Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set: A BBW and Wolf Shifter collection

by Bolryder, Terry

  I have to admit there’s something hot about his completely oblivious, caveman-esque behavior. But at the same time…

  “So, you won’t read it?” I ask, pouting.

  His brows furrow again. “Are you saying it’s important to you if I do?”

  I pick it up again. “Well…I don’t know. Might be kind of an advantage, since it’s one of my favorite books.”

  He swipes it from my hand. “Fine. And when I’m done with it, then I’ll claim you.”

  I shake my head. “When you’re done with it, we can talk about what you thought of it.”

  “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?” he asks, brows furrowed.

  “No,” I say, stifling a grin.

  “Well, fine. I’ll spend some time with this Sylvester dude, and we’ll go from there.” He tucks the book into his pocket, where it sticks out awkwardly. I’ll miss the book, but I’m guessing I won’t have much time to read it for the next few days.

  Before I can say much else, he closes the distance between us, bringing his lips over mine in a hard kiss, pulling me against him with a big, strong hand holding me around the waist. I feel tiny against him as he kisses me, oblivious to my weak struggle. He kisses my mouth like he owns it, making me warm down to my toes, and then finally releasing me just as I’m about to melt into him.

  “That’s a down payment,” he says, pulling the book out and waving it at me. “I’ll be back for the rest after I finish this.”

  “Wait,” I say, chasing him to the door. He raises an eyebrow in surprise.

  “What?”

  “Thor, why do you…why do you want me?”

  He cocks his head to the side, like he doesn’t understand the question. “Why wouldn’t I?” He takes a deep breath. “Oh hell, I better go. You’re smelling good again.” He shakes his head and leaves the room, leaving me staring in shock.

  Something tells me that man just does whatever he wants to. All the time.

  I sigh and go to the closet to gather some clothing. I need to shower, get Lindon off my mind and my skin. After all, he’s not in this. Yeah, for a minute, I thought he was. For a minute I really wanted him to be, but then…I shake my head and exhale hoarsely.

  No good thinking about it.

  I carry my stuff to the shower across the hall and look both ways. I don’t hear or see any guys, but I can smell something wafting up from the kitchen. Someone is cooking breakfast. Maybe Fifi? The other guys are probably still in bed, tired from beating their chests all day yesterday.

  I turn on the water and close and lock the door that separates the shower from the main bathroom. Then I shed my clothes and step into the steamy water. I have to admit that my time in the shower is some of my favorite time with my body. With the soap running over me, the steam all around like a sauna, I love the feel of my curves. Love running my hands over my soft waist as I wash, love dipping lower, running the suds between my legs.

  The steams feels so hot. It makes me think of Lindon last night, how much heat and pleasure he sent through me with a simple kiss. No, that kiss was anything but simple. I put my head under the faucet to wash the shampoo away and enjoy the hot water running over my hair and back like an exotic waterfall.

  I laugh as an image of Thor reading my book comes to my mind, and I wonder if I should tell Lindon about it.

  I frown. No, he put up his barriers again and I doubt he’d find anything funny about it.

  I turn off the water and towel off, feeling refreshed and ready to meet the day. I’m going to show these men who I am, not just cower behind Lindon, not letting them see the real me. I walk into the other part of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me and lean in toward the mirror. I tuck wet hair behind my ear and grin at my reflection. I look clean and pretty. About as good as I’m going to look.

  I guess I’ll put that makeup on again. I liked the effect it had on the men. I grin at the thought of how much work I’m going to put Lindon through.

  Then the outer door opens and I squeak in shock as Tim and Tom come through the door. They’re both shirtless, both impossibly tall, Tom slightly shorter, just an inch or two. They both have impressive muscles, like every man in this house, and I can count the abs. Two eight packs. Four ken doll lines.

  Two simultaneous male intakes of breath as they look over me with intense gray eyes.

  “What are you doing in our bathroom?” Tim asks, folding his arms and taking a step forward, inhaling the air as he goes as an odd light comes into his eyes.

  “Maybe she wanted us to show her some more of our…strengths,” Tom says, a small smile quirking one side of his mouth. I love the combination of their dark skin, light gray eyes, and dark hair. Even one of them would be stunning, but together, they’re utterly overwhelming. So much man.

  “Um, your bathroom?” I squeak out, trying to remember I said I was going to be sassy today.

  Tim steps forward, lifting my hair and smelling it. I’m so aware of his body next to mine, can feel his body heat not far away. And I’m so aware that I’m naked under this towel.

  Tom steps forward. I try to take a step back and hit Tim’s naked back, and he puts a hand on my bare shoulder. Electrifying.

  I gasp, and Tom walks forward, taking advantage of the fact that Tim has me immobile. My lips part in surprise. This is probably the part that I should scream, but instead I feel my legs shaking in anticipation at what the two gorgeous brothers want to do to me.

  Tom tilts my chin with one long finger, forcing my gaze up to his. His eyes drop to my lips, which I lick quickly without thinking, causing him to make a sharp intake of breath.

  He just stands there, making me hold my breath in anticipation, and Tom’s warm hand moves down my shoulder, over my arm, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

  Holy shit, why do they all make everything feel so good? I close my eyes and take a breath to scream, but Tom claps a hand over my mouth. My eyes widen, and I brace myself for a fight, but he holds up a finger.

  “Tch, we don’t need Lindon trying to kill us just because you accidentally wandered into our bathroom.” He removes his hand. “We aren’t going to do anything, no need to freak out…”

  “Well, technically, since she came to us, couldn’t we…” Tim leans forward from behind me, before I can say anything, and places a searing kiss on my shoulder. He sucks gently, probably leaving a mark.

  I squeak, because it’s ticklish. Tom’s eyes widen in anger and he glares at his brother. “Stop it, do you want everyone to get the wrong idea?”

  Tim takes his hands off me. “It was just one little kiss…the others got one…”

  “This is true,” Tom says. He takes a step forward, and I blush at his proximity as we come nose to nose.

  I can feel his heat, smell his scent, smoky and woodsy and attractive, feel my body reacting to him. He puts a hand up to lightly touch my face and then scans over my towel clad body with a long, slow glare.

  I should feel embarrassed. No one has seen me this naked, and I’m used to feeling self conscious. But the look in his eyes, the heated lust, the pure wanting, makes me feel attractive and beautiful. It’s a nice feeling, even if I do sort of want to get dressed and face them again with clothes.

  He tilts my chin up to look at me, and I can’t look away from those smoky gray eyes. “I guess it’s only fair.” He brings those soft, sculpted lips closer to mine, and I suck in a breath in anticipation.

  “Are these guys bothering you?” A male voice interrupts. I look over Tim’s shoulder to see Thor in the doorway, simmering with quiet anger.

  I swallow, and Tom’s face tightens in irritation before he turns around to face the lone shifter. “This isn’t your business.”

  “Oh, it’s very much my business. That’s my future mate right there,” Thor says.

  I raise an eyebrow and Tim laughs. “That’s some nice wishful thinking, but no. Not yet she’s not. Besides, we’re just taking what the others did. You can too, if you want. She seems f
ine with it.”

  Thor’s eyes meet mine, a silent question in them. He wasn’t the type I ever expected to come to my rescue, but I can’t say I’m not glad to see him.

  I pull my hair over my shoulder, covering the spot Tim kissed.

  Thor shakes his head. “Let her go get dressed.” He may act like an idiot a lot of the time, and he may think his abs are his best quality, but he also seems to have a code of conduct.

  Despite the fact that Tom was only planning one kiss, he seems determined not to back down now that Thor wants him to. “Make me.”

  Chapter 2

  Thor growls, and is about to charge forward when a tanned arm locks around his neck and hauls him back.

  “Easy, big guy,” Lock says, coming in front of his startled twin with a calm grin. “Alright friends, let’s let Misty go back to her room before Lindon ends up coming up here to kick some ass, right? After all, we’re all alpha males. We don’t need to resort to bullying to find willing females, do we?” he asks, a plain warning in his tone.

  Lock may look casual, with his soft red hair falling in layers around his face, and that easy smile he always wears. But there’s a fierce glint in his amber brown eyes that makes it clear he’s not one to be reckoned with.

  “Who said we were bullying?” Tim says sulkily, not moving out of my way.

  “What was someone saying about Lindon coming up here?” A familiar low voice growls from the doorway, and then I see Lindon’s face. “I swear, I can’t even sleep in without you idiots causing…” he stops when he pushes past the twins and locks eyes with me, and lets out a low growl as he takes in my state of undress.

  “Damn it, all of you get out of here! Now!” he shouts, clenching his hands into fists.

  “It’s our bathroom,” Tim grumbles, pouting. Tom just watches with silent eyes as Lindon rushes past them, scoops me up in his arms, keeping the towel tight to my legs, and carries me past all four males and out of the bathroom.

  “Hold on to my neck,” he says.

  I do, still shocked, watching wide-eyed as he carries me to my door, shifts my weight to open it with one hand, and puts me down on the bed inside. Then he rushes to the door and shuts it.

  When he looks back at me, I can see stress lines on his face, under his eyes, like he didn’t sleep well. He’s still as handsome as ever, but his short hair is mussed, his tee shirt crooked like he just stumbled out of bed, and his golden eyes are glaring angrily at me like this is all my fault. Like I was the one who chose to come to this madhouse.

  Well, I did agree, but it’s not like it was my idea. I didn’t set it up. I bite my lip and scoot back on the bed, covering myself with the towel.

  He sighs and turns away. “Get your clothes and get dressed.”

  “Um, they’re in the bathroom.”

  He huffs and shakes his head. “I’ll be right back.” The door shuts behind him, and before I can really process anything, he’s back in, a pile of clothing in his arms. He walks forward to toss my stuff on the bed in front of me, and stops, golden gaze locked on my shoulder.

  Where Tim kissed me. Shit.

  His eyes darken, narrowing to slits, and a muscle in his jaw works furiously. He drops the clothing on me and turns away without a word, storming to the door.

  “Lindon, what are you doing?” I say, trying to get off the bed quickly, but then tripping on my towel and going down with a squeak into a naked heap.

  The door bursts open, Thor behind it. “What are you doing to her? I heard a scream,” Thor says, pushing his way in with cold eyes. He sees me on the ground, scrambling to get my towel, and takes a surprised step back when he realizes Lindon wasn’t even close to me.

  Lindon’s face flicks from me to him in fury, and I can see the moment he decides he’s going to kill someone, and that someone is going to be Thor.

  “Wait!” I cry out, trying to stop him. “He didn’t do anything. In fact, earlier, he tried to save me.”

  Thor raises an eyebrow. “I wasn’t saving you. I was just defending my property.”

  Lindon takes a deep breath and shoves the other man out. “Just get out. Now.” He shuts the door and does the lock and turns to me, glowering.

  I stand slowly, not sure exactly why he’s so mad or who he’s mad at.

  He folds his arms and gestures to the mark. “Who did it? I’m gonna kill him.”

  “It’s just a kiss,” I snap. “Nothing more than you did.” His eyes flash at that, but I don’t care. “Now turn around, I’m tired of trying to talk to men while I’m naked.”

  He turns around, still silently seething, and I hurry to put on my clothes. When I’m dressed, he whips back around without even asking. I guess he could tell by the lack of movement.

  “So, now are you going to explain why I had to be woken by men arguing, and find you in another man’s bathroom surrounded by four hungry alpha males? I mean, I’m here to protect you but I fail to understand how even you can get into a situation that naively stupid.”

  Angry tears prick my eyes at that, and, not wanting to let him see them, I dive under the covers, fully clothed.

  I’m done with this stupid place, and all the overwhelming, irritating…

  A soft sigh, and then Lindon walks over and sits on the side of the bed. I’m facing away from him.

  “I’m sorry, okay? You scared me. Seeing you in there with all of them, I can’t explain how it scared me. I mean, something could have happened.” I hear his palm hit his face. “And then to look over, and see that something did happen.”

  “Just a kiss.”

  “He marked you. Don’t you know what that means?”

  “What?”

  “If any of the others see it, they’ll want to one up it. They’ll know. They’ll all be constantly trying to make sure they’ve done as much as the others.”

  “Why?” I ask.

  “One, because they’re horny. But two, because alpha males are very aware that their sexual prowess is a big aspect of what they have to offer, and they’d be eager to show you they’re just as capable as the next.”

  I swallow. “Oh. That explains a lot.”

  “And why weren’t you using your bathroom?” he asks.

  I freeze. “What do you mean?”

  He gestures to a door at the side of the room. “That connects to your bathroom.”

  “I didn’t know…” I say.

  “Aspen,” he growls, putting his palm over his face again and dragging it down slowly.

  “It’s not her fault. I just…it didn’t occur to me. I’ve never lived somewhere like this.”

  “Alright, well, now you know,” he says.

  “Yeah, it won’t happen again.”

  We sit in silence for a moment, him thinking pensively as he plays with a fluff from my comforter between two fingers. Then he tosses it aside. “And what’s up with Thor?” he asks, shaking his head. “Getting all protective over you. I thought he was the worst of all of them.”

  “Well, he did call me property.”

  That draws a small smile from Lindon, and I can see that adorable dimple popping up on his cheek. “Yeah, that he did. Damn, Misty. What are we going to do if none of them deserves you?”

  There’s a silent moment then, just looking at one another, and the pleasure of last night hovers between us, promising, worrying. Like it could happen again. Like I’d want it to.

  Judging by the way he’s eyeing me, by the anger and possession in his eyes as his gaze flicks from the mark on my neck to my lips, he’d like to as well.

  But we shouldn’t do that again. It just builds up false promises. Just begs for him to have to hurt me again.

  Then a soft knock sounds on the door.

  We both freeze, attention on the door. Another knock.

  “Hey Lindon, it’s Lock. Let me in. You know you can trust me.”

  Lindon sighs. “He is one of the more sane ones, I guess,” he mutters grumpily. “Fine, coming.”

  “I heard that,” Lock ret
orts happily. “And I’m flattered you think so.”

  Lindon just growls in response and opens the door. Lock holds up his hands in a placating gesture.

  “Look, I know you’re tired. I was thinking, maybe you could stay here, get a shower, make some breakfast for you and Misty, and I could take her out for a while.”

  Lindon stares at Lock, nearly exactly the same height as the other man. “How do I know I can trust you?”

  Lock scratches the back of his head bashfully. “Well, I mean, all I can give is my word. But who else can you trust more?”

  Lindon nods tersely, then turns to me. “Take your watch.” He turns back to Lock. “You going on your motorcycle?”

  Lock nods. “I thought it’d be fun.” He gives me a wink and I blush.

  “All right, as long as you keep to the back roads, where there are no cars,” Lindon says.

  Lock nods eagerly. “No problem.” He’s wearing a leather jacket that goes nicely with his tight jeans and liberal ear piercings. A bad boy with a heart of gold. Or maybe not a bad boy at all.

  “Okay,” Lindon says. “I’m going to go out then. Let Misty finish getting ready and she’ll come down to you.”

  Lock nods. “Maybe I’ll just wait outside the door. Preclude anymore trouble before we can get out of here.”

  Lindon nods, eyeing the man with new respect. He’s probably relieved to have someone else he can trust to help wrangle the impossible men all around him. He puts a hand on Lock’s arm as he goes out. “Take care of her. I’m trusting you.”

  Lock nods, and they go outside.

  I blush at the exchange, left alone in my room.

  I can’t forget Lindon’s eyes on my shoulder, the rage in them, the possessiveness that I’m not sure even he is aware of.

  I think it’s going to take a motorcycle to make me forget. I grin and pull out my makeup bag.

  -----

  “Wow, you look great,” Lock says, running his eyes up and down my body when I come out to meet him.

  I grin back at him. Today, I’m wearing my hair in a side ponytail and have light makeup on. Just foundation to even out my skin, some mascara, and a swipe of bright, reddish-pink lipstick to highlight what I think are pretty nice lips.