The alpha 14 protect pro.., p.7
The Alpha 14: Protect. Procreate. Prevail., page 7
“Look at those legs!” Arielle laughed. “You’re so tall!”
Ivy didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. A hug said more than a few words would from a woman like her.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Lian said once everyone had given her a hug. “Oh, this is… overwhelming.”
“You’ll get used to them,” Benji said as he patted Lian on the back. “I’m Benji Shaw, by the way. Cooper’s favorite uncle, Jesse’s favorite brother, and soon-to-be your favorite beta captain.”
“Benji.” Lian smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Only good things, I hope.” He smirked.
“Yes… sure,” she giggled. “Nikita and Blair told me–”
“Oh, shit, they told you stuff?” Benji groaned as he shot my omegas a playful glare. “Don’t listen to a word they say. It’s all lies.”
“They just told me about Kiri,” Lian said honestly, but there was a hint of a smirk on her lips. “She sounds nice. You should ask her out on a date.”
My omegas roared with laughter as Benji glared at the floor.
“I like you,” Ivy said to Lian. “You fit in already.”
Lian’s confidence was already shining through, and nothing made me happier.
Apart from perhaps one thing.
“Jesse,” Aunt Eva whispered from her position against the pillows. “I think someone wants you.”
I couldn’t fight the smile that covered my face, or the emotions that swarmed through my body. I wasn’t one to cry, yet my throat felt thick, and tears pricked away at my eyes.
I seemed to have tunnel vision as I crossed the room, and everything dulled around me until the moment I lifted Cooper into the air and held him against my chest.
“Hi,” I whispered as I gently twisted my body from side to side. “Did you miss me? I missed you…”
Cooper’s fresh, baby scent appeared stronger than the number of omega scents in the room. He was all I could really think about, and I knew I’d missed him, but I hadn’t realized exactly how much I’d missed him until I held him in my arms again.
I placed one hand under his butt, the other on his back to support him, and as I placed my head against his, everything felt right again.
At that exact moment, it no longer mattered that the Asian shifter agency had ordered Shen to go around the continent, and the rest of the fucking world, and kill off alphas and omegas as he came across them.
It no longer mattered that the Asian government had played us all like fools, to make us think one thing when in reality they were stabbing us in the back.
And it no longer mattered that there were hundreds of alpha-less betas roaming around, potentially causing fights out of grief and anger, all because some weretiger destroyed the pack, pride, and flock they had before.
A government whose job it was to protect the shifters, but who took advantage of that power.
No, nothing mattered when I had Cooper in my arms and my omegas beside me.
Of course, I had to return to the real world, and those issues were going to matter again as soon as I went from Jesse the father, to Jesse the Alpha.
But in that moment, I enjoyed the time I had with my family.
The click of a camera shutter brought me away from those thoughts, and I glanced up just in time to see Nikita slip her phone back into her pocket.
“One for the memory box.” She grinned.
“We’re going to need multiple boxes at this rate,” I laughed.
“Hi, Jesse!” Zac’s little voice sounded around the room as he ran over to me.
“Hey, bud.” I carefully gave him a hug with one arm as I kept Cooper against my chest with the other. “Hey, you’ve grown…”
“Because I’m growing, Jesse!” he laughed.
I was certain Zac had grown, and I even placed a flat hand against his head like that was going to give me an exact measurement.
“That’s what I said!” Caitlin replied. “He’s getting too big, and I don’t like it.”
“I think you’ve both grown,” I said as Chloe took her brother’s place and gave me a hug, too. “Or are you wearing those platform sneakers again?”
“No,” she laughed. “I think there’s just something wrong with your eyes, Jesse.”
“Sure.” I smirked.
The teenager gave me a quick squeeze, and she adjusted her black glasses as she took a step back.
“It’s good to see you again, Chloe,” I said honestly. “I missed hearing your loud music around the house.”
“I surprisingly missed annoying you with my music,” she replied with a playful roll of her eyes.
She looked so much like her mother when she did that, and it just caused me to smile.
“Lian looks nice,” Chloe whispered as she looked over at the group of omegas behind her.
“She’s wonderful, and I already know you’ll love her,” I replied.
It meant so much to me that Chloe was quick to accept Lian. Caitlin had been treated so badly by Myles Beck, Chloe’s father, as he started to add more and more omegas to his pack, so now the teenager was slightly reserved and cautious when it came to other omegas joining the pack.
She had been fine when Ivy joined us, and she simply adored Cooper, so I knew she’d be okay with other omegas and children joining the family. But I didn’t want to push Chloe too much, and her insecurities were always at the back of my mind whenever changes occurred.
But the girl in front of me now was nothing like the moody, reserved teenager I first met, so at least we were taking the right steps forward.
For the next hour, my family and I sat around the room as we discussed everything that occurred throughout the last week. My omegas took up an entire bed, and there was a constant smile on Lian’s face as she joined in on the conversations.
Han, Zhang, Benji, Zac, Chloe, and Laura held their own conversations, and even though Zhang occasionally glanced over at Lian to make sure she was okay, his guard started to drop as time went on.
He must have been so used to keeping watch to make sure Shen didn’t do anything to hurt or upset Lian, or whatever it might have been, that it was going to take him time to fully relax and realize that she was okay.
Aunt Eva stayed with me as Cooper napped on my chest, and sometimes we just sat and watched the people around us.
She informed me that Gemma, Blair’s sister, had joined the others outside because there wasn’t enough space for everyone to stand in one room. Some of the betas were going to keep watch around the hotel, just in case, but others were going to get some breakfast and snacks for the train journey back home later.
But the discussion about the train reminded me of the real issues at hand. I’d had my morning with Lian, and my much-needed reunion with my family, but I had to break from that bubble and tackle things head-on.
“Can you look after Cooper while I call Ewan?” I asked as I reluctantly pulled the sleeping boy away from me.
“Of course.” Aunt Eva smiled. “I’ve been saving up my cuddles just for him.”
“And not for me?” I gasped sarcastically. “I’m wounded.”
“You’re old enough to get over it,” she teased.
“Says you, Great-Aunt Eva.” I winked.
I stepped off the bed just as my aunt gave me a slap, but her fingers only brushed off my t-shirt, which just made me laugh.
I told my omegas about the call I needed to make, but they all smiled up at me and told me to take my time.
“Lian is telling us all about her ballet training.” Hailey smiled.
“And she said she’ll give us lessons once I’ve had the baby!” Arielle clapped excitedly. “She’s also going to teach me how to make traditional Chinese cuisine!”
“Yes, I love Asian food!” Nikita cheered.
“Finally a gym buddy who understands my strict routine!” Azalea praised the air.
“Honestly, where do you find us, Jesse?” Blair looped her arm through Lian’s. “We’re all incredible.”
“I know, you are.” I grinned.
“I wanted to tell Lian about how I wrote my name in Shen’s blood, but she wasn’t as keen on that idea,” Ivy said with a light shrug. “But I understand my hobbies are different from others.”
“Yes, I might not need that mental picture at the moment,” Lian laughed. “But thank you for asking first.”
“Ivy is one of a kind,” Caitlin said as she gave the omega a quick hug. “And that’s why we love her so very much.”
“I tolerate you, too,” Ivy replied.
“Holy shit, Ivy just confessed her love to us!” Nikita laughed.
I gave all eight of them a kiss on their heads as I took my phone from my pocket and headed for the bathroom.
I would have headed into the hallway where it was quieter to make the call, but I didn’t want to risk any of the hotel residents overhearing my important conversation, so the bathroom had to do.
I pressed on Ewan’s number and held my phone against my ear as I closed the toilet lid and took a seat.
“Heya, Jesse,” Ewan’s thick, Scottish accent flowed through the phone. “How’s it goin’?”
“Well, I’m in Manchester with a new omega.” I grinned. “So I’d say things are going alright.”
“Fuckin’ hell, my man!” he chuckled. “Not like I had no doubt you’d find her, though, eh? Fuck.”
Fortunately, Ewan knew to dull his accent down slightly for me, otherwise it would have sounded like a jumble of words.
“I’m glad you had faith in me.” I smirked. “But now that Lian is safe and mine, I suppose it’s time to start dealing with the bigger issues at hand.”
“Aye, you’re no wrong,” he sighed. “We’re gonnae have to work out what to do next, with Asia, ken. Like… this isn’ae gonna be some walk in the park, eh?”
“Yeah, I’ve started to gather that.” I nodded. “So what are you thinking?”
“Well…” Ewan paused for a second. “This isn’t some fight against an opposing alpha, or shite like that. This is the real deal now, Jesse. So we need to bring out the big guns. I’m thinking we should include the rest of the agencies, Jess. Have them on our side while we work out what the fuck we’re going to do about Asia. Fool us once, cool, whatever. But fool us again? Nah, fuck that. They’re goin’ down.”
I thought about his suggestion for a second before I gave him a proper answer.
“That’s not the worst idea in the world,” I mumbled. “If we can rally together, and add force behind this attack, we can show the Asian agency who’s really in charge here. They’ve crossed the line, so we need to do something quickly, but having the other agencies on our side will assist with that.”
“That’s what I thought, aye,” Ewan agreed. “In that case, what time are you’s coming back?”
“We’re going to drive back to Edinburgh today,” I replied. “Probably leave within the hour, but I don’t know exactly when we’ll be back.”
“Okay…” the avian alpha sighed. “How abouts you come by the headquarters in the mornin’? We can have the other agencies on the phone, and we can plan something together.”
“Yeah, that works.” I nodded. “I’ll call Hazel Wise and Wyatt Arbour to inform them of that plan. I know Wyatt will help us without question, so at least we definitely have Canada on our side.”
“And the rest of the European agencies will help us, too,” Ewan mumbled like he was thinking something over. “I have the numbers for the other agencies, so I’ll give them all a ring now, and we can plan to have a group call at, like, nine-thirty tomorrow morning. That cool with you?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said. “It’ll be the middle of the night for some of the agencies, but that’s just part of the job.”
“Aye,” Ewan laughed. “It’s why we get paid the big bucks. Literally.”
Ewan ran through the plan once more just to be certain of everything, and once I confirmed that I was going to get in touch with Hazel and Wyatt, the head of the Canadian Shifter Agency, we ended the call.
It was daunting to think that all of the agencies, apart from Asia, were apparently going to rally together, but I knew it was for the safety of the rest of the world.
I tried not to think too much about the meeting, and instead I located Hazel’s number before I became lost in my own thoughts.
It was only five o’clock in the morning in New York, but Hazel had her phone on her constantly, and she told me that time didn’t matter when I had something to tell her.
The phone rang a few times, and for a second I wondered whether she was even going to answer it, but then her breathy, sleepy voice echoed through the phone.
“Jesse?” she asked, clearly still half asleep.
“Good morning, beautiful.” I smiled.
“Hi!” she said, slightly more alert than before. “How’s Manchester? How’s Lian?”
“I’m sure Manchester is great, but I barely saw it in my rush to get here,” I chuckled. “Lian, on the other hand, is stunning, intelligent, and just as beautiful as the rest of you.”
“If you knew what I looked like right now, I’m not sure you’d call me beautiful,” she laughed through a yawn.
I pictured Hazel tangled up in the white sheets, looking out across New York, and the bustling Manhattan streets below. Her mahogany hair was probably tied up in a knot, and her almond eyes were probably full of sleep.
And because Hazel was alone in a hotel room, then she probably wasn’t wearing pajamas, either, so a quick slip of the sheets would reveal the beauty of her body.
That’s what I imagined, anyway.
“If the picture in my brain is anything like the real thing, then…” I blew out a breath. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing I’m in a bathroom where my half-brother can’t see what you do to me…”
“Jesse!” Hazel gasped. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And that’s why you love me,” I said. “Now, unfortunately I didn’t call to tell you how unbelievable I was, or to remind you how stunning you are.”
“You didn’t? Shame…” she teased.
“We can talk about that later,” I promised her. “No, I actually called to tell you that Ewan Miller wants to have a call with all of the agencies tomorrow morning. We need to put a stop to Asia as soon as we can, and the more power behind us, the better.”
“Yes, I totally agree,” Hazel replied. “Just tell me what time, and I’ll be there with my phone in hand.”
“We’re thinking nine-thirty UK time, so it’ll be about four-thirty with you…” I winced. “I know it’s early, and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” she laughed. “Let’s just get these fuckers to the ground.”
“That’s my girl.” I grinned.
There was a short pause, but then Hazel sighed.
“Oh, I miss you,” she admitted. “Do you know when you’re going to come home?”
“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I hope it won’t be too long, but I can’t go anywhere right now with Asia still breathing down our necks, so I’ll have to play things by ear, I suppose.”
I also had to send another email to my professors to make up an excuse for missing classes for at least another week.
But I could handle that later.
“Well, I’ll be waiting here with open arms when you do return,” Hazel said sweetly. “And until then, I’ll keep a close eye on the online forums, too. Shen Shui’s videos have caused many conversations, so I’m keeping watch for you.”
“I knew that was going to happen,” I mumbled. “Is it still the same shit as before? Half of the argument thinks that shifters are real, but the other half thinks the videos are all down to clever editing and CGI?”
“Yes, pretty much,” Hazel said. “But it’s more than half now. People have literally gone through Shen’s videos clip by clip, the vast majority think it’s real, and it’s not looking good for us, Jesse. I’m so sorry.”
Anger seeped through my veins at the mess Shen started and left for me to clear up. It was spinning off the rails, and if we weren’t careful, the entire world was going to learn about shifters, which was the last thing we needed.
“It’s okay.” I ran my hand over my face as I tried to calm down. “We’ll handle the internet and Asia at the same time. It won’t be easy, and it might not even be fun, but we’ll get it done.”
“We’ll do what’s right,” Hazel said confidently. “We always do.”
Hazel was right, we always made it out on the other side.
I thought it would have been impossible to take down Shen, a weretiger, the rarest, strongest shifter species in the world.
But now I had Lian, and Shen’s various body parts were buried six feet under.
So even though taking down an entire government agency was going to be challenging, I had the right people on my side.
And suddenly, things no longer appeared to be impossible.
Chapter 4
The rest of the morning was spent walking from one store to another in order to buy Lian some new clothes.
As expected, my omegas loved every second of it, and they all chose an outfit they thought Lian would appreciate, which also made the experience quicker, too.
Some of the outfits weren’t quite right. Especially when Ivy brought over a black lace dress that would have only just covered Lian’s nipples, and it looked to be the length of a long t-shirt instead of a dress.
It was no surprise that Lian thanked Ivy, but didn’t choose the dress. So Ivy bought it for herself instead.
But by the time we arrived back at the cars, Lian had new pants, leggings, t-shirts, and flowy dresses that stopped at her ankles. She had everything she needed, and she couldn’t stop thanking me for being so generous.
I also bought her, Han, and Zhang cell phones, and it blew their minds that I happily bought the phones for them without thinking twice about it.
The rest of the day was then spent driving back to Edinburgh. There was a two-hour delay before we reached the borders of Scotland, and the traffic trickled across the highway, or “motorway,” but we finally managed to get back to the rented houses at eleven o’clock that evening.
The only issue came when it was time to go to bed.
