Alpha MC: The McKinnon Brothers

by Alana Hart

  The pups stopped playing when they entered.

  Reagan glanced nervously around the room. An island separated the living room from the large kitchen where a woman was cooking something that smelled divine.

  Her face broke into a smile when she saw them. Wiping her hands on a towel she came around the island and drew Liam in for a hug. She gave Aidan a longer hug. When she finally pulled away, she wiped tears from her eyes. It was clear she was fond of him and had missed him while he was away.

  “You all right?” she asked.

  He nodded, kissing her forehead.

  Finally her eyes lit on Reagan and Harry. Reagan braced for the glares and the hatred. When they had been caught together years ago that was all she received from the shifter pack.

  But this woman smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She had pretty blue eyes, like a summer sky, and her brown hair was streaked with silver at the temples. She was beautiful.

  “I remember you,” she said, not unkindly. “But who is this?” She reached for Harry’s hand.

  “This is Harry,” Reagan said, her voice hoarse.

  “Well hi there, Harry,” she said, shaking Harry’s little hand. “I’m Siobhan, but all the pups call me She-she.” Harry had rested her head on Reagan’s shoulder, but now she sniffed, her eyes roving over Siobhan’s face and then lighting on the other pups.

  “How old is she?”

  Reagan shook her head. “I’m not sure. Three maybe?”

  Siobhan looked her over. “Hmm, looks to be about two or three, yeah.” She tickled Harry’s chin so that the girl smiled. Reagan heard Siobhan count quickly. “Got enough teeth to put her about two years old.” She smiled. “Well, I think it’s about time this one got to play with pups like her, don’t you think?” She met Reagan’s eyes when she asked.

  If Reagan was afraid they were going to rip Harry from her, she didn’t think it would be this woman to do it.

  Reagan nodded and let Siobhan take her. Reagan watched, her chest tight, as Siobhan introduced Harry to the other pups. All of them had shifted into kids to meet the newcomer. Almost instantly, a few of them shifted back into pups and continued playing. Without a backward glance, Harry joined the kids, shifting into a pup, and running around the room like a hyper puppy.

  “There now,” Siobhan returned to Reagan and the guys. “Who’s hungry?”

  “Starving,” Liam whined. He rested his head on the woman’s shoulder. “Aidan didn’t feed me. Pity me, Aunty.”

  She laughed and patted his cheek. “I’ll take care of you, Boo-boo.”

  Reagan stood between the couches and the island, unsure what to do with herself. She watched the pups play, some settling to watch the cartoons, others getting near Reagan as pups, sniffing, and then running away, tumbling over their feet.

  Aside from the bits of fur that seemed to be everywhere, the place was clean. Big windows let in lots of sunlight. She could see a large backyard with a playground covered in snow through the kitchen windows. Kids’ paintings and drawings decorated the fridge and walls in the kitchen.

  It was the sort of home she had always wished she’d grown up in. There were no empty beer bottles filled with cigarette butts. No used condoms thrown unceremoniously in corners. No broken furniture. No screams. No crying. No sex where kids could see it.

  She felt a hand on her back and flinched.

  Aidan.

  Despite the wall between them, she saw the concern in his eyes. He could feel her pain as the thoughts roared in her head.

  She wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’m okay,” she whispered.

  “Come on and eat, you two,” Siobhan said and set two plates at the island for them.

  Aidan’s hand dropped as they made their way over. Reagan’s stomach growled loudly when she saw her plate. Shepherd’s pie. She didn’t wait for the guys; she picked up her fork and dug in. Closing her eyes, she had to restrain herself from moaning as she chewed. The meat was juicy and savory, the mashed potatoes the perfect combination of lumpy and smooth, the biscuit flaky and sweet. She could die right now and be happy about it.

  She heard a chuckle and opened her eyes to see Siobhan watching her eat. Reagan blushed. Aidan seemed to be fighting a smirk.

  “Where is everyone else?” Liam asked, his mouth full.

  Siobhan dished up more plates while she answered. “Cormac and Gavin are out, working on this or that. Some are sleeping in. Emmett’s in your room, Aidan, looking into that online shifter trade. Ronan has had a group out for a few weeks, looking for Connor.”

  Siobhan’s eyes caught Aidan’s, and he looked away. Reagan wondered at that, but said nothing.

  “However,” she said, “I called Cormac when I heard you pull in. He should be back soon.”

  Reagan’s stomach clenched; fear stealing her appetite. Siobhan noticed.

  “You finish that, all right?” Concern lighted her bright eyes. If Reagan didn’t know better, she might think that this shifter cared about her feelings.

  The three of them ate in silence while Siobhan called the pups to eat. Each one took a plate and sat at a dining table just off the living room. Once the kids were fed, Siobhan returned to Reagan, her nose crinkled.

  “Did you like it?” she asked, glancing at Reagan’s empty plate.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Good. Why don’t you come with me? Get you freshened up before anyone comes home.”

  “I’m okay,” Reagan tried, but Siobhan took her arm and gently, but firmly pulled her from the stool.

  “Sweetheart, I don’t mean to be frank, but you smell like you’ve been snuggled up with my nephew, if you know what I mean, and I’m not the only one who’ll smell it.”

  Reagan’s face burned. But so did Aidan’s. Liam was smirking into his second plate of Shepherd’s pie.

  “Liam,” Siobhan called. “Go watch the pups. Aidan, go shower.”

  She brought Regan to a bathroom in the hall that led to the bar and turned the shower on for her. She wiggled her fingers under the spray, nodding when she was satisfied. Her eyes found Reagan then, kind and concerned.

  “He didn’t bite you did he?”

  Reagan’s blush deepened. She shook her head. Siobhan smiled, nodding.

  “Well, take a shower. Use the soap down there.” She nodded to Reagan’s crotch. “I’ll leave some clothes for you. Don’t be too long.” And then she left, closing the door with a soft click.

  Even the bathroom was nice. Bright and airy, the window letting in the sunshine. Steam clouded the mirror quickly. Remembering that Cormac would be back soon, Reagan undressed and climbed under the hot spray. She knew she was fond of Siobhan after eating her cooking, but now she loved her.

  Soaping up, Reagan washed and rewashed everywhere that Aidan had touched.

  Halfway through her shower, she heard another start up over her head. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember the layout of the house. She was almost positive that the other bathroom was just above her on the second floor. Aidan would be in that shower, attempting to wash away the scent of Reagan.

  She froze, listening to the water hit the tub floor above her. She had seen Aidan naked this morning, though she had been too concerned about Harry to dwell on it, but she had noticed.

  He was tall and broad, his heavily muscled chest covered in tattoos, as were his arms and back. One tattoo, a dragon, climbed his side, its head resting over his heart, its tail winding down over his hip and ending in the curls between his legs. She hadn’t gotten a good look at all of his tattoos, but she certainly noticed that one.

  Reagan swallowed, and her hand drifted down her belly, over the network of scars, and found the warmth between her legs. She touched herself, biting her lip, and the bathroom door opened, letting in a gust of cold air.

  “Reagan, sweetie,” Siobhan said through the curtain. “That’s not helping.”

  Reagan’s face burned hot enough to cook an egg.

  “Finish up. Clothes are on the sink.”
The door closed softly.

  Reagan pressed her heated cheek against the cool tile of shower wall. Above her, the shower turned off. She prayed Siobhan was the only who noticed what Reagan had been about to do.

  Washing once more, Reagan climbed out into the steamy bathroom and found the clothes Siobhan had left. Clean bra and underwear, baggy jeans, and a black cable knit sweater. There were warm socks, too. She dressed, pulled her sneakers back on, and left the bathroom, her hair finger-combed and damp.

  She heard voices in the kitchen and followed. It wasn’t until she had turned the corner that she recognized one of the voices, but by then it was too late to turn and run.

  Standing at the island, his leather jacket sliding off his shoulders was Aidan’s great-uncle Cormac. His last words to her came flooding back as he turned, the threat in them chilling her even now, over a decade later.

  His icy blue eyes found her, and he smiled the sort of smile a predator might when they’ve found their prey.

  “Afternoon Reagan,” he said. “Been a while.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Aidan felt her fear through the floor. It gripped his throat and choked him. He pulled on a sweater as he hurried down the stairs, his heart skipping a few beats when he walked into the kitchen. Cormac had draped his jacket over a stool and stood in a light flannel, his pale hair flat from his cap. He stood at the island, Reagan at the end of the hall. Aidan stood behind her.

  She swayed backward slightly, leaning toward him.

  “Good, you’re both here,” Cormac beckoned them closer. “We need to talk business.”

  Reagan didn’t move. Afraid Cormac might unleash one of his rare bouts of temper on her, Aidan put his hand on the small of her back and eased her toward the island. She sidestepped and ended up standing beside Siobhan in the kitchen, with the island between her and Cormac. Aidan stood beside his uncle.

  The old man chuckled. “I don’t plan on hurting you, precious. Got too much riding on you helping us out. Besides,” he grinned. “My daughter wouldn’t let me hurt a hair on that pretty head.”

  “You’re damn right,” Siobhan growled. She moved closer to Reagan, as if offering her physical support.

  Reagan’s face was ashen, her eyes wide as she stared at Cormac.

  Of his three great uncles, Cormac was the least scary, which led Aidan to wonder why she was so afraid of him.

  “Well then,” Cormac looked between the two of them. For one horrible moment Aidan thought his uncle was going to bring up their recent fornication, as if one of them hadn’t washed enough. “I suppose Aidan’s told you what we’re going to do?”

  Aidan sighed, relieved, aware that his uncle might pick up on that. He reigned himself in, making his face a blank mask. Liam joined, leaning his head on Siobhan’s shoulder.

  Reagan nodded, some color returning to her cheeks.

  Cormac cocked an eyebrow. “Okay. So we’ll return you to Donahue as planned, collect our payment, and be off. You tell him whatever you think will work, and if all goes to plan, he’ll call wherever he got the pup from.”

  “What—um, what do I say?” Reagan’s voice was small.

  Cormac shrugged. “Tell him you got scared, seeing the dog turn into a human. Tell him you got rid of it. Don’t matter what you tell him, as long as he believes the pup is gone and he’ll need to get a new one.”

  Siobhan chimed in. “How about we avoid the danger that puts her in and send him a letter saying the pup was returned to the place he bought her from?”

  Cormac shook his head. “He hired us to return her. That’s the safest way to go. He might try to hire us to find the pup as well if he thinks they’re together, but I don’t think he’ll call them unless he knows the pup is gone.”

  “So you’re just going to hand her back to him?” Siobhan glared at her father.

  His amused smile turned into the glare Aidan remembered from childhood. “If it means saving the lives of more pups, then yes. I’ll watch him wring her neck before I step in as long as he makes the call.”

  A wave of sadness hit Aidan. Reagan’s eyes had dropped to the counter. He wanted to reach out to her, tell her she meant more than that, but Cormac was watching, as if waiting for Aidan to react. And why did he suddenly care?

  Liam spoke. “Who’s going in after he calls?”

  “I’ll bring her back to Hank. You’ll help me take the man out. Aidan, you and Emmett will remain in the van with the computer shit. Trace the call once it’s made. Find out where these people are.”

  Aidan didn’t like the idea of Cormac handing Reagan off, but couldn’t say so. He offered what he hoped was some comfort for her.

  “You’ll wear microphones, so Emmett and I can hear you.” He held Reagan’s gaze a moment too long, but in that moment he saw a spark in the dark, hopeless depths of her eyes.

  “For nothing more than confirmation of the phone call,” Cormac said, his eyes drifting between Aidan and Reagan.

  “When are we going?” Liam asked.

  “Tomorrow.” With that, Cormac pushed away from the island and picked up his jacket. “I’ve been out all night. Taking a nap. Wake me for dinner, She-she.” And then he left them.

  Liam, throwing a troubled look at Aidan, returned to the pups in the dining room. Siobhan patted Reagan’s hand, unable to say anything, and went down the hall.

  Reagan kept her eyes on the counter, her hands gripping the edge, knuckles white. What could Aidan possibly say that would comfort her? He couldn’t tell her it was going to be okay. It wasn’t. They were going to deliver her back to Hank. He was most likely going to hurt her, a lot, before he made that phone call. And they would be sitting nearby, quietly listening.

  But he knew she would go through with it. She wasn’t going to run. Because her sacrifice would save the lives of other pups, and Reagan wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she stopped them from saving those babies.

  Before he could think of something—anything—to say, adult voices moved toward them from the bar down the hall. Her fear piqued. The laughter cut off abruptly and turned to growls. Three of his cousins appeared in the hallway entrance, followed by his great-uncle Gavin.

  Carly, one of his cousins, pointed at Reagan. “What is that doing in here?” she snarled.

  Aidan stood, putting his body between them. “She’s part of my job.”

  Carly glared at him. “What’s it doing in the house?”

  Gavin sauntered over then, putting a hand on Carly’s shoulder. “I’m sure Aidan’s got it under control. Go on and find your mom for me, love.”

  Carly left, the other two cousins following, wary of Reagan. Gavin looked Reagan up and down. He was the shortest of Aidan’s uncles, with dark hair that reached his shoulders, bright green eyes, and a lankiness to him that severely contrasted Ronan’s bulk and Cormac’s height.

  He leaned against the counter, snagged an apple from the bowl, and took a bite, all while eyeing Reagan like a snake watching a mouse.

  “You’re Danny Boy’s daughter,” he said.

  Reagan flinched. She cleared her throat. “I am.”

  Gavin nodded, chewing slowly. “I remember him. Owes us a big tab if I recall.”

  Reagan’s brow furrowed. Even Aidan wasn’t sure if his uncle was telling her to pay her father’s debt.

  But then he took a deep breath through his nose, his eyes flitting to Aidan. “You two take care now.” He rapped his knuckles on the counter before leaving them.

  Reagan was staring after Gavin.

  “He’s a little weird,” Aidan told her.

  For the rest of the day people came in and out of the house. Reagan was kept out of the bar while there were customers, just as the pups were. Siobhan kept finding tasks for Reagan to do, all of them keeping her away from the other shifters in the pack. Even Aidan. Granted, his uncles were keeping him on his toes.

  Cormac kept throwing questions at him about the ride to and from South Carolina and Gavin seemed to know that Aidan and Re
agan had slept together, but would only say so in hints and nods.

  It was frustrating.

  Seeking a little peace, Aidan left Reagan chopping onions in the kitchen with Siobhan and ran upstairs to his room. Passing the pups’ room Aidan grinned at the mess; toys everywhere, blankets thrown about in what looked like an attempt to make a fort. He used to sleep in that room.

  Siobhan’s room was next to the pups’, and she shared with a few other women. Aidan shared his room with his brothers and a few cousins. The last room was his uncles’, though they, like most of the others in the pack, often shifted and slept in small dens in the woods behind the bar. The rest of the pack had homes nearby.

  Turning into his room, Aidan found his cousin Emmett sitting at the large computer desk that took up an entire corner of the room. The compromise there was that Aidan’s bunk stood on high legs above the computer station. There were four other beds crammed into the room along with dressers, posters, a TV and video game console, a random assortment of shoes, and heaps and piles of books.

  Emmett glanced in Aidan’s direction. “Welcome home.” He was about Liam’s age; almost five years younger than Aidan, but he had the demeanor of someone much older. Not an actual wolf, Emmett was an outsider in the pack, and it was only by the love and protection of Siobhan that Emmett was welcome at all.

  He was also a protégé of sorts to Aidan. The kid was a natural with computers. He sat in ripped jeans and a black tee shirt, his massive frame pulling it tight. For a young guy, he was well muscled, built like a tank, and angrier than a hornet. Black hair hung over his forehead and dark eyes. He leaned on his elbows.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Aidan said. He swiped a paper plate off the chair next to Emmett and sat. “Find anything?”

  Emmett rubbed his face. “No. This is high-level shit. Government type security.”

  “Really?”

  Emmett nodded and pulled up a webpage. It was an announcement for an online auction of young animals. But in order to get the information you had to put in a password.