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

by Michele Bardsley

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “Please tell me that you didn’t fall for all of Connor’s fated… soulmate… bonded crap.”

  Sirius said, “I believe him. Dragons are notorious for biting off their enemies’ heads and gobbling up whatever’s left, but not for being deceitful.”

  Frustrated and tired, Jericha closed her eyes. A part of her wanted to reject their claims more adamantly, but truth be told, she did feel something for the enigmatic stranger. That didn’t mean her mind wasn’t working overtime to deny it.

  “All right, he’s cute. But that’s all you’re getting out of me.”

  They laughed, and the sound seemed to ricochet all around.

  All men were infuriating, even the pint-sized ones, she decided with a shrug.

  Jericha realized the room felt hotter than it had before, almost stifling. With a quick glance to her left, she peered out of the open window, where a silver moon hovered in the night sky. Snow piles were building up along the exposed sill, and sheets of cracked ice crawled across the windowpanes. The icy air, seeping in from the outside, wasn’t enough. She needed the room to be colder.

  Lifting her right hand, she sent out a mental command. Her magic began to slowly build into a ball, one snow crystal at a time. Once the sphere was big enough, it fell onto her open palm, solid and heavy. Oh, how she loved the cold press of it against her flesh, the relief almost making her purr. She then tossed it up and propelled it forward, causing it to land in a mixing bowl on the kitchen island. Jericha created several more orbs of ice, placing them all around the apartment, until her body chilled to a comfortable temperature.

  She gulped the invigorating brisk air that was radiating within the room, still taken aback by how easy it was for her to use magic. It seemed to fit her like a glove.

  “Amazing,” Yule said.

  They’d been watching her the entire time.

  “Her powers are progressing at a very fast rate. I can’t help wondering if it will influence her heart, as well,” Kole said.

  She felt confusion spread across her face, and her eyes narrowed.

  “What about my heart?” As soon as the words were said, she could feel it. A dull ache within her chest throbbed, and at its center, it stung. “Exactly what are you saying about my heart?” she demanded.

  In a more gentle voice, Yule said, “It’s gradually freezing solid.”

  She was standing in the middle of the room but suddenly felt like she needed more space.

  Don’t panic. She cleared the anxiety from her throat. Ask questions.

  “Is that a part of the process?” She paused, then took inventory. “I have magic, live off of blood, my flesh is becoming paler, and my heart is freezing solid? Does that sound about right?”

  All three of the elves gave her a quick nod.

  She flashed a relieved smile and said, “I can handle that. I’ve been doing okay with everything so far.”

  Before magic, life had been dull, days strung together by a schedule of mornings, work, and reading books before going to bed at night. Her stories were how she lived a million adventures. But since the change, she had her new powers, met a dragon, and truly believed an entire world of possibilities awaited her. She wouldn’t give up her magical gift of ice for anything.

  Sirius cleared his throat.

  “I think you’re missing the point.”

  Confused, Jericha tilted her head and said, “Explain it to me, then.”

  They wouldn’t meet her eyes at first, but then Yule spoke up.

  “If your heart freezes, so will you.”

  The room wobbled, unsteady, beneath her feet. Her hands began to shake, her body shivered, and her eyes blazed with fear. She had wanted a bit of excitement in her life, but she most certainly didn’t mean anything that could kill her.

  “Is there any way for me to stop that from happening?”

  “There is.”

  “Damn it, you little pipsqueak! Why didn’t you say that in the first place? You almost scared me to death!”

  The elves stood up, linked hands, and leapt from the couch. A moment later, they were dancing hand-in-hand in a circle around her legs, their heads bobbing unevenly at her waist.

  Gritting her teeth, she prayed for the restraint not to kick all three of them.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Look in your hand.”

  She looked. There was a fancy green envelope with gold embossing clutched between her fingers.

  “How did you…?”

  But she already knew, didn’t she? The elves were magical creatures and were capable of countless tricks and enchantments.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time. How do I stop my heart from freezing?”

  In a sing-song voice, Sirius said, “You must drink.”

  The other elves joined in, “Dragon’s blood, dragon’s blood.”

  Sirius stopped dancing and gave Jericha a more serious look.

  “You must drink from the torrid vein of a dragon. And lucky for you, you have one of those by the scaled tail.”

  If what the elves said was true, that left Jericha with only one option.

  “Connor.”

  He nodded.

  She held up the envelope.

  “And this?”

  “If all goes as planned, that is where he’ll be tonight.”

  Ah, so there was a plot brewing. Interesting.

  Jericha felt her stomach tighten. What could she do? In order to survive the transformation from human to a sub-species of Rime, she would need to drink Connor’s blood.

  This is bullcrap. Unless…

  “Do you know of another dragon, who wouldn’t mind spilling a pint or two for a good cause?”

  The elf’s face went screwy, almost colorless.

  “Do you mean to ask if I know of a dragon with a death sentence?” He shook his head. “I know of no such creature.”

  Like it or not, she knew what she had to do.

  The phone in the kitchen rang. Her gaze flicked in that direction. That thing hadn’t rung for weeks. She’d only signed up for the service, because she needed a phone number to give out for job interviews and other various things, and the landline had been cheaper to acquire than a cellphone.

  Yule hopped from one green slippered foot to the other.

  “Are you going to answer that?”

  Jericha shrugged. “I guess.”

  Shuffling through tiny snow piles, Jericha hustled into the kitchen to answer the phone.

  She picked it up and placed it to her ear.

  Connor’s deeply seductive voice washed over her, as he said, “Hello, my stunning ice maiden.” The unexpected sound was bracing.

  Oh, crap.

  She dropped the phone to her waist and covered the receiver.

  “Get a grip,” she muttered to herself.

  She’d caught a break. That was the time for her to flirt, be extra nice, whatever she had to do to get Connor’s blood, without having to give him forever in return.

  She brought the phone back up to her ear, saying, “I was just thinking about you, dragon man.”

  Dragon man? Really? Ugh. That sounded stupid.

  Her eyes jumped to the ceiling, and she bit her knuckle.

  She decided she’d better stick to calling him by his first name, if her plan was going to stand a remote chance of working.

  Jericha shuffled her bare feet against tile, frosted over with ice. The cool surface calmed her increasing heartbeat. She couldn’t remember the last time she tried to flirt with anybody. And she understood why—she sucked at it.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you.” His voice pulled at her, smooth and sweet, like taffy.

  She shook her head, she couldn’t do it. Screwing around with someone’s emotions was a big no-no in her book, even if it meant she’d end up paying the ultimate price for her pesky moral standards. She wasn’t a monster. And she definitely wasn’t a liar.

 
“Look, I’m sorry, but this isn’t going to work.”

  “Uh…” Connor paused, his growing confusion palpable. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I was leading you on just now. But the game has changed.”

  More silence, and then, “What game? I can assure you that our bond is not a game to me.”

  She glanced at the wall and closed her eyes.

  “That’s just it. There will be no more games. No bonding. I needed something from you, and I’ve decided it’s not worth the price.”

  With a sincere tone in his voice, he said, “I’m just going to tell you flat out. If you are in need of me, I offer myself to you freely. You are my fated mate. Anything I have is yours. Anything you’ll ever need, I will provide you.”

  She thought about saying, “I need your blood,” but she didn’t.

  Her jaw clenched. The line between having someone care for her and being coddled, in that instance, seemed gossamer thin.

  “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”

  As if he knew what she were about to do, he said, “Wait…!”

  Jericha hung up the phone, before he could finish the sentence. A bleak stiffness filled her chest. Was it regret? Pain? A longing for something she knew nothing about, and in turn, was frightened by? She didn’t know.

  “That wasn’t very smart.” Sirius’s words packed a deadly punch of truth.

  “And you three…” She exhaled, narrowing her eyes on the elves, who were sitting at the kitchen table, looking like seven year olds, waiting for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “I need you to help me find a willing dragon at the party tonight.”

  Sirius smirked, saying, “If we do, it will be his funeral.”

  Her lips pursed in thought.

  “Not if Connor doesn’t find out about it.”

  “He’ll know the moment you bite the poor guy.”

  All three of the elves began to laugh. Kole grabbed his rounded belly and tumbled from the chair, to land face first in a pile of snow. More laughter.

  Her lips tightened. Son of a bitch.

  It was a shitty plan, but she’d find a way to make it work. She had to, if she was going to stand a chance at survival.

  She wandered over to the dining room table and pulled out a chair. Feeling weighted, she plopped down, slouched forward, chin cradled in her hands. If the position made her appear defeated, it was because that’s exactly how she felt. On top of everything else, she didn’t have a thing to wear to the party.

  Jericha grimaced and said, “This blows.”

  Her eyes went to the more intellectual elf in the group for guidance.

  “Sirius, what does one wear to a winter ball?”

  He leapt on top of the table and spun in three slow circles. When he stopped, a fine silk suit in the color of crisp evergreen was draped over his stocky body.

  “Does this help?” he asked, with his chest puffed with boastfulness.

  Who knew that elves were so into themselves?

  “Not really, unless you can spin around a few more times and make me a dress to match. Fancy dresses cost big bucks. Without a fairy godmother to bippity-boppity-boo me into a beautiful ball gown, and glass slippers, I’m stuck wearing something from Target’s latest women’s collection.”

  Kole chimed in, “We can only magically dress ourselves. Sorry.”

  Jericha raised a brow at him. She’d almost forgotten he was there, because he rarely ever spoke.

  Sirius didn’t say anything. But as he stared off in thought, something bright and cheerful sparked in his eyes.

  “I’ll go shopping.”

  The determined elf flipped backwards, his slippered feet making a splash, as he landed softly in a puddle of slush.

  “Be right back.”

  Jericha stood from the kitchen chair and waved once.

  “Good luck. I’m going to take a shower.”

  The other elves scrambled from their seats.

  “We’ll find you something great!” Yule said, with a confident smile.

  Jericha’s blue eyes flicked over each elf, as they darted out the door.

  A few seconds later, she heard the slamming of car doors.

  Shit!

  She ran to the window and looked down over the parking lot.

  Tires screeched, as she watched the taillights of her car turn the corner and disappear into the night.

  Chapter Eleven

  Absently sipping on leftover blood from the butcher shop, Jericha sat on the floor in her bedroom. During her shower, the hunger had taken over. Her stomach proved to be a fickle bitch, after she’d tried to swallow a mouthful of water straight from the showerhead, causing it to grumble and churn, until finally, it was comforted by blood. The pain itself had been bearable, nothing like the acid shot the soda had been earlier.

  Her gaze jumped from hanger to hanger, then to the closet floor.

  With barely a social life to speak of, she’d never really made filling her wardrobe a priority. She was regretting that decision. All she could do was hope the elves somehow came through for her. Because judging by the meager rags hanging in her closet, she’d be missing the ball that night, along with any chance of landing a dragon.

  There’s always Connor, a pesky voice from within reminded.

  She licked the traces of blood from her lips and tossed the empty container into the trash bin next to her bed. Yes, Connor was the easy answer, but she just couldn’t bring herself to use him as nothing more than a means to an end—a blood bag.

  He was right. There was a pull between them. One that seemed to build by degrees with every thought she had about him. But no matter how tempting his offer was, caution was her only recourse.

  She was slowly coming into her power and had just learned of her brand new world, filled with magical creatures. Not to mention, there was a real possibility she was going to freeze to death. A new relationship on top of all that was a lot to handle. Her thoughts wandered over to the way Connor’s steel body had looked, as it filled her doorway.

  Ah, but he’s such a hunk.

  A faint sound was coming from the living room. Still wrapped in a towel, Jericha went to investigate.

  “Do you like it?” Sirius asked, as she entered the room.

  He was standing on top of the coffee table, holding up a ball gown, the likes of which would make any fairy princess envious. The silver gown had a strapless bodice and a long skirt, embroidered with crystal sequins that shone like shards of ice, with silk tulle layered over the top.

  Jericha gasped, her eyes going wide.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  Yule squealed, and clapped, “She likes it! She likes it!”

  Jericha hustled over to the gown, and with shaky fingertips, gently skimmed the silk material.

  A flush stained her cheeks, as she said, “Is this really for me?”

  Yule bowed at the waist, which felt a little weird to Jericha.

  “The big guy said to buy only the best for the new Frost, when we called him for his credit card number.”

  Her brows jumped together.

  Why would he…?

  No matter how awkward she felt about a stranger buying her something so extravagant, the dress was way too gorgeous for her not to wear it.

  She reached out and snagged the gown from Sirius’s grip.

  “Tell the big guy ‘thanks’ for me. It’s perfect!”

  Dashing toward the bedroom, Jericha stopped and turned around. She gave the elves a heartfelt look.

  “Thank you so much for everything. I’d have been lost without your help.”

  All three of them blushed, and it was Kole who answered, while shuffling on the balls of his feet, hands clenched nervously behind his back.

  “Don’t mention it, miss. It was our honor.”

  ***

  According to the Weather Channel, a blizzard was about to hit the small town of Winter Haven. Snow came down like gangbusters, burying Jericha’s car in fresh powder up
to mid-wheel level. And the storm had only begun.

  Jericha stood in front of her car, with her beautiful gown clutched in her fists, as she held the skirt up, so only her legs, up to her knees, were plunged in the snow.

  She looked over at the elves. They didn’t sink into the mountains of slush, as they walked across it. Instead, their black dress shoes magically skimmed the surface.

  “How will I get to the party now?” she asked, feeling defeated.

  If the situation were the same less than 24 hours ago, she would have been holed up in her apartment, with the heat blaring, covers piled on, reading a book next to the fireplace, not outside, braving the fierce weather that she felt right at home in.

  Yule stopped throwing snowballs at anything that moved long enough to answer, “We can give you a lift!”

  Jericha wasn’t so sure about that.

  “You don’t even have a car. You’ve been borrowing mine. So how do you suppose you’ll be pulling that off?”

  Yule smiled and said, “Elves do not require the aid of a vehicle to get back to Kringle. We think about the big guy and poof! We’re with him. We’ll take you with us.” He plowed through the snow and was in front of Jericha in a flash. He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Hold on.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Veiled Border of the Dragon Blade Keep

  ***

  “I could kill Frost for making me do this.”

  Sitting on top of an enormous boulder on the precipice of a high mountain, Skadi waited impatiently for one of the Blue Sentries to leave their safe haven. Even with her massive powers, she couldn’t breach the veil that hid the Keep and its inhabitants from any would-be enemies, entering the mystical territory. It was protected by magics even more ancient than her own. So she couldn’t just pop on in and knock on their door.

  She held four green envelopes, embossed with gold, in her left hand. They were invitations to a Christmas ball, which was being held in her lover’s honor. With the awakening of a new Frost, the party would be the event of the season. All the different species were welcome to attend, as long as they kept their claws and fangs put away for the evening.

  Skadi’s wait was short-lived, as she glanced up into the sky and saw a beautiful creature, spiraling through pillows of clouds, traveling at breakneck speeds. She stood, her fingers relaxed around the envelopes in her grip.