The Alpha’s Tempting Mate

Garrett

I sit sipping beer on my couch, staring at the moon as I try to get my wolf under control. Bad, bad girl, running from a wolf. And the way she responded to the spanking… damn if my dick isn’t all awake and ready to go.

I hear boots in the hall before my apartment door bangs open.

“Not so loud,” I call, and wince. I sound like my dad.

Why the hell did I think it was a good idea to live with packmates? It was fun just out of college, but I’m twenty-nine, and a business owner. I own half the real estate downtown. Maybe it’s time to buy a house, find a mate. Grow the fuck up. But that would make me into my dad.

Damn, my wolf is riled up if I’m thinking about mating.

Trey and Jared stride inside only to stop short.

“What the-” Trey starts, his eyes turning silver.

“It’s cool,” I tell them. They smell Amber.

“What’s with you and the human? Tank said you took off after her,” Jared says.

I scoff. That makes me sound desperate. “Tank was wrong. I went for a ride then came back here. You know, the place where I live.”

Jared’s eyes aren’t silver, but he raises his head, sniffing like a wolf at Amber’s lingering vanilla scent. “But she was here.”

“She and I had a little talk.” I take a pull on my beer, keep my tone casual. “She knows.”

Jared and Trey go still.

“How?” Trey asks. His shoulders bunch like he’s about to change. Jared sits down on a chair facing me. A string of tension runs through him, too, like a predator on high alert.

And they’re right to prepare to defend. Amber knowing is a liability to the pack.

“Back off.” I can’t quite keep the growl out of my voice. “She’s one of us.”

“What?” Jared cocks his head.

“You told her?” Trey asks as if he didn’t hear me, worrying his lip piercing with his tongue. He’s the thinker of the pack. I should have forced him to go to college because he’s the guy who researches the fuck out of anything and everything that interests him. He’s a great advisor and strategist. “Humans can’t know about us, G. The rule-”

“Shut up, Trey,” Jared cuts him off. It’s inappropriate for either of them to question any decision I make.

I plunk my beer down. “No, I didn’t tell her. And I’m aware of pack rules. That particular one hasn’t been enforced for seventy years.”

“Yeah, because your dad would rip a shifter’s guts out if they ever told a human,” Jared mumbles. His eyes are silver, too.

“I’m not my father.” The guys freeze at my growl, so I force myself to relax. “That might be how my dad runs things, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Like I said, she’s one of us.”

“Shifter?” Jared asks, though he must already know by her scent she’s not.

I shake my head. “Psychic. I didn’t tell her. She guessed. Or knew.” I stand and cross my arms over my chest. “But, we talked, and she’s not going to say a word.”

Trey gnaws his lip.

Jared watches me. “You gonna tell Tank?”

My fingers curl into fists. Is Tank their fucking leader now? “No need. She’s not gonna breathe a word.”

“Whenever you talk about her, your wolf is in your eyes,” Jared observes. “We’ve been taking bets on how long before you claim her.”

They’ve been taking bets. Which probably means the whole pack knows I have a thing for a human. Assholes.

“I want to protect her,” I admit. And fuck her senseless. “She’s a good person, and she doesn’t mean to have these visions.” And my wolf wants her safe. At first I was going to deny the truth, but for some reason didn’t want to lie to her.

I’m not crazy, she said, and it was all over. I couldn’t let her go on thinking that. I couldn’t hurt her. I’m an alpha. I protect the weak. Whoever Amber Drake is, she’s one of mine.

“She’s one of us,” I repeat. “She swore not to tell, and I believe her. And my wolf trusts her, so…” I shrug, watching their body language carefully. Most of my pack is loyal, but I’m bending the rules. One hint of them being a threat to Amber, and I’ll do what I must to make sure she’s safe.

“Whatever you say, boss.” Trey drops into a seat next to Jared.

I grunt my approval, but, secretly, I’m glad they’re taking this so well.

“Yeah,” Jared also lounges back, relaxed and smiling. “It’s about time you took a mate.”

My eyes almost bug out. “What?”

“We followed you to Tucson because your dad’s pack was too rigid. No room for a wolf to run. But all this bachelorhood is wearing on us. I’m ready to chase down a little she-wolf, give her a claiming bite. I think a lot of guys are, but we’ve been waiting for you.”

“Bullshit.” These guys are party boys. The idea of any of us settling down anytime soon is ludicrous.

Jared just grins. I’m pretty sure he’s goading me to find out how serious I am about Amber.

“I’m not mating,” I say firmly. “You both know I can’t mate a human, even if she is a psychic.” But my wolf disagrees. Lots of wolves mate humans; it must be possible. I’d just have to be careful not to give her a mating bite, or it could kill her. But mating a human would mean I’d lose my position as alpha. It would be seen as a sign of weakness. Our pups would have weak blood.

“Well, I’m ready to settle down.” Trey yawns.

“You just want your dick sucked on the regular,” Jared mutters.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Yeah, so? Who doesn’t?” Trey grabs the cushion he’s sitting on and throws it at his pack brother.

“Guys,” I warn them absently. My head spins with the idea of mating Amber. It’s ridiculous, but now that it’s on the table, my wolf won’t stop salivating over the thought of having the prim little attorney as my own. I want to pull that bun down, tie her to my bed, and spread her legs. Spend so long eating her pussy she screams herself hoarse. Every night. For the rest of my life.

Not going to happen, buddy.

“Don’t worry,” Jared says. “We’ll find another place to live after you bring the human to heel.” He and Trey swap grins, and I want to punch both of them. They’re having too much fun with this.

“In the meantime, we’ll get earplugs or something,” Trey adds.

“I already need earplugs.” Jared throws a cushion at Trey. “You keep me up, howling while you jack off.”

“I do not howl.” Trey throws the cushion back and dives onto his pack mate, punching him through the cushion.

“Guys,” I warn, and they stop. “Do me a favor. Sit tight on this. Amber’s under my protection, but that doesn’t mean she’s my fucking mate.”

“But she may become your fuck-mate.” Jared grins like he knows I’m trying to figure out how to make it happen. “We’ll let you warm her up to us first. When it’s time, we’ll make Trey wear a bag over his head.”

The punching starts again. I grab my beer bottle before it goes flying, and watch them push at each other, hoping the crashing doesn’t wake Amber up.

I know Trey and Jared are solid, but I don’t want them telling Tank, who will run to my dad. If my dad decides Amber is a threat, he won’t hesitate to give a death order. For him, rules are rules. Life is black and white. I can just hear him lecturing me and Sedona, That’s how we survive.

But no one is putting Amber down. I would fucking kill anyone who came near her. A growl rumbles in my chest at the thought.

But that doesn’t mean I can have her, either.