Werewolves mate in threesomes in this world where packs operate just under the surface of everyday life. Private investigators Gavin and Liam find their mate, Bridget, while on a case. But in spite of the mating lust riding all three of them, Bridget resists the urge. Something stronger than the mating lust keeps her from committing. Meanwhile, Gavin and Liam discover treachery in her past. Can they unravel the clues to both mysteries so all three of them can come together at last?
The Alpha's Secret
by
Tabitha Conall
Chapter 1
Time to track down the final clue. Gavin picked up the phone. Fiona had hired him to find her father and see if she had any siblings. If Gavin was right, Fiona's father was dead but she had three sisters.
Fiona's Army buddy, Liam, sat across the desk from Gavin. Liam had recently moved to the area and had agreed to help Fiona out with finding her family. He was the one who had hired Gavin for Fiona, and had been helping Gavin out in whatever way he could.
The phone rang twice on the other end of the line before someone picked up and a woman's voice said, "Hello?"
Something about her voice gave Gavin tingles all over his body. What the hell? He quickly got a grip on himself. "We're looking for the Connolly sisters, Deirdre, Maeve or Bridget."
"This is Bridget Connolly," the woman said, her voice again sending a wash of tingles over him. His cock hardened.
He ignored it and hit speaker phone. Liam could already hear her with his enhanced werewolf senses but this would be easier. "Ms. Connolly, I'm a private detective looking into a case for someone, and I think you could help me. Could we meet somewhere?"
"What's this about?"
"I'm not at liberty to say just yet, although if my suspicions are correct, this is something you'll want to know about."
She paused. "I suppose we could meet. Maybe someplace public?"
"There's a restaurant in neutral territory in Marysburg called The Weeping Widow. Could you meet us there for lunch tomorrow, maybe at noon?" It was already evening; he'd tried calling the house earlier but no one had been home.
"Yes, I can do that. How will I know you?"
"Just tell the waitress you're meeting Gavin and Liam."
"And who is Liam?"
Now Gavin paused. How to explain Liam without revealing Fiona? "He's, uh, he's an interested party."
She sighed. "All right. You can be cryptic. For now. But sooner or later you're going to have to tell me what this is all about."
"Just as soon as we're able. Thank you, Ms. Connolly."
"Bridget."
"Bridget. We'll see you tomorrow." Gavin hung up.
Liam met his eyes. "Was there something about her voice?"
"You too? I have no idea what that was."
"Me either." Liam stood. "What time do you want to leave tomorrow?" He shrugged on his jacket.
"How about nine? That'll give us a little time to drive around before we meet her."
"Okay." Liam put out his hand and Gavin shook it. "Thanks again for showing me the ropes. This is really looking like a viable career option."
"Not a problem."
Liam left and Gavin sat down to do a little more paperwork before going home. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the way he'd felt when he heard the woman's voice. Maybe he was just horny; she had a very nice voice, sexy. But Liam had felt the same thing, and that was just strange.
Maybe he'd find out more when he met her the next day. Or maybe he'd have to sit through lunch hiding his hard-on under the table.
***
Bridget parked down the block from The Weeping Widow, a pub/tavern that claimed roots back in the colonial days. It certainly looked the part, with its wood timbers and dark interior. When Bridget told the hostess who she was meeting, she was told they hadn't arrived yet, and was seated at a table for four. She glanced at her watch. Noon, on the nose. At least she hadn't been late again.
A couple of minutes later, Bridget felt a powerful tingling, just like she had the night before on the phone. The outside door opened, and the most delicious smell wafted inside. It smelled like forest and sex and home. She couldn't imagine what it was, but she had to find out. She stood to go look.
Her eyes met those of two wolves. From across the room, she couldn't scent them to know they were wolves, but she just knew. Just as she knew what the scent meant, and who they were.
Her mates.
Bridget's pulse pounded in her neck. She didn't want mates. She'd never wanted mates. Shit. She sat down.
The two wolves walked quickly across the room to her, but she wouldn't meet their eyes. She fought the urge to run. Their chairs scraped across the floor as they sat down.
"That's why…" one of them said.
The other said, "Yeah. That's why." He reached out and took her hand where it rested on the table. "Bridget?"
She jerked and looked up at him, immediately caught by his eyes like a rabbit in a trap.
"We can skip lunch," the other one said. "Find a hotel somewhere."
The mating urge must be riding him hard. Hell, it was riding her hard. Her body had turned to a soft mush all centered between her legs. If she weren't so scared, she'd be dragging them out of the restaurant and finding the nearest alley. She pulled her hand away.
"I'm Gavin," the big one said. His dark hair and chocolate eyes made him exactly what she'd always found attractive—big, dark and sexy. If only he weren't her mate.
"Liam," the other one said. He wasn't small, either, though he didn't have the big muscles Gavin did. Liam was slimmer, lean and mean, his hair cut short in a dark buzz cut. His eyes were a striking blue.
She wasn't sure what to say, so she went with the obvious. "I'm Bridget." Her voice sounded small.
Neither of them would take their eyes off her. She felt naked and exposed.
"Let's get lunch," Gavin said. He flipped open his menu.
Liam gave a very faint whine, his wolf protesting the delay. He continued to gaze at Bridget. "I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have mates."
Bridget couldn't take it. She stood, dropping her napkin onto her seat. "I'll be right back." Then she fled to the bathroom.
***
"What's wrong?" Liam asked Gavin. He'd found his mates. They should be kissing now, on their way to the closest bed. But she was obviously upset. "I don't get it."
Gavin gazed at the bathroom door. "I don't, either. Something's not right. She's acting…"
"Scared. But she doesn't have any reason to be scared of us. We'd never hurt her." Liam didn't know what he felt, himself. When he'd first scented her and then seen her across the room, he'd felt so excited. This was what he'd always wanted—mates of his own. Someone to come home to, someone to protect.
Then when he'd seen her body language, his wolf had nearly had a fit. She acted like someone had hurt her. Why else would she be afraid of them, two strangers who'd never done her any harm?
But he felt hurt, too. Why would his mate reject him when she didn't even know him?
Bridget returned to the table, avoiding their eyes. Her hands shook a little as she replaced her napkin on her lap. "I'm sorry. I know this probably isn't what you expected when you found your mates." She took a breath. "The thing is, I don't want mates."
Ouch. "Why? What's wrong with us?"
She met his eyes and he felt it like a kick in the gut. Hers were a warm blue, fringed with lashes the color of her reddish brown hair. Her lips looked full and kissable. "There's nothing wrong with you," she said fiercely. "Nothing a
t all. I just…I've never wanted to be mated. I'd hoped it wouldn't happen and then I wouldn't have to deal with…this."
"Why?" Gavin said, face hard.
Liam had known the alpha a few weeks now. And while he was every bit as strong as any other alpha Liam had met, Gavin tended to be more low key. He didn't flex his muscles unless he had to. Liam had asked him about it once, and Gavin had told him he'd had to curb his natural instincts when he became a detective, because he made a much better detective if he blended into the woodwork than if he walked in, fists flying. But now the alpha was back.
Bridget shook her head. "There isn't a particular reason. I just never—"
"That's not good enough. Did someone hurt you?" Gavin's voice was soft, too soft. Like a wolf on the prowl.
"No. I mean, yes, but no. It's not like that."
"Then why? We've been given an incredible gift. Why don't you want it?" Gavin was starting to sound angry.
"Just tell us why," Liam said. He fought the urge to reach out and take her hand.
"I don't know, all right? I just—I just don't want to be owned."
Owned?
She stood. "I have to go."
"No, wait," Gavin said. Both men stood, but she'd already gone half the length of the restaurant.
"Should we go after her?" Liam said. His hands felt clammy.
"Let's give her time to cool off. Maybe she'll change her mind."
They sat down.
"What do you think she meant about being owned?" Liam said.
"I don't know. But it might be time for us to do some digging." Gavin shook his head. "The more I learn about this family, the more fucked up it is. Let's just hope nothing really awful happened to her."
Like what had happened to Fiona's mother. Neither of them said it, but they didn't have to. Bridget had been in that pack the whole time she'd grown up. Had her Alpha, Ted, messed with their mate the way he had with Fiona's mom?
***
Gavin's food had tasted like ash. He couldn't get Bridget out of his head, nor the sight of her walking out the door. He'd long ago learned to re-channel his prodigious temper into a steel-like control over himself and his emotions. Even so, it took everything he had not to track her down and force her to explain herself.
And if it was Ted—if Ted had hurt her—heaven help him.
Liam stood next to him on the sidewalk. For a second, Gavin considered getting a room for just the two of them. As much as he wanted to claim Bridget, he wanted to claim Liam, too. He'd gotten very lucky in that regard. He and Liam had gotten to be friends over the past few weeks. He was a good wolf. He'd make an excellent mate.
"Do you want to stay over at my place tonight?" Gavin said.
Liam smiled, one side of his mouth lifting before the other. "I'd love to." He touched Gavin's back, just a brush, and Gavin felt it all the way to his bones. "We haven't gotten any of our questions answered. Do you think we can get hold of any of the other sisters?"
"We can try. And maybe they can tell us what's up with Bridget." Gavin pulled out his tablet. "I think I have their employers in here somewhere." After flipping through several pages in the file, he found it. "Deirdre works at J & J Outfitters. Can you look it up on your phone?"
"No need."
"Oh, yeah? You just magically know where it is?"
Liam laughed, and pointed across the street to a cute little shop with outdoors gear in the front windows. A big sign said, "J & J Outfitters."
"Smart alec."
The two men waited for a break in the traffic then crossed the street. The small store was nearly empty, not surprising for the middle of the afternoon on a weekday.
A skinny blond man walked up to them. "Can I help you?"
"We're looking for Deirdre Connolly," Gavin said. "Is she here?"
"Yeah, she's in the back. Who can I say you are?"
Gavin introduced the two of them as detectives. He didn't mention they were private detectives, not police. Deirdre might be more willing to come out if she thought they were with the cops. And they definitely needed to talk to her.
A woman came out of the back. She looked like a slightly older, more sophisticated version of Bridget. She also seemed to have more guts. She didn't have the slightest problem meeting Gavin's eyes and holding them. Of course, he'd expect nothing less from the Alpha Female of Stonewall pack. "Martin said you were looking for me?"
"We're detectives. We'd like to ask you a few questions about our case," Gavin said.
"And…" Liam said.
"And, a personal matter," Gavin said. "Could we buy you a cup of coffee?"
Deirdre looked at her watch. "I can spare a few minutes, sure." She called to Martin that she'd be back shortly. "Let's go to Cup of Java."
She led them out the door and down a couple of stores to a small café. They each got coffee then sat down at a little table inside.
"Why don't you start with the personal matter," she said.
"I'd rather start with our questions," Gavin said, even though Liam tensed beside him. It wasn't true, of course. He was dying to ask about Bridget. "The last person we tried to talk to walked out before we could ask even a single one."
She raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to walk out on you?"
Chapter 2
"I hope not," Liam said. "We really need your help."
Wasn't that the truth. Gavin pulled out his tablet and asked Deirdre several questions, mostly confirming that her father was who Gavin thought he was, and that her father was where Gavin thought he was when Gavin thought he was there. "Did your father ever mention a Mariann Waverly? He would have known her when they were young, early twenties."
"Are you sure this isn't the personal matter?" she said. "So far it all seems personal."
"No, we haven't gotten to that yet. This is for a case," Gavin said.
"About my father."
He couldn't tell her without breaching Fiona's confidence. "Perhaps."
"Can you tell me what you think he did? The man I remember wouldn't hurt a fly. He didn't even jaywalk. I can't imagine he'd have been involved in anything."
"It's nothing like that. We don't suspect him of any wrongdoing. But I really can't tell you more until I get the okay from my client."
"Client." She leaned forward. "You mean you're private detectives?" She showed a little hint of teeth.
This woman was nothing like her sister. "Yes, ma'am. Private detectives. Working for our client. I'm sorry if you misunderstood."
She sat back. "Misunderstood. More like 'misled.' Do you have any other questions?"
"About Mariann Waverly?"
She took a breath. "I remember the name. I think she was in the pack a long time ago, but she left. If that's the case, then my father would have known her."
Just as he'd thought. He asked a few more questions, making notes on his tablet, then switched it off. "We're done. Now for the private matter." He leaned forward. "We met your sister Bridget for lunch. We were going to ask her the same questions we asked you."
"But she walked out on you," Deirdre said.
"Yes, and we want to know why," Gavin said.
Liam sat up. "We're her mates."
***
Deirdre looked stunned. "I take it you just discovered this?"
"Yes," Liam said. "At lunch. Bridget wasn't happy. Why? Has someone hurt her?"
"No," Deirdre said. "No, nothing like that."
Liam felt his muscles unkink, just a little. "Then what?"
"Once or twice, she's talked about not wanting mates. Said she was happy for Maeve and me, but glad fate had passed her by. But she never really said why. I guess I thought if she found her mates one day that she'd come around. See the light, all that."
Gavin sat back in his chair, almost looking relaxed, except for the arms crossed over his chest and the tightness in his face.
"She said something about not wanting to be owned," Liam said.
"Owned." Deirdre pressed her lips into a line. "I'm sorry. I d
on't know what to tell you. She's never mentioned anything about mates owning her before."
"Can you help us?" Liam leaned forward. "Just convince her to get to know us. We're not bad guys."
"We would never want to own her," Gavin said.
Deirdre scowled. "Yes, I'll help you. Bridget should know better, after what happened with Maeve. I guess we really can't learn from others' mistakes."
"What happened with Maeve?" Liam said.
"A tale for another time." Deirdre smiled. "And there will be plenty of time for that once you're part of the family. First, how about dinner? I can't invite you to our place, but we could go to a restaurant in neutral territory. I'll make sure Bridget's there. And my mates, and our sister and her mates. We'll trap Bridget on the inside of a booth if we have to."
Liam chuckled. "It sounds good to me."
"Yeah, we can stay over in Marysburg tonight," Gavin said.
"Where do you live?"
"I live up in Alexandria," Gavin said.
"I'm sort of between packs at the moment," Liam said. "I just got out of the Army."
Her eyes narrowed. "You said you were a detective."
Gavin put his hand on Liam's knee, just for a few seconds. "He's a detective in training."
It felt sort of funny to have another man touch him like that, especially in public. At the same time, it felt really right. For her part, Deirdre didn't even blink. She probably saw stuff like that all the time with her two mates.
No matter whether a wolf was gay or straight to start out with, their latent bisexuality came to the fore when they found their mates. Straight men, like Liam, suddenly wanted their male mate. Gay men suddenly were interested in their female mate. So while it was all new to Liam, he'd always known that if he got lucky enough to find his mates, he'd have as much a relationship with his male mate as with his female mate.
"Give me your contact info, and I'll let you know when dinner is set up," Deirdre said.
At least someone was open to their joining the family. Now if they could only convince Bridget to feel the same way.
***
Bridget parked her car at the mall and walked inside. All she really wanted to do was go home and curl up in bed. The mating urge had gotten worse all day and it was all she could do to keep from touching herself. Or tracking down her mates and ravishing them.
The Alpha's Secret, An MMF Erotic Romance (The Stonewall Pack Alpha Series) Page 1
