by D. J. Heart
Logan’s Alpha
By D.J. Heart
2015 Copyright © by D.J. Heart
Cover art by Resplendent Media
Edited by Jersey Devil Editing
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
The Alpha’s Human: Preview
Chapter 1
Logan scoots back from his desk and rubs his eyes, shooting a quick glance at the clock over the office door. His eyebrows shoot up.
It’s already an hour past noon.
Smiling to himself, a little incredulous, he shakes his head. That would explain why he’s feeling so tired and hungry.
Stretching his arms over his head, arching his back and yawning, he decides that it’s time to take a break. He’s been reading non-stop for the last five hours, eyes practically glued to his old CRT monitor, and the unofficial office lunch hour started half an hour ago.
But Logan has a very good excuse for being caught up in his work. When he got into the office that morning and booted up his ancient computer, there was an anonymous email waiting for him in his inbox. It contained a link to the entire internal records of the Pritchett Omega Guardianship Center.
Logan’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he scanned through the documents and realized that they were real. He has no idea what he was supposed to find—and he still doesn’t—but he knows that they wouldn’t have been sent to him if there wasn’t something he could do to help.
Grabbing his bag off the floor, Logan digs around inside and pulls out his lunch. He unwraps his turkey sandwich and pops open a store-brand can of diet cola, wincing when a spray of liquid hits his face. He wipes himself off with the back of his hand and leans back in his chair. He’s just about to take a bite when Chad bursts into his office.
“Hey Logan, I’m heading out for lunch!”
Logan jumps, managing to swallow a startled shriek. He still isn’t used to Chad’s larger-than-life presence in the little office, or even just how loud the alpha is. It’s like he’s never once in his life been told to quiet down.
“Okay,” Logan says, staring at his new colleague’s handsome face. “Have fun?”
Logan wonders if Chad is trying to invite him along, but he doesn’t think so. He’s just… letting Logan know what he’s doing. It’s weirdly considerate for an alpha.
“I will,” Chad says, smiling and leaving just as suddenly as he’d arrived. He’s like a puppy, and Logan is dreading the day he realizes that his quest to liberate omegas isn’t going to be as easy as he thinks.
No, that isn’t fair. Chad knows what they’re up against. He just hasn’t had the hope and idealism crushed out of him yet. And he’s an alpha. He’s grown up hearing that whatever he wants to accomplish, he can. It’s going to be a tough lesson to unlearn.
With Chad gone, Logan eats his sandwich. The bread is a little dry, but a generous helping of mayo masks it pretty well. The off-brand diet cola, on the other hand, is awful. He drinks it down, loath to let it go to waste, but it’s an experiment he won’t be repeating. Once he’s worked his way through the twelve-pack sitting in his fridge, it’s back to water.
He finishes his sandwich and the awful soft drink, throwing the can in the trash with a shudder. Maybe just this once he’ll be wasteful and throw the whole pack away.
Finished eating, Logan makes his way out to talk to his two interns. They’re both betas like him, undergrads in college, and Logan is trying to get as much out of them as he can before they inevitably quit.
It’s not that he thinks badly of them, but with some of the harassment he’s suffered, Logan knows that he’s crazy for sticking with it.
The two interns are sitting on their desks, facing each other, with their legs propped up on their chairs. They’re having an animated discussion, but when they spot Logan they both stop talking. It makes Logan feel like such an adult.
“Hello Mr. Barnes,” Juliette, the more enthusiastic of his two minions, greets him. “Are you looking for Chad? He just went out.”
Logan can’t help his grin. He’s never met someone as eager to please and be liked as Juliette. It makes working with her a real joy.
“Thank God,” Javier, intern number two, mutters. Unlike Juliette, Javier is a serious sort of person, and for some reason he’s never warmed up to Logan. He likes Chad even less, not that Chad has noticed.
“I know, he told me,” Logan says, ignoring Javier’s little comment. “I just wanted to come out and say hi to you guys. See how it’s going…” Logan nods to the stack of documents next to Juliette. The two interns have been going through The Virgin O’s internal records, and it’s a veritable goldmine of incriminating information. Or at least, information that shows just how poorly omegas are treated.
“Great,” Juliette says. “There’s a ton of stuff in here that contradicts what Richard Cruz was saying to the press. I think if we can get this in front of the right people we can really make a difference, right Javier?”
Javier nods. “I mean, it’s not going to get anyone arrested, but at least now we can prove that the use of physical punishment was widespread.”
Logan beams at them. “That’s great. And Juliette, you’re right. We need to get this out there, but in the right way. Do you have any ideas?”
Juliette straightens her back as an excited expression brightens up her face. “I do! We can—”
Whatever Juliette had been about to suggest, she’s interrupted by the door banging open. Logan turns to look, wincing when he catches sight of a tall figure clad in the menacing alpha cop uniform stomping into the office. When he sees just which cop it is, Logan’s stomach sinks.
A visit from Officer Wilson is never a good thing. Wilson is wearing the standard alpha cop uniform—tight-fitting breeches, knee-high boots, and a snug leather jacket—but it’s the sneer pulling at his lip that makes him look scary.
“Barnes,” Wilson says, strutting into Logan’s dingy office like he owns it. “You mind telling me what you were doing last night?” He’s got his hands on his belt, chest puffed out, and Logan knows he’s just looking for an excuse to make trouble. Not that he really needs one. Officer Wilson is more than happy to lie in his reports.
It’s why Logan has a criminal record.
Hurrying to stand between the belligerent cop and his two interns, Logan racks his brain about what he could have done to warrant the wrath of the cops, or rather, the people complaining to them. He can’t think of anything.
“I was out with some friends for dinner. Why?”
Officer Wilson doesn’t answer. He walks around Logan, edging into his personal space, moving so that he’s standing next to Javier’s desk. With his eyes on Logan, the cop slowly slides the ancient computer Javier has been using to the floor. It lands with a crash, and Juliette and Javier both jump. Officer Wilson smirks.
“No reason. What about the night before that? Pretty little beta like you… I bet you get up to all kinds of trouble.” Officer Wilson crosses his arms and smirks, staring at Logan with contempt.
Logan is about to answer that he was home alone, when Juliette opens her mouth.
“Excuse me! You’re paying for
that! Who the fuck do you think you are?” Her voice is pitched high, her tone incredulous. She’s from an upper middle-class family, and she has no notion of the police being anything but respectful. Logan doubts she’s ever spoken to an alpha cop in her life.
Officer Wilson grins, and Logan feels like he’s watching a train wreck in slow motion.
“I can’t?” he asks, rounding on Juliette. His eyes are cold and his voice is mocking. “Because I think I can, you prissy little cunt. Get down on the floor.”
Juliette doesn’t move, her eyes wide. Wilson takes a threatening step in her direction. “I said get on the floor!” It’s an alpha command, and Logan shudders at the power behind it. Juliette slides off her desk and sinks to the floor, standing first, then sinking down to sit when Officer Wilson keeps glaring at her.
“One more word out of you and I’m taking you in, do you understand?” Wilson bends down and growls at her, baring his teeth in a snarl. Juliette nods, eyes on the floor, and doesn’t say a word. Wilson straightens and turns around, giving Javier a look that has the young man scooting to the floor in a hurry, before he turns his attention back on Logan.
“Anything you’d like to say?” he asks, mocking and cruel. Logan shakes his head, forcing himself to stay calm. Wilson smiles and ruffles Logan’s hair, giving his face a gentle slap before stepping away. “Good boy.”
Officer Wilson, satisfied that he’s established his authority, then proceeds to wreck Logan’s office.
Logan watches with barely concealed fury as Wilson struts around, shoving things to the floor and stomping on whatever survives the fall. Juliette and Javier are both pale and terrified, and Logan knows that there’s little chance of either one coming in the next day—or any other day.
As Wilson uses his heavy boot to crush a barely functioning printer, acting like it’s personally offended him, Logan sighs. The interns have been a nice buffer between him and Chad. He can’t believe that from now on he’ll be spending most of his working days with no one but an alpha for company.
The thought of Chad sends a jolt through Logan’s body. This will be the alpha’s first encounter with police harassment, and Logan doubts Chad will respond well.
Fuck.
“Um…” Logan tries to catch Wilson’s attention, but the alpha pays him no heed. He’s grabbed the coffee pot and is currently pouring coffee all over the papers littering the floor. Logan tries again. “Um, excuse me!”
“What!” Wilson barks, throwing the almost empty coffee pot to the floor and making it bounce.
Logan says nothing. He can’t think of a way to bring up Chad without making it sound like a threat.
“Sorry, it’s nothing,” Logan says.
Wilson’s brow furrows and he stalks over to Logan. “Watch yourself,” he growls, poking Logan in the chest with his index finger. “Do you understand?”
Logan rubs his chest and nods. In a few hours he’ll have a tiny circular bruise where Wilson jabbed him.
“I understand, sir,” he says. Wilson studies him for a few seconds, nods, and leaves the office as abruptly as he entered. Logan breathes a sigh of relief.
“Are you guys okay?” he asks, glancing at Juliette and Javier. They booth look shocked and scared.
“What the fuck was that?” Juliette asks. Her voice cracks and Logan winces. He hopes she doesn’t cry. Logan hates seeing people cry.
“That was an alpha who doesn’t like what we do. My guess is that someone complained about us, and his captain asked him to pay us a visit. It happens sometimes.”
“But that’s illegal!” Javier exclaims. He looks genuinely scandalized, and Logan is sympathetic.
“I know, but good luck finding anyone who will do anything. The cops, the news, and the justice system are all controlled by alphas. They rule the world. We’re challenging their unrestricted rights to omegas—challenging them. They aren’t going to let us get away with that without retaliation. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you guys well enough.”
Neither Juliette nor Javier says anything. Logan sighs again, his shoulders slumping.
“If you guys want to take the rest of the day off, I’ll understand,” he says. Both the young interns get on their feet and move to the door. Juliette stumbles a little, her haste and shock making her clumsy. She stops at the door and turns around.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think…” Juliette says, tears in her eyes. Logan doesn’t make her finish.
“I understand. Take care of yourself. If you ever need a letter of recommendation, just give me a call.”
Juliette nods and leaves, Javier following without a word. Logan takes a deep breath and turns back to his ruined office. There’s nothing he can do but start cleaning up.
Rolling up his shirtsleeves, he gets to it.
***
Logan is on his knees, scooping up the soggy papers littering the floor and shoving them into an oversized black trash bag when Chad comes back.
“What the fuck happened here?” Chad growls, standing in the door with his mouth open in confusion.
Logan grimaces and gets to his feet, avoiding Chad’s eyes. Chad has been working with him at the office for over a month, and Logan knows that the alpha considers it part of his territory. He just hopes that he won’t get caught in the crossfire of Chad’s inevitable alpha tantrum.
“A cop came by to harass us. It happens sometimes,” Logan says. He holds his plastic bag in front of him like a shield.
“A cop came in here and fucked up our office?” Chad doesn’t look angry, he just looks confused. “Why?”
Logan licks his lips, not quite brave enough to call Chad an idiot, but wanting to. “We’re lobbying for omega rights. We get angry alphas coming by all the time. It’s part of the job.”
Chad frowns, walking into the office and over to his desk. It’s bare; all his papers are gathered up in Logan’s trash bag. Chad sits down and looks around the office.
“This sucks,” he says. Logan blinks, once again caught off-guard by Chad’s behavior. Most alphas would be screaming and raging at this point, but Chad seems perfectly calm.
“You’re not mad?” Logan asks.
Chad lets out a laugh. “I’m furious,” he says, still sounding calm. “Did you get the cop’s name or his badge number?”
Logan swallows, not sure if giving Chad Officer Wilson’s name is a good idea.
“Wilson. His name is Wilson. He’s the one who usually comes by when the captain wants to make a point. Why? You’re not going to do anything, are you?”
Chad’s answering smile is cold. “I’ll just have a little chat with him about respecting private property. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it away from the office.”
Logan doesn’t say anything, wishing that Chad would just let this go.
“The interns quit,” Logan says. He immediately regrets the words when Chad’s expression darkens.
“Did Wilson hurt them?” Chad asks, standing up and taking a looming step forward. Logan shakes his head, intimidated despite himself.
“No. They were just freaked out.”
Chad seems to realize that he’s being scary, and he takes a sheepish step back.
“Sorry. I’ll help you clean up.”
Logan stands where he is and watches the alpha work as Chad grabs a trash bag of his own and starts cleaning up. After a few seconds he bends back down and joins him.
Chapter 2
Merchant steps off the mat, his mouth set in a feral grin and the thrill of victory coursing through his veins. The young alpha he’s been training with is still on the floor, on his back, panting and groaning in pain.
Defeat is a good look on him.
Merchant wipes himself off with a towel and steps forward, extending his hand and helping the young alpha up. Zee might have lost, but he put up a good fight. Merchant is glad that he can rely on Peter’s people to be good training partners. Now that he mostly works alone, he needs opponents he can spar with who will keep him on his toes.
“I almost had you there,” Zee says, grabbing his own towel and wiping the sweat off his face and neck.
“You lost your temper and you got sloppy,” Merchant responds, clapping Zee on the back. The young alpha grins and nods, rueful.
“I know,” he says. “I’m working on it.”
“Good.” Merchant claps him on the back again. They move apart and Zee heads for the locker room.
Merchant rolls his shoulder and starts packing up his stuff. Though he’d pretended taking Zee down was effortless, his body feels like it’s been put through the wringer.
He has to hand it to Peter; the man knows how to pick his people. Zee is young and a little too impulsive, but with some experience he’s going to be good. Skipping the locker room, Merchant heads out to the parking lot and gets in his SUV.
