The Alpha Read online

  Eric seemed to take it as a sign to continue. “I left the pack as soon as they deemed it safe. I couldn’t wait to get away from them. The apartment next to Sugar became vacant, and I took it. Your little sister was my rock during all this. She helped me find the others, Sam, Robert, Tyler and Katrina.”

  “They’re werewolves too?” She sat up straighter in his lap and knocked his chin on her head.

  He laughed while he rubbed it. “Yes.”

  “Sugar’s the only human?”

  “And you.” His grin was infectious. “But you need to let me finish.”

  She listened as he told her how Daedalus came into their lives and the Omegas absorbed the larger pack of Ayumus.

  “An alpha of a pack.”

  “Trying to be. I don’t think I’m doing a very good job. They insist I need a mate. The old alpha, Michael, never took one, and they blame that for making them such a male dominant pack with little morals. The male alpha is the soul of the pack, but the female is the heart.”

  “Mate? As in they want you to fuck someone else besides me?” She crossed her arms. “I’m not into sharing.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to. That’s what caused the fight tonight. Some of the females were conducting challenges for dominance at an abandoned warehouse we keep for such things. I stopped them. Then I announced I wanted courting rights since I found a potential mate. Three of them turned on me. I had to put them in their place, otherwise the males would view me as weak and start challenging me as well.”

  “You want me as a mate? To become a werewolf?”

  “No, no. I’d never ask anyone to do that. I’m still not sure what to do now, but this will give me some time to think and plan. Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” He ran his thumb along her cheek and heat flooded her body. “I just want us to be together.”

  “You fought werewolves to be with me.” She grinned at him and winked. “I think I’m a little turned on.”

  With a display of speed she’d never witnessed from him, he dumped her on the floor and crawled on top. His eyes faded to the golden amber she’d glimpsed before, but this time he didn’t try to hide it. “Then you don’t hate me?”

  “I meant what I said last night. I’m here for keeps, babe.” She ran her fingers into his thick mane. “It’s nice to know you’re not perfect. Everyone should have a flaw.”

  He laughed. “I’m far from perfect.”

  “I don’t know. From here you’re looking pretty damn fine.” She pulled him down to her lips and slid her hands around to his back.

  He flinched.

  “Shit.”

  “I’m okay, really.”

  She laughed. “Go to bed. I’m going to make some breakfast. After I take a plate to Sugar, I’ll bring you one.”

  “Naked. Serve it to me naked.”

  She laughed. “Definitely not perfect.”

  Chapter 8

  Daedalus strolled into the living room, the tip of his right ear a little less pointy since his head caught on fire two days ago. Eric tried to hide his amusement behind Spice’s wild, short curls. The vampire turned out to be sensitive about the small loss.

  The memories of their crazy car ride home were still vivid. When Clair and her cronies jumped him in the warehouse, he freed his beast and kicked their mangy asses. The fact they thought he could be taken down so easily ate at him. He still needed to prove himself to his pack.

  Behavior like Clair’s needed to be stomped out of the pack. Dishonorable, untrustworthy, and disgraceful could be used to describe many of them, but over the last year he’d chased away the worst and nurtured the best. Now he needed to figure out how to unite the old pack with the new.

  His first step sat in his arms. Beautiful lush curves pressed to his body. Spice may not be wolf and could never be the pack’s heart but she owned his, and with her support he could accomplish anything.

  Spice, forever her little sister’s champion, came to her rescue when she heard the screams only to find they’d been keeping secrets from her.

  Forced to reveal the truth, he couldn’t believe his luck when she accepted everything without much question. Unlike her twin, who had run, needing time to come to terms with the paranormal, Spice knew what she wanted. Him.

  He kissed the back of her neck as she rolled the dice. They played Monopoly tonight with everyone in the house, and she dominated.

  “No distracting the master, honey.” She waved him off.

  Daedalus stopped by the table with a letter in his hand. “This was pinned to the front door. It has your name on it.” He offered it to Eric.

  “Somebody made a hole in my brand new wooden door with a pin?” Sugar rose from the floor by the gaming table and went to inspect the damage.

  “It’s just a door.” Daedalus followed her.

  Their chatter faded into the background as Eric looked at the envelope. His name was scrawled on the front in pen. He slid his finger under the edge and tore it open, then pulled out a folded piece of paper.

  His breath caught in his chest as he read it.

  Spice leaned closer and read it as well. “Can she do this?”

  “No.” He smacked the note with his hand, wishing it was Clair’s head instead, and re-read it out loud.

  Eric,

  Did you think I wouldn’t find out she’s human? Accord law states a mate has to be of the same species. Courting time denied and challenges have continued until this evening.

  I’ve won.

  Keep the girl as a pet, I don’t care, but I will rule at your side.

  Clair

  The paper crinkled as he crushed it in his hand. “Can’t I get a break?” he shouted at no one in particular.

  Sugar and Daedalus returned to the room, he quirked an eyebrow at Eric, never approving of outbursts from him. Leaders must maintain a calm exterior at all times, to reassure his people, no matter how angry or frightened they might be inside.

  Offering the note to the vampire, Eric started to pace the room with slow, steady strides. How was he going to take care of that bitch?

  “They didn’t know Spice is human?” Sam asked as he rose from his seat next to Katrina. His eyes darted between Daedalus and him.

  “Of course not, I wouldn’t be able to stall them if they did.” He glared at Sam and smelled his fear from across the room.

  Sweat beaded on the smaller muscular werewolf’s forehead as he edged around the table.

  “What did you do, Sam? Why are you suddenly afraid?”

  He stopped, his breathing a little heavier, and stood behind Tyler. “I-I didn’t know, man. If someone would have told me I wouldn’t have said anything.”

  “To who?” The question came out as snarl. For a moment, a red haze blinded him. He hadn’t been this angry since his confrontation with Michael.

  Sam fell to all fours and crawled to his Alpha’s feet. “Last night, I met a girl at a pack party. You-you asked me to go to them to feel the pulse of the pack. She took me home, and we had a good time. Her questions sounded so innocent, like curiosity about her aloof Alpha.”

  Eric took a few deep breaths and blew some steam off. He didn’t want to hurt Sam. His anger was at Clair. “She asked about my prospective mate?”

  “She seemed excited about it. I couldn’t help but brag and say what a great match you guys made. It never occurred to me you couldn’t mate a human.”

  “Didn’t you ever read the copy of the Accords that I gave to everyone in the pack?”

  Sam stared at the floor and shook his head.

  Each of the original Omegas pack was in the room. Eric turned and looked at them. Katrina pressed herself against Tyler, who didn’t have anything funny to say for once. Robert sat on the floor with his arms crossed over his chest and glared at their groveling friend.

  “Did any of you read it?” Eric tried not to sound disappointed.

  “I have trouble with English, but Tyler read them to me. I admit to not understanding much of it though.” Katrina res
ted her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

  He smoothed her long black hair with his hand. “Same here, dude. I grew up with English. It’s like Shakespearewrote it or something.”

  Eric sighed and rubbed his temples.

  “Maybe I should get a modern translation of the Accords made,” Daedalus offered.

  “We’ll figure this out, Eric. You’re not alone.” Robert’s declaration didn’t ease his worry.

  Every week something new came up, and every week he had to find a solution for the problem. The burden of the pack would eventually break him. He needed help. He needed a mate.

  Spice stayed quiet, sitting on the couch, the dice still clutched in her hand. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. It made him nervous. She’d want to do something, but Clair would tear her apart, literally.

  “Game night is over. Get off the ground, Sam. We’ve got work to do.” He extended his hand to the smaller werewolf at his feet. Sam might not be able to keep his dick in his pants and could be careless, but he was loyal and true. Eric couldn’t buy those last two qualities in a person.

  Sam took Eric’s hand and pulled himself to his feet. “Sorry,” he mumbled, then looked around Eric to Spice. “I’m a bonehead, if you haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “I have,” she responded.

  He cleared his throat and stared at his shuffling feet.

  Eric glanced at her over his shoulder and winked. He didn’t want his girl to carry a grudge against Sam. If memory served him right, Spice could carry one with a vengeance. “I want the four of you to split up in two groups. Find the pack and see where they stand on Clair. I’m going to see if I can find and confront her myself.” He turned to Daedalus. “I’d like you to stay here and protect them.” He nodded to the twins.

  The Ayumu had attacked his home after he won the challenge against Michael. It wouldn’t surprise him if Clair tried to kill Spice. Daedalus, a Nosferatu Prime, could easily take on whatever she planned.

  “You also know the Accords better than any of us. Can you see if there’s a loophole out of this?”

  The vampire shook his head. “We’ve been down that road. The Accords clearly state—”

  Eric touched his shoulder. “Look again.”

  “Too bad Spice’s not pack.”

  Eric squeezed Daedalus’s shoulder when he spoke those words. He didn’t like the hint contained in them. Sometimes the vampire couldn’t stop from meddling.

  “I’ll go over them now. Send someone to relieve me before dawn.” He left with Sugar in tow.

  The Omegas got their jackets and left the house. Eric stood by the door as Spice wrapped a scarf around his neck.

  She came to her tiptoes to give him a tender, short kiss. “You do what you have to do and deal with her, Eric.”

  He took her face between his hands, not too surprised to hear such a comment from his fierce love. “I’m not killer, Spice.”

  “She sounds conniving, selfish and untrustworthy. It will poison those around her. Only the strong survive, your pack deserves someone with the strength and conviction to kill for it. If you need to take a mate besides me, I can understand, but choose one with the right qualities. I’ve been a mistress before, I can be one again.”

  He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Over his dead body.

  Chapter 9

  “Tyler’s right, this stuff is difficult to read. Legalese is hard enough in modern English let alone in ancient English.” Sugar passed Spice a copy of the Accords. If her smart sister couldn’t read this, then she wouldn’t be able to. She sighed and set it back on the table. Piece of crap paper.

  Dawn arrived as they spent the night searching for a solution. Daedalus slept in his coffin, and Katrina crashed on the couch in the living room. The others were still out searching the city for Clair.

  It drove Spice nuts to be so helpless. “I need to know more about werewolves. Do you have access to the internet?”

  “Sure, there are computers in Robert and Eric’s office upstairs.” Spice had been there once or twice in the last two weeks but only at the doorway. “They’re password protected but I have them.” Sugar grabbed her sister’s hand and led her.

  They huddled around one of the computers, side by side. “What do you want to know?”

  “How to fight a werewolf.”

  Sugar twisted in her seat. “Really? Have you ever seen a werewolf in its beast form? Watched them fight?”

  “No, but I’m starting to think I don’t have a choice. Everything you and Daedalus told me last night points to one solution. I have to challenge Clair and beat her before she claims Eric. Let’s see if they have any weaknesses.”

  “There is another solution.” Katrina’s accented voice startled both sisters. She stood in the doorway, her thin, narrow face solemn and her hands clasped in front of her.

  “What?” They spoke in unison. Spice screwed her lips in annoyance. Twenty-five years and they still managed to sound like the Doublemint twins.

  Katrina came into the room and sank onto Robert’s thinking couch. “I will challenge Clair on your behalf. If I win, I will be Eric’s mate in name only and represent you in the pack.”

  Spice opened her mouth but nothing came out. She turned to Sugar, who looked just as speechless. What could she possibly say? Honesty always worked best when lost for words. “Uh…do think you can win?”

  “Spice.” Sugar smacked her upper arm.

  “Hey, she offered. I don’t mean any offense, Katrina, but you’re tiny. Is Clair small too?” Maybe they could make this work.

  Katrina smiled. “My human size is irrelevant. What matters is how strong my beast form has become. I lived a long time as a werewolf in China before escaping to America. Over there one needs to learn to fight to live.”

  Sugar leaned forward. “Really? How long have you been a werewolf?”

  “Longer than your age.” Her smile turned secretive.

  “You never told me any of this.” Sugar waved her hands, confusion drawing her brow down.

  “Like you advised me, I built barriers between me and the past, then focused on my friends and future. If Clair takes over as the female Alpha our pack will wilt, not grow. My future begins to appear bleak.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if I can win. I haven’t fought a challenge in decades.”

  “Decades?” they both said together. Spice glared at her little sister. “Stop that.”

  Katrina giggled. “You two are so cute.”

  Spice aimed her stare at Katrina. “This doesn’t sit well with me.” She left her chair and paced the room between the two computer desks. Her fingers caught in the tangles of her short curls as she ran them over her head. “Eric belongs to me. I should be the one fighting.” Daedalus’s words floated back to her memory. Too bad she’s not wolf.

  Her heart skipped a beat. It would solve all their problems. Did she have the guts? She stopped her pacing and stared at her sister, who faced a similar problem, just not as urgent.

  “What if I became a werewolf?”

  Sugar got to her feet. “No, Eric would be furious. He never wanted this from you.”

  “I know, but maybe it’s what I want. I came home to find a fresh start, and I found him. He’s everything I need and more than I deserve. The least I could do in return is become what he and the pack needs.” She shifted her gaze to Katrina. “Is it that much of a sacrifice?”

  The petite woman didn’t answer. She fixed her stare on the floor.

  Sugar shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, there’s not enough time to change you. Eric’s body took weeks to transform the first time. I doubt Clair will wait.”

  “Sugar’s right, once the pack accepts her as Eric’s mate the only way you will be able to take your place by his side is a challenge to the death. We need to act now while the challenges are only to dominate.” Katrina still didn’t meet their mutual stares as she spoke. She fiddled with a button on her red sweater instead. “I know another way.”
/>   “And…”

  Katrina leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and faced them. “A human’s body needs time to assimilate the werewolf contaminant. It needs to be a certain—what is the word I need?” She looked at them as if searching for the answer in their faces. “Concentration, yes? When something gets strong like coffee?”

  They both nodded.

  “Once at the right level, it will trigger the first change on the full moon. It is where the myth came from. Eric took time to change because he fought it. He didn’t want to be werewolf. It’s different for those who choose the change.”

  “Since I want to become one then I should be able to change sooner.” Spice grinned and hugged her sister. “This might work.”

  “But first you need a high concentration of contaminant in your blood. I saw it happen in Beijing to a young prince, who needed to be changed quickly so he could inherit the pack from his deceased father. His choices were much as yours. If he waited for the natural change then he would have had to fight the new Alpha to regain the pack. If he became werewolf that night, then the challenges would only be to dominance. It is very dangerous what they did.”

  “Wasn’t he born a werewolf?” Sugar asked. She came and sat next to Katrina to grasp her hand.

  “No, none are. The world would be overrun with us.” She chuckled. “The placenta keeps the baby human. Once they reach maturity they can choose their own destiny.”

  “So if I have ch-children they’ll be human.” Spice shook her ice cold hands, trying to get the blood to flow into them again. “What do we have to do?”

  Katrina released Sugar’s hold on her hand and rose from her seat to face Spice, then smoothed the wrinkles from her black slacks. “I have to get a concentrated amount of Werewolf contaminant into your heart. If your body rejects it, you’ll die.”

  She felt her eyes almost pop from their sockets. “You gotta’ what?”

  “No!” The command in Sugar’s voice made them both spin in her direction. “I won’t allow that. We’ll let Katrina fight. Once she wins if you want to become werewolf the old fashion way, then go ahead.”