The Alphas & The Heiress

Syble (Magnolia)

Breakfast this morning is bustling, there are kitchen staff, house staff, and pack members all abuzz throughout the house preparing for tomorrow night’s birthday festivities. I steal a seat next to Incandis at the breakfast bar and snag the last banana off the counter.

“Morning sleepyhead, you’re just in time to head out to training.” Incandis greets me through mouthfuls of eggs.

“Where did you get an omelet from?”

“If you want the good stuff you can’t afford to sleep in.” He smiles at me and nudges me with his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you wake me then?” I smack him on the back of the head but not hard enough to hurt.

He cocks his head at me like the answer’s obvious. “It’s the first night you’ve slept well in over a month.”

“Hm, so it is.” I say neutrally. He’s right, I managed to sleep through the night, restfully, waking much later today than usual.

“Oh my gosh, Syble, finally! I was about to break down your door.” I’m surprised to see Kat come up next to me speaking feverishly.

“Good morning to you too. What, pray tell, is so urgent that you’d need to break down my door?” I spend one day with the girl and suddenly we’re besties. Kat has that way about her though, she’s outgoing and outspoken unapologetically so.

“I took the day off from work so we can go…shopping!” She sings the last word an octave higher than her baseline high-pitched voice.

“Kat you’ll have to go shopping another time, we’re taking Syble out to the lake for the day.” Ro says as he and Varian amble into the kitchen, dressed casually in jeans and tight, black t-shirts.

My heart rate spikes at the sight of them. It’s only been a few hours and it sounds insane but I’ve missed hearing their voices. I wonder if spending that much time with them yesterday had anything to do with how well I slept last night. I wouldn’t mind spending some more time with them again today.

“You’re taking her away from training again? When did this become a social visit?” Incandis asks them incredulously. I kick him in the leg under the table and mouth “what the fuck?” at him when he looks at me to complain.

“I’ll be the one taking her from training so we can shop for my birthday tomorrow.” Kat says with her head held high and a triumphant grin on her face.

I’m so disinterested in being in the middle of all this. “I’m just gunna… go… You four can duke it out amongst yourselves, text me and let me know who wins.” I don’t want to stick around lest I be asked to choose, because I know who I’d pick.

I hop off the breakfast barstool and make my way outside. I walk around the veranda of the house and discover that behind the manor sits a massive flower garden. There are waist high green shrubs that line the perimeter of the square garden, and dozens of rows of flowerbeds and flower bushes intricately woven throughout each quadrant of the garden. The garden’s centerpiece is a giant pink magnolia tree with several limbs that scoop down and kiss the ground, creating a natural bench to sit on beneath the tree.

Walking around to the back of the tree I notice a sizable green house just beyond the garden’s boundary. The door to the greenhouse is open and I discover the twins’ mom, Accalia, tending to some plants inside. She lifts her head and smiles warmly at me, “Good morning Syble, what a lovely surprise.”

“Hi, good morning. I’m sorry I was just exploring, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Nonsense, It’s not often I get to have company while I tend to my plants. Please, join me.” She motions to an empty flowerpot on the table beside her and hands me a pair of gardening gloves.

“Today, I am repotting my pamianthe plants. They’re a beautiful flower, rare, and more fragrant than anything else in this entire greenhouse.”

I lean down closer to one of the plant’s white flowers and inhale it’s delectable scent. “How did you come into possession of this plant? They’re not typically suited for this climate.” I ask her, genuinely curious.

She leans away from me and gives me an impressed grin. “It was actually one of the gifts bestowed upon my family by your queen, Queen Ianthe.”

I can’t hide the shock in my expression and I freeze, stunned silent, on the spot. I never would have guessed she had any knowledge at all of Twilight Grove, much less that she has a gift giving friendship with my mother.

“Technically, she gave it to my grandmother, who in turn taught my mother how to cultivate it, who then taught me. But the bulbs originate from that very first one gifted to us by Ianthe.” She smiles fondly at some private memory.

“I see. That’s quite the gift coming from her. I imagine your grandmother must have helped Queen Ianthe in a substantial way.”

“Indeed she did. Many centuries ago your kind was more prevalent in this area, there were several colonies in our state alone. Dragon hunters started organizing hunts, persecuting colony after colony. Ianthe came to my grandmother and grandfather for aid, not unlike you and your companion have now.” She smiles at me before continuing.

“With the help of our pack, Ianthe was able to unite a few of the remaining colonies as one and together we eradicated the dragon hunters. Before moving the colony to the mountains, she blessed my grandmother’s bloodline with her own immortality. The pamianthe bulbs were gifted to my grandmother by Ianthe when word reached her of my mother’s birth.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize there was so much history between our colony and your pack.” I say softly, mom has never mentioned her alliance with the wolves to me. I wonder if Incandis knew and chose this pack specifically. “Have you yourself ever met her?”

Accalia smiles and nods. “She was the first person I called when we discovered the twins’ gift. They are the first in our bloodline to have the gift of fire, so I needed advice on how to fireproof the pack if you will, and train the boys to control their power. I always hoped my boys would meet her and her daughter one day. In fact, that great Magnolia tree out there was planted in honor of her daughter, Magnolia.”

She looks at me kindly, but is clearly measuring my reaction. She can’t possibly know. I shiver from the chill that runs through me. I open my mouth to speak but the words dry up in my throat.

I hear a chime go off and it takes me a moment to realize that it’s my phone. “Excuse me for a moment, I’ve been waiting on news from the twins.”

I have 12 unread text messages. One from Incandis, one from Ro and Varian, and ten from Kat. I smile to myself as I read them. Looking up at Accalia I give her an apologetic smile, “thank you for sharing that story with me. I would love to stay longer but it would appear I’m due to go shopping with Kat.”

She lets out a delighted laugh, “it’s very kind of you to indulge her. Have a good time.”

__ __ __

Varian

“You can’t possibly go shopping later this evening, or better yet just go by yourself?” I ask Kat. Syble has meandered off causing my wolf to become more and more agitated the longer she’s out of our sight. Ro’s running his hands through his hair which tells me he’s feeling the exact same way.

“You can’t possibly go to the lake later?” She spits back, mocking me.

Watch your tone, Kat. You’re asking us to give up time with our mate so you can go shopping. Ro warns Kat through our mindlink.

Look guys I’m sorry, but come on! The lake isn’t going anywhere, it’s there everyday. My birthday isn’t. Please, I’m begging you, let us go.

Kat’s pouting has turned into groveling, and despite Ro’s warning growl she doesn’t let up.

My hands are clenched into fists, she has us up against a wall and she knows it. With the news of Syble being our mate still private knowledge, we can’t openly argue against her. Pulling rank would only make us look like even bigger assholes.

I see her take out her phone and start texting someone. From the triumphant grin on her face I take it she’s texting Syble.

“Incandis, would you be willing to help train Syble’s group today in her stead.” I grit out, annoyed that our plans will have to wait, that Syble will be out of our reach, and that Kat looks so fucking pleased with herself.

He shifts his weight and crosses his arms over his chest, “where will Syble be?”

“If Syble even wants to,” I stress the word “if” and shoot Kat a pointed glare, “we will permit her and Kat to go shopping…”

Kat begins to clap her hands rapidly and bounce up and down.

“…so long as Runidar goes with you.”

“What? No!” Kat shrieks.

“Those are the terms, Kat.”

“This is so unfair!”

I can smell her before I see her, Syble is back from wherever she wandered off to and my wolf finally relaxes.

“I don’t need a fucking babysitter, we’re just going to the mall!”

“If you’re going beyond pack borders then Runidar is going with you, end of discussion.” Ro says leaving no room for argument.

Syble re-joins us in the kitchen but doesn’t say anything. She looks between Ro and me and Kat as we’re finishing up our discussion. I’m thoroughly irritated that our plans will have to wait, but I take a small comfort in knowing that going with Kat keeps Syble away from Incandis.

“Such bullshit! Come on Syble, let’s go get dressed.” Kat grabs her by the hand and drags her away from us and up to her room.

The four of us, Incandis, Runidar, Ro, and I, wait in the kitchen for the girls to come back down. I want to make sure they get into the car with Runidar so Kat can’t give him the slip.

A few minutes later my jaw nearly hits the floor at the sight of Syble. Her long, pearlescent hair flows in waves around her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. She’s wearing a black sleeveless shirt that’s shredded in the back from top to bottom, tight black jeans, and oversized black and silver aviators in place of her blindfold.

Ro loses control of his wolf on the spot and storms out of the house shifting into his wolf as he jumps off the porch.

Syble frowns at his reaction and my chest tightens at her sense of rejection. Had things gone our way, we’d be headed to the lake right now, prepared to show her just how badly we desire her. We’d be able to talk to her candidly, away from curious ears, away from Incandis, and make a final decision on claiming her as ours.

We walk out to the driveway and I help Kat and Syble climb into the back of the SUV.

Runidar, do not let them out of your sight. Text me with updates but link me immediately if there’s trouble. Have the girls buy whatever they want with my card.

Runidar lifts an eyebrow at me with curiosity and surprise but simply responds, “Yes, Alpha.”

“Have fun ladies.” I flash Syble a broad, loaded smile before turning seriously to Kat. “Behave. I mean it.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Syble grins as she parrots Runidar, having no idea the immediate effect her words have on me. My wolf surges to the surface, my skin heats, and I’m now uncomfortably hard. I walk away as casually as I can before shifting and going for a run myself.