Behind The Alpha Book 2 WES

(Chapter song ‘Heal’ by Tom Odell, ‘The Memory Of Trees' by Enya )

THEA

I feel empty.

Alone.

My mind doesn’t hear the songs anymore. I can’t feel the life. I can’t feel the love.

What do I do now?

My tree is gone. My forest is gone. I have nothing now.

I lay in bed at home. I woke up in the hospital last night and Wes brought me home. I’ve been awake for sometime, but I don’t want to get out of bed.

I’m broken. My father ripped away everything that I am. All of my purpose. I don’t know how do anything else.

I look out the window as I rest my head on my pillow. A tiny tear falls across my nose.

I hear the door silently open and close. I feel the blankets lift and a body slide in behind me.

Wes reaches for me and I flip over onto his chest. He holds my head as I listen to his heartbeat. The only heart, besides my own, that I can hear and it’s killing me. I love him so much for his comfort, and I hope I can still live beyond this because right now, I don’t think I can.

He just holds me and kisses my head. His thumb rubs my cheek. “I know it hurts.” He whispers. “I understand. Just…I will never love you any less. I don’t love you for your power or what you are, I love you for who you are, little flower. That’s all I want. What you are makes no difference to me. I just want you to know that.”

My chin quivers as I nod on his broad chest.

“I’ll help you get past this, baby. It doesn’t feel right, I get that. I feel it too. You won’t be alone in healing from this, ok? I’m right here and I’m always going to be here.” He lifts my chin and my eyes meet his. “Nothing will ever change my feelings for you.”

He gently kisses my lips and I feel him inside me. I trust he will help me through this, it’s just going to be so hard now.

We are waiting for Phoenix to bring us what we could use to capture Artemis. So, now, it’s a matter of adjusting to my new way of life. I feel so different.

After coaxing me out of bed and getting dressed, I walk out to the backyard and up to the growing oak tree Wes and I planted.

I sit at its roots and lean my head on his small trunk. “I wish you were him.” I choke. A wind gusts through its tree tops. “At least I have a piece of him in you.”

I look up into its small branches. “Can I feel you?” I place my hand on its trunk. “Please.” I hitch. I close my eyes and sniff back my tears. When silence came, I dropped my hand to my lap. “I didn’t think so.” I wipe my nose.

A short while later, Wes came out with an apple and a bowl of berries for me. He sat down under the tree with me. He took a berry out of the bowl and placed it in my mouth. “Thank you.” I mumble.

He bites into his apple. “It’s probably the wrong time to think about this, but the moons tomorrow tonight.”

I nod. “I know. I guess I don’t have to recharge anymore.”

He leans to see my eyes. “There’s a party in White Rock. You want to go and try and take your mind off it. It might be fun.”

“I like parties.” I glance at him.

“So, do you want come with me? Be my date?” He gives me a tiny smile.

My eyes meet his. “I would like that.”

He smiles. “It’s a date. We’ll go, have some fun. We won’t worry about the moon or anything. Just you and me and a romantic night, ok?”

I give a half smile. “Ok.”

“You want to finish this inside?” He points to the bowl of berries.

“No. I want to sit here with my tree for a while.” I lean my head on the trunk.

“Ok. I’ll leave you alone. I’m just inside if you need me.” He places a hand on my cheek and kisses my forehead. I watch him walk back into the house.

I cuddle up to my tree. “I wish you knew how much I miss you. The moon won’t feel the same this year. I have Wes to love me, but I wish I still had you too.”

I run my fingertips in the lines of the trees bark. “Please come back.”

****

WES

“Hey. You seen my tie?” Grey comes into my room as I’m getting dressed for White Rocks ball. They weren’t going to hold it without Michael, but River’s Gamma said that the tickets were already sold and it was too late to cancel, so he’s running the show while River tries to find his friend.

I’m going because Thea needs this. Her life is in such turmoil, a night of being with friends and family will do her good. I don’t like her sad all the time and right now, this is the only thing I know to do for her. As long as I’m with her, I don’t care.

I’m getting frustrated with my own tie, until I look down and realize it’s not mine. I rip it off my neck. “Here.”

Grey takes it. “What’s wrong with you? You should be happy.”

“I am.” I walk to my closet and pull out another tie. “It’s my head. I feel clouded.”

“It must be nerves. You’re excited about the moon.” He claps my back when I get back to the mirror to put my tie on.

After pulling my collar down, I turn to him. “You’re probably right. I just want to cheer Thea up. I fucking hate this man. I understand her pain, but I wish it was mine, not hers.” I rub my head as I feel a headache coming on.

I shake it off as I finish getting ready.

Grey steps to my door. “Hurry up the moon peaks in 40 minutes.”

“Ok. I need to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything.” I check for wallet and keys. Satisfied, I walk out of my room and down the stairs.

I almost trip down them as I see what’s waiting for me at the bottom.

Grey takes Mia in his arms. Mia is giddy with her beautiful sparkling white dress and her red, blonde hair braided, but that’s not what has my attention.

I slowly descend the steps and take Thea in. She’s wearing a soft green toga type dress with a gold belt. It’s sparkles with bits of gold glitter. Her makeup is natural and her long hair is braided with gold and green ribbons through it. I feel my neck get hot the closer I get to her.

I lean down to her and smile. “You look…so beautiful.” I breathe.

“Thank you.” Her smile lights up her face and I’m beaming because I made that happen.

“Let’s go before we miss the moon.” Grey says.

I hold out my arm. “After you, my gorgeous flower.”

She nods and turns to the door.

We walk out to the waiting car and I was about to help Thea in…

My brows go up. “Shit! I forgot the tickets.” I lean in the car. “You guys go, we’ll catch up.”

“You sure?” Grey says from the drivers seat.

“Yeah. I’ll take my car.” I nod.

Grey shrugs and I close the door.

I turn to Thea. “I’ll just be a minute. I promise.”

She follows me into the house and waits for me in the foyer while I run upstairs to get the tickets on my dresser.

When I get to my room, I look on my dresser top. They aren’t there. “Where the hell?” I look around my room. I check jacket and pant pockets. I check drawers. My closet.

I know I had them. I was just looking at them.

I stand in the middle of my room and rub the pain growing in my neck and head.

“WES?” Thea calls out.

“Just a minute!” I call back. I walk to my bathroom and pop two painkillers. My head is pounding. I lean on the sink and hold the bridge of nose.

I walk out of the bathroom and hear…something.

It’s getting louder.

I walk out of my room. “Thea are you singing?”

I descend the stairs and have to pause. “Ugh…” I lean on the railing as the singing gets louder and louder.

“WES!”

I look around the room and Thea’s not here. “Thea?” I wince my eyes and rub my temple. My suit is soaked inside from sweat and I feel extremely weird.

“WES, HURRY!”

“Thea, what’s wrong?” I follow her voice to the backyard.

I stop and my face falls in shock.

The tree we planted is at least 30 feet tall and glowing.

The song is coming from it.

Thea is crying. “You hear them too?” She puts her hands in a prayer pose in front of her nose.

I nod as I enter the yard. “Yeah, I do. It’s beautiful.” I walk up to her and cup her cheek. “Just like you.”

She laughs and turns to the tree. She walks up and places her hand on it.

The yard was drenched in deep blue light and when she laid her hand on the trunk a stream of blue light flooded down the bark to her fingers.

“Wes. I feel it. I feel him. He’s alive.” She laughs happy tears.

I feel the music and the air turned electric. I felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her right here.

I stepped close to her. Her eyes meet mine and at that moment the bond snapped. I grab my chest and she grabs hers too. “What is that?” She gasps.

The power from the tree fills her even more and I feel it too. It hits me right in the chest.

I smile huge. “It’s means you’re mine, Thea. All mine.”

“It worked?” She bites her bottom lip with a smile.

I nod fast. “Yes…Yes, it did.” The trees light dies down and I close the gap between us. “Come here.” I grab the back of her head and kiss her passionately. The bond snaps back and forth and I’m filled with everything she feels. I’m flooded with all kinds of emotions. My body’s on fire and between the love of Theas heart and the song in my head, I feel like my heart is going to explode.

Thea moans on my lips and I can’t take it. My dick is so hard for her. The mate bond is so strong. Grey wasn’t kidding when he said it feels like you get the wind knocked out of because you do.

I kiss Theas neck and ear as I slide the strap of her dress off her shoulder. I bite and suck the area that will bare my mark on her skin forever. I taste it. Drown in it. So long I’ve waited for this one moment and I’m not wasting a second of it.