by Rose, Renee
A large cage sits on an elevated stage. Inside, a scrawny shifter with a shock of orange hair pushes a mop around lazily. My nose pricks with a sharp smell. Blood.
The closer I get to the fighting ring, the stronger the scents hit me. Blood, sweat, piss in a dizzying miasma. If testosterone had a smell, this would be it. I wrinkle my nose and pick my way around the piles of trash, and walk smack into a solid wall of muscle.
“Oh excuse me—”
“Watch it, princess,” a rumble like an avalanche comes from a hulking beast of a man. I look up and freeze, mouth falling open. Feral eyes peer from a fight-ravaged face. Arms, neck, cheeks—whatever part of him that isn’t tattooed is covered in scars. The scars alone make me stare. With shifter healing, they’re not common, but not impossible. How much damage had this guy taken that he didn’t heal right away, but scarred?
One beefy hand hovers at my elbow, as if he’s ready to grab and steady me—or throw me out. “This is no place for a lady.”
“I—uh-I—” This is ridiculous. I’m Sheridan Green of the Wolf Ridge Greens, leaders of the Phoenix pack. Both my uncle and cousin are pack alphas. I’ve navigated werewolf politics since before I could walk.
I stare up into the scarred face and try to remember my mission and manners. “I beg your pardon.”
“You looking for somebody?” he growls.
I straighten my suit jacket, searching for composure. “I...yes. Is Garrett Green here?”
The big guy cocks an eyebrow. “The alpha don’t come here.”
I lick my lips, trying to think of who to ask for. “I was told this was a pack operation.”
“You were told wrong,” the big guy tells me. He’s a shifter, but I can’t scent what type of animal, though I feel it, big and brooding under his intimidating skin. Definitely an apex predator. “This here’s independent from the pack.”
My brain scrambles. If Garrett’s pack isn’t running this operation, who is? “I thought this place was under the Tucson pack’s protection.”
The big guy shrugs. “We’re fighters. We protect our own.”
“That’s”—I shake my head, not wanting to say ‘crazy’—“I’m from the Phoenix pack. I was sent here to find out what’s going on—”
“Hey, Grizz. Who’s your friend?”
I turn towards the silky voice, and get my second shock of the night. Grizz—the big guy at my back, steps between me and the speaker, but not before I get a whiff of cologne. The seductive scent covers an uglier smell—a stone-cold scent like a tomb, with an undertone of old blood.
My lips curl back and I snarl, “Vampire.”
The leech is tall, too tall, with a fine-boned face so beautiful it’s inhuman. His beauty is predatory, lethal, like a poisonous flower. Men and women will find themselves attracted to him, but before they know why, they’ll be dead.
He smiles, showing a pair of pointy teeth. My hackles go up and my wolf surges to the fore.
“Back off, Nero,” the big shifter barks, his brawny shoulder inserted between me and the vamp. “She’s a guest.”
“My dear Grizzly.” The vampire spreads his elegant hands. He’s wearing a thousand-dollar suit and snakeskin cowboy boots. “Aren’t we all?”
“Come on.” Grizz herds me toward the back, away from the smiling vampire. “Office’s this way. The boss will want to speak with you.”
I let the scarred shifter—grizzly bear, of course—guide me around the fight cage toward the corner of the warehouse, where a dark, room-sized cube hugs the walls. Behind us, Nero watches, his teeth shining in the gloom. I suppress a shudder.
“So the rumors are true,” I mutter. “This place has gone to the leeches.”
Grizz gives me a sharp look and pushes me gently toward the office door. “Someone to see you, boss,” he calls and raps the side of the cube.
The door opens and I get my third shock. Spiked hair, lip ring, dark tattoos running up and down muscular arms. And those ice blue eyes piercing me through. I sway as if stabbed, and he automatically puts his hands out to steady me.
Trey Robson.
“Sheridan.” It’s just like the first time he spoke my name. Trey stares as if he’s not sure I’m really here. I’m tall, but he towers over me. And I’m lost, drowning in the past, the heat and memory in his pale blue gaze.
* * *
She ruined my life, got me thrown out of the pack.
The only revenge I crave is her.
Trey
I never thought I’d have a girl like Sheridan. A pack princess—beautiful, smart, one of the elite. She picked me. She gave me her heart, her innocence.
Hurting her was my biggest regret. But then she betrayed us all.
Now she’s back—sent to spy on our pack.
She wants revenge.
But my wolf...he just wants her.
Sheridan
He crushed my heart and broke my trust. I ruined his life.
Now we have to work together, and it’s killing me.
I want to hate him. But more than that...I want his mark.
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Read the Bad Boy Alpha Books
Bad Boy Alphas Series
Alpha’s Temptation
Alpha’s Danger
Alpha’s Prize
Alpha’s Challenge
Alpha’s Obsession
Alpha’s Desire
Alpha’s War
Alpha’s Mission
Alpha’s Bane
Alpha’s Secret
Alpha’s Prey
Alpha’s Blood
Alpha’s Sun
About Renee Rose
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She's sold over a half million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy's Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and Spanking Romance Reviews' Best Sci-fi, Paranormal, Historical, Erotic, Ageplay and favorite couple and author. She's hit the USA Today list five times with various anthologies.
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Other Titles by Renee Rose
Vegas Underground Mafia Romance
King of Diamonds
Mafia Daddy
Jack of Spades
Ace of Hearts
Joker’s Wild
His Queen of Clubs
Dead Man’s Hand (coming soon)
More Mafia Romance
The Russian
The Don’s Daughter
Mob Mistress
The Bossman
Contemporary
Black Light: Celebrity Roulette
Fire Daddy
Black Light: Roulette Redux
Her Royal Master
The Russian
Black Light: Valentine Roulette
Theirs to Protect
Scoring with Santa
Owned by the Marine
Theirs to Punish
Punishing Portia
The Professor’s Girl
&n
bsp; Safe in his Arms
Saved
The Elusive “O”
Paranormal
Bad Boy Alphas Series
Alpha’s Temptation
Alpha’s Danger
Alpha’s Prize
Alpha’s Challenge
Alpha’s Obsession
Alpha’s Desire
Alpha’s War
Alpha’s Mission
Alpha’s Bane
Alpha’s Secret
Alpha’s Prey
Alpha’s Blood
Alpha’s Sun
Alpha Doms Series
The Alpha’s Hunger
The Alpha’s Promise
The Alpha’s Punishment
Other Paranormals
His Captive Mortal
Deathless Love
Deathless Discipline
The Winter Storm: An Ever After Chronicle
Sci-Fi
Zandian Masters Series
His Human Slave
His Human Prisoner
Training His Human
His Human Rebel
His Human Vessel
His Mate and Master
Zandian Pet
Their Zandian Mate
His Human Possession
Zandian Brides (Reverse Harem)
Night of the Zandians
Bought by the Zandians
Mastered by the Zandians
Zandian Lights
Kept by the Zandian
The Hand of Vengeance
Her Alien Masters
Regency
The Darlington Incident
Humbled
The Reddington Scandal
The Westerfield Affair
Pleasing the Colonel
Western
His Little Lapis
The Devil of Whiskey Row
The Outlaw’s Bride
Medieval
Mercenary
Medieval Discipline
Lords and Ladies
The Knight’s Prisoner
Betrothed
Held for Ransom
The Knight’s Seduction
The Conquered Brides (5 book box set)
Renaissance
Renaissance Discipline
Ageplay
Stepbrother’s Rules
Her Hollywood Daddy
His Little Lapis
Black Light: Valentine’s Roulette (Broken)
BDSM under the name Darling Adams
Medical Play
Yes, Doctor
Master/Slave
Punishing Portia