Heart of the Alpha

by Mia Rose

  Declan stood back and admired the way Noelle had taken control of her feelings. She had taken it quite badly over the weekend and had sobbed, yet as her inner wolf had become a fuller part of her, she’d accepted the change. She had blossomed into something completely different.

  “We need to set the scene. Those of you with Kelvin and Dustin, off you go and get into position. Those with Maria, head to the undergrowth where you trained. The rest must follow us to the rocks. It’s time to set a trap.

  “And Gabriel is definitely going to bring up the rear?” Greg asked.

  “Yes. Kelvin found him. As soon as I call on the cell, he and the bikers will fall in behind, just as we planned.”

  “Gabriel is still human though, right?” Greg asked.

  “He is, but if he gets through this, he has earned his right.”

  “He isn’t going to come back to the Towers, is he?”

  Declan frowned. “Good-god, no. There’s no place for him there,” Declan said as he slung some of the climbing ropes over his shoulder.

  The pack marched and headed to the rocks. Declan knew the hunters wouldn’t have waited too long. They would want to be fresh. Declan reached the rocks and looked over the edge. Noelle stood next to him.

  “You think it’ll work?” she asked.

  Declan grinned and huffed as his shoulders shrugged involuntarily. “It should. We will set the ropes. Half will be here, and a few of us will be at the bottom. The hunters will arrive from Vista View,” Declan explained as his finger pointed to different parts of the forest. “Your parents will be taken as soon as they are clear. I’m not sure if it’ll be down there, or up here. They will be safe, though.”

  “And the rest of the hunters?” Noelle asked.

  “The pack know exactly what to do.”

  Declan fastened ropes around the boulders and the tree stumps at the top of the outcrop. He dropped them over the edge. He grabbed hold of one and wrapped it around his foot. He leaned back over the edge.

  “Are you going to join me?” he asked.

  “I’m scared,” Noelle replied.

  “You won’t hurt yourself, you might break your arm, but you’ll heal.”

  “Jesus Declan, there’s no need to say it like that.”

  Declan loosened his grip and slid over the edge. Noelle watched as he lowered himself down the rock face until he reached the forest floor. He waved as she grabbed the rope and slithered past the sharp rocks that jutted out, just inches from her face. Her feet touched the floor, and she sighed.

  “Now, back up,” he said.

  “Hang on, will you!” she replied as she watched some of the pack kick their boots into the rock and start to climb.

  Declan's head tilted. He heard a twig snap. He whistled, and the rest of the pack at the top of the rocks vanished. He heard as Kelvin, Dustin, and Maria returned with their whistles.

  “Act normal. Your parents won’t shoot while you are here, and they don’t know you’re a wolf. Yet.”

  Garrett held his hand up. He heard the voices by the rocks. He signaled for the flanks to spread out as Abigail, he, and the other twenty would make their approach, very calmly. Garrett and Abigail headed up the path in front as the hunters followed behind. As soon as he signaled, they’d make a charge and take who was at the bottom, and then they would ascend the rocks and make a stand.

  Garrett reached the clearing. He saw Noelle halfway up the rock-face. He clenched his fist. The hunters paused. Abigail and Garrett walked forward calmly as “Noelle's parents.”

  Declan turned his head. “Noelle,” he yelled. “Your parents are here.”

  Noelle looked up from the rock face. Her fingers dug deeply into the shallow crevices. She let go with one hand and waved. “Hi Mom, hi Dad,” she yelled out.

  Noelle followed the plan. She let go. Her body fell through the air as Abigail screamed. “NOOOOOO!!!!” Abigail and Garrett ran forward. They were all alone in the clearing.

  Declan cracked his neck and changed. His head tilted back, and he howled. Noelle landed on her feet and smiled at her parents as they looked left and right. Two blurs ran toward them and carried them in each direction. Noelle stood alone with Declan. Her parents had vanished into the undergrowth. Declan stepped forward. Garrett’s silver whistle sat in the half-rotted leaves. He inhaled as he reached for the whistle. He had faith his body would not burn up.

  He picked it up and placed it between his lips and blew as hard as he could. Noelle had started to reclimb the ropes as the other pack members pulled her up from the top. Declan dug his claws into the rock. He began to climb as he saw the first line of hunters enter the clearing.

  “Where the fuck’s Abigail and Garrett?” Peter shouted as he picked up the whistle. His head lifted. He saw Declan as he climbed slowly to the top of the rocks. “Use your bullets wisely. Fire at will. And make your way to the top,” he shouted.

  Bullets hit the rocks close to Declan. He turned his head as splinters crashed into his face. A bullet hit the back of his leg. He paused as his fingers grasped the top rock. Hands grabbed at him and dragged him over the lip of the rocks. The hunters made their way up the steps. They gasped for breath. They walked across the rocks and the shallow earth. Peter looked around. They were all alone. He saw drops of blood that laid next to the cut ropes. The trail of blood stopped.

  “We hit one,” he said. “Now form lines.”

  The hunters fell into a double row. Silver-tipped spears wedged into the face of the rock. Rifles were held over the heads of the knelt hunters.

  “Make every shot count,” Peter said as he picked up his radio. “Flank one, come in. Flank one, come in.” The sky darkened as the sunlight moved from above.

  “Flank two, come in.”

  The leaves brushed against the pack's fur. They sat, huddled. Their eyes peered through the leaves, and they could smell the fear. Kelvin and Dustin had taken the flanks. If the hunters fled, they could escape back to Vista View.

  Declan changed back to his human form and picked up his cell from on top of the small rock. “Gabriel,” he whispered.

  “Yeah. Are they in position?” he asked.

  “They are, swing in and make a line at the bottom of the rock clearing. When they bolt, they are yours for the taking.”

  “Right, got it,” he said, as Declan cut the call.

  Gabriel stood in front of the bike club pack. The wolves stood ready behind him. “Why haven’t you changed yet?” the old bearded guy asked in his wolf form.

  Gabriel turned. “There is one little thing I forgot to mention,” he said. “I’m human at the moment, and this is my moment of redemption.”

  “Holy fuck, we are being led into a fire fight by a human.”

  Tanya stood and faced the pack. “He saved three of you lot, you didn’t complain then! Give him his chance to prove himself.”

  Gabriel didn’t wait for an answer. “Charge!” he yelled as he vanished into the forest.

  “Oh fuck,” the bearded guy said as he charged after Gabriel.

  They ran through the undergrowth and down the path. The rocks approached as they passed the bodies of the left flank of hunters. Bodies had holes in their necks and chest. Blood lay splatted on the pine needles and the leaves of the bushes. The radio crackled as it sat fastened to a hunter’s shoulder.

  The biker pack spread either side of Gabriel. He sat in the bushes with wolves that formed a semi-circle. They sat and waited.

  Kelvin pushed his way through the pack and stood next to Maria. Declan turned his head. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he snarled as saliva dripped from his fangs.

  “The hunter flank are all out of it. Noelle's mom is under guard, she’s safe,” Kelvin said. “I wasn’t gonna miss this for the world. What is that they are holding?”

  Declan explained. He said, “They seem to be spears with silver tips. And that can only mean one thing.” His head turned to Kelvin and Noelle. “They are short on silver bullets. If you get stabbed, push thr
ough and get clear from the silver tips.”

  “Stand firm guys, we can do this,” Peter yelled.

  “What makes you so fucking sure?” one of the hunters asked.

  “Our rear is protected,” Peter replied.

  “And where do we run to when we need to escape?” the guy asked again.

  Peter looked over the edge of the rocks. He saw the bushes move in the distance. Fuck. I never thought of retreating.

  Declan looked at Noelle and the rest of the pack. “Is everyone ready?”

  Declan heard the pack rallying, snarls filled the air in the undergrowth. The bushes shook as the pack shuffled their readied feet. Declan readied himself and grabbed hold of Noelle.

  “Charge!!!” he yelled.

  The undergrowth exploded as the pack of twenty (or so) wolves lurched forward. The hunters held the silver spears firmly in the ground. The rifles were pointed toward the pack.

  “Spread,” Declan yelled as the pack zigzagged across the clearing toward the hunters.

  Wolves cocked their heads as bullets skimmed their fur. Kelvin glanced over his shoulder and watched the bark splinter as bullets embedded themselves into the towering trees.

  Noelle ducked and dived in a hail of bullets. One grazed her leg and sent her rolling through the dirt. She stood and snarled as she chased the rest of the pack. Declan's shoulder shot backward as a bullet tore through it. Noelle saw his fur darken as his crimson blood seeped from his skin.

  The pack reached the hunters. The hunters lunged their spears forward. Declan lashed at Peter and sent him flying into a bunch of three guys. Arms and legs flailed as four wolves pounced and tore into their human flesh. Their fangs dug deep and tore holes in their bare necks and ripped through their jackets. Bodies piled up as hunters waved the spears. Empty guns now laid on the forest floor.

  Kelvin screamed as a hunter thrust his spear. Kelvin felt the silver sear at his skin. He snarled and pushed his body forward. The hunter let go of the spear and held his hands in front of his face.

  Kelvin pulled the spear from his shoulder and smiled at the hunter. “Welcome to my world motherfucker,” he snarled, and his jaw locked around the hunter's neck. His head wriggled, and his head shot back as he spat the hunters adam's apple to the floor like it was a child’s toy.

  “They are retreating,” Declan yelled.

  The hunters clambered down the large earth steps to the base of the rocks. They looked up and saw the pack watching. Gabriel stepped forward. “Thank fuck,” a hunter yelped.

  Gabriel grinned and waved his fingers. The biker pack shuffled their way from the bushes.

  “Oh, fucking hell,” the hunter said. “But you’re human.”

  “Never! And once a wolf always a wolf,” Gabriel replied. “Take him down, boys.”

  The last thing the “last hunter” saw before darkness washed over him was Declan and Noelle staring into his eyes. A silence fell into the forest, apart from the howls of the wolves.

  Dustin walked Garrett into the clearing as Abigail was marched from the other side. “You have killed them all,” Garrett said.

  Abigail cried as she watched Noelle change back into her human form. “What have you done? Oh God, you’ve murdered them all,” she said.

  “Mom, I’ve always told you since I’ve been with Declan, you have misunderstood the life of a pack,” she said. “We haven’t killed anyone. That was Declan’s idea, he wanted to teach you all a lesson.”

  Abigail looked at the bloodstained clearing, the lifeless bodies that she stood among were unmoving. “They look very dead to me.”

  “Mom, they’ve all been turned. There’s only you and dad who were spared from the whole ordeal. You two have been through enough.”

  “I don’t understand… why?” Garrett asked.

  Declan put his arm around Noelle's shoulders. “Why? I'll tell you why. I loved your daughter as a human, and I love her as a wolf, now. We want a life of peace for all wolves,” he explained. “We’ll never be beaten if we stick together. There’s no point in anyone trying to take us down.”

  “Mom; Dad, I think we need to have a seriously-long conversation.”

  “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”

  Chapter 22

  Best Foot Forward

  “Move on. It’s just a chapter in the past. But don’t close the book, just turn the page.”

  Noelle and Declan made their way to his old house. It had been painted a fresh, creamy, white color. The black window frames and a red door looked amazing.

  “Declan, this is fucking awesome,” she said. It’s just like a family home, a family home that I had always dreamed of.

  “I’m glad you like it. I was going to ask you after but…” he started to say as Noelle vanished up the stairs.

  “Your bedroom’s like a nursery,” he heard her yell down the stairs.

  “Our room’s at the other end of the hall,” Declan yelled up the stairs. He heard the creak of the door. One thing to fix. The footsteps came plodding back down the stairs.

  “What do you mean, our room?”

  “That’s what I was trying to ask you,” he said with a childish grin. “Will you be my mate?”

  Noelle burst out laughing. Declan had sounded like a school kid asking his first crush to go to the prom. “I thought you just asked me to be your mate, your alpha mate.”

  Declan furrowed his brows. He saw Noelle hadn’t fully understood what he had asked. She had been more concerned with cushions and curtains.

  “Come on then,” he said as he grabbed her arm and dragged her outside. “New mates should have a hunt together.”

  With that, Declan called for his inner wolf. His fur pushed through his skin and his jaw protruded from his skull. He waited for Noelle to change. He watched as she focused. Her white fur started to show as she groaned. She was still getting the hang of it, but she’d gotten better.

  Noelle stood next to Declan in her perfect, white glory. He pushed his muzzle next to her and rubbed his head in her soft fur. “Will you, will you be my mate?” he asked again, before he lunged forward and headed down the meadow to the trees.

  Noelle ran in his direction. She took her time as her mind was full of what he had just asked. It hit her. Finally. Declan really did want her to be his mate. She had to think it over. It wasn’t the same as marriage, wolves did stick together for as long as they breathed and roamed in the forests.

  Noelle ran, and as she neared the clearing Declan stopped her. He whispered in her ear. Noelle looked down the ravine. A stag deer grazed. If they had this, this was her acceptance of his request. That, and the great sex she would expect to seal the deal.

  “You go to the right, and I'll drive it toward you,” Declan said.

  Noelle nodded and trotted with her head held to the left. She rounded into the path of the stag and waited on top of a boulder. She thought again of the offer. If she caught the stag, it’d be halfway to a yes. If she missed, Declan would think she meant a no. Both her minds where stuck on if she should say yes, or if she should say no. The pack had no choice to accept her now, and her parents had finally seen the li—

  “Noelle!” Declan screamed.

  Noelle's wolf reflexes launched her from the boulder. Her jaws locked on the stag’s throat and she dragged it to the floor. Its antlers twisted in the dirt as its hooves kicked and lashed out in all directions. Declan ran from behind and sank his jaws just below the stag’s skull. Noelle could taste the salty blood filling her mouth. The beat of the animal’s heart slowed. She felt the final few pumps as it made its last kick. Noelle tightened her grip and yanked her head to the side. A large hole appeared where the piece of meat she chewed on had been.

  Noelle swallowed. She felt the rush of energy rise inside her. “Yes, Declan,” she said. “I'll be your mate.”

  “No foreplay, no fun, or silly frolicking. Declan, make sweet love to me. No matter how long it lasts,” Noelle murmured.

  Declan’s fingers h
ad let him know she was ready, the wetness between her legs had been the sign. Declan knelt between the creamy white skin of her thighs as Noelle raised her ass from the bed and wrapped her legs around his waist. Noelle bit her lip as she pulled his hips toward her. His hard shaft slid deep inside her with ease.

  Their bodies moved in perfect synchronicity as they stared into each other’s eyes. It would be a gaze that lasted for a hundred years or more, and the gaze contained nothing but love and appreciation. Declan thrust his hips forward. His hand cupped and caressed Noelle's breast. Declan’s broad shoulders held his weight as his hands sunk into the soft mattress. His hips drove deeper inside Noelle as she felt her body draw him deeper inside her.

  “Declan. Come with me, let’s come as one.”

  Declan increased his tempo. His hard cock plowed deep into Noelle's wet depths. Her hand tugged on his shoulders as she felt her body getting ready to finish. He pushed himself harder. Sensations filled his core as he watched Noelle. Her eyes closed, and her mouth opened, as short, panting breaths flew from her body. Her hands and her legs pulled him deeper as she started to shake.

  “Oh—Oh—Oh, Declan. Come now. Come with me!”

  Declan thrust himself forward. His hips seized as he felt his inner wolf release his seed. He cried with blissful agony as he exploded inside Noelle’s quivering body. He felt whole. He felt himself spill all he had inside of her. His spent body slumped. Noelle gasped for air as her body calmed from the explosive orgasmic waves that washed over her. She felt happier than she ever had.

  The two rolled together as one. Noelle rested her head on Declan's chest. The lace curtain blew from the wind that forced its way into the bedroom. Declan laid as the alpha, he rightly was. He had been lifted back to his throne, with his alpha mate by his side. They laid there and listened to the sounds of the enchantment of the forest.