Alphy's Challenge (9 page)

Betty waved a hand. “
Nah,
wasn’t my thing. It was, however, my brothers’ favorite thing. They loved
boxing and they could get quite a bit rowdy, so our dad built this and used it
to train the boys. It taught them how to defend themselves, and it got rid of
their extra energy at the same time. It was even used to settle disputes
between the brothers. I actually kept it up-to-date for two reasons.” She walked
over and stood next to him as he was inspecting the corner bags. “I did it to
honor their memories, for one. And as I told you, your mother couldn’t stop
going on about you, and she told me how good a fighter you were. I figured once
I died, you would inherit all this, so I made it as best I could. I did a lot
of things with both of those thoughts in mind, in honor of my brothers and in
preparations for it becoming a sleuth once again.”

Alphy looked up. “Is that why you have so much
electricity set up?”

“Yep, this was always the central hub, being
that it was where the alpha lived. We always had gatherings, celebrations,
events, or visitors. There was always something going on. I think I also did it
for something to
do,
something other than feed
chickens or weed. I always hoped it would be the hub of an alpha once again,
one day.”

Alphy wandered around looking at the gear. “So
you really don’t mind all the company.” He didn’t really ask, it was just
affirmation, but she answered anyway.

“Of course.
I never had the urge to leave or travel, but
I enjoy having people around. Let me ask you something. You offered to allow
them to join our ‘pack’. Why not sleuth? We
are
bears.”

Alphy nodded and turned to face her. “I know,
but ‘sleuth’ indicates bears. ‘Pack’ is more of a broad term. We may be bears,
but Tom is elk, our mates are human, and if all turns out, we may just have
wolf, lion, hawk, anaconda, and even vampire, join us. Pack seems to fit more
to me than sleuth does.”

Betty’s eyes went big when her brows shot to
her hairline.
“Anaconda and vampire?”
She puffed out a
snort and started for the door. “Ok, pack it is.” She paused at the door and
looked back at him with a serious look on her face. “But I better not find the
snake’s creepy-ass, shed skin lying around, and the vampire better keep his
fangs clean.”

Alphy gave a tilted smile. He enjoyed her
sense of humor … or was she really serious? He continued to explore the garage,
then
moved on to the apartment upstairs from it.

The apartment over the garage was a
comfortable size. It was built as one bedroom apartment with loads of light
coming in from several windows. The place was bright, and without the walls
hampering it, it lit up the space.

It had a decent sized kitchen, a large full
sized bathroom, and a walk-in closet. Alphy loved the light. It gave it the
sense it was a larger space than it was. He thought about his friends whom he
was going to invite and really hoped they accepted. This was a perfect
apartment for either his friend who he wanted as his beta, or his friend who was
a hawk.

He continued to roam the space, thinking more
about his friends. Just that morning, on his way to town, he had been thinking
about how Betty had said he was now
alpha
. He already
had in mind asking some of his friends to join him. One was gay, so no pack
wanted him. He was
Alphy’s
closest friend and could
nearly beat him when they sparred, so he was planning on asking him to be his beta.
This would be a great space for him.

Another was a hawk shifter whose family had
been murdered, and he was left without a clutch. He was
Alphy’s
second best friend and a deadly sniper. He would adore this space, with it
being higher up and an open space.

Leaning against the kitchen island that
seconded as a breakfast bar, he pulled out his cell. Now was a good time to
call in the “pack”.

Chapter Six

Enzo’s amused voice resonated through the
connection. “Hey, look at that.
An apparition.
I’m
gifted with communicating with the dead. How goes the afterlife?”

Alphy grunted but kept his voice serious.
“Busy, you need to join me, and bring the kids.”
Referring to
their other friends.

His best and closest friend didn’t miss the urgency
of the matter. His voice lowered in response. “We’ll be there in twenty-four
hours or less.
Wanna
tell me what’s up, or do I get
to be surprised?”

“I found my mate.” Alphy waited for his
friend’s wisecrack.

“Congratulations! So you want the whole
family together for a reunion or do you need someone to show you where to put
it?”

Alphy loved his friend, but he didn’t feel
like playing along this time. “Some super ass-wipe of an alpha tried to have
her brother killed for being gay and claims they stole money from him.”

“Fuck, you just don’t understand the concept
of retirement. You’re supposed to avoid trouble. How’s her brother?”

“Alive, but he lost an eye and his ribs and
wrists were fractured so they’re still healing. Staying on the run is slowing
his healing. My mater and her brother are full human, kids from her mother’s
previous marriage. A shifter mated their mom, and now they have a pair of cubs.
The whole family is being targeted because the stepfather refused to send his
gay stepson away.”

“So he defied his alpha, packed up the kids,
and fled?”

“Yeah, but not before his enforcers dragged the
gay son away and tried beating him to death. The stepdad took a shotgun and
shot one of them, so now the alpha has other alphas on his side, believing
they’re rogues and
theives
.”

He heard his friend whistle his expression. “Damn,
a stepdad that would do all that for a kid that wasn’t his own?
Respect.
So you need the family together to fight a great
big shifter war? I’ll bring the heavy guns. So, where do you want us?”

Alphy sighed. “I’m not finished with the big
news.”

“More? You really
don’t
know how to take a break. What more do you have to tell me?
Lay it on me.”

“I told you I was heading to a relative’s
after I picked up my brother and sister?”

“Yeah, how they doing?”

“It’s been a bit rough, but they’ll be all right.
We got up here, and my bear immediately settled.
It’s
home, Enzo. My bear claimed the area before I even got out of the truck. My
aunt, somehow, kept the area in hopes to rebuild the sleuth. She told me if I
wanted to stay here, I could, so I’m now an alpha of a territory.” Alphy huffed
into the phone. “We arrived just yesterday. She offered last night and I
accepted, and it’s a good thing since I met my mate no more than twelve hours
later.” Alphy grunted again and mused how fast life could play out. “Just
before I met her, I was thinking about you and the others. I want you to be my
beta. Will you think about that?”

His friend paused a moment, and Alphy knew he
was battling his emotions. Enzo was a wolf, a true pack animal, yet he was
forced to live without a pack because he was gay and his birth pack and others
he had asked to join didn’t want him. Alphy knew what it meant to him to be
offered a pack, but to also be offered a rank was something Alphy knew Enzo didn’t
think he would ever have.

After a few moments, Enzo cleared his throat
a couple times until he was able to speak. “
Psh
, no
need to think about it, I accept.” Alphy could hear the barely controlled
emotion mixed with the excitement in his friend’s voice. “Hot dog! It will feel
so good to be a part of something again, and beta? Best friend
ever
.” His friend said the last sentence
like a teenage girl. He always loved to subtly mock a gay stereotype many took him
for when they heard he was gay.

Alphy laughed and spoke a few more minutes as
they planned the next events. He hung up and dialed another number.

“You couldn’t live without me and my dick
after all? I’m flattered, and I accept!” Ryker drawled.

Alphy laughed. What was it with his friends
answering first thing with a quick quip? What ever happened to the good old fashioned
“hello”? Then again, he wouldn’t want his friends to be any other way but
themselves.

“Hey Ryker, good, get your ass up here and
bring Seamus. In fact, make sure Seamus is on the next flight out, if he would,
and bring his med-kit.”

“Well
dayum
! He’s
having flight issues and is stuck in Chicago. I’ll call him right away and tell
him to quickly switch flights. Then I’ll call you back and you can tell me
what’s going on while I pack.”

While Alphy waited for Ryker to call back, he
headed downstairs and out to the barn. He still hadn’t seen what was in every
building. However, before he reached the barn, his phone rang. He checked the
ID before he connected the call.
“Hi, Seamus.”

“What the fuck did you do?”

“I found my mate, and her brother,
who’s
full human, is really lucky to still be alive. We need
a doctor, Sea.”

“I would say you seriously pissed off fate to
have so much trouble all the time, but congratulations proving that theory
wrong in finding your mate. Where am I changing my flight to?”

Alphy blew out a breath. “Thank you.” He
rattled off directions.

“Got it, new flight leaves in twenty. I’ll
reserve a rental car and be there by supper. Then you can explain to me what
the hell all is going on.”

Alphy called Ryker back, who picked up on the
first ring, “Hey handsome, I have my flight from PDX booked, and I’m packing
right now, so,
wanna
tell me what’s going on? Are
your brother and sister ok?”

Alphy explained the situation while he paced
in the afternoon sun.

“Man, that alpha is going to get an ugly
taste of reality, I am so glad I’m your friend and not his. How long do you
think this will take?”

Alphy saw Gale coming towards him. Keeping his
eyes on her luscious form he answered Ryker, “Uh, I don’t know, it depends how
stupid he is. But I was hoping to convince you and your brother, while you’re
here, to stay.”

“
Hooya
baby, I’ll
pack my collection. Have someone pick me up at the airport, and I’ll text you
the flight info. Hold on, I’m getting a text.” After a brief moment of silence,
Ryker announced, “Okay, Sea-salt said he just got word that
Kace
and Slate are going to be joining up with him. He’s going to wait there for
them and be there by tonight. Who all else did you invite? Do I know any of
them? Are they as sexy as you?”

“The others would be Enzo, Matteo, and Nix.”

“Oh yeah, sexy heaven.
See you soon.” Ryker hung up just as Gale
reached Alphy. He pocketed his cell and took her into his arms.

“How’re you
doin
’,
honey-bear? Are you all moved in?”

“Yeah, everything’s unloaded from both vehicles.
Can I ask who you were talking to?”

“Calling in my buddies.
One’s a doctor and will be here in a few
hours.” He kissed the top of her head, but even that caused his dick to make
his pants uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry we’re so much trouble. I can never
repay him for helping.”

Alphy softly grabbed her under her chin. “Hey
now, stop it. You and your family are no trouble. You are family, and family
sticks together, through thick and thin. Fate brought us together, and things
may just very well get worse before they get better, but it
will
get better. We just need to stick
together.”

He honed in on her lips when she licked them.
They both seemed to have suddenly gotten distracted. Ducking down to taste her,
he sucked in her lower lip. Her flavors permeated his senses, and caused him to
lose control. His senses focused solely on her, pushing a shivering zing
through his body. The taste of her honey flavor burst on his tongue, and he
dove in for a full on meal.

As he slid his hands down her warm body, his
fingertips tingled as he ran them over the texture of her jeans until he
reached the soft bend of her ass cheeks. Curling his fingers lightly, he
squeezed her two globes and pulled her tighter to him against his hardened
shaft, eagerly swallowing her surprised inhale and moans.

Gale grabbed the collar on his button-up
shirt and pulled him down to further deepen their kiss. He could feel the peaks
of her breasts flatten against his chest, summoning a dollop of pre-cum from
his ready staff. His bear growled with pleasure and approval as she mewled and
rubbed against him and the scent of her arousal surrounded them.

Alphy pulled away, and they were both
breathing hard. Her lips were swollen and red, and her eyes were dilated, her
body humming against his. He needed her. A low possessive growl rose from his
chest. Tightening his hold, he lifted her up, and her legs automatically
wrapped around his waist. Pleasure overtook his senses as the heat between her
legs blanketed his still covered and straining phallus.
Mate! Claim! Now!
His bear clawed at his foggy brain, and damn it,
he was too far gone to argue.