The Alpha (The Pack Book 3)

by Kristin Coley

  “I don’t know. This morning. And Dom,” I spit out answers before she could start again. The next words were harder as I admitted, “She knew. All along she knew what I was, what Monster was.”

  “Oh, Jess.” I heard the sympathy in her voice and it almost broke me.

  “Or at least she knew what we could become. She never said a word.” My voice cracked and suddenly Anna wrapped her arms around me, engulfing me in hug, squeezing tight enough to keep me from falling apart.

  “Your mom is a real bitch. I thought sending your brother via courier was bad but this is so much worse,” Anna mumbled against my hair and a wet snort escaped me. “To not say anything? Who does that?”

  “My mother,” I answered, pushing my head back so I could breathe. “It’s a classic, really. She withholds important information and watches me flounder and then says, ‘I told you so,’ when I fail.”

  “But your dad,” Anna breathed, loosening her grip finally and I sucked in a deep breath. “He didn’t know either.”

  I shook my head. “He was adopted, remember? He never knew anything about shifters.”

  “That’s also really strange, by the way. Shifters don’t just let potential shifters get adopted out of the pack.”

  “What if they thought he was just human?” I asked, shrugging.

  Anna stared at me with wide eyes and shook her head, “Still not cool. And neither is your mother showing up out of the blue.” She sent me a questioning glance. “It was unexpected, right?”

  I nodded forcefully, pulling my knees to my chest and propping my chin on them. “I thought after she sent Monster, that was it. She washed her hands of us.”

  “And then she shows up.”

  “Yep,” I agreed, sucking in a deep breath as I told her the rest. “I might have broken her nose.”

  There was dead silence for a beat and then I heard a loud, “Hell, yeah.” I glanced at her in shock as she raised her hand for a high five. I gingerly hit her hand as she gave me a huge grin. “I wish I’d seen that. Did Dom see it?” I nodded mutely and her gaze got that unfocused look that told me she was communicating with the Pack, or more specifically Dom. After a minute, her gaze sharpened and she gave me an impressed nod. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

  A laugh escaped me and then another until I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. Anna watched, her expression amused as I laughed to the point of tears, until finally I was just hiccupping. “Done, yet?”

  I nodded, leaning back, as I said, “You’re a shifter. I don’t think I’d ever get a punch in on you.”

  She considered the thought for a moment before saying, “Maybe a sucker punch.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” I mocked, pushing her leg with one of my feet. “Or maybe, I’d just wind up with a broken hand.”

  That caught her interest as she grabbed my hand and inspected it. “Hmmm,” she hummed as she examined the clearly unbroken skin. “Dom healed you.”

  “Yeah,” I said, a little uncomfortable with the whole idea.

  She tapped my knuckles sharply. “That’s a good thing. You’re growing closer which means the bond is getting stronger.”

  “I didn’t think it could get any stronger,” I admitted as she released my hand and Anna chuckled.

  “I’ve never experienced it, but I’ve seen my parents together. You and Dom haven’t even scratched the surface. Give it a few years.”

  I groaned. “That’s what I’m worried about.” My head dropped to my knees and I peeked up through the hair that had fallen in my face. “He’s been staying here.”

  Anna’s nose wrinkled, “Here?” She pointed in the direction of the motel and I shook my head. Her eyebrows lifted almost to her hairline and she pointed down, indicating the apartment. “Here?” She mouthed, not saying it aloud as she glanced around warily.

  “No one’s in here,” I told her and she rolled her eyes. “But yes, here.” I emphasized here as my gaze darted in the direction of my room. “He sneaks in at night and sleeps next to me.” Anna’s eyes resembled saucers and I hurriedly added, “As a wolf!”

  “So you two haven’t….” Anna wiggled her fingers, “Tangoed?”

  I blinked at her for a second and then shook my head. “No. In fact, make that a hell, no.” Her mouth dropped open at my response and I lifted my shoulders. “I’m not having sex for the first time with my Dad across the apartment.” I thought for a second. “Or my brother. Eww.”

  “Okay, fair enough,” Anna agreed. “That would be weird, but seriously, I’m impressed at how long you’ve held out.” She must have interpreted my expression correctly because she said, “No, I’m serious. You two are the strongest mating pair I’ve ever seen. The call to complete the bond is intense. Your self-control is impressive.”

  “I’m not sure it’s my self-control that’s all that impressive,” I confessed slowly. “Dom has been keeping his promise to wait until I’m ready.” My mouth curled up ruefully. “I think I’ve tested his control to the max.”

  “What’s stopping you?” Anna cut straight to the heart of it and I laid my head back down, allowing my hair to hide me from her piercing stare.

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I know he’s the one, but I’ve only known him a few months. My mind keeps getting hung up on that even as part of me keeps screaming, ‘If you do this, it’s forever,’ and forever is a really long time.”

  “Can you imagine yourself with anyone else?” Anna asked, her fingers twisting together. “Like Trent, maybe?”

  I choked, shaking my head so rapidly my hair flew around me. “No, I….no.” Relief flooded Anna’s face and my mouth dropped open. “You weren’t….you didn’t actually think?” I couldn’t force myself to finish the thought, much less say the words.

  “Some share,” she said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Share what?” I said stupidly and she widened her eyes as she tilted her head pointedly.

  “You know,” she murmured, making me feel even dumber.

  “No, I really don’t,” I finally said and she huffed out a sigh.

  “Women. They share women,” she declared and my mouth dropped open.

  “You thought….that I would…” my lips compressed as I sealed my mouth, shaking my head again. “Dom would never,” I burst out finally, not knowing what else to say.

  “That’s true,” Anna agreed, tapping her chin. “But it’s not as unheard of as you think. The Hanleys did it. Especially with so few women who could bear a shifter child. The men all want their glory or whatever.”

  “And you thought, I’d just be like let me have two?” I asked incredulously. “Maybe I’ll have Caleb while I’m at it!”

  Anna flinched and I felt bad. She didn’t know and I clearly didn’t understand every nuance of Pack life. “Trust me, Anna. Dom is enough for any woman.” I shuddered. “I can’t imagine dealing with more than one Alpha at a time,” I declared and when she gave me a curious look, I realized what I’d said. “An Alpha male,” I hastily corrected and her face smoothed. I forced myself not to exhale in sudden relief. There was zero chance Anna would be able to keep the knowledge of Dom’s dual status a secret. She was too tightly ingrained into the Pack and loyal to Caleb. A loyalty I admired but which was proving inconvenient at the moment. I knew I needed to distract her and had the perfect thing to do just that. “I think its interesting it was Trent you mentioned,” I said knowingly and she immediately flushed.

  “It was just you seem to spend a lot of time with him,” she defended quickly. “And I know you rejected Caleb already.” My mouth twisted at the reminder of Caleb’s fumbling attempt to convince me I would be better off with him instead of Dom. The only reason I hadn’t let Dom rip him to pieces for it was because Caleb was struggling. Really struggling. With the death of his father and his sudden position as Alpha of the Navarre Pack, a position more than a few of the Pack didn’t think he deserved, it had been a difficult few weeks for him. I knew he needed our support now more than
ever, even if he was being an ass on occasion, and if he found out about Dom being an Alpha it would be seen as a betrayal – one their friendship may never recover from. “Trent’s a mutt without a pack. You would be a chance for him to have a pack of his own.” I barely suppressed a snort at the idea. Trent had a Pack, he had Dom and now Liam. Besides, he’d been head over heels the minute he’d met Anna.

  “I think the fact that he devoured you is a good indication he’s not interested in me,” I informed her and she glanced away in embarrassment. “Which brings me back to the fact that you admitted you liked it,” I sang and she sent a pillow flying at my head. I ducked and it sailed over the couch and landed on the floor.

  “I did like it,” she acknowledged, straightening her shoulders as she said it. “He’s infuriating, and a know-it-all, and….” She waved her hand like she couldn’t finish, so I added helpfully, “Built. He’s built.”

  Her mouth opened and closed before she said, “Yeah, that too.” I relaxed back into the cushions as she sat there, lost in thought. I didn’t think she was going to say anything more after a few minutes passed, but she surprised me. “He doesn’t look at me like I’m a freak,” she whispered, the words barely audible and I leaned forward. She dropped her gaze to her hands as they worked knots into the edge of a blanket. “He looks at me like I’m important and not some mutant girl shifter,” she said the last part with a scornful sneer and my forehead furrowed.

  “What do you mean?” I asked carefully, her words unexpected to say the least. She shook her head, her mouth snapping shut as if she’d said something she hadn’t intended. “No, I want to know what you meant,” I repeated firmly. “Explain, please.”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” she said softly, her smile apologetic as she once again presented me with the fact that I hadn’t been raised Pack.

  “Then I’ll learn something, but I want to know why you feel like you’re different. Like, that’s a bad thing,” I told her slowly.

  “Because it is,” she burst out. “There’s never been one like me. Girl shifters are rare, I didn’t even know they existed before I shifted. I didn’t even know there were others until Trent told me,” she trailed off and I knew I needed to admit I’d heard at least part of their conversation.

  “There is another female shifter. One who controls her own Pack,” I said for her. She stared at me in shock.

  “You knew?”

  “Trent told me,” I said, nodding. “He made no secret of his fascination with you. He explained to me how rare it is to see a female shifter.”

  Anna laughed bitterly. “Yeah, grow up being the weird freak. The one no one thinks will be able to have shifter pups because she’s a shifter. Always feeling isolated even when you’re part of the Pack. Hearing them cut off conversations and jokes because you’re the girl and wouldn’t understand. It’s enough to make you feel,” she stopped, unable to finish.

  “Unwanted,” I said and she looked at me, her eyes glistening with tears she refused to shed.

  “He doesn’t look at me like that,” she whispered, her voice aching. “I didn’t know how it felt to be looked at like that….until him.”

  It was my turn to pull her into a hug and as she wrapped her arms around me, I could feel the strength underneath the lithe build. She was a contradiction, a dancer’s body but with the strength and power of a wolf, and I could understand Trent’s awe when he looked at her. Anna was meant to be more than just an outcast member of a Pack. She understood the Pack dynamics and laws better than anyone, Caleb included, and I knew she would never reach her full potential if she didn’t let go of Caleb.

  “You should always be looked at like that,” I whispered, unsure if she even heard me. “Like you’re the most amazing creature on the planet.”

  She sniffed and pulled back, biting her lip as she rubbed her nose. “I should go. I’ve got to help Mom at the Pack house. There’s a meeting tonight.” I nodded, knowing she needed space. I swallowed tightly, praying we would find a solution before everything erupted in our faces.

  I walked Anna to the door, pulling it open to find a fist hovering in my face. Before I could even react, Anna had pulled me behind her.

  “Oh! Hi,” Leah cried, lowering her hand. I realized she’d been about to knock when I’d yanked open the door, hence the fist. “I wasn’t sure if you were home,” she trailed off as Anna stared at her grimly. I poked Anna in the back and she forced a rickety smile. From the way Leah stepped back, it wasn’t an improvement.

  “Leah, yeah, I’m home. I’m glad you stopped by,” I responded, trying to smooth over Anna’s stiffness, but I couldn’t erase the hint of a question in my tone. I hadn’t seen her since the day the boys were abducted, and she’d saved Liam’s life. I was happy she’d had the guts to come back, but I was also surprised.

  Leah rubbed her hands together, tucking the ends of her sleeves over bare knuckles. I shivered lightly in the open doorframe, but Anna either didn’t feel or didn’t notice the cold. I was going with didn’t feel it since none of the wolves I’d met seemed to notice the freezing temperatures.

  “I came to get my dad’s bag,” Leah explained and it took me a second to remember what she meant.

  “Oh, yes. Of course,” I answered, nodding as I spoke. I pointed to the row of motel doors on the first floor. “I think it’s still in Wren’s room. Which is now Liam’s,” I continued, babbling to fill the awkward silence as Anna continued to stare at Leah, and as she worked to avoid the heavy stare. I cleared my throat pointedly, wishing the telepathic bond I shared with Dom extended to Anna as she inspected Leah. Finally, I was forced to say, “Anna, don’t you have to go help your mom?”

  “Yes,” she answered, not lowering her gaze from Leah as she added stiffly, “Thank you, Leah.”

  The unexpected words of gratitude did what the staring had not as Leah glanced at her in surprise. I had to hold back my own shock. Anna had made no secret of her dislike for Leah, especially after Caleb had indicated interest in her, and adding in the fact that Leah was purely human and therefore had no incentive for keeping the Pack’s secrets, I was surprised Anna had bothered.

  “You’ve proven to be a friend to the Navarre Pack and it is noted,” Anna continued, the words oddly formal. “If you ever need anything, you need only ask.”

  When it was clear Anna had finished speaking, Leah had to swallow before she could speak. “Um, thank you. That’s kind of you, and unexpected. I appreciate – ”

  “Goodbye,” Anna cut her off without hesitation, nodding to me before jogging toward the forest edge.

  “Ooookay,” Leah said, the word dragging from her throat. “That was weird.”

  “Yep, gonna have to agree with you on that one,” I replied, both of us watching Anna disappear into the forest. “She had a rough afternoon,” I offered in a halfhearted apology for her rudeness. It wasn’t my job to apologize for her behavior, but I also thought Leah got the raw end of the deal. I’d been the one to introduce her to their world, my world, I corrected myself ruefully, and therefore she was my responsibility. She kept the Pack’s secrets out of kindness and probably curiosity, but I knew it was a fine line we walked.

  “I’m really glad you came by,” I told her and her gaze shot to mine in surprise. “This world is weird and dangerous and at the moment kind of fucked up. It’s nice to have someone who sees it the way I do.”

  “I’m not sure anyone can see it quite the way you do,” Leah countered. “But I will agree that it is weird and dangerous.” She smiled. “And I’m still glad you invited me to the party that night.”

  I groaned at her mention of the party, and the night she’d witnessed the Hanley Pack challenge Caleb for control of the Navarre Pack. She’d been thrust right in the middle of it as she stood behind Caleb as he was presented with the challenge. She’d held it together when I’d explained who or more accurately, what the Pack really were, surprising me once as she chuckled and said, “We had no idea how perfect our nickname was
, did we?” She startled a laugh from me as I’d agreed. When I’d first arrived at Banks High School, there were a group of diverse students who kept themselves separated from everyone else, a group the other students referred to as the Pack. It wasn’t long before I realized how true the nickname was, as I found myself under their scrutiny.

  “It’s been weird not seeing you at school,” Leah continued, changing the subject abruptly, and causing the smile to slide from my face. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you too,” I replied, my voice thick at the reminder of what else had changed so quickly in my life. I’d been heavily encouraged to graduate early as rumors swirled about my relationship with Dom, who happened to be an assistant football coach at the high school. It was a position that allowed him to keep a protective eye on Caleb even before he’d become Alpha and since it was Dom’s job as his Beta to protect him, he needed a reason to be near Caleb, especially with the Hanley Pack threatening all of us. “It’s for the best,” I told her, trying to convince myself and from her quick glance she could tell. “Dom needs to focus on Caleb right now, and I’m a distraction.”

  “I would think you being here and him being there would be a bigger distraction,” Leah said knowingly and my lips quirked at the truth of that statement. Dom had grudgingly continued to go to work after I’d made him promise not to kill, maim, or otherwise harm the principal after he’d basically kicked me out of school. Dom’s continued good behavior required the occasional reminder from me through our bond, but so far the principal was still breathing.

  “I get why,” I admitted, knowing the entire situation was technically our own fault. Students and teachers didn’t fraternize. Period. It was a hard and fast rule we’d played loose and easy with, and while I’d love to blame biology for it, it really wasn’t that simple. We’d bonded, and it wasn’t just because my genetics allowed me to have shifter babies. Dom had protected me at every turn, listened even when it went against his nature, and given me the space I’d needed to decide if this was truly the life I wanted.