Alpha Beast (The Alpha Shifter Collection Book 10)(30)
Author: Sam Crescent

 

Even the scent in the air changed as his presence ceased to exist.

 

Jenny was out of the pool, and he turned toward her. Some of her family faded away, and he imagined they were the ones that didn’t wish to be seen. At his side stood her grandmother, mother, Lewis, and Anna.

 

She rushed toward them, only to stop.

 

She was alive.

 

They were all dead.

 

Suddenly, Liam jerked.

 

“It’s time for you to go, son,” her grandmother said.

 

“I didn’t cause the burning,” Lewis said. “I was there purely because I heard a rumor of it functioning again.”

 

Another jerk.

 

“Go,” Jenny’s mother said. “We’ll tell her everything she needs to know.”

 

Another jerk.

 

“Go! Before it’s too late.”

 

As he was pulled back a fourth time, he didn’t fight it, he went willingly back, coming to with a giant gasp.

 

“Holy fucking shit balls. You scared me.” Ben slammed his palm against his shoulder. “Don’t do that again. You crazy-ass fucker. Damn it.”

 

Liam breathed deeply. “You brought me back.”

 

“I thought I was going to have to declare you dead. Fucking … ugh… I hate you right now. I don’t know what the hell happened, but I hate you.”

 

“It was Wayne,” he said. His voice croaky from the tight grip that his brother had on him.

 

“Crazy fucker Wayne?”

 

“Yes, the very same one.” He got to his feet and swayed a little.

 

Ben grabbed him. “Whoa, you’ve got to take it easy.”

 

“I don’t have time. I need to go see my wife.” Liam stumbled.

 

“Okay, let me take you to your wife, and you concentrate on just, you know … breathing.”

 

****

 

“Mom,” Jenny said, tears filling her eyes.

 

“He’s back where he needs to be, sweetie, but don’t let him do that again.” Her mother came forward and reached out as if to grab her, but she never touched. Like always, so close, but never enough.

 

“He’s safe?”

 

“Yes, he’s safe.” This came from her grandmother.

 

She nodded, pleased. Seeing him like that, she was heartbroken. “I can’t live without him. I don’t want to.”

 

“You won’t have to. He’s coming back to you.”

 

“Before I go back with Anna. I had nothing to do with the fire, Jen.” Lewis stepped forward. “Tana set the fire. It’s why she feels guilty. Wayne had negotiated guns, drugs, and women. Tana was there, she overheard everything, and she got scared. Anna had followed her there. She didn’t realize.”

 

“What was Wayne doing?”

 

“I don’t know. I was there because I had asked Tana to … check on things.”

 

“Lewis?”

 

“This was before the negotiations. Afterward, I made sure Tana knew this and that was why I was there. I was going to pick her up and make sure she was safe.”

 

“Why didn’t you say all this when you were alive?”

 

“I was pissed off. Tana was going crazy. I couldn’t find Anna. Liam looked so fucking calm and collected, and it’s no excuse, but I wanted to annoy everyone. Instead, I didn’t put my seatbelt on and I got to be with Anna.” Lewis offered her a smile. “Go and take care of your husband. I’ll see you around sometime.”

 

Anna giggled and waved at her.

 

Jenny tensed and glanced behind her toward the door. She had a sense that she needed to move. She’d always felt it was her sense for the dead, but now she was starting to see it was her wolf. Her beast was inside her somewhere, not too close, but enough to keep her safe.

 

“Go.” Her family all spoke in unison, and she laughed with them, turning on her heel and rushing out of the doors. She didn’t stop as she took the stairs, not caring that she was in a swimsuit. No one stopped her.

 

As she came out of the ground-floor doors, Liam charged through the main ones. He was dressed, but it was clear he’d dressed in the dark.

 

She ran toward him as he came toward her. After she threw herself at him, he picked her up, spinning her around as she kissed him. Sinking her fingers into his hair, she moaned his name.

 

Liam did the same, gripping the back of her head tightly. She didn’t want to let him go.

 

Coming up for air, she smiled at him.

 

“I fucking love you,” he said. “So damn much.”

 

“I love you too, and don’t you ever do anything like that again. You’ve got to promise me.”

 

“The only thing I’m going to promise you, baby, is that I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect you. I told you, I don’t want to live without you. You own my heart, and you’ve got to keep me safe.”

 

She put her hand on his chest, right where his heart should lay. “I love you, Liam. I thought … I thought I’d lost you.”

 

He cupped her face. “You could have never lost me.”

 

“He lies,” Ben said. “I don’t like being the one who has to try to revive my brother. Let’s all agree to keep the evil spirits that want to kill your wife at bay. I’m going to head up. I need a drink. I’ll let you get back to … that.”

 

Jenny laughed as she pressed her head against Liam’s.

 

“I always believed you, but now, seeing it for myself, wow,” he said.

 

She looked up at him. “You finally saw.”

 

“And it was wonderful. You really do have a gift, Jenny, and a family who adores you.”

 

“I’ve got a message from Lewis about what happened.”

 

“Soon. Right now, I’m taking you upstairs and reminding you multiple times that you’re my wife and that I love you.”

 

“You can tell me that every single day. I’m going to need to hear it to a lot to remember.”

 

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

 

“Daily.”