Reluctant Alpha (13 page)

“
We have tracked him a short distance from here, in small region just north of the city. About seventy miles, I think. We believe that he may be holing up in a house there with a woman. The woman maybe a part of this or not, we cannot say.” The man took a gulp of the tea and set it on the table next to Alastriona’s pretty blue vase. Alastriona lived about seventy miles due north of here.

“
This region, do you have an address of the female helping him? I’ll send you help and get this taken care of very quickly. I don’t want a rogue in my territory any longer than necessary.” Bradley watched the man stiffen.

“
Oh no! I mean, no, that’ll be all right. We will…can. We can take care of him, the male. It’s a rogue male, I believe I mentioned. They can be quite mad, and dangerous, as you may already know. My master has said that while we appreciate you wanting to help, he would rather take care of this on our own.”

“
I see. The address then. I wouldn’t want my men to stumble into your trouble then. Donna, would you please ask your mistress to meet me in the barn, please? Dom, go with her.” Bradley had put just enough command in his voice to have his wolves obey without question, even to the point of leaving the alpha alone with this man. The other man, Peter, didn’t feel a thing, which Bradley found to be curious, but he would think on that later. For now, he didn’t like this, any of this.

After securing the address and giving him the assurances that they would be close if they needed any extra help, Peter left.

Putting out a mental call, Bradley had three of his wolves track the man in the limo. As soon as he left the estate, Bradley would know where he was at every second. He strode to the barn and to his mate. Moving with quick strides, he pulled out his cell phone and made three calls. The first was to his brother David, the cop.

“
David, a man just left here saying that he had a rogue were on the loose close to here. Said he was dangerous and that he is living with a female helper in this territory.” He saw her then, leaning against the fence, petting his favorite ride.

“
Do you think it was the were that killed last night?” He could hear David shutting the door to his office as he spoke.

“
No, I think he’s lying. The address this man gave me, he claims this male is hiding out in is Alastriona’s. I think it’s either the man from the phone call, or he’s his flunky and they’re here to take her back with them. That isn’t going to happen, David. She’s mine, Alastriona is mine.” Bradley saw that Dom was scanning the area, watching. Good, he understood that he had wanted him to protect her. It was several seconds before he realized that his brother hadn’t said anything.

“
David, what is it?”

“
When I got back to the house this morning, Donna told me that Airic, what she told them to call her by the way, had made her sit down and rest her feet as soon as she came downstairs. She apparently came down just after we left this morning. She’d even gone so far as to get a bucket of cold water for her to help with the swelling of her ankles. It seems that throughout the morning she had made all the breeding women go out to the poolside and drink a glass of juice and rest ten minutes out of every hour. Not asked, but commanded, Bradley, while she, your alpha, made biscuits and brewed tea with them and worked beside them. Donna said that when Phil and Daniel came in, the two pups from last week, she asked them to help out Martha and weed the garden and she’d pay them for their troubles. She gave each of them twenty bucks apiece and several of the first batch of her biscuits with honey on them. Since I’ve been in my office, I’ve had twenty-three phone calls asking if the rumors were true, that the alpha has yet to claim his alpha queen. Bradley, have you? Claimed her, I mean.”

His alpha queen, not bitch but queen. That was the highest honor given to a pack bitch. It wasn’t something that you claimed as yours, but was given to you by your people. Alastriona had been with the pack for just over twenty-four hours and she was their queen.

“
I need you to watch things for me until tomorrow. I’m going to call Grandda and Aaron too. If you need me, and you had better really need me, your queen and I will be at the cabin.” He heard David laughing as he hung up. He called his grandda next, telling him that he was going to be out of touch until tomorrow, and asked if he could keep an eye on things.

“
You gonna claim that girl? Heard tell they’ve made her their queen. ‘Bout time if’n you ask me. Breed that one quick, boy. I ain’t getting any younger.”

With a very heartfelt “fuck off,” Bradley hung up on him. He called Aaron next and told him the same thing. But Aaron had news for him too.

“
Pete just called, she’s got a name for the phone you gave her. A Christopher Alastair is the owner of the number that called the phone delivered to Airic. He’s an alpha from Europe, or so the address says. She got with Bailey and she was able to run down some other interesting information. It seems there are several unsolved deaths that may or may not be connected to him. Over the past several years, hummm, eight years, there have been nine women whom he claimed as his mates that were found brutally raped and beaten to death a few months later. There are eleven other women still missing in that region. I’ve contacted the master vampire of that realm and he said that there have been several of his female vamps raped as well, but they can’t give a description of the man, or sometimes men, who did it. But he did say that a male wolf was involved. Not alpha, but a male wolf.”

“
This Christopher, does he have a brother named Peter by any chance?” Bradley started toward Alastriona again, his fear for her safety paramount.

“
Yeah, and one named Slavic. Slavic was one of the ones Bailey took out two years ago when she was hired by Mel to find them. He was the leader of the six she tracked to Airic’s cave. Maybe he wasn’t the leader, but this Christopher was, you think?” Bradley had always liked Aaron’s quick mind. They could and had worked out issues together any number of times since becoming friends. He needed him now.

“
I was going to the cabin in the woods on the estate. I was going there to be alone with Alastriona, but now I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. I don’t suppose you’d put us up for the night and leave us the fuck alone, would you? Aaron, I’ve been trying for three days to claim my mate and there have been any number of crises occurring to prevent that. I need to claim her now, before this jackass tries to take her from me.”

“
I’m sorry, buddy, but if the only reason you’re claiming her is because you don’t want this guy to take her from you, then no. Sara’d have my nuts in a jar so quick I wouldn’t know they were missing until it was too late. But for love, ah, that I can do.”

As soon as this was over, he was going to make a list of those who he was going to kill first, and the deaths would be very slow, long and slow. Aaron was working his way to the top, right after his grandda, he thought

“
I love her, you prick, and you damn well know it. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Less if I can get her to shift with me.” He hung up on him as well.

Now, he had to tell Alastriona what they were going to do and hoped that his nuts weren’t in the jar next to Aaron’s.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

She watched him come across the field then stop to talk on the phone. She wasn’t naive enough to think that Donna had really sent her and Dom out here to check to see if the horses were fed. The urgency in her voice had made her do it without question. Then there was the fact that she could see the gun that Dom was carrying under his shirt and then the way he kept looking around every ten seconds.

The horses were beautiful. There were at least a dozen in the paddock here and Dom had said that there were at least a dozen more that ran free on the compound. She wished she could ride, but she’d never been on one before and was a little afraid of the huge beast.

“
Mistress, we need to go into the barn now. Please?” Dom was looking to the field just behind her and she didn’t hesitate but let him lead her there. There was a huge gray wolf sitting near the middle of the barn when they entered. She stopped walking and Dom walked into her.

“
He won’t hurt you; he’s a friend of the pack. His name is Tristan. His mate, Bailey, is coming as well. You need to move closer to him and touch his fur before he’ll shift back.” Dom didn’t move any closer to the wolf either, but stood at her side, his hand now on the butt of the gun.

“
Why? Why is he here? Why do I have to touch him, and why is Bailey coming soon? What’s happening, Dom? And where is Bradley?” She was suddenly very afraid. This was more than the man in the small salon, this was much more.

“
Touch the wolf, please, mistress. He cannot understand us when he is in this form. He isn’t a true wolf, but a vampire who can shift. Bailey is coming because she is needed, and Alpha is coming now. You must trust me, I would die for you.” Dom dropped to his knees and rubbed his neck along her leg. She was so going to have to find out what that meant and why they kept doing it to her and only her.

Airic walked slowly over to the wolf and reached out to touch him. But a stirring in the air stopped her. A falcon, a beautiful pedigree falcon, swooped into the barn and landed not five feet from the wolf. As she stared at the bird, it shimmered and shifted into a woman. Airic took a step back. There was something familiar about the woman and she didn’t like it.

“
Hello, Ms. Bennett, it’s Bailey. Remember me? I found you in the cave. Please touch my mate. I can tell him to shift, but he can smell your fear and doesn’t want to frighten you more than he already has.”

“
Yes, I remember you now, and despite my telling you to leave me there, you brought me out anyway. Why should I do anything for you because you ask me to?” Glaring at the woman, she moved forward again.

Her heart started to race hard within her chest. Then as quickly as it started, she realized Bradley was there and she slowed hers, and knew that somehow, she had calmed his as well. That was just freaky, she thought.

“
You’re all scaring her. Stop it now! Bailey, please move back, all right?” Bradley. And he was pissed, if his voice was any indication.

“
Mistress, touch the wolf. He wants only to help you,” Dom was saying.

“
Ms. Bennett, we were asked to come here to protect you.” Bailey too was talking.

It was suddenly too much. She couldn’t take it one second more and turned to Bradley. “I am not scared! I’m pissed off. All of you shut up.” Turning to the wolf, she pointed and shouted, “You! Shift! Now!” And just like that, the wolf was a man.

She jerked her hand behind her and backed toward where Bradley was. She had done that. She had welded the energy, had felt it run down her arm and then through her finger and into the man. And she had hurt him.

Running to him, she could hear his moans. She knew what it was to shift and it was painful and hard. She couldn’t image what it would be like to shift in a second. But he had.

“
I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Here, let me help you up. I didn’t know…please tell me you’re all right.” She was searching him, looking for any indication that she had caused him more than the usual pain.

“
Damn, lady, remind me to never piss you off,” the vampire exclaimed.

Airic burst into tears. It was just too much too fast. She heard them talking but paid little attention until Bradley asked her to please release Dom. She looked over at Dom and was startled for a few seconds.

He had his gun out and pointed at the vampire’s head and his arm gripped around his throat. His eyes were golden and his canines were extended.

“
Baby, Dom was told to protect you at all costs. He thinks that Tristan has hurt you and that’s why you’re crying. Tell him to release him, tell him you’re fine, or they’ll both die.”

She looked back at Bradley. His voice was calm, but his heart was pounding again. She could feel it in her own chest.

“
I don’t understand. I can feel your heart. I don’t understand any of this. Why would they both die? No one hurt me.” Her head hurt, she realized. An ache like she’d never had before.

“
Because if he pulls that trigger and kills my mate, I will fucking rip him apart, that’s how they’ll both die. Release him or I fucking will.” Bailey was standing behind Dom shaking with barely suppressed anger. Airic could feel her strength radiating out of her.

“
Bailey, you aren’t helping the matter. Honey, look at me. I’ll explain everything, but right now, you need to tell Dom to let Tristan go.” He was stroking her, soothing her.

Airic nodded and stood up. She swayed slightly, but after a few seconds, the dizziness went away. She walked over to the two men and touched her wolf. Hers, Dom was hers. She knew that what he had said earlier was true. He would die for her.

“
Dom, release him. I’m okay. Please let him go and put your gun away. Thank you. You have no idea what it’s like to have a stranger want to protect me so fully. Let him go, now please.” She watched as he pulled his gun away from the man and let go of his neck. Dom stepped back two steps and dropped again to the ground.

This neck rubbing, or whatever it was called, was different this time. After he had touched his neck to her leg, he rolled over to his back and laid there. Instinctually, she knew what he wanted. Leaning down, she rubbed his belly and then his throat. He growled gently at the back of his throat.