Sold To The Alpha Bear (Alpha Mates Of Salem)

by Maia Starr

  Sold To The Alpha Bear

  (Alpha Mates Of Salem)

  Maia Starr

  Book 1

  Copyright ©2019 by Maia Starr - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Wolves Of Silverwood Island (Sneak Peak)

  Other Books By Maia Starr

  About the Author

  Exclusive Offer

  Chapter One

  Tiffany

  Salem wasn’t the town Tiffany thought it would be.

  Rundown, muddy from the recent rains, dirty air from the smoke that arose from cast-iron stoves in every tiny house her taxi had driven by. The smoke gagged the main roads ahead and behind her yellow taxi as it sped through, gravel and pebbles flying up in the car’s wake. With every bump, Tiffany’s head grazed the roof of the car, which caused her to scowl as she stared out the window.

  “The drive smooths out eventually,” the taxi driver called back, his eyes catching Tiffany’s skeptical gaze in the rear-view mirror. His gaze fixed hard on her furrowed brows before returning to the road ahead. “I’d rather not drop off a scowling young thing like you in this hazy town. You sure you’re moving into Salem?”

  “I know exactly where I’m headed,” Tiffany pushed out through clenched teeth after the next dip in the road. “Salem, the start of my new life.”

  “There are better places to choose to begin anew,” the taxi driver drawled, his fingers tapping lightly along the wheel as they curved along a bend in the road. “Towns without rumors about shapeshifters going around, and cities where women aren’t kidnapped on a regular basis.”

  Tiffany scoffed at her driver. “Rumors are just rumors, aren’t they? I don’t believe a lick of any of that nonsense. Shapeshifters? Please! My ex could make up a better story.”

  “And the kidnappings?”

  “Rumors are exaggerated in small towns,” Tiffany replied effortlessly, her hazel eyes drifting to watch as her taxi passed two shirtless men walking alongside the road. The men eyed her through those few milliseconds, their bodies hunched, as if ready to pounce. Both were burly, their muscles defined under the sunlight beginning to break through the foliage overhead. Strange smiles appeared on both of their faces as they disappeared from Tiffany’s sight, overruling her immediate fascination with the sight of their six-packs. Something nagged at the back of her mind about the wolflike contour of each of the men’s faces, and she twisted her head back to the front and shivered, trying to push the nasty thoughts away. “If every person in Salem looks like those two, then I can see why people would blame the supernatural for a regular human kidnapper.”

  Silence permeated the inside of the taxi, causing Tiffany to shift in her seat uncomfortably. The road began to smooth out after a while, just like the driver said, and he glanced back at her with raised eyebrows as if to say he knew what he was talking about. Tiffany, who wanted nothing to do with her driver’s temporary gloating, twiddled her fingers as her thoughts once again drifted to Salem.

  Salem, the small town where shapeshifters of all kinds are said to gather to rape and pillage in secret, to kidnap unsuspecting women who come looking to find peace in the simplicity of small-town life...and I could be one of those girls if the rumors prove true.

  But they weren’t true. Rumors about the supernatural were often a means to put a town’s name on the map for potential tourists. At least, that’s how Jack, her ex-boyfriend, had put it just before she left.

  For a moment after that last thought, a sour taste came to her tongue, causing her to rummage in her coat pocket for the piece of paper she’d kept on her person ever since the day she left Jack for good. Unfolding the crinkled paper, Tiffany’s eyes washed over the handwritten sentiments held within, her lips tightening as she read, for the hundredth time, Jack’s final words to her. Be careful, Tiff, it had said. Salem is supposed to be a dangerous place. Though you seem to gravitate towards danger, something I’ve always loved about you. If only you weren’t so stubborn. Ah, yes, stubborn. The label had clung to Tiffany for as long as she could remember. Wrinkling her nose, she focused on that word for a while, rereading Jack’s script, soaking it in even further. His writing had always been beautiful. Then she moved on. Listen, despite everything, the arguments, my sleeping on the couch, and your headstrong desire to always be right, I wish you luck. I wanted to settle down with you, have a couple of kids, chase that dream, but that isn’t what you wanted, right? Hopefully, you’ll find someone better suited to your needs, Tiff. Good luck on your trip to Salem; maybe you’ll get to meet a were-bear there! Just kidding. Have fun, love, Jack.

  It was a few more rereadings and minutes later that Tiffany realized her cheeks were slick with salty tears and that her nose now sniffled constantly as she tried to cover her face up with the letter, hoping her taxi driver wouldn’t notice. If he did, the taxi driver made no attempt to show it and kept silent until Salem finally came into view.

  “Home sweet home,” he muttered, slowing down nearly to a snail’s pace as they noisily clambered into downtown Salem.

  Tiffany didn’t respond as she wiped at her cheeks, simply nodding as she finally managed to stare out at the weathered welcome sign. Short buildings of faded colors lined the main street, with tiny backstreets housing even smaller homes and garages. Even with the afternoon sunlight, the town still appeared dull and gray, yet there was a certain charm that drew in Tiffany’s curious gaze. Silent and ghostly, the small town gave off the impression of being deserted until Tiffany finally caught sight of an elderly couple leaving a diner just ahead.

  Two years with Jack and I thought I was in love, and only a handful of days of arguing and now I’m trying to start over in this town. I left Jack for this because I couldn’t settle down. Now it’s time to make the best of it, no matter how long I’m here.

  Pulling up alongside the very same diner, Tiffany eyed the flickering neon name just above the entrance: Herbert’s Diner. So this was the place she’d spend most of her time?

  “You sure you want to be dropped off at work straight away?” the taxi driver asked as he shifted the car into park and took his hands off the wheel to look back at her. “Don’t want to check out your house?”

  Shaking her head, Tiffany grabbed hold of her suitcase and pushed the side door open. “I’m fine; thank you for the ride.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  “How much?” Tiffany asked as she stepped outside and straightened, glad to finally be on her feet again. Slidin
g her hand into another pocket, she slipped out her wallet.

  “None,” the driver said. “That other fellow, Jack, paid for the trip.”

  “What?” Tiffany said, a flood of emotion rising up at the revelation. “That idiot! He wasn’t supposed to do that. How about a tip then?”

  “Taken care of.”

  “Ugh!”

  The taxi driver laughed. “Good luck in your new hometown,” he said before he pulled away and left Tiffany standing in the cold air. She stuffed her wallet back into her coat pocket and grumbled to herself about her ex-boyfriend as she lifted her suitcase and trudged up the steps to the front door.

  As she reached for the handle, the door swung open in a flurry, and suddenly a bright-eyed redhead stood smiling at her. The quick jerk of the door caused Tiffany to scramble back in a moment of confusion. She sighed and pinched her nose as she relaxed.

  “Oh, sorry,” the woman said as she blinked at Tiffany. “People tell me I tend to jump the gun a bit. You’re Tiffany, aren’t you? The new girl moving into town? Can I call you Tiff?”

  Tiffany glanced up, the eagerness in the woman’s face giving her a new energy. “Yeah, that’s fine. Tiff is a nickname I’ve had before...and yeah, literally just arrived.

  “We saw. We were all watching from the windows!”

  “And that fact is supposed to please me?”

  The woman chuckled. “Nah, sorry, I can be a little blunt too. Name’s Amanda, and I run Herbert’s Diner...so I suppose that makes me your new boss. Come on; you seem eager to get this adventure off the ground, am I right? Follow me!”

  Rolling her eyes at the growing level of enthusiasm, Tiffany smiled and followed her new boss inside. Adventure, huh? Yeah, Tiffany liked the sound of that. She left one life behind for something new, for an adventure. Now, hopefully this adventure lived up to her hopes.

  Chapter Two

  Kyle

  Adrenaline raged inside Kyle as he took his place on one side of the loose ring of his fellow bear shifters, eyeing the stout shifter that stood opposite him. The man snorted and flexed his arms, baring his yellowed teeth at Kyle and hunching over, ready to charge the second the duel began.

  Kyle, not adverse to the laws of his clan, rolled his stiff shoulders and felt his muscles ripple with power. His heart hammered with anxiety and excitement, his eyes flashing deadly daggers at his opponent. A chorus of shouts and verbal jabs were thrown at the two duelists from the ring of bear shifters around them, yet while his opponent flinched at some of the blunt truths, Kyle remained steady and calm, ignoring most of the jeering that seemed to blanket the air around him.

  It was the way of the Woodland Bear Clan to jeer right before a duel was to occur and then to go dead silent when one finally got underway. Kyle couldn’t remember why his people held such a practice, yet he never really had the desire to learn about it. Kyle’s current few desires were enough for him, and a bear shifter of his clan didn’t need to know every little thing to become alpha.

  Yet even as the referee stepped forward, he felt agitated by his ignorance, and the tug of insanity as it followed his agitation. Brushing away his thoughts to keep his growing madness at bay, Kyle stood straighter and let his heated blood take control. He could picture the immediate future in that split second before the referee raised his hand for silence...as alpha, I can do whatever I want. Pick any mate I want, go where I please without being questioned...and take revenge for Alexander.

  Swinging his gaze to his left, Kyle spied a human woman and her two cubs. The one-year-old laid curled in his mother’s strong arms while the five-year-old watched Kyle hazily, latched onto his mother’s dress with his tiny fingers. The woman, though, glared burning holes in Kyle’s head, leaving an uncomfortable sensation to roll through his body.

  Yeah, I know, Emily. You’d rather see me be put down like the wolves who killed Alexander, right? Too bad I won’t let that happen...yet.

  Complete silence now resounded through the clearing, with every jeerer calmed by the sway of the referee’s hand. The shifter, an older man who looked like he’d lived a hundred lives, slowly turned to face the crowd as he spoke. “Here, on this day, we select a new alpha! One year after Alexander’s death, these two men are the strongest in our clan, and by far the best leaders we have. Once I give the signal, they will duel until one is left unconscious or thrown out of the ring. Everyone agree?” A soft murmur ran through the crowd, words of agreement passed from one to another. “Good! Now, let the duel begin!”

  The referee sliced down through the air with his hand, and the forest shook a split second later as Kyle and his opponent darted forward, each moving like a blur, roaring and shifting into a massive grizzly bear faster than anyone could have predicted. The first clash between the two sent a soundwave rolling through the clearing.

  Kyle felt once again the pull of insanity as he and his opponent clung to each other in the middle of the ring, each bear smacking and clawing as they stood on two feet. The pressure drove Kyle into his basic instincts, pivoting slightly to allow his opponent to fall forward, and smacked his opponent’s head savagely as he circled to the shifter’s flank. Growling in fury, the shifter turned to swipe at Kyle, yet Kyle managed to leap back and then rush forward, finding an opening to his opponent’s side. Chomping down on the shoulder of the big grizzly bear, Kyle snarled and shook, trying to throw his opponent off balance and into the crowd. A quick ending would be best, Kyle knew, as he didn’t want to hurt his fellow shifter more than he needed to. But if the shifter persisted, Kyle wouldn’t show mercy. Too much rode on his victory here.

  His opponent tried to shake Kyle off as he pushed, slowly heaving them both towards the edge of the ring. Panicking, his opponent swiped ferociously at Kyle’s head, trying to get at his eyes and nose, fighting desperately to get Kyle to let go of his shoulder. That attempt only made Kyle bite even deeper, with the shifter’s blood flowing over his lips. In a surge of power from his opponent, Kyle was pushed to a standstill, the two locked in a battle of pure strength.

  Looking past his opponent, he could see the ring of spectators within feet of them both. All Kyle needed was one final push, one giant shove, and he’d be crowned alpha of the Woodland Bear Clan. Just one shove.

  Once his opponent faltered, Kyle seized the chance and dug into the ground with his heels and surged forward, forcing his opponent to stand on his hind legs, roar, and then roll backward while swiping at Kyle. The ring of shifters parted immediately, swiftly, no one getting crushed under his opponent’s weight as the grizzly bear fell back. For a moment, his opponent scrambled back to his feet in anger and made to charge Kyle, but then the realization that he’d fallen out of the ring hit him, and he fell still.

  I won, Kyle suddenly thought. I’m the alpha now. No one else is my equal, except...Alexander.

  A pang of grief gripped Kyle’s heart, and with his drastic change in emotions so too did his sanity falter again. All shifters needed a mate to stay sane; without one, a shifter would go feral over time, a fate every shifter feared. Now Kyle’s growing feral side took center stage as he roared at his opponent and charged once again, his vision growing red.

  He was stopped short by the woman from earlier, who, with her one cub still resting soundly in her arms, had stepped into Kyle’s path, causing him to slide to a stop before her.

  “Is this the man Alexander loved?” she whispered just loud enough for Kyle to hear as he snarled at her. A memory rushed back into his mind at her words, an image of a shifter with a bright smile chuckling and slapping him on the back as they two shared a drink. Regret filled the rest of the memory, and Kyle’s heart began to slow to a resting pace. The next moment, Kyle shifted back, standing naked before the woman and her fiery gaze. The cub in her arms began to wail as Kyle huffed, sweat dotting the muscles of his body, his gaze fixed in horror on the woman before him.

  The referee raced forward to grip Kyle’s wrist and raise it, clearing his throat so his shout would carry in the cleari
ng. “And the title of alpha of the Woodland Bear Clan has been claimed! Kyle will now lead our clan!”

  A murmur of approval sang in chorus from the ring of spectators, every head around him nodding and now whispering to each other, but Kyle didn’t hear or see anything other than the scowling woman in front of him. “Like hell I’ll accept you!” she nearly shouted, briskly turning to strut away, doing her best to calm her cub. The five-year-old jogged after her, a bitter look on his face as he turned to watch Kyle.

  Kyle saw Alexander in Emily’s son, in the way he scrunched up his face and remained light-footed as he walked. Pain twitched in his heart again, and Kyle, panting, ripped his wrist from the older shifter’s clutches and marched after the woman.

  Chapter Three

  Tiffany

  Herbert’s Diner was cleaner than Tiffany predicted. While the outside was rustic and held its own kind of charm, the inside was perfectly cozy. With red stools and a sky blue and white color palette, Tiffany felt as if she’d been transported back in time to when her parents had been her age. She was lucky, Tiffany decided, to have found a job at such a hip little joint, even if her boss never seemed to stop talking.

  “So this is where all the magic happens!” Amanda said as she pointed to the long section of booths and the strip of white counter. Two elderly men sat playing cards, neither looking up to greet either as they walked in. No one else was in the diner. “Well, some of the action, anyways. Maybe half the magic. You just missed our lunch hour, so things are a little slow right now. You’re okay with slow work, right? A lot of the people in this town are older, especially since…” her voice trailed off, leaving Tiffany to guess at her next words.