Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Michele Bardsley

  Holding his cellphone up to his ear, he glanced at the clock on the mantel. A groggy voice filled with sleep answered on the third ring.

  “Rafe, honey, is everything okay?”

  “Mom, I found my mate and she’s been injured. I need your help.”

  “What happened? Do you need me to come over?”

  Rafe hated to wake his mom, but knew when he needed help. He quickly caught her up to speed on the events that transpired over the course of the evening, leaving out the fact that he forced his way into her mind.

  “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right there. Can you put a pot of coffee on?”

  “Sure. Thanks, Mom.”

  All members lived on pack lands within a few miles of one another. It was a tight-knit community. One that boasted protection from outsiders, as well as loyalty to one another. They had everything they needed within their community, from schools to their own hospital and a state of the art clinic to care for their residents.

  The houses ranged from small, one bedroom cabins to four and five bedroom homes, depending on the size of the families. Since the death of his father, Rafe remained in his one bedroom ranch instead of taking over the Alpha’s home where his mother still resided. She’d offered to move many times, but he refused, telling her to stay put. He had been happy in his current house. The thought of living in the much larger home, at the time, was depressing. It was built for a family, not as a bachelor pad. The design and layout was perfect for pups from birth to teens. His father designed it himself.

  Rafe finished setting up the coffee pot as a knock sounded at the front door.

  “It’s open.”

  Grace quickly entered, brushing the new fallen snow from her shoulders. The room was dark and quiet, the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner and the flames from the fireplace. Rafe bit back a groan as she wrapped him in a tight hug.

  “Thanks for coming so quickly.” Hoping like hell she wouldn’t see how the connection affected him, he stepped out of the hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Rafe, tell me you didn’t?” Grace sniffed the air.

  “Didn’t what?” Jesus, was there anything she didn’t pick up on?

  “You know damn well what I’m talking about. You took her choice away! Not every wolf wants a mental connection to her mate. Sometimes, it’s too hard to handle knowing your mate’s innermost thoughts and fears. It takes time to develop a bond needed to sustain a healthy connection.”

  “I didn’t have a choice. I had to know who did this to her. I had to find out if someone sent her here.”

  “Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want you to know who did this? Or maybe she didn’t know? You should have given her the chance to heal on her own, then question her once she was awake.”

  “Mom—”

  “Don’t you dare ‘Mom’ me. You knew better. But since you had to do things the hard way, it’s time you shift and help heal your mate so she can kick your ass when she wakes up. I may just help her, you know.”

  Rafe crossed his thick arms over his chest. It was his best defiant look and Grace knew it well.

  “How exactly do I heal her?”

  “I’m assuming that you’re suffering just as much as she is from the looks of you both.”

  Rafe nodded.

  “When you shift into your wolf, your healing energy will kick in immediately. You need to concentrate on the link with your mate and send your healing energy into her. You’re strong and healthy, so you should be able to heal the both of you pretty quick. When you shift back to human, you might feel a bit weak, shaky even. And more than likely, you’ll both be starving. I’m going to go throw some food together. Bring her out to the kitchen when you’re done.”

  With a last roll of her eyes, Grace headed for the kitchen, mumbling something about stubborn males in the family.

  Rafe stared down at his mate. Though he knew so little about her, he sensed a goodness in her. Hoping his mom was wrong about his mate trying to kick his ass, he bent down, brushing the soft auburn strands of hair that covered her face.

  “Let’s do this,” Rafe whispered.

  His shift was much slower than normal. The pain was almost enough to keep the change from happening. Broken bones ached as each bone shifted to bring out his wolf form. A low snarl rumbled in his chest as he felt the broken bones mend, snapping back into their rightful place.

  Reaching out with his mind to feel his mate, he focused on her injuries. He could feel the warmth from the healing power growing inside of him. He imagined the energy as a gold shimmering cloud leaving his body, making its way slowly to her, wrapping her in a cozy blanket of his power. The mental imagery worked, and he felt the healing warmth leave his own body. Imagining each of her injuries, he pushed the golden cloud over her scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Next, he directed the healing cloud to start at the top of her head and allowing it to slowly flow down through her body, healing anything within her body it happened upon.

  Rafe’s control slipped as he felt his strength begin to wane. The shift back to human tore through his body painfully slow, leaving him sprawled naked on the floor beside the couch.

  Chapter Six

  A loud grunt pulled Mina from her healing slumber. She sat up cautiously, ensuring the room didn’t spin. The aching in her body was noticeable, but nowhere near as bad as before. Surprise filled her when she realized the majority of the cuts were gone and her ribs, once broken, seemed to be fine. What happened?

  Her eyes darted to the hulk of a man lying on the floor beside the couch. “You healed me.”

  “Yeah,” Rafe huffed, trying to catch his breath.

  “But…how?”

  Grace entered with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for Rafe. “Here you go, baby. Put these on and head out to the kitchen.”

  Mina glanced at the tall blonde and back to Rafe.

  Grace could see the wheels beginning to turn. “Hi, I’m Grace, Rafe’s mom. And you are?”

  “I’m Mina.”

  “Hi, Mina. Why don’t you follow me into the kitchen? We’ll give Rafe a chance to get dressed. Then my son can explain exactly what is going on.”

  Mina nodded and slowly rose from the couch. Gingerly stepping over Rafe’s naked body, she felt her face warm as her eyes passed, once again, over every inch of Rafe’s muscular physique. She followed quietly behind Grace, unsure of what to say. It was one of the strangest situations she’d ever found herself in.

  “You must be starving after all you’ve been through.”

  “I am. I’m so hungry I could eat a deer by myself.”

  “Sorry, we’re fresh out of deer, but I do have steak and eggs. If that’s okay with you?”

  Mina’s eyes widened at the thought of beef. “You mean like real steak? From a cow?”

  “Of course.” Grace’s smile was warm and inviting.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just that…in my pack, if you didn’t hunt it and kill it, you don’t get to eat it.”

  Mina watched as Grace’s mouth hit the floor.

  “Honey, we don’t live in the Colonial period anymore. What pack did you come from?”

  Glancing at the floor in shame, Mina slowly murmured, “Twisted Tail.” She was afraid to admit her origins. She knew her pack had a bad rep and rightfully so. It was filled with thugs, users, pushers, and every other flavor of criminal you could think up. Her dad straddled the thugs and users category for as long as she could remember. But not her mom or sisters.

  Growing up with a dirt poor father who didn’t give a fuck, and a mother who was too petrified to leave an abusive, strung-out husband, sucked. More than that, it left her feeling that life was simply a matter of survival. It wasn’t her first choice for the life she wanted to live, but it had been her only option. Mina, her mom, and sisters tried to stay in the shadows. They worked hard taking care of their small home and putting food on the table. Staying away from the problematic pack members was a whole different ball
game.

  Every time Mina tried to fade into the shadows, Griffin pulled her back to the front and center. She’d caught his eye early in life and his attention never dwindled. When he was suddenly in the market for a new mate, she knew trouble would knock at her door sooner rather than later.

  Mina thought she could count on the support of her family to keep her hidden, but the day Griffin showed up, her father dragged her by the hair from the closet in which she hid, tossing her to the floor. Her dad sold her for the price of the drug debt he owed Griffin.

  Grace placed a comforting hand on Mina’s shoulder. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re here now. You’re safe.”

  “I have to go back. He’ll kill my mom and sisters if I don’t.” Mina’s heart raced at the thought of him torturing her family. “If I don’t go back, he’ll come for me.”

  “I dare him,” Rafe bellowed as he entered the kitchen.

  Mina spun at the sound of Rafe’s voice. Her body shook in fear of the new Alpha. As much as she wished it otherwise, she had no doubt he was her one true mate. Now that her nose was healed, his scent washed over her, confirming what he knew last night.

  He circled her once, looking her over, sizing her up, trying to guess her abilities. Mina kept her eyes locked on the floor tile in front of her, not wanting to make eye contact. I should have never mouthed off to the Alpha’s mother. What was I thinking?

  “You smell of—” Rafe sniffed the air, “—fear. Care to tell me why?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I’m afraid I won’t make a good mate. That you’ll kill me or worse.” Tears flowed freely down Mina’s face as she stumbled over the words. She couldn’t help her family if she was dead.

  “Uhh, you can call me Rafe.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Mina quickly realized her error, but it was too late. The Alpha approached with a stern look on his face.

  “Mina, honey, why don’t you have a seat at the table and eat up. You need to regain your strength.” Grace stepped in front of Rafe to hand Mina the plate piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and the largest steak Mina had ever seen. Oh, how her mouth watered at the sight, her stomach growling as the scents hit her taste buds. She didn’t need to be told twice. Moving much faster than what was polite, Mina raced for the table with the offering.

  “Rafe, can I talk to you for a minute?” Grace glared at her son.

  “Can I eat first?”

  “No.”

  Grace left no room for debate. Her son may be the Alpha of the pack, but she was his mother and had no qualms when it came to exerting her authority.

  Chapter Seven

  “You are so bossy! Be lucky I love you or I’d have to punish you for insubordination.” Used to her tactics, Rafe joked with his mom.

  “I’ll give you bossy, right upside your head, mister. Don’t you see what’s going on in there? That girl is terrified of you.”

  Over the growls of his protesting stomach, Rafe thought about his mom’s statement. “She’s afraid because she’s new and doesn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t very easy on her when I chomped down on her neck. In front of the whole pack, I might add. Seriously, I’m starving. Can I please eat?”

  “Would you stop thinking about your stomach at a time like this? Don’t you realize what’s going on?” Grace stared at Rafe like he’d grown a second tail.

  “Mom, I’m tired and I’m hungry. It’s three thirty in the morning, and I’ve been up for almost a day—straight. Please don’t play guessing games with me. Just say what you have to say and be done with it.”

  Grace sat on the edge of the couch and sighed. “I talked to Mina for a few minutes before you entered. When I told her we were having steak, she couldn’t believe it. She said that in her pack she could only eat what she hunted and killed. I asked her what pack she was from and she said Twisted Tail.”

  “Motherfu—”

  “But that’s not the worst.”

  “Mom, I don’t want to hear anymore. If Mina wants to tell me what it was like for her there, she needs to be the one to tell me.”

  Running her fingers through her hair, Grace shook her head. “Rafe, she doesn’t need to tell you what happened to see the damage. The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when you walked into the room. Didn’t you see the way she flinched when you got too close to her? She’s been treated very badly by the males in her life.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Rafe tried to argue the point. They didn’t know a thing about his new mate. When he tried to venture into her mind earlier, he was overwhelmed by her pain and fear, which meant no time to snoop around as planned.

  “I love you, but don’t be an idiot. How long have I counseled abused women at the clinic? I know the symptoms when I see them, and hers are severe.”

  Rafe paced back and forth, unsure of what to make of the conversation with his mom. Was she right? Had he looked right past the signs?

  “So what do you suggest?”

  “Go easy on her. Set her up with an appointment with Erin tomorrow at the clinic. You can take her, but stay in the lobby. Don’t you dare walk into the exam room with her. Let her do it on her own. Mina has to develop a support system of women she can trust here at Black Paw, and she needs to learn how to trust you. Above all, you have to prove you are nothing like the mutts at Twisted Tail.”

  The more his mom talked, the angrier he got. He wanted to trot right into Twisted Tail and rip Griffin’s balls from his body. The bastard’s days were numbered. It was a vow Rafe would gladly make to his mate.

  “I get it, Mom. I’ll see what I can do to make the transition to Black Paw easier on her.”

  “Good. Let’s get you something to eat now.”

  Grace wrapped her arm around Rafe, accompanying him back to the kitchen. Surprise filled both of their faces when they realized Mina had waited for them before starting her own meal.

  “You didn’t need to wait for us, you could have started eating.” Grace filled Rafe’s plate before handing it to him. Grabbing a bowl of fresh fruit and her plate, she joined them at the table.

  Mina’s eyes darted from Rafe to Grace and back. “I didn’t want to be rude. The Alpha should always get his fill first.”

  “There’s more than enough food here, for everyone. I’d rather go hungry than think of someone in my pack not getting enough to eat. Or my mate starving herself for me.” Rafe’s words were gentle, reassuring. “If you’re hungry, I want you to eat whenever you want. You’re welcome to all that fills the fridge and pantry. You don’t need to wait for me or seek approval first. Understood?”

  Mina nodded, taking a small bite of her steak. “Thank you.”

  The conversation with Grace played through Rafe’s mind. He didn’t want to think of his mate as skittish or afraid, but watching her moves closely, listening to the archaic drivel about the Alpha eating first—set him on edge. Rafe took a bite of his food and prepared for the inevitable. He had questions, she had answers. And he’d rather not wait until his pack was invaded to get them.

  “Were you sent here by Twisted Tail?” Rafe watched Mina’s every move like a hawk. He scented the air and smelled fear, her fear. Opening the connection, he listened passively, trying not to intrude on her inner most thoughts.

  “No. I swear. No one sent me. I ran on my own from Twisted Tail.”

  Rafe noted that Mina kept her eyes down, as if in shame.

  “Why did you run?” Rafe took another bite of his food after ensuring she had told the truth.

  Mina’s hand began to shake immediately. “I—I had to get away. The Alpha was going to force me to mate with him. He was holding me until the full moon. Until he could force the mating bond without being one’s actual mate.”

  Grace chocked on her coffee as Mina finished her sentence.

  “That practice has been banned for hundreds of years! What in the hell is he thinking?” Rafe wanted to break something, anything. His fist landed hard against the table, cracking it down the middle, causing Mina to fly
from her chair and huddle in the nearest corner.

  “Rafe!” Grace exclaimed.

  Slowly, cautiously, Rafe approached Mina. He wanted to kick himself as she crouched in the corner, shivering in fear. What did they do to you?

  “Mina. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to lift you up carefully, okay?”

  When all she offered was a nod, Rafe bent to lift her from the floor. He carried her to the living room and gently placed her on the couch.

  It was at that moment he realized he had to tell her that he forced the mental connection. An idea came to mind. The connection could be used to help her see what he was like, what life at Black Paw was like. He wanted her to know she had nothing to fear.

  “Can you look at me, Mina?”

  Haunting ice-blue eyes filled with unshed tears met his request. Had her young life been filled with such terror to leave her eyes scarred to the world and those around her?

  “I know you don’t know me, and therefore, don’t trust me. But I need you to hear me out and trust in what I show you. Can you do that for me?” Rafe placed his hand against hers, squeezing her fingers affectionately.

  A single tear slipped from her eye.

  Chapter Eight

  Girl, you have got to get a grip. If he wanted you dead, he would have killed you by now. Mina took a deep breath and nodded. Rafe said he wanted to show her something. What? She couldn’t imagine.

  Mina flinched as images flooded her mind. She gasped when she tried to put up her shield against the intrusion, but found it missing. Had Rafe completed the mental part of the mating bond while she slept? Oh god, now what am I going to do?

  “Relax, Mina. Don’t fight it. Let the images flow through your mind.”

  “It could be a trick. How do I know that you’re not just showing me what you want me to see?”

  Rafe stemmed the flow of images, seeing it would get him nowhere. “I didn’t think of it like that. I’m sorry. I wanted to show you that Black Paw is not like Twisted Tail. That I’m nothing like Griffin Engle. I guess forcing you to see it kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”