The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,30

for backup when you go to meet this changeling.”

“No backup,” said Colt. “For one thing, I can’t trust my own people right now, and for another, any human cop who shows up is just gonna get killed.”

Ronnie looked away uncomfortably for some reason. “There’s also a good chance that if Colt doesn’t show up alone, this variant is just gonna kill Jason and the kid.”

“Right,” Andrew muttered. “Standard hostage negotiation rules apply.” He stood up straight. “Well, I can’t promise it’ll help, but I’ll be there.”

“So will I,” said Ronnie.

“The hell you will. I don’t want either of you there,” Colt said firmly. “You’re just gonna be a distraction, and you’ll get yourselves killed. I don’t stand a chance if it comes down to fighting this thing, let alone a human and a baby ghoul.”

“Fledgling,” Ronnie corrected.

“I can at least stand by with a machete in case you need a backup,” said Andrew. He nodded to Ronnie. “Besides, I’ve got a few thousand years of catching up to do on ghoul history, and something tells me he’s a better source of information than you are.”

Ronnie snorted. “You got that right, pal.”

Colt still wasn’t about to let them go with him, but he was too exhausted to keep arguing. “We’ll talk about it in the morning,” he said before going into his room. He listened at the door for a moment and heard Andrew already peppering Ronnie with questions.

At some point, when the chaos settled, he really needed to consider asking a few himself. He knew he wasn’t going to get the answers from anyone else.

Chapter 13

The pills worked better than Colt had imagined. He wanted to ask Ronnie what was in them, but part of him didn’t want to know. When he dressed and left the room, Ronnie and Andrew were looking cozier on the couch than he had expected. Why the idea bothered him, he couldn’t say. They had also found the old bottle of vodka in his cabinet, it seemed.

Ronnie was laughing so hard at whatever grotesque and likely obscene joke he’d just told that the glass in his hand sloshed around. Since he hadn’t shifted yet, the stuff still affected him just like any human.

Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the smile tugging at his lips gave away his amusement. Colt had never seen him in such a relaxed state.

“Colt,” Ronnie said, tilting his head back to look at him. “You slept for a while.”

“How long?” he asked, at once feeling guilty that he was able to with or without drugs and relieved that he’d at least be alert when he met the changeling that was so captivated by him.

“It’s a little past eight. I thought of waking you up sooner, but this isn’t really the kind of thing you can plan for, so there didn’t seem to be a point.”

“Shit!” Colt yelled, rushing to the bathroom. Before he could open the door, Andrew called in from the next room.

“I already took care of his heart!”

Colt looked back in. “What?”

“You said it just needed to be ripped out, and you were out cold when we tried to wake you the first time, so Andrew took care of it,” he said with a shrug.

“Right. Well, good.” Colt was glad Ronnie hadn’t had to do that part, at least. He doubted the kid had the stomach for it, despite the way he talked.

The time lapse explained why they were both in different clothes, at least. Colt had almost jumped to a different conclusion, but he told himself it wasn’t any of his business who Ronnie did or didn’t fuck. He was already overprotective enough of Jason, and look what that had gotten him.

“I should make a couple of phone calls before we do this,” Andrew said, setting his glass down.

Ronnie waited until he was out of the room to ask Colt, “So, how are you feeling?”

“Rested. Those pills did the trick, I guess.”

“They should.”

“Sorry you had to keep Wilbur company while I was out.”

Ronnie shrugged. “He’s actually not that bad. For a stuck-up rich guy, anyway.”

“Huh. Just be careful, okay? He’s human. Probably the worst human for a ghoul to get involved with.”

“Involved?” Ronnie echoed. “We just talked. I explained the finer points of Kinship etiquette to him, that’s all.”

“I’m not trying to lecture you, I’m just saying, be careful.”

“Right,” Ronnie snorted.

Colt watched him, frowning. “Are you sure nothing happened with your parents?”

The truth showed up in Ronnie’s eyes, even though he brushed it away with