Submission MMA Shifter Urban Fantasy: (The Unleashed Book 1)

by Mandie Stevens

  “Stop, Lyla. Let’s get you to your house. Then give me a chance to prove to you I’m not crazy. It all makes sense.”

  She leaned back and crossed her arms. “Yeah, right, you will chop me up in little bits, aren’t you?”

  I cracked a smile. “I will not hurt you. I’m telling you the truth. You saw Veronica wanting to stop my brother, didn’t you?” We pulled up into her driveway, and I put the Tahoe in park. “Just give me a chance.”

  She dropped her head. “Fine. You have 10 minutes if I’m not convinced you better leave.”

  My heart raced. I opened the door. “That’s all I need.”

  Lyla and Veronica’s apartment smelled like lilacs. I took a deep breath. Being here was comforting, and I’d missed it. I’d missed being with her. Lyla would be safe here; I’d had no contact with her in months. Corbin had been smart about that. Smarter than I’d given him credit for.

  “Well? You have eight minutes and 30 seconds to convince me.” Lyla stood against the wall with a knife in her hand.

  I started to sweat. I could do this if she didn’t stab me. “Fine. Then let me warn you, I’m getting ready to change. I will not hurt you. I repeat, I will not harm you. For fucks sake, please put that knife down.”

  She cocked her hip. “You tell me you’re going to turn into a wild animal, and you want me to put the knife down?”

  I tossed my hands. “I’m not wild, Lyla. I’m your best friend. Fine. Whatever. Hold the damn knife.” I unbuttoned my shirt.

  Her eyes bore into me. “Best friends don’t abandon me, Jack.”

  I shook my head. “I told you that my brother is trying to kill me.” I shimmied out of my shirt.

  She backed up. “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing? Keep your clothes on.”

  I tossed my hands in the air. “I’ll rip my clothes.” Her hand with the knife was shaking. “Lyla. It’s okay. It is still me.” She shut her eyes tight and nodded. I finished undressing then got onto all fours to change. My wolf wanted to come out, and I changed quickly with little to no pain. I looked up through my wolf’s eyes to see Lyla still had her eyes shut.

  I padded over to her and nudged her hand. She opened her eyes. “Holy shit, Jack. Jack?” She looked around the room then back down to me. “This really is you?”

  I nodded and nudged her hand for a pet. She set the knife down and dragged her hands through my four. “You’re so beautiful and fluffy. I wish I would have watched you change. You weren’t lying, and oh my god, Vonny is a vampire? Holy fuck. How in the hell did I miss that? Want to change back so we can talk?”

  I strutted over to my clothes to change back. My wolf whimpered a bit, but Lyla knew. She knew who we were now, and that should pacify him for a little while. My body changed quickly. Lyla never took her eyes from me.

  I stood, naked. She raked her eyes over me, and I was suddenly self-conscience. Being naked was natural, but I felt strangely vulnerable.

  “Vonny didn’t want you to know, about the supernatural. As you can see, our world isn’t always easy, but you will be safe here in your apartment.” I bent down to pick up my pants.

  “You’re going to leave me here? By myself?” She stepped nearer, closing the distance between us.

  I swallowed. “I need to find my brother and end this. He will come after me until one of us is dead.”

  “Stay. Just for a little while. Hopefully Vonny will be back soon, but not too soon.” She reached up and kissed me. I dropped my pants and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.

  The door opened. I looked over my shoulder to see Vonny. She moved so quickly. She grabbed me by the shoulders and tossed me across the room. My back hit the wall.

  “What the fuck, Veronica?” Lyla stood, covering herself.

  Ignoring Lyla, the vampire came straight toward me. “I warned you, Jack. You’re just going to hurt her.”

  “Knock it off, Veronica, and thanks for lying to me all these years,” Lyla hissed. Veronica turned from me to Lyla then back to me.

  Confusion then realization crossed her face. “You told her? It wasn’t your secret to tell!”

  I grabbed my pants and slipped them on. “She has every right to know, and you know it. She is still your friend, Veronica.”

  Lyla crossed her arms. “That depends. Are you going to quit throwing Jack around?”

  Veronica pointed my way. “This one is trouble! You can do better than Jack, I promise.”

  “Of course, she can.” I laughed. “What happened with my brother?”

  “He got away.” She sat on the table and looked from Lyla to me and back. “Don’t worry, he didn’t follow me. Odecir stayed behind just to make sure.”

  There was a knock at the door. I tensed up. Veronica shook her head. “I doubt your brother would know where we live, stupid. It is probably Odecir. I told him to meet up here once he was sure that it was safe.”

  Lyla jogged out of the room. I watched her ass the entire way. Veronica cut her eyes to me then walked to open the door.

  Odecir stepped through the door, his eyes dark. “I leave you alone for an hour, a freakin’ hour, man, and you do exactly what you weren’t supposed to. How am I going to explain this to Corbin? It’s bad enough that we disappeared from the fights. Jonathan has called my phone seventeen times, but I haven’t answered, not even when Corbin called me. Dammit, man, you are getting me in trouble. I’m covering your ass and now this?” He pushed past me and sat on the couch, shaking his head.

  Veronica slammed the front door. “Odecir, you are lucky I didn’t rip his throat out.”

  I gazed at her. “Thanks Vonny, I’m so glad to know we’re such good friends.”

  Lyla waltzed back into the living room, “Oh stop it, Veronica. Seriously.”

  Veronica crossed her arms and lowered her head.

  Odecir smiled at Lyla. “Hello, pretty lady. I’m sorry but I have to take Jack away. We need to figure this out, figure it all out.” He scanned the room looking at all of us, his eyes finally rested on me, “You need to say goodbye.”

  I turned to Lyla grabbing her hand. She spoke first. “Am I going to see you again?”

  “I certainly hope so, but first I need to take care of my brother.” I leaned down and kissed her, soft and slowly, relishing every second. I wasn’t ready to leave her. I wasn’t sure if Corbin or Veronica would let me see her again.

  I shut the door to Odecir’s car. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

  He started the car. “Yes, no one followed me. Dude, what the fuck were you thinking? You reek of Lyla. The one chick that was off limits to you, and you fuck her. What is wrong with you, bro?”

  I hung my head. “I didn’t have sex with her. We kissed and it isn’t like I planned it.”

  Odecir grunted. “Yes, you did. You and I both know that the moment you saw her she would be yours.”

  I crossed my arms. No matter how much I wanted her, it could never happen. The realization suddenly snapped me back to reality. My heart stung. “Like you said, there is no way that Corbin will let that happen.”

  Odecir shook his head. “You’re a fucking pussy, Jack.” He whipped into a parking spot.

  I felt uneasy. So much had happened in one night: my brother finally making an appearance, my time with Lyla, learning she felt the same as me, and my disappearing act from the pack. I wasn’t looking forward to the repercussions from that.

  “Where are we?”

  Odecir snickered. “A bar. We need to get her smell off you.”

  I smelled my arm. I didn’t smell anything. “What? How in the hell am I going to do that?” I asked following him into the bar.

  He pointed at the bar. “Sit. Give us two beers. Something local.”

  The bartender, smelling of magick, set two draft beers in front of us.

  Odecir took a sip of his beer. “You see those two girls over at the end of the bar?”

  I looked over to see a thin blonde and a busty brunette. “No, absolutely not.” The thought of
anyone but Lyla made me nauseous.

  Odecir leaned in. “Listen. These chicks are pack groupies, and like it or not, you have alpha written all over you.”

  I looked from the girls back to Odecir. “But they’re human.”

  He shrugged. “Humans who would love to bag a shifter. We’re a novelty.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “No, man, I will not do it.”

  “Yes, yes, you are going to. I have fought your battles and chased your ass all over town tonight. For once, you will do what the fuck I say.” He downed the beer and slammed it on the bar. He pressed his finger in my chest. “Listen, this isn’t all about you anymore. You’ve involved the entire pack in your mess, and I’m going to be in enough trouble because of your ass.”

  I took a sip of my beer and looked over my shoulder at the girls.

  He looked to the bartender and pointed to his empty glass. “Listen, just pick one. You don’t have to fuck her, just get her turned on and get her scent on you to cover up Lyla.”

  “Fine.” I downed the rest of my beer. “I can do that.”

  I nodded to the bartender. “Give me whatever they are drinking.”

  How did I get myself into predicaments like this? Sure, I’d been a player in the past, so this really shouldn’t be a big deal, but it was. All I could think of was Lyla. I didn’t want her scent off me. I wanted the opposite. I wanted to be with her, be in her, but here I was, saving my ass again.

  I grabbed the drinks and walked over to the girls. The blonde perked up and rested her hand on her chin. The brunette looked up from her phone.

  “Hello, ladies, you looked thirsty.” I set the drinks down in front of their already full drinks.

  The blonde held out her hand. “I’m Maisy, and this is Vera. I haven’t seen you in here before. Please sit.”

  “And you are?” Vera set her phone down and rested her chin on her hand. “And what pack are you from?”

  Maisy bit her lip. “Yeah, we know you are one of those shifter guys. You have a feel about you that is different.”

  “And most of the guys in here are shifters. What are you?” Vera asked.

  God, I hated bragging, and I hated games, but this wouldn’t be the first time I’d used it to get a piece of ass. However, this felt wrong. They were nothing like Lyla. Maybe Odecir had been right, maybe I’d known right away that she was mine.

  I looked over my shoulder to him. He frowned at me. Odecir was right; I couldn’t just think about myself.

  “You know the East Atlantic pack and the Canterbury pack in England? It’s one pack now, and I’m the alpha. It is the largest pack in the world.”

  Maisy fingered the rim of her glass. “So you’re alpha of the largest pack in the world?”

  I took a sip of my beer. I could do this.

  Vera looked up, pouting. “You don’t sound English. How do we know you are telling the truth?”

  “Well, I find you ladies quite fit, and if I’m a lucky lad, I’d like to spend more time with you.” I wiggled my brows and dropped into my English accent.

  Maisy cooed. “Hmm, what does that mean?”

  I snickered. “It means you are hot, and we should get out of here. I’ve lived both here and in England. Ask my friend over there, he’ll say I’m telling the truth.” They both looked over to Odecir, who gave them a little wave.

  “So you know Corbin Reynolds, too?” Maisy asked.

  I should have mentioned Corbin from the beginning. Of course, these bar flies would know who he was. “Yes, we’re friends. I’ve been staying with him.”

  “Damn, you’re an alpha, and hot, and British.” Maisy placed her hand on my thigh. “You want to get out of here?”

  Vera shot her friend a dirty look. “You just going to leave me here?”

  “Of course not. I’d love it if you came too.” I leaned in and brushed my lips across her neck.

  Maisy shrugged. “Works for me.” Both ladies stood and grabbed each other’s hands. I looked over to Odecir who pointed toward a door. I led the ladies in there and shut the door behind me.

  Vera put her hand on her hip. “This is a closet. What kind of girls do you take us for?”

  I lifted my hand, brushing her breast. “Well, if you don’t want to . . .” I said in a husky voice.

  “Shut. Up. Vera. If you don’t want to be here, then leave,” Maisy hissed and put her hand on my crotch. It did nothing for me, I felt repulsed, as if betraying Lyla but I had to do this.

  Vera leaned into me, giving me a deep kiss. “No, I want to.” I slid my hand under her dress, grabbing her ass.

  “Thanks,” I said, gently pushing Vera off me.

  Her eyes widened, “What do you mean, thanks?”

  I opened the door. “I mean, I’m done here.”

  “What the fuck?” Maisy said. “You’re done?”

  “You have each other.” I shrugged before exiting the door seeing their look of disbelief. Not my problem, I'd accomplished what I came to do.

  Odecir looked at me. “You definitely got their scent all over you.” He looked past me toward the closet door and set down his beer. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish what you started.”

  “Don’t be too long. We still have to take care of my brother.” I shook my head and sat at the bar. The bartender laughed, placing another beer in front of me.

  A familiar scent hit me, my eyes welled up. “I should have known you’d be at a pub. You’re a stupid boy, Jack.” I didn’t have to turn around to know that voice. Marcus, my father’s right-hand man and younger brother. He sat down in the chair next to me and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m thinking the pack would be better in Charles’ hand. At least he has the balls to lead, you stupid wanker. Corbin, I told you we’d find him at a pub, always at a pub.”

  I didn’t look up. Marcus looked too much like my father, and the pain of losing him and the guilt was too close to the surface. I smelled my cousin Henry behind us, he was never far behind his Father. I blinked away the tears. I couldn’t break. Not now, not in front of the pack and not in front of my family.

  I cleared my throat and turned to see Odecir coming out of the closet with the girls close behind. The girls were adjusting their outfits. He must have done a good job, they both had smiles on their faces. Corbin’s jaw was tight.

  “You smell like whores.” Corbin hissed.

  Odecir laughed. “Not whores. I did not pay, my friend.” The girls perked up when they saw Corbin, but their expression quickly changed when they saw his disgust.

  Corbin shook his head and looked back to us. “Nevertheless, I am disappointed. We looked for you all night. Odecir, why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  He held out his hands. “Oh, I must have lost it.”

  Jonathon threw up his arms. “Isn’t that convenient? You two were off playing, and they abducted Tallulah while we were looking for you Jack.”

  I leaned against the bar. As crazy as he was, I didn’t think my brother would do such a thing. “Are you sure it was Charles? There were a lot of packs at the fight. It would be an opportune time to steal a pure-bred female,” I said.

  “That is barbaric, even for Charles. He took her because he knows that she is valuable, and her pack would fight for her. It is a strategic move,” Marcus said.

  “Exactly. He wants you in exchange for her. Her pack will come after him and our pack if something happens to her,” Jonathon said.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Fine. Let’s just end this and do the exchange.” Marcus was right. Charles was a better alpha, and my mother would have to deal with him for the first time in her life.

  Jonathan slapped me on the back. “Sweet Jesus, can you be any more of a pussy? No, we aren’t trading you, although if it were up to me I’d get rid of your ass. We’re going to get Tallulah back and kick your no-good brother’s ass.”

  My uncle put his arm around me. “We are not allowing you to do that, Jack. Your mother would never forgive me.”

&n
bsp; “I agree. Let’s go back to the compound, make sure Jack is safe, and come up with a plan,” Corbin said.

  Veronica’s Tahoe was parked in front of the gates of the compound. My heart raced, and a million scenarios played through my mind. She wouldn’t be here unless there was a good reason.

  Jonathon slowed the van. “I smell a vampire.”

  I shifted in my seat, read to bolt. “It’s Veronica. She’s a friend.”

  Marcus scoffed, “You’re consorting with vamps now?”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “Auntie will be so proud.”

  Ignoring my cousin, I opened the van door before Jonathan could stop and ran to her.

  “No, Jack!” I heard Corbin yell from behind me. Veronica lay in front of her truck, her fingers holding onto the gate, shaking it with several of our pack in wolf form on the other side, growling.

  She was vamped. Her teeth extended, and her eyes dilated black.

  “Holy shit, the fence is magically charged. She shouldn’t be able to even touch it much less hold it,” Jonathon said.

  “Stay back,” Corbin ordered, but I didn’t comply. If Veronica was at a den of wolves, then it was important.

  I screamed. “Veronica, where is Lyla?”

  She turned to me, and her expression softened. I grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back, forcing her to release the gate.

  She dropped to her knees. “They took her.” She collapsed into my arms.

  I knew who ‘they’ were. “Bring her inside,” I demanded.

  “A vampire?” Jonathon looked from me to Corbin.

  I looked back, challenging him. He shook his head. He knew I wasn’t going to budge. I’d fight him if I had to.

  “She’s my friend. She said that Charles has Lyla.”

  “God dammit.” Corbin gritted his teeth. “Fine, bring her inside.”

  I scooped her up. She was much heavier than she appeared. I set her in the van, and we drove to the pack’s infirmary on the east side of the compound.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Are the shackles really necessary? She’s a vampire. She can break through them anyway.” I ran my finger around her wrist.

  Jonathon ignored me and pointed to her other wrist. “She’s bleeding. She must have fed recently.”