Page 61 of The Alpha: Part Two

"I want a mato, please," she says, sounding much older than almost three. The way she says tomato kills me though. She and her sister are much more reserved, and quieter, than their brother. Dutch is a good kid, but he's a handful and a half.

"Well, let's go find you one," I say, then grin. "And maybe a piece of cake. Or some cookies. I know we have some ice cream in the freezer. Let's go find something good to go with your mato."

She actually smiles at me. I'll give her the whole kitchen.

"Oh no," Talia groans. "You're as bad as the rest of them are."

"What?" I laugh. "There's a neighborhood party going on, she needs treats. It's a requirement."

I've got one foot in the door when I hear tires squealing around the corner. Then I hear the screams. The last thing I register before going to the ground to cover Zetty's little body with mine is gunfire.

My mind is raging at me to go find my pack. Desie was inside the house a few minutes ago. She was washing the cherry tomatoes Zetty was after. I don't feel anything but worry coming through her bond. I can feel anger and distress coming from Michael and Seth and I crane my neck to try to find them.

Devon crawls to me from inside the house and pulls Zetty away from me and inside where it's safer. "Desir'ee is okay. She's with Alex, Reid, and Jasper in the kitchen. She's safe."

I knew she was alright, but hearing Devon say it sends relief flooding through me. "Okay."

Whatever I was going to say next is cut off by vicious snarling and another shot, then more screams.

"Let her go!" I hear Michael roar.

Then more snarling. I can't see shit over the damn bushes in front of the porch railing.

More tires screaming on the asphalt, then a woman crying out, "run! Get inside! Go!"

Fuck this. I stand up and cover Trent while he gets Talia inside and into Devon's arms. She turns wide blue eyes back to Trent, and he nods back at her.

"Do you recognize any of them?" Trent growls.

I shake my head. I don't. I don't know the cars or any of the rogues plowing through the river of people racing to get into houses. What else could they be but rogues. If Lopez has betrayed us, I'm going to do worse than kill him. I scan the crowd, frantically searching for my brother's blue hat or Seth's red hair.

I find Michael stomping into the side of a body, while holding tightly to a nearly hysterical Rose. Seth is kneeling on the ground next to another body. More relief courses through me. My pack is okay.

The remaining rogues pile back into their cars and squeal away, screaming out vague threats containing the name Flores. Most everyone has found their way inside. It looks like Rose might have been a target and they missed thanks to Michael and Seth. They were probably here for some revenge with the bonus of taking innocents to line their pockets now that their cash cow is missing.

Then Seth stands up and turns toward me. Deep red is spreading up the side of his white tee shirt, I can see it almost pooling between the fingers he has clamped over the wound. Fuck. Maybe Rose wasn't the target.

I quickly make my way to Seth's side to help him across the yards to our house. By the time we get to the porch he's giving me enough of his weight to worry me and he's covered in sweat.

"Desir'ee?" he wheezes.

"I'm here," Desie says, shoving her way past Reid to lift Seth's other arm across her shoulders. "You're going to be okay."

Any relief or hope I dared to feel is instantly destroyed when Trent's stricken eyes meet mine from the corner of the house.

Talia pushes past Reid, jerking her hand away from his when he tries to keep her from going outside. She looks from me, to the blood on Seth's shirt, to Trent, then abruptly stops, putting one hand on her upper chest and the other on her stomach.

"Where's Iris?"