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

by Michele Bardsley

  “The wound on your neck is contaminated with the same toxins in his blood. For you, being human, a corrupted vampire’s bite is an eternal death sentence. You would likely become like him.”

  “I’m going to die from it?”

  He shook his head. “Not with my blood running through your veins.”

  “You were going to bite me.”

  “To stop the poison from continuing to multiply. Plus, since you’ll need a large quantity of my blood, it would be best to remove as much of yours as possible.”

  “You’re not being honest with me.”

  “I don’t have any reason to deceive you.”

  “If that’s true, why did you descried the process as being a matter of necessity to save my life?”

  “It will.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Dean. I happened to be there while you were getting your freak on with my neck. You were anticipating something many times darker and more wicked than a medical procedure.”

  “That’s what frightened you?” He should’ve been more considerate of her human nature. His elevated emotions shocked him.

  “You killed Loris, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “Why?”

  “I had no reason to allow him to live.”

  “The fact that killing a man is illegal would be a logical reason to not do it.”

  “His actions killed him.”

  “We have a justice system in place to determine a person’s innocence or guilt. If he or she is found guilty of committing a crime the same system implements whatever punishment is suitable for the offense.”

  “You are talking about human laws. I am not human. He wasn’t human. Any law that prohibits me from killing an individual that decides to become a threat to you is not my law. It is a complete contradiction to my reality. It’s my right, my responsibility and my pleasure to annihilate any and every fool that sets out to harm you.”

  “I planned to lead you to him, to your death.”

  He smiled. “I know.”

  “How?”

  “This is my territory. Nothing can be kept from me.”

  “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

  “No.” He released her hand and gathered her up in his arms. “I would never do anything to hurt you.” He bent his head and pressed his lips against hers. “Kiss me.”

  Shoving him, stepping back, she stared up at him. “I am just as guilty as Loris.”

  He laughed. “Not even close.”

  “I planned to help him kill you.”

  His lips slowly lifting in a sexy-as-hell smile, he winked. “But you didn’t do it.”

  “So?”

  “What stopped you?” he asked.

  Staring at him, she slowly shook her head back and forth. He was too damn good looking. A wonderful shiver ran through her body. His impeccably balanced muscular build was a scrumptious delight for her eyes to devour. “You.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “You want me to explain it.”

  “In detail.”

  “It’s pretty simple. The first time you pulled me into your arms, my plan to make a few dollars by luring you to your death went up in flames.”

  “Of lust.” Delicious vibrations chased the movement of his hand from her lower back to her hip.

  “It’s possible.”

  He gripped her hips and pressed her body against his. “What do you feel right now?”

  “Lust.” She pushed herself away from him. “I happen to think your body was perfectly designed to rock my world in many wonderful ways. So what? I think you’re hot as hell. I want you. That doesn’t mean I’m your mate. What woman wouldn’t contemplate getting naked with you?”

  “How often do you think about getting naked with me?” His deep voice echoed with a wickedly sexy growl that actually gave her goosebumps and caused her to shiver. “You’re freezing.” He took his leather jacket off and, cocooning her in the incredible scent and warmth of his body, he wrapped it around her

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “How often?”

  “Once in a while.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded. He was right. She was screwed. She’d never been so entirely aroused by a man. Nothing would ever be as it was. She would always burn for him, for the way his body felt against hers. while they kissed. “I’ve spent many hours thinking about ripping your clothes off and turning a few hot, passionate fantasies into reality with you.”

  “What about during the night?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “That’s great news.”

  She took a few steps back, watching him closely, studying his every expression. “Damn you, Dean. You’ve ruined everything.” Then, since he’d taken his jacket off, her eyes wandered away from his face and strayed over his heavily muscled arms and chest stretching his tee shirt. For the sake of self-preservation, she needed to get the hell as far away from him as possible. It was easier said than done since she wanted to touch him, to slip her hands beneath his shirt to feel, to explore his rock hard muscled body.

  FOUR

  Jayne was trouble. Luckily, since she was his mate, Dean liked trouble. A lot. He didn’t understand why she was so resistant to the idea of sticking around with him. A slow smile tugged at his mouth. More than anything else he needed her to touch him. He longed to feel her fingers explore his body.

  He had no idea what to say to her, how to make her want him for more than a fling. “Stay with…damn it, Jayne.” He pushed his hand through his hair in frustration. “I want you to stay with me. I need you to stay with me.”

  “We both know that’s not true.”

  “Why?” They had issues. She’d only come into his life to earn a few thousand dollars to lead him to his death. No matter how many times he’d tried to tell himself that he needed to let her go, he couldn’t do it. Nothing could’ve stop him from taking the plunge with her.

  “I came here to help a vampire kill you.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He had to have her. She’d saved him from the darkness, from the nothing he’d become. “Stay with me.”

  “No. I can’t change who I am any more than you can change who you are.”

  Taking a deep breath, he pulled her back and looked into her eyes. Sure, she’d double crossed him. But other than that she was perfect in every way. He didn’t see any reason for her to want him to change, but he would consider dropping a few bad habits to satisfy her. He would do just about anything to end the agony of tossing and turning, hard and throbbing, night after night. “I would never want you to change.”

  “You called me an unattractive it.”

  “If I hadn’t…oh, Jayne.” Obviously, as he’d feared the night she took off, she’d over heard his conversation with Blake, his seconds in command, when they were trying to figure out how to protect her from a disgruntled pack member that had threatened her. They planned to get rid of him, but decided to wait until they made sure none of the other members were working with him. The best way to find out was to play dumb and allow him to stick around for a few weeks. “I didn’t mean it.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It matters. It’s the truth. We were discussing a plan to protect you.” He watched her. He waited, his thoughts dark and edgy.

  ***

  “From your pack?”

  “From a member who would’ve done anything in his power to kill you the moment he realized you’re my mate. I would’ve killed him right away, but to ensure your safety I couldn’t until I knew the identities of his supporters.”

  “Did you sort it all out.”

  He nodded. “He’s dead. Two other members have been removed from the area.” He paused. “We believe a few other members were supporting him. It’ll take a while sort everything out.”

  “I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.”

  “You scared the hell out of me. I thought one of them had gotten to yo
u.”

  “I left a note. It explained that I was leaving town. I also left a check to cover the remainder of my lease.”

  “Yes. I know. But we didn’t find the note until today. It’s what led me here. And I was never worried about the money.” He looked into her eyes, his expression changing, darkening with an unreadable emotion. “Did one of them threaten you?”

  Not unreadable. It was anger. She didn’t need to merge her mind with his to know what had caused it. Despite knowing he’d overheard him bashing her, he still believed a member of his pack had chased her off.

  “No.” Too much had happened for her to stick around. Nothing good could ever come from so much negativity. “I’m leaving for good.”

  “Alaska?”

  “Yes. It’s too cold here for my liking.”

  “Where do you plan to go?”

  “Texas.” She shrugged. “Maybe Florida. Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t decided on a location yet.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I seriously doubt you’ll reach either location on foot.”

  “It’s not your problem.” Completely worn out, physically and emotionally drained, she stared up at him.

  He grabbed her shoulders and held her back at arm’s length. “You’re my mate, Jayne. That makes your dilemmas mine.” Resting his forehead on hers, he sighed. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not going to allow you to run away from me, from us.”

  “So much has happen. What if you change your mind?”

  “I won’t. I’ll never turn on you. I’ll never betray her. I’ll protect you with my life. I promise to love and cherish you with all that I am.” He took her face in his hands and forced her gaze to meet his. “I understand that the reality of our union is overwhelming to you. I am completely blown away by it after waiting for hundreds of years to find you. There’s no reason for you to attempt to come to terms details or make sense of too much all at once. For now, just allow yourself to believe that you are my first priority.”

  She laughed at the thought of being a priority to anyone. She’d never really mattered to anyone. “You are the sexiest, most masculine werewolf I’ve ever laid eyes on. And I’ve come across some truly hot ones over the years. None compared. Not even a little.”

  “I’m happy you think I’m sexy.” Giving her a perfectly wicked grin, he winked. “We’re going to be spending a considerable amount of time naked.”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  He got a serious look on his face. She sensed him searching for something. She could almost feel him considering the best way to resolve a problem he perceived. Then, as if a distraction never forced his attention away from their discussion, he smiled. “We should get our asses home and get naked right now.”

  Shaking her head, she frowned. “Don’t you dare pretend that you aren’t bothered about something.” She reached up and touched the bite wound. “Her neck and shoulder were throbbing, burning. Her entire body felt hot.

  “I didn’t want to alarm you. You look pale.”

  “It’s starting to really hurt.” She felt smothered by heat. “Oh, shit.” And nauseous.

  “It’s going to be okay. Let’s get you home.” He held his hand out for her.

  “Wait.” Bile rising in her throat, she turned away from him to avoid throwing up on him. “I need a minute.”

  “It will only get worse.” He placed his hand on the center of her back. “We need to get my blood in your system.”

  The idea of drinking his blood made her feel sicker. “Why would you say something like that right now? I don’t want to hear anything about blood right now” Still hunched over and gagging, she tried to move away from him but he followed. “Just leave me alone for a minute.”

  “I know you’re afraid.” He placed his hand on her back again. “Let me help you.”

  She managed to stand up and straighten her shoulders. “I’m not scared.” She felt a strange dizzying sensation in her head and a sharp pain in her belly. “Listening to you talk about drinking blood is making me feel worse. I can’t do it.” Her vision blurred and started to darken. “Oh, shit.” Wrapping her arms around her belly, she bent over again. “I really don’t feel good.”

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  “No,” she turned her head to look at him, “it isn’t.” Suddenly disoriented, she lost her balance and started to fall.

  Before she hit the ground, Dean wrapped his arms around her and scooped her up. “You’re going to be fine, Jayne. I’m taking you home.”

  FIVE

  “YOU WERE WRONG.” Wrapped up in a towel, she stood up and walked toward the bathroom as if to prove it. “I’m feeling fine now. My neck doesn’t even hurt anymore. I just need a shower.”

  “You’re not experiencing the symptoms anymore because you’re too sick. Your body is dying. You’re turning.”

  “Turning?”

  “His blood was corrupt. You will become as he was.”

  “I’m going to be a vampire?”

  “A tainted vampire.”

  “Kill me. Just do it. I would rather die than become a monster.”

  “My blood will heal you.” He paused. “But we need to hurry before the transformation is complete.”

  “This isn’t a good…I don’t think I can do it, Dean.” She sat down on the foot of the bed. “The thought of drinking your blood, any blood, makes me physically sick.”

  “I know it’s hard for you to grasp.” He was relieved that she was at least attempting to accept it. He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Your heart is getting weaker, Jayne. You’re dying. You’re turning. Your human body cannot recover from the damage caused by the poison. You need to take my blood to survive.”

  “I can’t do it. I’m sorry, Dean. It’s just so disgusting to me.”

  “I can’t allow you to die, to become a corrupted vampire. Trust me. I can help you get through it, enjoy it, but you need to help me.”

  “You’re not making any sense. How could you help me like something that’s so gross to me? I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

  “I need you to trust me. Merge your mind with mine. Fully. Completely. No matter what happens, I need you to keep reaching for me, stay merged with me.”

  “I can do that.”

  “You have very strong barriers that you unconsciously put up to protect your mind when you feel threatened. I can force my way through them, but my efforts will cause you to suffer a great deal of pain if you try to resist me.”

  She stared up at him for a few seconds. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Right now, I can’t imagine feeling threatened by you. Is that all?”

  “You could also permit yourself to give into to the temptation you’re struggling to withstand right now.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  He took her hands and helped her up. “I would rather show you.”

  “Sometimes you have the best ideas.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly as she studied him. “You looked different, Dean.” Untamed. Fierce. Dominate. “It’s like you’re more predator than man right now.”

  “I blame you.” He pulled the towel away from her.

  “Me?” She laughed. “Why?”

  “You got me all hot and bothered and then ran off on me.”

  “I thought we established that little incident as being your fault.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “You’re definitely the one to blame for me being a sex starved wolf with a ravenous appetite.”

  “An extraordinarily hot, sex starved wolf.”

  “With a ravenous appetite that only you can satisfy.” Gripping her shoulders, he turned her away from him and then, resting one hand on top of her belly, he coaxed her closer.

  “I like the idea of being your one and only.” His solid body pressed snuggly against her backside, he used his free hand to gently pull her hair to one side.

  With the tips of his fingers he lightly caressed the bare skin o
f her exposed neck and shoulder for several breathtaking seconds. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I trust you.” She tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck.

  “Merge with me. Let your mind come into mine.” Everything in him stilled as she slipped her mind into his. “That’s it.”

  Reaching down, swirling his finger over her clit, he began to stoke the flames of a firestorm of carnal pleasure in her. Pressing, grinding his cock against her back, he pushed his fingers into her hot core. “I can’t wait to feel your tight body wrapped around my dick.” He kept moving, pumping his hips, rubbing himself against her back as he took her hand and lowered it to her sex. “Touch yourself,” he growled, against her neck. He kept his hand over hers as she brought herself closer and closer to climaxing. “That’s it.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and licked and sucked her fingers. “You taste so damn good.” He lowered her hand again. “Make yourself come for me.”

  He held her body against his as his tongue teased and teeth scraped back and forth across her neck. He was in her mind and she was in his. The instant she reached an orgasm, he sank his teeth into her neck. He heard her cry out his name. By keeping her mind merged with his, she only found pleasure in the act of his mouth drawing blood from her body and taking it into his. As soon as he’d taken enough blood from her to be able to receive enough of his blood to complete a proper exchange, he turned her around to face him.

  “Do you think it’s too soon for me to tell you that I’m falling in love with you, Dean.”

  “Not at all.” He lowered her onto the bed and settled his body between her thighs. “I’ve been falling in love with you from the first moment we met.”

  “You weren’t the first werewolf I helped Loris kill. I’ve been working for him for over five years. I’ve helped him kill others.”

  “You’re not the only one who has done bad things. You might be shocked to learn that I’ve done some pretty shady things in the past. I might do more in the future. I probably will. But I will never change my mind about you, about us. I will never do anything to risk losing you.”