Their Alpha Bitch

 

Fran Lee

 

Prologue

 

“I got here as quickly as I could, Aunt Maggie…” Kenna dumped her handbag and gloves onto the chair beside the bed, and reached for the woman’s pale, cold hands. “I dropped everything and left the moment Gant called.” She stared into the older woman’s fathomless dark eyes, and fought back tears.

 

How can this be happening? She can’t be dying. I won’t let her die!

 

At a hundred-forty-something, Magdalena Dumont had looked no older than 40, with her dark hair and sparkling smile. But that smile was absent now, her cheeks were sunken and grey and the glittering liveliness in her eyes had faded.

 

Impossible!

 

“You’re going to be fine…you still have so many years left…”

 

Her words died in her throat as the woman slowly shook her head and whispered, “There is no life without Peter, child. He is waiting for me.” Her eyes dropped shut for a long moment, then opened again to pin Kenna’s. “I only waited until you came.” Her tongue touched dry lips and she struggled for breath. “I know this is a great deal to ask…but I must have your promise, child.” Another rattling intake of air.

 

“Don’t try to talk…you'll tire yourself…” Kenna clutched the thin hand between hers and sank to her knees beside the bed, her tears wetting her cold cheeks.

 

“I should have discussed this with you long ago…but…” she coughed softly, and Kenna’s throat tightened. “But now that I have lost Peter, there is not enough time left to make plans for the future…” The frail voice caught, and she fought for breath to finish.

“Forgive me, child…but it is far past time to ask you this…”

 

Kenna felt the woman’s thin fingers close tightly around hers, and she swallowed the hard lump that rose in the back of her throat. “Anything, Aunt Maggie…I’ll do whatever you ask. I owe you so very much…” Numb fear and pain would have made her promise anything at that moment, without thinking through such an open-ended promise.

 

Before realizing what Magdalena Dumont might ask of her…

 

She had to lean down to catch the final weak whispers, and then the hand in hers went limp, and Kenna felt as if all the air in the darkened room had been sucked out. She felt as if she were going to faint dead away.

 

Lifting her eyes to the intense faces of the three big men who surrounded the bed, she felt the world slipping away into darkness…