Alpha Protector
Terry Bolryder
Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Sample of Double Dragons
Also by Terry Bolryder
Copyright © 2015 by Terry Bolryder
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Created with Vellum
1
Today had been the ideal day for Asher Vale.
All the classes at the Vale family martial arts studio had run smoothly and been full of attendees. Business was booming, mostly thanks to Asher’s hard work and dedication. And his two brothers were happily married and out of his hair, leaving him to just do what he did best.
Take care of things.
Asher sat up from the place he was most often found in the dojo, the work desk, and shrugged off the day’s work.
He decided to reward himself with some time alone on the floor. Just him and the punching bags.
As he walked from the desk to the center of the floor, he shrugged off the long-sleeved gi he wore after helping in the last class and pulled off the compression shirt under it, revealing a long row of chiseled abs and huge pecs. Asher might not have been quite as tall as his brothers, but he made up for it in sheer brawn and size.
And whenever Asher wasn’t running the dojo or helping in classes, he was training like this.
Part of him envied Lucas and Jordan for leaving the dojo at early ages to go into professional MMA careers, a luxury Asher didn’t have since he was the next alpha of the pack and expected to take over leadership of the Vale clan when the time came. Which could be soon considering their father’s illness. But at moments like this, Asher was grateful he didn’t have to do interviews, show up at stupid events, or help train new teammates. It was just him and himself, all alone in the dojo he now owned.
And with the help of a few savvy investments and their recent boom in attendance from well-to-do shifters in the area, things were good for Asher. Very good.
Except for one thing.
Asher worked the heavy punching bag as fast as he could, going at full speed, feeling the strain of his muscles against the weight of it. It exhilarated and enlivened him. But after only a few minutes, he heard the front door to the dojo swing open, then close with a clack.
Ever since his older brother Jordan had gone on the road with his wife Senna, there was only one person who would come into the dojo at a time like this.
There was that one thing again.
Asher heard her footsteps as she came in. Could hear the click of her high heels. Probably coming back from that date she’d mentioned. Asher ignored it, continuing to punch and kick at the bag, hoping to avoid the inevitable.
The clicking stopped as shoes were removed prior to walking out on the mat. Asher counted the seconds until his workout was going to be rudely interrupted.
“Asher Vale!” came the words from behind him. As expected, it was Laurel, Lily’s younger sister, who’d been in the Vales’ care ever since Asher’s older brother Lucas had reunited with Lily several years ago.
Lily and her sister had been controlled and used as pawns by their father, and Asher and his brothers had gone to rescue her. She’d been living with them ever since.
Asher stopped the rocking of the bag from his last strike and turned to see angry brown eyes glaring up at him. Eyes that glowed with indignation in the bright fluorescent dojo lights.
Her dark, shoulder-length hair was straightened, and she was wearing a beautiful red dress that complimented her dark skin perfectly and wrapped every inch of her curvaceous figure.
“Yes, m’lady?” Asher replied with a sarcastic bow.
“What the hell is this?” she asked, holding up a folded piece of paper in her hands.
“How did the date go? This was number two or three with that guy, right?” Asher asked, dodging the question.
“It would have been if you hadn’t sent this email to him earlier today, basically threatening his life if he overstepped any boundaries,” she said, exasperated.
“I might have sent a few emails today. Who’s to say I sent that email though?” he replied, whistling to himself.
“Yes, because some random person by the name of ‘mma4life’ just happened to know my boyfriend’s email address and just happened to threaten unspeakable violence upon him,” she said, frustrated.
“I didn’t think he was quite a boyfriend yet,” Asher said, moving past her to pick up his shirt and gi top. “I guess we’ll never know now, will we?” He continued whistling as he put away his things.
The truth was he had indeed sent the email. And he was enjoying the fact it had worked so splendidly.
All it took was liberal use of the words “kill,” “dismember,” and “pulverize.” Mission accomplished.
“That’s the problem with you, Asher.” She followed him around, not letting up. “You say you want me to be happy. You say I’m like family, that you’re just trying to keep me safe. But then you pull crap like this every single time I start getting anywhere with any guys I meet. Sometimes you even set me up with them, just to do something that makes them run off and never return my calls.”
“That’s because shifter men, especially alphas, are complete tools and can’t be trusted. You have to be careful around them.”
It was ironic that Asher had not too long ago been a rebellious, bad boy himself. The tattoos that covered his arms from the elbow up that he’d gotten when he was still a teenager were proof of that. Until responsibility and pack duties had caught up to him.
Until someone as amazing as Laurel had been put under his sole care and protection.
“You say that, but I have yet to have someone try to make a move on me. It’s getting to the point that men are afraid to ask me out. You’re like the older brother sitting on the porch, pointing a shotgun at any guy that comes by the house, wanting to date me,” she said.
So maybe Asher had been a little too overprotective. But unlike her, he’d seen much worse things happen before. Had seen how aggressive and dangerous alpha males could be when they picked up on an unmated alpha female’s scent.
“I’ll back off a little, then, if that’s what you want me to do,” he said, turning to Laurel.
She stood in front of him, and though she was quite a few inches shorter, she exuded an air of superiority and confidence that truly bespoke the fact that she was an alpha female.
“No, there’s only one way to fix this,” she replied, confident and resolute. Whatever the solution was, Asher could tell she was set on it.
“And that is?” he replied, folding his arms.
“Asher Vale, I want you to mate me.”
* * *
Laurel had just dropped the bomb that had been stewing in her mind for weeks.
She watched as Asher’s dark, intense eyes turned from confusion to disbelief to outright bewilderment. His jaw came unhinged and dropped as he seemed to struggle with words for a minute.
“What? I… Are you joking?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her
Asher was many things. Speechless was rarely one of them.
“No, I’m not. I’m totally serious,” she said, remaining calm. She had rehearsed this in her mind countless times. And his shenanigans tonight only further cemented the fact that if he was never going to let her get serious with a man, she would have to take the one right in front of her.
It didn’t hurt that he had rippling muscles all over him. Just watching him shirtless in front of her, arms crossed, accentuating each thick cord of hardened strength across his pecs, his shoulders, his arms, was enough to make her breath catch if she let it.
Asher rubbed the back of his head in consternation. “Why?”
“It’s simple. You’re an unmated alpha male. I’m an unmated alpha female. It’s just the way of things as shifters. You and I both know it. And as long as you’re around, there’s no chance I’ll get to know anyone else well enough to let them claim me. So you’re it, Asher.”
The fact that she’d always had feelings for him didn’t hurt her decision, either.
But she could never tell him. He’d never understand. Regardless of how she saw him, Asher would probably never see her as more than a little sister. That girl he was tasked with protecting.
Asher’s dark eyes glinted with indignation. “Oh, so I’m your last resort?”
“Because you give me no other choice,” she said, raising her arms. Sometimes he could be the sweetest, most protective man she knew. But at times like this, he was the most bullheaded person on the face of the planet.
Asher had basically been her only family aside from Lily, after he and his brother Jordan rescued her from the machinations of her father. Lucas, the eldest brother, had given the pack promise that the Vale family would watch over her and make sure nothing ever happened. But with Lucas married and Jordan distant from the family at the time, the responsibility fell upon Asher.
So Asher took her in, arranged a place for her to stay in their family home, and had her take classes from the dojo so he could always keep an eye on her while he ran things. And as the months turned to years, she became adept enough to be an instructor at the dojo and even helped Asher manage their affairs from time to time. But through it all, her heart had longed for more.
And she was tired of waiting for things to come around on their own.
“I’m sorry, Laurel. I have a promise to keep,” he said, turning from her and throwing his things in a nearby locker.
“Don’t you see, though? This is the only way you’ll be able to protect me the way you want. That is unless you’re able to give me some slack and let me just find someone,” she added, leaning against the desk he usually worked at.
The workout and the fact that they were alone made Asher’s scent clear to her. Dark, spicy, slightly bitter, like anise. Her wolf called for him, responded to his whenever he was near.
Asher appeared torn. He stood, tapping his foot for a minute, then with a huff, spoke. “Fine. I’ll back off,” he said, throwing on a T-shirt from the locker. “But if anyone lays a finger on you, I swear I’ll tear them limb from limb. Slowly.”
Laurel’s heart sank a little. It wasn’t the answer she’d hoped for. But she knew the idea was farfetched to begin with. And if she couldn’t be with Asher, then she wanted to do whatever was needed to get away from him.
She turned and started to walk out to her car. She needed to sleep this off.
“Oh, and, Laurel?” she heard Asher say behind her.
She turned back and paused.
“Nice dress, by the way,” he said, looking her up and down.
As platonic as he acted with her, sometimes she got the inkling the attraction might be mutual.
But if it were, he’d never made it obvious enough for her to ask about it.
“Thanks,” she replied, starting again for the door.
“See you tomorrow,” Asher said.
She left without a word.
* * *
Asher’s head throbbed.
After Laurel had approached him last night and demanded he claim her, he hadn’t been able to sleep a wink. Instead, he was up all night, thinking about her and what to do about the whole situation.
But time stood still for no one, and the early morning class was about to begin.
Asher had spent the last few minutes getting to know a new student at the dojo by the name of Jacob. He was probably around Laurel’s age, a few years younger than Asher, and full of vivacity and eagerness to try out mixed martial arts. His shifter family had recently moved to the city from out in the country, and at a friend’s suggestion, he wanted to come visit the dojo.
Asher’s dojo had the luxury of only having shifter clients, which was part of why it was so popular. Privacy was a huge commodity in the shifter community.
While Asher was telling Jacob how the classes worked, they were interrupted by Laurel coming in to set up for class. To Asher’s surprise, Laurel arrived five minutes early like she always did, went into the women’s changing room, and reappeared wearing her gi, greeting Asher like nothing had happened last night.
Like she hadn’t just blown his mind by suggesting he mate her.
“Laurel, this is Jacob, a new student. He’ll be attending your class today,” Asher said cordially. It was always important to put clients first.
“I’m Laurel. Nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand. “Hopefully Asher here hasn’t said anything he’ll regret,” she added, giving a fake laugh and throwing a sidelong glare at Asher.
Jacob took it and gave a handshake. “No, not at all. So do I call you Laurel-sensei or something like that?” he asked.
“Nope, just Laurel,” she replied, sizing up the new recruit.
Asher supposed some might consider Jacob handsome. He had short blond hair, blue eyes, and was probably just an inch over six feet, so shorter than Asher. Not terribly buff, but not skinny either. He’d probably make a good enough student.
Laurel showed Jacob out onto the mats and then came to the head of the class to start with warm-ups, then training.
Asher ruminated on the success of the dojo while he got some things done at his desk. It wasn’t like the old days when shifters ran around in their wolf forms and fought like wolves. Most wolves, especially those living in the city, had to learn ways of defending themselves from shifters encroaching on their territory or threatening their families, without changing their forms. Mixed martial arts naturally came to be the preferred method for many of them.
As he worked on the month’s financials, his ears pricked as he heard Laurel’s voice addressing the class.
“Okay, I need a volunteer. Jacob, do you mind?” she asked.
Asher turned from the desk to view the class. This could be interesting.
Jacob came up shyly, and Laurel then demonstrated how to bring someone to the ground from behind, wrapping her arms around Jacob’s midsection, then gently swiping a leg under his to pull him to the ground, straddling him. Jacob blushed, but Asher ignored it.
Probably just first-time awkwardness working with a female teacher, Asher thought.
Despite the size difference, Laurel’s technique was great. It wasn’t until they reversed and Jacob did the same to Laurel that Asher started to feel extremely annoyed. Seeing his arms wrapped around Laurel, then slowly bringing a leg under hers and moving into a position on top of her bugged Asher, even though he was just doing exactly as she’d instructed a minute ago.
Mine, that annoying voice inside him growled again. He shook his head. He’d ignored it for years and he would continue to do so. He’d keep his promise.
There was an odd number of students, so Laurel paired off with Jacob as she instructed the rest of the class on a variety of jiu-jitsu grappling techniques. Every time Asher turned to go back to his work, he would hear Laurel laugh and turn to see her and Jacob tangled up on the ground, Jacob’s inexperience making things more awkward than it would usually be between a teacher and a student.
The fact that Laurel was an unmated alpha probably factored in as well. Asher knew what it was like to be
around an alpha’s scent, how arousing it could be, how it could drive your wolf crazy with desire if one wasn’t careful.
But with Laurel, duty came before anything else, and he’d gotten accustomed to her scent long ago, so his feelings wouldn’t get in the way of anything. So he could fulfill his pack promise to her.
In spite of that, every time he could hear Jacob and Laurel laughing, he was filled with a sudden urge to throw on his gi, go onto the floor, and take over Laurel’s place as Jacob’s partner.
He’d show Jacob what two hundred twenty-nine pounds of pure muscle felt like on top of him.
“Keep it in your pants, Jacob,” he muttered to himself, trying to ignore the sound of the two of them chatting, and going back to the spreadsheet he was working on.
The class took way too long to finish, and at the end, Laurel congratulated the students and offered words of encouragement to everyone.
Asher waited for Laurel to walk past his desk and give him an update on the class like she usually did. But she didn’t.
He stood and turned to look. Most of the students were picking up their things or lingering and chatting with friends before the next class started. But in the corner, he saw Jacob talking with Laurel. He looked embarrassed and a little shy, as if asking Laurel something.
Asher’s common sense told him to ignore it, but he just couldn’t. Something about the whole thing put him on edge. Made him want to go over and interrupt the whole exchange.
He perked his ears and used his enhanced hearing to pick up on their conversation.
This was his dojo after all.
The conversation ended, and Jacob grabbed his bag and headed outside. Laurel came to Asher’s desk, and he quickly sat back in his chair and looked intently at the computer monitor.
“Working hard or hardly working?” Laurel asked jokingly.
“I could say the same thing for you,” Asher replied dryly, not turning his attention to her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she said, eyeing him suspiciously.
Alpha Protector (Wolf Protectors Book 3) Page 1
