Alpha Unhinged

by Olivia T. Turner

  “Are you hurt?” he asks again, his hungry eyes roaming over my body.

  “No,” I hear myself say. “I’m fine. I think.”

  My eyes zero in on his huge hands and bloody knuckles as he grips the steering wheel. We’ve been swerving through traffic and flying past cars at a rate that should only be experienced on a racetrack, but now he begins to slow.

  “Are you hurt?” I ask with a lump in my throat. I don’t know why I’m so upset at the thought, but I am. I cringe when I think back to the memory of Quinton’s fists pounding into him.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” he says as he turns back to the road.

  I suck in a breath as we pass another exit. “Where are we going?” I ask.

  I’m so screwed. All of my things are at the fire station. My whole life is there, what little life I have, and I can’t go back. I can’t ever show my face there again or Quinton and Grey are going to make sure I have no life left.

  He turns to speak, but he doesn’t answer my question. He just stares at me in awe.

  “I was worried I was never going to find you.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. You’re perfect.”

  Geez, how many punches did this man take to the head? He can’t even follow a conversation.

  “What’s your name?” he asks.

  I gulp, wondering just how much I should share with this strange man. Sure, he’s good-looking, but he must have a few screws loose with the way he’s acting.

  “Alyssa,” I reluctantly say.

  “Alyssa,” he repeats as if he’s savoring a fine wine. “Beautiful name.”

  It’s starting to get hot in here. I unclasp my helmet and hold it on my lap, keeping it close in case I need it again. I’m not entirely convinced that this man is not unhinged.

  “What’s your name?”

  He looks at me with a sexy grin. “Jacob.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jacob,” I say like I’m talking to a lunatic with a knife. “Where exactly are we going?”

  “I’d take you back to my ranch, but it’s not safe there.”

  Not safe? Oh, crap. What is this psycho going to do to me?

  He shakes his head. “We can’t go to the Dixon ranch just yet.”

  Dicks in? Dicks in what? Not me! I refuse!

  I look at the concrete road whizzing by and wonder if it’s safe enough to roll out. I put my helmet back on just in case. Maybe I can run into the woods and hide from him.

  “I say we lay low in a hotel for the night,” he says.

  A hotel?!

  “I’ll call my brothers. Tell them to be prepared for a lot of bloodshed.”

  Oh my God. What did I do?

  We may be going forty miles an hour, but I’d rather have every bone in my body broken on the highway than be chopped up by a psychopath and his brothers on the Dicks In Ranch.

  I say a little prayer when he slows down in traffic, open the door, and leap out.

  Ow, ow, ow, ow!

  My body slams into the side of the dirt road and rolls and rolls and rolls and fucking doesn’t stop rolling.

  I finally skid to a stop and stare up at the bright blue sky with a wince. “Ow.”

  That fucking hurt. My elbow is throbbing, but I don’t think anything is broken. I do a quick test of all my limbs and they all move. Landing in the dirt shoulder of the highway probably saved my life.

  “Oh no,” I gasp when I spot Jacob’s truck swerving to the side. His break lights come on and I know it’s time for me to start moving. I push myself up to my feet with a groan, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  I hear the door open and he calls out my name in a panicked voice.

  He’s not catching me. I start running toward the dense forest. It’s thick with trees and if I have a head-start, I might be able to hide. This bright yellow jumpsuit is the opposite of camouflage but I have no time to strip it off. This man moves fast.

  I barely make it past three trees when he catches up to me.

  “Alyssa!” he says with panic in his eyes. “What are you doing?!”

  He grabs my arms and stares at me in shock.

  I have one trick. It worked on Grey, so I try it again on Jacob. With a grunt, I kick him in the balls as hard as I can.

  His eyes widen, his face turns red, and the vein on his temple gets so big I think it might pop, but he doesn’t let go.

  He’s holding his breath as the pain rockets through him. “Ow,” he finally says. “What was that for?”

  “I know what you have planned,” I scream at him, “and I’m not going to submit! I won’t go down easy!”

  “You won’t?” he says, looking like I just stabbed him in the heart. “But you’re my mate.”

  “I’m not your—what?” Did he just say what I think he said? I’m his mate?

  He lets me go and stares down at me with such longing and pain in his eyes that it breaks me. The need to escape is replaced with an intense need to sink into his arms and hold him.

  But I don’t. He is a psychopath after all.

  “Alyssa, we’re mates,” he says softly. “Don’t you feel it?”

  I feel something. Something strong and pleasant radiating through me.

  I look up at him with new eyes, open eyes, and see what he sees. Holy shit, he’s right…

  My body urges me to go to him. I feel the pull. We stare at each other and the connection between us takes hold. I can feel it building, growing, strengthening with each second I stare into his beautiful brown eyes.

  “You’re a shifter?” I ask in a breathless voice.

  He nods slowly. “A Kodiak bear shifter. I’ve been desperately waiting for you for a long time, Alyssa.” He reaches out and touches me like he’s touching an angel. “I can’t believe you’re finally here.”

  I swallow hard when I feel his warm hand on my cheek. My eyes fall closed and a moan escapes my throat as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and then drags the back of his fingers down my neck. A spot under my ear immediately starts tingling. It feels like it’s missing something… His lips? His teeth? No, that would be crazy.

  I push the thought away and try to clear my fuzzy brain. “But wait a minute,” I say, snapping back to reality. I take a step back. “What was that talk of killing me on your ranch?”

  “What?!” he says with a gasp. He shakes his head, trying to process my words. “The what?”

  “Maybe I misunderstood that part.” I bite my bottom lip as I try to replay it in my head. “Dicks In Ranch! What about that? You’re trying to stick your dick in me!”

  He laughs and my hands squeeze into fists. How dare he laugh at me.

  “Dixon, not dicks in. It’s my last name. Jacob Dixon.”

  He pulls out his driver’s license to show me and I can’t help but laugh too. Right. I guess that makes more sense.

  “But the bloodbath on the ranch! You and your brothers are going to kill me!”

  He shakes his head as he looks at me with sad eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you, Alyssa. You’re my mate. I was born to protect you. The bloodbath is concerning those bikers that left when you arrived. Did you see them?”

  I kind of remember something moving in my peripheral vision but I was so focused on getting the hose out and connected that it didn’t really register.

  He tells me they’re bad wolf shifters who want his family dead. They’re going to be attacking them in three days.

  Just great. I’m mated with a man who has a pack of rabid wolf shifters after him. Just my luck.

  But as I stare at his strong jaw and soft lips, I can’t imagine being mated to anyone else. I want him. I choose him.

  He stood with me back there when that monster Grey wanted my head and I’ll stand with him. Because that’s what mates do for each other. And that’s what we are.

  I swallow hard as I stare up at him. I’ve never wanted anyone so badly. Kissing him is all I can think about.

  I cle
ar my throat as I stare into his hungry eyes. “One more question.”

  “Anything.”

  “You said something about a hotel?”

  Chapter Five

  Jacob

  My Kodiak grumbles as we stand in the elevator and Alyssa’s intoxicating scent fills the small space. He’s already obsessed with her and so am I.

  My fingers ache with the need to touch her, my body tingles, my cock throbs. I’m still in shock every time I look over and see her gorgeous face. She’s a total stunner and I’m already in love.

  I can’t wait to know every part of her intimately. Not just her body, but her mind too. I want to know what she thinks and how she processes things. I want to know her wants and desires and then spend the rest of my life trying to fulfill them for her. I’ll be her everything. I’ll be the man she deserves.

  It should be awkward, standing here while the numbers slowly rise, but it isn’t. Nothing could be more comfortable. Nothing could feel more right.

  I reach out and take her in hand in mine, swallowing it with my big palm and long fingers. She looks up at me with pink cheeks and a shy smile. Fuck, she was worth the wait.

  Every agonizing second I spent without her was worth what fate had in store for us. She’s twenty-one and wouldn’t have been ready before now. It’s all becoming so clear in my mind. I always cursed the universe and wondered why fate was so cruel as to make me suffer. Now I know that if I had found a mate sooner, it wouldn’t have been her. I’m glad I waited. I’m glad it’s her.

  “You said you have brothers?” she says in her soft voice that sends floods of warmth radiating through me.

  “Three,” I tell her. “Well, two. Technically. Cameron is the youngest and Easton is the middle brother. Then there’s Roman. He’s our cousin, but our fathers were twins and he’s as much a brother as the other two are.”

  “Are they shifters as well?”

  I nod my head as I gauge her reaction. Not every girl would be enthused to be attached to a bear shifter. Especially one who’s being hunted by a pack of rabid wolf shifters.

  “Yeah, we’re all Kodiak bear shifters.”

  “Cool,” she says as she stares at me in awe. “I’ve never met a bear shifter before. At least, I don’t think I have.”

  “Are you kidding?” I say with a smile. “All four of your firefighter friends are shifters.”

  “I knew it!” she says with a grin. “What kind of animals are they?”

  “All grizzlies,” I say with a bad taste in my mouth. “Quinton only hires grizzlies. He doesn’t trust anyone else. Except, maybe for you.”

  “I guess I didn’t help change his mind considering I blasted him in the face with a fire hose after only ten days of work.”

  We both laugh. “Fuck that guy,” I say with a grin. “I would have hit him with a lot worse than that if I could have.”

  She smiles shyly at me. “Still. I wish I hadn’t done that. I don’t want to lose my job. All I’ve ever wanted to be was a firefighter. Do you know how that feels? To want something so badly?”

  “I do. All I ever wanted was to find you.”

  Her eyes dart up to mine and the look she gives me makes my chest ache. “Were you waiting long?”

  “Twenty years,” I say with a sigh. “Give or take a few months.”

  She looks down at her dirty jumpsuit and nibbles her bottom lip. “I hope I was worth it.”

  “Very much so.”

  I step in front of her and take her chin in my hand. I tilt her head up until she’s looking into my eyes. Her sweet lips part, giving me a glimpse of her pink tongue and white teeth. I groan. My bear does too.

  I’m just about to lean down and kiss her when the elevator dings and the doors open.

  “It’s our floor,” she says when I don’t move.

  I squeeze her hand and pull her out.

  We find our room, 612, and before I swipe the keycard, I turn and take her in my arms. I’m struck once again at how beautiful she is. I wonder how many times it will take before I look at her and not have my breath taken away. I’ll probably die before I get that answer.

  Breathless and drunk with desire, I lean down and kiss her soft mouth. She moans against my tongue as I slip it past her lips and claim her sweet essence. I knew my mate would taste good, but this is just to die for.

  Her shy hands slide up my hard arms as I deepen the kiss. She’s standing on her toes, trying to get as much of me as she can. Once we get into this room, she’ll have as much as me as she can handle. Maybe even more…

  My head is swimming when we finally pull away. She looks so sweet and innocent in my arms. She’s mine to possess. Mine to own.

  We’re mates and that means we were made for one another. Mind, body, and spirit. We’ll fit together perfectly.

  I sink my hands into her long blonde hair and groan as I cup her head. She tilts her chin up and stares at me with those sexy hazel eyes. My cock hardens to the point it hurts. I feel wetness all over as pre-cum oozes out. My balls are so full of cum that it has nowhere else to go.

  I can’t wait to get this bulky jumpsuit off her and explore her body properly. I’ll love her no matter what, but I really hope she’s got thick curves and strong legs. I want a girl that won’t break easily. Who can handle a good pounding.

  I don’t want to have to take it easy on her. I want to unleash all of my desire onto her body and ride her like she was meant to be ridden.

  “Is this really happening?” she whispers. “Or, am I dreaming?”

  “If this is a dream, I’m going to wake up and shoot myself,” I tell her. “I can’t go back to life without you.”

  “If it’s a dream, then we better get in there and make the most of it before we wake up.”

  I grin as I watch her sexy face. I like the way she thinks.

  The lock clicks open when I swipe the keycard and we head inside. The room is nothing to write home about, but it’s got a nice big king-sized bed in the middle of it and that’s all that’s important. We don’t need anything else.

  She stares at the bed for a long moment and then looks at me.

  “Are you okay?” I ask her.

  She nibbles on her bottom lip, not wanting to tell me.

  “I’m your mate, Alyssa. There’s no secrets between us. You can tell me anything. I won’t judge or think less of you.”

  She runs a hand through her blonde hair and the sight is so sexy that I stumble back into the desk and knock the lamp over.

  “Are you okay?” she asks with a chuckle.

  “Still in shock,” I say as I fix the lamp. “But yeah. I’ve never been more okay in all of my life.”

  She hesitates for a few seconds and then takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I’m a virgin.”

  I grin. “I know.”

  I know, but it’s still nice to hear that she kept that juicy little pussy all for me.

  “What do you mean you know? You can’t know that!”

  I step up to her and take her hands in mine. “I know that you’ve never had feelings for another guy. I know that you wanted to have crushes on the boys in school like your friends did, but you didn’t. I know that you’ve probably never been kissed and if you did, you probably hated it.”

  She swallows hard as she stares at me in disbelief. She must think I’m reading her mind, but in reality, all mates go through the same thing.

  “I never kissed anyone,” she whispers.

  “Thank God,” I say with a laugh. “Or, I might have needed to track the fucker down and break his legs.”

  She smiles at me as her cheeks turn pink. I love it when they do that.

  “How do you know all those things? We just met.”

  “We’re connected,” I say as I touch my chest and then hers. “We always have been. Even when you were in your mother’s womb, your spirit was meant for me. We belong to each other. That’s why no other guy had any appeal to you. Just like no other woman had any appeal to me.”

  “
But you’ve…”

  I shake my head. “Never. Not a touch. Not a kiss. Nothing.”

  Her eyebrows raise as she stares at me in shock. “Nothing?”

  “Nothing. All I want is you.”

  Our lips come back together and we kiss each other hard. My hands start moving down her back, over this rough jumpsuit that really needs to get off her body and onto the floor. She stiffens when my palms slide over her ass.

  “I need to take a shower,” she says after pulling her sweet mouth away from mine. “I’m sweaty and dirty and gross.”

  “I like sweaty and dirty,” I say with a grin, “and you are the opposite of gross.”

  She places a hand on my chest and pushes away. I hate the distance between us. So does my bear. He starts pacing around inside, wanting me to mark her neck.

  That’s enough, I warn him. There will be time for that later.

  “I have to take a shower,” she says as she glances at the bathroom. “Can you wait for me?”

  “I’ll wait forever for you, my sweet, but please don’t make me wait too long. Every second is torturous.”

  She gives me that sexy grin as she backs away and then turns to the bathroom. My eyes immediately fall to that ass that’s way too covered up.

  I groan as I wonder what’s waiting for me under there. This is agony. I want to study every inch of her.

  I want to rip off every shred of clothing and spread her legs wide open.

  My bear grumbles. I groan.

  All I can think about is seeing that wet little virgin cunt spread open in front of me.

  My heart nearly stops beating as I’m forced to watch her swaying those big hips on the way to the bathroom. She steps inside and closes the door.

  The thought of her stripping down to nothing behind that flimsy wooden door has my cock as hard as a fucking rock.

  I hope she likes her showers short, or I’m never going to make it.

  Chapter Six