The Alpha's
MAIL ORDER BRIDE
A Shifter Romance.....
JASMINE WHITE
Copyright ©2014 by Jasmine White
All rights reserved.
About This Book
Nashoba is the Alpha of his werewolf tribe, however his tribe is in trouble. He must find a mate as soon as possible and she MUST be a human woman. As things get desperate he places an advert on Craigslist and is surprised when he finally gets a response.
Akala is no stranger to a thrill but she really had no idea what she was letting herself in for this time. Her curiosity got the better of her as she found herself answering an advert on Craigslist that she assumed was a fake however it is anything but that......
And so it is only when Akala arrives and meets the sexy Nashoba for the first time that she begins to realize that he is no ordinary man. She is about to discover why he and his tribe really want her and the truth might just kill her....
Table Of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER ONE
The clock showed Akala that it was close to two in the morning, but she felt more like she’d been working on this draft for so long that the sun might rise and shine in on her at any moment. She was already a day over her deadline, and she’d promised to send it off that night, but the words just wouldn’t come and she’d been struggling with the project ever since starting it nearly a month before. She’d done the math on a spreadsheet she used to track her daily progress, and at the rate she was working, she was only earning about five dollars an hour. Still, she often reminded herself that this was better than working a minimum wage job where she had to take crap from customers all day. Even though her office was nothing more glamorous than her kitchen table, Akala took pride in being self-employed.
In truth, that term was a bit of a stretch. She’d had a small batch of business cards made up, and she’d cajoled a friend into building a basic website for her — she’d even set her Facebook job status to Self-Employed at Writer — but the money was barely coming in. Each new minimum payment on her credit cards was more than she was able to pay, and it was to the point where she was thinking about giving up her phone because it was too much money every month. Most of her clients dealt with her through email or Skype anyway, so she wasn’t fully convinced she needed to pay so much money for a phone she never used.
“It’s not like I have any friends, anyway,” Akala said aloud to her empty studio apartment.
Tabbing away from her work document, Akala checked a few of her social media sites but wasn’t surprised to see that none of them had updated. It was the middle of the night, and clearly she was the only one of her internet friends to be online at that time. Even her East Coast friends wouldn't be awake yet if she factored in the three-hour time difference.
Most of her favorite corners of the internet were still asleep and in the same state they had been when she’d taken a break to slack off a few hours earlier, so Akala clicked over to a site she would never have admitted to browsing, but that she checked when she was feeling particularly bad. It wasn’t that she had anything against internet dating, but who really thought they were going to find their soul mate on Craigslist? Most of the M4W posts were nothing more than horny fat guys looking for a quick hookup, and in the late hours of the night when her life felt like it was going nowhere, Akala took some small pleasure in browsing the listings and imagining herself responding to one of them.
It had been a bit of a secret fantasy of hers ever since a casual acquaintance had admitted to using the website to hook up with a total stranger. The girl said that it had been weird and awkward at first, but since the whole arrangement was a meet-up for sex, it had really felt quite natural once they’d taken their clothes off and gotten into it. Akala didn’t think she had it in her to sleep with a stranger and then walk out the door five minutes later, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize about answering an ad and going to visit a lonely businessman in his expensive downtown loft condo.
She liked to imagine herself in heels and a dress, wearing no bra or panties, and having him answer the door in expensive grey slacks with a slightly unbuttoned shirt. He’d offer her a drink of some fine brandy or port, and she’d accept and smily coyly at him as they went through the perfunctory ritual before coming together in a passionate kiss that would lead to him taking her right there in the living room. In her fantasies there was always a large floor to ceiling window that looked out over the city, and she loved the idea of having wild and passionate sex where anyone who just happened to be looking in the right window at the right time would get the show of their lives.
Alas, the M4W listings were full of the usual garbage, most of them containing brutal misspellings and grammar errors that made it seem as though a child had written them. A girl had to have standards, and not even for the sake of a harmless fantasy could Akala ignore a guy who didn’t know the difference between you’re and your.
Just before she was about to close the browser tab and go back to her project, Akala spotted one interesting title right down at the bottom of the page. It read: “Seeking Intelligent & Outgoing Woman for Courtship and Marriage.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Akala said to her computer screen.
She clicked on the ad.
It was well-written, she’d give it that much. It was also extremely concise and direct, without coming across as rude or needy. The posting was signed with a single capital letter, N, but Akala felt that whoever had written it had obviously put a lot of thought into how they presented themselves in writing, and maybe that was why she found herself reading it three more times, looking for some sign that the author might be a serial killer trying to lure unsuspecting victims. She could see no indication that the man who’d put up the ad was anything other than genuine in his request for a prospective wife.
Akala closed the Craigslist tab and went back to her project. Nearly an hour had passed since she’d stopped working, and if she didn’t finish it soon, the sun really would be rising and shining its first rays of light into her apartment. She needed to finish one last little paragraph, and then she could go to bed, but rather than summarize why people should invest in a quality home security firm, she continued to think about the Craigslist ad and the mysterious N who’d posted it. The ad hadn’t mentioned where he lived, but it had been posted in several major cities and indicated that all travel expenses would be paid for anyone who might be a possible good match.
It was crazy to even think about replying to such a thing, Akala told herself, while some lesser part of her brain finished the web copywriting assignment. What sane man posted a Craigslist ad for a wife, and then offered to pay all expenses plus a stipend to anyone in exchange for their time? Only a completely desperate loser would let some man fly her out to his home to see if she might be marriageable. He probably wanted to find a nice docile woman that he could lock up in his kitchen and make a hundred babies with.
Akala looked down at the printed out pages from her unfinished novel draft and her brain began to play its usual games with her. What if we went as a lark? it asked her. Think of the story material you could get out of this. You know your novel sucks right now; wouldn’t an experience like this be just the thing to get you on the right track?
Without realizing she was even doing it, Akala went back to her browser, clicked on her history, and loaded up the Craigslist ad. She bit her lower lip and hovered her cursor over the email button, her finger shaking as she pushed down and clicked the link, op
ening a new email window.
“What the hell do I write?” she asked herself, staring at the blank new message.
She thought for a moment, and decided that if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She had no idea how many other women would reply to the ad, and she wanted to be sure that she would be the one chosen out of all of them. Akala began typing, and she quickly filled the screen with several long paragraphs of text. Her worries over what to say had dropped away nearly immediately, and it was easy to write a genuine message to the mysterious N, because if she was completely honest with herself, she was already attracted to him from his words alone.
The pilot’s voice announced that they’d be landing soon, and Akala’s stomach rolled over in nervous anticipation. It wasn’t that she was afraid of flying, far from it in fact, but more about what awaited her on arrival. After several emails back and forth over the previous week, she’d discovered that the man behind the Craigslist posting was called Nashoba, and that his subsequent emails were even more disarmingly charming than the initial post.
Now, here she was, coming in for a landing at Durango airport where Nashoba would be picking her up. He’d been very clear about Akala being able to have her own freedom to leave whenever she chose, and to keep things from being too awkward, he’d set her up with a room in a bed and breakfast near his home. It was only after they’d exchanged a few messages that Akala had realized she was possibly entering into some sort of agreement that would have her moving into a stranger’s house as a first date, but he’d been very clear about keeping distance between them until she was comfortable moving forward.
Akala looked out the plane window at the area outside Durango and was surprised how green and forested this part of Colorado was. Growing up in a military family meant living all over the country and the world, but this part of America was a pocket she’d somehow never been to. Being so close to New Mexico and Arizona, Akala had pictured the area as being arid and flat, but it reminded her a lot of the wilderness east of her current home in Seattle where she sometimes liked to go hiking when she got the opportunity.
The plane landed smoothly, but it did little to settle Akala’s stomach. She found herself wishing that it had been an international flight so that there would be customs checkpoints to give her a few more minutes of delay before having to meet this total stranger, but since she only had her carry-on bag with her, she was out and walking towards the arrivals area within minutes of stepping off the plan.
Despite never having seen a photo, or even having read a physical description in one of his emails, Akala knew him as soon as she saw him. Nashoba was about six feet tall and lean, but strong looking. He had somewhat unruly dark hair that came just to the edges of his ears, piercing blue eyes, and a face that seemed to convey a lifetime of experiences in the slightest of expressions.
“Akala?” He thrust his hand out awkwardly.
Akala shook his hand and felt herself flush a little. She had no idea what to say or do in this situation. A blind date was one thing, but how many people flew halfway across the country for one?
“My truck is outside,” he said, releasing her hand and reaching for her bag.
She let him take the bag and walked beside him to the parking area. It was difficult to fight the urge to keep glancing sideways to look at him, and Akala had the feeling that he was doing the same. Neither of them spoke but for some clipped practicalities as he opened the door for her and put her bag in the back seat.
The truck was quite old but still in good shape, and Akala began to wonder about this man who could afford to fly her down to meet him, drove a vehicle like this. Any ideas she had about him being a rich eccentric rancher drifted away, and she spent most of the drive wondering what exactly she’d gotten herself into. Nashoba hardly said a word to her, and Akala couldn’t tell if he was shy and soft-spoken or if he was just disappointed after seeing her for the first time. She’d thought it a bit risky that he hadn’t wanted to exchange photos, but she could relate to his wanting to get to know someone emotionally and mentally before clouding that judgment with physical appearance.
After nearly an hour of driving out of the city, Nashoba pulled the truck off the highway and onto a series of smaller rural roads. They wound through a mix of large patches of wild forest and open farm land where horses ran free in paddocks with sheep, cows, and the odd farm dog out asserting its dominance over the other animals. It was beautiful country, but it only served to make Akala feel that much more uncomfortable as they drove further and further away from any place that she could easily get herself out of. This wasn’t the kind of place a bus regularly came through, and it wasn’t like she was going be able to call a taxi way out here. The only way Akala was getting back to the airport from wherever they were going was with Nashoba, or by hitchhiking.
“Here’s the B&B,” said Nashoba, pulling off the road and into a parking lot in front of a very quaint looking house. “My cousin Haley owns it. I think you’ll like her.”
“I look forward to meeting her.” Akala cursed inwardly, wishing she could speak more naturally. Everything felt so forced and formal when it came out of her mouth.
A young woman with wild curly brown hair and a huge smile on her face practically bounced down the porch stairs and came towards Akala to embrace her in a warm hug. Akala stiffened at first, surprised at the sudden human contact, but she quickly relaxed and returned the greeting hug.
Haley, stepped back and held Akala at arm’s length. “Well, aren’t you just the prettiest little thing. I hope Nashoba didn’t bore you to death on the drive down here. I dearly love my cousin, but the man is not exactly the most sociable fellow around if you can believe it. I swear, I’ve heard more conversation out of one of them cigar store wooden Indians than I sometimes get out of Nashoba. Goodness, where are my manners? I was just about to make a cup of tea, would you like some tea?”
Confused by the rapid string of words coming out of Haley’s mouth after such an extended silence, Akala sputtered something about loving a cup of tea and then turned to Nashoba, wondering what exactly he had planned for them now that she’d arrived.
“I’ll give you a chance to get settled,” he said, running a hand through his hair and lifting a corner of his mouth in the slightest of smiles. “If you don’t object, I’d like to call on you tomorrow at noon?”
“That sounds lovely.” Akala took her bag from his outstretched and felt the soft brush of his finger against hers as they changed hands on the bag’s handle. Her heart fluttered a tiny bit, and she regretted not having made more of an effort to try to talk to him on the drive over. He was handsome, she couldn’t deny that, and he had a wonderful way with words when he was writing them, but now that she was face to face with him, she didn’t know how to act.
“Sleep well then. I’m sure Haley will take nothing but the best care of you.”
Haley took Akala’s arm and led her into the house. Looking over her shoulder before the door swung shut behind her, Akala caught a glimpse of Nashoba standing by the door of his truck, watching her and smiling in that mysterious way he had.
“Nashoba takes some time to warm to people,” explained Haley as she showed Akala to her room. “I know he can seem a little distant, but that’s just his way. He’s one of the kindest and most loyal men I’ve ever known.”
“Thanks, Haley. I have to admit, I’m feeling a little weird about this whole situation.”
“Can’t say I blame you.” Haley chuckled. “Not sure if I’d have the guts to do what you’re doing, but I think you’ll be surprised by how much you like it here if you give it a chance. We’re tightly-knit community around here, and that can be intimidating at first, but it’s wonderful when you experience how everyone looks out for one another.”
“Do you get a lot of business way out here?” asked Akala.
“It’s early season right now, but it’ll pick up in a bit. We’re not too far from Mesa Verde and a few other tourist attractions,
so we get some people through now and then.”
“Well it’s lovely of you to put me up while I’m here. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course,” said Haley. “Now let’s go downstairs and see about that tea. I’ve got all kinds of questions for you. You’ll learn that quick too, if you haven’t already figured it out. If I’m asking anything too personal, you just tell me to mind my own business, okay? I’m just a people person, and I think it’s good for the soul to share our stories with one another, don’t you?”
“You know what?” said Akala, a warm feeling of comfort and safety spreading through her, “I don’t know if I’d have thought about it directly before, but that’s exactly how I feel.”
Akala smiled as she followed Haley into kitchen. She could feel the tension and anxiety washing away from her even before they’d sat down with tea and a spread of fresh baked goods. There was something about Haley and the B&B that was so immediately welcoming and soothing, that Akala felt happy to have come to Colorado for even this reason alone.
CHAPTER TWO
Despite the strangeness of the whole situation Akala found herself in, she’d fallen into a deep and sound sleep after saying good night to Hayley, and she awoke feeling refreshed and excited to face the day. Nashoba was an intensely solemn man, but he was also handsome and well spoken when he did open his mouth, and Akala had to admit to herself that she could see things going further than just a date or two if he was able to open up to her. She reminded herself that she’d come to meet him for the experience and possibly story inspiration it might give her, but after a long dry spell of not dating or being intimate with anyone, she couldn’t help but wonder what might happen if Nashoba wanted to take things further than just lunch.
The Alpha's Mail Order Bride Page 1
