Big Bad Alphas

Chapter 36

"What is that?"

"Eric's mark."

"Isabella," Caroline rushes towards me to get a closer look, "that's serious. That's—wow." An excited

look casts over her face, and I am surprised. With Lucas missing, I thought seeing the mark would

make her depressed.

"Are you okay?" I ask and take my seat at the kitchen counter. Marina greets me and I give her a smile

with questioning eyes. She shrugs. Marina, too, has grown used to Caroline's depression over her

mate.

"I'm fine. Where's Kendra?"

"She's still sleeping," I say, "she hasn't slept much until last night. Did Eric stop by, was there any news

on the search?"

Caroline blushes. "No, no news."

"Then what's going on? I'm confused."

"What do you mean?"

I raise an eyebrow and tug her off her seat. Dragging her into the living room, I let go and cross my

arms. "What are you hiding? I know you're hiding something. You've been moping around for the past

week and now you seem fine—better than fine."

Caroline crosses her own arms. "What are you talking about, Isabella? I'm just happy about your mark."

"Tell me."

"There is seriously nothing to tell you, stop being weird," she tries to convince me, then makes a move

for the kitchen. Now very used to stopping people, I grab her arm. "Isabella, I'm being serious. There is

nothing—uh! Stop looking at me like that!"

"Not until you tell me what you're hiding!"

"I'm not hiding anything!"

Like her sister, I dramatically let go. "Fine. Then I'll search."

"Fine. Y-You're nothing going to find anything."

"Fine," I tell her and make my way up the stairs. As expected, she follows right behind me.

"Why are you going upstairs?"

"I said I was searching."

She groans again. "Fine, Isabella, fine! You want to know?"

I quickly turn around. "Yes, I do!"

"Stop yelling," Marina shouts to us from the kitchen, like a mother scolding her children.

"Tell me," I say quietly, but with a fire to my tone.

"Alright, alright. I was going to tell you last night but I heard shouting from the bedroom so I didn't. But, © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

last night, something happened. I was outside walking around, I couldn't sleep, and suddenly

something grabbed me. I thought it was whatever got Lucas, so I tried to scream and get free, but the

touch—it was him," she explains and my eyes widen. "Lucas, he's in my room."

"W-What? He's okay?"

A smile stretches across her face. "He's perfectly fine, but that's not all." Her tone changes. "He told me

a few things and I'm not sure how to say it. He also told me not to tell anyone, so you can't tell Eric that

he's here."

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

"Alpha Kenn, he told Lucas to disappear."

"That doesn't make sense. Why would he ask his own Beta to disappear?"

Caroline takes a deep breath. "Alpha Kenn is planning something."

Leaning against the railing, I bring my hand to my forehead, not believing what she is saying. "This is

—I don't know—"

"I know, it's sudden and crazy, but we need to talk. Lucas will probably be asleep for awhile, Eric will

be back by dinner, so just sit down and listen." Caroline pulls me up the rest of the stairs. "I need to

explain before Kendra wakes up. She'll want all your attention and I need it right now."

"Alright, alright," I tug us into my bedroom and close the door gently behind us, being mindful of my

sleeping sister only a door away. "So, what's happening? You said Alpha Kenn was planning

something?"

"Lucas said that Alpha Kenn ordered him to stay away for awhile. He said it was sudden, and that he

didn't want to disappoint his Alpha, so he did as told. After the first bit it became difficult, h-he wanted to

see me, be with me, and his duties got in the way. When Lucas asked Alpha Kenn to visit me, he said

no. He couldn't be seen by anyone from our pack."

"So it's obviously against us."

"Yeah. Alpha Kenn used Lucas' disappearance to gain entrance into our pack, to be welcomed in."

"Well, what did he plan–what does he want?" I ask eagerly. Eric has to hear all of this, and he has to

hear it now. "Was he here long enough to actually..." I trail off. "Oh no."

Caroline's eyes focus in on me. "What is it?"

"The night he kissed me, I found him in Eric's office. He said he was grabbing a paper or something

like that and I was going to tell Eric about it, but then everything got all jumbled in my head, I couldn't

sleep or think—Alpha Kenn probably took something important. Damn it. I couldn't stop thinking about

the kiss, and completely wiped it from my mind."

"He probably took something, yeah," she thinks out loud, her voice more soft and questioning. "I just

have no idea what. I would have asked Lucas more, but he was exhausted."

"I have to tell Eric."

Caroline hesitates. "What if he comes after Lucas? Lucas asked me not to tell anyone until he is

awake and can explain himself."

"Unless you want to wake him up, there is really no time to waste. I'll tell Eric, and hopefully, by the

time we're back, Lucas will be awake. Alright?"

"Okay, but don't make it sound like Lucas is in on it. He knew nothing. He just followed Alpha Kenn's

orders—orders with no explanation."

"Of course," I assure her. "Do you know where Eric could be? Should I check the training grounds or

a border post or—"

"He might be at the training grounds, and if he's not there, Heath will be, and you can ask him."

I nod and turn back to the stairs after glancing at Caroline's bedroom door. Lucas is in there, perfectly

fine, sleeping soundly, and the search no longer has meaning. The search never had meaning, never

had a purpose for us, only Alpha Kenn. I suppose it no longer matters anymore, as Lucas is safe, and

there are greater things to worry about, such as Alpha Kenn's motives.

I hurry to the training grounds while ideas flourish in my mind. He has to be after the pack, after

power, after the land, and Eric will likely see that right away. What was he looking for in the office?

Weaknesses? Could he have simply attacked without digging a way in? Or does he know that he has

no chance against us without preparation and a lot of it?

I spot Heath, and near him. He smiles at me, noticing the mark but saying nothing. "Hi Heath," I

smile, "have you seen Eric around? Do you know where he is?"

"If you want to wait a moment, he'll be back here in a few minutes."

"Okay, thanks."

I wander around the grounds, watching people as the talk, fight, gently hit each other, and cool down.

It takes my mind away from Alpha Kenn, acting as a small distraction as I wait for Eric. Some of the

pack members peer over at me, say nothing, then look away. Some smile, others say 'hello', and I say

it back. In the distance I see Olivia, and she does not look well—possibly worse, which makes me

question why she is outside. What could have happened to her? On top of the Eric issue and failing to

find a mate, Olivia must be at rock bottom if something else knocked her back down.

For a split second her eyes connect with mine and my chest tightens. Her eyes disconnect

immediately before she heads off in a random direction. A part of me wants to run after her and

question, while the other still feels the threatening clench of her hands around my throat.

"Watching?"

With a sharp breath, I turn and see my mate. "Waiting also, but you're here now."

The sun's light shines on his face, making Eric seem more alive than ever, like some sort of beacon

in a life of darkness. "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright," my eyes scan around, searching for anyone near. "It's Lucas, he's

okay, he's at the house."

"What do you mean he is at the house?"

"Caroline found him last night," I explain, "but you can't focus on that because he wasn't missing at

all. Alpha Kenn told him to disappear."

Eric's face is a mix of confusion, processing, and surprise. "Isabella, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Alpha Kenn is planning something against us, and used Lucas to gain entrance."

Eric is quiet, which causes me to wonder.

"Lucas is at the house right now?"

"He's sleeping, but yes he is."

Without explanation, Eric heads in the direction of the pack house, and I follow beside him. "He's had

nothing to do with it, he didn't know that Alpha Kenn was planning something at the start. Lucas was

just trying to follow orders and left when the orders were questionable. He wants to be with Caroline,

and he abandoned his Alpha for her."

"He worked with him."

I step in front of Eric swiftly. "And now he's helping us. Without him, we wouldn't know any of this."

"He is his Beta."

"He's also your sister's mate."

Eric looks away from me with crosses arms, off in the opposite direction of my harsh eyes. "Isabella

—"

"He chose her, he chose us. Now we're going to go back, and you're going to listen to what Lucas

has to say. No accusing. Only listening. He knows what is going on."

Eric's eyes find me again. "Alright, but if I'm not sure after he is done explaining, then I'm taking my

own measures."