A.L.F.A. Instincts

by Milly Taiden

  “I will ask one last time, Mr. Day,” Prince Goddard said, “why are you in my country?”

  He had to remain strong, fight the wolf that wanted to tear into their throats and rip out their guts for the rats to feast on. Section Four, Chapter Two of the ALFA procedure handbook stated agents were not to give away their cover or their animal. If captured, allow yourself to be taken and find a place away from humans to escape, if possible. If not, wait for backup to find you. That’s what the book said and that’s what he had to do.

  He just hoped backup was on its way. Each day he went without food or water, his mental and physical capacities worsened. His wolf would win control at some point. Then he’d be fucked. No telling what these bastards would do to him.

  The whip split open the skin on his back. He ground his teeth. He could do this. He would.

  Prince Goddard stopped the whipping and stepped closer to the cell imprisoning him. “Mr. Day, answer my question correctly, then I will set you free.” That got his attention. Of course, his wolf helped him smell the lie. He wouldn’t answer shit.

  “One of the townspeople said they saw you go from a human to a wolf. Is that true? Are you a werewolf?” The way the prince said those words sounded asinine. Bryon broke into laughter, scratchy from lack of water.

  “Are you listening to yourself?” Bryon whispered. “You think werewolves are real? Is Dracula hanging around, too?” He pressed his laugh louder, enraging the prince. He thought he saw the prince’s eyes glow red for a second. The bastard ordered the whip again. This time, Bryon caught the thin rope and yanked it toward him. The guard holding the whip slammed headfirst into the bars then fell away unconscious. Took care of that.

  Now if they would give him the opportunity to take care of the rest of them, he’d get the hell out of there. He already had a plan. He’d heard some of the other prisoners talking about underground tunnels under the entire city. Supposedly, there was an entrance somewhere here in the dungeon. It was fabled as a death trap maze in which once lost, there was no finding your way back. Being a shifter with a decent nose, he wasn’t worried about that. It was getting past the extra-thick iron bars they kept him behind.

  It was as if this cell were created with shifters and their strength in mind. He wondered if this part of the world openly believed in shifters. If someone was bold enough to say something to the prince without fear of rejection, then that did not bode well for his kind. Any surprise advantage he might have would be expected.

  The prince stepped up to the bars again. “Don’t worry, Mr. Day. I know what you are and you will give me a new outlook on life very soon. Arrangements are being made as we speak. We’ve caught one of your kind before and are prepared to kill you if you try to escape. In your weakened state, you’re no stronger than my guards, so rid yourself of any thoughts of overtaking my men.

  “You’ll be part of the entertainment tonight. I will put you on display and they will all see you and know I speak the truth. You people aren’t priceless. Not at all. But no one will have you until after I get my piece. Then later, I shall take every bit of you. I can almost feel it now.”

  The man’s arousal floated on the musty air. If Bryon had had anything in his stomach to vomit, he would have. He understood what the sadistic prince was saying and he’d be damned if he was just going to let anything happen to him. He would let his wolf out at that point to kill all it wanted.

  The prince backed away and nodded at one of his men. The man slowly approached the bars and slid a narrow bucket into the cell. When Bryon’s wolf picked up the smell of water, it forced him to grab it. He chugged mouthfuls in desperation to hydrate his body.

  The prince smiled. “Drink up, Mr. Day. I will see you soon. And I do mean all of you.”

  Bryon watched as the men picked up their guy lying on the ground and headed toward the door. They placed their torture equipment on a shelf before leaving. How he would love to take the cattle prod and shove it up the bastard prince’s ass.

  He shuddered and put the empty bowl on the ground. His preference did not swing that way. He knew plenty of LGBT folks, some even shifters, but he liked the ladies. No one in particular yet, unfortunately. He was still holding out on the hope of finding his true mate. But now in his midthirties, his dreams of finding that perfect one were dying.

  In this last year, he felt that he clung to that hope tighter than he ever had before. Maybe because he saw it would not happen. Or he knew it was his only chance of finding real love. Could be the wolf griping at him constantly to have pups. It was ready to have a family whether or not Bryon was.

  Which he was for, for the most part. He wanted happiness and to share his life as much as any other person. But did he settle with someone who made him feel loved and would make a great mother even though he didn’t love her in return? Would he grow to resent her or her him because he couldn’t give his entire soul in return?

  No, he couldn’t do that. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone, including his pups. His parents were mates, one of the few in those days. They were perfect for each other and their kids. He saw the love they shared in the way they looked at each other, the way Dad held Mom’s hand everywhere they went, and the physical desire—he stopped right there. The thought of his parents getting it on wasn’t something he wanted to picture in his mind.

  He ran his grime-covered hands through his hair. If he got out of this alive, maybe he’d take a break. He’d been going nonstop for years. Maybe go to one of those resorts they show on TV where every female has long hair and is wearing a bikini. That wasn’t his type of girl, though. His type would more likely be found in a library cooking a cow. What the hell? Where did that come from?

  He eyed the water bowl, then brought it to his nose. Fuck. There was a light smell to the water. They just played him well. He’d been so dehydrated, he didn’t stop to think they would drug him. But they had no reason to.

  Goddard mentioned entertainment. What did that mean? He’d be taken from the cell certainly. That would be where he’d escape. It was damn hard to hold a shifter and an ALFA was near impossible. Unless he were drugged. His body would burn through the chemicals faster than a human, so that would be his element of surprise.

  This was great news, in a way. He’d been undercover in this town for a while tracking clues to an international human trafficking ring. There was a ring organizer somewhere in this region he was trying to get in with. He thought he was probably in Liechtenstein just a few miles away, so he had a small apartment in Cloustien where there was less threat of discovery and less concern over communicating to headquarters.

  So much for that thought. The leads he had were going nowhere. He was in contact with a ring member, but the guy was low on the totem pole. The contact thought something big was going down soon and he was right.

  Before he was captured, Bryon observed dignitaries and other affluent people showing up in this area. The few restaurants in town were much busier than they had been. But he couldn’t find a location big enough to hold the number of people this ring usually dealt in. Unless it was in the palace itself. His current plan didn’t include breaking into the palace. Now he was here, but on the wrong floor. They really should clean better down here. Ice cream would help.

  He shook his head. He was losing to the drug. Shit. The effects were pulling on his mind. How much had they given him? They said they’d had a shifter before, so they knew what they were doing. His eyelids were too heavy. Even his wolf was out of it. Maybe he could rest for just a second until his body—

  CHAPTER 5

  Kari had the window seat and Sheldon took the aisle side of the propeller flight. After changing planes in London, they were loaded in and quickly on their way to the center of Europe. She loved staring out, watching the clouds float like pieces of cotton. Such dazzling white in the sun. Occasionally, she’d gotten glimpses of the ocean below, though now it was land only.

&nbs
p; She pulled out the packet Director Tumbel had handed to her at the office. Inside was information on different aspects of the mission. First thing was their tour schedule.

  “Sheldon,” she asked, “what’s the plan with the touring agency?”

  He looked up from his puzzle book. “We’re simply visitors with the group and will do everything they do. Except I won’t be there all the time. You will be my cover and alibi if needed. Basically, you just walk around. Easy.”

  She looked at the agency’s brochure in her lap—ITA, International Touring Agency. This assignment was a bit of a letdown. She’d hoped to do exciting thing like hold a stakeout, spy on the enemy, transfer secret messages to HQ. Just like in spy movies. Kingsman and Bridge of Lies were her favorites.

  “What wrong?” Sheldon asked. “You’re upset.”

  She whipped her head toward him. “How do you know that?”

  He pointed to his nose. “Remember, we can smell emotions.”

  “Smell emotions?” she questioned. Uh-huh. Not falling for that.

  “You’re right. Not really emotions,” he clarified. “Emotions cause the brain to secrete certain hormones that flow through the body. That’s what we smell coming through the skin.”

  “That I’ll believe,” she said. Sounded logical.

  “So,” Sheldon continued, “why are you upset?”

  God, she felt stupid now, letting her romanticized image of spies affect her. “It’s nothing. Growing up, I always loved romantic spy movies. It’s one reason I wanted to work with the FBI. And I guess I just keep imagining this to be a movie. But I know it’s not. So it’s okay. I get it.”

  Sheldon moved in his seat. “You’re right, this isn’t a movie, but we are going into a foreign place with possible hostile factions. It is still dangerous. No matter how light I make of it. Your life could be in danger.”

  She took in a small gasp of air. Then saw his grin. He was trying to make her feel better. She appreciated that. But it was okay that she wasn’t being a real agent. Hell, she sat around in offices all day playing with words and numbers. How was she remotely qualified for something that required experience? That’s why her director thought of her for this assignment. He knew she would be safe. Just accept it and try to enjoy the trip.

  “At the office,” Sheldon said, “you mentioned you’ve been to Cloustien.”

  “Oh, not to it. Just saw a bit about it on the Travel Channel. The country is tiny, and their claim to fame is their underground tunnels. These tunnels were supposedly dug two thousand years ago. Researchers think the Germanic tribes in the area built them to hide and move around without the Romans killing them.

  “Then in the 1930s, it’s rumored the Nazis used the tunnels to store artworks and treasure they stole from conquered lands, then set up booby traps to keeps others out until they returned after they ruled Europe.”

  “But they lost,” Sheldon said. “What happened to all the stolen stuff?”

  “That’s the cool part. Nobody knows,” Kari said. “Some have tried searching for it, but were never seen again. Most think it’s just a story made up like so many other lost treasure stories. No one takes it seriously.”

  “That’s interesting. Maybe we can see some of the tunnels while we’re there.”

  “Well, the government pretty much blocked all the entrances to keep people for going in and dying from getting lost. There is probably a museum with pictures and stuff, but not the real tunnels themselves.”

  “We’ll check out all the museums before we leave.” Like usual, the silence turned awkward and she couldn’t think of a word to say. She never trusted herself to say the right thing, so she’d just keep her mouth shut.

  He turned back to his puzzle book. She watched him write a number in a Sudoku board.

  “You might want to try a different number there,” she said. Shit, she couldn’t believe she’d said that. Dammit, now he’d think badly of her, nosing in and acting all smart. She just told herself to keep her mouth shut. No trust in herself.

  His brows scrunched. “Is it wrong?”

  She had to continue with what she’d started. No telling what he’d think if she didn’t reply. Stick with the facts. Nothing else. She said, “Yes, you can’t put a three there because it has to go in the bottom square.”

  Sheldon flipped his pencil and erased the number. “It goes down here?” He scratched it in. “So, what goes up here?”

  “Four,” she said.

  He pointed to another square and she gave the number for that box, then he did the same with another. He looked at her then his puzzle. “Do you have the numbers for this whole thing?”

  Great, here came the “freak” part. How had this happened already? She hadn’t even had time to screw up anything. She shrugged. “Yeah, I figured it out a while back when you started the first one,” she said, scanning the back of the brochure, pretending like it was nothing. Hopefully, he’d drop it there.

  He flipped the page to the five star grids, sixteen by sixteen. “How about this one?”

  No, no, no. She stared at the page. She let her mind relax and do its thing. Numbers flashed in and out of each space, spinning through possibilities. The squares started to fill in, a few more in the middle row . . . done. “It’s not hard, really. You can do it.” She rattled off the first row and he checked the answers.

  “That’s amazing,” Sheldon said.

  “That’s my job,” she replied. The silence between them felt uncomfortable once again. She tried to think of something to say. “You have any children?” Everyone loved talking about their children.

  He sighed. That didn’t bode well. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. Kept her damn mouth shut. “No,” he began. “I’m still holding out, hoping to meet my mate. I hoped with all the traveling we ALFA agents do, I would come across the one meant for me.

  “What you said about mates in Tumbel’s office is more true than you know. I want a family before I get too old to enjoy them. But I have several years before it gets that far. I’ll just keep a nose out.” He winked at her. “What about you?”

  She shrugged. “I guess I always thought I’d find someone who would sweep me off my feet and live happily with our kids and white picket fence. But, you know . . .” She shrugged again. Maybe she had things in common with this hot shifter. She could handle being coupled with him. She’d eventually fall in love with him, right? “Do you like going to the movies? I love watching all kinds. I can spend all weekend sitting on the sofa laughing, crying, and screaming at the TV.”

  “I prefer RPGs when home. I have enough of the real world during the day. At night, I’ll gladly be anywhere else.”

  “RPGs?”

  “Oh, sorry. Role-playing games. Video games. Assassin, Warcraft, Final Fantasy, that kind of thing.”

  “Cool,” she said. She had never heard of any of these. “Do you cook when home? I have several of my mom’s recipes. Some she got from her mother. Creating natural food dishes is my second love. As you can see.” She gestured to herself.

  He gave her a questioning look. “You look great. Don’t ever think you don’t. Any man would be lucky to have you. Especially if you cook. I usually order pickup or delivery. Pizza, Chinese, fusion, whatever I feel like.”

  “You sound like you work a lot. Do you ever take a vacation? This is my first time out of the office for several days. I’m thinking a cabin retreat would be fun, though. Reconnecting with nature, hot cocoa in front of a blazing fireplace.”

  “We do work a lot,” he said. “It’s what the job calls for. But I have taken time off. I’ve gone to the beach with lots of women. My wolf loved it. All the sand to run around in and heavenly bodies to enjoy.”

  Okay, obviously, they didn’t have a chance in hell of having a relationship. The only thing they had in common seemed to be this job. “Do you know the agent who’s missing?�
� She wanted to know everything about this man. But didn’t want ask until they had a conversation going.

  “Yeah, Day is a great guy. He’s dedicated, really smart, nice. He keeps to himself a lot. He’s always working.”

  “Does he have family?” she asked.

  “I’ve never heard him talk about anyone, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” Sheldon replied.

  “Any pictures on his desk?”

  Sheldon thought about the question. “I don’t think he even has a desk anymore. He does a lot of undercover stuff and is seldom in.”

  She nodded. Day wasn’t sounding like good boyfriend or husband material. If he didn’t want a desk to tie him down, would he even consider a wife? Maybe he’d like an assistant to travel with. That was something. Who knew. She started thinking of him as a big, sexy cowboy type. Yeah. A cowboy or a rancher. She shut her eyes and let her mind drift off while still visualizing all kinds of crazy things with a man she didn’t even know.

  “You seem so natural around animals, Kari. Like you were meant to be part of their world in some way.”

  She looked up at Bryon from where she stood petting the horse’s velvet nose. He was so tall and broad and she licked her lips at the glimpse of muscled chest peeking through the open buttons on his flannel shirt. She dared let her eyes dip to his crotch and her mouth watered. Holy moly!

  He stepped behind her and moved the hair from her neck and his breath fanned against her skin. She shivered from the tickling sensation, but also from how close his hard body was to hers.

  Oh god, if he kissed her now, she’d let him have her right then and there in the barn. She closed her eyes and as if he could read her mind he slipped his hands over her bare arms and walked her backwards.

  “Where are we going?”

  His lips slid into a smile against her skin. “Wherever you want.”

  She sighed and leaned into him. “This feels like a dream.”