Alpha Mates (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 20.

*****

I always thought needing other people would make me weak. I watched my parents break down when they almost lost each other when I was little, they were in so much pain and I never wanted to be that dependent on anyone. I never wanted to be that vulnerable. In my head and to everyone else around me, I was always supposed to be the strongest person in a room, be it emotionally or physically.

I was completely mistaken about what emotional strength was, wasn't I?

I sighed letting my head fall back against the wall so I was staring at the ceiling. I wish I hadn't treated him like he was competition or something. I wish I had not spent the little amount of time we had had together worrying about work and leaving...

Wait, he should not even matter at the moment while my entire pack was in turmoil. I should have been trying to figure out how I was going to get out of the mess I was in, not thinking about him. My mind kept drifting to him when I closed my eyes though...

Sighing and immediately coughing when the breath drew wolfsbane into me, I tugged at the chain around my wrists knowing I was strong enough to break it if I tried despite being as weak as I was, the problem was that it would take all of my energy just to break it.

I concluded that I should just kill Craig. It should be easy with magic. Of course, I would only have one chance.

I looked at the chains while tugging at them again lightly but stopped when I heard a click and my eyes moved to the door. As Craig walked in, my chest tightened slightly and the reaction made me angry at myself. I narrowed my eyes beginning to recite the spell I used on Nicholas the previous day in my mind but nothing happened. I tried again trying to focus more but still nothing happened.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" I was snapped out of my confusion by a nudge against my head and I looked up at Craig, "Oh, you were trying to cast a spell or something, weren't you?" He smirked.

"You have a witch," I muttered. The witch had a spell preventing me from using magic.

"Nic's idea." Should have guessed, "Witches. It's incredible. I never imagined all of these mystical things could be real. So powerful... and yet so... weak." I watched him unclench his fist and dry pieces of wolfsbane fell from out of his hand. I hid how my stomach twisted at the thought of having to eat any more of it. "You know... I realise there's no way that idiot could control the rest of you for long, he's not powerful enough, they'll rebel eventually," he said.

"Idiot?" Right. Nicholas was fucking stupid.

"So take his place." I looked up at Craig as he bent down towards me but not enough for us to be at eye level. He stared back into my eyes waiting for me to react.

I gave a laugh of disbelief.

"Come on, Alpha. I'm sure you feel pretty ashamed looking the way you do right now; being in this position. I would too if I were you." he chuckled. "And do you really want Nicholas pushing your family around? Your brother? They're going to follow him because they have no choice. If you join me, I'll let them go."

"Them?" I asked.

"Yes, only them. We need some sacrifices, can't send off our entire army." He chuckled, "Think about it, you and I will rule the world. We would control everyone and you animals could shift wherever you feel like it when humans know you exist. We could even kill off the vampires your kind hate so much."

I laughed drawing a frown from Craig as he stepped back standing straight.

"No, thank you. I'll just watch your 'idiot' get overpowered and you'll fall right after he does." I said.

"I'm the only person alive that has the cure to what will soon be a werewolf epidemic. The only person that can make more of that cure. I'm pretty sure I'm safe." he said, "You did not save your brother coming in here, Eli. You just put him in the same position somewhere else. The only way you could really help him is by taking up my offer. Oh yeah, your daily dose. Nicholas tells me you heal really well."

I felt my heart pick up involuntarily as he pulled out another syringe but my response to him was lifting my arm and smirking. It seemed to tick him off and I watched his jaw clench as he roughly stabbed it into my arm. I chuckled as he threw it aside when he was done.

"I'll leave you to think about my offer." He glared at me and I just smiled back.

I watched him walk out and clenched my fist feeling my arm tremble as it burnt. If I joined him he would probably keep threatening me with family just to keep me in check. But that didn't really matter right now, did it? The fact that he could heal everyone in my pack if I just helped him control them and other packs was what mattered... I could figure out how to turn on him later.

I gave a dry chuckle at myself. I was actually seriously considering sucking up to him.

My eyes snapped to the door annoyed as it unlocked before Nicholas's scent entered the room and somehow managed to annoy me more. Did neither of them have anything else to do? I thought I was getting some time to think about his offer. I kept my eyes on Nicholas as he walked in.

"You look tired." He chuckled.

"Did your master send you in here?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes deciding to ignore my question, "You get more pathetic every time I see you, Eli. To think I..." he drifted before chuckling, "You acted so tough. I always knew you were weak." he said.

My head snapped to the side as his palm suddenly met my cheek and I blinked trying to figure out how I did not see him move before he hit me.

"Not so tough now, are we, Eli?" He hissed.

I shook off my shock before looking up and smirking at him.

"No wonder you could never train with the elite." Almost directly after the words had left my mouth he swung his foot out and kicked the side of my head. I laughed, "Keep trying, Nicholas. Perhaps, eventually, I'll feel something. Not likely." I could pretty much feel the anger radiating off of him as he let out a scream and began attacking me.

I took his punches without much reaction, not making a sound and occasionally giving him a smile or smirk to annoy him more.

He grabbed my chin when he finally tried himself out and directed my face to his. "You can say what you want. I have your pack in my hands and I'm going to crush everything you care about and everything you built." He whispered before he shoved me back against the wall and left slamming the door. It clicked shut leaving me in silence again, much to my relief.

In my silent solitude, I felt my adrenaline level drop slowly until I could feel everything he had just done. I looked at my arm and swallowed seeing blood drip from a new wound. I watched it struggle to heal for a few minutes as I chewed on my lower lip. Any more of that wolfsbane and soon I wouldn't be healing at all.

I looked down feeling my breathing become rapid as my throat closed up.

I'm not scared.

*****