Alpha Me Not

by Jianne Carlo

  He arrived at the parked vehicles to find Susie and Kieran conversing.

  What the fuck?

  “She woke the minute you left. Literally.” Kieran gave him a thumbs-up.

  Roses stained Susie’s cheeks, but she didn’t utter a word. He went straight to her, cupped her cheek, and scrutinized every feature. Pupils normal, breathing even, and her skin had warmed to a regular temperature. “You okay?”

  “It wasn’t so bad this time.” She squeezed his wrist. “I’m good.”

  “What did you find?”

  “You know me too well.” Joe dragged the bag from the pocket. “It’s not Petey’s. Not unless his scent changed while I was away.”

  “I’ll have it analyzed.” Kieran accepted the plastic bag. “The funeral’s been moved up. The coroner finished with…with the body this morning. Everything’s set for tomorrow at three.”

  Jesus. “I’ll drive everyone. Susie will handle the guests. All you and Barb need to do is get through the day. That’s your only focus, buddy.” Joe couldn’t get out another word, not with the tears flowing freely down Kieran’s face. He grabbed him into a fierce hug. “Lean on me.”

  Kieran smacked his back. “After. After. We get the bastard.”

  “We will.” Reluctantly Joe released his grip on Kieran.

  “Later.” Kieran spun around and marched to his SUV.

  Joe waited until Kieran reversed the vehicle and was headed in the opposite direction. He checked on Susie before hopping into the driver’s seat.

  He caught her jaw. “What happened up there?”

  “I saw him again. Petey.” She swallowed. “I realized I never saw his eyes yesterday. I did up there. Just for a second. Not even a second. A flash. Did he have very green eyes?”

  Fuck. She really was seeing Petey. “Kieran always teased Barb about the milkman because both of them have dark eyes. There isn’t a single ancestor on both sides who have light eyes. You have another headache, don’t you?” The small veins at her temples pulsed.

  “Yes. It was really bad at the rock, but it’s receding now.” She knuckled the side of her head.

  “Close your eyes and rest. Doze if you can. I’ll wake you when we get home.”

  She fell asleep before they hit the highway.

  Could there be a cave inside the rock? Maybe Tate could find the way in. Unlike Joe, Tate was a full wolf and could shift.

  Susie’s brother’s sudden appearance could be useful. With Gray staying in the house, he and Tate could roam the woods tonight and go over every inch of ground. Gray could watch over Susie.

  Tate’s return stateside had been both unexpected and provident. He’d told Susie a small white one on the drive up. Tate had caught Gray trying to break into the house. Gray had mistaken Tate for Joe, though, and there had been a rumble.

  Why was Tate back in the country?

  He’d signed on for a long-term undercover mission in an undisclosed location with such a high-risk stake he’d left his will in Joe’s safe. What had Tate and Gray thought of the other prominent item in the safe? The thick, plain gold wedding band had belonged to Gran-gran. He’d kept it in the bank vault until yesterday. It would be perfect on Susie’s finger but probably needed sizing.

  Grinning, he studied said finger. Long, shapely, and graceful like the rest of the woman. If her brother had half Susie’s smarts and a tad of her reasonableness, then he’d gain an important ally today.

  Tate’s black truck and a white sports car were parked in the driveway. Susie didn’t flicker an eyelid when he bundled her out of the seat and into his arms. Tate opened the door just as Joe cleared the last step onto the porch.

  Behind Tate stood a tall, lean male.

  Joe nodded at both men. He mouthed, Be right back.

  He settled Susie in the middle of the mattress, took off her sneakers, and covered her with a light blanket. A deep satisfaction cloaked him, and he couldn’t resist staring at her and smiling. His mate in his bed.

  The way things should and would be.

  He shrugged off his coat on the way to the kitchen.

  Gray and Tate stopped talking when Joe walked into the room and slung his jacket over the back of a chair.

  “Is Susie okay?”

  Gray White didn’t seem like a man who minced words, but neither did he appear amicable. He leaned against the counter, arms folded, one ankle propped over the other. The Native American heritage hinted at by Susie’s high cheekbones and olive skin was pronounced in her brother.

  “She’s exhausted, but other than that—fine. Is that coffee fresh?” Joe asked Tate, who nursed a mug and sat on the bench behind the table, one leg bent, the other hidden by the table.

  “Brewed minutes ago.” Tate sported a swollen right eye.

  Joe gave Gray a second glance. Aside from a cut at the corner of his mouth, he appeared unscathed by the fight that had taken place earlier.

  “You’ve stamped your scent on my sister.” Gray straightened.

  “You told him?” Joe asked Tate.

  “Don’t blame Tate. I knew he was a wolf after the first punch, and I knew about you the minute you stepped through the doorway. No wolf could miss your markings.” Gray yanked a chair from the table, spun it around, and sat, legs straddling the back.

  “Gray’s a white wolf. Can’t shift.” Tate balanced his worn black Stetson on his knee.

  “Managed to get the jump on you, even so. Don’t see him wearing a shiner.” Joe grabbed a mug from the tree holder and poured a cup of coffee.

  Gray snickered and quirked a brow.

  Tate rolled his eyes. “That was Zaara’s work, not his.”

  “Zaara?”

  “The kid decided to help Gray and came over to tell him where the spare key’s kept. Long story. Hurt her more than me. She cried. I promised to take her for ice cream.”

  “You might as well own up. Zaara doesn’t seem like the type who’ll keep a secret.” Gray jutted his chin at the back door.

  Only then did Joe see the crutches leaning on the door. “What happened?”

  “Broke my fibula. Had to opt out of the mission.” Tate lifted a shoulder. “Propped the crutches to tackle Gray. Zaara ran between us. I twisted to get out of her way. Overcompensated for the cast and the handle got my eye.”

  “You broke a bone? How?”

  “Got caught in a foot trap. It’s already healed, but you know I couldn’t tell that to Monty. He shipped me stateside pronto. Came back yesterday. Haven’t had time to saw off the cast yet.”

  Monty, their squad leader, didn’t know of either man’s wolf heritage.

  “Are we done with the chitchat?” Gray stretched his arms high. “I can only stay a week at most, and I want Susie settled by the time I leave.”

  “She doesn’t know I’m part wolf.”

  Gray blinked. “How could she not know? Alpha’s written all over you.”

  Joe frowned. “Why would she even suspect me of being a wolf?”

  “She suspects every man of being a wolf. It’s like a test or something. That’s what my sister Melanie says anyway.”

  Joe finished his coffee. “It seems the fact that I’m somewhat of an expert ballroom dancer’s thrown her off. Apparently, in Susie’s eyes alpha men and ballroom dancing don’t mix. I couldn’t tell she has wolf heritage, although I did suspect she knew more about wolves than a normal female.”

  “Joe and I were both raised by humans. We learned what we know of wolf lore through trial and error. If he hadn’t caught me shifting, we certainly wouldn’t have trusted the truth to one another. Neither of us has spent much time with female wolves.” Tate dusted a miniscule speck from his hat but kept his attention fixed on Gray.

  “I’m coming to realize that there are more differences between wolf species and half-breeds than there are similarities. My brother-in-law, Mike, is a half-breed, but he’s almost a full wolf in most capacities.”

  “What about your sisters? Susie and I went for a run last night. She di
d two miles in less than five minutes.” Joe sipped his coffee.

  “She can outrun most males I know, human or otherwise. But she’d never admit there’s any wolf talent in her.” Gray shook his head.

  “Why not?”

  “Susie wants none of it. The wolf part. My other sisters, Melanie and Lizzie, both have wolf talents. Melanie hears the last call of a soul. Lizzie can predict the slightest barometric drop if she sets her mind to it.”

  The last call of a soul…the notion raised the hairs on Joe’s nape. Crap. That’s all he needed. He poured another cup of coffee, drew up a chair, and sat. “Explain this last call of a soul thing.”

  Gray’s wide grin evaporated. “Something’s happened. Tell me.”

  Joe recounted Susie’s vision of Petey the day before and what had happened on the trail.

  “Susie’s never complained of headaches. And not once has she ever talked about seeing the dead. Melanie, yes, Susie—no way.” Gray stood and walked a tight pace in front of the table.

  “It upset her tremendously. She told me more than once that she’s not the type to be creeped out.” Joe rocked his chair back. “I’m guessing she’s in denial. And fighting whatever’s happening to her. Has Melanie always heard this last call?”

  “No. She’s an animal lover. A while back there was a spate of black bear killings. Vicious slaughters, actually. That’s when the last call thing began. Our grandmother heard them too.”

  “Sounds very close to what happened to Susie. It was Petey’s last communication.” Tate shifted to the right and eased his foot past the table. “Damned cast is beginning to itch. Want to saw it off for me?”

  “Okay. Let’s take this to the garage.” Joe lurched to his feet.

  “Melanie doesn’t have visions. Not the way you described. She gets flashes and feelings. More of a general impression. What you described is too detailed. A Rubik’s Cube with three sides filled in?” Gray shook his head.

  “I haven’t questioned her about the cave thing. She passed out right after that revelation and when she woke seemed kinda shaky, so I left it alone. Then she fell asleep on the way home. It’ll wait till later.”

  “I don’t like this one bit. Susie won’t either. I can’t tell you how many times she’s said how glad she is not to have any white wolf traits. Maybe it won’t happen again.” Gray pursed his lips. “Shit. Even I know that’s not going to happen. Once it starts, it develops real fast. That’s how it happened with Melanie.”

  “I think you’re right on that one. There were a couple of other times on the trail where she was all creeped out. I want to go back and check those areas.” Joe set his coffee cup in the sink.

  Tate reached over to grab his crutches. “Do you think she might be blocking Petey’s communication subconsciously?”

  “Probably. She’s had a ton thrown at her within the last while. The fire. The vision. The bridge. Seeing Petey at the outcrop. Kieran broke down before we parted, and I know that really affected her.”

  “While she won’t admit it, Susie is a complete nitpicker. Loves order. Fuck, she even organizes her organizing. This vision thing will jump-kick her into next week.”

  “It sounds to me that your sister’s definitely anal.”

  Gray snorted. “Anal doesn’t begin to describe her. Susie has her life planned to the second and refuses to let her schedule slip. That girl wears blinders. She’s always said that while she may not know what she wants, she knows precisely what she doesn’t. Our middle sister Melanie recently married Mike, an alpha. Susie’s motto is alpha me not. In caps.”

  Joe groaned. “Tell me about it. No husband, no children, no marriage. She’s been warning me off since we met.”

  “When she finds out you’re a fucking alpha, she’s gonna hit the roof. I guarantee that.”

  Chapter Eight

  Susie opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before everything fell into place.

  Joe’s house, Joe’s bed, Joe’s smell.

  She and Joe. In a relationship. Was that such an awful thing?

  It could only end badly. What was the point of starting something that had no future? She had no intentions of changing her goals. Stick to the plan; that was the best option.

  The morning’s events crashed back at her.

  Petey.

  Those remarkable eyes.

  How could she even contemplate her and Joe in the face of all that had happened? Kieran’s silent tears, the agonizing pain in his shuddered sobs, and the bleak despair hunching his shoulders.

  What Barb must be feeling.

  She couldn’t even begin to imagine how any mother coped with the loss of a child. No one should have to bear such anguish.

  She would not cry.

  Tears helped nothing.

  And she never gave in to them. Right. Rack up the weepiness over the last couple of days. Well, a ton of shit had happened, and maybe a couple of sniffles were in order. She swiped at her cheeks and gritted her teeth. Time to get up, get going, and stop wallowing in self-pity.

  Gray.

  She shot up. He was here. Damn it. How could she have forgotten? Just what she didn’t need—her brother and his alpha posturing. God. She had left Joe and Gray alone together. How long had she been asleep?

  A quick glance at the digital clock showed the time: six o’clock. Susie scrambled off the bed, realized she was fully dressed, and dashed to the bathroom. After shrugging off her jacket, she hung it on a peg, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair. Checked in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place and then jogged down the hallway.

  There was no need to feel guilty. She was an adult and entitled to a sex life. Gawd, how could she face Joe and Gray in the same room?

  The doorbell rang before she reached the kitchen. Susie hesitated but turned right and detoured to the living room. She peered through the peephole and frowned at the familiar but distorted face.

  She opened the door, smiled, and greeted Bob, the delivery guy. “Evening, Bob. I take it Joe ordered something?”

  Bob carried a brown paper bag in each arm. He had the bill between his teeth.

  “My bad. You can’t talk. Here, give me the bags.” She opened her arms and accepted the packages. “If you follow me to the kitchen, I can sign for the receipt.”

  “No need to sign, miss. It’s already paid for. Have a great dinner. I’ll pop the receipt on the top here.” A toothy grin dimpled Bob’s cheeks. He tucked the bill into the left bag, saluted sharply, and spun around.

  He hadn’t even waited for his tip. She’d get him next time.

  Susie footed the door shut and headed for the kitchen. The empty kitchen. She dumped the bags on the counter and frowned. Had Gray and Joe gone out?

  “Thought I heard you walking about.”

  She jumped, and her heart screeched to a halt at the bottom of her throat, beating faster than a frantic drumroll.

  Turning around, one hand to her chest, the other white knuckling the counter in a fierce grip, she snapped, “You scared the dickens right out of me, Joe Huroq. Don’t you ever sneak up on me like that again. Cough or clear your throat or something. Where’s Gray? And where were you? The food’s here.”

  He ignored her small tirade and enveloped her in a bear hug. “Sorry. I promise to announce my presence from now on. Deal?”

  Drawing back, he flashed her a dazzling bad-boy smile. It was damned hard to remain angry with his dark eyes twinkling at her and those cute dimples making him look both boyish and adorable. She pouted and rolled her eyes. “Deal.”

  “To answer your questions. I was in the garage sawing a cast off Tate’s leg. Your brother is finishing the job.”

  Without any warning, he slanted his mouth over hers. He tasted of coffee, dark and sweet, the rich Cuban kind she’d sampled a couple of weeks before, courtesy of Petra. And Susie couldn’t help it, she sighed into him. He turned her into a mush lust puddle in a heartbeat.

  “The color’s back i
n your cheeks.” He nipped her lobe. “You had me on edge, babe.”

  Babe. She liked that. “I’m fine now.”

  “You’ve been out for hours.”

  She didn’t want to think about that or about Hallelujah Mountain, the creepy bridge, and the pain and abject terror of that blasted rock. “You woke me before dawn, and we tramped uphill a thousand feet. I was exhausted. What else could you expect?”

  He raised a brow.

  She curled her fingers in an attempt to fight the urge to wallop him. “Wait a minute. Did you just say you were cutting a cast off Tate?”

  “Yeah.” His lips curved into a smile.

  “Isn’t that, well, dangerous? Medically unsound? And a whole bunch of other no-no’s?” She tossed her hair.

  He tucked a lock behind her ear and fingered a whorl.

  She flicked his hand away. He had turned her ears into total erogenous zones. Any time he touched her there, finger, teeth, lips…heck it was like he’d drawn a line from ear to clit.

  “Tate heals unusually fast. His bone’s mended, and he wanted the cast off.”

  She frowned and studied his face. “So you just decided to saw it off? Hang on, didn’t you also say Gray was finishing the job?”

  “Uh-huh. Quite a guy, your bro.”

  A ghost snaked up her spine. She narrowed her eyes. “Sounds as if you two hit it off.”

  “I wouldn’t call it that. But we do understand each other.”

  Uh-oh. “Did he ask about your intentions? Because if he did, I’m going to brain him.”

  Joe tsked and shook his head. “Nope. He never asked that one. Actually he didn’t ask any questions.”

  Gray? Her alpha-to-the-max brother hadn’t asked the guy sleeping with his sister any questions? She wriggled her shoulders, but the movement only knit her bunched muscles further. Her throat went dry. “Did he threaten you?”

  He scratched his chin and studied a tile on the ceiling. She dug her nails into her palms and battled the wallop urge once again.

  “Threat? Nah. More of a promise. I believe Gray promised to beat me within an inch of my life if I didn’t put a ring on your finger before the end of the week.”