Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
THE ALPHA’S DAUGHTER
SHIFTER CLANS SERIES
BY TIFFANY SHAND
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Copyright © 2017 Tiffany Shand
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the author, except for brief quotes in reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.
Cover Design by Melody Simmons ebookindiecovers.com
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Afterword
Excerpt from Alpha Ascending
Also by Tiffany Shand
Other Works
About The Author
Prologue
Christy ran through the forest with her friend, Lola, trailing behind her. It felt good to have someone her own age to play with.
Together they ran through the maze of trees, branches catching at their clothes. It was amazing to finally get out of the close confines of her father’s mansion and away from the guards watching her every move.
“Where are we going, Chris?” Lola asked.
“I want to show you something. Come on.”
Three oak trees marked the border. As she neared it, pain tore through her body.
Someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth to stifle her scream.
“Christy!” She heard Lola call out her name but it sounded far away.
Light flashed all around her as something pulled at her very soul.
She tried to scream but no sound would come out.
Harsh tremors wracked her body, ripping through every nerve ending with muscle popping, bone crunching as her body shifted, changed.
“Christy! Christy, wake up.”
She gasped, feeling her heart pounding and sweat dripping down her face, as she yanked her covers off.
Christy blinked, saw someone standing next to her bed.
“Chris, it’s okay, it’s just me.” Ronan squeezed her hand. “Was it the nightmare again?”
She nodded, switched on the lamp which chased away the inky darkness.
Her bodyguard stared at her, concern etched on his handsome face.
“It’s always the same,” she murmured. “I never see who kidnapped me. I don’t know what they did to me.”
“It’s okay. You’re safe.” Ronan pulled her into his arms, hugging her close.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
“Maybe the message from your dad set it off.”
Her father, the alpha of the shifter clan, Stargaza, had sent her a message, demanding she returned home so they could proceed with his planned engagement for her to mate with another shifter.
“I can’t go back to the island,” Christy whispered.
Everything there reminded her of being kidnapped at age ten, and changing into a wolf for the first time.
“We’ll figure something out, Chris.”
She looked up at him, gripping his arm. “Ro, will you stay with me tonight?”
Ronan blinked, looked away. “I…”
“I’m only asking you to sleep next to me. There’s no one around to see us anyway.”
Ronan pulled back the covers, crawled into bed beside her.
She fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter 1
Christy climbed out of her car, breathing in the night air. She caught the scent of rubbish, sweaty bodies and takeaway food. She loved the energy of London, but her inner wolf longed to run in the wilderness.
“Ronan will be pissed when he finds out you came here,” Lola remarked. “How did you convince him to have the night off?”
Christy eyed her best friend and fellow shifter. “I told him you and I were staying in all night watching films. Hell, people will think there's something wrong with me if I don’t go to any parties.”
“You’re still a princess, Chris. It’s not unusual for other shifters to come here.” Lola scanned the area, motioned for Christy to follow her.
Christy rolled her eyes at Lola’s acting like a bodyguard as she entered the club. Couldn’t she go anywhere and just feel like a normal person for once? Music pulsed and vibrated, the smell of alcohol, sweat and stale smoke almost made her gag. She didn’t like clubs much, but hell this was one of the few ways in the city to have some fun.
As if I need a bodyguard, Christy thought. Hell, I’m still a shifter. I can take care of myself.
Humans had no idea she was a princess – or at least the shifter version of one and Christy liked it that way.
“Planning on picking up someone tonight?” Lola asked as she ordered their drinks.
Christy snorted. “Nope.” She sipped her drink, thanked the barman. “God, I need a run.” Although the idea of running around in wolf form never appealed to her, she made do with running in her human form when she could.
“Running around Hyde Park again isn’t a good idea, Chris. It’s too dangerous,” Lola said. “Since you’re bodyguard free, I’d say find a hunky guy to spend the night with. You can’t wait around for Ronan forever.”
Christy only rolled her eyes again. “No thanks. Don’t you need to run? My wolf is itching to get out.” Not that I will ever let it out though.
Lola nodded. “Hell, yeah. That’s why I hit the gym whenever I can.”
Running on a treadmill didn’t have the same appeal as running through the forest with the smell of grass and trees. But living in a city didn’t provide many natural areas to run in.
Christy felt someone watching her, and turned to see a man smiling at her.
She could smell his desire a mile off. Why not? Ronan’s not around, even if he was we can’t act like a couple in public. A dance never hurt anyone. She curled her finger and led him onto the dance floor. Their bodies swayed to the music. His breath was hot on her neck. She closed her eyes, imagined it was someone else there dancing with her. Their bodies were close, the press of flesh against flesh.
Faces blurred in the sea of bodies as she moved around the dance floor. But the dance eased some of her tension. Maybe she’d go running on the treadmill before bed when she got home.
Christy saw Lola at the bar talking to another guy. Lola would be pissed but Christy decided to leave, ditching her dance partner and dashing to the door.
A blast of cold air hit her face, the drone and whirl of traffic greeted her as she stumbled outside and barrelled straight into someone. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”
A pair of dark eyes stared back at her. He had a mop of grey hair, wrinkles lined his face but his eyes held power. He wore a smart dress coat and slacks. Not someone you’d expect to see outside a nightclub.
“No trouble at all, my dear.” He smiled. “Everything happens for a reason.”
Funny, Magda always said that.
&nb
sp; “I am sorry,” she repeated. “Excuse me.”
“I can help you find the answers you’re looking for.”
Her brow creased. “What do you mean? What answers?”
He held out a blue business card.
She took it, stared at the embellished gold script. A psychic as it stated on the card.
“You’ll know where to find me.”
When Christy looked up the old man had vanished. Weird! She fumbled in her bag for her car keys, dropping the card inside. She pressed the key fob, unlocked the car and felt someone come up behind her.
“Where are you going, beautiful?”
Christy spun around, saw the man she’d danced with and the gold gleam in his eyes. Shifter. She hadn’t caught it earlier. “I’d back off if I were you,” she warned.
“No guards around to look after you now, princess.” He grabbed her arm.
Her heart pounded like a drum. He knew who she was. That was never good. Given his unusual scent that could only mean one thing. He was a mongrel. Had he come to kidnap her to?
Christy rolled her shoulder, punched him in the face, feeling the crack of bone and cartilage. Just because she was a princess didn’t mean she couldn’t defend herself. She still had shifter strength and speed, she’d use them if she had to.
The man looked down at the blood pouring from his nose, glared her. “Why, you little bitch.” He made a grab for her again.
She dodged the blow, kicked him in the groin.
He staggered back, eyes watering as he sank to his knees.
Christy fumbled to open her car door.
He grabbed her from behind, locking an arm around her neck and the other around her waist to stop her from escaping. His hand came up to cover her mouth, even humans might hear if she screamed for help.
Christy bit down on his hand, tasting coppery blood. Her eyes flashed as she felt power rise up from deep inside her. Not the power of her wolf – something she wasn’t supposed to use – magic. White fire formed in her palm, she tossed it behind her.
Her assailant screamed as it burnt his face.
“Get away from me, you filthy mongrel!” she snarled. Fury burned through her. Her wolf clawed to get out, demanded blood and the magic demanded to be let loose.
Christy raised her hand, levitating him into the air. She flung him against the dustbin as hard as she could.
The sounds of voices and wail of sirens echoed in the distance.
“Shit! Christy, what have you done?” Lola appeared beside her. “Come on, we have to get out of here before the police show up.”
Christy dove into her car but Lola dragged her back out. “No, they can track that. We’ll have to run, go! I’ll be right behind you.”
Buildings blurred as Christy raced down streets and back alleys. She doubled back a few times, in case the shifter tried to follow.
Christy let out a breath as the back door banged behind her. God, what had she just done? Not only had she used magic, but she could have exposed herself to humans too.
Shit, shit, shit!
“Christy?” a voice called.
Her pounding heart leapt at the sound of Ronan’s voice, she wanted to throw herself into his arms. But the hard look on his face told her it wouldn’t be a welcomed embrace.
With his dark tousled hair and blue eyes, he looked better than any man she’d seen the club.
“Where have you been?” he demanded. “I...”
She shrugged, trying to calm her pounding heart. He’d know if she lied. “Lola and I went out.”
“You should have cleared it with me first. Lola isn’t a guard and can’t protect you the way I can.” He sniffed and frowned. “You’re hurt.”
She glanced down at the spattered blood on her knuckles. “What? No, it’s not my blood.”
“What happened? Where is Lola?”
Christy ran a hand through her long brown hair, pushing it off her face. “She – we...” She sighed. “I think I did something terrible.”
His eyes narrowed. “Tell me everything.”
Lola blurred into the kitchen. “I think we’ve lost him, even so maybe we should move to be on the safe side.”
“I’m not moving, I live here. How many times do I have to tell you that I won’t let clan politics interfere with my life?” She put her hands on her hips.
“Tell me what happened,” Ronan snapped.
“A mongrel saw me in the club. He followed me out, got too grabby and I punched him,” Christy admitted. “He tried to attack me and – I used magic to fight him off.”
“And maybe exposed yourself in the process,” Lola added. “Christy, you know the rules.”
“I’ll call the alpha right away.” He pulled his mobile out of his pocket.
“No, you’re not calling my father,” Christy snapped. “I’m the one who caused this mess. I’ll deal with it."
“Good, you can tell your father then.” Ronan held out the phone to her.
“There’s no need to tell Henric anything,” said Lola. “We can track down the mongrel and minimise the exposure risk, right, Ronan?”
Ronan’s jaw set. Christy hadn’t seen him this angry for a long time.
She gave him a pleading look. “Please, Ro, you know how important my life here is to me. Don’t make me go home. You know what awaits me there.” She tried to put her arms around him, not caring if Lola saw them together.
He brushed off her embrace. “I can’t put your desires above your safety, Christy. I’ll go and check out the club and deal with this mess. But don’t you dare go off on your own like that again.” He stormed out the back door, making her wince as it banged shut.
“Now he hates me.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll get over it.”
Her hands clenched into fists. “I can’t go home, Lola. I’m not ready.”
“Let Ronan deal with it. He’s good at his job, and he’s the best tracker in our clan.”
Christy headed into her bedroom, looked out onto the city lights and wondered if the world would be changed forever come sunrise.
Chapter 2
Christy paced up and down the length of her living room as the first rays of dawn came in through the window. Ronan still hadn’t returned after hunting the mongrel all night. She hadn’t slept either and kept glancing at her phone to check the messages.
Lola had stayed over to babysit her since one of her father’s stupid rules was that she couldn’t be left alone.
“Want some breakfast?” Lola called from the kitchen.
No, she wanted Ronan home, to make sure he was safe.
“No,” she muttered, knowing Lola would hear her.
“Chris, you need to stop beating yourself up.” Lola appeared in the doorway. “Mistakes happen.”
“It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have magic or I wasn’t a shifter,” she snapped. “I thought I’d built a life here. Now my father wants me to go home and marry me off to someone from another clan who Papa thinks will make a good alpha. That’s if he doesn’t kill me first. That’s probably the whole reason why shifters were cursed so they don’t use magic anymore.”
“Magic is part of our race. It isn’t evil,” Lola insisted. “Plus you have magic, you’re the only shifter I know who can use it.”
She snorted. “Magic got my mother killed when she went into the Outland and got attacked by mongrels. It’s probably why I’ve had to spend my life in hiding, too.” She looked at her phone again. “Why hasn’t he called?”
“I’m sure he’s just busy. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for college?”
“I called in sick. I can’t handle that right now.”
“Maybe it would help if you stopped pacing. Chill, eat something. Magda always said food cures everything.”
Christy felt a pang of longing for her former guardian. If only Magda were here. She’d be able to fix everything.
Damn it, if she stayed cooped up here for much longer she’d go crazy.
“Maybe
we should eat,” she mused. “Could you run to the bakery?”
“Ha, nice try!” Lola grinned. “I’m not leaving you alone so don’t even think about making a run for it.”
Christy sighed. “I need some air. I’ll be up on the roof garden.” Lola made a move to follow her, but Christy stopped her. “I won’t run.”
Lola frowned. “Okay, I’ll cook something instead – but stay close.”
“You’re not my bodyguard,” Christy muttered as she headed up the stairs.
Cool air hit her face as she walked out onto the roof. Pots of flowers and shrubs sat in neat rows along the roofline. A metal table and two chairs stood in the corner. She and Ronan had spent hours up here watching the city lights.
Christy took a deep breath, taking in the familiar smells of London. The thunder of traffic and wail of sirens felt deafening. She hated her shifter senses, fought to tune it all out.
Looking down, she saw the sea of people hurrying across the busy streets, a blur of blacks and greys with the odd speck of colour.
She envied humans. They only had the concerns of their mundane lives to worry about. They didn’t worry about uncontrollable magic or a beast that lived inside them, who was always trying to get out.
They were just normal.
She looked at her empty phone screen with a groan and flipped the case closed. A piece of paper fell out onto the slates.
She knelt, grabbed it, frowning. It was the blue card the strange old man had given her outside the club.
What had he said again?
“I can help find the answers you’re looking for.”
Christy stared at it as if she could conjure him into being. She turned it over, saw an address on the back. Not too far away from her flat. She glanced back, heard Lola banging about in the kitchen. She knew running off was a risk, but she couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. It was her mess, her mistake. She needed answers.
Sorry, Lola.
Christy climbed onto the edge of the roof, jumped down onto the fire escape, then down into the alley below which ran along behind her apartment block.
Card in hand, Christy took off using her shifter speed to blur through the busy streets. She crisscrossed several times, knowing it wouldn’t take Lola long to realise she’d gone.
The Alpha's Daughter: Shifter Clans Series Book 1 Page 1
