The Alpha's Prize
Chapter 24: Honesty

We walked out the door and into the night air, it was a cool, summer night and all the critters weresinging loudly. As we walked down the steps, Cain closed the door behind us and gripped my handin his. Sitting in the driveway was a big, black bike. I had seen similar ones before when I was little,but none like this one. The black looked almost faded, and it had swirls of silver painted on it, withgold accents. Finally, we reached the bike, and Cain grabbed the two helmets resting on the seat,handing one to me.

My eyes widened. “We are taking this?" I asked in disbelief, as I was a little intimidated by thismonstrous machine.

Cain chuckled. “Yes, love. Don't worry; you will be fine; I would never let anything happen to you.”He said while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

I bit my lip, feeling anxious about riding on a bike for the first time, but I trusted Cain. I looked atthe helmet in my hands and took a deep breath before placing the helmet on my head. Cain put hishelmet on as well but seemed to fidget with something underneath it. I wrinkled my nose inconfusion, and that's when Cain extended a hand and reached underneath my helmet.

“There is a strap attached to the helmet for extra protection, and it's best to make sure you do itup.” He informed me. I felt a bit embarrassed that I didn’t know this, that I had never been on a bikebefore.

Cain climbed onto the bike and started it up; it came to life with a thunderous roar. Cain looked atme and patted the seat behind him. “Let's go, get on.” He hollered over the roar of the engine. Istood there for a beat, beyond anxious to ride this thing. I inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying toease my nerves, as I climbed onto the bike and sat behind Cain.

Cain's hands reached behind him and gripped my wrists, pulling them forward and wrapping myarms around his waist. “Hold on tight, ok?” He shouted.

At first, I nodded my head in understanding but quickly realized he wouldn't have seen that. “Ok,” Ishouted back. I clasped my right hand around my left wrist and held them together tightly. Mychest began to rise and fall as Cain revved the engine and took off like a bat out of hell. The bikesped down the driveway, leaving a cloud of dust behind us as we left the territory. I tightened myhold around him, feeling uneasy with the speed we were travelling at now. That's when Cain's handrubbed mine reassuringly and eased some of the tension within me.

After driving for a bit, the tension and uneasiness subsided a little. I was beginning to feel more andmore comfortable as we continued to drive. I lifted my head off Cain's shoulder and glanced aroundus. The trees were whizzing past us and the night air wrapped us in its cool embrace. Everything feltright in this moment; I felt a sense of freedom, and so did my wolf, as she howled with excitement.We veered off the main road and turned down a dirt path. Cain had slowed the bike down, and itroared softly now as we continued driving. Finally, the bike came to a complete stop near the river'sedge. Cain turned the engine off before getting down from the bike. He took his helmet off andshook his head, tousling his hair. I followed suit and took my helmet off as well, running my fingersthrough my hair. Cain's hand reached out, and he helped me off the bike before taking the helmetfrom me and placing them both on the bike. I turned towards the river and stared at the beautifulwater flowing down. The sun began to set and shone down on the river, causing the water to almostsparkle. I closed my eyes, feeling content and satisfied.

As I stood there, listening to all the beautiful sounds around me, I felt a large hand move my hairand swipe it over my shoulder.

“Well, what do you think?” He asked me, a tinge of nervousness in his tone.

I turned around to look at him and smiled. “I love it; it's beautiful here.”

He smiled brightly, and this was the first time I had ever seen him smile like that, making me feelgood that I was the one to make him smile like that.

Cain intertwined our hands and walked us closer to the water. As we approached the edge of theriver, I noticed a blanket laid out and a bag on top of the blanket, giving me a sense of Déja vu. Wecame to a halt at the blanket, and Cain released my hand. “Take off your shoes and sit down.” Hesaid, and I did, feeling a little giddy.

We sat down together on the plush material, and Cain grabbed the bag, pulling it towards him. Hereached into the bag and pulled out a few containers, as well as some bottles of water. He openedthe containers, revealing some hearty-looking sandwiches and plump berries. My stomach growledloudly upon seeing the food before me. Cain's attention was on me now, a playful smirk on his face.“I take it your hungry?” He asked.

My cheeks reddened, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Yes,” I admitted; after not eating anything today,my stomach was angry and was not afraid to let everyone know.

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Did you eat anything today?” Cain asked in a demanding tone.

I avoided his stare and looked everywhere but at him. “Freja, answer me.” He said sternly.

I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled heavily. “No, I didn't. Can we please just eat now?” I asked,getting hungrier by the minute.

Cain's features hardened. “Damn it, Freja, you need to eat better.” He scolded me.

I stared into those green orbs of his “I will, I promise, but can we please just eat before I eat you.” Iteased him.

He leaned in closer. “That might be fun,” Cain said in a seductive voice.

I rolled my eyes at him, not really in the mood at this moment for his games. He chuckled andshook his head at me. “Go ahead, dig in.” And I did just that, not wasting another moment andstuffing a delicious sandwich into my mouth.

A moan of satisfaction escaped my lips as I took my first bite; this had to have been one of the bestsandwiches I ever had. I continued to stuff my face, only stopping when I realized that Cain waswatching me, with an amused expression on his face. I looked between him and the food in myhand. “What?” I asked, incredulous.

He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Nothing,” Cain said with a mischievous smile. Ignoring him, Iturned back to my food and took another bite of the sandwich. I was pretty sure I heard himchuckling, but I was too involved with my food to care.

We sat there in silence as we continued to eat, just enjoying the peace and quiet and staring out atthe beautiful scenery before us. Large trees surrounded us as they softly swayed with the wind. Thesound of frogs and crickets filled the air around us. The sun was setting now, and the moon wouldsoon take its place.

We finally finished our food, and Cain placed the containers back into the bag and movedeverything to the side, giving us more room on the blanket. I laid down on the blanket, sprawledout and stared up at the stars. Cain followed suit, laying down beside me, but he didn't look up atthe sky. Instead, he stared at me. I tilted my head to the side to look at him, and Cain had this oddlook in his eyes, a look of longing and fear. I was curious as to why he held these emotions until hefinally spoke.

“What do you want to know?" He asked, his tone a little clipped.

I wasn't sure what he meant for a moment, but then it clicked that he asked me what I wanted toknow about him. I pondered this question, wondering what I wanted to know about him and if Igenuinely wanted the answers to those questions.

I pursed my lips and looked into his eyes. “How come, after your parents died, you turned into.....amonster?” I asked hesitantly, hoping he wouldn't get angry with me over that reference. The storiesmy father had told us about Cain were far from fairytales. Dad had said that Cain showed no mercyin battles, that he would challenge other Alphas for their pack and territory to gain strength andpower.

He sighed heavily. “Things weren't always so great around here, even before they died, but thingswere ok. I was close with my mother, and at times, I looked up to my dad, even though he could bea real ass at times. After they died, my world crumbled; a piece of me had died with them in thatbattle. Once I became Alpha, I turned into an emotionless, cold-hearted asshole, who did what hewanted and took what he wanted; it was the only thing that eased my pain.” Cain's face fell, and hiseyes held so much emotion; it was heart-wrenching to see him like this.

I looked down at the blanket as I took in everything he had just shared with me, things I would betno one else knew. Then, I looked back up at his face, gazing into those alluring green eyes. “Whydidn't you give me more time with my family, and why didn't you reject me? Everyone always saidthat you didn’t want a mate, that if you ever found her, you would reject her or kill her.”

He looked away from me and clenched his teeth. “I am sorry for the way I took you from yourfamily; you deserved more time with them. However, I am not sorry for taking you, and I took youso fast because I was afraid of you running and never replaceing you. Originally, I didn't want a mate,and the plan was to reject her because, to me, a mate was a distraction and a weakness, but when Imet you, everything changed. I felt possessive, and the desire to be with you was overwhelming. Icould no longer stand the idea of rejecting my mate because you were mine from the moment I laideyes on you." His tone was dark, and his eyes flashed black for a split second before turning back togreen.

I sat up and sucked in a sharp breath. “I didn't want you at first, I could slightly feel the mate pull,but I pushed it away, as deep down as I could. I had always been told of the horrific things you havedone to get where you are today. You scared the shit out of me, and mating with you felt like adeath sentence.” Cain sat up now, his eyes dulled, and his facial expression became neutral, as hetook in my words, “But since coming here, I have learned something, I have discovered a differentside of you, a side that I would like to get to know more, a side that I am proud to call my mate,monster or not.” So I said it was the honest truth, every word of it. His eyes narrowed in on mine ashis hand came up and caressed my face. Cain's hand then slid into my hair and gripped it firmlybefore smashing his lips to mine, devouring my entire soul with one kiss.

I climbed onto his lap and spread my legs across his lap. He gripped my ass firmly and pulled meinto him, leaving no space between us. I could feel his hard cock, which was bursting at the seamsand now rubbing against my very sensitive core. He moved his hips back and forth, rubbing himselfagainst me, creating even more friction and driving me closer to the edge. The sexual desire I feltwas consuming my mind and body, it felt like a drug, and he was the cure.

Calyx POV:

I was pacing my room, becoming more and more impatient with each passing minute. The currenttime was 8:05 pm, and I was going mad having to wait. I checked my bag once more to make sure Ihad everything, and just like last time, everything I needed was there. I picked up the phone andcalled Lazarus, needing to make sure he was ready.

The phone rang and rang, with no answer and just as I was about to hang up, the dipshit finallyanswered, “What the fuck took you so long to answer the phone?” I growled out, already on edgeand not needing his tardiness to add on top of it.

Lazarus hissed, “I am in the middle of final preparations before we leave to meet with you. Now,unless you want me to be late, you better hurry up and tell me why you have called.” He saidthrough gritted teeth, I guess someone else was on edge too, but still, I wouldn't stand for hisarrogance.

I growled deeply, causing it to rumble through the phone. “Watch your fucking tone with me;Lazarus and I called to ensure you were ready, which I can tell you are. I will see you soon.” My tonewas dark and sinister. He just scoffed and hung up the phone. My lip twitched, and my wolf stirredwithin me, clawing at my insides to come out, to finally get our revenge on Cain. Finally, taking whatis ours, what has always been ours.

I looked at the clock, and it was now 8:30, and it was finally time to go. I smiled, overjoyed that thismoment was here, at last, the moment I have dreamt of for years, where I would kill Cain andbecome Alpha, as I was destined to be. Maybe I would keep Freja, instead of killing her, keep her asmy Luna. She would be a respectable woman to have at my side, ruling the pack together. Ipondered this idea for a moment and then decided I wanted to kill her instead; she is too much of apain in the ass.

I grabbed my bag off the bed and walked over to my window, unlocking the window and openingit. Then I tossed my bag onto the ground before jumping out the window. I stood to my full heightand straightened myself before walking confidently into the woods

After walking for almost 30 minutes, I finally arrived at the meeting spot and not to my surprise, Iwas the first one here. They better be here in two minutes because if not, I will kill them for ruiningthis opportunity. I pinched the bridge of my nose, the fury boiling inside of me. Then, suddenly, Iheard a branch snap behind me, and I whipped around to see a smiling Adela standing there.

She cocked a brow. “What's your problem?” Adela asked with a smile.

My lip curled into a snarl. “Don’t play with me, Adela, not tonight. I am on edge and not in themood for your bullshit. Where is Lazarus?”

Adela’s eyes narrowed on me, and her nostrils flared. “He's not here yet.” She said through grittedteeth. I clearly struck a nerve with her, but I didn't care. Keeping her satisfied was not my prioritytonight.

My eyes scanned her body, in a judgmental manner, before turning around and looking for thatpathetic vampire. The forest was dark now, but I was glad to have enhanced vision, being able tosee clear as day in the dead of night. Not so far in the distance, I spotted Lazarus, with six burly mentrailing behind him. Cain didn't stand a chance against us; he and Freja would die tonight. I abruptlyremembered that Adela had mentioned earlier that she needed to obtain an essential item beforetonight, something that would aid us in the battle.

I turned around and faced her. Adela’s expression was neutral, giving me nothing on how she wasfeeling. “Did you get the item that you spoke of earlier?” I asked her casually, trying to get answersfrom her.

Adela straightened herself. “As a matter of fact, I did.” She said with a sinister smile before reachingaround to her back and pulling out a knife. The blade was dark grey in colour, almost as if it hadbeen dipped in ashes. The handle was black, with a red ribbon wrapped around it. As I stared at theweapon in her hands, I got this ominous feeling from it.

She twirled it in her hands. “This little beauty will kill any supernatural with just one blow; it wasforged by a witch who vowed to rid the earth of anything unnatural. Got it from some witch.” Adelasaid calmly. I eyed the weapon, unsure of how I felt having something so dangerous to my kindbeing within my proximity. Lazarus finally arrived, and he stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at theweapon in Adela’s hand.

His eyes turned a deep red. “Where did you get that heinous thing?” He sneered, making mecurious as to what he knew about the weapon.

Adela smirked. “From a witch. I take it you are familiar with the blade, familiar with its cursed steel.”She reached around to her back again, returning the blade to where it was initially hidden fromsight.

Lazarus snarled, “Yes, quite. So, keep that thing away from me.” His face held many emotions, butfear was the strongest of them all.

Adela chuckled. “Calm down, leech; it's not meant for you anyways.” This woman was difficult toread; she appeared to be on our side but also gave me the feeling that she had a secret agenda,and I could only hope that whatever she was planning it wouldn't get in the way of my own plansfor tonight.

I placed my bag onto the ground, its weight causing the dirt to stir up and create a cloud of dustaround us. “I have brought a few things we will need, things that will help in making sure everythinggoes according to plan, just as discussed, and I want to be sure that everyone knows their part?” Iasked, glancing between the faces surrounding me.

Everyone nodded their heads and smiled brightly; it was evident that they were as ready for this as Iwas, ready to take down Cain and that bitch of his. I bent down and opened the bag. “Then let'sbegin, shall we.” I grinned widely, ready for what was to come.

I reached into the bag and passed around a small bottle that contained a bright, green liquid. “Thishere will mask our scents. So, they won't be able to smell us coming until it is too late.” Everyonetook a sip from the bottle, myself included. Next, I pulled out another bottle that contained a yellowpowder. “And this here, if you can get close enough to either one of them, just take a small amountof the powder and blow it into their face; this will stop them from being able to shift into theirwolves.” I passed the bottle around, along with some small jars I had packed to put the powder in;they all took some powder and placed it into the jars, then carefully stowed it away.

I reached into the bag once more and took out the same knife I had used to take my parents’ lives. Istared at the blade, which was still stained with their blood, and a feeling of euphoria ranthroughout my entire body. Soon, Cain's blood would mix with theirs, staining the blade as well. Ilooked around at everyone. “It's time. Everyone take their places and remember, Cain is mine.” Theyall nodded in agreement, and one by one, they started off to take their places, just as planned. Onceeveryone was out of sight, I walked off into the distance, ready to end this.