The Alpha (The Lycans 4)

I couldn't help but curl my lip in a snarl, a nonverbal, animalistic sound and display of how disinterested in his female I was. She’d never be the one I wanted, the one I’d waited centuries for.

The young lad growled, a warning to stay away from his mate. I snarled in return, my own warning.

“She’s mine,” I gritted out, my focus on that fucking phone, at my wide-eyed mate who couldn’t tear her focus from me either. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t here in the flesh. It didn’t matter if she was human or Otherworld. Her body recognized that I was something to her.

“Stay back, Cian. She’s mine. My mate,” Caelan said with unrestrained aggression lacing his voice. He got into a position of imminent attack.

I chuckled low and deep, my amusement at the fact that Caelan still thought this was about his female, that he thought I’d ever want anyone but the female destined to be mine and mine alone.

Caelan started rambling off in Gaelic, trying to reason with me. But I paid him no mind. He was a strong Lycan, even if he was over two centuries younger than me, because he had the blood of the Scottish Lycan king running through his veins. But even so, he was no match for me, especially not when he was trying to stand between me and what was mine.

I would have—could have so very easily—torn Caelan limb from limb. The threat of him trying to keep me away, even if he didn’t realize my mate was on the other end of that phone and that's who I wanted, couldn’t pierce through to my beast. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to grapple with control. I’d known the lad since he was a newborn pup. I’d helped raise him, trained him to make him the strong shifter he was today. I wouldn't allow my inner wolf to go primal.

“No’ her,” I gritted out, and even I heard the savagery in my voice. I lifted my hand to point at the phone, vaguely aware of the shift in the air, the change in atmosphere when they finally realized what exactly was going down. “Her,” I growled. “My mate.” I felt my eyes glow fiercely, my animal pushing forward again as I took a step closer.

“Darragh?” my female whispered, her eyes big on that small screen, her voice this soothing balm to my raging soul. I actually swayed on my feet, feeling this peace settle over me from that lone word. She was my priority and forever would be until I drew my last breath. “I don’t understand what I’m feeling.” My female glanced down at the table just as the screen froze, and I gritted my teeth, wanting to snatch that godforsaken device from Caelan’s mate's hand and clutch it to my chest.

“She’s mine.” I rumbled those dual words out again, knowing how fiercely Caelan would feel them, because he too had experienced it. I looked at Caelan for a moment, that silent confirmation and acceptance coming through the other male’s stark eyes. I turned my focus to his mate and gritted out in a voice that wasn’t nearly human, “Tell me about her. Tell me everything.” I didn’t hide my demand. No one would keep her from me. No one would keep information on my female from me.

“Cian, back the fook off,” Caelan snapped, clearly not liking the way I’d spoken to his mate. I could relate, but I didn’t fucking care.

I didn’t like it, but I did back off. I closed my eyes and exhaled. “I finally found her,” I whispered, feeling that elation move through every dark and hollow part of my body. I forced my eyes open and stared at Darragh. “Please. I need tae know about her. I need tae find out who she is.” My hand found its way to my chest. I rubbed the ache that settled in my heart, one that started to bloom there over the fact that I’d finally found my mate but didn’t have her here with me. “I need tae go tae her and make sure she’s mine.”

Darragh started shaking her head. She fucking dared to try to deny me what was mine, the female born to me, who I’d cherish and protect with every single fucking ounce of my strength. I didn’t hide the hard look that settled on my face as my wolf roared out that anyone would try and stop me.

“If ye or anyone else thinks tae keep my mate from me…” I looked at Caelan and made sure he heard the deep sound of warning loud and fucking clear. I thought back to when I’d first heard Darragh say my mate’s voice, how it had rolled off her tongue in a loving, friendly manner. “Evelyn.” I said my mate’s name for the first time, this euphoric feeling encompassing every single inch of me. “She’s an American.” Her accent had been unmistakable, and I wasn’t surprised, seeing as Caelan’s mate was also from the States. “If ye think no’ telling me anything about her will stop me from finding her”—I shook my head—“ye’d be wrong. A Lycan will no’ stop until he gets tae his mate.” I stared at Darragh, because I knew she was the one who had the answers I sought. She would be the barricade on getting a morsel of information about my female.