The Stories We Whisper at Night

by Sky Corgan

  “No. I don’t want to just forget it. You’re right. We’ve been through a lot. I’m hoping we’ll be through a lot more together in the future.”

  “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

  Matt’s smile returned as he leaned over the side of the bed and then popped back up again with one hand closed into a fist. When his fist opened, there was a small violet velvet box lying on his palm.

  I gasped, both of my hands coming up to my face, and his grin widened. “Matt! What are you doing?!”

  “Sugar, if you have to ask that question, I must not be doing this right. Allow me to make things more clear. You made me chase you, that’s for sure.”

  “Sorry about that,” I answered sheepishly, practically buzzing with anticipation and excitement.

  “Don’t be. You should have. You deserved to be chased. You still deserve to be chased. I want to be the man to do that. I want to spend the rest of my life chasing you. Bella Marrow, I want to be your husband, if you’ll do me that great honor. Will you, sugar? Will you be my wife?”

  I couldn’t answer. My throat was so thick with the tears I was fighting back that I could hardly swallow, so talking was out of the question. Instead, I settled for flinging my arms around his neck, covering his face in kisses and, eventually, those tears. It was a yes, of course, and I didn’t even have to say the word.

  Touch of the Alpha

  SKY CORGAN

  CHAPTER ONE

  Karen was a disgrace to her pack. Every steadfast rule that her pack held dear, she insisted on breaking in an attempt to free herself from the bonds of a lineage that had been slowly dying out for centuries. Why her pack was trying to preserve the wolf in their bloodline now was beyond her. They were more human than wolf. Some of them couldn't even turn anymore. As it was, Karen's shift was completely involuntary, and it only happened during the full moon—sometimes. It was really a crap shoot. Half the time when her pack gathered for the change, she was left standing there, naked in her human form, while most of her immediate family went bounding off into the forest without her.

  For a while, her brother insisted that the human shifters left behind should try to run with the wolves. Maybe it would help force the change in them. It was pointless though.

  Karen had submitted a long time ago to the fact that by the time she was an old woman, her grandchildren would probably be fully human. That was, if her brother didn't now insist that members of their family could only mate with solid shifters, those who change every full moon. That was the first rule Karen broke. She'd be damned if she would allow her lug-headed Alpha brother to decide who she could have sex with and who she couldn't.

  When Howard came of age and took over the pack, that's when Karen really began hating her wolf. There were rules before her brother became alpha, but they were very loosely enforced. The worst thing that could happen if you broke a rule was that you'd be shunned by the family for a few days. With Howard in charge, things took a more serious turn. There were mediation and interventions, lectures and house arrest, and a whole lot of other bullshit that Karen wasn't willing to put up with.

  She might have run away from her pack if they hadn't decided that her behavior was so bad that she needed to be sent away. The very thought made her huff. Werewolf reformation, Howard called it. Sending her to go spend some time with the regional Alpha, the man who enforces all lycan laws with the larger packs in the entire state of Michigan. If he gave a shit about whether Karen was following those laws or not, he would have come after her already. It was proof that the Needham pack was insignificant, a fact that her brother refused to see.

  With the support of the family behind Howard, Karen was whisked away to Sky High Ranch, home of the regional Alpha and safe haven to all wolves who hadn't yet found their place in the world. Karen thought it would be a prison, but the ranch reminded her far more of a college campus. When she arrived, she was greeted by the omega of the pack and immediately shown to her room.

  Howard was woefully disappointed that he wasn't introduced to the regional Alpha. Perhaps he wanted a chance to prove to him that the Needhams were still a legitimate pack. Whatever the case, Karen was admittedly pleased that the regional Alpha didn't find them important enough for even a casual greeting. Maybe when Howard went home, he would marinate on that for a while and realize that his attempt at preserving the wolf in their bloodline was futile. If Karen was lucky, the regional Alpha would take one look at her and send her packing back to Lansing.

  Shortly after arriving, it became quite clear to Karen that she'd never get a personal meeting with the regional Alpha. Essentially, her family had just dumped her off for a month-long vacation from their bullshit. For a place that housed the man who made and enforced all the laws of the Michigan packs, there didn't appear to be many rules at Sky High Ranch. Lycans of various bloodlines wandered the premises, socializing as if they didn't have a care in the world. Despite the cornucopia of people with different percentages of lycan blood, Karen could still sense that hers was the weakest. Each lycan carried their own scent, and through that, it was fairly easy to distinguish who had more wolf in them and who had less. This surprised Karen, because she was so familiar with the lacking scent of her own family. To have her nostrils so full of the wolf smell was almost overwhelming, and it took her a while to get used to it.

  At Sky High Ranch, there were no counseling sessions, no meetings. Karen was allowed to do whatever she pleased during the daytime, as long as she stayed on the premises. At night, however, she was required to attend a group bonfire. It seemed like the oddest form of therapy to reform her, but who was she to complain. It wasn't like she planned for her time here to alter her behavior. She would go along with their kumbaya session and come out none the better for it.

  When the sun dipped over the horizon and the moon arose in the sky, the wolves of Sky High Ranch headed out into the forest for their nightly bonfire. Karen went along, completely expecting a marshmallow roast and singalong. Instead of a guy with a guitar case slung over his shoulder though, there were several lycans carrying ice chests full of beer. Now this was something that Karen could get into.

  As soon as the fire was started, the gathering turned into more of a party, with lycans walking around with beers in their hands sharing conversation. It would have been a dream come true to Karen, being around so many of her own kind, except for the fact that no one seemed to want to talk to her. Social anxiety the likes of which Karen had never felt before came rolling over her full force, crushing her with what ifs and feelings of being insufficient. Was she being shunned because there wasn't enough wolf in her? Or was it because of her hefty size?

  One great thing about being part wolf is that it works wonders for the metabolism. Not so much when there are only a few drops of wolf left in your blood. Karen was by far the biggest girl at the party, and there wasn't a single male looking her way. If she ever felt more self-conscious, she couldn't remember a time. Surrounded by her own kind, but completely alone.

  Trying not to be too much of a bummer, Karen grabbed a beer from the ice chest and found a secluded spot to sit and watch the festivities from afar. The night was chilly, so she hugged herself to keep warm. For as excited as she had been when she realized this was going to be a party instead of a stuffy social gathering focused on bonding, she was completely miserable now. All she wanted was to go home.

  The party continued on into the night, and no one gave Karen a second glance. There was a stick a few inches away from her foot, and she figured that drawing pictures in the dirt with it would be far more fun than watching everyone else have a good time. The scent of wolf was so strong in the air, a melting pot of the collective group, that she didn't even notice when someone approached her.

  “You look lonely.” A deep male voice said, causing Karen to jump. Was her wolf so weak that she couldn't smell the guy walking up on her? It was a reminder of how pathetic she was.

  “I'm fine,” she sighed. That reaction alone made it
obvious that she wasn't fine. Her expression spoke of depression, the way her lips hadn't curled into a smile since realizing she was being shunned by the rest of the lycans.

  “You're new here, aren't you?” He quirked a perfect eyebrow, holding a beer in his hand and standing casually before her. When their eyes met, it took everything in Karen to keep a blush from her cheeks.

  He was handsome, as most of the men at the party were. Once you had even a drop of wolf blood in you, it heightened your attraction for your own kind. Sometimes, it even made the lines blur between primal nature and real attraction. This man would be attractive to any woman though. He was tall and broad with dark features. Chocolate eyes that were almost black, and mussy hair to match. His scent though. My God, was his scent strong. Even with all the other lycans around, Karen could smell it. He had a lot of wolf in him. Maybe he was even pureblood.

  “Just off the ship.” Karen tossed her stick to the side and picked up her empty beer can just to give herself something to hold onto.

  “Mind if I sit down?” He gestured to the empty space beside her.

  “Be my guest.” She glanced over at the spot before he filled it. He smelled strong before, but now his scent was almost overwhelming. A good kind of overwhelming though. There was something about him that woke the small trickle of wolf blood inside of her—made her feel things that seemed better snuffed down. Surely, he was just being polite. There was no reason for her body to be reacting to him like this.

  “So, what are you in for?” He raised his beer to his lips and gulped it heartily, staring at the other party-goers. Karen felt slightly ignored, since he wasn't looking at her, but at least they were talking. Maybe this was the start to making a new friend. Or maybe he had just gotten bored with the rest of the girls at the party. Whatever the case, Karen was thankful not to be alone anymore.

  The real answer made her nervous. Sleeping with humans. Refusing to shift with her family during the full moon. Breaking away from her pack when she was able to shift because she didn't want to follow the same trails, or perhaps she just wanted to hunt alone. She had a feeling that disclosing those safety violations wouldn't earn her any brownie points with a guy whom she was pretty sure was a pureblood. Instead, she said, “It doesn't matter. What I'm in for won't get fixed here.”

  “Why not?” He gave her a curious look.

  Karen straightened herself and allowed her eyes to roam over the other lycans, all laughing and having a good time. “Because this place obviously isn't what my family thought it would be. They had expected some sort of werewolf reform to go on here. Not all of this partying and bullshit.” She couldn't believe she actually sounded somewhat angry about it. The last thing she had wanted was to be reformed, but the fact that she hadn't been welcomed into the fold with open arms didn't exactly make her want to party either. “The regional Alpha obviously doesn't give a shit about the minor packs. He wouldn't even meet with my family because our bloodline is so muddy. All he cares about is having fun.” She furrowed her brow. “It looks like this place could use some new management.”

  New management, huh? Carter didn't think he did such a bad job running the place. He certainly didn't have time to greet every new werewolf dropped off at Sky High Ranch though. There were more important things to do, like meeting with the pack leaders all over the state and ensuring that justice was enforced when someone broke their sacred rules. The nighttime was when he dealt with the lycans who had been temporarily placed at Sky High Ranch by their relatives—lycans like Karen.

  Carter knew all about Karen Needham, her pack, and why she was here. Just sitting next to her, he could smell that there was barely a trace of wolf left in her blood. Hardly worth his time to convert. If he hadn't felt attracted to her, he might not have even bothered to come greet her. She was different than the other wolves though, and not just because of her blood.

  “I must admit, I was rather surprised to see such a lovely wolf as you sitting alone.” It was a lie. She was alone because he made it that way. Told the rest of the wolves not to speak to her, to make her feel alienated. It was easier for him to get in and take hold of her emotionally when she thought he was the only one interested in being her friend.

  All of this was part of his plan. There was a special way to change good girls who had gone bad, and Carter rather enjoyed it. Thinking about starting the process with Karen made his wolf stir in anticipation. Telling her that he was surprised that she was sitting alone was only part of the lie. Saying that she was lovely was an understatement. She was fucking gorgeous. Short and voluptuous, with curves that made his mouth water at the thought of running his hands over them. It would only be a matter of time before he got the chance. No woman could resist the pull of the regional Alpha, even a woman who, currently, didn't think much of him.

  “There isn't much wolf in me.” She looked at the doodles she had drawn in the dirt, and Carter could see the shame behind her eyes. Why it bothered her, he wasn't sure. From what he had read in her file, she had made it quite clear that she couldn't care less about the wolf.

  “You're wolf enough.” He smiled, moving a bit closer. The night was chilly. It would be a good reason to want to steal her body heat. That wasn't the real reason he was getting closer though.

  Carter could feel Karen tense beside him, though she didn't retreat. He was stalking his prey, waiting for the right moment. She was more rabbit than wolf to him, and that made her smell all the more delicious. Already, his body was awakening with primal need. Could she feel it? He wondered. When the regional Alpha zoned in on his potential fuck for the night, it didn't take long before she fell in tune. All lycans were programmed to bow down to his desires. Why should she be any different?

  “Can you smell it? My wolf, I mean.” Her pale eyes glowed in the light of the moon beneath dark lashes. The insecurity behind them drove Carter wild. He had had his fill of stuck-up purebloods that never doubted their nature. It was nice to be around someone humble for once.

  “You smell delicious.” He allowed his gaze to fall to her luscious lips, and she traced her little, pink tongue across the bottom one as if to tease him, though the gesture was more from nervousness than anything else.

  Then her expression cracked into an amused grin. “What are you, a big bad wolf?” Her eyes widened for effect.

  If she only knew.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Karen watched Carter drain the rest of his beer and crush the can before setting it aside. Just being near him made her heart beat faster. The reaction was illogical. She hadn't drunk enough for it to be booze-related. Still, she felt an undeniable pull to him.

  When he had moved closer to her, his scent nearly bowled her over. It wasn't just wolf though. It was so many other things—things she had never smelled from the other lycans at Sky High Ranch. He carried the scent of the trees, of the dirt, and of the nearby river. There was the scent of the hunt, the wilderness, and a strong masculinity. Sensuality and lust seeped from him like an intoxicating pheromone, and Karen was certainly not immune to it.

  When he looked back over at her, and their eyes locked, she knew. Without a doubt, she saw the wolf there. Strong and powerful and dominant. Her mouth fell agape, and for a moment, she felt completely panicked over what she had said to him earlier. “You're the regional Alpha.”

  A wolfish grin played across his perfect lips as he stared out toward his pack, towards the outcast werewolves he was 'helping' here at the Ranch. He wouldn't confirm or deny Karen's accusation, but it didn't matter. She knew who he was now as sure as she knew that the sky was blue.

  “I didn't mean what I said earlier, about the place needing new management,” she stuttered, now feeling completely uncomfortable in his presence. It was like she had slighted a king. He had every right to punish her.

  “Yes. You did mean it.” He closed his eyes and nodded, though he didn't look angry. “But that's just because you don't understand how we do things around here.”

  She wrapped her ar
ms around herself protectively, suddenly feeling bitter that he was so deceptive. “I don't really want to understand. I think at this point, I just want to go home.”

  “You'll understand soon enough.” Carter's fingertips whispered across Karen's back as he wrapped his arm around her. The human part of her wanted to shy away, but the wolf inside of her seemed to awaken from his touch. Something stirred just beneath the surface of her skin, a longing to mate so deep that it seemed to be trying to take control of everything else.

  “What are you doing?” Karen's body acquiesced to Carter's need to pull her closer. As she inhaled a deep breath of his scent, pleasure coursed through her, causing her clit to pulse with undeniable desire. Desire to have him inside of her.

  He angled himself slightly to face her, breaking the tight contact between them, though the bond was never stronger. Carter had his hooks into her, and every touch brought her closer to giving in to him completely. He brought a hand up to caress her cheek, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. Karen knew she was down for the count. She needed to break his spell, by whatever means necessary. And so she did something absolutely unspeakable. She bit him.

  “Ow!” Carter withdrew completely, shaking the sting out of his hand.

  Karen took the opportunity to stand. Placing some distance between them should lessen his pull on her. It did the trick, though not nearly as well as she had hoped. She was still ridiculously horny. But more than that, she was afraid. She had just assaulted the regional Alpha, something that could potentially be punishable by death. If he didn't still have such a strong hold on her wolf, she might have been inclined to bolt off into the woods and never look back. As it was though, she couldn't escape. All she could do was stand there and wait for him to recover—wait for him to take hold of her again.