The Alpha's She-Wolf (5 page)

“So I’m a mistake?”  Her voice
shook.  “Take me home Connor.”  She seethed.  He left the kitchen angry. 
Shauna wiped a stray tear from her cheek and went to her room to dress. 

Finding Roots

Shauna climbed into the Tahoe and
sat staring out of the window refusing to look at him.  It wasn’t hard because
he wasn’t talking to her anyway.  He’d been silent since their fight in the
kitchen.  Shauna ground her teeth and mulled over what he said.  Nature
wouldn’t mate him to a Macgregor.  Nature wouldn’t make that kind of mistake. 
Screw him and screw nature.  Maybe she wasn’t a Macgregor after all.  Maybe he
was right but if he was, then who was she?  All she knew was that right now she
hated his guts.  Naomi would know what to do and they would figure it out
together as soon as she got home.  She hoped she never saw his despicable ass
again.  “You missed my turn.”  Shauna finally looked over at him.  The muscle
in his jaw was still ticking.  He said nothing and kept driving.  She crossed
her arms over her chest and went back to staring out the window.  They passed
through Brown, Smith and finally came upon Reid county.  Connor navigated down
the streets and out a country road until he pulled through an opening in a
black board fence and eased down the gravel drive to a stone ranch house.  He
parked and got out.  Shauna wasn’t sure if she should follow or not so, she
stayed put.  He knocked on the red front door and waited until a man answered
and glanced at her after Connor spoke to him.  Connor turned and motioned her
to come to him.  Shauna eased from the truck and went to stand beside Connor. 

“This is Jake Macgregor.  He is
Alpha of the Macgregor clan.  Jake this is Shoshanna Macgregor.”  Jake was a
small powerfully built man.  He reminded her of a fire hydrant, stocky and
unmoving.  There was no humor in the man’s eyes.  In fact, his blue eyes were
really sort of creepy and intense.  He had longish unkempt grey hair that was
thinning on top and his once white wife beater tee shirt was stained with meals
of past.  Shauna crinkled her nose.

“Who says you’re Macgregor?”  His
voice was rough and accented as if he came from Scotland maybe.  Shauna had
never met anyone from Scotland but she was a huge Sean Connery fan and this man
had the Bond accent that enamored her. 

“I was left on a doorstep as a
baby.  The slip of paper pinned to my blanket said Shoshauna Macgregor.”  He
was already shaking his head. 

“What are you?  Twenty three or
four?”  She nodded.  “None of my girls were pregnant then, we had a long spell
with no pups.  My boys would’ve told me.  We can do the DNA test though if you
want.”  Shauna looked up at Connor.  He nodded and took her hand lifting it up
to Macgregor who took it and quickly bit her finger.”  Shauna squealed jerking
her hand away and Connor’s blood turned hot.  “She’s your mate isn’t she
Maddock?”  He smirked, snatched her hand back to his mouth, and licked her fingertip. 
“She’s your mate and you haven’t claimed her because you’re afraid that she’s Macgregor. 
You wouldn’t want to be saddled with a pack of mongrels would you Maddock?”  He
spit at the floor.  “She ain’t Macgregor, calm yourself Maddock.  She’s purer
than that.  She’s a Ross.”

“You’re sure?”  Connor’s stomach flip-flopped
with relief

“Aye.  Have I ever been wrong? 
She’s Ross and human.  I don’t know which Ross; you’d have to ask them.  Now if
that’s all, I will send you a bill since you are disinclined to negotiate on
that other matter.”  He smirked again and slammed the door in their faces.

“Come.”  Connor went back to the
truck with Shauna following him. 

“What did all of that mean?  Who
are the Ross’?”  She climbed into the Tahoe and buckled her seat belt.

“Lycans royalty.  The original
werewolves.  If you’re Ross, you are a princess, an illegitimate one but a
princess none the less.”  Connor grinned at her.

“So now I’m good enough for you
then?  Take me home.  I want to go to my home, not yours.”  Shauna turned to
look out of the window.  Connor knew what he said earlier was wrong on so many
levels but he meant what he said.  Nature didn’t make that kind of mistake. 
The Macgregor’s were killers, bloodthirsty and most of them insane on some
level or another.  He didn’t get the lunatic vibe from her at all.  So who
would put that name on her and sentence her to that kind of existence
potentially?  Why would they?  Werewolves in the area knew that the Macgregor’s
were bad news and he wasn’t the only one that gave them a wide berth.  It had
gone on for centuries and had caused a lot of inbreeding in their clan as well
as the insanity.  Connor shook his head.  How was he supposed to find a Ross? 
They were elusive and extremely powerful. 

“When the full moon comes in, do
you change?”  Shauna sighed. 

“No.  Neither does Naomi.  We don’t
know how and Missus B didn’t know how to teach us to do it.  I guess that puts
me even further beneath you huh?”  She wiped a stray tear but still refused to
look at him.  He pulled the truck into her driveway after awhile and put the
parking brake on. 

“I never said that you were beneath
me Shauna.  I only said that…”

“I know what you said.  I have a
photographic memory, when you speak I see words and I don’t forget them.  You
said that nature wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.”  She sniffled and wiped
another tear.

“And I was right.  You aren’t Macgregor. 
They are bloodthirsty killers Shauna.  Most of the pack is insane and inbred. 
You’re better than that.  I was right about that too.”  Shauna hopped out of
the truck and marched toward the house.  Connor scrambled out to grab her and
spin her around.  “Hey…”

“Get away from me Connor.  I don’t
want anything to do with you right now.  I thought I would be happy when I
found my mate.  Since I found you, I’ve never been more distraught in my life. 
I’ll stay alone if this is what being mated feels like.”  Connor blew out a
breath and the muscle in his jaw ticked again.  “Go home Connor and forget you
ever scented me.”  Shauna took the porch steps two at a time and slammed
through the screen door.  The front windows shook with her fury. 

***

Connor paced in the driveway for a
long time.  Shauna glanced outside watching him.  Naomi finally came down the
stairs.  “What are you doing Sis?”  Naomi glanced outside.  “What is he doing? 
Did he claim you?”  Shauna shook her head.  “You had a fight didn’t you?  What
happened?”

“He took me to see a man named Macgregor
in Reid County.  The man bit my finger and told me I wasn’t one of his clan,
that I’m not a Macgregor.  He said that I’m a Ross, Lycanthrope royalty.” 
Naomi made an amused face.  “Anyway, earlier when I told Connor that my name
was Macgregor he freaked out, he said that I couldn’t be his mate that nature
wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.”  Naomi’s mouth fell open.

“He didn’t!”  Shauna nodded. 
“Ass.”  Shauna nodded again.  Naomi looked outside where Connor still pacing on
his cell phone.  “Well princess Shoshauna let’s have some coffee and get to
work.  I have a blue blouse nearly put together that you can get busy beading
and I also have a design that came to me for a pair of new earrings for you to
work on.  He’ll give up and go away eventually and meanwhile we can work and I
can tell you all about getting thoroughly claimed.”  Shauna giggled and she
didn’t see it but Connor’s ears visibly perked up at the tinkling sound that
floated on the soft breeze. 

***

“Mike I want you to track down the
Ross’.  Apparently, Shauna thought she was one of Jake’s clan but I took her
over, he tested her and she isn’t.  He said that she is a Ross.  She’s really
pissed at me right now and I want to reconnect her with her family and I hope
that will make it up to her.  I said some shitty things and she’s damned hot
about it.  I’m sure that Jake is right though, Shauna doesn’t change on the
full moon.”

“Wow.  Really?”  Mike whistled long
and low.

“Neither does Naomi brother.  They
think that they have to be taught to shift.  They have no idea that the rest of
us have no choice.  Only a royal can choose not to shift.”

“I claimed a royal last night?” 
Connor could hear the smile in his brother’s voice and couldn’t help but smile
with him.  “Yeah little brother, don’t go and get a big head now.  It had to be
one of the Ross men for there to be two of them, they’re half-human, so I’m
guessing that the mother’s were human, and figured out what he was.  Shauna’s
mother probably knew about the Macgregor clan and figured that was close
enough.”

“I will track them down, where are
you anyway?  Derek said that you didn’t come in and that you aren’t at home.”

“I’m at Shauna’s standing in the
driveway.”  Connor leaned against his fender.  “She told me to go and that she
doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Yikes.”  Mike muffled the phone
and said something to someone else.  “Look I have a crisis.  I’ll get back to
you soon.”  The call disconnected.  Shauna was not coming out and he was
obviously not welcome inside.  He could push Naomi to invite him in but thought
better of it, there was no need to take advantage of his new sister in law.  He
would go to work before everything collapsed and would come back later.  Maybe
Mike would have something for him when he got there.

***

“Mr. Maddock, Mike said to let you
know that he would meet you in the conference room as soon as you arrived.” 
Tracy said from the doorway.

“Thanks Trace.”  Connor picked up
his cell phone and went to the conference room.

“Connor, we have a crisis.”  Mike
stood up from his seat at the head of the table.  His brothers and most of the
IT department flanked him.

“A lot of that is going around
today.  What is it?”  Connor went around the crowd and peered down at the
screen.  “Who the hell is that?” 

“He’s waiting to give you a
warning.”  Mike looked up at Connor.  “The Ross family is aware that Shauna is
one of theirs and you have royal orders to back off.”  This is the Lycans
King’s PA.

“So she isn’t important enough to
do it themselves?  They send a peon to do their dirty work?”  Connor pulled his
hand down his face.  “May I ask how they knew?  Did you find them and inquire
that quickly?”  Mike shook his head. 

“This guy popped up on every screen
in the building demanding Connor Maddock.”

“Get your master.  I want to know
who her father is and in exchange I will offer you information.”

“I beg pardon sire.  His highness
is not available.  He is in the United States.  By now he is probably
reclaiming his daughter.”

King of the Lycans

A tall lanky man stood on the other
side of the screen door.  Naomi approached it cautiously looking him over.  He
seemed familiar and strangely reminded her of Shauna.  “Can I help you?”  Naomi
asked through the screen.  She estimated that he was in his late forties
glancing at his graying dark hair.  He was in great shape for his age and had a
powerful air about him.  He also had the weirdest grey eyes that she’d ever
seen.  Obviously, he’s wolf but not a typical werewolf, this man was something
else, something different.

“My name is Donald Ross.  I
received a message today that my daughter lives here.  I’ve been searching for
her for quite some time.” 

“Oh!  Come in I’m Naomi.”  Naomi
turned and called up the stairs, “Shauna!”

“Yeah Mimi?”  Naomi could hear her
coming down the hall. 

“Your dad’s here.”  Shauna stood at
the top of the stairs and couldn’t draw a deep breath.  The world got fuzzy and
she sat before she fell.  Naomi rushed up the stairs after grabbing the paper
bag from the couch where it still lay from the last attack.  Donald hurried
behind her.  Naomi held the bag up to her face and let her breathe into it. 
Donald crouched in front of her. 

“You look just like your mother.” 
He smiled.  “And so do you.”  He was looking at Naomi now.

“How do you…?”  Naomi’s eyes misted
and tears oozed down her cheeks.  Shauna dropped her bag.

“We’re sisters?”  He nodded. 
Shauna scooped Naomi into her arms and they held each other.

“I tried to save them both but I
couldn’t save either of them in the end.  Naomi, your mother and I were
involved.  I loved her but she didn’t love me, only what she thought I could
offer.  She was interested in power.  She was a human named Camille.  I was
touring America and meeting with the Alphas at the time.  She knew that I was
royalty but she didn’t know what kind.  I wasn’t as careful as I should’ve
been.”  He held his hand out to her and led them both down the stairs.  He sat
down on the couch pulling each of them down on either side of him.  “I stayed
here until both women delivered. 

“What about my mother?”  Shauna
asked shyly.

“Your mother was my mate.  We met
just after I found out about Naomi’s impending arrival.  She was not well, a
frail girl really.  Her name was Marianna.  I loved her very much but the birth
was complicated as it usually is when a royal is born.  Sadly, most often the
mother dies in childbirth if she isn’t royal herself.  You girls should be
fine.” 

“So we are both princesses?”  Naomi
asked.  “And sisters?”

“You always were sweetheart. 
Technically you are half sisters, but yes.”  He wrapped an arm around each one.

“Why did you abandon us?”  Shauna
asked.  She wasn’t letting him off as easy as Naomi seemingly had.  Shauna took
in his profile noticing it was very similar to her own.  Her mother must have
had blue green eyes since his were a wildly streaked grey and amber.  Naomi
must look like her mother, who was probably brown eyed and blonde.

“I was very young, younger than you
are now.  I was the heir to the throne and engaged.  My father, the King at the
time, had arranged for me to wed Clair upon my return to Scotland.  He did not
care that I’d found my mate.  His only concern was the wealth that the marriage
would bring.  It was never my happiness.  She was the heir to the throne in
Hungary a very rich kingdom.  My father, you see was not brilliant at business. 
He’d pissed away most of our wealth.  We are still poor to this day, I’m afraid. 
Clair was smart enough not to sign her kingdom in Hungary over to my father and
when she returned home, she took her wealth with her.”  Naomi gave Shauna a
look.  “I see you didn’t fare much better.”  He gestured at the house.  “Anyway,
I had to return to Scotland and if I’d returned with you two, my father
would’ve had you murdered because he wouldn’t want Clair to have any reason to
not marry me.  I could only save you one way and that was to leave you behind. 
At the time, there were two powerful packs in the area, the Edwards and the Macgregor’s. 
I’d hoped that they would take you in, when you became of age.”  Shauna relaxed
against him settling into the crook of his arm.  She was glad that he’d given her
up if the alternative was death.  Besides, Missus B took good care of them and
they always felt loved.  Sure, they didn’t have the newest fashion in clothes
or the hot new video game but they were fed, warm, and loved.  That’s all that
was important anyway.  Shauna heard footsteps on the porch steps and knew who
it was.  Connor burst through the door.  Donald instantly shifted into a huge snarling
white wolf and lunged for Connor who was mid-shift.  Donald had him down and by
the throat before Shauna and Naomi knew what happened.  Connor’s chocolate
brown wolf fought, struggling until Donald growled.  Connor went limp and
whined.

“No dad, don’t hurt him.  He’s only
trying to protect me.”  Shauna pulled at the white wolf’s fur and he let go of
Connor.  He immediately shifted back into her father.  Connor changed back into
his human form and rubbed his neck.  He stayed on one knee. 

“Your highness.”  Connor kept his
head down.

“Rise Maddock.”  Connor looked up
at him curiously.  “I knew your father when I was here twenty five years ago. 
He was a very entertaining man, a beta then.  We had a great time together, is
he still around?”  Connor shook his head.  “Too bad, I’d looked forward to
seeing him again.  Your mom?”  Connor nodded.

“She’s still with us.”  Connor
dropped back down on one knee and looked up at him.  “Your highness?”

“Donald, please.  It’s been a long
time since I’ve felt like a royal.”  Donald chuckled and eased back onto the
couch.  Naomi hadn’t left her seat but Shauna still perched on the edge of the
couch.  Connor stayed down.

“Donald.  I would like to ask for
Shauna’s hand in matrimony.  We are mates.  I can provide well for her and when
she get’s over her anger with me, she will come to her senses and forgive me.” 
Connor was gazing into her eyes that were alight with her earlier anger.

“Shauna is angry with you?”  Connor
nodded and Donald laughed.  “Hmm make up sex, my favorite kind.”  Shauna
flushed crimson.  “If Shauna wants to marry you, you have my permission.  However,
the choice is Shauna’s alone.  I will not force either of my girls to marry someone
they do not love the way I had to.  That woman was nearly the death of me, I
couldn’t have been happier when she went back to Hungary.”

“Do we have any siblings?”  Naomi
asked suddenly.  Donald nodded.  Naomi had longed her whole life to be part of
a pack, to belong.

“You have two brothers and a
sister.”  Shauna watched Connor who was watching her.

“So she wasn’t all that bad then
was she?”  Naomi elbowed his side and giggled.

“Well darling girl let me put it
this way.  I never loved her, I did love to bed her and she me.  If we weren’t
in bed though, we were fighting.  I haven’t a vase left in the castle.  She
left when she broke the last one.  Your brothers are George, he’s twenty two
and wandering the world, Frank is twenty and at University, and Marianna is
sixteen, she is with her mother.”  He smiled at Shana when she connected the
name with what he’d called her mother.  His eyes were far away and he stood up.
  “Well, my flight leaves in two hours.  Here is my card.”  He handed it to
Naomi and bent to kiss her cheek then Shauna’s.  “You girls call your old dad
sometime, even better, come, and visit me.  I have to get on the road though.  I
don’t want to miss my flight.  Connor you take good care of her.”  He shook
Connor’s hand.

“Dad, we have questions like why
don’t we turn into wolves?”  Naomi asked.  “I met my mate and when he wants to
shift and run, I don’t know how.  Is it because I’m part human?”

“Darling girls, you’ve never
turned?”  Both shook their heads.  “And you want to?”  Both nodded.  He touched
their shoulders and the air shimmered around him silvery and wavering like heat
off the asphalt in the hottest days of summer.  Donald turned into the huge
white wolf again and both girls went with him.  Silver and white wolves stood
beside him.  Naomi yipped and nipped at his ear.  Shauna shook from head to
tail and then huffed out a bark.  The air shimmered again and Donald shifted
them back into their selves.  Connor watched, amused.  “Now you’ve shifted.  Do
you remember what that felt like?  How it felt to change and how it felt to
become wolves?”  Naomi nodded.  “Just remember that feeling and you can turn
anytime you want.  Remember what you feel like right now and you will shift
back.  Call me and I meant what I said about visiting, I have to go, my ticket
is non-refundable.  I wish that you turned up sooner.”  He said wistfully. 
“But next time I am in the states I will stop by, okay?  If you’re ever in
Scotland, ring me.”  Both girls nodded and hugged him fiercely.  It was only a
few minutes, but he’d answered questions that had plagued them their whole
lives.  Things that they could only guess at before were now clear and both
felt better for it.  “Connor, take care of my girls.”  He shook Connor’s hand
again and he was gone.  They watched him trot across the yard and get into a compact
rental then back out of the driveway.

“Was that the most incredible thing
ever!?”  Naomi nearly jumped up and down in place.  Shauna grinned.  The air
shimmered around her and Shauna shifted, Naomi followed quickly.  The two
nipped and bit at each other.  They romped and knocked an armchair over. 
Naomi’s tail wagged and destroyed a candy dish that Missus B kept Jordan
almonds in when she was alive.  Shauna jumped up and licked Connor’s cheek.  He
laughed then she jumped back down and nipped at Naomi again.  The air shimmered
again and they were girls again.  Connor chuckled watching Shauna, genuine happiness
and adoration in his face.  Naomi put her arm around Shauna’s waist watching
Connor who couldn’t take his heated gaze off Shauna.  Shauna was staring back
at him with lust and anger now. 

“You can forgive him now Sissy, he
gave you your father back, and you got two sisters and two brothers out of it. 
That trumps anything he said.  I would’ve forgiven him already and you know how
hard headed I am.  And you,” she looked at Connor, “Think before you speak and
apologize for your words and your stupidity.  Now I am going home to the new
prince Michael.  You two work it out.  She’ll be more comfortable here than at
your place.”  Naomi winked at Connor who grinned.  “Shauna, go upstairs with
him and let him claim you before you both burst into flames.”  Naomi hugged
Shauna and said, “Tootles.”  Naomi slammed out of the screen door and skipped
down the steps laughing.

“So that was your dad.”  Shauna
nodded.  Connor cleared his throat.  “Look Shauna, I’m sorry for what I said
earlier.  It was rude, stupid, and uncalled for.  I…”  Shauna crossed to him
and wrapped her arms around his middle.  She rested her head against his chest
and he let out a breath and relaxed. 

“Are you hungry?  It’s been a long
day already and I’m starving.  I didn’t finish my breakfast this morning you
know.”  Connor smiled remembering. 

“Naomi was wrong about me giving
you your father back, I didn’t do that.  I think it was probably Macgregor.  I
wouldn’t put it past the little curmudgeon to have the direct line to the
palace.”  Connor chuckled and followed her to the kitchen.  “But Naomi was
right about you forgiving me.  I think that you should.”

“Oh?  Well Naomi is rarely wrong
but today she was wrong on a couple of counts.  You said she was wrong about my
father and she was also wrong about you taking me upstairs that I would be more
comfortable about the claiming if I was in my bed and that’s not right.” 
Shauna was rummaging through the fridge.  She came out with two apples and some
cheddar.

“No?”  He watched her, his eyes a
stormy gray and his body went as tight as a spring at the word ‘claiming.’

“No.  I’ve been having dreams. 
They’ve been haunting me terribly for months now.  You’re in them and I think
that you’re claiming me in them.  They’re very um…” she nibbled her lip and he
grinned at her.

“Sexy?  Provocative?  Lascivious?” 
She shifted from foot to foot.  She was adorable when she was uncomfortable. 
“I’ve been having them too sweetheart.  But what I don’t understand is that the
woman in my dreams is Naomi.”  Shauna whirled.  “No.  No.  Don’t get upset. 
She’s not my mate and I have no interest in her.  She doesn’t feel right or
scent right not the way you do.  I don’t understand it either except that
Mother Nature is trying to teach me things.  I’m learning as fast as I can.  I
know that you are my mate Shauna.  I know that with every fiber of my being. 
In my dreams she and I…we never…nothing ever happened but she was just there in
the dreams.  I’d wake up and run trying to find you, her, but it was your scent
that beckoned me.  Do you understand?”  He was behind her now with his arms
around her middle.  “It was your scent that I chased and hunted for through the
nights.”  Shauna trembled. 
That’s what I want. 
She thought
.  To be
chased. 
She could feel the growl work through his chest against her back. 
That’s what I need.
  He trailed soft kisses down her neck to her
collarbone.

“Snack time.”  Shauna slipped out
of his arms and took the plates to the table.  “Grab drinks from the fridge
please Connor.”  Shauna sat down and waited for him to sit beside her.  “Are
you going back to work?”  She asked taking a bite of apple slice.  He looked
disappointed.  “I have a few things to wrap up here.  I want to pack some
clothes if I’m to live with you.” 

“Uh sure.  I have some things to
take care of at the office.  But I thought that we would finish what we started
this morning.”  He saw the surprise on her face.  “It’s going to happen Shauna,
sooner rather than later.  I want you and you need to be claimed besides I have
the King’s approval.”  He grinned but Shauna nibbled her apple watching him and
not joining in his amusement.  This wasn’t what she wanted.  She wanted him to
chase her.  She did not want to tamely walk upstairs and let him take her
gently and boringly.  Shauna sipped the bottle of water that he’d brought.  Ozzy
Osbourne yelled loudly in her pocket, “All Aboard!” then laughed evilly and she
answered her cell phone, it was Naomi.