Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1)

by Jocelyn Thomas

  Her thoughts turned to business, though, as she stepped into the Coyote and saw the outrageous crowd. She’d almost forgotten the Gumbo Festival Willow Falls held every year. The annual event was three days of feasting and dancing to traditional Cajun music, and crowds piled into the tiny town from across Louisiana. It was true, the gumbo here was the finest outside New Orleans, and the tourists came in droves. The bed and breakfast would be booked solid, the nearest large hotel as well, plus a number of RVs and camping equipment for around the lake and the fields just outside of town.

  Ava didn’t mind; it meant large tips that made the long nights worth the trouble. Today, she joined Lil, Kelly, and Rhonda, who had worked at the Coyote as long as she could remember, in knuckling down to take on the madness.

  If she’d thought lunch was busy, Ava had been mistaken. The supper rush was overwhelming, and while Lil worked the bar, Ava took the entire upper section, with Rhonda and Kelly splitting the main floor and patio. Ava felt breathless, as though she was running a sprint, and still, she couldn’t keep up. Every time she thought she’d get a moment to stretch, she heard the call from the kitchen, “Order up!”

  “How many damn RVs are in the parking lot?” Kelly asked as they bumped elbows collecting their orders. Ava had a better view of the door opening and closing from the upper level.

  “At least ten,” she answered, hoisting the plates and shuffling them in her hands. There wasn’t an empty seat anywhere, and she could already see three more groups gathered by the bar, waiting. “And it’s only six-thirty.”

  Rhonda brushed past them. “The band starts at eight. They’ll start clearing out soon.” She cursed under her breath. “Can someone carry my order to table five?” she asked, squirming in her shorts. “I have to hit the ladies’.”

  It was only a tray of beer, and Ava nodded. “Sure, I’ll drop this and come back for it in just a sec.” Rhonda darted away with a grateful look, her jet black hair blowing behind her curvy body, and Ava took over.

  Tray in hand, Ava headed to table five, hoping she could sneak a break to the bathroom soon. “Order up, Ava!” the kitchen manager called yet again. Ava growled and hurried to take care of Rhonda’s table. “Hey, guys, here y’all go,” she announced as she delivered the beers.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t the pretty lady.”

  Ava stiffened as she raised her eyes to look at the source of the familiar voice. The man’s mouth curled into a wicked grin, and Ava’s heart pounded. Shit! Even in the light of the bar, he looked menacing, and she fought down her uneasiness at her molester’s presence, refusing to show her alarm.

  Purposely ignoring his comment, Ava delivered the beers as if they were any other customers. It wasn’t her table, so all she had to do was finish this and head back to her own section of the bar. “Enjoy your drinks. Your waitress will be with you shortly.” She turned to walk away, the empty tray swinging from her hand.

  Someone grabbed her elbow, and her skin crawled as it had last night at the creep’s touch. She cringed, feeling violated yet again. “Come on, sweetheart. We want you to be our waitress.”

  To Ava, his voice was a deep hiss, like a snake, and she felt dirty just hearing it. She turned to address him, attempting unsuccessfully to wriggle her arm free. “I apologize, sir, but I’m not assigned to this table. Rhonda is an excellent server, and she’ll be with you in just a minute.” But he still held her tight, and she lost her pleasant grin, adding a little venom to her own tone. “You should let go of my arm so I can return to my own customers while you go about your own business.” He dismissed her with a mocking expression and tightened his grip, pulling her closer to the table.

  He was too strong for her to fight, and his fingertips bit into her skin as he replied chillingly, “I said, I want you as my waitress.”

  Obviously, this asshole didn’t care about making a scene; determine to prove his superior strength. With all her strength, Ava wrenched at her arm. “Let go of me!” She was no match for him, and her arm burned from twisting the skin in his tight grip. He leered at her, seeming to enjoy her struggle even more. Other patrons were taking notice, and Ava not only hurt, but grew nervous at his lack of concern. He was displaying severe aggression in a very public setting, and that spoke volumes to the danger he represented.

  ******

  Lil felt the shift in the air and looked up from her conversation with a patron at the bar to see Ava’s struggle and the man’s brooding harassment. Her mood darkened. She didn’t tolerate unruly customers in her place, and she certainly didn’t let them manhandle her employees. She’d noticed the group when they’d come in, and she’d hoped they were all bark and no bite. Fuck. She didn’t need this shit today.

  Slamming her palms on the counter, she shoved back and reached under her, pulling out a 12-gauge shotgun and walking purposefully toward the disturbance. Standing next to Ava with a menacing glare of her own, she asked, “Is there a problem here, boys?”

  The man with his hands on Ava gazed up at her with a false passive smile. “Yes, ma’am. We asked your girl here nicely to be our server, and she refused.”

  Lil considered Ava’s expression, full of concern and disgust, and she took in the appearance of the nasty group. This man seemed to think Ava owed him something, which Lil seriously doubted. She never would understand where men got the idea they could have whatever they wanted, whenever they liked.

  Lil gave the shotgun a shake, engaging it and holding it under the table, pointed directly at the man’s crotch. “I suggest that you get your grubby hands off my employee right now.” She spoke in a low tone, with too many people’s attention already drawn to the incident. She didn’t want the whole place focused on this and getting antsy. This was the sort of thing that started bar fights and riots. “If you don’t, I promise you, I’ll be collecting more from you than your tab tonight.”

  Lil stared the man down as his expression blackened. She wasn’t afraid to use the shotgun, but things rarely got so heated in here. Finally, the jerk slowly released his hold on Ava’s arm. He still carried that arrogant air about him, but the smell of fear grew ripe on him. Lil knew he’d realized he was messing with the wrong woman.

  Lowering the shotgun but not her glare, she growled, “Now, I suggest you haul your asses the fuck out of my bar and grill and never come back.”

  His companions threw a few bills on the table, wide-eyed, and pushed the instigator to his feet, their beers forgotten as they headed for the door. With a slow strut, the ringleader followed, snarling back at Lil and Ava and muttering something that was certainly obscene as he followed his friends. “Y’all have a good night!” Lil called after them, letting out a guffaw of laughter. She knew how to handle herself in these situations; bars lent themselves to assertive, unruly assholes that became intolerable when they drank.

  Wrapping an arm around Ava’s shoulders, Lil walked her back toward the bar. “Are you okay?” She could sense how shaken Ava was and liked that the girl put on a tough exterior, looking for the most part unruffled. But inside, Lil knew the girl didn’t like conflict and wanted to erase the whole incident from her mind. But for a young one, she certainly faced her fears without blinking, and Lil was proud of her for it.

  “I’m fine,” Ava told her with a weak smile. “Thanks for intervening, Lil.”

  Walking back behind the bar and putting away her weapon, Lil beamed at Ava. “It was my pleasure. I had fun!”

  Chapter 8

  As she rubbed the spot that felt raw and bruised where she’d been manhandled, Ava wanted to crawl in a hole and hide, just for a few minutes, until she regained her courage.

  Instead, she looked around for Kelly, who was trotting toward the bar now. “Remind me never to piss you off, Lil,” she called, laughing.

  Lil, too, laughed heartily, and Ava watched as she poured three shots of tequila, passing one to her and one to Kelly. She held up her own in a salute. “As long as you two work here, I’ve got your asses covered. Got it?” />
  Ava nodded, and she and Kelly touched their shots to hers. Ava threw it back and made a bitter face, coughing as it burned going down. As she recovered, Ava noticed that Kelly had served up her last order for her while she’d been occupied, and she thanked her friend. Rhonda joined them momentarily having heard what happened, and apologized profusely, but Ava waved her off. She couldn’t have known and hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Getting back into the groove, Ava rushed around, her feet killing her, and finally, things slowed in time for the music to start. She took a seat on one of the barstools, slipping off one shoe and massaging her toes and the ball of her foot. She didn’t mind so much; her fanny pack was stuffed with tips. Overall, it had turned out to be a great night.

  “If your tables are clean, you can go home,” Lil told her, sliding up to her on the opposite side of the bar and passing her a short glass of Budweiser. “Kelly’s staying till close, so I’m good for the night.”

  Grabbing the brew with relief, Ava told her, “Thanks, Lil. I appreciate it.”

  She relaxed enough to enjoy her beer, considering staying around anyway so she could catch a ride with Kelly. The idea of walking home on her worn out feet was unbearable. But after an hour, her exhaustion took hold, and she decided to go ahead and make the short walk. She wanted to get home and soak in a hot tub tonight. The sooner she left, the sooner the short walk would be over. She reached over and plucked her satchel from behind the bar and called a goodnight to Lil and Kelly.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Kelly called back.

  Outside, a fresh breeze caressed her face and the clear sky full of stars lit up the night, making the world more of a midnight blue than black. The tranquility soothed Ava, and the smell of lush green foliage helped calm her nerves. She felt better about walking home, refreshed and knowing that at least she wouldn’t be in complete darkness as she went.

  She left the main road for the dirt path that led to her house through the woods, and she scowled, hearing the sound of heavy breathing amongst the cicadas and crickets that sang. She came to an abrupt halt, her heart racing as she strained to listen more closely. She turned her head slowly back and forth, searching the woods for some creature tracking her scent.

  Nothing was there, and she took another step, stopping as the sound was closer now. She whirled around and lost her breath.

  It was him. “Hey, pretty lady.” His smirk gagged her, and Ava wasted no time as she pivoted on her heel and darted down the path toward her house. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, and as she heard heavy footsteps close behind her, she veered to the left, off the trail and into the woods she knew like the back of her hand, hoping to lose him.

  The trees were a blur as she rushed past, the leaves crunching beneath her feet as she ducked and wove between the trees and shrubs. But no matter how fast she ran or how much she darted around, she could still hear his heavy footfalls right behind her.

  She leapt over a fallen log, skirted a stump, and ran toward the open field ahead of her, hoping to find another path before he plowed into her, but her foot caught on a root sticking out of the ground, and her body lurched forward into the tall grass. She landed hard and skidded, ripping the top layer of skin from her forearm and tearing her shirt.

  There was no time to think and nowhere to run. With a quick inhale, she turned on her back, and her stomach clenched. The man stood just a few steps from her, approaching slowly with a predatory expression. She shivered as he stopped dead in his tracks, hulking over her. But as she stared at him, she realized his eyes were fixed on something behind her. She strained her neck, turning to see what stopped him, and her eyes landed on Caleb, towering almost as large as her stalker. His eyes glowed like embers as he let out a low growl, staring the man down. It sent shivers rattling down her spine.

  Mouth ajar, Ava watched with huge eyes as Caleb’s body phased into a large, dark brown wolf. He was massive in size, built with strength, and ready to attack. On all fours, he crouched to launch, looking feral, and if she hadn’t seen the transformation with her own eyes, Ava would never have known that the rabid beast baring its fangs was Caleb. She lay perfectly still and silent, enraptured and terrified. Whatever Caleb chose to go after wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight.

  Her heart pounded violently in her chest as the scene before her unfolded. In the blink of an eye, the wolf lunged over her, directly at the man who threatened her.

  “Caleb! Don’t!” she yelled.

  Snapping its head back toward her with glowing eyes that bored into hers, the wolf landed to the side of the man rather than on top of him. Taking advantage of the interruption, the stalker turned tail and sprinted back into the woods.

  The wolf’s head turned in his direction, and the beast snarled once before letting out a rumbling howl that echoed in the open field and vibrated over Ava’s skin.

  With a mouth dry from panting, Ava leaned on her good arm for support and tried to push to her feet, wincing as her legs shook and she had to catch herself with both hands. Other parts of her body must have been bruised as well, she realized as the ache crept into her limbs and chest. She looked up at the tingle in the air around her and saw Caleb phase back into human form and walk toward her. She was grateful as he helped her get her feet under her, and she licked her lips, chafed from the fearful breaths. She whispered a thank you as she looked down at the mess she was.

  “Your arm is bleeding.” Caleb’s voice was gruff and flat as he held up her arm to inspect it. She gazed at it, trying to ignore the warmth and softness of his hand on her. He was right. Her skin was covered with bright red blood. The fall had definitely been worse than she’d first believed. “My house is right over there.” He gestured across the field. “Come with me and I’ll get you fixed up.”

  Ava didn’t think it smart to argue with a werewolf and walked alongside Caleb. Besides, her strange attraction to him wouldn’t let her take her eyes off him for a very long moment. When she did, she noticed the house just at the edge of the tree line, behind a few large oaks dripping moss from its branches. She’d never noticed it before, as long as she’d lived here, but maybe that was because the weathered white plantation home had always been dark and unoccupied.

  As they approached, she could see the dullness of the paint, even in the dark, but she loved the wrap-around veranda with the stately columns. Taking her good arm in his hand, Caleb assisted Ava up the steps and held open the door for her to enter. Her mind still whirling from the whole episode, emotions crashed over Ava, and she felt her eyes pool with tears, now that she felt safe inside the four walls.

  She grew dizzy and gripped the table in the entryway to get hold of herself and keep from toppling over. The reality of what would have occurred had Caleb not appeared when he did impacted her with full force, and Ava considered for the first time that Willow Falls wasn’t any safer from such predators than Baton Rouge. The city was full of stories of women being heinously violated, and there, she was always on alert. She’d never dreamed before that something like that could find its way into a small town like this.

  ******

  Caleb was prepared for Ava’s collapse. He could feel her strength waning with her fear clutching at her, and he took her hand, leading her from the entrance to the kitchen and pulling a chair out from under the kitchen table. “You should sit down.”

  She flinched at his words but sat down anyway. Caleb knew his tone was cold and distant, but it wasn’t directed toward Ava. He clenched his teeth painfully as the rage tried to claw its way to the surface again as he thought of the bastard who’d gotten away. Caleb didn’t understand men who felt the need to overpower and abuse women, and he certainly had no tolerance for anyone who dared threaten Ava.

  Mine! The inner voice screamed at him, and he took several deep, heavy breaths to calm the beast. It begged to go after the man and tear him limb from limb before ripping his throat out, but for whatever reason Caleb couldn’t comprehend, Ava hadn’t allowed it.

>   He couldn’t deny her. Ever.

  Now, he watched her, both hands shaking as she pressed them to her face to hide her tears. His first instinct was to lash out; no one should ever make Ava feel like this. He feared what would have happened if he hadn’t shown up. But as she finally lifted her gaze to look at him, the need he felt radiating from her swept over him, and he calmed, ready to do anything she asked of him.

  Chapter 9

  It took Ava a long time to make herself look at Caleb, and even longer for her eyes to touch his face, towering above her. He had to be at least six-two, she thought. Her gaze fell to his left arm, sleeved with swirling tribal tattoos from wrist to shoulder, the tails of which crawled over his collarbone and up the side of his neck. The inks were black and dark blues, and she wondered what they signified. But her eyes were pulled back to his wide shoulders and hard chest above ripped washboard abs.

  And finally, she let herself look further as she accepted the fact he was fully nude. He seemed completely oblivious to her worshipful perusal of his form as he turned and grabbed a cloth from the kitchen drawer. It gave her a full view of the rippling muscles across his back and his taut round buttocks. His legs were long and sturdy, and it really drove home the power he held, as if his actions in the woods hadn’t already proven enough.

  “Here.” His tone and touch were gentle as he knelt beside her and took her arm, lightly wiping away dirt and blood surrounding the affected area. He was so tender compared to the brute in the woods that it seemed impossible he was the same person. His care and the way he ministered to her made her trembling ease, but her mind still churned.