Savage looked an awful lot like Hayden. The same dark hair, the same broad shoulders. But where Hayden clothed himself in a very low-key manner, Savage wore all black and had two earrings, one in each lobes, with dark eyeliner under his eyes. She supposed he would be called Goth. It was a good look for him, but not one that would work on Hayden.
She preferred her quiet winemaker. Oh God, she hoped Savage could find him and make him stop before he injured his soul again.
Viola spoke again. “How have you been surviving if you haven’t been taking your herbs?” She stood tall with bright blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The other woman had a Marilyn Monroe birthmark in the same place. If Chelsea wasn’t already so freaked out, she’d ask Viola if she had done deliberately tried to resemble the actress or if it had been just a genetic anomaly.
Of course, Chelsea wasn’t getting warm fuzzy vibes from Viola. She’d keep the question to herself permanently.
“What the hell are you talking about?” But she wasn’t going to remain in bed all day and let the woman speak nonsense. That was when it dawned on her that she was naked. She gasped and tugged the blankets up to her neck. Hayden’s brother and this stranger had just seen her nude. He must have gotten at least a good view of her breasts. Heat shot up her neck, making her cheeks hot.
“Now you notice you’re baring it all?” Viola laughed. “Don’t worry. As much as I admire other women’s beauty, and you’re cute, I don’t swing that way. And I would guess that you smell so much like his brother that Savage didn’t give it much thought either. But put on some clothes and meet me downstairs. I have to get out of this room. The bedroom furniture is horrendous. It feels like it’s attacking me with its tastelessness.”
With that, Viola turned on her heel and strode from the room. Chelsea let out the breath she held. If Viola could help her, then that was great. If not, then Chelsea was going to knock the woman out. The furniture attacked her? Some people needed more to do with their time.
****
By the time Chelsea got down to the kitchen, Viola had torn it apart. Apparently, they didn’t have anything that she needed to make some kind of shake she insisted Chelsea had to drink. It took two trips to three different stores, but they eventually ended up back at Hayden’s kitchen counter using a newly purchased blender.
Chelsea didn’t have any money, but Viola didn’t care one bit. She’d paid for everything without blinking at the cost. In fact, the other woman had stayed all but utterly silent the entire time they’d been out of the house. Not that Chelsea particularly wanted to chat, but the silent treatment was really, really off-putting.
What was this woman’s deal?
Viola threw the remainder of the groceries down on the counter before she rounded on Chelsea with her pointer finger wagging at her like some kind weapon. “I just don’t get it. What’s wrong with you? It’s hard enough on those of us with the Gift without you getting caught by the psycho scientists and dragging the Wolves into our business. Why couldn’t you take your herbs and keep quiet?”
Enough was enough. “I don’t have a fucking idea what you’re talking about.” She pointed her own finger back at Viola. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know about any herbs. I only know that I’ve been through hell—years of it—and I didn’t involve the Wolves. I happen to be mated to one of them, even though that shocked the hell out of me.”
“Are you tell me that you have lived your whole life without taking the concoction? That’s not possible. They would have locked you away as a child.” Viola narrowed her gaze.
“I didn’t have these problems as a child. I inherited them when my grandmother died. No money, no family, nowhere to live, but the ability to see many futures? That I got. So don’t talk to me about what should have been.” Who did this woman think she was?
Viola threw her head back and laughed. “This isn’t like that. You always had it. If you got it when she died, it’s because you stopped eating correctly. There must have been something she fed you every day. Think.” The blonde bitch touched her own head like she pantomimed the act of using her brain.
Chelsea wanted to punch her in the face. The only thing that stopped her was that, yes, in fact, there had been something her Gram had made her every day. The old family recipe. “Soup.” Her voice sounded small.
“Well, there you go. That’s kind of old-school, but I guess it makes sense if it was your grandmother doing it. Shakes are easier. There aren’t many of us with the Gift, but those of us who have it handle it in two ways. First, we keep it secret. No one needs to end up in an institution. And the second is that we eat a combination of vitamins and minerals every day. It lets us remember our visions, control how many we get, and stay in good mental health.” Viola drummed her fingers on the counter. “You probably did have visions as a child, but you were being fed properly, and it felt like dreams or whatever. Puberty makes the whole thing less manageable, but we all get it under control as adults. Your grandmother never told you anything about this?”
She shook her head. “We weren’t close. She kind of didn’t know what to do with me most of the time, and she died very suddenly.”
“Right, well, I guess I’m going to show you what your grandmother should have. It’s rather simple. It’s all about what we put in our bodies. Ready?”
For the next ten minutes, Chelsea listened to how she needed to combine gingko biloba, hawthorn, gotu kola, bacopin, rosemary, schisandra, DMAE, vitamin B6, and folic acid. She also needed to eat more fish, which finally explained her Gram’s preoccupation with fish bone soup. Viola put the whole thing in a juicer with kale and spinach. Five minutes later, Chelsea drank the whole thing down.
She nearly gagged and had to grip the side of the counter. Viola drank that combination of stuff every day and didn’t throw up all the time?
“There are ways to make it more palatable if the kale isn’t your thing. Some people add orange juice.”
“Um…”
The door banged open, and Hayden burst in—all the anger and tension keeping her on her feet fled. He grabbed her and pulled her against him. “You’re okay?”
He was worried about her? “I’m fine. Did they get to you in time?”
“I hadn’t even gotten to the front entrance.”
A noise caught her attention, and Savage entered, dragging Robert, the doctor, with him. “I’m putting you in the wine caves. You’ll be locked up. Then we’ll figure out who, other than my brother, will deal with you.”
Robert yelled something she couldn’t understand thanks to the gag in his mouth.
The room spun, and she grabbed Hayden tighter. .
“Sweetheart?” He squeezed her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure…”
The room went black, and she heard Viola’s response. “Oh, this might happen the first time. “
A lifetime of visions she had forgotten flooded her mind. Then nothingness.
****
“I’m really fine. I wish you’d stop fussing.”
Hayden extended his hand again, and this time she took the shake. “You were out cold for twenty-four hours. I’m going to worry for a while. I can’t help it.”
She smiled. They had a True Believer locked in their wine cave, and he worried about her? “Viola says I’ll be fine now.”
“Viola can suck it. My brother knows some bad people. You and I will figure this out on our own.”
She smiled. “Fair enough.”
Things between them were different now. She had the memory of knowing him lifetimes, of seeing over and over again how spectacular a werewolf he could be. Thank the moon and the stars Savage and Sal had reached him in time.
She told him she’d seen into his soul during her visions. Every time he touched the darkness, it destroyed something in him. And she wasn’t going to let him do that again.
Hayden sighed and sat down next to her. She was his mate. Sometimes he knew her thoughts. “I would have done it for you and nev
er regretted the torture. What is my past good for if not for protecting you?”
Her mind drifted briefly to the strange vision she’d had of Lucian talking to Hayden. His former Alpha had made a mistake in thinking he wouldn’t have made a good alpha. Someday when they were departed and with the moon together she’d tell him about it. But not right then. Things were too cozy, too easy, and she wanted a few moments like that for the two of them.
“There’s no need for either of us to ever sacrifice like that, Hayden.” She kissed his neck, bringing his male scent into her lungs. “Being together means that’s all behind us.”
“Fair enough.”
She ignored the shudder that travelled through her. If there was something dark coming, she’d see it soon enough. She’d been a girl with no future, nothing to dream about. But now she had her Alpha, and the rest would have to work itself out.
Hayden stroked the side of her face. She sighed, loving how connected she felt to him. She was a human, but she felt truly mated and had been in many parallel lifetimes. How lucky was she that she could actually remember them all?
“Hayden?”
“Yes?” he answered.
“Kiss me.”
Hayden grinned. “As my mate wishes.”
And, oh yes, she wished it. Many, many times.
A Thank you from Fated Desires
Thank you so much for reading Alpha’s Sacrifice! We’re so happy that you had a chance to look into the paranormal world of the Fallen Alphas. We do hope if you liked this, that you would please leave a review from where you purchased this or on another platform. Not only does a review spread the word to other readers, they let us know if you’d like to see more stories like this from us. Rebecca loves to hear from readers and talks to them when she can. You can reach her through her website and through her Facebook and Twitter accounts. You guys are the reason we get to do what we do and we thank you.
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About the Author
As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.
Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!
She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.
In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.
www.RebeccaRoyce.com
Also from this Author
Now Available:
The Capes:
Seductive Powers
Adrenaline Rush
Last Ascension
Fallen Alpha:
Alpha Rising
Alpha’s Strength
Alpha’s Sacrifice
Alpha’s Truth
Excerpt: Seductive Powers
Did you enjoy this selection? Why not try another romance from Fated Desires?
From Bestselling Author Rebecca Royce’s The Capes Series
Seductive Powers
Chapter One
Wendy Warner knew why her coworkers stared. They did the same thing every time she wore the outfit. She thought by now they'd be used to seeing her this way, considering she dressed in the uniform the second and third Fridays of every month. That equated to twenty-four days a year. Maybe the first couple of times warranted the amount of attention her outfit drew, but not now. After all this time, garnering the looks and the gasps was just out of hand.
Wendy sighed and nodded to the receptionist, who didn't respond—she never did—and continued walking toward the elevators of Powers, Inc. Only support staff used the elevators because, well, Guardians didn't need them—they could fly.
She sipped her coffee, noticing she was, once again, alone in the elevator. Almost as if everyone in the building thought he or she would become 'nerds by association' simply being near her. Shrugging, she pushed the button for the top floor and decided to move on with her day.
It wasn't as if she was the only person in the world ever to wear a Space Adventures uniform. Over four million people watched the show every week. Sure, to be as devoted as she and the rest of the Space Adventures fan club were may be unusual, but Wendy enjoyed showing others how devoted she was to the show. She wasn't hurting anyone. Hell, she only wore the uniform to work because at the end of the day, she'd have to rush to the soup kitchen her group volunteered at twice a month.
Charity was one of the principles aspired to on Space Adventures, and to do things as a group, to remember the principles of the show and why they loved it so much, was good. People who worked for an organization employing Guardians should understand the idea. One would think.
Only no one had ever asked why she wore what she wore. Instead, they preferred to gawk. But Wendy was comfortable in her flashy red shirt tucked neatly into the matching pants, with the show's emblem displayed proudly on her shirtsleeves and right pants pocket, and the pretend communicator she affixed to the top right of her outfit.
The elevator dinged her arrival and she steeled her shoulders. Walking through the lobby made her skin tingle with awareness from all the stares, but her discomfort multiplied exponentially whenever she got to her floor.
The brightly lit area was sparsely populated. Only the top executive Guardians worked here—Ace Hudson, who, it seemed, was never in the office, and Wendy's boss, Draco Powers. He'd started the company a decade earlier upon graduating college and pronouncing to the world, "Yes, superpowers exist. Yes, people with them wanted to do good things; but no, my Guardians will not be working for free or without health benefits."
Part of her job as Draco's Handler was to make certain he got paid, got enough sleep, and didn't get overbooked. She also ensured cases and tasks beneath his skill level were farmed out to the underling Guardians. Wendy smiled. Draco would never call them underlings. No, he would probably say his 'associates'. He was good at being politically correct. Wendy, as a rule, was not. But that was why she did what she did and he did what he did.
Walking toward her desk, she held her head high, her stare straight. As Wendy passed through the rows of cubicles, she overheard Ace's secretary, Tania Monroe, take a deep breath. "Looks like it's that time of the month again."
Biting her lip, she dug deep, hoping to find the ability to keep her mouth shut stored somewhere in her personal reserves. After a moment, she concluded no such ability existed. She came to an abrupt stop. "You know, Tania, it's bad enough men talk about us using derogatory remarks; you would think as women we could find better ways to speak to one another."
She turned the corner without looking back. Tania had been standing next to Kate, which meant the two would have a grand time at Wendy's expense as soon as she was out of earshot. Some of the hostility, Wendy knew, stemmed from jealousy. As a Handler, she got to leave the office and travel with the Guardians. Her job was integral to their operations. She was highly trained, highly sought after, and all but impossible to replace. Not to forget, they paid her a hell of a lot more than the
y paid those mere secretaries.
But the underlying reason for their attitudes? They just didn't like her. Though they weren't the type of people whose good opinion she should seek, their comments still hurt every time she recalled them.
She settled at her desk and took the deep breath she'd attempted to take earlier. If she wore the uniform to work—at this point, she did so out of principle as much as anything else—then she needed to accept the snide remarks that accompanied her decision.
In truth, she was more than prepared to do so. Unfortunately, the hurtful comments didn't cease when she dressed in her regular work clothes. No, if anything, the words stung even more. She could take off her pretend uniform, but she could never alter the things about herself everyone seemed to hate.
Her computer bleeped, and she looked up. Draco wanted her attention. The chat box appeared seconds later.
Come and see me.
Glancing at the clock, she couldn't help but smile. He was so damned efficient; he put even her to shame. Every morning, at precisely 7:21 a.m., Draco buzzed her computer to invite her into his private sanctuary.
Settling her purse in her bottom drawer, she pushed her chair backward. She turned and walked past Kate, Draco's secretary, who shot a glare in Wendy's direction. Wendy ignored her and proceeded toward Draco's door. If you wanted to see Draco, you had to buzz him on the computer system. Not doing so first meant an automatic ignore. She'd been asked to come in so she did.
"Good morning, Mr. Powers."
He spun around, his blue eyes regarding her with the steely magnificence it had taken almost a year of working for him to get used to. If he noticed, or even cared about her Space Adventures uniform, he'd never once indicated.