Her Forbidden Alpha

by Tabitha Conall

  “Right,” Darius’ brother said.

  At the same time, Darius said, “You’d been looking forward to what?” He put his hand on her shoulder. Her skin warmed quickly, almost as quickly as her fear receded.

  She didn’t want to answer him, so instead she turned toward him and repeated, “Why would I come out to wait on you if I thought you’d been poisoned?”

  After a heartbeat’s length of silence spent studying her, Darius said, “What was it you said when you came out of the kitchen that last time?”

  “I don’t remember,” Aislinn said.

  His fingers moved against her shoulder. “You said something. The other woman said something to you and you answered her. What was it?”

  Who had she been talking to? Oh, wait—it was Ruth. “In the kitchen, when I said we should go see if you needed anything, one of the other women told me the General didn’t want us to. That was ridiculous, because my father had told me to take good care of you. So I insisted. As we entered the room, Ruth and I were still arguing about it.”

  “Yes, that’s it.” His eyes nearly glowed. “You really didn’t know, did you? Tell me, Aislinn—why wouldn’t your father tell you about something important like that?”

  She sucked in her breath. “He’d know I wouldn’t approve, that’s why. I wouldn’t help him.”

  “Why did he need you to help him anyway?” the woman in the front said. “He could have introduced anyone to us as his daughter and we’d never know the difference.”

  The General’s perfidy became clear to her. “The guards would know. He wanted them all to think I supported him in this. He can’t stand for anyone to think there’s dissension in his own house.”

  Darius leaned closer to her. “And is there?”

  She couldn’t tell him that. Could she? Maybe she could hedge a little. “I wanted peace. Doesn’t look like we’ll get that now.”

  “But that wouldn’t be dissension unless you knew he was up to something,” Darius said.

  Aislinn dropped her gaze. “He expressed very vocal doubts about the peace negotiations. I was surprised when he agreed to them, but I guess I should have realized he had an ulterior motive. I was just so glad that he’d agreed…”

  “As was I,” he said softly. “So glad I actually thought we might be able to make peace even though I should have known better.”

  Was he admitting a failing? Alphas didn’t do that, not according to anything she’d read. But the expression on his face looked…soft. Tender. And the way he gazed at her…

  The SUV screeched to a halt.

  Darius’ face immediately hardened. “Trouble?”

  “No trouble,” the driver said. “We’re at the plane.”

  “Move out.” Darius took her arm. “You’re with me.”

  She could have guessed that much. That whole “don’t even try to run” thing was a big clue.

  He let the others leave the SUV first then pulled her out. He wasn’t rough about it—he was helping her almost more than keeping her going.

  The SUVs had stopped on a large paved area that she quickly identified as a runway. A hangar lay behind them and not far away sat a small white plane, glinting in the sunlight.

  As soon as they were away from the SUVs, Darius pulled her in front of him and pushed her along with his hands on her shoulders. That didn’t seem smart, considering her legs were shorter than his. “I’m going to trip you,” she protested.

  “You’re safer in front of me.” As they walked—almost jogged—toward the airplane, his gaze darted from one spot to the next, all around them. She’d seen that alertness in the Humans First men. He was looking for danger.

  Then they reached the steps. He lifted her up to the top before she’d even had a chance to do it herself. Then he crowded in behind her, ducking his head to avoid hitting it on the doorframe. He rested his hands on her shoulders again. “Take a seat.”

  Any seat? She spotted a free aisle seat near the back but hadn’t taken more than two steps toward it before he pulled her back toward him.

  “Here.” He propelled her toward an empty row at the front and stood at the end while she sat by the window. “Everyone ready?”

  The door made a sucking noise as it closed. Darius took one last look up and down the plane then sat down beside her and put on his seatbelt. “Got your seatbelt on?” She hadn’t even had a chance to answer before he reached across her and stuck his hand down the side of the seat, brushing against her hip and the side of her thigh in the process.

  She pulled back but there wasn’t anywhere to go. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting your seatbelt.” He pulled one end of it out of the side of the seat.

  She was sitting on the other half. She knew she was–it was Murphy’s Law. Because he was bound and determined to get that seatbelt on her and that meant he’d stick his hand under her butt to find it.

  And damned if she wouldn’t enjoy it.

  Aislinn grabbed the belt out of his hand and shooed him away. “I can put on my own seatbelt.”

  “Then do it.” He didn’t move back, not even an inch.

  Ignoring the grasshoppers jumping in her stomach, she maneuvered the other half of the seatbelt out from under her then clicked them into place. “Done.”

  He still didn’t move back. She finally looked up to see him gazing at her mouth. “You feel it too.”

  “What?”

  “The pull. The need. Tell me you feel it too.” After a full second, he thrust himself backward into his seat. “What am I saying? You’re human. You don’t feel it.”

  She did feel it. But if she had any hope of going home, she’d better not tell him that. He’d already told her he would never let her go. How much more determined would he be if he knew how he made her blood pressure rise? Still, she was curious. “So you’re saying humans never feel it?”

  He immediately perked up, watching her face closely. “Sometimes. Are you feeling something?”

  She pulled at the wrists of her sleeves. “If I were, what would it feel like?”

  He kissed her temple and she shivered. “It might feel like good old-fashioned lust,” he said. “Or like you’ve known me forever. Maybe you feel a little bit drugged, languid, and like a lazy afternoon in bed is the perfect cure.” His lips brushed her ear. “Or it might be a sharp need that grips you, compels you. Do you feel any of that?”

  Yes, oh yes. But she couldn’t tell him. “And if I don’t, I guess that means we’re not mates?”

  “We’re definitely mates. This just means I have to work harder to convince you.” He leaned back in his seat.

  After a couple of minutes of silence, he said, “We have a few hours of flying ahead of us. Tell me about yourself.”

  Talking about herself was the last thing she wanted to do. Heck, she didn’t like talking about herself with people she knew well. She certainly wouldn’t do it with this stranger. “How about you tell me what’s going on instead? What do you mean when you say I’m your mate?”

  He shifted in his seat so he could more easily face her. “Fine, we can start there. How much do you know about werewolves?”

  How to kill them. Yeah...that wouldn’t be a good thing to say. “A little, but not much.”

  His voice dropped, becoming a sexy rumble. “We’re each gifted with one mate in our lifetimes. We don’t get to choose who it is; instead, we feel it when we meet them. They smell...amazing.” He lifted his hand and ran it down her hair. “There’s no mistaking it. When we meet our mates, we know. And you’re mine.”

  At least he thought she smelled amazing; that was something. “But what if they can’t be together? I mean–your brother was right. There’s no way you and I can stay together, even if we want to.”

  His expression turned fierce. “We do want to. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we set our minds to it.”

  How quickly he’d slipped into saying ‘we’...as though they were a pair. She met his gaze but didn’t say anything.
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  “Mates don’t part,” he said. “And we aren’t going to, either.”

  “You can’t keep me against my will.”

  A smile danced around his mouth, a mischievousness lighting up his eyes. “Maybe not, but I can make you change your mind about what you want.” His hand rested on her knee. “Just wait until we get alone.”

  A shiver went through her. She tried to suppress it, but based on the look he gave her, she wasn’t successful. Why was it that this man who had kidnapped her, who she should be fighting against, made her melt, made her feel alive in a way she’d never felt before, made her wish they didn’t have all of this baggage and nastiness between them and could actually be together?

  But they couldn’t.

  “What else?” she said. “This mating–it’s like marriage?”

  He squeezed her knee. “More than that. And it’s different. We do have a formal ceremony, kind of like a wedding, but the real joining is private. We make love…” His hand slid a little higher on her leg. “And I make you mine by giving you my mark.”

  Well, that was clear as mud. She put her hand over his to stop its upward progression, but he turned the tables on her by flipping his hand over and capturing hers.

  She had to get control of this situation. “So, what does that mean? What’s a mark?”

  He swallowed, his eyes settling on the crook between her shoulder and neck. “I’ll bite you and even after the bite heals, there will be a mark that will show other males you’re mine.”

  This time she suppressed the shiver that threatened to run through her, but just barely. Why on earth the thought of him sinking his teeth into her flesh and leaving a permanent mark turned her on, she didn’t know. But it did.

  “And then what?”

  He paused. “What do you mean?”

  “And then we’re just joined together forever?”

  “Well–yes. We move in together, build a home, have some pups.”

  She tried to pull her hand out of his but he wouldn’t let go. “Pups?”

  “Wolves breed true. We often mate outsiders; we assume that has to do with keeping the gene pool viable. But the children are always wolves.”

  Oh, her father would love that. Little werewolf grandchildren running around.

  But what was she thinking? She couldn’t become this man’s mate, even if just the sound of his voice turned her bones to jelly. “We can’t do this,” she said gently. “Even if you can get over what my father’s done, my father won’t get over us being together. If you don’t let me go, there’ll be war.”

  “He loves you that much?”

  She barked a laugh then wished she could take it back when she saw the look on his face. “He doesn’t love me that much. He loves his pride. He could never handle the idea that something or someone of his was taken by the wolves. He’d have to get me back. And he wouldn’t care how many people had to die so he could have his victory.”

  Darius gazed at her, saying nothing. After several moments, she had to look away. It felt like he was looking inside her soul, peeling back every shield she’d put in place to keep herself safe. She tried again to pull her hand away and again he wouldn’t let her.

  “It must have been hard to grow up with a father like that.” His voice was so soft she almost couldn’t hear him. “No wonder you wear such heavy armor.” He ran his free hand down her hair but stopped at her shoulder, letting his thumb rub against her cheek. “You can take it off now. I’ll never let anything hurt you, ever again.”

  Fear scrambled up her throat, and inside, she retreated. She couldn’t stand for anyone to look so closely at her, to see her so well. If they looked too closely they’d see the truth–she was worthless. Just a pawn, and not a good one at that.

  Darius lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Never again.”

  A flight attendant appeared with a little tray. “Would you like something to drink?”

  Darius ordered a soda then squeezed her hand. “Aislinn?”

  She licked her lips. “Water, please.”

  After they got their drinks, they fell into silence for a while, and Aislinn felt grateful. Darius continued to hold her hand, tracing patterns on it with his thumb, but he let her hide inside herself for a while.

  She couldn’t help comparing Darius with Gideon. Gideon had treated her well enough, but he revered her father. He’d thought she was lucky. How could Darius, who’d only just met her, see her so much more clearly than the man she’d dated off and on for so many years? And was it a good thing or one more reason to want to escape?

  ***

  Gideon had never seen the General so angry. He paced the rec room, stalking back and forth, muttering and cursing. Gideon had cleared everyone else out so they wouldn’t see it. The General seemed almost mad.

  “We’ll attack them, and make them give her back.” the General said. “How many men can we muster?”

  “Not enough. Besides, if we attack, they might execute her before we can even reach her.” He’d said this several times since he’d sequestered them in the room. The General seemed intent on attack and less concerned with how to get Aislinn back in one piece. “We should offer a ransom to get her back.”

  The General stopped and stared at him, in what looked like a moment of lucidity. “Who knows how many of those animals have had her by now. She probably would prefer death over having to come back here and endure our pity.” He continued pacing.

  Gideon couldn’t move. Had the General really just consigned his daughter to death?

  Chapter 4

  Not for the first time, Gideon wished the General’s wife, Siobhan, were at home. If she weren’t away helping Aislinn’s sister Tierney through a tough pregnancy, she could be here helping him convince the General that his daughter wasn’t lost. “Let me contact the wolves. We’ll find out what they want in order to give her back.”

  “We have to attack. There’s no other option.”

  There had to be another option. He and Aislinn might not have been dating right at that moment but he couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. “Then let’s work on two efforts in parallel. Let me contact the wolves. That will keep them distracted. You can continue to plan an attack. If my negotiations work, then there’s no need to attack. If my negotiations fail, you’ll be ready to go in right away.”

  The General stopped again, this time facing away from Gideon. Finally he said, “You’re right. If the wolves think we’re willing to negotiate, they won’t prepare a defense. They’re just stupid enough to fall for that.”

  Gideon ignored most of what the General had said and focused on the important part. “And if we’re lucky, we won’t have to fight. If I can make this work, we can get her back without the bloodshed of a full frontal attack.”

  The General didn’t answer.

  Gideon stayed with him for another half hour, neither of them speaking, before he took his leave. He needed to contact the wolves as soon as possible and let them know they’d pay dearly if Aislinn were injured. The General’s comment about Aislinn being raped had left him chilled.

  ***

  It killed Darius to see what his little mate had gone through all her life. He’d assumed the General was like him–fiercely protective of his family and his people. Wasn’t that how any leader should be? To hear the bitterness in her voice and that she didn’t think she meant anything to her father hurt something inside him. He didn’t know how, but he’d find a way to heal her wounds. And then he’d never let her be hurt like that again.

  At the same time, even darker thoughts assailed him. Would the General really start a war? How many of Darius’ people would have to die so he could keep his little mate?

  Perhaps he could find some concession, some peace offering that would satisfy the General enough so he wouldn’t start a war. The thought of appeasing the man who had just tried to kill his entire peace delegation made his palms itch but he would do it if it meant avoiding a conflict that could kill thousands.
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  And when he did it, many of the wolves would think him weak. A small part of him would feel that way, too. He’d have to make them understand–the way of peace was not weakness. Keeping his people safe and whole was more important than pride or might.

  A while later, they landed in Connecticut and drove a short distance to the Holding. He barely noticed the uber-modern mansions they drove past on the way to their out-of-time castle on the hill. His great-something grandfather had been stuck in a medieval mentality when he’d brought the wolves to America, and so they’d built a large castle complete with outbuildings, a tall wall and a moat. A village–now updated from thatch cottages to more contemporary homes–lay inside the protection of the walls.

  Darius wished he could laugh at his ancestor’s need for a fortress, but the damned thing had protected them again and again from the Humans Firsters, who could never get past the outside defenses. So they stayed in the Holding and kept the moat filled with murky water.

  Not all of the wolves lived there. The Holding was the home of the North American Pack Alpha, his enforcers, and the wolves he needed for governing. But werewolves lived in every city in America and were happy to do so because it made it that much more likely they’d find their mates among the non-wolf population.

  So far, the Humans First crowd had focused on him and on the Holding. It was harder to locate small packs of wolves in the cities, so they went for the more easily identified target. Plus, that helped to keep the Humans Firsters off the radar of the American government. Skirmishes among two sub-groups? No problem. Battles in the middle of cities where other species became cannon fodder? They’d shut the Humans Firsters down so fast they wouldn’t be able to put their pants on first.

  As they crossed the drawbridge into the Holding, Aislinn’s eyes grew wide, but she didn’t say anything. He’d noticed that about her–her silence. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought it was just one more wall protecting her from her father. He hoped she’d open up to him in time.