It’s Funny How Love Starts (IFHLS Book 1)

The maid, who introduced herself as Cynthia, brought me fresh new clothes that consisted of only light dresses and short skirts. I asked her for some jeans and t-shirts but she said that they were the only ones she could find. I asked her what she meant by “only the ones she could find” but she shook her head telling me never to ask that question in this household and left, muttering something to herself. And I thought Alpha Slade was weird.

I found that the clothes fit me perfectly and decided to wear a breezy sundress and noticed its soft blue color was slightly faded. It seemed that someone had worn them before. I would have to ask about it when I saw the Alpha. A knock on the door had caught me off the guard but it was only Jace that came in.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, worried. He looked dead tired, dark circles highlighting his face like Alpha Slade’s.

“I’m not sure,” I said honestly. There was just too many things that had happen in such a short time, it was too hard to digest everything.

“I came here to let you know that Zane is awake and is asking for you.” Those words lit up the moment and I ran to the door, pestering Jace to lead me there. He seemed to laugh at my desperation but nevertheless led me to a room several doors down from where I slept and opened it wide. When I saw Zane’s figure on the bed, I ran up to him and hugged him.

“Geez, Alexia, you’re getting too strong for me,” he gasped. I apologized a thousand times and let him go but I couldn’t erase that grin on my face. “You look creepy, stop it,” he said and managed to grin although it was a forced one. He didn’t look as bad as he did the day before though. All the cuts were treated and the bruises were already starting to heal but he still looked tired.

“Will you be okay?” I asked, hating to see him lifeless and beaten up. I had never seen Zane beaten up nor have anything small as a bruise or a cut. It seemed out of order to see him like that.

“I’m not dead, Alexia,” he said bit his lips when he realized what he said. A gloomy silence penetrated the atmosphere but as usual Jace broke it.

“Both of you have to join Lucas for brunch,” Jace interrupted, gesturing us out of the room. The deadly silence disappeared as I tried to help Zane get up to his feet but he wouldn’t allow me to touch him at all. He said I shouldn’t be babying him and walked stiffly in front of me while Jace led our little band to what must’ve been the dining room. I wasn’t even sure if I should call it the dining room because it was way too big and spacious to such a name like that.

The dining table itself was made of expensive mahogany and the chairs were well cushioned for support. The furnishings were rich and decorative, beckoning anyone to sit down for a meal.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Alpha Slade was working on something and looked up at us, gesturing us to take a seat anywhere. He removed his work and examined Zane from head to toe.

“You’re looking quite better,” he commented.

“Yeah, thanks,” Zane said. “Why are we even here with you?”

“Well as the Alpha of both towns, it’s my duty to make sure everyone in my pack is safe,” he said simply but it wasn’t simple at all.

“WHAT?!” I yelled, making poor Cynthia jump when she came in with our food. She hurriedly placed it down on the table and left, noticing that it was a bad time to interrupt.

“Did your dad not tell you?” Alpha Slade said but he waved his hands. “It doesn’t matter. What matter is that you two are now in my care.” That was what dad was trying to tell me and Zane that morning in the kitchen. He had told us that he would further explain it later that night.

“We can live somewhere else. I’m old enough,” Zane growled, standing up from the table.

“You can leave if you want but your sister has to stay here. We are, after all mated,” Alpha Slade stated. He seemed willing to let Zane go.

“WHAT?!” Zane yelled. Cynthia had come in the room again, thinking the matter had died down and jumped, spilling water from the cups she was pouring into. She gave up and left the empty cups and the water pitcher for us to help ourselves.

“You heard me correctly,” Alpha Slade said.

“When was this Alexia?” Zane turned to me with wide eyes, staring at me accusingly. He was hurt that I wasn’t the one to tell him.

“It happened right before that explosion,” I said quietly.

“I haven’t heard this before either, Lucas,” Jace said, frowning at his friend.

“I’m sure you had sensed it,” Alpha Slade said, shrugging.

“Not with that fucking explosion,” Jace scowled. We were getting off topic and I needed to be nice so he would be kind and let me off on this stupid promise that we made. I couldn’t possibly be his mate. A part of me liked the idea of a strong, handsome Alpha to be my mate, but knowing that the Alpha was Lucas Slade had kind of crushed my dreams.

“Alpha Slade, please let me and my brother go. We won’t do you any harm,” I begged in my best well-mannered voice.

“You must keep your word Alexia. We had a deal,” he growled. Yeah, a deal with the devil.

“What deal?” Zane interrupted. Just as I was trying to ease our way out of the mess, Zane, being himself, was trying act as the older brother.

“If I saved her family then I would have the invitation to bite her and make her my Alpha female,” Alpha Slade explained, getting irritated by the moment.

“But you didn’t save them all,” I pointed out, angrily.

“Then maybe we shouldn’t let any of your family to live at all,” he hissed and had Zane by the throat in a millisecond. His grip wasn’t strong enough to hurt a werewolf like Zane, but he still held him in place.

“Stop it Lucas!” I screamed and jumped. I didn’t know why the hell I called him by his first name but I despised the name as soon as it had left my mouth. Jace stopped me, pinning my arms together before I could claw out the Alpha’s face.

“Sorry, Alexia but I have to do what Lucas says, even if I don’t fully agree with it,” Jace said apologetically. I tried to get him off but he held me tighter, forcing me to look at the Alpha.

“You will become my Alpha female,” he growled low, the werewolf side of him almost at the surface. Zane looked petrified and tortured, trying to save oxygen but he wouldn’t have been able to hold it any longer.

“Let him go!” I yelled again but he ignored me.

“Say it,” he warned with a tighter lock on Zane. I felt the Alpha’s anger and although Zane was really tall, the Alpha was way taller and stronger. Zane was losing conscious, his eyes slowly rolling to the back of his head. Tears stained my vision. I wouldn’t be able to bear losing Zane too.

“Fine. Just let him go,” I sobbed and the Alpha let Zane go.

I blindly went to Zane, crying and leaving snot all over him. He was alive and conscious but barely. His breathing was fast and labored as he tried to inhale as much oxygen as possible. When I had wiped my tears that had fogged up my vision, I noticed that the Alpha had left the room, leaving the door broken into splinters.