Alpha Claimed
Alaskan Tigers Book Thirteen
Marissa Dobson
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Dobson Ink
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Alpha Claimed
Copyright ©2018, Marissa Dobson
Edited by Natalie Owens
Proofed by Brynna Curry and Teresa Riley
ISBN: 978-1-946474-14-8
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to actual person—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
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To my amazing husband who is not only the most supportive man I know, but who also picks up my slack while I’m stuck in my own mind. Without you, I’d forget to eat, laundry wouldn’t get done until I ran out of clothes, and Pup Cameron would be doing the potty dance. You’re a wonderful husband. I love you.
Contents
Newsletter
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Preview: Romancing the Fox
Chapter One
Preview: Different Sides
Chapter One
About the Author
Also by Marissa Dobson
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Introduction
As the new Alpha of the Ohio Tigers, Korbin, has his work cut out for him. The small clan size and numerous threats leave him with few options. Rather than merge with another Alpha, he fights to give them a brighter future. By making his clan a haven for those escaping enemy Alphas, he ensures it would grow in size and strength, but will this bring its own set of problems? Then, when his mate shows up, he never suspects the biggest obstacle he’d have to overcome is a human sheriff right in town.
Years ago, Layla Cole’s father promised her hand in marriage to the town’s sheriff. For nearly a year, she allowed him to court her but as her twentieth birthday looms, she realizes she can’t go through with it. She might have gone through with the wedding were her father still alive, but he died at the very hands of the man she’s supposed to marry, leaving only hatred flowing through her veins for him. Not going through with the arrangement puts her sister’s life in jeopardy. Somehow, she must find a way to keep them both safe.
Battered and wounded, Layla turns to the only people who might protect her against the sheriff. She wants simply to get out of town, but finds way more than that: a chance at true happiness. Can she survive the battle between sheriff and shifter, or will she end losing the only thing she’s ever wanted? Will Korbin’s duty to keep his mate safe doom his clan? Finding balance between responsibility and love has never proved so challenging.
Chapter One
The differences between Ohio and Alaska were too numerous for Korbin to list. He had believed he was happy in Alaska but now he realized there had been something missing, something he hadn’t known about. The challenges he had been obliged to face in Ohio forced him to grow, not only as a person, but also as an Alpha. Maybe beyond anyone’s expectations, he flourished. His clan was beginning to grow, which gave them the strength they’d need to survive. Every day was looking brighter than the last. While he couldn’t take all the credit, their continued success was mostly due to his devotion and effort toward uniting them.
Rolling his neck, he tried to push his tiger back into its confines within him and stared out the window at the construction zone that would soon become their new home. Weeks—that was how long it would take to put the past behind them. When they moved into the new building, they’d set this place ablaze and burn the last shred of evidence of the former Alpha’s existence. He wasn’t sure who was more anxious to destroy this place: he or the members. As if brought to life by his thoughts, Sparks’ woody scent drifted toward him, bringing a smile to his lips. “Speak of the Devil.”
“Sir?” Sparks halted, stopping midstride. “I…um…”
“You’re not in trouble.” He turned, allowing Sparks to see the grin stretched across his face. “I was thinking about your suggestion of burning this place to the ground. It’s going to be a bonfire to put all others to shame.”
“If that’s what my Alpha wishes, we’ll be sure to deliver.”
As quickly as it came, the smile disappeared and his mood darkened. The clan had come so far since he had taken over, but moments like this reminded him they had been stifled for so long, they had no idea what a normal clan was like. They had been required to adjust to the changes he had brought with him. While there had been some complaints at first, most of them realized he was moving them in a better direction, one that would bring life back to their compound. Still, there were times when they seemed uncertain of him, acting just as Sparks did now. Seeing them like this, as if waiting for him to snap at them, made his beast want to beat the shit out of the bastard who’d put the fear into them.
“We’ll do whatever pleases you, Alpha.”
The soft voice brought his attention to Sparks’ sister, Rachel, who stood a few steps behind. With her head dipped in submission, her honey brown hair hid her face from view, but he could see the slight tremble of her shoulders as she waited for the outburst she had grown to expect most of her life.
“How about remembering I’m not him? Haven’t I proven it time and time again?” He forced his tiger back enough to keep the growl out of his voice. “Forget it. I know it takes time; it’s just…”
“What? Just what?” Without raising her head, Rachel asked.
“You’re concerned opening the compound to others is going to cause issues.” Sparks met Korbin’s gaze as if he understood.
“It will if everyone isn’t ready for what we’re inviting into our home.” Korbin’s tiger pressed against his confines, demanding to be set free, wanting to run—as if that would solve anything. “Weeks. That’s what we have left, and are we ready? I don’t think so.”
“Was Texas ready when Manetka Resort opened again? Were the members sure where they stood with their Alpha?” Rachel questioned, no longer looking down at the floor in front of her.
“It’s different with them.” He dragged his hand through his hair, tugging it away from his face, ready to yank out the strands. He had been so focused on the clan that he hadn’t taken the time to get his hair cut. The curly locks had grown out of control. “Tex was one of them. They knew him before he became their Alpha. He protected them from Avery—they knew he was different. You didn’t know me before
…” His words trailed off. They didn’t speak of the previous Alpha. They never said his name. He was nothing to them now.
“You’ve proved yourself to us, too.” She took a step forward, coming closer to her brother. “Twenty-one years of living under his control, trained from birth how to act around him, and now, this new life is so different. It’s going to take time for all of us to adjust but don’t doubt we’re trying. It’s harder for some but everyone is trying to please you.”
“That’s just it, Rachel.” He straightened, coming away from the window and walking toward her. “Everyone tries so hard to please me, treating me like I’m their king or something.”
“You’re our Alpha,” Sparks reasoned.
He didn’t know how to explain it. There was a difference between how they treated him versus how the Alaskan Tigers treated Ty. Somehow, he needed to explain it to his members; otherwise, he’d always find himself frustrated with the situation. His clan was small, but he couldn’t just load them onto a plane and take them to Alaska to show them. He had to come up with another way. It was a problem he’d have to face later. There was much on his plate right now. He glanced at the clock and realized Sparks should be in the gym, not in Korbin’s temporary office. “What brought you up here anyways?”
“It’s my fault.” Standing next to her brother, Rachel shifted her weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable. “I…um…”
“Sir,” Sparks picked up where his sister was unable to continue. “We have an issue, and I need permission to find someone to fill in for my shift this evening.”
“What issue?”
“Um…” Rachel sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and snuck a look at her brother.
“Tell me.” Whenever possible, he tried to approach the members with patience, but he was quickly growing tired of this charade. If there was an issue that brought danger to the members, he needed to know about it, so he could deal with it. The last thing they needed was another problem placing the clan in harm’s way.
“It’s my fault, really,” she said again. Stepping away from her brother, she did her best to make sure Korbin’s attention was on her. “Each week we go into town for supplies. I sort of friended the cashier. Since the order’s called in and ready when we arrive, she already knows where we’re from, and now she’s here.”
“What do you mean she’s here?” Korbin kept his voice calm, while inside his tiger raged that an innocent human had managed to show up near the compound. What if she saw something she shouldn’t see? Trusting a human might be dangerous for the clan but it could be downright deadly for the human. Things were too uncertain to risk anyone who didn’t stand a chance against another of their kind.
“A couple of weeks ago, Rachel intervened between the human and a man,” Sparks explained.
“You know better than to get involved with a human’s problems. You risked everything we have here by bringing attention to us.” Korbin’s tiger snarled in his head, angry that she’d jeopardized everything he was working so hard to put back together.
“He almost killed the woman,” Sparks said. “I understand your anger, but if we hadn’t intervened, she’d be dead. Going to the police wasn’t an option. We did what we could to help her. Would you have been able to stand aside knowing what would happen to her?”
Fuck! Sparks knew Korbin well enough to guess his answer to that question. Rather than reply, though, he leaned back against the edge of his desk and crossed his ankles in front of him. “What does this have to do with why you’re unable to fulfill your guard duties this evening?”
“She arrived in rough shape. She needs medical treatment, and I must get her somewhere safe. It’s going to take a few hours.”
“Where is she now?” He had visions of her roaming the compound alone and stumbling upon a tiger or overhearing something she shouldn’t.
“She’s with Kasar in the guardhouse. I refused to allow her into the compound without permission.” His gaze shifted toward his sister.
“Help her.” Rachel inched forward.
“Enough.” Sparks wrapped his hand around her bicep, pulling her back to his side. “We spoke about this.”
“She’s bleeding and the hospital is forty minutes away.” Rachel shifted to the side so she could look at her brother. “What if she doesn’t make it?”
His gaze traveled over the siblings, debating his next move. Sparks had proven himself well enough over the past several weeks that Korbin was considering the young man’s position within the clan. He seemed a likely choice to move up the ranks—just how far was still in question. He was running out of time before he had to have everything in order. In just two weeks’ time, he’d lose three of his best guards, when they’d return home to West Virginia. Jinx had been kind enough to loan him guards to help keep him and the clan safe, but it was now time for them to learn to stand on their own two feet.
It’s time I start trusting those around me. With that, he glanced back at Sparks, cutting him off from whatever he was whispering to his sister. “How bad are her injuries?”
“She’s been shot and she’s bleeding pretty bad,” Rachel explained before Sparks could speak.
“Fuck!” He straightened from where he was leaning against the desk. “Let’s go.”
“I can take her to the hospital.” Sparks fell into step with Korbin. “She’s hurt, but she’ll live.”
“You’re an asshole,” she snapped. “She’s in pain and you don’t give a shit.”
“It’s not our responsibility to care for every stray human—”
“Enough!” Korbin jogged toward the gatehouse, wishing he would have found time to put together a first aid case but with shifters’ natural ability to heal, he hadn’t needed one until now. He tried hard not to think about Sparks’ comment. Every stray human. Would she make a habit of this? If that was a possibility, he’d need to put an end to it before she could bring anyone else to the compound. Having her bringing humans home wouldn’t only put the clan in danger, but it would be dangerous for the humans, too. Maybe it was time for him to find another team to make the weekly supply trip into town.
Applying pressure to her stomach, Layla Cole fought to keep herself standing. She wasn’t sure how she’d made it through the woods and up the steep incline but there she was. She had nowhere else to go and unless Rachel helped her, she might not make it through the night. How had she ended up like this? Everything had been so perfect and now, she couldn’t even take care of herself.
Exhausted and unable to stay on her feet, she dropped down onto the sofa and sucked in a deep breath of air. Somehow, she had to find a way out of this town. Otherwise, she’d end up dead by Donald’s hands. If only she had somewhere to go. Somewhere she could lie low and heal; then, she could proceed with her plans. The hundred and fifty bucks she had tucked away in the lining of her purse wasn’t much but it would be enough to get her a bus ticket out of the state. From there, she had no doubt she could find a job waiting tables somewhere. She could make a life for herself, one that didn’t involve getting herself beaten up every night.
Need to find somewhere to hide out until the next bus on Monday, then I can be free. Was that why she had headed to where she knew she could find Rachel? She hadn’t been thinking clearly but this was where she’d come to and her body refused to go any farther. She was surprised she had made it as far as she had. A mile back, her legs had turned to jelly, making it nearly impossible for her to continue. How much blood had she lost? Would the gunshot wound be the end of her?
Her eyelids drifted shut and the scene from hours before replayed in her mind. She didn’t want to see it happen again, but it was all she could think about. How close to death she had been—but miraculously, she survived. This was her wakeup call. Going back to him would only lead to her death. She’d rather run and die than go back to him and certainly face her death.
“Stupid bitch! How could you? Fucking my best friend. Whore.” With every word, the rage within him grew a
nd she knew she was in for a worse beating than she’d already received.
“I didn’t.” The world seemed to slow as he pulled his gun from the holster on his belt, bringing it up to aim it at her. “Please, Donald…I didn’t…he stopped by to see you. Not me.”
Unlike what everyone claimed about such situations, she’d faced death without her life flashing before her eyes. Part of her longed for this to happen, begging for it all to end, while another part wanted so much more, things she’d never experience as long as she stayed with him. Before she could decide her next move, he pulled the trigger and pain exploded through her stomach. She slid down the wall, blood soaking her white shirt. As she watched the red liquid seep into the light gray carpet, she could only think about what a hassle it would be to get the stain out. Maybe death would finally take her, and she wouldn’t have to scrub the carpet.
Not wanting her final thoughts to be about the stupid carpet or Donald’s wrath, she let her eyelids drift shut and waited for death to take her. She had no idea how long she’d leaned against the wall, but when her eyes opened again, she was alone. Without a second thought, she grabbed her purse and ran. Well, ran might have been an overstatement, but she hightailed it out of there as fast as her legs would carry her. The brush with death proved enough to force her to wake up and in those minutes as she waited for the end, she’d realized she had to take responsibility for her own life. She couldn’t hope for change; she had to make it happen.
Alpha Claimed (Alaskan Tigers Book 13) Page 1
