The Alpha’s Saving Grace

by Melissa Schroeder

  “You don’t look like you are,” Alex replied.

  He snorted and turned to go back into the central office.

  “There’s one, at least. I know why you’re here, Jake.”

  Alex felt her face flame at that comment. There was a tone in it that told her exactly why Jake was there.

  “But what are you doing here, Caleb?”

  “I wanted to check on Alex. She had that scare the night before last, and I wanted to make sure that everything was okay.”

  Alex shook her head. “I told you before, I was fine.”

  “There, now you can go,” Abigail ordered.

  Caleb didn’t look happy about it. Knowing the doctor as she did, he would be back bugging her for a physical. He gave his aunt a kiss, then he leveled a look at Alex.

  “Call if you have any dizziness.”

  She nodded in his direction, leaving her alone with Jake and his parents.

  “And that leaves you. I wanted to talk to Alexandra alone, and you bring all those boys over here,” Abigail said to her husband.

  All he offered was a sheepish smile. “I just stopped by Jake’s office, and he asked where you were.”

  “And you just had to tell him?”

  “I didn’t know it was a secret.”

  She shook her head and turned to address Alex again. “Well, I guess we have taken up a big part of your day. You have work to do.”

  Alex nodded.

  “Please call if you need anything, anything at all,” Abigail said.

  “I will.”

  After his parents had left, Jacob let the door shut but said nothing. He just kept staring at her. Normally, it would make her uncomfortable to be in a confined spot like this with him. But for some reason, it just felt normal.

  “So, you had to rush over here because you were afraid of your mother?”

  “Nope.”

  “Oh, come on, Jake. You know as well as I do, you were worried she would warn me away from you.”

  He cocked his head to the side and studied her, which is when it hit her. Dillon looked so much like Jake in the same pose.

  “Not at all. My mother likes you,” he said, making his way to her desk.

  “She might like me, but that doesn’t mean she wants me dating her little boy.”

  He snorted. “I’m the oldest.”

  “Ah, the first born,” she said, amused now. She liked this, liked that it was so…normal. There was that word again.

  “So, would you be interested in a little office snuggle?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No. For one reason, everyone would know.”

  “And for the second reason?”

  “I do have work to do. You tasked me with this issue we have,” she said, waving her hand over to the murder board.

  He looked at it and stood to walk closer. “So, you linked all these girls.”

  “Yeah, and Dillon was saying something going wrong with them, but no matter who I talk to, I can’t get an answer.”

  “I’ll sniff around, see what I can come up with, but I think this goes back further.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “I know you feel it. You know these girls were targeted. They all hung together in school, but they were long gone and scattered by the time this happened.”

  “But, it could be repercussion for actions in the past.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

  “You know the saying, revenge is a dish best served cold. Maybe, that’s exactly what happened.”

  He nodded. “Still feels off.”

  “Yeah, I agree, but there is some connection. These girls weren’t just murdered, Jake.”

  He turned to face her completely.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They were butchered. The bodies were damaged in a way that was odd. It was as if some animal attacked them in a frenzy.”

  “I read one or two of the reports.”

  “No. There is no way you saw it all. They kept that back.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She sighed and pulled up the report on her computer. She motioned with her head, and he stood behind her, settling one hand on the back of her chair, and the other on her desk. This close, she could smell his soap on him. She knew exactly what it was because they had shared the same soap…when they showered together.

  Work time, Littlefoot, pay attention.

  “See, here. The reporting officer said that it looked as if some kind of animal had rolled around in the kill. At first, with it being where it was, it didn’t seem so strange. Still, most animals do that only with their kills. But, when this one reported the same thing in her apartment…it was off. It looks like the killer rolled around in the blood.”

  His expression hardened further as he looked at the computer screen. “And that would be odd.”

  “A connection outside of the MO and the town. Another thing that is weird is that no one saw anyone covered in blood.”

  “Where was the one in San Antonio?”

  “Busy little northside apartment complex. The fact that no one heard anything was weird. And, I just got the DNA report from the one in San Antonio. The others haven’t been sent.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “Interagency shit. But I still have a few connections in SAPD who will talk to me. They found DNA that they couldn’t identify.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “I was just reading it when your mother showed up. The DNA has human and canine attributes. Again, the others might show that, but this is really weird because there is no way a dog was in there. The girl didn’t own any.”

  He sighed and straightened. “I don’t like this, Alex.”

  “I don’t either, but there isn’t much we can do about it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Out of our jurisdiction.”

  “I have a couple friends in the Rangers. I’ll give them a call and see what I can find out.”

  She nodded. “That would help. No matter what, I can’t do anything, and if we ask too many questions, the FBI will show up.”

  “Lord, we definitely don’t need the Feds here.”

  She smiled. “We are definitely in agreement on that.”

  He transformed in front of her. His shoulders relaxed and his expression lightened. “So, I guess office nookie is off?”

  “Yes. I have some reports to look over, and I have to get the schedule for the next week set up. Besides, for a man your age, you might want to pace yourself.”

  He shook his head and leaned down. But he didn’t kiss her right away. Instead, he stopped within centimeters of her mouth. “When it comes to you, Alex, I feel like a pup.”

  Then he gave her a long, hot, wet kiss. By the time he pulled back, she was seriously regretting her decision.

  “I guess that will have to hold me,” he said. “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  She watched as he walked out of her office shutting the door behind him. There was one thing of which she was certain, it might hurt a lot when they ended the affair, but she wasn’t going to regret any of it anytime soon. Jacob Sanderson was one man who was worth the heartache.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jake leaned back in his chair and looked outside. It was that mid-afternoon lull, just before kids got out of school and everyone had gone back to lunch. It gave him too much time to think. These days, all he seemed to think about was Alex.

  He had to break the news of what she was…what they were to each other, and not lose her. It wasn’t going to be easy. She was a woman who dealt with reality. Salt of the Earth type. She didn’t daydream, and she definitely did not believe in shifters. He was pretty sure there would be hell to pay when everything came to light. At the moment, he was just too damned happy and he wanted it to last.

  Instead of thinking about it, he turned his mind to the girls who had been murdered. He knew there was a connection
he was missing, something he wasn’t catching. There was a sharp knock at the door, and it opened to reveal Caleb.

  “A brooding Alpha is never a good thing,” he said with a smile. When Jake didn’t respond in kind, Caleb’s smile faded. “What’s up?”

  “Shut the door,” he ordered. Caleb did as ordered and walked forward.

  “What has you looking so worried?”

  “We have a situation, and I’m not sure how to handle it.”

  “Explain.”

  “After talking to Alex about one of the reports she could get a hold of, then talking to David McGraw, I think we might have a wolf killing girls from our town.”

  Caleb shook his head. “No way. At least not one of ours. It goes against our fundamental nature.”

  “True, it could be an outsider, but they were all from this town. Their parents were all friendly. They were all killed the same way. This has something to do with the town. I just know it.”

  Caleb frowned as Jake handed him the report he had printed off.

  “I was going to come over and talk to you about it, but I think that we might need to talk to Mom and Dad about this as well. They would remember more than we do.”

  “But these girls were all around Dillon’s age.”

  “Not girls, really, when you think about it. Women. I hate to say it, but maybe we have a wolf exacting revenge.”

  Caleb shook his head again. “For what?”

  “Michelle there, she was the homecoming queen, the head cheerleader, and from what I can remember of her, a bitch. She was cruel at times.”

  “Yeah, we’re going to have to talk to your folks about this. I still say it goes against our nature. In our blood flows thousands of years of breeding. That just doesn’t change overnight. Killing one of the Pack speaks of some kind of insanity that I would hope we do not have. ”

  “I really hoped there was no connection.”

  Caleb looked at him, then understanding lit his eyes. “And as Alpha, you have to retaliate even if it’s one of our own.”

  “Especially if it’s one of our own. It’s against the laws of nature to attack without cause. Even if the women were bitches from hell, they didn’t deserve to die. Not like this.”

  “Agreed. When are you going to talk to your folks?”

  “I want to talk to them with Alex.”

  “Why?”

  “First, because her expertise is essential. She’s the one who found out about the weird DNA attributes.”

  “And?”

  He sighed. “I know I have to tell her about us, and I plan to tonight. It’s already bad enough I’ve bonded and she hasn’t.”

  Bonding wasn’t always mutual, and since he had spoken the words the night before, his entire being had been yearning to be near her again. It interfered with his ability to think at times, and he knew it would just get worse. With each passing moment, his bond would cause him to do things that would be construed as…stalkerish.

  His cousin whistled. “How the mighty have fallen.”

  “Fuck off.”

  He laughed. “I would fuck with you more about it, but I’m happy for it. She’s a strong woman, and Lord knows you need someone as hard-headed as you to lead the Pack. It is time for you to bond.”

  “You don’t think the Pack will have a problem with it?”

  “Doesn’t really matter, does it?”

  Jake shook his head. It didn’t really matter. What Alpha said was law, and while there had been challenges in the past; there hadn’t been any for close to a hundred years.

  “Her connection is easy to see with the people in town. People sense she is more than just the Chief. From the moment she started working you could feel it. She cares for them, watches over them.”

  Jake nodded. “And, that was probably part of the reason I hired her.”

  Caleb chuckled again. “That and you wanted to get her into your bed.”

  “There is that.”

  “Let me know if you need help talking to her about us.”

  “The day I need your help with a woman is a day I give up.”

  “Get bent, cuz,” he said with humor. “I need to get back to the office. Let me know if you hear anything else about those murders.”

  Jake nodded and barely noticed as his cousin left him alone with his thoughts again. Telling Alex wasn’t going to be easy. She was going to think he had lost his mind, but he knew there was a piece of her who understood there was something different about their town.

  He hadn’t thought he would have to deal with this. For most of his adult life, at least, he understood he would have to mate. Being Alpha did come with some shackles, but he always thought he’d find a Pack member…but no one had touched him the way Alex did. She was so fucking tough on the outside, but he knew she had a soft, vulnerable center.

  He rolled his head back and forth. His wolf wanted to head back over to the police station to see her. Just seeing her would be good. He knew she wouldn’t be happy with that. So, he would do the only thing he could do, and that went for a run.

  Alex stood in Jake’s living room trying to figure out just how she got there. She knew they had both driven over. He hadn’t liked that idea, but Alex had insisted on her truck. She never knew when she would get a call for work and, the truth was, she was already the subject of so much gossip. Showing up each morning in Jake’s car would only fuel the fires.

  For his part, he didn’t seem to care. In fact, he seemed ready to make sure everyone knew about it. If she didn’t know better, she would have called it marking his territory. And there was something about it that irritated her, but there was another part of her that seemed to crave it.

  “You hungry? I was thinking of throwing a couple of steaks on the grill.”

  She glanced at him. “What is this?”

  He looked at her with that puzzled expression she had seen him use before. Too many times before, Jake had used it against some little old lady in town. They always tittered then let him have his way. It wasn’t going to work on her. Not really. Maybe.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “How did I end up over here? I don’t think this is a good idea, Jake.”

  “Having dinner?”

  “Don’t be obtuse.”

  He shrugged. “I was being logical.”

  “Well, one of us has to be.”

  “Being here isn’t logical?”

  Irritated and confused, she threaded her fingers through her hair before she could stop herself. Somehow, before she had gotten into the house, he had undone the ponytail. He seemed insanely preoccupied with her hair.

  “I feel there is something you aren’t telling me.”

  He opened his mouth, but his phone rang.

  “Yes?”

  He listened intently, and she knew it was something serious. His expression hardened as he glanced at her, then turned his back on her. “She doesn’t know how to do that.”

  Another pause.

  “I don’t give a fuck what Fi said. She has no idea how to deal with that. Jesus, she doesn’t even know.”

  He listened intently again.

  “Dammit, okay.”

  He hung up the phone and turned to her.

  “What?”

  “I have something to explain, but I don’t have time. I brought you over here for that, but now…something has happened. I just need to get you to my parent’s house. Caleb needs your help.”

  She nodded and said nothing as she followed him out. There was something wrong, very wrong. Her heart ached for no reason whatsoever. It was an odd feeling as if she were in pain, but she knew she wasn’t. Alex wanted to know more, but she knew better than to argue. She was trained to take orders and take charge if need be.

  They headed in the direction of his parent’s house. “Did something happen?”

  He looked her, his eyes darker, his face a mask of anger and pain. “My mother was attacked.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  A loud rush fill
ed her ears as Alex tried to gain a breath. It was as if her heart had stopped, then sped back up…almost too fast. Fear slashed through her so quickly and so hard it almost knocked her out. She didn’t understand. She was upset that Abigail had been hurt, but this was something more…something familial. It was as if Abigail was her mother.

  “Your mother?”

  He nodded as he turned down the road that led out to his parents’ ranch. He had been stoic since the call. The teasing lover was gone. The death grip he had on the steering wheel was turning his knuckles white.

  “Is she okay?”

  He nodded and she felt something loosen in her chest. “That’s why Caleb wants you to be there. He intends to talk to you about something. About our background.”

  “Jake, what are you talking about?”

  He sighed. “Just wait until we get there.”

  It only took them another five minutes to make it to his parents’ house, but it seemed to last forever. When his truck came to a stop, the front door opened. Bud Sanderson looked like he had aged ten years since she had seen him earlier that day.

  “You brought her. Caleb has your mother in here.”

  As she drew closer, she smelled it then, the metallic scent of blood, but it was what she felt that made her ill. Fear rushed through her system, but rage quickly replaced it. Her head spun, her pulse seemed to beat out of control. For a second, the world around her seemed to revolve as she walked in slow motion.

  “Alex?” Jake asked as he touched her. Just that, the touch, the feel of his fingers gliding along her flesh calmed her.

  She looked at him, more dazed by that connection than the sudden attack she had just suffered. With a nod, she let him lead her into the house. The smell of blood grew stronger as she was led into the bedroom. What she saw on the bed was enough to make her blink. In the middle of the bed lay a dog…no, a wolf. One massive wolf.

  “What…”

  There was a gash on one side of the animal oozing blood. It seemed to flow so fast; she was amazed the animal was still alive.

  She couldn’t continue. Caleb came forward. “We don’t know how it happened, but she doesn’t have enough energy to change back right now, and I need you. Fi is on the phone and she can give me directions.”