He’s wearing a light blue sweater in elegant cashmere and chinos that press against his firm, muscled thighs. An animal in luxury clothing. He sees me watching him and flicks his gaze to mine. The gold there captivates me instantly, and I have to fight to look away from the irritating man.
But it’s too late. His scent is filling the room and it’s hard not to react. Apparently we shifters communicate through smells. I can feel a full body blush taking over my body, which is just embarrassingly aware of him. I guess I should be more excited about the prospect of the upcoming alpha challenges, because it means I’ll finally meet some other eligible males and be free of him.
“Rowan’s looking for you,” he says, in that smooth, silky voice of his. He takes a few steps further into the room, then puts his hands in his pockets and looks around. “What do you think of the library?”
“Hmph. Full of books.”
He eyes me with amusement. “As a library should be.” He takes another few steps forward and then stops, just ahead of the table where I’m sitting. “Look, you aren’t going to keep holding a grudge forever, are you? Just over a few little words?”
I tense up, trying to shield myself from the memory that comes up when he mentions it. No good.
Two weeks ago. I was coming in behind Rowan, insisting on carrying my own bags. When the door opened, I saw Lindon, standing there in the doorway like some kind of golden prince, just for me. And if Rowan was right about men like him existing, then shouldn’t he be right about them wanting me?
Yeah…well…
“That’s her?” he had said, raising one perfect eyebrow in disdain. “Not much to look at, is she? Honestly, Rowan, have a little better taste next time you try to set me up.”
I don’t know if I’ve ever been as angry as I was then. Even though he apologized when he found out who I was. Even though he seemed much more interested after sniffing me.
I’ve known guys like him my whole life. The ones who made fun of me in high school. The hot guys, the ones I was better off avoiding in real life and knowing only in books.
Speaking of which, if Lindon would just go away, I could go back to reading about Sylvester, the naughty duke…
Lindon clears his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said. It was thoughtless. I thought you were just another of the random females my dad has been trying to push at me.” He brushes soft hair off his face. It’s this beautiful mix of different light golds, and blond doesn’t really describe it. And that face.
Remember, he’s an asshole, I remind myself.
“But you can’t just keep holding it against me forever. You’re going to need me.”
“Hmph,” I say, standing to go past him. “Maybe I’ll go find Rowan after all. Even his company is preferable to yours.” Plus, Rowan still has more to tell me about the arrangement for finding me a mate, and is still introducing the possible candidates. All hot, all rich.
So there, Lindon.
When I try to go past him, he catches my arm easily in his. His gentle grip is like steel over my chubby upper arm, and I give him a stern glare in response. He doesn’t release me. He pulls me closer, and his pheromones waft over me. Pheromones, that’s what these crazies call the ‘do me’ smells that emit from us. Some more than others.
“You’re going to need me, Misty,” he says, eyes going dark as he takes in my scent. He grins and pointed canines flash at me for a moment. “With that scent, you’re definitely going to need me.”
I yank my arm away, trembling with need for him after standing in his space for only a few seconds. He has an incredible effect on me, but until I meet other males my age, I have no reason to assume that’s something out of the ordinary. “I don’t think I will. I’ll just take a bath.”
He shrugs. “It’s getting worse, as you find who you are. It’s going to keep getting worse.”
“And what happens then?”
He pushes me back gently, walking me until my back hits a bookshelf and I look up at him with wide eyes. “Then?”
“Then,” I murmur, trying not to think about sex with him in the mountains.
“Then, males will want to have sex with you, even more than you want it with me right at this very moment. And males of our kind aren’t very willing to wait for what they want.” He tilts my chin up arrogantly and smiles down at me.
“They’d rape me?” I say in disgust.
He looks up and purses his lips, as if pretending to consider it. Then turns back to me with those flashing, captivating eyes. “Not rape, no. At least they shouldn’t. But they might get…” He comes closer, till his face is so close I can feel his breath, and his scent is getting me higher every moment. “Aggressive,” he says.
“Aggressive?” I ask, hating myself for wishing Lindon was a little more aggressive right now.
“Yes, and if you ask nicely, maybe I’d be willing to protect you.”
I flush at that, angry at his arrogant presumption that I’d need him. “Like hell.”
He shrugs, making formidable pecs and strong shoulders obvious in his thin sweater. “Suit yourself.” Then he pushes off the shelf and away from me. “Anyway, as I said, Rowan wants to talk to you. There are still some things to go over, before we head over to the mansion.”
I let out the breath I was holding, then scramble over to the table to pick up my book. “Lindon,” I say, turning to him with the book clutched in front of my chest, like I can ward him off with it. “I don’t want you at the mansion.”
His usually cool expression darkens, and then he smiles that smooth, irritating half smile again. “Luckily for you, it’s not your decision. He’s waiting for you in the office,” he says. “Don’t dally.”
Dally? Who does he think he is? Sylvester? I throw the book at the ground and then bend to pick it up, wondering at how often I seem to lose my temper these days.
It really does seem like something is awakening inside me, though. Something unlike I’ve ever been. And the thought scares me.
But knowing what I know, Rowan is right. I can’t just go back to my world. And I’m not sure I’d even want to. It’d be so normal, so boring for me now. There’s nothing waiting for me there.
So I drag myself to Rowan’s office, preparing for more info on the wondrous things awaiting me.
Chapter 2
When I get to Rowan’s office (which is something from some catalogue for rustic billionaire hideouts, filled with heavy, ornate furniture and a large, U-shaped desk) I see a box of powdered donuts on the desk and frown, wondering what announcement is going to accompany this overt act of bribery.
“Misty,” Rowan says, smiling that wolfish smile as he stands from the desk and beckons me in. “Look what I had brought in for you.” He pushes them toward me.
“Hmph,” I say, eyeing them with no small amount of temptation but still stinging from what Lindon said about my looks. “Maybe if I’m going into this mate picking thing I should be watching my figure.”
“In that case,” Lindon says, coming in through the heavy door, uninvited and irritating, “You should eat the donuts. Shifters like our women with some meat on their bones.”
I wrinkle my nose at the description, now not wanting the donuts just because he is in favor of them. But I take the box on my lap anyway. I’ll need them as a palliative if Rowan is going to start going into super details about the mate hunt again.
“So,” I say, taking a donut out and brushing it a little so I can bite it without powder flying up. “Tell me again why I have to hole up in a mansion with ten or so wolf men?”
Lindon sighs, Rowan grins, and I stuff the donut in my mouth whole, chewing with a stubborn look on my face that says what I’m doing isn’t for anyone but me.
Lindon takes the chair next to me and leans back in it, folding his arms. “Explain it to me again, too. I’m still not understanding. Why can’t we just put her back where she came from? She doesn’t want to be here.” He doesn’t look at me as he s
ays it, the bastard.
“One, she doesn’t belong there. Two, there are plenty of packs that would be happy to have her. Face it, Lindon, it’s been a long time since an alpha female was discovered with no ties to any current pack, let alone a full blood one.”
“I guess Aspen doesn’t count?”
“As I said, a long time. And Aspen was an exception.”
My ears perk up and I swallow my donut roughly, wishing for some milk. “Who’s Aspen?”
“None of your business,” Lindon mutters.
But Rowan stays patient as always. “You’ll meet her at some point. She’s a full blood alpha too, and mated to my son, Rafe, also a full blood alpha.” He radiates pride as he talks and I suddenly need another donut to deal with the smugness.
“Fine. But what about the mansion?” I ask.
“Well, as I said before, because of the rarity of finding someone like you, the Tribunal, that’s our ruling authority, sort of, has decided that the fairest way to decide things is to have every interested pack send their most eligible alpha or alphas. Those who aren’t mated and are at least half blood.”
“Ah. Wouldn’t the fairest way be for me to just pick? Is there a hot guy catalog I can look at or something?”
Lindon’s frown deepens and I smirk and shove anther donut in my mouth.
Rowan shakes his head. “No, but I did put together some printouts with info to get you ready for the mansion.”
“Just where is this mansion?” I ask, dusting my fingers off on my pants.
“You’ll see when you get there,” he says cryptically, sliding a sheaf of papers over to me. “You can read this tonight, if you want.”
“Why does Lindon have to come, again?” I ask resentfully.
“Because you’ll need someone to look out for you, make sure none of the other potential alphas get out of line.”
“Out of line?”
“Um…forceful,” Rowan says, looking uncomfortable at the thought of it. “Well, it’s not like we’re monsters, Misty. But it’s just…let me explain it like this. Sometimes, those of us with alpha blood, we have something called alpha powers. Passed down genetically.”
“Right, what does that have to do with me? I haven’t even turned into a wolf yet.”
“That’s because having never been close to our world or another wolf shifter, that part of you has been very suppressed. That’s why it was hard for me to find you. Your scent, your urges, your abilities, were all tucked away, your body’s way of protecting yourself until you could be with your kind again. Shifters can’t be discovered by humans, for obvious reasons.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’d fear us, hurt us, exploit us.”
“But aren’t we stronger?” I ask.
“Numbers, dear. They have greater numbers,” he replies.
Lindon lets out a little huff of impatience. “Can I go now?”
“No,” Rowan says. “Wait. I’m still explaining things to Misty, and I want you here to back me up.”
“Awkward,” Lindon says.
“So anyway, I’m not positive, as your scent is still changing, but I suspect you have kind of an unusual alpha power. One your mother also had, and which helped her attract a very powerful alpha and my best friend.”
“So she wasn’t pretty like the rest of you?”
“No, of course she was beautiful. It’s just that we don’t measure beauty the same way you do. Attraction for us is a combination of things. Good genetic fit, physical beauty, and of course scent.”
“Scent?”
“Right. Alphas give out the strongest pheromones, especially to other alphas, which helps them find the most suitable mates. But the problem in your case is that your alpha power makes your scent extra strong. Nearly irresistible to eligible males, I’m guessing.”
“What do you mean?” I thumb a finger in Lindon’s direction. “He obviously doesn’t find me irresistible.”
“As I said before, Lindon is a special case.”
“Right.” I take another donut.
“My sons have extra control in resisting pheromones. One of their alpha powers that gives them more ability to choose logically rather than be overwhelmed.”
“Okay, so I smell super good. I’m not seeing the problem, or why that means that Lindon has to come to the mansion, given that he’s not at all interested in claiming me as a mate.”
“Well, that’s the thing. Your ability would have been an asset a long time ago, when there were more females and you’d have needed to stand out to get attention. But in a world already starved for females of our kind, let alone alpha females with pure blood, it’s not the best power to have. In fact, it could make you a target of some unpleasant things, if males got desperate enough.”
“Can’t we mask it then? Can I wear perfume or something?”
“We can try. One of my sons is mated to an alpha female who used something to disguise her scent for some time, but Lindon, with his powerful nose, wasn’t fooled, and her scent wasn’t even as strong as yours. Just a normal alpha female’s scent. You have to understand, when a male smells even a weaker version of your scent, he’d do anything to claim you.”
“Well, maybe more of them will be like Lindon,” I suggest hopefully. I set down the donut in my hand. This conversation is starting to give me a headache. First Rowan was saying that I would have men fight over me, like it’d be a good thing. Now he’s saying that they won’t be able to control themselves around me. And I have to laugh. It’s not that I don’t believe him, it’s just hard to even imagine as someone who men have never paid any attention to.
I’ve always stood on the sidelines, watching the prettier, skinnier girls get the attention. And I told myself it didn’t bother me. And up until a few weeks ago, I was pretty satisfied with my life.
And then he had to bait me with pictures of his attractive offspring and bring me to this world which sounds frankly dangerous for me.
“So that’s why we’ll have Lindon there. We’ll tell them he’s just there to participate, and as he’s a more than eligible alpha and a part owner of the mansion, they can’t refuse. Meanwhile, he can keep an eye on the candidates and make sure no one breaks any rules or tries to force you.”
“And how is he supposed to stop someone, huh?” I ask, nodding his direction. “He’s not exactly huge, or ripped.”
Rowan smiles in Lindon’s direction, and Lindon rolls his eyes. “I think you’ll find my son perfectly capable as a protector.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. Sounds like daddy has a favorite. Well, we’ll see if Lindon is all that he says he is. All I know so far is that he’s a snob.
“Fine. I get it. I mean, it’s still sinking in, but I get it. But why would you send him in with me anyway? Why would it matter to you if someone forced me? I’d be carrying on the race, right? That’s all that matters.”
“No, Misty,” Rowan says, face going serious. “What matters is keeping a promise to your father, to find you and make sure you were happy. I failed for many long years, but I’ll see you settled and happy now. And if you don’t find anyone you want, you can come back here and decide what to do next and my family will guard you with their lives.”
“Even if this Tribunal thing comes after us?”
“Even then.” Rowan smiles. “Even the Tribunal knows that my pack is not to be reckoned with.”
Lindon nods in my peripheral vision. “We’ll protect you, Misty. But first, we’ll see if we can find you a mate.”
Something in me stirs at that. Lindon, promising to protect me. But my pride is still scarred by his words the night I met him. I don’t know that I can forgive him for that. I was worried that people in this world would treat me as badly as people in my old world, and he proved me right in my fears.
“You’ll be happy once mated, Misty,” Rowan says. “I can guarantee that. It’s brought all of my sons happiness. Well, except…”
Lindon stands abruptly. “Are we done?�
��
“Yes,” Rowan says. “We are done.”
“Good, then I’m leaving.” Lindon gives me a short nod and a bow and takes leave of the room.
I shake my head after the door shuts behind him. “I’m never going to understand that man,” I say wearily.
Rowan sighs and meets my eyes with a sympathetic glance. “Join the club.”
---
Later that night, I’m staying up late in bed with what I have come to call “The Hottie Catalogue”. It still doesn’t feel real. Even though I’m here under the covers in a large canopy bed in a huge lodge furnished for vacationing royalty, I still feel like someone is going to pinch me and wake me up.
I lick a finger and turn the page, going back to the one with twins on it. Yum.
Both have deep auburn hair and identical handsome, masculine faces. I wonder if that’s a buy one, get one free situation? I chuckle to myself and flip back to another page. One with a male with deep green eyes and black hair, tall and wide and buff, nothing like Lindon’s golden, lean beauty…
I jump and sit up when the door opens. Speak of the devil…
“Having fun perving?” Lindon asks, folding his arms languidly and leaning against the open door frame. In the dim light of the hall he’s a sexy shadow, long and lean and tight and muscled. Then he turns to me and those gold eyes gleam. He steps forward into the low light of my room, perfect features illuminated as he does.
Damn, he’s perfect. Something drawn by someone in a contest to create the most beautiful possible creature that could still pass for a man.
His lips quirk at my perusal. Is he going to smile? I hope so, when he does, a delicious little dimple shows at one side of his mouth, and if he smiles fully, I can glimpse perfect, sharp white canines.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he says sardonically. When I reach for my new cell phone on the bedside table, he groans and waves a hand. “It was a joke.”
“I knew that,” I say. Yeah right. I drop the phone and sit back up. What page was I on again? Maybe I’ll go back to the twins…
“So, any frontrunner contenders yet?” he asks. “Anything you like particularly in a man?”
Alpha Contender Boxed Set: BWWM Paranormal shifter romance BBW Page 2