Shattered Alpha Read online

  “It was way more fun than some of the orgies at court,” Luca announced with a bright smile, dunking a chicken nugget before popping it in his mouth. “I only wish all five of us had been on the same floor.”

  I opened my mouth a few times before closing it, shaking my head and just eating. I had no idea what to say to that, so I would just leave it alone. Hestia appeared as I ungraciously stuffed a large fry in my mouth, trying to set a world record apparently, and handed me my phone. I took it from her, understanding what she was telling me.

  Alena needed to know what had happened.

  I connected the call and told her what I knew, frowning when there was a long pause.

  “You mated Dain?” she asked quietly.

  “No, I sirened him,” I corrected, my frown deepening. My eyes went wide as she started talking rapidly in Greek, too fast for me to even catch much, as I was trying to learn it in my spare time.

  Which was why I knew next to none, as I had no spare time.

  “Seraphine, your continued ignorance is not charming but dangerous,” she lectured, taking a tone with me I’d never heard from her before. “Yes, you just mated the fairy.”

  I growled, not liking the feeling of disappointing a parent, as I hadn’t felt that since I was like five. “Hey, no one bit anyone. Don’t put this on me. I did the exact same thing as I did with Noah. No one ever said we mated.”

  “Could Dain have bitten you?” she challenged.

  “Did Zeno bite you?” I threw right back. “I might be the less experienced here, but even I know there are ways to have sex where I could have bitten the nape of Dain’s neck as you probably bit Zeno. I sirened him. No one said I mated Tristan or Riley. Mating is biting for wolf and a whole thing.”

  “Fine, fine, I apologize,” she sighed, and I could imagine her tugging on her hair like she did when she got frustrated. “I should say Dain mated you . That is how fairies mate. They let their magic out and combine with their mate.”

  “I did what I did with Noah,” I defended, sounding worried to my own ears. “He didn’t say mate. He said siren him. I called to warn you that it went wonky and I could have killed him so you could warn others, not get lectured that I suck for always being behind.”

  “Do not cry,” she said gently. I hadn’t even realized tears were in my eyes until she said it. “I am not angry with you. I am sorry for my hurtful words. I thought with the problems of all your previous sirening you would have talked to me before doing it again, especially with another species. You are always so patient and calculating that I figured you would discuss it.”

  “It wasn’t planned, and I apparently really am not like that anymore.”

  “You are, but we all get swept away.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Thank you for warning me. I will speak with Zeno and see if we should reach out to Laila or—”

  “He was already mine,” I reminded her. “I didn’t steal him. He pledged himself to me. He said he’d still be mine but not like a servant anymore, one of mine.”

  “Sera, he speaks like a man who knew he was mating you,” she warned, hurrying when I sighed. That wasn’t good. “And do you not think his family would get involved after you mated?”

  “No, they disowned him. They’re nothing to him or us.”

  “Pretty to think so, but we know people aren’t always pretty. I would think people who would ever disown a child would be incredibly petty and use this in any way they could.”

  “Okay, my bad, no more sirening anyone without talking to you,” I muttered, letting my head fall back against the wall. “I guess I thought you would have told me if there were potential problems with any of the men in my life.”

  “I had not thought of this one until now,” she admitted. “And you were so adamant not to take anyone else, pushing off tying the ancients to you, I did not think you would choose anyone for a while.”

  “Me neither. It’s complicated.”

  “Yes, yes, it always is. Let me think on this and you rest. You both will need it. I am not angry, Seraphine, and you could never disappoint me. Getting upset is getting upset sometimes, and I will always get upset if you are hurt or worried. That is being a mother.” I nodded even though she couldn’t see it. “Do you regret it? You love him, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t regret it. Worried he thought it was something more than I did. Yes, he says I feel that way. I think I—I’m pretty sure I do.”

  “Then tell him what you need. Dain loves you enough to keep being as patient as ever. He is a good choice, Seraphine. We approve and will work out whatever else comes.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I felt better, like the worry it had gone badly was taken off my shoulders but still nervous. I headed back to the kitchen, glad when Dain was there and looking well.

  Except he greeted me in a weird way, using a word that I doubted could be written in any human language. And I knew Cyrillic with Russian. He hugged me to him, kissing me deeply.

  “What does that mean?” I asked, leaning away and moving my hands to his chest.

  “Wife. It is fae for ‘wife,’” he answered, smiling widely.

  I ignored the gasps in the room, searching his eyes. “You knew this would mate us?”

  He tilted his head, chuckling. “You are always so adorably clueless to tradition. Yes, Sera, we are now married.” He tried to lift me up, frowning when I stopped him. “I said to make me yours forever. What did you think that meant?”

  I sighed, leaning my head to his chest. “Dain, you said siren . No one said mate with Tristan or Riley or—”

  “Please don’t be so upset, my love,” he breathed in my ear, kissing my neck. “I don’t care what we call this, but I am yours and you are mine. I know you will have others, but I will not. That makes you my wife. If that term upsets you, then I won’t use it.”

  “I’m upset because it seems to have changed everything, and that wasn’t what I thought. You said you were already mine and to make you not my servant anymore with the pledge. I wanted that. I wanted us to be us, yes, forever, but not Mr. and Mrs. Morton.”

  “I understand,” he promised, kissing my hair. Then he giggled. I slowly lifted my head and realized his eyes were a bit glazed. “I believe I am a bit high. I never understood why humans did drugs, but this euphoric feeling is lovely.” I yelped as he lifted me up before I could stop him, wrapping my legs around him… As he pulled down the front of his pants.

  “Hey, mating doesn’t mean you stop asking for sex,” I snapped, shoving away from him so he dropped me, pulling the dress back down.

  He raised an eyebrow at me as he covered himself up. “Did you ask last night? Friday night, whatever?” I turned as if he’d slapped me, and instantly he was hugging me. “I did not mean that as harshly as it sounded. I am sorry, my love.”

  “How did you mean it?” I demanded, shaking against him. I’d been a bitch Friday, but he’d been very willing and had lots of chances to stop me, which was really different than right then.

  “We are honeymooning. They injected themselves to check on us, but now we’re fine, so I wanted to get back to honeymooning. I thought we were going to now that we ate and talked. I will always ask, my love.”

  “He’s not acting normal,” Alok worried.

  “Riley was like this after I sirened him,” I muttered, moving away from Dain. “I’m sore, Dain. We can’t go right back to honeymooning. There’s more to discuss.”

  He gave a slow nod and then looked at Alok. “Truly? I feel a bit wonky but me.”

  “No, my friend, you are not you at the moment. You need to refuel and settle. The man I know would never have hurt her feelings as you just did.”

  “I am sorry,” Dain whispered, cupping my cheek. “The words jumbled. You gave me many chances to stop you. I was very willing Friday and wanted you too. Let us eat and you rest.” He frowned. “Alok is right. I cannot sense your discomfort. I am not myself.”

  “Me neither,” I sighed, feeling all over the place. I leaned i
n and kissed his lips. “Can you do something for me?”

  “Anything.”

  I smiled at that, thinking that sounded more like Dain. “Can you do that thing Laila did where she could see what I was thinking, show others?” I sighed in relief when he gave a slow nod. “Can you show them what I saw Friday? I’m not buying the story.”

  “Sera,” Brian whispered, hurt in his tone. “I’m not lying.”

  I ignored him, searching Dain’s eyes. “Please? Can you see what I did?”

  “Yes, of course,” he murmured, getting I was hurt. He moved his fingers to my temple as Laila had, and I felt his power as I thought back to Friday.

  My mouth fell open when he turned and punched Brian right in the face. “Even if your story is completely true, you were in a public place, acting like you would with a lover, where others could see you. Do you have any idea how that could have hurt her? Not even emotionally but her standing? The human she lets in her bed is stepping out on her, wife hunting? If word of that got out, she’d have another someone here to take over tomorrow.”

  “That was hot,” I blurted, a bit shocked with myself that I felt that way. It made sense since I hadn’t had a lot of people defend me ever. People thought I fought my own battles, and I did, I liked to, but it had started out of necessity of no one ever being there for me.

  It was nice for someone to be there for me.

  “Yeah?” he checked, smiling when I nodded. “Interesting.”

  “Apparently,” I agreed, clearing my throat. “Please show him.”

  “How you felt too?”

  “You see that much?” I sighed when he nodded. “Yeah, fine, if you think it best, and then I want food while it’s warm. My tank is on empty.”

  “Of course.” He touched Brian’s temple and then showed the others before sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. “Does this hurt?”

  “No, you’re softer than the wood chair,” I accepted, reaching for more food.

  “I’m sorry, Sera,” Brian rasped, wiping his eyes from where he was sitting on the floor after the punch. “I’m so very sorry. I never meant for you to walk in on something that looked so horrible. I would have thought the same. I just wouldn’t have run and married someone else minutes later.”

  “That wasn’t what happened,” I defended. “And I didn’t. I sirened him.”

  “I don’t see a difference,” Brian muttered, pushing to his feet and heading for the door without a backwards glance.

  “Let him lick his wounds in private,” Dain murmured, feeling what I was.

  “That wasn’t what I did,” I said again, setting down my burger. “It makes everything sound cheap.”

  “And he doesn’t understand paranormal bonds,” he agreed. “You came to me for comfort, to the one you also worried about being taken from you by a woman of our own kind. The rest just happened, and I do not regret it even if it wasn’t how I would have planned it. It was no less loving. You were hurt and came to me. We settled that and then were spontaneous after I begged you for what I wanted most.

  “He sees things in his own frame of reference, where you ran off with an old boyfriend and eloped because he hurt you by proposing to another—so you thought—closing the door on what you had. You were never exclusive or like that with him.” I knew he was explaining more for the others there than comforting me, but it worked because I relaxed against him, letting him comfort me then.

  I pressed my lips to his ear. “Can you not call me that again around others?”

  “In private?” he checked, smiling when I gave a quick nod. I was okay with it then.

  “Are you guys mad too?” I asked Hagan and Reagan as I went back to eating, feeling the tension in the air.

  “No, jealous he can hold you at night,” Hagan admitted and walked out of the kitchen, shaking his head.

  “Upset we probably pushed you right into his arms with screwing up so badly thinking you already loved each other like this,” Reagan added and left too. Not the house, I could feel them in the living room, glad they took a breath and didn’t push me because they were right that they’d done this to themselves with hurting me as they had.

  But I’d certainly never meant it like that nor to hurt them. What Dain said was true. Maybe that was the prettiest version of it, but it wasn’t as horrible as Brian had framed it. There were still issues though.

  I moved to the chair next to him so I could see him. “Dain, what will your parents do when they find out about this?”

  He frowned. “Nothing. I’m dead to them, erased from our family history and forgotten. They shunned me when they came to court and I was there. They would shun me now if they saw me on the street.” He shrugged and took a few bites, wiping his mouth when he felt my worry. “Did you not know that was how they treated me? You won’t be shunned from court. Queen Laila would never allow that.”

  “No, I didn’t think about that either,” I sighed, wiping my hands before fluffing out my wet hair.

  “Hey, I know you get upset when you jump into stuff because it’s not like you. It’s not like me either, Sera,” he whispered. “We’re not mated like married, okay? I knew what I was getting into. I’m sorry if calling you my wife blew this up for you. You sirened me just like Noah.”

  “But it’s not because technically I sovereigned Noah but I’m not a vampire,” I muttered, wiping my tired eyes, exhausted and sounding a bit petulant. “You mated me, Dain. I didn’t bite you to mate, but what you did is how fairies mate.”

  “You said to let out my power,” he murmured, frowning. “That is how we mate.”

  “I get it,” Hagan cut in when he came back into the room. “When she sirened Noah, she let her power out fully and his control was stripped, his power came out and hit her. What you did, going into it and doing what you do to mate upped this level to mating. She’s saying that would have come later. If she sirened us, that wouldn’t necessarily mean the mating bite.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I sighed, shooting him a look of gratitude, also noting the relief in his eyes that I hadn’t meant to mate.

  “So you put a ring on it but we didn’t sign the marriage certificate?” Dain checked, shrugging when I nodded. “That’s fine with me, Sera. I told you it would put me at your side, no longer a servant but yours. I don’t care how we label it. If bites come later to mate—if ever—that’s fine. Truly, do not worry about how I see this.”

  “Thank you,” I breathed, getting he wasn’t making this a big deal. “I just need us to be on the same page.”

  “Of course.” He searched my eyes and realized he was missing something. “What did Alena say that makes you think this is mating like her and Zeno?”

  “She said she’s going to discuss with him and maybe Laila about your parents.” He opened his mouth, and I shook my head. “You mated the daughter of the queen of the wolves basically, Dain. She thinks they will be petty and horrible—as they had to be to disown you—and make this a thing.”

  “Oh fuck, his family is horrid,” Alok groaned.

  “No, no that is not our way,” Dain argued, looking a bit panicked. Just how bad were these people? He moved off his chair and knelt at my feet. “I’m so sorry if Alena’s right. I never, not ever have heard of fairies re-acknowledging family. Please believe me. I would never fail you like that to be flippant.”

  “I believe you,” I promised, leaning down and kissing his hair. “We’ll figure it out. I’m just glad you’re freaked out too and it wasn’t like…”

  “I would never do that to you, use you like that,” he swore, letting me see it in his eyes. No, Dain would never use me to get back in with his family. It had been centuries, and he never seemed to want it or them. “I only wanted you as my family, the boys, and others. Not the people I came from. I won’t let them hurt you or pull anything.”

  “You’re not a noble with that sort of influence anymore,” Alok reminded him.

  “Fuck them. They abandoned a child. They can take a long mother fuck
ing walk off all the short piers,” I said firmly, my eyes never leaving Dain’s. “I don’t give a shit about the nobility or any of that crap. We’re US citizens, and they walked away from you. They can suck it. I wouldn’t stop to help them if they fell much less make an alliance or whatever with them.”

  “I love you,” he chuckled, smiling brightly at me. He stood and gave me a quick peck before sitting back down. Then he frowned. “Damnit, the high feeling left. Worry about my family filled me with adrenaline, and now I’m back to normal.”

  “I like the normal you,” I reminded him. “You were a bit loopy and gooey.”

  He shrugged. “That’s not a bad thing now and again. I don’t think either of us has had much gooey or lovey dovey in our lives. Would it really be so wrong to have some of that now and again?”

  “No, not now and again,” I agreed, switching to fries before they got cold. “Privately sometimes. I’ve never been romanced so yeah, that sounds nice if I’m being honest.” I realized how pointed that sounded and made sure not to look at the twins, stuffing my mouth to shut up. “We don’t have much time for that or remembering it with how busy and crazy everything is. I don’t really romance anyone either.”

  “I thought your gift to all of us was very romantic,” Reagan argued. “Picking colors to match our eyes and styles. Romance isn’t always flowers or whatever. It’s in the sweet gestures, and you do that a lot. We were just all too tired to notice or see what the other needed. We’ve been better.”

  I nodded. “I didn’t mean to make it sound so pointed.”

  “I know, but I thought we might as well discuss it.”

  “Especially since part of your birthday present is in the kitchen you were supposed to come home to after the rough trial only a day late,” Hagan muttered, not looking at me. “We planned it out, and I didn’t want you to think we only did it now like when we brought flowers to the opening as an apology.”

  I was dying to ask but didn’t, instead nodding. “Catch me up. I’m missing how everything went down.”

  They shared a look like they didn’t want to, but Reagan gave in. “Brian immediately went after you, and no one was home. Noah found him there, and they had words. Noah told him to go fuck himself. He felt you near enough to figure out where you were, so he wasn’t worried. We got tanked with the other Betas, so we had no idea on any of this. When we got home, he filled us in.