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Chapter 17
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In Service of the Alpha Chapter 18
MaraI wake in a flat panic. Sweat drips from my body and my heart pounds painfully against my ribs as air races past my lips.I had a nightmare. Lucas chased me through the woods back at Red Ridge, swinging his ‘special belt’ over his head like a lasso. "I have you now, Mara," he taunted me in a voice that sounded a lot like Johnathan's. "You broke my rules. You have to be corrected."*Calm yourself,* a voice in my head says. *You are safe now.*It’s a new voice. One I heard it earlier today for the first time, when Johnathan checked on me. The voice told me that the Alpha won’t hurt me, that I can trust him.I believed to that voice, trusted it. She sounded like my mother, and I thought it was just me, having a little conversation with myself, but now I’m not so sure.The voice feels much realer this time.Wiping sleep from my eyes, I sit up in bed and look around the dark room, my eyes fixing on the silhouette in the window.Johnathan is sitting sideways on the windowsill, one leg p
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 19
JohnathanThere’s a storm brewing inside me. It’s like a hurricane slowly building over time. Growing bigger, stronger, deadlier. It scares me sometimes, the sheer magnitude of it. I'm afraid of what will happen when I finally break open and start to rain blood on everyone.I’ve never told anyone about my past. My past, like everyone else’s in Haven’s Crest, is off-limits. It’s too painful. Humiliating. Especially for an Alpha.Keeping our pasts where they belong is one of the reasons everyone feels so welcome in Haven's Crest. It's a place where they can start over, where they can leave their demons behind.I wouldn’t have told Mara anything at all, but the gods are talking to her. That has to mean something. If nothing else, it means she didn’t come to Haven’s Crest because of me. She came here because she is supposed to be here.I will tell her only what is important. The things she needs to know to believe. I'll tell her about Minos and what he showed me. Maybe the part about ho
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 20
MaraI stare up at the crumbling, multi-storey building that sprawls across the valley. It's huge, maybe twice the size of the mansion, but nature is already starting to take back what belongs to her. Grass grows neck high around the exterior, and trees are start to sproud on the caved in roof. “This was my father’s pack house,” Johnathan says.It’s late. The night is quiet. The town is far behind us. From here, all I can still see are the lights twinkling atop the mountain like fireflies.“Most of the pack lived here," he goes on. "Some lived in Haven’s Crest. It was called Misty Mountain back then.”My head is swimming. Johnathan didn’t speak much on his way here, but I could feel his nervousness growing as we walked down the mountain and into the valley.The road here is paved and kept in good condition, but about five hundred metres back, there’s a fence with a high gate, and warning to trespassers that they'll meet with an unpleasant fate if they're caught here.“How do you know
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 21
Johnathan’s StoryThe boy ran through the forest, his footing sure and strong. At eight, he was already stronger and faster than most human adults, and almost the size of a grown man.He knew these woods better than he knew his own body, and he knew exactly where to step, where to jump, and where to duck.His lanky legs pumped like two pistons as he streaked through the forest, heading for his newest hiding place. He was sure Eli wouldn’t be able to find this one. And even if he did, the boy knew his big brother would never fit. They gave him just enough food to survive, but not so much that he could grow strong and big enough to fight. Johnathan’s mother very carefully monitored how much he ate, but sometimes he managed to sneak a little extra food.The kept him weak on purpose. They didn't want the pack to know how strong Johnathan was. The boy knew, but there was nothing he could do about it.“Johnny,” Eli called out in a sarcastic voice. “Come here little pup. You need to be corre
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 22
MaraAt some point, we both sat down, and Johnathan pulled his legs up to his chest as if he was trying to protect himself against the onslaught of memories from his past.“I dragged Valerie into the woods and buried her under her favourite tree. Eli watched me the whole time and wouldn't allow anyone to help me. I remember thinking how heavy she was."Johnathan loudly clears his throat and digs his nails so hard into his palms that he cuts his skin open. It's as if the memory isn't enough. He wants to feel the physical pain of it."By the time I was done digging her grave, she had gone cold and stiff…” Johnathan’s voice cracks, and he keeps digging, keeps drawing blood. "I had to roll her into the grave. I was too small and..." he gags and goes silent.He wanted to say weak, but the word alone is enough to make him physically sick.Johnathan goes very quiet. The silence between us grows thick and heavy. It's as if nature itself is waiting, holding onto his breath until he's ready to
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 23
MaraDespite sleeping most of the day and half the night away, I have no trouble falling asleep. I only wake when a bell rings through the house. I found out yesterday that there are two different bells - one to wake the house, and one to summon everyone for breakfast.The waking bell is loud, shrieking like a fire alarm, and it's impossible to miss. I grunt and rub my hands over my face. My eyes feel swollen and my head fuzzy. I glance at the clock on my nightstand. It’s six. I vaguely hope that Johnathan relaxes the early waking hour over weekends. I can't imagine waking this early every single day.I stumble to the bathroom and go through my usual morning routine. Twenty minutes later, I am standing in front of my wardrobe, surveying the clothes I bought. Most of the items have long sleeves, but I did buy a few sundresses - mostly to please Rhoda, but now I’m glad that I listened to her.The light green dress brings out the colour of my eyes and only shows the vivd bruises on my a
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 24
Johnathan The car ride into town is quiet. The air between us thick and heavy. Gregory is sulking in the back seat, his bottom lip quivering, but he’s trying his best to be brave. Mara’s quiet presence helps. She’s good with him, and he takes the things she says to heart. I’ve never seen him pay that much attention to anyone. I don’t know how Mara does it, but she’s not doing it on purpose, she just seems to have a way about her that makes Gregory stop and think. I’d get jealous of her ability to have an impact on my son, but right now I am just quietly grateful that someone managed to get through to him. She stays with Gregory while I talk to Joshua, the school master. I watch them through the window that overlooks the long hallway. She's sitting on the bench with Greg on her lap, whispering something to my son. He looks just like me when he gets anxious. His little jaw is set and his lips pulled in a grimace. “Don’t worry, Alpha,” Joshua says when I’m done explaining the si
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 25
JohnathanThe rest of the week passes smoothly. I can’t bring myself to tell Mara about that night I fled my pack, and she doesn’t ask any questions about it. I can't put it off forever, but I keep finding excuses not to do it.Within days, Mara settled into my routines, and upon my request joins me for meetings and discussions with the town's leaders. Despite Joshua’s job offer, I still want her to learn pack business and politics. When the time is right, she can decide for herself where she wants to be. Here with me, running the pack, or at the school, wrestling with the pups.Most of the day, she aimlessly wanders around the house, or I can find her in the garden, puttering around in the dirt. She found a little patch of land and asked me if she could plant some seeds.I agreed, although I have no idea what she planted. She’s happy out there by herself, and growing more confident by the day. She doesn’t care who sees her bruises anymore, although they have now faded to the point w
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In Service of the Alpha Chapter 70
JohnathanI get up and massage the soft spot below my thumb. Mara’s vision lasted a long time, but I did not expect it to be so detailed. I’ve seen seers go into trances for hours, only to come out of it and give me a useless little vision that couldn't have lasted more than five minutes. Half the time, the biggest challenge for a seer is to come out of the trance.“You did well for your first time,” I say and return to my desk to get my notebook. I tried to write everything down exactly as she told it. I want to keep a record of her visions so I can remind myself from time to time. I used to record seers’ accounts on my cellphone, but I have a tendency to lose my phones. I lock the notebook in the top drawer of my desk, then return to the thick file Douglas sent. I hold the file up for Mara to see. “From your father. Money.”“What?” Mara asks. “The humans didn’t just take it?”“No. Your father was clever. He hid his tracks well. On paper, every penny belongs to a human.”“What huma
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 69
MaraI stop talking. I’ve reached the difficult part. The part where Johnathan dies. I don’t want to talk about it, much less think about it.But the image is there, forever etched into my brain like a brand.“Mara?” Johnathan asks and looks up from his notebook. “Is that it? Are you done?”I shake my head. “Remember? I told you… I told you that I saw you dead.”He nods and picks up his wine glass. He doesn’t look nearly as worried or afraid as he should be. “We can stop for now. Pick it up tomorrow.”I hesitate, gripping the stem of my wine glass like it’s a live preserver. The premonition plays itself out in my head again, vivid and unbearable, but I force myself to forge ahead. "No. I want to get this over and done with.""Okay," my mate agrees. "Go ahead."“After Rick took me-” I clear my throat in an attempt to get rid of the frog that caught there -“he took me into the mansion. To my father. They had him locked up in the wine cellar.” I let out a mirthless little laugh. “You sa
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 68
MaraWhile I spoke, Johnathan wrote everything down. There’s a small frown between his eyes as he reads back. “What did Rose do?”I shrug. “I don’t know.”“But you told Kahn things with her didn’t work out.”“Yes, but I don’t know what she did. I suppose it still has to happen.”He puffs his cheeks up and slowly blows the air out of his lungs. “Fucking premonitions. I now kind of want to kick her out, but I don’t have a reason.”“That’s what you’re worried about?”“Yeah. We can stop Donovan. Now that we know she’s coming, I can go get Haley before she comes here, make sure she’s safe.” He keeps reading, the frown between his eyes deepening. “This doesn't make sense to me... I'm not the kind who'll just discard a pregnant she-wolf like that.”I shrug. “I guess a lot of shit’s gonna happen between now and then.”He nods and pours a glass of the spiced wine for himself. “Can- can the future be changed?” I ask.“Yes, that’s the whole reason the Goddess sends premonitions, so we can alter
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 67
** TRIGGER WARNING: Infant death. **MaraSix months after Donovan joined Haven’s Crest, Haley showed up here alone. I saw her when she entered town, coming over the mountains. She was haggard, her clothes torn, and clearly starving. She was at the end of her pregnancy and could barely walk.I was surprised that she hadn’t given birth yet.My first instinct was to attack her. She had taken my mate. Caused my banishment. But then I saw it for what it really was. My pride. She wasn’t a danger to me. If anything, the tables had turned, and I was now a threat to her. She did me a favour, really, and the least I could do in return was to make sure she was okay.I had forgotten all about the threat Donovan made all those months ago. He had become a part of Haven’s Crest, and Johnathan paired him with a new Alpha called Luther. They were always off in the forests somewhere, training with their new squad. Johnathan wasn’t with me when Haley showed up. Like everyone else, he was preparing for
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 66
Johnathan“You’re probably just having a premonition. Focus on what you're feeling,” I say.Mara shakes her head and starts to hyperventilate while trying to cry at the same time. “Can’t… breathe,” she gasps. "Dying."“No, no, no,” I say and grab her face, forcing her to look at me. “You are having a panic attack.”She violently shakes her head.“Yes. Listen to me. The more you fight it, the worse it will be. It will happen whether you want it to or not. Just let go. It’s like falling asleep.”“No… scared.”“I know, baby,” I say gently. “It is very scary, but I’ll stay right here with you. I won’t let you go. It's just... it's a dream. It can't harm you.”Mara lets out a long sigh. Her eyes roll back in her head and she goes limp, falling forward and into my arms.I pull her off the chair and sit flat on the floor with her on my lap, cradling her like a baby while I wait for her to come out of her trance. As I watch, a tear rolls down her cheek. The warm droplet falls on my hand, sen
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 65
JohnathanGregory's mouth runs like a freight train on our way back to the mansion. The kid barely stops to breathe wihle he excitedly tells me about his week at Zach's house. We popped into one of the many diners in town for a burger and a milkshake, and the kid is in a fantastic mood. God, I missed my boy. I smile and adjust my wristwatch. I promised Mara that I wouldn’t be long, but it turned into a three-hour-long exercise, starting with Kelly who insisted that I stay for coffee and cake.I glance at my chattering son in the rearview mirror. “And I told Zach he can come play at owe house, ‘cause he don’t have a pool o' nothing.”"They have a big pool in town," I say. "Didn't Kelly take you?""No. She doesn't twust the men thewe."Oh-kay. “All right kiddo,” I say as we pull up to the house. “Settle down a little, will you? My ears need a break.”Gregory undoes the buckles on his carseat by himself and patiently waits for me to open the door. Grabbing his backpack, he hops out and
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 64
MaraJohnathan grabs me as I walk past him to the door, curling his long fingers around my upper arm to keep me in place. His grip is strong, firm, but he holds me in such a way that he doesn’t hurt me.“Is that what you think?” he asks. “That I’ll protect you to death?”I falter a little. “Well… yes. I’m sorry, but I kinda do.”“Have I been coddling you like you’re a child?”I quickly shake my head. “But you didn’t want to tell me about my father.”“Yes,” he admits and slides his hand down my arm to take my hand in his. “When I spoke to you dad, we had just met. You had so much going on. You were so… vulnerable. What should I have done? Should I have piled on and made it worse? Would you have done anything different if you were me?”I don’t have to give it much thought. He’s right. When I came here, I was on the brink of death, and so much happened all at once that he didn’t really have the time to sit down and talk to me about my father and everything that’s been going on at Red Rid
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 63
MaraI stare blankly at Johnathan, not sure how to answer him. I knew he’d ask me sooner or later to spend the night with him, but I thought it would be later. What’s more surprising is that I’m not afraid by the prospect of sharing his bed - I’m enraptured by it.“Why do you want me to stay?” I ask nonetheless.He shrugs and steps into his linen trousers. “I missed you.”“You did?”“Of course. You are my mate.”“You barely even know me.”“Didn’t make me miss you any less.”I smile. I’ve been smiling a lot lately. If I'm not careful, I'd go so far as to say that I'm happy. “Okay,” I agree at last, “but I train with Kahn at night.”“Not tonight you don’t.”“He’s not going to like that.”“He can go fuck himself,” Johnathan says with a soft little snarl that sends a weird little rocket of exhilaration down my spine. "I am in charge here, not Kahn."My mate doesn’t bother to put his shirt on. Instead, he sits next to me, but keeps a healthy distance between us. “Why do you trust Kahn?” h
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 62
JohnathanI sigh as I close my bedroom door behind me and drop my pack on the floor. The last leg of our journey was by far the worst. I kept as low a profile as I could with Rose by my side, which meant we had to take a lot of detours so we could dodge the rogues that are always circling Haven’s Crest, searching for a way in, The girl kept running off to find a male she could breed with.Several Alphas are closing in on Haven's Crest. Wolves that had been displaced by humans. These are the good Alphas I’ve been waiting for. I still outrank them by orders of magnitude, so I’m not too worried about their presence. If they can make it into Haven's Crest, they will join my pack, although I’m not quite sure in what capacity yet. Maybe as advisors or some kind of council. Eventually, order will be restored. They’ll be able to go back to their own lives and rebuild their packs.I hope.I handed Rose over to Ally, instructing the Beta’s mate to feed her, bathe her, and to keep her away from
