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Chapter 62
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2024-11-14 22:30:20Related chapters
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?” he
Last Updated : 2024-11-15In 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 Ridg
Last Updated : 2024-11-16In 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 while 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 owuh 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 an
Last Updated : 2024-11-17In 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, send
Last Updated : 2024-11-18In 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
Last Updated : 2024-11-19In 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
Last Updated : 2024-11-20In 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
Last Updated : 2024-11-21In 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 human
Last Updated : 2024-11-23
Latest chapter
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 108
MaraOberon does that thing where he makes food disappear out of thin air and sits back while I eat. He helps himself to some of the food, but not as much as I do. He nibbles on little bits here and there, but he's mostly focused on me, making sure that I eat.The honeyed wine is exquisite, and while I drink way too much of it, I don’t feel drunk. Just very, very relaxed. “How long will Johnathan be?” I ask Oberon.I enjoy this place, but I know the fae doesn’t like it when people intrude in their forests for too long. They prefer the solitude and comfort of their own kind. I'm a trespasser on their sacred lands.“A while longer,” Oberon answers. “I thought you and I might talk about some things while we wait. Johnathan made a mistake, sending you to the Lunae. They have no interest in helping you.”“I know. They want to use me. My power.”Oberon nods. “Indeed. You have to understand… Johnathan did not act maliciously. He truly wants to help you.”“He can’t.”“He can. If you would onl
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 107
MaraUnlike the church, the hotel is absolutely chaotic. The energy in here is stifling, oppressive, and I want to turn right back around and leave this place.Johnathan was wrong. They are not my people. They never were, and they never will be.The hotel has more than fifty rooms, and space for several hundred guests, but Johnathan gave the hotel to the Lunae to use exclusively. My mate is paying for the use of this place, so the owner of the hotel doesn’t have to shoulder the financial burden.As far as I can tell, The Lunae picked out their own suites - the best rooms the hotel has to offer - and they’re still not happy. They want free run of the town.More came in during the night, and I counted twenty Lunae as I made my way through the hotel, looking for Rose. Johnathan posted six Alpha males in the hotel to guard over the women. All of them look miserable. They are wearing their charms, but the Lunae, especially the younger ones, relentlessly hit on them.I stop next to an Alph
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 106
MaraWe step into the cool, dark church. I’ve been in human churches before, and always found them comforting and peaceful. There’s something about the candles and quiet that soothes me."Patrick!" Johnathan calls out."I don't think he's here," I say, smiling as my voice echoes in the empty church."He's here. He's always here. He lives here with his wife.""He has a wife?" I ask, surprised."Yes, he-"My mate stops talking when the priests steps through a door in the back of the church, and comes straight for us. “Johnathan,” he says when he reaches us, and gives my mate a big smile. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? Did you come to give your life to the Lord?”I’ve never heard anyone call my mate by his first name. It’s strange. But Johnathan is completely unperturbed. He just chuckles at the priest’s remark. “Patrick,” he says. “I need to use your church to shelter some of the incoming wolves.”The priest’s eyes flick over to me. His bright grey eyes are lively and pier
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 105
JohnathanThe town is crawling with people. There are a lot more people than I expected to find, and I have no idea how the hell we’re supposed to sort them all out. There are so many that their auras blend together, and I can’t tell who is Omega and who is Alpha.It is absolute pandemonium.My Lycans and Alphas try their best to control the crowd, but the sheer number of wolves makes it impossible.I walk up to a Gamma, Jeremy, the one I met in the woods of Red Ridge. “Could you do a headcount?” I ask.The Gamma shakes his head. He’s covered in sweat, and exhausted. The poor man is seconds away from losing his shit completely. “Rhoda is trying to take down names.”Mara’s hand slips from mine and she disappears into the crowd. I stop myself before I can call out to her. The wolves need to respect her as their queen, as much as they respect me. It ultimately doesn't matter. She's not far, and I can feel her anyway - her quiet resignation - as she heads in Rhoda’s direction.I put my th
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 104
JohnathanUpon seeing my reaction, Mara quickly starts to raise her defences again. I grab her wrist to get her attention. “Don’t.”“I told you-”“I’m fine. It was just very sudden. Give me a little warning next time.”She stops what she’s doing and settles back in her seat. The pack house comes into view as we round the last corner, and I let out a little sigh of relief. I want some time with my mate before I tackle the next crisis.I know I have to go down to the town to figure out this mess with the accommodations, but I’m absolutely not leaving Mara here by herself. The state she’s in scares me - she’s bound to do something to herself - but I have to convince her to come with me.“Quick shower,” I say as Baxter pulls up to the front door. “Then we’ll go into town.”“You want me to go with you?” Mara asks.“Yes,” I say and switch over to our mind link. “More time together, remember?”“You’ll be busy. I’ll just get in the way.”“Fuck’s sake Mara, you are never in the way. Stop beati
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 103
JohnathanI did not sense Mara’s approach until she started running towards me. It was sudden. Like a balloon popping. Oberon brought her to me. She’s in a terrible state, but trying her best to put up a brave front. Things haven’t exactly been going her way lately. Or at all really. It's been one clusterfuck after the other since we mated.It’s my natural instinct to protect her. I want to fix everything for her. I want to wrap her in cotton and put her in a glass case. Safe and snug. I’ll burn this whole damn world to the ground if that’s what it takes to see her smile. But intellectually I know how stifling that kind of union can be. I've seen men with the purest intentions crush their mates under the weight of their protection.As far as I’m concerned, It’s just another form of abuse and control. I make sure that she stays well out of the way as we put up the barriers, and when we take a break to drink some water, I stand by her side, telling her about the floods we can expect.
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 102
MaraThe morning is darker than usual. The clouds are so full of rain that they are almost black. I can feel the electricity in the air, nature holding her breath as she awaits the inevitable release.Usually Kahn is somewhere around the pack house, but today he’s nowhere to be found. Day or night, unless he’s feeding, he’s here. He’ll come inside when the sun is highest, but that’s about as much as he hides from the day.I don’t think he ever sleeps. He tells me he does, but I am sure he’s lying. Vampires go into a dead state during the day - their hearts stop beating and they don’t breathe - but Kahn being half-Lycan never reaches that state.It must be awful to go through life like that. Never sleeping, watching time pass by, the people you love moving on without you. A part of nothing, fitting nowhere. All alone for all eternity.“Kahn?” I ask for the tenth time, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "Where are you?"He doesn’t answer me.I try to mind link with him, but can’t. It’s l
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 101
JohnathanThe morning comes too soon. It feels as if I barely closed my eyes before the morning alarm woke me.I really need to switch those fucking things off. They're not doing their job anymore, and they are more annoying that comforting now.I’m dreading this day. Not only do I have to sit back and watch as my exhausted mate go to Oberon for training, I need to break the bad news about Felicity to Kahn, close the town, and see to the new blow-ins that arrived overnight.We have officially run out of space, and there’s nowhere I can put the newcomers, unless I use the empty school, our one Christian church, and the brothels. No one’s going to like any of that. Not Joseph, the brothel madams, or the human priest who made this place his home after finding out that he was fated to a werewolf. The priest told me his story in vivid detail. How he tried to ignore the pull of the mate bond because human priests aren’t allowed to take wives for some reason. In the end, he couldn’t withst
In Service of the Alpha Chapter 100
JohnathanMara falls asleep on my lap, curled up like a cat, her face buried in my chest, hand fisted around my shirt.It’s not a peaceful sleep. Kahn asked me about my first kill - and it was true that I didn’t feel guilty about that one. It was pure self-defence. If anything, I was proud of myself for overpowering a fully grown werewolf with experience.But there have been others since then. And they do haunt me from time to time. All of them deserved it to some degree, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. Ally visits me often in my dreams. I keep reliving that moment just before she died. That split-second when she was sane and simply asked, “Why?”I didn’t have a chance to answer her question. I hope she knows that I didn’t want to do it, that I regret it almost every day of my life.I get up, holding Mara close to me, and go upstairs. I lay her on the bed and open the windows to let the cool, rainy breeze in.My mate moans softly in her sleep and flops over on her stomach.
