by E A Price
A Mate for the Beta (Book 1, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas)
By E A Price
Copyright ©2014 by Elizabeth Ann Price
All rights reserved. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
Next up
Chapter One
10th September
Iris Bennett was missing. She was a 69 year old witch who was missing. Or rather she had disappeared.
At 3.59pm on 10th September she was at home making pumpkin pies. At 5.37pm she was gone.
Her large house sat at the edge of town, out of the way and out of earshot of any witnesses. With the exception of a small lane that led to the main road the house was surrounded by trees. Tall, looming, concealing trees. Nobody had seen anything. Nobody had heard anything.
The Sheriff and a couple of Deputies milled around her house looking for... something, anything that would give them some clue as to what had happened. They were watched like hawks by a large number of the witches Circle that Iris belonged to.
A large grey wolf with a long black stripe from his head to his tail stood in the shadows of the trees, grimly watching the unfolding scene. He was perfectly still. No one knew he was there. Well almost no one.
He was called Adam Grey. He was the Alpha of the local wolf shifter pack. He and his pack owned and lived in the woods surrounding the town which was called Rose, situated in the state of Virginia. The town was about 60% human, 25% shifter, 15% witch. Most of that 25% were his pack, but there were a few others in town who were not. Notably some bear shifters, pumas, bobcats, coyotes and one tiger who had left her pride to mate with a bear. They fought like hell and annoyed the heck out of each other but they couldn’t stand to be apart. They were true mates. They were made for each other.
The Bennett house backed up onto pack land, making it even more galling that she had apparently been abducted without anyone noticing.
Three of his pack mates were at the scene in their skin form. His Beta, Alec Hart, second in command, also the town Sheriff as well as two wolves who were Sheriffs Deputies, Jacob Foreman and Gabriel North. The pack members were aware of his presence but consciously did not acknowledge it.
One of the Circle, Melody James, had come to visit Iris and help her make the pumpkin pies. She left Iris at approximately 3.59pm to buy some more flour. When she arrived back at Iris’ house at 5.37pm it was to find the front door of the house wide open and Iris nowhere to be found.
Nothing of Iris’ had been taking. Her purse, credit cards, jewellery, passport, phone were all accounted for. The radio was blaring and the pumpkin pies were burning. No note, perhaps explaining the sudden departure could be found.
It was now 7.45pm. She had vanished.
Melody had called the Sheriff’s office and much to their annoyance she had called the Circle, many members of which were currently standing on Iris’ lawn, arms folded and starring daggers at the three wolves. Who in turn studiously ignored them. The leader of the Circle, Emerald Cole, did not like that.
Emerald purposefully strode over to the Sheriff. Her head was held high and a look of disgust was on her face. Emerald hated shifters, in particular she hated wolves. Sentiments she beat into the rest of the Circle.
She clicked her fingers for attention. “Well?” She demanded. “Where is she?”
Adam bristled at the tone of her voice and growled lowly. He was thankful she was speaking to his Beta and not him. When Alec had called to warn him of the situation Adam had offered to help deal with the witches. Alec had reasoned that it would be better if he dealt with them, for now, in his capacity as Sheriff.
Although Adam was the Alpha of the pack he had no official standing in the town itself or in law enforcement. Adam was thankful he didn’t, he may not have been able to control himself.
Alec’s voice was a low drawl, even and without emotion. “Ma’am we’re doing everything we can, you need to let us work.”
Emerald scoffed. “That means you don’t know, you fools! A witch has gone missing and you’re doing nothing more than chasing your own tails, you stupid animals!” Her venomous voice cut through Adam.
Alec remained impassive. “Ma’am, you need to calm down or I will ask you to leave.” He stepped away from the woman and spoke in hushed tones to one of the Deputies, Jake.
Emerald rejoined the rest of the Circle. Adam strained to hear their whispered words but he wasn’t close enough, he thought it unwise to move closer. Emerald hated him at the best of times; he didn’t want to make the situation worse by starting an argument with her.
“Ladies,” Alec called out holding up a hand for silence. “At this time we have no further information to give you. If you hear anything from her please contact the Sheriff’s station immediately. For now, please go home and get some rest.”
He motioned to Melody. “I’d appreciate it if you made sure you stayed in town for the next few days.” She nodded back at him dully.
“Why?” Melody flinched at Emerald’s piercing tone. “She hasn’t done anything wrong!”
“We may need to ask her some more questions, that’s all.” He said it with an air of finality that the witches could be in no doubt that they were being dismissed.
One by one the witches filtered away, chatting and gossiping about what may have happened to Iris. Excitement bubbled at the mystery.
Emerald stood her ground as long as possible, staring at the Sheriff who stared back at her blankly. Reluctantly she left too.
Adam waited for another five minutes before loping over to the house. He walked round the house slowly taking in every detail every smell. One smell hit him forcefully. Wolfsbane. Only poisonous if eaten but the smell was revolting. Witches used it to repulse wolves. A telltale sign of how little welcome he or any of his pack would have received here.
He growled in frustration. There were no usable scents. He walked over to where his Beta stood waiting patiently and shifted. He shivered. Not an ideal night for being out and about in his birthday suit.
“No scents?” Asked Adam.
“No.”
“No fingerprints? Or footprints?”
“No.”
“No sign of a struggle?”
“No.”
Adam wiped his hand over his face and stared thoughtfully at the house. The two Deputies stood impatiently on the porch, keen for something to do.
“What do you think?”
Alec exhaled loudly. “It looks like she just disappeared into thin air.”
Adam raised his eyebrows. “You think that’s actually possible?”
Alec folded his massive arms over his chest. “No. I think someone went to a lot of trouble to make us think it is though.”
Adam nodded his head. Alec had been his father’s Beta when he was running the show and was slightly su
rprised that when his father died Alec had not challenged him for leadership. Alec was older by six years and had more experience of pack business. He was a couple of inches shorter than Adam but just as broad, and easily as strong.
Adam had no doubt that Alec would make a formidable Alpha if he wanted to. But Alec seemed content to be his Beta and the Sheriff of their small town. Alec wasn’t as easygoing as Adam but was known for being level-headed, wise and intensely self controlled. Before joining their pack Alec had been considered a rogue and hadn’t been able to restrain his temper. Hence the need for total control at all times.
“You think Iris might have just chosen to disappear?” Asked Adam.
“It’s a possibility. The witches weren’t exactly forthcoming with details. I couldn’t get a sense of whether she would want to disappear. Seems unlikely though. She’s lived here her entire life, why would she suddenly up and run at 69?”
“Hmmm, you’re right. Most likely she was somehow coerced into leaving.”
Alec huffed. “No struggle, no scent of anyone else being involved, even Iris’ scent dies before it leaves the house, and no she’s definitely not still in there. We’d be able to smell a body.”
“You think it’s worth calling in Don?”
Don Cross was a pack mate. Other pack mates disliked him for being reclusive and indifferent, but Adam was respectful of his right to live how he pleased. Don was an excellent tracker, the best they had by a long mile, and despite his quirks, a valued pack member.
“No, but maybe we should do it anyway. I think it’s worth putting together a search party, we need to go all through the woods.”
“Our woods?”
“If something has happened to Iris we don’t want it coming back on us, we want to be clear from the get go that this has nothing to do with us.”
Adam sighed. “You’re right, it’s only a matter of time before Emerald tells the whole town that one of the pack has kidnapped or eaten Iris. I’ll get Acksel on it.”
Acksel Lucas was the pack’s Chief Enforcer, Enforcers were like pack security.
Alec gestured to the two wolf Deputies who quickly jumped to attention. “I’ll get Jake and Gabe to round up some people too – shifters and humans – to see what we can find.”
“Good. I’ll be back.” Adam shifted to his wolf and disappeared into the trees. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Two
11th September
Emerald Cole stared at Adam and Alec scornfully. She was irritated to find that neither the Alpha nor the Beta were scared of her. Normally a withering glare from her could turn the hardiest of person into a jabbering wreck. But the Alpha looked bored and the Beta aloof.
“Can you think of any reason why Iris might leave town?” Alec asked again.
She sniffed the air and turned her lips down in disgust. Disgusting dogs she thought.
Adam narrowed his eyes slightly. Emerald Cole, at Adam’s guess, had to be at least 50 years old although she barely looked a day over 35. She was tall, skinny and had the permanent expression of someone who had a wet haddock under their nose. Her blonde bob was almost white and her blue eyes were chillingly pale.
When Adam was a child he thought of her as the snow queen. Now he just thought of her as the bitch queen.
Alec persisted. “Did Iris have any trouble with anyone?”
Alec had come to find out more information on Iris, in the hopes of finding out what had happened. Despite the search last night no sight or scent had been found. They were clueless. Adam had come to assure the witches that the pack would offer all the help they could in finding Iris. He didn’t expect Iris to thank him but he had expected at least some acknowledgement.
Iris picked up her tea cup, the spoon stirred itself. She sighed. “I really couldn’t say.”
Adam exhaled long and hard. Forcing himself to keep his temper.
“Do you have any idea what might have happened?”
Iris sipped her tea. “Isn’t that your job Sheriff?” She asked coldly.
Adam tapped his foot.
“Is there anything that you can tell us that might help us find her?”
Iris snorted delicately. “I really couldn’t say.” She could see the Alpha’s anger rising and was gleefully waiting for him to break. “Besides how am I supposed to know a wolf didn’t abduct her?”
Adam’s jaw tightened. “A wolf did not take her. If they had we would have found a scent.”
She flicked an imaginary speck of dust off her skirt. “You say you didn’t find any scents, how am I supposed to know whether that is true?”
Adam’s nostrils flared, his wolf snarling in his head. “I’m not a liar.” He said through gritted teeth.
Alec felt his own anger rise and willed it away. His wolf instantly calmed. This woman was not worth losing control over. He just wished he could communicate that to his Alpha.
*
Liv Briers watched the exchange between the two wolves and her aunt with interest. Liv had lived with her aunt at the boarding house for nearly three years. After Liv’s parents died aunt Emerald had insisted that she come live with her. It had been a mixed blessing.
Whilst she liked the town and the townspeople she found her aunt a little... overbearing. She had only ever seen her aunt a couple of times a year before, for the summer and winter solstice. A few hours a year, Emerald was easy to deal with, every single day of the year... not so much.
Liv stood in the kitchen, with the door open a crack. From there, through the dining room, reflected in the living room mirror she could see what was happening, but the voices were muffled and she couldn’t really hear anything. She had considered sneaking through the dining room to get a better vantage point but she knew her aunt had bat-like hearing and didn’t want to risk her ire.
She wasn’t really interested in hearing the words anyway. Undoubtedly her aunt was being unreasonably rude to the wolves and Liv feared that if she could hear the words she wouldn’t be able to hold back and would jump in to defend them. That wouldn’t go down well at all.
She sighed. She had spent the best part of a year mooning over a wolf who had no idea she existed. And now he was in her house. Being so near to him was agonizing. Why couldn’t she act like a rational human being and just go out there and introduce herself? Why did she have to be such a fraidy cat? Why did he have to be so handsome?
“What are you doing?” Asked Melody.
Liv started and flushed guiltily. “Ummm nothing.” Melody had entered through the back door with a basket of washing under her arm.
She frowned but didn’t say anything. Melody was the newest witch of the Circle. She had arrived in town two weeks ago and asked to join. After a few gruelling tests of her powers Emerald had deemed her acceptable and Melody had moved into the boarding house. Although quite feisty when roused Melody was reserved and not given to pry into other people’s business, for which Liv was thankful.
Liv cleared her throat. “The Alpha and the Beta are here, to talk about Iris.”
“Oh, any news yet?” Melody looked quite worried.
Liv rubbed her arms. “I don’t think so.”
“Shit, poor Iris.”
“I’m still hoping she just decided to leave town.”
“Such an optimist.” Melody smiled a little sadly. “I met the Beta last night, let’s take a look at the Alpha.”
Melody took the same stance Liv had a few moments before. “Hmmm, they’re okay I guess. A bit oversized though. And they could both use a shave.”
Liv bristled. “Lots of women find them very attractive.”
Melody raised an eyebrow at her. It was obvious Liv was one of them.
She glanced back through the door only to have her field of vision swamped by a large chest covered by a Sheriff’s uniform.
“Sheriff!” Melody exclaimed and jumped back. She heard Liv yelp and run out the back door. Wuss.
Alec tentatively pushed the kitchen door open and peered around t
he kitchen. He’d seen a flash of blonde disappear as he approached and wondered at it. A sweet smell ticked his nose. He inhaled deeply. Mmmm vanilla cookies. He’d never scented anything so fragrant; it was delicious, warm and inviting. His wolf perked up and began yipping like a puppy.
“You erm... you baking cookies in here?”
Melody raised her eyebrows. “No, why?”
“You smell that? It’s like vanilla?”
Melody shrugged. “No, house smells like it always does. Bleach and that god awful perfume Emerald wears, eau de cat pee.”
Alec gave her a small smile. The scent was fading now, no longer as strong as it had been when he entered the room. But he doubted he’d be able to forget it again in a hurry. The tingling in his nose had spread throughout his body, he felt himself warm with arousal. Where had that come from?
“Ms James, would you mind if we ask you a few more questions about Iris?”
“Course not. I hope she’s okay, she was kind of a battleaxe but she was alright.” Melody chewed on her lip thoughtfully, a slight hint of fear crept into her eyes. “Do you think there’s any way a vampire could have done this?”
Alec looked at her thoughtfully. “No,” he said slowly. “We’d have been able to scent it.”
Her shoulders slumped a little in relief and Alec wondered at it. He opened the kitchen door for him. “Shall we?”
Melody passed him wordlessly making her way to the living room. Alec inhaled the scent one more time and followed her.
*
Emerald and Adam glowered at one another. The Alpha was tense, every muscle in his considerable body rigid and poised for attack.
Melody and Alec came in and each took a seat. Ignoring the uptight atmosphere Alec proceeded to go over what Melody had already told him about her movements yesterday, making small notes.
“So you drove yourself to the shop. What kind of car do you drive?”
“I don’t have a car.”
Alec looked up in interest. “How did you...”
Melody cocked her head to one side. “I used Iris’ car.”
“So how did you get to Iris’ house?”
