The Alpha's Mate (Werewolf Romance)

by Fox, Michelle

  “Don’t you need to go?” I asked in a soft voice.

  His teeth nipped my neck, adding a new mark to the one he’d planted the night before. “You always come first, Clo.”

  “But Cal--” I started. He should go, I knew it, but I didn’t want him to. I wanted him to finish what he’d started. My core was already melting in anticipation.

  Jackson put a finger to my lips. “Shush. We have a few minutes.”

  Then he kissed me until I melted. Before I knew it, he pulled off my clothes right there in the driveway and I helped him. Once I was naked, he undid his pants.

  “Should we...” I nodded toward the house. A bed would certainly be more comfortable. It would be warmer too, although I found I didn’t mind the cool air when my blood ran so hot with desire.

  Jackson shook his head and turned me so I faced the truck. With two rough hands he yanked my hips back. “I need you now, Clo.” He entered me then, his length thrusting into me with no preamble. I was wet, but tight which made for pleasure edged in pain.

  I gasped as he forced himself into my core and even pushed back in an effort to take more of him faster. When he had buried himself completely inside, I wanted to throw my head back in a howl of triumph. Preferring to be discreet--howls could be heard for miles--I settled for a soft yelp.

  His hands ran up my back and around my rib cage to tease the tips of my breasts.

  “Jackson,” I keened. Pleasure burst inside me, popping like so many bubbles all over my body.

  “Yes, baby. Say my name.”

  “Jackson,” I said again, my voice ragged. What I wouldn’t do for the things this man did to me.

  He rewarded me by squeezing and twisting my nipples. Not too hard, but just enough to make my stomach clench. The pressure of the building orgasm ratcheted up a notch. I could tell it wouldn’t be long before I exploded.

  My hands scrabbled on the hood of the truck, searching for something to hold onto. Jackson’s fingers dug into my hips, trying to steady me. My thighs began to shake and my knees went weak. He was so big it felt like he took up all the space inside me. There was nothing but him; he was the sun and my body a planet in his thrall.

  My climax started in my stomach and then surged up to my nipples, tightening them into hard points. From there, it washed down to my core where it took on an electric quality that raced over me like a lightning strike.

  I bit back scream after scream, only allowing muffled yowls to escape. Jackson continued to stroke me with his hard length and my body kept bursting with new orgasms. Finally when I was sure I would lose my mind if the pleasure didn’t stop soon, he gave a hoarse cry. His cock danced inside me and then he went still, sagging against me.

  After a while, a howl I recognized as Cal sounded in the distance. It was the call to hunt. I stood up and reluctantly pushed Jackson away. “You’d better go.”

  He nodded and threw his head back to launch a howl of his own, one filled with triumph. He’d claimed his mate and he wanted the world to know. There was no mistaking that tone.

  I blushed and shook my head, mortified. “Come on, Jackson. You’re embarrassing me.” Shifting made it impractical to be puritanical about naked skin, but wolves were private about sex. At least in Hunstville. Jackson’s howl would broadcast our intimate moment across the little valley that housed our pack. Everyone within city limits would know just exactly what we’d been doing. Knowing how many of the women disapproved of me made it all the worse.

  Jackson pulled on his clothes and managed to look repentant. “Sorry, Clo. It just slipped out.”

  “Everyone knows we’re together, but what we do alone should be private.”

  He gave a slow nod. “I understand, but think about it another way. Now the girls giving you trouble know you belong to me. They mess with you, they mess with me.”

  “Yeah, well, we’ll see if that helps or hinders.” I yanked my t-shirt over my head, deciding not to bother with the bra just then. With Jackson on his way out, I needed to get inside and dig out my gun. Moving with quick efficiency I put on my panties followed by my jeans. Jackson gave me a quick hug then, nuzzling his face deep into my neck.

  “Be safe, Clo,” he murmured.

  “You too.” I sank my nose into his neck and sucked in his scent. Jackson always smelled like pine and fresh soap. Now that I’d caught a whiff pure testosterone at Tonya’s house, I could pick up that undertone in his musk as well.

  Becoming a wolf made scent my second language. I’d been barely literate when I first changed, but had rapidly acquired new smells, filing them away in the back of my mind for future reference. The longer I was a wolf, the better I could pick up subtle background scents.

  He pulled back, holding me by the shoulders, his gaze searching my face. “A rogue alpha isn’t human or wolf, he’s just a monster. Shoot first, okay?”

  I nodded as he jumped into his truck and waved as he drove off. Alone, the chill of winter crept over my skin like phantom fingers. I shivered and hugged myself suddenly feeling vulnerable. With a start, I realized I’d come to rely on Jackson’s presence to steady me. He helped me make sense of being a wolf.

  Without him did I even know who I was?

  Chapter Eight

  The silence of being alone made me jumpy. Every sound put me on high alert. Nothing like having a violent kidnapper on the loose. I busied myself with some cleaning and laundry, trying not to worry about Jackson. Dinner was a frozen Lean Cuisine with a side salad. The whole day, I kept an ear out for any howls from Jackson or other pack members.

  Once, I spotted one of the wolves patrolling Huntsville’s perimeter. From the markings on his fur and the faint whiff of oil and gas mixed with his musk, I recognized him as Robert. He was in his early thirties and he worked as a mechanic at the gas station. I gave him a friendly wave and put out a bowl of water for him, which he slurped up in short order. Then, with a nod to me, he melted back into the trees to continue his patrol.

  Darkness came like a bad omen. The growing shadows made me nervous. Wolves can see pretty well in the dark, better than a human, but nowhere near as well as a cat or owl. We could be snuck up on, assuming our more sensitive noses didn’t catch the scent first.

  The blind spot made me jumpy. Jackson was out there somewhere and so was the rogue wolf. I took small comfort in the fact that the rogue’s scent was so strong, there was almost no way he could catch any of us unawares. The scent was like a sledgehammer to the nose, but, even so, I worried. To calm my jangling nerves, I popped some popcorn and put in a movie.

  Up in the mountains, the internet connection wasn’t reliable enough for a Netflix subscription so we relied on DVDs. While I preferred comedies or romance, Jackson liked action movies, and, since I hadn’t unpacked all my stuff yet, I went with Diehard. At least Bruce Willis had some funny lines.

  A loud knock on the door sounded after the opening credits. It startled me so badly, I almost choked on the popcorn. Muting the TV, I strained to hear who was there. There’d been no car--I wouldn’t have missed the sound of tires crunching on the gravel drive.

  “Who’s there?” I called out, hand going to my gun. I sniffed the air, but, to my relief, I didn’t catch the rogue’s scent.

  “Mara and Sara,” came a thin voice.

  “Jackson sent us here,” added another voice, this one smaller as if from a young child.

  Wary, I opened the front door to see two scrawny little girls on my doorstep. Their thin coats were worn and too small. Underneath, I caught a glimpse of equally worn clothes. The taller of the two looked to be about twelve and the other was maybe eight. They both had long blonde hair that needed combing and wide blue eyes that looked to me like they’d seen more than they should. Even though I didn’t know them, my heart went out to the girls based on their appearance alone. Someone wasn’t taking care of them very well.

  The taller one gave a tentative smile as if unsure of her reception. “I’m Mara and this is Sara.” Her little sister lifted a h
and in greeting.

  I motioned them into the house my eyes scanning the world outside for danger. “Come on in and warm up. I’ve got popcorn.”

  At the mention of food, their eyes lit up, and, once inside, they descended on the bowl of popcorn like locusts.

  “You said Jackson sent you?”

  Mara nodded as she shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth. Chewing and talking at the same time, she said, “We was out looking for our parents when he come through. He told us it ain’t safe to be out and your house be closer than Grammy’s.”

  I frowned. “Looking for your parents?”

  Sara looked at me, her expression solemn and popcorn clutched tight in her grubby hand. “They be feral.”

  I tried to act like wolves abandoned their families every day and kept my shock from showing on my face. I knew it happened. Every pack had at least one wolf who got lost in their animal and left the human world, preferring the way of the wild. Usually they came back home, eventually, but, on occasion, a wolf seemed to forget their humanity altogether. From the girls’ condition, I suspected their parents fell into the latter category. “Oh, so you live with your grandmother.”

  “Yeah, she need help now too so it’s good we there,” said the older one, her butchered English making me wince.

  I filed the tidbit about her grandmother away for future reference and smiled brightly at the girls. “Do you want something to drink? Maybe a sandwich?”

  Mouths full of popcorn, they both nodded vigorously.

  I made them generous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a side of chips and sliced apples. Setting the plates on the table, I poured out big glasses of cold milk. “Girls, come sit. The food is ready.”

  They ran into the dining room, stuffing food into their mouths before their butts hit their chairs. I let the lack of manners slide as the girls were obviously starving. Their grandmother didn’t seem to be taking care of them like she should.

  Normally, Cal’s wife would’ve paid her a visit and overseen the girls’ welfare. When things with the rogue alpha settled down, I resolved to do the same. For once, I was glad of my new role as alpha’s mate. It meant I could do something about the girls’ obvious need. I didn’t have to look the other way.

  “By the way, my name is Chloe,” I said as I joined them at the table. “It’s nice to meet you Mara and Sara.”

  “Yes’m,” the girls mumbled in unison, eyes riveted on their plates, hands in constant motion as they shoveled in the next bite.

  “If you want more after you finish that, let me know. I’d be happy to make you another sandwich.”

  Mara’s eyes lifted up and met mine, shining with happiness. “Really?” she asked as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard me correctly.

  “Yes really. I want you to grow big and strong which means you need to eat. As much as you want,” I said, emphasizing the last sentence. “I’ve got ice cream, too.”

  Sara went still, the sandwich in her hand suddenly freezing in its trajectory toward her mouth. Her gaze went to the sliding door behind the dining room table and out to the stone patio beyond. “There be somethin’ out there, Miss Chloe.”

  “What?” I stiffened, all my senses on high alert. Squinting, I stared out the glass door trying to spot what had drawn her attention.

  Mara pointed. “There back in the bushes. I seen it too.”

  I inched the door open and sniffed the wind. When I didn’t catch the peppery hot scent of the rogue alpha, I relaxed somewhat, but then a feminine, sour stench hit my nose, one I knew very well.

  Wolves smell different at different times depending on who is involved and how they feel. It has to do with emotion and the hormones that come with them. Hate always smelled sour as bad vinegar to me and the last time I’d caught that particular scent it’d been emanating off Vicki.

  For a second time that night I called out, “Who’s there?” Even though I figured I knew who it was, I thought it best not to show my hand. Besides, if I was wrong, I would look like an idiot and I was in no hurry to add to the list of bumbling mistakes I’d made the last few days.

  There was no answer, but I heard the rustle of leaves or bushes and the crack of twigs snapping underfoot. I pulled out my gun, and stepped onto the patio, shutting the door behind me. The full moon provided some illumination, but not enough to penetrate the night’s shadows.

  In a loud voice I said, “I’m armed and I will shoot to kill if you don’t identify yourself.”

  The only response was more rustling and the sharp snap of wood breaking. A chill went through me. Jackson said I would be safer here, that the rogue would be busy running from them. It had made sense at the time, but now I wasn’t so sure he’d been right.

  A flash of white caught my eye and I trained my gun on it, eyes narrowed, finger tense on the trigger. “Who are you?”

  A figure emerged from the shadows. At first, all I could make out was that it was a person and female. This reassured me, at least initially. Then, as they came closer, I made out the sourpuss features of Vicki. My instincts had run true. The nose always knows.

  She frowned at me as if she’d just tasted something unpleasant.

  “What are you doing out here?” I didn’t put the gun back in my shoulder holster, but I did lower my arm. She was pack, not a rogue alpha, I didn’t have anything to fear, but I couldn’t quite convince myself to tuck my gun away. Probably because, deep down, I kind of did want to shoot her. It would be therapeutic. And wrong, I told myself sternly. My wolf yawned in my mind’s eye. Apparently, my human morals bored her.

  “I went out for a run,” she said flatly.

  “You know it’s not safe to run around right now.” I arched an eyebrow, suspicious of her motives. Wolves ran in the deep Appalachian woods, not on the outskirts of our house. Was she spying on me or looking for Jackson?

  She sneered. “Maybe for omegas like you.”

  “I’m not an omega wolf, Vicki,” I said, my voice calmer than I felt. My trigger finger twitched at my side and I couldn’t keep myself from debating whether I should punch her first, then shoot or shoot her and kick the corpse. My wolf favored starting with bullets. It’s just wishful thinking, I’m not really going to shoot her, I thought at her. She growled in response. If I had to translate, I would swear she was calling me a pussy.

  “Then prove your blood.”

  I rolled my eyes. This again? If I did take a swing at her, I vowed to do my best to break her jaw and shut her up for a while. “That’s an archaic practice.”

  “It’s within my rights to invoke it.”

  “It’s within my rights--” I stopped short of telling her I was going to kick her ass because a strong peppery smell had just smacked me in the face. Remembering Jackson’s admonition to shoot first, I quickly aimed the gun in the direction of the smell and pulled off a shot. The bullet went past Vicki’s side and my ears tracked its movement as it whizzed through the underbrush to bury itself in a tree trunk with a thud.

  Since I aimed in her general direction, Vicki dropped to the ground with a shriek, thinking I was about to shoot her. I was ashamed at how much satisfaction I took from her fear. She definitely deserved some comeuppance, but I didn’t like myself when I enjoyed it this much. I was better than petty games, right? My wolf gave me a look. She knew better. Wolves never missed an opportunity to improve their standing in the pack. This was just business, nothing personal to her. She didn’t care if Vicki lived or died so long as I came out ahead.

  Vicki scrambled to her feet, eyes flashing yellow with anger. Her wolf was agitated and ready to burst through her skin to attack me.

  I held up a hand. “Sorry. I wasn’t aiming for you.”

  “That’s awfully convenient,” she spat as she walked toward me.

  I sniffed. “Can’t you smell it?”

  She lifted her nose to the air and inhaled deeply. “Smell what?”

  Did she have a cold? What was wrong with her? “The rogue alpha’s out there.�
�� I scanned the perimeter, my eyes narrowed to slits. The peppery scent had faded somewhat and moved to the far side of Jackson’s property. We didn’t have a fence or neighbors. The only demarcation of the property line was the grass stopped and gave way to forest. I hadn’t thought he would give up so easy, but decided to give him some negative reinforcement with one more shot. This time I hit something and not a tree. Something that whined with pain and thrashed in the underbrush. Twigs snapped. Leaves rustled and then an eerie silence fell over the night.

  “Get into the house and lock the doors,” I yelled at Vicki as I sprinted toward the sound. I didn’t check to make sure she did as I asked; there wasn’t time. Whoever or whatever I hit started to move again. More twigs snapped, crisp as dry bones. A cloud drifted over the moon, hiding the world from me.

  I squeezed off one more bullet, relying on my ears to hone in on the target because my eyes couldn’t make out anything but varying shades of dark. The third bullet hit home, too. The woods came alive with the sounds of things moving. I thought I caught the sound of another wolf, a soft yip that seemed to come to the far left of where I’d been shooting, but, if there were more wolves out there, I couldn’t smell them over the rogue’s musk. His acrid musk burned my nose like I’d snorted a fresh jalapeno, effectively blocking all other scents.

  My heart beating faster than a rabbit running scared, I turned a quick circle to check my back. Vicki had heeded my order and gone inside the house. The girls stood on either side of her, and all of them pressed their faces up against the glass.

  A cloud passed over the moon, making the world even darker. I blinked to adjust my vision. My ears strained to catch the smallest sound, but heard nothing. A gust of wind blew, bringing a light flurry of snow with it, and a complete absence of any scent beyond pine and earth.

  The rogue was gone.

  Wanting to be sure, I ran into the house to snag a flashlight. I didn’t say anything, just nodded curtly at everyone as I breezed past them. Outside, I criss-crossed the backyard using the flashlight to shine out into the trees. Other than a freaked out raccoon, I saw nor smelled no one.