Chapter 22 – Clueless

Dana

I turned my head and saw Clara standing at the door. She was wearing a plain blue dress with white flower buttons, and she had her hair twisted into a sloppy bun on top of her head. Her belly was larger than it was the week before, and her wonderful glow almost fully surrounded her. It would appear that she heard all that I stated perfectly.

Is there anything else that she may have heard? Had she picked up on everything? My blood was running as hot as lava and as cold as ice at the same time, and it must have showed directly into my face because she went from being in a joyful attitude to expressing concern when she inquired, "Dana? Are you okay? You have a look on your face that you might pass out..."

The events that followed occurred in a haze. It was already too late when I realized how Alaric's countenance had changed, how his body looked to convert halfway to his Lycan form, and how his sharp, white fangs were surfacing. I can just make out in the periphery of my vision Alaric crouching down, which is a posture I am all too familiar with because I often find myself in the same one. His growl rumbled deep within his chest, and even if it had been muffled, there is no way that Clara could have failed to hear that sound. I was able to see out quite clearly how his eyes shone with a golden and amber brilliance, his wolf seizing control of the reins of his human bodily form.

When Alaric pounced, going right for Claras' neck, my eyes must have appeared to be as big as saucers since my dread was written all over my face.

Max

Even before we graduate from the Lycan Training Academy, we are already experts in hand-to-hand combat, and we are well-versed in the use of incredibly lethal armaments and other types of weaponry. The warriors of our kingdom have received training in the art of battle that is considered unparalleled by any other race. This training has prepared our soldiers to be unbeatable in the field. As part of our training, we gain the capabilities, knowledge, and skills necessary to remove opponents who pose severe hazards, damage, and harm to our packs. This includes enemies of different races and species groups. It was one hell of a ride, but I wouldn't bleedin' exchange it for anything else in this feckin' world. ' It was a feckin' hell of an experience.

Although Lycans are physically built to be stronger and more powerful than any other supernatural being, we still trained for long and arduous hours to perfect our skills in combat and study tactics and strategies with military precision, which included mental and psychological training. This was because when fighting on a battlefield, we were taught that as Lycans, we do not only fight for ourselves, but we also make sure to protect our comrades and work as a unit while we are engaged in combat.

Because I was a Beta to the Alpha of the Alphas, I was given the opportunity to participate in special training operations as his second in command. But despite all of my training and efforts to improve my skills, there is no way that I could have been ready for what came next.

As she made her way into the room, I heard her before I actually saw her for the first time. She made quite an entrance. With my heightened senses, I heard her scuffling from outside the door. At first, I thought it must be a mouse or a cat, but logic immediately shot down that possibility since we are in a highly secured facility and a fertility clinic at that, and there's no way the labs in here will have animals or pets just roaming around so easily. She sounded like she was trying to get into the room. She flung open the door, and a powerful gust of wind followed in her wake as she walked in. My eyes opened as her scent drifted across the room. I was mesmerized by the aroma that lingered in the air and etched itself into my memory.

Although it was easy to detect a trace of Alpha in her aroma, there was no mistaking the fact that she was, in fact, a human.

Jesus freaking H. Roosevelt Christ.

In the space of a single blink, I grasped the significance of these words in my head. Undoubtedly, I was conscious that this could horribly end in a bloody mess of a catastrophe, and I feared for the worse.

Above the furniture in the corner of the room was a mirror that accurately reflected the rest of the room, and I saw how the Alpha changed his demeanor and stance upon catching a whiff of the scent from her, the lady who had just come in, and I knew right away that his wolf could not resist taking a little bit of a bite from her. His eyes shone with a fiery combination of gold and amber, and his powerful hands, which could be seen through his fine clothes, appeared to have a coat of dark fur on them.

Before anyone could even blink, I found myself at the Alpha's side. My left hand quickly looped around his neck, and my other hand was firmly placed on his torso to keep him in control.

It was a great thing that the room had partitions, and a sturdy wall of concrete divided the section where we were seated and having the bloody scotch. The young lady who walked in would have had a clear and shocking view of the Alpha in the midst of his metamorphosis, and she would have been in clear sight and angle for the Alpha to pounce and give her a good nip on the neck if it weren't for that minor detail.

The metamorphosis would have been complete in a matter of milliseconds, but the Alpha must have had some kind of fragile hold on his wolf before he caused mayhem and destruction in the room, and he struggled to maintain control over his ferocious beast.

"Take some deep breaths, Alpha!" I whispered in his ear, making sure that he was the only one who heard what I had to say. "If she is who I think she is, you wouldn't be fancying ripping her to pieces now, would you?" I asked, me lad.

If I'm being honest, maintaining a firm grasp on the Alpha was a nightmare that made my head hurt like feck and made my blood run cold. It is true that he is a feckin' Lycan Alpha, and by the saints, he is bleedin' stronger than all of us put together in this room. Not to mention his royal blood, which is an authentic lethal mixture of supernatural powers and tremendous strength.

I was able to make out the low growl of his wolf, which was sufficient to let me know that he was aware of what I had said.

"Get out of my way, Beta!" The Alpha growled.

"Really? " Calm down, Alpha, or you won't even have the bleedin' chance of getting her to agree to a first date when she lays eyes on you with all of your white fangs and claws out, for the love of all holy." I laughed at him and teased him while I tried to keep him in place and out of her sight. "She sees you this way, and your human mate is going to feckin' run up the hills and never bleedin' look back," I said, my own claws growing in the effort to restrain him in place and out of her sight.