Chapter 21: Alpha Born

"Impossible!" Moloch shrieked. "Female Alphas don't exist!"

But I could feel it. The power in me. Different from Cole's. Softer but just as strong.

Silver light poured from my fur. Pushed back the darkness.

The demon pulled back. Smoke writhing in pain.

"She's burning me! How?"

"Because you messed with the wrong wolf," Cole said. His massive dark form beside my glowing silver one.

Together we attacked.

Cole went high. I went low.

Our teeth sank into the demon from both sides.

Moloch screamed. The sound shook the house. Pictures fell. Ceiling cracked.

"You think you can destroy me? I am eternal!"

"You're smoke and lies," I growled. My voice carried through the pack bond. Strong. Clear. "And we're sending you back to hell."

The pack was getting up. One by one. Shaking off the attack.

They formed a circle around us. Around the demon.

"Together," Cole's voice in my head. "On my count. Three. Two. One."

We all attacked at once.

Teeth. Claws. Alpha power from both Cole and me.

The demon tried to escape. Tried to turn to smoke and flee.

But our combined power trapped it. Held it.

"No! The contract! The mother's bargain!"

"Is void," Andres said. Reading from his grimoire. "A parent cannot bargain away a child who’s come of age and claimed their power. Lita is eighteen. An Alpha. Your contract is broken."

"No!"

"Yes." I bit deeper. Felt it start to dissolve. "You lose."

Moloch screamed one last time. Then exploded into black smoke.

But this time the smoke didn't reform. It scattered. Faded. Disappeared.

Gone.

I shifted back to human. Breathing hard. Stacey threw a blanket over me.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think so." I looked at my shaking hands, adrenaline, not fear. "Did that really happen? Am I really an Alpha?"

"You are," Cole said. He'd shifted back too. "I felt it through the bond. Your power. Different from mine but just as strong."

"How? I thought only males could be Alphas."

“In most packs, yes,” Andres read. “But legends speak of female Alphas born in great need. Called Luna Alphas, protectors, healers, warriors.”

"Great. Add that to the list of things I don't know."

"You'll learn," Cole said. He touched my face gently. "We'll teach you."

A sound made us turn.

My mother. Still in her chair. Still alive.

But her eyes were brown now. No more red.

The demon was gone. But she was here.

"Mother?" I walked over slowly. "Are you okay?"

She looked at me. Really looked. For the first time maybe ever.

"You're glowing," she whispered. "Silver light. Just like my mother. Just like the legends."

"You knew? You knew I could be an Alpha?"

“I suspected when you were born. The crying. The fight in you.” She closed her eyes. “So I controlled you. Kept you weak. If you became what you were meant to be, I would lose you.”

"So you tried to break me instead?"

"I tried to protect you!" Her voice rose. "Do you know what happens to female Alphas? They're hunted. Killed. Taken by other packs. I didn't want that for you."

"So you gave me to Brian instead. Let him abuse me. Tried to have me committed." Anger built in my chest. "You didn't protect me. You destroyed me."

"I did what I thought was right."

"You made a deal with a demon!"

"Because you wouldn't listen! You wouldn't stay away from that gym, those wolves, him!" She glared at Cole. "He ruined everything."

“He didn’t make me think anything,” I said. “He showed me the truth. That I was never weak or broken. You, Father, and Brian lied to me, made me doubt myself. But I’m done doubting.”

I stood up straighter. Let my Alpha power show. Silver light filled the room.

"I am Lita Dillard. Luna Alpha. And I'm taking back my life."

My mother flinched. Actually flinched from me.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. You'll face human justice for your crimes. Tax fraud. Bribery. All of it." I turned away. "As for the demon summoning, that's pack business. And you're no longer pack. You gave that up when you rejected your wolf blood."

"Lita, please."

"Goodbye, Mother."

I walked out. The pack followed.

My father was in the hallway. He'd watched everything.

"You've made a powerful enemy," he said.

"No. I've freed myself from one." I looked at him. "Stay away from me, my pack. Or next time, I won't be merciful."

We left. Got in the cars.

As we drove away, I watched the mansion disappear.

My prison for eighteen years.

But no more.

"How do you feel?" Cole asked.

"Free," I said. And meant it.

Back at the gym, the pack gathered in the common room.

Tyler's body had been moved. Prepared for tomorrow's funeral.

Erica was locked downstairs. Still sedated. Still had demon remnants Andres would exorcise.

But we were alive. We'd won.

"To Lita," Marcus raised his beer. "Our new Luna Alpha."

"To Lita!" the pack echoed.

I smiled. Felt the warmth of belonging.

For the first time, I had a real family.

Then my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I almost didn't answer. But something made me.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Lita." A woman's voice I didn’t know. "Congratulations on your victory, impressive for a newborn Alpha."

"Who is this?"

"Someone who's been watching you. Someone who has plans for you."

"I'm not interested."

"Oh, you will be. Because I have something you want."

"I doubt that."

"Even if it's information about how your brother really died? About who paid Brian to kill him?"

My blood went cold.

"You know who killed James?"

"I know everything, darling. And I'm willing to share. For a price."

"What price?"

"Come to Seattle. Alone. In three days. I'll send you the address."

"Why should I trust you?"

“Because I’m the only one who can give you answers. The truth about your brother, your bloodline, why you’re really a Luna Alpha.” She paused. “Three days, Lita. Don’t be late.”

The line went dead.

I stood there. Phone in hand. Mind racing.

"What is it?" Cole asked.

"Someone knows about James. About who really killed him."

"Could be a trap."

"I know. But what if it's not? What if I can finally get justice for my brother?"

Cole took my hand. "Then we go to Seattle. Together."

"She said alone."

"And I say no. You're pack, my mate. Where you go, I go." His eyes were firm. "All of it, together"

I looked at the pack. At my new family.

They all nodded.

"Alright," I said. "We go to Seattle. We find out who killed James. And we make them pay."

"Together," Cole said.

"Together," the pack echoed.

But even as I agreed, a small voice in my head whispered.

This was just the beginning.

The demons were gone. My mother was defeated. Brian was in custody.

But there were bigger threats out there. Older threats.

And they were coming for me.

The Luna Alpha.

The wolf who shouldn't exist.

The girl who broke all the rules.

And I had a feeling my life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.