Alphas of Summer: A collection of shifter romances

by Lia Davis

  “What do you smell?” She whispered. When he didn’t answer, she took a quick whiff. “That fox is back?”

  He nodded. “Stay here.” His voice was low and filled with authority. The tone demanded people sit up and take notice. Even though she understood why he instructed her to stay where she was, she fought the urge to protect her own territory. She took a step back into the hallway and waited. Chills cascaded through her body.

  Chapter 7

  Caleb pressed his back against the entryway wall and sidled into the kitchen. From what he could tell, the shifter was rummaging through Jess’s drawers. The soft thumps of clothes hitting the floor were followed by the crash of drawers being thrown across the room. He stepped into the living room and caught sight of a stressed Roscoe hiding behind the couch. Without a second thought, he eased past the couch and spied the balcony door off its tracks and now leaned precariously against the balcony railing. He had always hated balconies for just that reason. No one ever suspected them as an entry point. He moved forward as he heard the intruder’s cell phone ring.

  “What?” He answered angrily. “She’s not here.”

  The man paused a moment. “We might have a slight hiccup. I think we may have another shifter involved. Its scent is lingering in the apartment. From what I can tell it’s a jaguar.”

  Caleb’s hackles rose and he resisted the urge to rush the room. He took a deep breath and let it out. Determined to learn as much as he could, he turned his attention back to the one-sided conversation.

  “What do you think I’m doing?” The intruder snapped.

  Caleb could hear the person on the other end of the phone raise his voice but couldn’t make out what he said. The shifter’s bravado began to falter, replaced with a more respectful attitude. “Yes, sir. I understand.” The man must have snapped his phone shut; a click filled the space. Cursing under his breath, he resumed rummaging through the room. Caleb finally inched to just outside Jess’s bedroom door and peered in. The man’s back faced the door, giving Caleb the advantage. Without a sound, he snuck into the room and stopped within mere feet of the shifter.

  He stood behind the man for only a moment before the fox’s body tensed. Caleb dodged the attempted swing, grabbed the fox’s extended arm, and twisted the weak limb behind him before shoving him up against the wall. The intruder struggled, wriggling against Caleb’s hold. Caleb couldn’t help but sneer at the attempt. He’d always hated foxes. They were sneaky and could never be trusted.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Caleb hissed in the man’s ear. When the man didn’t answer, Caleb gave a quick jerk of his arm and received a whimper. “I said what the fuck are you doing here?”

  Again, no answer. He spun the fox around and slammed his fist into the shifter’s nose. The satisfying snap as it broke made him smirk. Blood poured down the front of the man’s face. Caleb unsheathed his claws and grabbed the smaller man by the throat. He lifted him off the ground with ease. The man’s eyes bulged, his air supply rapidly becoming scarce. Caleb meant business and the fact hadn’t been lost on the shifter. His mouth began to flap as he tried to speak.

  “Let him down, Caleb.” Jess appeared in the doorway, an expression of anger pasted on her face. She stalked into the room and stood just behind Caleb. “He’s trying to say something.”

  Caleb eased the fox’s feet to the ground and gave him enough room to speak.

  The intruder met Jess’s gaze. “Please don’t let him hurt me.”

  Jess’s throaty laugh filled the small space. Caleb glanced at her, then back to the shifter, whose jaw had slackened. He’d not expected such a reaction from her and apparently the fox hadn’t either.

  A couple deep breaths later, she composed herself enough to answer the intruder’s pathetic plea.

  “Do you think I’m stupid? You broke into my house.” She stepped closer and leaned in. “What would you have done if I’d been here? Would you have shown me mercy?”

  She paced away, picked a picture frame up from the floor, and watched as shards of glass fell to her feet. Caleb watched her from his peripheral vision, making sure she stayed out of the fox’s range. She placed the frame on her dresser and sighed as she glanced around the trashed room.

  “You can smell what kind of shifter I am, right?” She leveled her gaze on the intruder.

  The man nodded as much as he could with Caleb’s hand pressed against his throat.

  “Then you know I’m a leopard, which means I’m extremely territorial. You invaded my territory by breaking in.”

  When she returned to Caleb’s side, she gently touched his arm. “If he doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, do whatever you want to him.” She turned and strode out of the room.

  The trust she showed him made him puff with pride. He turned back to his prey and smirked. “Well, you heard the lady; tell me what I want to hear.”

  Jess walked back out to the living room and sat down on the couch. She turned on the TV to mask some of the sound coming from the bedroom. Her body shook with the desire to defend her territory. The leopard in her wanted to be the one who dealt out the punishment for the intrusion, but she understood Caleb needed to get information out of him the right way. Roscoe inched his way out from behind the couch and jumped onto her lap. “You okay, buddy?” She stroked his back and tried to console him. He jumped at the sound of something being thrown; the pictures hanging on the living room wall rattled with the force of it.

  The silence from her bedroom a few minutes later signaled the end of the interrogation. A feral Caleb appeared in the living room a moment later. He wiped his hands on a towel from the bathroom. Sweat and blood covered his face and arms; his shoulders were squared and tense. He scanned the small space and set his fierce gaze on her. The intensity of it made her heart skip a beat. He marched over to her and sat on the coffee table in front of her. She reached for his hands and gently stroked his bruised and bloodied knuckles. He reached forward, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her to him. She let him take the pent-up aggression out on her lips. The crushing force left her mouth bruised, but she loved the way the kiss branded her. He pressed his forehead against hers and took a deep fortifying breath.

  “Did he tell you anything?”

  “He told me plenty.” Caleb leaned back on the coffee table, then scratched the back of his neck. “He worked for the poachers. But if what he told me was right, we have a bigger issue than I thought.” His gaze met hers. “I thought the humans were to blame, but they are the actual clients. The operation is run by shifters. They are selling out their own kind.”

  Betrayal surged through Jess; her stomach turned. Their own kind were selling them out? How could they do that?

  “For now, I don’t want you staying here. It’s not safe.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. His fingers stabbed the phone rapidly, then he placed it to his ear. “Hey, Tuck. Sorry I woke you, but we have a major problem.” He got up and started to pace. “I need a new place to stay. Preferably a house with land.”

  Jess raised her hand and waved at him, her gaze locked on his.

  “Hold on, Tuck.” He held the phone to his chest.

  “My parents have a guest house above the barn; it has everything—kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms.” She shrugged.

  He gave her a nod and a quick wink. “Never mind, I have something.”

  The last thing she wanted was reassurance. She needed all of this to end, and fast.

  “I’ll get back to you with the details. Also, I need a clean-up crew.”

  Again he looked at Jess with apprehension, but this time she wanted to be the one who reassured. She pushed herself up from the couch, walked up to him, and wrapped her arms around him.

  The tension left his shoulders and he continued. “I’ll fill you in when you guys arrive. We need to get out of here. I’ll call you in the morning with directions.” He disconnected the phone, shoved it back into his jacket pocket, and returned her embrace with a tight hu
g.

  “I’m so sorry, Jess.”

  “Why are you sorry? If I hadn’t been with you tonight, I would have been here alone, and God knows what would have happened.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Thank you.” She rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes, and listened to his steady heartbeat. Caleb was the kind of man she needed. Steady, strong, and ruthless when the situation called for it.

  Caleb paced the living room. He clenched and unclenched his hands in an effort to control his anger. Adrenaline pumped through his veins so hard the sound of his pulse echoed in his ears. He could take on the world right now. The fact that he could barely keep his cool enough to contain his cat just added to his agitation. His inner beast paced and snarled for a chance to wreak havoc on the perpetrators. It also laid claim to Jess, which made everything so much worse. He fiercely protected the people close to him, and with his cat thinking of her as possible mate material, he wanted to annihilate any and all threats to her.

  He didn’t want her to see what he’d done to the fox shifter in her bedroom, so he asked her to stay in the living room and went to pack for her. After he placed the suitcase on her bed, he started to sift through the piles of clothes strewn around her room. A black shirt caught his eye, the Motley Crue tee she’d worn the first day they met. He folded the wrinkled shirt and packed it with a grin spread across his face. He picked up the rest of her clothes from the floor and packed everything from jeans to pajamas. When he began to pack her unmentionables, he couldn’t help but imagine the leopard print set she’d been wearing that night. A new rush of lust blasted through his veins and made him wish the night had ended differently. Taking one last glance at the shattered bedroom, he zipped up the suitcase, then carried it out to the living room. Tucker would arrive within a few hours and he would direct the cleaning crew to her apartment. The room would be back to its original state in no time.

  “Okay, I’m almost ready.” She ran to the hall closet and grabbed Roscoe’s cat carrier. “Come on, buddy, we gotta go.” The cat stared at her for a second, then hopped down from his post and walked over to her. She placed a blanket into the carrier, then picked him up and tucked him in. “Now I’m ready.” She smiled.

  The fact that she was handling the whole situation as well as she was baffled Caleb. She never failed to surprise him. He’d never seen a civilian deal with these types of circumstances. She hadn’t screamed or run away when things had gotten ugly. Instead, she stood her ground and faced everything head-on. “So, are we stopping by your hotel room and then heading back to my parents’?”

  “Yes, I’m going to grab my stuff and check out.” He took one last glance around the apartment, closed the door, and locked it. The sense of dread felt like a rock in his stomach as they walked down the narrow hallway. Silence hung between them as she followed him to the truck. He lifted her suitcase into the back, then placed Roscoe on the seat between them. Caleb gazed at Jess as she stared longingly at the building, then sighed. He placed his hand on her thigh. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She chewed the inside of her lip. “I’m just realizing how lucky I am. Tonight could have ended much differently.” She faced him with a thin smile and nodded.

  Caleb shifted the truck into gear, backed out, then headed toward the motel.

  The sun had begun to crest the horizon when he pulled into the lot of the Sleep EZ. “I’ll pack up quick and be right back. Lock the doors behind me.” Only when he caught the satisfying click of the locks did he venture from the vehicle. He glanced around the parking lot, taking in as much as he could. Nothing appeared to be amiss and he opened the door. He stuffed his and Luna’s belongings into his duffel and headed out to the truck to give a quick peek into the cab. She fidgeted with a tear in his seat with one hand as she held her phone with the other. The soft murmurs of her voice filled the truck cab. He assumed she’d called her parents and begun to fill them in. Once he was satisfied he tossed his duffel into the box of his truck.

  He turned from the truck and jogged to the office, stepped up to the desk, and rang the bell. “I’m coming,” the manager shouted from behind the curtain. Caleb could smell booze in the air. The manager appeared from behind the curtain and glared at him. Caleb took in his disheveled appearance and scowled. His shirt was mis-buttoned and untucked. Whiskey all but seeped from his pores, filling the tiny office. A scowl was plastered across his face that told Caleb he didn’t appreciate being disturbed. Oh well, this would be the last time Caleb would have to deal with him.

  “I’m checking out.”

  “Already?” The manager asked as he stumbled toward the computer. He squeezed his eyes shut and readjusted them a few times before the printer spit out the checkout sheet. “You better hope that dog didn’t damage anything,” the man slurred.

  “And if she has? What would you do about it?” When he shrank back toward the curtain, Caleb smirked. “That’s what I thought.” He left the office, and strode back to the truck. Jess unlocked the doors. He climbed in, then reached out a hand, resting it on her thigh. “Everything okay with your parents?”

  “Yeah, they’re expecting us. They also said if you’re not careful they might keep Luna. They loved having her there.”

  Caleb grinned. The dog was easy to love and if he didn’t watch himself he might just fall for the woman sitting beside him too.

  Chapter 8

  Jess perked up at the smell of coffee wafting through the door. She decided to leave the bags in the truck and only brought Roscoe in with them. It would be safer for both Luna and Roscoe if she kept him in the carrier. They could meet without her having to worry about one losing an eye.

  Her father met them on the porch again and grabbed Jess into another huge bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Caleb extended his hand, but her father ignored it and gave him a hug. “I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank you for what you did. You’re welcome here for as long as you want.”

  Tears pooled in her father’s eyes. He let Caleb go and gave him a solid slap on the back. “You guys hungry?” He looked to Jess. “Your mother is about to start making an early breakfast.”

  When they entered the house, Luna raced from the kitchen to greet them. She jumped up on Caleb and gave air kisses until he brought his face close enough for her to reach. The dog gave Jess just enough time to put Roscoe down before she made her way over to her. The dog’s whole back end wiggled with such intensity she knocked the cat carrier with each wag, which earned her a warning growl from Roscoe. Luna tucked her tail and gave a sideways glance toward the cat.

  Jess got up to walk into the kitchen. Caleb grabbed her arm and brought her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, reveling in his hard body against hers. He put his nose into the crook of her neck and took a long inhale. A purr escaped her and she flushed with excitement. Her insides turned molten and demanded she finish what they had started earlier. A cough from behind Caleb brought her back to the present. She stepped away from his embrace and noticed her mother standing in the doorway with her hip propped against the doorjamb, a knowing smirk pasted on her face as she wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Well, you better get in here before the food gets cold.” The smell of grease and maple bacon wafted in after mother.

  Jess’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Caleb reached for her hand and kissed her palm. She could have sworn he gave the sensitive skin a flick of his tongue. The act made her face heat for reasons other than embarrassment. She followed a laughing Caleb into the dining room. The table had food covering every available inch and she couldn’t help but gawk. “Are you expecting more people?”

  Her mother called out a negative from the kitchen and then brought yet another stack of pancakes into the dining room and set the plate in front of Caleb. She patted him on the shoulder. “We don’t want you to waste away. Knowing Jess, you were out of luck unless you found your own deer.” Jess glanced at him and cursed her fair skin when it h
eated.

  It only took her mom a moment to understand. “You shared!” Everyone at the table jumped; all attention zeroed in on Jess and Caleb.

  “Is it true?” Her father asked.

  It would be better to get the details out in the open now; otherwise, she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

  “Yeah, I did.” Heat crept up her neck and inflamed her face. She began to fiddle with her napkin when Caleb’s large hand encompassed hers. A broad smile spread across his face and she couldn’t help but mirror it with her own.

  “Well, my boy, welcome to the family,” her father’s voice boomed through the small room. Jess’s hands covered her face to hide her embarrassment. She couldn’t be sure how Caleb felt about the whole situation. Sure, they had had some fun, but did he feel the same way she did? Or were they scaring the bejesus out of him?

  He let out a hearty laugh and ran his hand over her back, soothing her.

  Finally, she peered up and met his gaze. His eyes glistened with pride. A knowing grin spread across his face, and the anxiety began to fade away just as fast as it arrived.

  “Thank you, sir.” His smile said it all. Even though her parents had inducted him into their family, he didn’t falter or cower away. It seemed like he couldn’t be happier.

  “We better change the subject before Jess expires,” Mom joked. She handed Caleb the plate of bacon and wafted the intoxicating scent of the maple-smoked strips throughout the tiny dining room. Her mother tried to hide the wide smile that began to creep across her face, but failed miserably.

  “Where are Harper and Emma?”

  “Harper’s at the diner. Supplies were being delivered today. Emma is still sleeping. She’s been talking to that boy on the phone till all hours of the night.”

  Figures. Emma never gets up before noon. And she wonders why we always give her the late shift. The room fell silent other than the occasional clinking of silverware. Her mind began to replay the events of the past few days. Shifters hunting down and killing their own kind? Why? She studied her parents’ kind faces. Just days ago they were unaware of the dangers that lurked outside of Blackford, and she couldn’t imagine anything happening to anyone she loved. A quick glance at Caleb confirmed he had been watching her. Concern etched his face. His brows were furrowed and his gaze intense. She gave him a wink and turned back to her pancakes.