Mated To The Alpha (A Billionaire Shifter Romance) (The Chosen Book 1)

by Lauren Landish

  "Okay. Well, next we have Sergeant Mathew 'Teo' Blanco. Italian-American, and proud of it. He's the sergeant in charge of the district SWAT team, and one viscous son of a bitch. Even before I was transferred to the Southside, stories of his team kicking ass and taking few prisoners were department wide. He violates every rule in the book, but because of his connections, the local press cast him as some sort of tough guy hero cop. He's as dirty as they come though."

  "Next, SWAT officers Tyrone Holdings and Roger Maxwell. Tweedledee and Tweedledum, neither of them is all that smart, but they're good guns, and they take orders well from Blanco. They're his attack dogs; if he wants something really nasty done but he doesn't want to do it himself, they are the ones who usually do it. Don't sell these two short though, they're both super tough and quick on the trigger."

  After completing the briefing, Kimberly helped Mel with what she had been looking forward to least, changing her hair. While it wasn't full on plastic surgery, with a new hair color and some stage makeup, they were sure Melanie could at least go out without arousing suspicious looks again. They had planned this for days, even before the hunt, and Melanie had kept putting it off. She closed her eyes the entire time in the bathroom, while Kimberly applied the color. "Are you going to tell me what you bought even?" she asked, as Kim hummed to herself.

  "No," Kimberly replied with a chuckle. "You said you didn't want to know when I asked days ago, and I am not telling you until I am finished. Now keep your eyes closed, you promised."

  After letting the dye set according to directions, Kimberly helped Mel wash her hair in the sink before blow drying it. Finally, Kimberly brushed out her hair, and tapped Melanie on the shoulder nervously. "Go ahead, open your eyes."

  Mel opened, and saw a beautiful stranger staring back at her. Her former blonde locks were gone, and while Melanie had thought that was her best color, she was floored by the job Kimberly had done. Her hair was now a flaming auburn streaked with black, almost a variation of Kimberly and Keith's hair, red where theirs was brown. Melanie looked deeply at her face surrounded by the unfamiliar hair, and ran her fingers through it one time. "It's amazing, Sister," Melanie finally said, smiling. "I look like one of the Clan now."

  "You are part of the Clan," Kimberly replied, ruffling Melanie's hair. "And now I truly have a little sister to call Sister around here."

  "Well then, big sis, let's finish getting ready before Keith gets home. Where is he, anyway?"

  "He's obtaining the toys we get to play with tonight," Kimberly explained. "While I am sure you are confident with your Glock, if we are going to take on four fully armed police officers, I prefer to have a bit more."

  "Me too."

  10

  Ten

  "Are you ready?"

  Melanie could feel Keith's voice in her head, and was glad that she shared a form of communication with her Mate that didn't require any speaking at all. With just a bit of concentration, she thought out her reply. "In position, ready for the trap."

  Fifty meters down the dark alley, Melanie could see their four targets looking around, waiting for a Triad representative that was never going to come. Blanco and his men were in full SWAT regalia, while the Lieutenant was still wearing his normal duty wear, a simple off the rack suit that screamed of cheapness. Melanie looked up to the rooftops, where she knew Keith was waiting. Meanwhile, on the other side of the alley, she knew Kimberly was waiting to close the jaws of the trap. She waited until the count of ten, then stepped out of the doorway she was in. She brought her Steyr AUG rifle to her shoulder, before calling out to the four men. "Drop 'em, boys," she called. "If I don't see weapons on the ground in three seconds, you're all dead men."

  All four corrupt cops whirled to face Melanie, with Holdings and Maxwell jerking their SWAT MP7's up. Melanie squeezed her trigger once, sending a burst into the ground in front of them. "Drop it, I said. Blanco, if your boys don't listen, you're going to be looking for some new pitbulls for your team."

  "I know that voice," the Lieutenant called back, keeping his hands clearly out to his sides. "Richter, is that you?"

  "Damn right."

  "Huh, woulda thought you'd be dog food by now. Or more likely dog shit."

  "Not at all, Lieutenant. I've had a wonderful past couple of weeks. Met some really interesting people who said they want to meet you."

  She could see the Lieutenant flinch at the innuendo. "You just keep those freaks away from me," he said, his eyes immediately darting around.

  "Turn yourselves in and confess, and they won't ever have to come out to play," Melanie replied, only feeling a small twinge of guilt at the lie. She knew that there was no way Keith or Kimberly would let these dirty cops leave the alleyway.

  Blanco had stood next to the Lieutenant the whole time, confused about what the hell he and Richter were talking about. He wasn't in on the werewolf situation, and thought that Richter was just rescued by some crazy guy playing Batman that night. "Fuck this," he muttered, reaching for his sidearm. He was fast, and his body was partially hidden behind Maxwell's, so Melanie didn't see him until he was already drawn, and the SWAT officer put two rounds in her chest.

  Melanie felt like she had been hit with a sledge hammer. Her body armor held, the extra trauma plates absorbing the fatal energy, but she was still knocked back, breathless. She staggered to her knees, but before Blanco or his men could fire again, the night was pierced with two bone chilling, yet oddly melodious howls. Keith and Kimberly were in the fight now, and they were in full wolf mode.

  In the dark half light of the alleyway, Melanie couldn't see much, except for two huge shapes, each at least eight feet tall, one falling from the rooftop, the other bounding down the alleyway at a deceptively quick speed. Blanco and his men froze at the sight of Keith dropping onto a nearby parked car, crushing the roof like a soda can and setting off the car alarm. The Lieutenant however had known what to expect, and immediately reached for his own sidearm. With one bound and sweep of his massive paw, Keith swatted the two-hundred pound cop through the air to crash against the brick wall on the other side of the alley.

  Recognizing their immediate threat, Maxwell and Holdings wheeled their sights onto Keith, who had turned to face them. His eyes were luminescent yellow, and the two fear stricken officers could hear the deep throated growl rumbling in Keith's throat. Unfortunately for them, their attention was so drawn on Keith that they didn't see Kimberly until it was too late, as the female Alpha cleared the last bound, her teeth bared in a snarl that opened into a roar as she bit deeply into Maxwell's neck, decapitating the man with one snap of her jaws. Whirling, she grabbed Holdings and threw him head first into the brick wall behind her, his neck broken by the impact.

  The whole time, Mathew "Teo" Blanco stood in utter fear. His grandmother, a crazy old bat from the northern parts of the old country, had filled his childhood with old wives tales, especially of the lycanthropes. Werewolves had terrified him as a child because of it, and to see his childhood nightmare descend from the sky and kill two of his best men in less than two seconds was too much. He felt his bladder go as he pissed himself, sinking to his knees in abject fear. His mind flooded with panic, and all he could do was watch as Keith stalked towards him. As he looked into the Alpha Male's eyes, Teo realized there was just one thing he could do. He closed his eyes, and begged forgiveness from God. It had been a decade since he had seen the inside of a church, and he wasn't sure if anyone would even listen, but he begged anyway.

  Keith paused in front of the stinking, babbling human, unsure. The stench of his urine soaked pants, combined with the rich coppery smell of blood from the other bodies, permeated the alleyway, making it hard to think. His inner nature screamed for the kill, for him to take his prey and devour. But the part of him he kept locked away during his changes, the part that allowed him to love Melanie, stayed his hand. He gazed at Blanco once more, before disdainfully swatting the man in the head, knocking him unconscious. He would let Melanie decide his fate.
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  Keith turned, and saw Kimberly already down the alleyway, helping Melanie up. Kim was already turning back into her human form to assist, and Keith dismissed them as he knew Melanie was uninjured. Instead he focused his senses back on the silberjager, who he had hit earlier. Darting his eyes around, he could not see the man, the braying car alarm was disrupting his hearing, and the rich smells of blood and piss were not letting Keith track him by scent either. Where the hell was he?

  Suddenly, Melanie pulled her Steyr gun to her shoulder and fired. Keith instinctively flattened himself down at the sound, his ears and shoulders lying as flat as possible. He could feel the bullet travel through his fur, just over his shoulder, where it impacted Yankowitz, who had been sneaking up behind him. Keith kicked backwards, catching him in the stomach and driving him back into the brick wall. The silver knife he was carrying in his hand dropped to the pavement, and Yankowitz fell face first to the asphalt, dead.

  Looking around at his slain enemies, Keith could feel the primal elation coursing through his veins. Looking to the sky, he tilted his head back and howled once again, his sonorous cry echoing throughout the Southside alleys and tenements. Blocks away, nervous mothers closed windows and held their babies closer, while in other side streets gangsters and hoodlums ran for the nearest indoor shelter. There would be no more crime in the Southside that night.

  11

  Eleven

  In the resultant weeks, Melanie and Kimberly kept a close watch on the developments of the death of the three police officers in a Southside alleyway. Documents left on the body of Lieutenant Brandon Yankowitz revealed that he was a dirty cop, and the press had a field day raking the police over the coals when more poking around revealed more corruption. Sergeant 'Teo Blanco had resigned the force before the prosecutors could close in on him, and had disappeared, nobody knew where. With a new scandal, the heat on her dropped off, the District Attorney not willing to push charges on a case where most of the evidence bore the signatures of dirty cops. The warrant was kept pending, but the manhunt was called off.

  Melanie marked the time as she missed her first, then her second period in a row. It was mere confirmation, as she could already feel the psychic bond developing with the little life growing inside her belly. She was going to be a mother, and to a boy too, she thought. She could feel other changes in her body, as her breasts grew more tender, and her urges for rare meats grew stronger. She wondered about this, before asking Kimberly.

  "Your baby is telling you what it wants," Kimberly replied promptly, rubbing Melanie's stomach. Even though she had no swelling to her belly yet, Kimberly still enjoyed the touch, just knowing that her little nephew was growing in there. "He is a werewolf, after all."

  Keith was out of town for the day, up at the family estate, and Melanie felt that this was the perfect time to talk with Kimberly about something that had been on her mind since the night in the alley. "Sister, I wanted to ask you about that. You have mentioned that you and Keith were both born werewolves."

  "Yes, from a very long very old line."

  "Then there are those who are not?"

  "Yes, quite a few. None of them can be Alphas, their abilities are much too weak, but there are turned werewolves."

  "After what I saw you do in the alley, and because I love you two so much, I have to ask: can you turn me?"

  "Never," Kimberly said intensely, pushing back and away. "I will never allow you to be turned. Even if Keith himself demands it, I will never let you be turned!"

  "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down," Melanie said, seeing the emotional pain in Kimberly's face. "What happened? What did I say?"

  Kimberly's shoulders shook, as sobs wracked her slender body. She covered her eyes, before she broke down completely, tears and cries wrenching from her throat. She collapsed to the floor, and Melanie sank down beside her, stroking her Sister's back gently, letting her know she was there. Finally, after fifteen minutes, Kimberly regained control of herself, but remained in a fetal position on the floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Melanie, "I did not want you to see that."

  "Kim, I love you. You are my Sister. You don't have to hide your feelings from me. Tell me what happened."

  "Well, it all started almost twenty years ago....."

  Kimberly bounded out of her college dorm room, thrilled. It was the first time Father and Mother were coming to see her at school, and she wanted them to know that their little girl was doing just fine.

  "Father, Mother!" she called out, running down and enveloping them in a hug. Her father, all six foot six of him, squeezed his daughter tightly, lifting her into the air like he did when she was a child.

  "How are you, my darling?" he asked, setting her down and giving her a kiss on the top of her forehead.

  "Oh Father, it's been so fantastic here. Thank you again for arranging for me to come."

  "It is no problem. Clan Mac Tíre have been our friends for a long time, they were more than happy to have you in their lands. Also, it seems that Connor, their Alpha, has a son who wants to go to school in our territory."

  "And where is Keith?"

  Mother smiled, fond of the bond between her two children. Twins were exceedingly rare in werewolf pregnancies, and for them to be so close warmed her heart. "Sadly dear, Keith is overseas in Asia, helping with Clan business. He sends his regards, and says that he promises to make it next time."

  Melanie took her family on a tour of the campus, showing them her classrooms, the popular student hangouts, everything she could think of. It was a lovely visit, and young Kimberly could feel her heart lightening with every smile, kind word, or nod of approval she saw from her father. It was a lovely visit, and she was sad to see them go.

  That night, inside her dorm room, she was working on her reading for English Lit when she heard a thump at her window. Closing her novel with a snap, she tossed the book aside carelessly as she rushed to the window, opening it quickly. "Get inside! You're loud enough that everyone could hear you!"

  "Well, I tried tapping, but I've been out there for five minutes. You've been reading Faulkner again, haven't you?"

  Kim just shrugged, a smile on her face, as her visitor climbed in the window. Shane Vereen was the same height as her, which she adored as he kissed her hotly, their faces perfectly level with each other. He was a sandy haired water polo player, and she reveled at his lean muscularity, so different from the male werewolves in her life, who tended towards massively broad. "I have, but that doesn't mean you needed to wake up the entire dorm."

  "As you wish," he whispered, causing goosebumps to rise on Kimberly's forearms. He knew her love of that film. "So, are you going to show me tonight?"

  "Are you sure? I don't want you to think I'm ugly."

  Shane took Kimberly's face in his hands and kissed her again, gently, lovingly. "I could never think you ugly, Kim. Besides, I did get that one view a month ago, even if it was from across the quad. And through the trees."

  Kimberly smiled, recalling how the two had met. On a whim after a long test, she had decided to go into her wolf form and just go for a run. Unfortunately, she had been sighted by Shane, who had followed what he at first thought was just a giant wolf back to the dorms. When he saw Kimberly emerge from the bushes the giant wolf had just disappeared into, he put two and two together. He formally introduced himself the next day.

  "All right. But stand back." Kimberly watched as Shane stepped back, almost all the way to her wardrobe, before sitting down on the vinyl tile. Kim rechecked the lock on her door, then started taking off her clothes. She felt nervous doing this in front of Shane, he was the first man outside of her family to see her naked form, but she was not going to destroy a set of clothing just for some modesty.

  Kim closed her eyes, searching for the inner gates in her mind, so familiar by now. With a mere grunt of mental effort, she opened the doors slowly, and she felt the Change begin. She sank down to her hands and knees, careful not to present herself to Shane (while she knew he was ignorant of
werewolf Mating, she was also instinctively careful). She looked up from her position on the floor, as her skin first rippled, then burst out in fine silky brown hair as her pelt emerged from hiding. She could feel the pain as her bones first stretched, then broke before reforming in the familiar wolf patterns. Her ears perked and grew, migrating up her skull towards the top, before stopping in their familiar high position. Most powerfully of all, she could feel her muscles split, grow, reshaping in the ways needed to support her now seven foot four hundred pound body. Finally, she could feel the change subside, and she flexed her paws, the fingers capped by clawed tips. She looked over at Shane, and winked. "Don't worry, I won't bite you," her now gravely voice rumbled.

  She could see Shane staring at her with open eyed amazement. He carefully got to his feet, before coming towards her. "You are amazing," he whispered, reaching out to touch her pelt with adoration in his eyes. "I've never seen anything so beautiful."

  Kimberly could feel her heart melt, and she made a decision. With a mental switching, she felt her body retreat, the momentary flare of pain passing as quickly as expected, closing her eyes to help it pass. When she opened them again, she was staring into Shane's eyes, as she leaned forward and kissed him softly. "If you think that was amazing, just wait a few minutes," she cooed, smiling as she pulled him towards her bed.

  Shane was no fool, and a great smile spread across his handsome face. He was out of his t-shirt and track pants in what was probably world record time, Kimberly giggling as she saw the eager anticipation on his face. He always made her feel beautiful, even with his unconscious acts.

  "My, what big eyes you have," she teased, as she held up her breasts for his inspection. Shane smiled, laying down next to her before kissing her jawline, as his hand stroked and caressed her left breast. Kimberly closed her eyes at the electric sensation, a lustful rumble growing in her chest. "And what soft lips you have."