table, levitating for a moment. Then I moved it forward, and I had it circle Reyna’s torso until it was floating right in front of her hands.

Everyone watched as the dust landed in a pile on the carpet.

“So…” I said, taking in their wide-open mouths. “Are we clear?”