Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 49 I’m Your Family Too
Adam came to a stop in front of her, so close that their noses almost touched. She could feel his heavy exhalations as he battled with his fury and she sighed, bringing her hands up to rest on his arms.
“Listen. We were supposed to be a team… that’s what we contracted for. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”
The tension in the air was palpable for a few moments, the pressure that hung ominously above them was almost crushing, but with a sigh, it gradually began to dissipate.
He turned away abruptly and ran his fingers through his hair angrily.
“Your f*uc*king step-sister…” He growled, his tone still furious.
Ann laughed darkly, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.
“Of course, it is… why didn’t I guess? What happened?”
Adam sank down on the sofa on the far wall and leaned heavily on the armrest, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand and not speaking for a while.
The silence extended between the two of them and when the deadly aura that rippled from him had dissipated completely, Ann made the decision to approach him, and sit next to him.
He had comforted her when she was distraught, the least she could do was return the favor. Adam was distraught in his own way, and now, she had to figure out how to comfort him as effectively as he had her.
Ann took a seat next to him and rested her hand on his arm at the side of her. He didn’t move it away and she began to run her hand up and down his arm gently, hoping that the motion was soothing or at least rea*s*suring for him.
When he turned his head to look at her, she wasn’t ready for the look of sadness that met her.
“Adam… what on earth happened down there?” She asked almost breathlessly, feeling her breath catch in her chest.
With a sigh, he explained, and by the time he had finished, Ann didn’t know whether or not she should laugh or cry.
How did she know? Was it just a lucky guess? Or did they have someone on the inside feeding them information??
No..it couldn’t be the latter. Only Lexi and Allen knew the full details of their contract and they both trusted each one of them implicitly. There was no way that they would betray them this way.
“Are your elders usually that… enthusiastic about confronting you, Adam?”
Adam shook his head his gaze hardened.
“No, but I’ve had suspicions for a while that something has been off. That’s why I swore you to secrecy Ann. There’s a lot you don’t know about me…that no one does.”
Ann was silent for a while as she mulled his words over. “Then what do we do? Do you want to tell them the truth?”
Adam snorted.
“f*uc*k no. I won’t see this pack fail again. It’s taken me years to get it to this point. These people depend on me.” He answered vehemently.
Ann watched him as he stared into the distance and suddenly he turned to face her, his expression deadly serious.
“I don’t have a choice, Ann. As much as it p@ins me to say it, we have less than 2 days to fix this. Do you think Lexi can pull it off?”
Ann blinked at him in shock. She hadn’t expected him to choose that course of action at all. She thought maybe he would come clean and try to talk his way around things, but instead..he had opted for trusting a hybrid and a daemon with his life.
She smiled softly.
“She’ll do everything she can to make it happen, Adam, don’t worry. She’s practical all the family I have left, and family takes care of family first, always.” Ann rea*s*sured him.
A brief look of hurt flickered in his eyes and his expression turned sullen.
“No, she’s not. I’m your family too, Ann.”
Ann chuckled softly.
“Yes, for the next few years at least, Adam. Let’s not say more than that. I don’t want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed again.” She answered lightly.
Although her tone was light, her heart was racing. She was fully aware of the spark of longing that had started in her heart for this rugged man before her.
A terrifying figure to the outside world, yet soft, warm, and caring towards her. It was the stuff that dreams were made of and if she let herself fall for him, she was terrified that she would be cast aside yet again.
Adam said nothing, but his sullen expression remained. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but Ann spoke before he had the chance to.
“Let me message her. She’s probably sat in front of her computer drinking her body weight in alcohol right about now.”
Sure enough, Lexi had responded almost immediately and said she would arrange things with her dad and let them know in the next few hours.
Adam refused to leave the bedroom with Ann, in case they were accosted by the Elders or someone else that Tomas may have put up to it, and f0rced to reveal their secret.
They ended up ordering takeaway and staring blankly at the screen as a random selection from Netflix played while they ate.
They had just finished eating when Ann’s phone rang and Lexi’s name flashed up on the caller ID.
“Hey, trouble. I have a question for you…” Lexi greeted as Ann answered the phone.
“Sure, shoot. Ask me anything.” Ann replied with a grin. She had a feeling that she knew exactly where this was going and she smiled rea*s*suringly at Adam as he sat forward eagerly, waiting to hear what she had to say. “Who has the best friend in the whole entire world?”
Ann snorted as Adam rolled his eyes and sagged back on the sofa.