Maddox (The Boundarylands Omegaverse Book 4)

by Callie Rhodes

  Paige blinked. “What?”

  He didn’t repeat himself. Instead, he reached out, grabbed the sleeve of her jacket, and whipped her behind his wide back—all faster than she could react.

  Too startled to protest, Paige peeked out from behind Kian’s side. She was surprised to find every other alpha in the bar standing at the ready, their attention focused, their muscles coiled and ready to fight.

  So, he wasn’t about to rip her head off. But he was sure as hell ready to kill someone. Every alpha was.

  A new wave of fear washed over Paige. “What’s going on?”

  “I think that fiancé of yours just arrived,” Kian said.

  Oh God.

  “How do you know?” she asked.

  “Heard the car pull up a minute ago,” he said. “I can smell the bloodlust pouring off him. Sound like your man?”

  It did. Paige’s blood turned to ice. Her knees wobbled, and without thinking, she leaned forward into the wide expanse of Kian’s solid back. A shock of awareness shot through her at the contact. A powerful, almost electric charge rushed through her. It was like nothing Paige had ever felt before. The sensation only heightened as she instinctively curled her hands around Kian’s sides.

  She leaned her face against him. The taut strength of his hard body flexed beneath his shirt. She felt his warmth. She caught his scent—deep, and warm, and spicy. Everything about Kian wrapped around her, comforting her and driving the worst of her paralyzing fear away. Even her pounding heartbeat slowed.

  Everything was going to be okay. She knew it. It had to be, because Kian was there. He would protect her. He would keep her safe. The absolute certainty flowed through her.

  Paige tightened her grip around his waist, wishing that she could melt into him. She felt the energy shift inside him. Away went the contempt and mockery. The sheer power of his body came alive under her fingertips, growing and swelling.

  Staying firmly in front of her, Kian wrenched his head around far enough to catch her eye. She saw amazement shining bright in their depths. Amazement…and desire.

  “Omega.” He said the word softly. Slowly.

  The horror of its meaning moved through Paige like an icy ripple, growing as it spread.

  Oh God, no.

  She wasn’t an omega. She couldn’t be.

  She was normal. A nobody. A plain-vanilla beta. There was nothing special about her. There couldn’t be.

  Because if she was, then she’d just made a horrible mistake walking into this bar. She’d be better off running out into the parking lot and begging Craig to put her out of her misery right now.

  So, why couldn’t she let go of Kian’s body?

  Start Reading Kian Now

  * * *

  Ty: Book 2 (Excerpt)

  Mia was never going to make it out of the Boundarylands.

  The horrible realization settled into her, taking over her mind and body as she limped along the road in the moonlight, trying to ignore the rustling sounds and gleaming eyes in the forest on either side of the road. She'd done her best to deny the truth as long as she could, but as the minutes ticked past, she could no longer pretend she had a chance. The odds were stacked too high against her.

  She was at least twenty miles into alpha territory…and that was way too deep.

  Maybe if she were a trained long-distance runner she could have made it back to safe territory by morning, but she wasn't. She was just a regular girl in a tight dress and strappy heels with makeup streaked under her eyes and knots in her hair…and a busted knee.

  She couldn't forget about the knee.

  Not that the pain that shot up the length of her leg with every step would ever allow her. Neither would the slow stream of blood trickling down her calf.

  Mia figured her knee cap must have cracked against the pavement when Dustin had tossed her to the side of the road like a bag of trash. She hadn't felt the pain at the time, but she sure as shit felt it now.

  For the last hour, she'd gritted her teeth and tried to push past the ache and despair. Even from her first step, she knew that escape was a long shot, but she had to do something. Josh and Dustin weren't coming back for her—not until morning, at least, and probably not even then. And no one else knew where she was.

  If Mia made it out of the Boundarylands in one piece, it would be because she dragged herself out.

  Emphasis on the word dragged.

  Even in the pale moonlight, Mia could see a dark bruise swelling beneath the skin. Walking was agony, and speed was impossible. She guessed she'd only traveled a mile and a half in the last hour.

  At this rate, she wouldn't make it halfway to the boundary before dawn.

  Still, she had to keep going.

  What other choice was there? Crawl into the ditch on the side of the road and wait for some alpha to find her?

  And when he did…

  Oh, God. She refused to think about it. She only hoped when he found her, he would kill her quickly instead of toying with her.

  Mia rounded a corner, and the pale yellowish light of a roadside sign illuminated the stretch of the Central Highway before her.

  The sign read EVANDER'S BAR. Behind it, tucked back into the edge of the woods, was a nondescript low-slung wood-sided roadhouse, its windows dark. Only one old truck was parked in the corner of the dirt lot.

  Mia didn't remember passing the place on the way in. Then again, she'd been focused on other things.

  She stayed very still, terrified that there were alphas inside. It was late—past two in the morning—but could Boundaryland bars really be expected to follow beta curfew laws?

  Somehow, Mia doubted it.

  She inched forward, letting out a ragged breath. The place looked empty, but just to be safe, she crossed to the opposite side of the road as she hobbled by.

  She had just limped past the corner of the lot when the sound of creaking hinges stopped her mid-step. The slam of a heavy door followed.

  Mia froze. Afraid to breathe, she tucked her arms in tight, making herself as small as possible.

  Maybe she'd be okay. She was out of the light, just past the line of sight from the front door. As long as she stayed still and quiet, she might go unnoticed.

  She closed her eyes at the sound of heavy footsteps. Wood planks groaned as someone walked down the bar's front steps.

  Mia had never seen an alpha before—not a live one, anyway. Very few people had. There was a part of her that wanted to see for herself just how massive the creature behind her actually was, but she didn't dare turn around to sneak a peek.

  Curiosity wasn't the same thing as stupidity.

  The night was almost unnaturally still, and Mia's heart thudded in time with the crunch of boots on loose gravel. She silently willed him to walk the other way, to get in the truck, to go back inside. Anything except come closer.

  "Bad news, lady," a deep voice growled. "You've been left behind."

  Mia jumped at the sound and took a few staggering strides as her knee surged with fresh pain. Somehow, she swallowed the cry that threatened to spill out of her lips.

  Maybe he wasn't talking to her. Maybe there was someone else in the parking lot. Maybe—

  "You must be new. Though you're not going to make it in this profession if you spook that easy."

  She was as good as dead.

  Mia opened her mouth to beg for her life, but fear had stolen her voice. She could barely breathe.

  "Relax." His footsteps grew louder. He was coming closer. "Worrying won't do any good. There's nowhere to go until morning."

  Mia didn't know if she could run. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice. If she was lucky, a surge of adrenaline would kick in and numb the pain.

  "Next time, make sure you leave a little earlier." The alpha kept talking, his voice devoid of emotion. "Nicky likes to make sure all the girls are out of here by two."

  Nicky? The girls? What the hell was he talking about? Mia finally glanced over her shoulder in consternation, and
the sight caused her breath to lodge in her throat.

  The alpha was huge. So much bigger than she'd imagined. He had to be over seven feet tall, and as wide as Josh and Dustin put together.

  But that wasn't the most shocking thin…he was gorgeous. Not pretty. Not movie-star chiseled. But sexy, and virile, and overwhelmingly masculine. The sight of him was both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. Mia couldn't look away.

  Unfortunately, he seemed just as interested in her. She could feel his gaze intensify as he cocked his head to the side.

  "I don't remember seeing you before," he said, almost conversationally. "What's your name?"

  Mia opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  He stepped closer. Too close. Out of the parking lot and onto the edge of the road.

  Instinctively, Mia drew back, trying to maintain a buffer between them. She winced as her knee buckled under her weight, and the alpha's gaze went to her injury.

  Even from where she stood, she could see his expression harden.

  "You're hurt." His voice had taken on an edge, as if the sight of her blood made him angry. "Did someone do that to you? Is that why you were late getting back?"

  With each question he took another step closer. At this rate, he'd be on top of her in a heartbeat.

  Mia threw her hands out in front of her. "Please, stay back." Her voice squeaked with terror, but at least she could talk again.

  Not that it did any good.

  The alpha closed the distance between them. Mia stumbled back, wincing in pain.

  Up close, she could see that his eyes were unusual, dark but somehow still luminous in the moonlight.

  "Did someone do this to you?" he demanded. "Who were you with tonight? Tell me his name."

  Mia didn't know what he was talking about. She didn't know any Nicky, and she sure as hell wasn't going to tell him about Dustin and Josh.

  "Please," she tried again. But even as the word tumbled out of her mouth, she knew it wouldn't do any good.

  Begging and pleading had never gotten Mia anywhere. Not with Dustin. Not with her father. Not with anyone. No one ever listened.

  The only thing she could do was run.

  She spun on her heel and ignored the searing pain that shot up her leg with every step. Her knee was swollen and tight, but it wasn't broken. Even though it hurt like hell, she forced herself to move.

  But she didn't make it far.

  The alpha closed in on her almost instantly. That's when she realized she never had a chance.

  It wouldn't have mattered if Mia had been in perfect condition. She could have been an Olympic sprinter, and it still wouldn't have done any good. The alpha was too damn fast.

  Mia didn't even have time to scream as massive arms snaked around her waist and lifted her off the ground. Her spine pressed against his hard chest, and she felt...warm.

  So warm.

  Mia's pulse slowed as she drew in the first steady breath of the night. Then another. Without thinking, her head lolled back, resting against his huge, hard shoulder. She took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of him.

  Sawdust and wood smoke and whiskey.

  Without thinking, Mia lifted her hands and ran her fingertips down the exposed skin of his muscular forearms. It was almost as if she could feel the power and vitality running through his body, drawing her touch.

  Why had she been running, again? Why in the world would she want to get away from this man…this alpha…when it was obvious that she was meant to be with him?

  Mia's eyes flew open wide at the shocking thought, and she tried to wrench herself free.

  Slowly, he let her down and turned her around in his arms. Strong features stood out in relief in the pale light, his dark eyes filled with a powerful emotion she couldn't name.

  "Who…are…you?" he demanded, biting off each syllable. "You're not a whore, are you?"

  "What? No!"

  Why would he think that? Sure, Mia had worn a tight-fitting dress to the festival today, but it wasn't that revealing.

  His words came back to her. Was that what he'd meant by 'Nicky and her girls '? Prostitutes?

  "You're an omega," he said, almost to himself, releasing her abruptly.

  For a split second, Mia felt a crushing sense of loss as his touch fell away, but it didn't last long.

  Only until the last word sunk in. Omega.

  No.

  No. No. No.

  That was impossible. She wasn't. She couldn't be.

  She was a beta, just like everyone else she knew. There was no way that she could be an omega...and not just because she didn't want to believe it.

  Omegas were incredibly rare. Even more rare than alphas, or so she had been taught. But she also knew that no woman could know her true nature until she was in the presence of an alpha.

  Until she touched one. Felt his skin, his hot gaze. Until his pheromones found their way into her bloodstream and set off the reaction that had been lying in wait her entire life.

  Oh God, no.

  Mia started running again, her heart pounding wildly, dragging her injured leg. She wasn't only running from the alpha now—she was running from something even worse: her own true nature.

  The alpha caught her just as easily as he had before, taking only two strides for her dozen. Picking her up with one hand, he spun her around and pressed her chest against his. Intense dark eyes stared into hers.

  "Yes, you are." His voice was deep and strong, vibrating through her.

  The warmth Mia had felt when he first touched her ignited into raging flames. Her heart started to hammer, but this time it had nothing to do with fear. An entirely different emotion kindled in her now, a different kind of fire.

  Her hand moved independently of her mind, and Mia found herself reaching up and running her fingers through the alpha's thick, dark brown hair. She couldn't stop herself.

  Oh God, why couldn't she stop herself?

  She didn't want to lace her fingers around his massive neck. She didn't want to pull his lips down to hers. But she had to.

  His mouth crashed against hers. Mia swept her tongue hungrily over his lower lip, over the ridge of his teeth, wanting to taste him, drink him in.

  But just a taste wasn't enough. She wanted more. She needed more.

  Cradled tight in his arms, Mia drew her legs up and wrapped them around his waist. Unfamiliar wetness dampened the inside of her thighs. The night air chilled the skin, making her shiver in delicious contrast to the heat where their bodies met.

  The alpha growled his approval into her mouth before pulling back.

  "You are an omega," he roared. "My omega!"

  The last shred of rational thought that Mia still possessed rebelled at his words. This couldn't be real. It had to be a nightmare. She would rather be dead than an omega. At least then, her torture would be over.

  Now it was just beginning.

  Start Reading Ty Now

  * * *

  Samson: Book 3 (excerpt)

  No matter how many times Cassidy found herself in the presence of alphas, she couldn't help but feel like an outsider.

  A small, weak, fragile outsider.

  Maybe all betas felt that way. Perhaps they couldn't help it. It was probably a hormonal reaction. A survival response. A reminder to keep her head down and her movements and reactions submissive.

  The sound of Ian's footsteps behind her was all the motivation she needed to keep going and push past the unease. She shoved as hard as she could against the heavy door and slipped inside.

  Wow.

  Cassidy was greeted by the sound of music, conversation, and laughter. The bar was busier than she'd ever seen it. She supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised, considering what was on the menu.

  But this wasn't just an ordinary bar filled with people enthusiastically greeting the weekend.

  These were Alphas.

  When she had visited with Dr. Cheung, there had never been more than six or seven of th
em, but tonight there was at least twice that.

  The unease in Cassidy doubled as well.

  "Hey, little lady," a deep voice rumbled at her right. "Never seen you before. You must be new. What's your name?"

  Cassidy looked up…and up…into the face of a seven-foot tall alpha with shoulders that were wider than two of her pushed together.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  "Her name is Dr. Carr," an even deeper voice answered for her—a voice that Cassidy knew well. The rich sound resonated through her. "She's not one of Nicky’s girls."

  "My mistake," the first alpha said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "No offense meant."

  "None taken," Cassidy said, even though she knew that the apology was directed at the alpha behind her.

  The one with the voice that made her heart pump a little bit faster. She was reluctant to turn around and face him. She knew from experience that gazing into his eyes would only distract her more, and she wasn't quite ready for that yet.

  So she just said his name instead.

  "Samson."

  After seven visits in sixteen months, Samson was the only alpha who made her feel this way. Wary and cautious, sure, but also…fluttery. Cassidy winced at the thought. ‘Fluttery’ wasn't exactly a scientific description, but she couldn't think of a more accurate word for the changes in her heart rate, the temperature of her skin, the increased sensitivity in her fingertips, and…other places.

  Maybe it was the alpha's appearance—his thick brown hair, his deep brown eyes, his strong jawline, and chiseled cheekbones. There was no denying that Samson was more conventionally attractive than most alphas.

  But the differences didn't stop there: Samson was also taller, more massive, more muscular, more…everything than all the other alphas she'd met.

  "Dr. Carr," he said again.

  And on top of all that, he had a sense of humor too—a rare trait among alphas.

  "You shouldn't call me that," Cassidy chided as she turned around, unable to put off facing him any longer. "You know I haven't earned the title yet."

  Cassidy thought she was ready to greet him, but she had been wrong. Just as with every other visit, her first glimpse of Samson took her breath away.