Tiffany looked down at her rumpled t-shirt. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.” She locked eyes with her brother. “I need to freshen up.”
Taylor grinned broadly.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” she chided. “Go.” She shooed him with her hands.
Taylor nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.
She’d make an effort but there was no way she was going to town or anything. Tiffany grabbed a fresh shirt and replaced the rumpled one. Then she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Lastly, she ran a brush through her hair.
She took a quick glance in the mirror. Her eyes were her best feature. They were large and almond shaped. A rich chestnut color fanned with long lashes. Her mouth was a little full but overall, she was an attractive female.
She turned and gave herself the once over. Her biggest problem was her size, she was small for a shifter. As the daughter of alphas, she was a complete disappointment. Though her parents had never made her feel that way, she still knew it to be true.
At least two heads below the average height of an alpha bitch. Not that there were too many of those around anymore. She was even shorter than most of the other betas.
Tiffany huffed out a breath. She was small in all ways. No ass, no thighs and very little in the chest department. Even her wolf was small. Her only redeeming attributes, her fur was a very rare white and she could run like the wind.
Shifter females were a rarity, so a fertile bitch like herself still attracted suitors despite her shortcomings.
After leaving her cabin, she made her way toward the male. Sebastian’s face lit up as he watched her approach. He wore a pair of low riding jeans. He was clearly an alpha. Tall, muscular, yet graceful. There was an underlying power that radiated from him.
“Sebastian.” She forced a smile. What the hell was wrong with her? He was a prime example of a male. Thick, dark hair. Beautiful brown eyes. A chiseled jaw and a near perfect body completed the look, yet she felt… nothing.
“Hey, Tiffany. How are you?”
Great, this felt awkward. “Fine.” Make that, it felt both forced and awkward. “You?” She quickly added, shoving her hands into her pockets.
Sebastian looked pained for a moment and then let out a sigh. “I’m sorry! I’m not very good at this.” There were so few shifter females that their males had resorted to taking humans. It was a formalized process. A slow process. Males had to wait for their turn to choose a female. As a result, they got to spend very little quality time with females of the opposite sex. Other than their town runs which only happened every couple of months and didn’t leave much room for conversation.
Tiffany smiled. This time it felt more natural. “No worries! I know what you mean.”
“You probably have guys beating down your door.”
“Um… not really.” She answered truthfully. Then again, males used to come around all the time but she normally didn’t give them the time of day, so they had stopped coming. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Sure.” He smiled. The male was really sweet. She wanted to feel something. She knew that her parents wanted her to choose a mate and to settle down.
They picked up an easy pace in the direction of the river.
“How are things with your pack?”
“It’s been tough.” Sebastian cleared his throat. “Really tough, but I’m hanging in there.”
“Brady mentioned that you were more than just hanging in. He said you were doing a great job.” Her best friend had eyes and ears everywhere. Brady was in everyone’s business, and by everyone, she meant every pack within howling distance.
Sebastian shrugged. He looked away before glancing in her direction. “Yup. I’ve had huge amounts of support but my mom isn’t doing so great. The family is still in shock.”
Sebastian’s father had died on a hunting trip. It was one of those freak accidents where he had fallen from a cliff and had then been mauled by a bear while in a weakened state. His head had all but been removed from his body. His wounds too severe to recuperate from.
“I still don’t always feel like I belong. Like I’m having a nightmare and will wake up any moment.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Not that my life is bad. Far from it, it’s just… I feel like I’m an imposter.”
“You won your title fair and square. You deserve to be the alpha.”
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah.” He huffed out a breath. “I’m starting to get pressured as the alpha though.”
Here it was. The reason he was here. The air grew thick. The sound of water grew ever closer as they kept on walking.
Sebastian gripped her elbow and she realized that she’d picked up the pace. Trying, inadvertently, to run away.
Tiffany stopped walking and he released his hold. She slowly turned. His eyes seemed darker, his cheeks suffused with a hint of red. Sebastian looked down at his feet for a moment before locking eyes with her again. He shuffled from foot to foot before running a hand through his hair. “As the alpha, I’m expected to take a mate.”
“You make it sound like a chore.”
Sebastian took a step towards her, invading her personal space. “It wouldn’t be.”
She had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact. Tiffany had to work not to step back. All this talk of mates. It was more than just that, there was a look in his eyes, a heated look.
“There’s Jasmine,” she blurted.
“Yes, there is.”
Jasmine was an alpha female. One of the last few remaining.
“And… um…” What was that female’s name again? She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Silvy?” He raised his brows, a twinkle had appeared in his eyes.
“Yes!” She practically shouted. “Silvy. She’s really tall and pretty. And, then there are numerous others.” All betas like her.
Sebastian nodded. “I’ve noticed you around. I enjoyed our dance at the last gathering.”
Oh yes, she’d forgotten about that. It was before he’d become alpha. She’d danced with a ton of males that night. It had meant nothing.
His eyes clouded in thought. Sebastian slipped his hand into hers. “I’d like to give us a try.”
She felt her brow crease. “What do you mean by a try? I don’t know if…”
He squeezed her hand. “No pressure. Let’s just get to know each other. We could”—he shrugged— “date.”
Tiffany burst out laughing and instantly regretted it. Sebastian dropped her hand and frowned.
“I’m sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a second. “Date, as in, eat food together and…” She shook her head. “Dating is a human concept. I don’t even know what the rules entail.”
“We can do things together like eating, but also other things like swimming and…” he looked a bit lost. “I will find out more about it. All I know is that once you’ve been on a few dates you become boyfriend and girlfriend and not long after that you mate. It sounds like a plan to me.”
Tiffany shook her head. “How about we start out as friends? After all, we are shifters not humans.”
He held her gaze for a while. “It’s just that I can see that you’re not sure. We don’t have to rush into anything. I am being pressured quite heavily but I will not let that bother me.”
“What about a human? Why aren’t you exploring that option?” She felt awful asking but she just wasn’t feeling it and she doubted that she would any time soon. The problem was that Sebastian was a really sweet male and she wanted to feel something. She really did.
“I noticed you, Tiffany. I think that you are very beautiful. You have an amazing scent. I want to know you better.”
What did she say to that? Tiffany licked her lips. “I can’t make any promises.”
His eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. “That’s fine. We can date… no pressure to—”
“We can be friends,” she blurted. “Get to know one another,” softer this time.
Sebastian n
odded. “Sure… yes… friends, but you also have to agree to a date at some point in the future.”
Tiffany nodded. She hoped that she wasn’t going to regret this. “That sounds reasonable.”
Her parents would approve. It made perfect sense to mate with the alpha from a nearby pack. She needed to give this a chance.
Chapter 2
Brynn picked up the pace. He ran along the edge of the forest, enjoying the peace. The next heat of The Program started tomorrow. Twenty-five hand-picked human females would arrive on vampire territory.
Just twenty-four hours.
Not soon enough.
He couldn’t wait. Just thinking about all those lush females made his blood rush in his veins and the air heat in his lungs. It also made his body tighten with need.
His lungs burned, as did his muscles but it felt good. He needed to work off this extra energy so that he could focus on getting to know the females.
In the first heat, he’d set his sights on a female that had ended up with another male. Amber had since become a really good friend, so it wasn’t all bad. In the second heat, he’d played the field to his own downfall. In hindsight, none of the females had really called to him anyway.
This was his final chance to find a human mate. More than likely his only opportunity to have a family. There were vampire females, but most of them were infertile. The strongest of the vampire males had been called upon to fight for an opportunity to win and mate human females. The Program had been initiated. The elite males had fought and ten had been afforded a chance. Even though he was an underdog, Brynn had won himself a place on the elite team.
By tomorrow this time, he’d more than likely be meeting his future mate. Brynn couldn’t wait. He eased back to a walk, stopped and bent over at his middle so that he could catch his breath. Then he turned and began walking in the direction of the castle.
Hold up! What the hell was that?
A white flash deep in the undergrowth. Brynn stopped, he put his hands over his eyes to shield the sun. It was just the shadows playing tricks on him. Then there was a sound of a twig snapping. A deer? Maybe, but deer weren’t snowy white.
Something didn’t sit right in his gut. Brynn walked towards where the noise had come from. Even before he had gone very deep, he scented… what was it? An animal. Heavy musk filled his nostrils. Something nagged inside him.
He moved deeper into the undergrowth, going more quickly this time, sure to keep his footfalls light and paying attention to where he was standing. The scent became stronger. So animalistic and pungent.
A wolf.
Not just any wolf.
It was a shifter. What the fuck was a shifter doing on vampire territory? Granted, it was the edge of their territory. He must be more wired than he thought since he hadn’t realized he’d run this far. He’d covered miles of ground. Thoughts of those humans had him tied in knots.
Brynn honed his senses. There could be more of them. He needed to remain on his guard. He weighed his options while following its scent. Go back to the castle and return with a team? The potential threat would be long gone, along with any opportunity to get some answers. Or, risk life and limb and pursue the intruder in the hopes it was alone.
Fuck it!
Brynn picked up the pace, sure to stay as quiet as possible. Those fuckers had fantastic senses, better in some aspects than even the vampires. They were quick as well, especially when in beast form. He’d taken down a couple in his life and could do it again. Even though their two species were on much better terms right now, trespassing was strictly forbidden.
There was a rustle ahead and another flash of white. He hadn’t realized it was quite so close. The wolf was moving slowly. Was it injured? Nah, he didn’t scent blood. He peered through the trees. It was loping. Only one. As he drew nearer, he noticed that its tongue was hanging from its jaw. It looked tired. That would explain the slow pace.
It was also smaller than he remembered those fuckers being. Much smaller. He could take it down easily. Brynn continued to close in on the beast. The poor doggy didn’t realize a vampire was on its tail until he was almost on top of it.
At the last second, realizing he was there, the wolf sprang around to face him. Its fur bristled. His teeth gleamed as it snarled at him.
The wolf was pure white with the most beautiful big, chocolate eyes.
Beautiful.
What the fuck? Where the hell had that come from? The beast’s lip curled back in another silent snarl.
Brynn folded his arms. “Enough,” he growled.
The wolf’s eyes narrowed and another loud snarl was torn from its throat. It made snorting noises, as it inhaled deeply.
“Shift back into human form,” he commanded the beast. “Do it now or I’ll be forced to take you down. Trust me, you don’t want that.”
The beast pulled itself taller, looking down at him over its snout. A rough growl ripped through it. Its coat seemed to bristle further.
“Yeah, yeah.” He shook his head. “So you’re an inch or two taller. Trust me when I tell you…” he paused. “I will take you the fuck down, so give up now.”
The wolf leapt at him.
Brynn dropped to his haunches and did a leg sweep, knocking the beast over. It yelped once but was surprisingly quick at getting back onto its feet. They circled one another, the beast more cautious this time.
When it finally leapt, he slid between its legs, avoiding coming into contact with those lethal claws. He gave a mighty punch to its gut. This time the wolf was knocked onto its side. Its yelp louder than the first. It was slower to react and he took advantage. Brynn flipped so that his body faced the opposite direction, then using the beast’s momentum as it rose, he punched it in the snout.
Its eyes became glassy as they filled with water caused by the blow. The punch had to have hurt like a mother.
The wolf jumped onto shaky legs and Brynn gave it an undercut that reverberated right through his own body. He almost felt sorry for the furry bastard. The beast flew backwards, landing with a crash on its back. It made a whimpering, yelping noise.
The wolf whimpered again, its chest heaved. Its tongue lolled. Brynn sprung onto it, pushing down on its chest to keep it still. He had been careful to assess the creature as he was flying through the air. One solid kick to the balls would render it unconscious. Then it would shift back to human form. It would be easier for him to apprehend and question it in hu…
Wait just a freaking minute.
He pulled his hands back. Brynn registered panic in its eyes. Sheer terror. Fuck! What had he done?
“You’re a female!” he yelled. His voice rough with worry. He’d just beaten the shit out of a female. “Are you okay?” Brynn could feel that his own eyes were big in his head. “Of course you’re not okay. How can you be okay?” He scrambled off of her, going onto his knees at her side.
He pulled in a deep breath. What the fuck had he done? He didn’t know that it was a she. How was he supposed to have known? Brynn began to assess the creature, to run his hands down its— her—soft fur. Lord help him.
She whimpered again, making him feel like the biggest asshole on the planet. Shit! “What can I do to help you? I’m so damned sorry. Please shift so that I can at least talk to you. I want to help.” He was blithering like an idiot. So what if he was! He’d never hurt a female before. Females were to be cherished and nurtured regardless of their species. He should’ve realized. The wolf’s size. Her beautiful eyes. The way the noises she had made had torn at him. He should’ve known.
She mewled when he pushed lightly on her ribs. “I don’t think they’re broken.” He huffed out a pent up breath. “Shit!” His voice was shaky. “I can’t beli…” He let the words die as he watched her shift.
It was like her fur pulled into her skin, her jaw pulled back as well. Her ears, everything remotely beastlike sucked back and morphed into human features. He made a sound low in his throat. Her skin was the color of night. A vivid contrast to
her fur. Her eyes were more of a hazel. Like hot fudge. So beautiful he could hardly breathe.
He tried not to notice her nakedness. Brynn tried really fucking hard and failed. Her breasts were like succulent tropical fruits. Not overly large, yet still full and ready for eating. Her nipples tightened under his scrutiny. Cherries. Plump and dark. His mouth watered for a taste. Her belly was flat, her hips flared, her… Brynn quickly averted his gaze back to her face. What the hell was he doing?
Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pursed tightly together. “How dare you!” She snarled. The she-wolf punched him and rightly so. His jaw throbbed. As he flew backwards, he couldn’t help but admire how perfect the hit had been. Use your opponent’s every weakness. Exploit every distraction to the fullest. This female was certainly one hell of a distraction. That was for sure.
Bloodsucking asshole!
How dare he?
The beating was one thing. The eyeballing was another altogether. She’d watched how his eyes had flared with… lust. Pure and simple. How his jaw had tightened. How every muscle on him had roped and tensed.
She could scent his arousal laced with coppery undertones. Shifters didn’t react much to nakedness being that they spent much of their time in a state of undress. She’d never been caressed by someone’s eyes before. At least, that’s what it felt like. The nerves under her skin had prickled. Her nipples had tightened under his scrutiny.
Her reaction to the eyeballing and to him in general was purely instinctual. A well placed punch. No holds barred. He flew backwards, hitting the back of his head on the soft mossy ground. His eyes were rounded. Their gorgeous, silvery blue depths now filled more with shock than desire. Good! Hold up! What was that about his eyes being gorgeous?
This male was a blood–drinker. A vicious, arrogant bastard. A vampire. Screw him. In one graceful leap, she straddled the male and punched him in one of those gorgeous eyeballs. Let his lids be too swollen shut for her to be able to see those pretty, silver eyes. She pulled back for another hit but he grabbed her fist.
Taming the Vampire: Over 25 All New Paranormal Alpha Male Tales of Contemporary, Military, Shifters, Billionaires, Werewolves, Magic, Fae, Witches, Dragons, Demons & More Page 34
