Alpha erased, p.30
Alpha Erased, page 30
“Helps drown out all the screaming when the fey dude drags you between realms. I mean, I did not need to see that much of purgatory. Definitely closing my eyes this time.”
It was so quiet for a second that all I could hear were the cicadas.
And then Van laughed, and it was a sound I wasn’t sure I’d heard from him before. Maybe I would’ve liked the sound, but I was still getting over the purgatory thing.
“Sure.” Van reached out for her hand, like they both hadn’t just blown our minds. “I might need a second before I can come back for the rest. All the back and forth with multiple passengers is exhausting, but I’ll be back.”
“Did you know that?” Chris yelled at Cosette as soon as Van and Samantha were gone.
“Well, I mean…” Cosette winced. “How did you think you were getting from place to place?”
“I don’t know, Cosette. Maybe just…you know…magic.”
Cosette laughed, and it sounded a little too much like Van’s with a hint of evil cackle mixed in. She was enjoying his horror a little too much.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m not going back with him.” Chris started marching to the house. “I’m staying with you guys tonight.”
The fey seemed to find this whole thing hilarious, but I was with Chris. I would need to think long and hard before I agreed to travel with Van again. I mean—I didn’t see or hear anything, but just knowing where I’d been—
I shuddered. It creeped me out.
“Hey,” a familiar voice said.
I turned to my brother. He was so much bigger than before—so much muscle—and he seemed taller. It was the werewolf effect, but he was still my brother. “Nice man bun.”
“Shut up. Not you, too.” He hugged me. “You’re so thin it’s scaring me. You need food before you see Mom and Dad. They’re going to flip.”
I patted his back. “I’m okay, and I’ll get better fast. Promise.”
He pulled back, and I saw tears in his eyes. “Don’t you ever do anything like that for me again. I’m so fucking mad at you right now. And I’m going to yell at you, but…after you eat. When you don’t look like you’re ready to fall over.”
I couldn’t help it. I started to laugh, and I couldn’t stop. It was just so nice to be back.
I’d wanted time alone with Dastien, but it looked like I might have a house full of friends and family for a bit first. At least until I could get them on their way in a less Hell-ish way.
Dastien pulled me into his arms. Welcome home.
I guess it’s good you made the house so big because it sounds like they’re all staying with us tonight.
I guess so, but it’s not that big once you get used to it.
It’s a freaking hotel, Dastien. A hotel.
His laugh echoed through our bond as he lifted me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist. My stomach growled, and he pressed a kiss against my neck.
Let’s get you some food.
Oh man. You’re going to annoy me about the food, aren’t you?
Yes. And you’re going to take it without any whining.
I breathed in his scent, and the last of the empty feeling in my soul disappeared. I would take it, I would take whatever he’d give me. And then I would ask for more.
Because if I was right, then I just bought us some serious quiet time.
And I was going to enjoy every second of it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
TESSA
Two Months Later
* * *
After our showdown at the Lunar Court, it took a few days for everyone to clear out, my brother included. Axel figured Dastien and I needed a little alone time, and he was right.
People stopped by to hang out a lot, and Sunday dinners were back on at my parents’ house. They made a ton of food, and whoever was around would show up—usually at least us, my brother, and Mr. Dawson. But for the most part, it’d been two months of relaxing, lazing, and spending time with Dastien.
Also, the house was amazing. Dastien said he’d used my binder as inspiration, and he wasn’t kidding. Some of the rooms looked exactly like the images from pages I’d ripped from magazines. I couldn’t have done a better job if I’d been here. And it was probably better that I wasn’t here. I would’ve been an anxious pain in the butt—going back and forth about tiles and paint colors and wood finishes. But now it was done, and I just got to enjoy it.
It didn’t feel like I’d earned all of this, but after what I’d been through, it felt like I’d won a prize.
Was it worth it? I wasn’t sure, but things had quieted down. There were no middle-of-the-night fights. No alarms waking me up. A few human groups were grumbling about us being made from the devil, but the vast majority accepted us. Everything had been quiet—beyond quiet—and for once, I could relax.
I was currently in the pool, drifting in the water on a pink mesh float, and living in a golden state of zen. I hadn’t even thought about putting in a pool—especially since we had the pond—but Axel told Dastien how much time I used to spend in our pool in LA. My brother won mega points with that move. The pool was my favorite place ever.
The days had cooled a bit, but the water was heated. The sun was hot on my face, and I didn’t mind the little bit of chill in the air. Birds chirped in the distance and cicadas were making their buzzing music and I knew this was home.
The peace in my soul and the happiness in my heart were enough to tell me I’d found my place. My home.
“We have a meeting with the others in an hour,” Dastien said from his spot floating beside me. “We should probably get out of the pool.”
That sounded exactly like something I didn’t want to do. “Can we skip it?”
The council met every week to assess any threats or problems that were brewing that could become threats. Dastien had been calling in when needed, but they’d let me skip so far. They were doing fine without me there, and I didn’t feel ready to go back. Not yet.
Dastien slid off of the float and stood in the water next to me. “Do you want to pull away from the council? We can. No one would think twice after what we’ve been through. It wouldn’t have to be forever.”
We’d gone back and forth about this over and over and over. I just didn’t know if I could or if I should. I wasn’t a quitter, but I still didn’t feel a need to participate.
At first, I thought it was because I was tired, but I wasn’t anymore. I was rested. Well-rested. I’d gained back the weight I’d lost—thanks to Dastien hounding me. I was stronger than I’d been before all of this happened. Stronger than I’d ever been.
But something was still holding me back.
And then that had me asking another hard question—if I did pull back, what would I do?
I was twenty-one years old. Part werewolf, part witch, formerly human, with a hint of fey magic running through my soul. My magic was the center of a council that protected the seal that separated Earth from Hell and kept the demons where they belonged. They needed me.
But right now, there was nothing to fight. No battles to win. No need for my visions to save us from war.
Everything was quiet.
Everyone was safe: my parents, my friends, my mate.
This was everything I’d been dreaming of.
What’s next, chérie? Anything is possible. We could even go to college. You could finish the degree you started. We can travel. We can stay here. You only have to choose what you want.
I’d thought about school, too, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back. I’d also thought about going to LA and hounding Samantha until she spilled what was wrong with her, but she told me to give her time. So, I was giving her time. I had a feeling she’d be calling in that favor soon, and when she did, we’d be there.
Until then, I wasn’t sure of much except Dastien. I don’t know what I want to do, but whatever it is, I know I have to be with you. We can’t be apart again.
That’s not a choice. You’re stuck with me. He pressed his lips against mine. Forever.
Forever. I slid off the float and into his arms.
I wasn’t sure what would come next or how long the peace would last, but for now, it was quiet.
I was going to enjoy every single ounce of peace I found and be thankful for it.
And maybe when the next battle came, I would be ready to lead again.
But for now, it was me and Dastien.
Dastien and me.
That was all I wanted. That was more than enough for me.
For now.
Also by Aileen Erin
The Complete Alpha Girl Series
Becoming Alpha
Avoiding Alpha
Alpha Divided
Bruja
Alpha Unleashed
Shattered Pack
Being Alpha
Lunar Court
Alpha Erased
* * *
The Shadow Ravens Series
Cipher
* * *
The Aunare Chronicles
Off Planet
Off Balance
On Mission - forthcoming
To My Readers
Oh boy, has the Alpha Girl series gone on a journey. I truly hope you enjoyed reading Alpha Erased. I bet you're wondering if this is the end of the series--it's the question I get asked the MOST. Answer: yes, I’m calling the series complete because it’s the end for now. I'm so excited to be taking a break from the Alpha Girls series to spin Samantha off into her own trilogy.
For those of you following along the series from the beginning, you know that I almost ended the series with Alpha Unleashed. I was planning on writing Samantha's book—Invocation—after Unleashed launched in Sept of 2015, but I got so many emails from all of you, that I canceled that book to write more for Tessa and her friends.
But the deeper I got into the Alpha Girl books, the more Samantha wanted to come forward, until I finally sneaked her into Being Alpha and Alpha Erased.
Samantha's books will be a little darker, a little spookier, and have a solid, slow-burn romance over the series arc. You'll also see a certain archon popping, aaand she might ask for that favor Tessa and Dastien owe her.
Look for Invocation coming your way in the fall/winter of 2021.
Will Tessa, Dastien, Meredith, Claudia, Cosette, Chris and the rest be back after that? We’ll just have to see what the fates have planned… 😉😉
Join the Ink Monster newsletter for updates, and keep in touch via my Instagram - @aileenerin and the Ink Monster Superfans group on Facebook. Those two places are where I post the most. ❤️
* * *
xoxo
Aileen
* * *
PS: My next release is On Mission, Book Three in the Aunare Chronicles. Due out December 1, 2020! The Aunare Chronicles might be different from the Alpha Girl series in terms of genre, but it's got the same non-stop action, kick-ass heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and some flaming hot romance. (Read: FLAMING. HOT. In book 2, if you know what I mean. 😉) If you haven't checked out the series yet, please give it a shot. Keep reading for a sample from Book 1, Off Planet.
Now available from USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Aileen Erin
Off Planet, Book One of the Aunare Chronicles.
Click here to order!
Keep reading for a blurb and sample chapters!
* * *
Maité Martinez has always yearned for more than waitressing in a greasy diner, especially when most people have left the polluted ruins of Earth behind for a better life on other planets. It’s not just working at the diner that’s making life hard for her. Being a half-human, half-alien girl has never been trickier. With the corporate government hunting down the last of her father’s alien Aunare race living on Earth, hiding her growing special abilities has become a full-time job on its own.
Every minute Maité stays on Earth is one minute closer to getting caught. The stress is almost more than she can bear, and when a fancy Space Tech officer gets handsy with her at the diner, she reacts without thinking.
Breaking the officer’s nose wasn’t her smartest move. Now she’s faced with three years forced labor on the volcano planet, Abbadon. With the job she’s slotted for, it may as well have been a death sentence.
It doesn’t take Maité long before she realizes there’s more to the mining on Abbadon than Space Tech has let on. As she makes unlikely allies, Maité uncovers Space Tech’s plot to nuke the Aunare homeworld. The firepower stored in Abbadon’s warehouses is more than enough to do the job ten times over.
As the clock ticks, Maité knows that if she can’t find a way to stop Space Tech, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe. There’s only one question: Can she prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?
Off Planet
CHAPTER ONE
A chorus of shouts rippled through the room, sending a zing of energy up my spine. The warehouse’s old wooden floors creaked as the class launched into a jump kick. Not even the mats I’d scrounged from around Albuquerque could mask the noise of the battered floorboards.
The massive room was good enough for us to hold a class in and not much else. I’d created a little makeshift locker room in the back with a floral curtain and a few cubbies where the students could stash their stuff. A few industrial lights hung down from the ceiling. They weren’t very bright, but they also didn’t cost much to keep turned on, which was essential since I was on a budget. I’d shoved a small, battered desk I’d found abandoned in an alley in the corner and some outdated vidscreens hung on the wall. I didn’t watch much on them, but I liked to check the news and a selection of social channels—both legit and off the grid resistance sites—before leaving. It was dangerous out there, especially for halfers like me, but I was a girl who knew how to survive.
Except for the study area and the lockers, the warehouse was just one massive open space that looked like it could fall down on our heads at any second, but thankfully, it was studier than it appeared. My students didn’t care about aesthetics. The tiny fee they paid was barely enough to keep the lights on. My students came here to learn how to fight, and that was the only thing that mattered.
We finished the warm-up and the students bowed. I took in the twenty-three people standing in front of me. Their spines stiff. Most wore some type of active gear, but a few were in pajamas. I didn’t require white karate gis or hand out colored belts. None of that was important in here. My only goal was to make sure these Earther kids survived the walk home from school every day.
“Good job, everyone.” The girls relaxed their stance. This class was my beginner level. The students were only a few years younger than me—fourteen-ish, give or take a year—but they seemed like babies to me. Probably because none of them lived under constant mortal fear like I did. I was pretty sure that kind of danger had aged me faster than most, but rampant crime—especially personal assaults—were at an all-time high. If these kids wanted to make it through the next decade of their lives unscathed, they were going to have to toughen up.
“We’re sparring tonight.” That got me a few smiles. Most looked a little nervous, but no one looked particularly freaked out. “This is going to be fun. I promise.” I gave them a smile, hoping to put them at ease. “It’s important to try what we’ve learned on an opponent. Roan!” I yelled for my best friend to join us, and he waddled out from behind the curtain where he’d been putting on thick, head-to-toe padding.
“You all need to feel okay about beating the crap out of someone, so Roan’s going to be our punching bag.” Roan somehow managed to wrap an arm around me even with the constraining pads, and I nudged him softly. “Don’t be afraid to rip into this guy.”
“Hey,” Roan’s light green eyes filled with laughter, and he tugged on my braided hair. “Don’t listen to Maité. I have plans tonight. Don’t want to mess up my face.”
“That’s why you’re going to put on the mask I gave you,” I said.
“You didn’t tell me Yvette was in this class,” Roan murmured in my ear. “Been trying to get a date with her sister for years. Think she’ll put in a good word for me?”
“Roan.” The word was a warning, but he looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. I elbowed him in the stomach—this time harder. He let out an “oof.”
Roan wasn’t the least bit intimidating. At three inches shorter than me and a little too energetic to be anything but adorable, he was more like a speedy teddy bear than anything else. He could keep up with me and made me laugh constantly. Which is why he’d been my best friend for nearly a decade, but his timing needed work. “If anything happens to them because you were goofing off when—”
“Come on, Maité. I’ll do my job here. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make this fun, okay?”
“This is too important to mess up,” I whispered. The truth sat like a ball of molten lava in my stomach. Life was dangerous out there for all kids. They had to be able to defend themselves. “All right. Who wants to go—” A sharp burn ran through my finger and I couldn’t stop the curse from flying out as I shook my hand.
A couple of shocked gasps came from my students.
“Sorry. I…” I glanced to Roan, not sure how to fix this.
He looped his arm with mine. “One second. Gotta talk strategy with my girl before we start.” Roan dragged me toward the make-shift locker room.
“We’ll be right back,” I said looking over my shoulder at the class. “Try doing bunkai number eight to stay warm. Yvette? You help lead.”
Yvette nodded. “You got it.”
