Alpha Contender Boxed Set: BWWM Paranormal shifter romance BBW

by Terry Bolryder

  He dives deep with his tongue, and then takes one long, last stroke around my mouth, then gently flicks my lower lip, and then releases me, letting me sit back away from him.

  I catch myself with both hands on the carpet, and gasp for a few minutes while Lindon stands hurriedly and goes to the window, straightening his collar.

  “That shouldn’t have happened,” he says quietly, voice still hoarse. “I’m…damnit. Do I have no control?”

  “I think you have plenty good control, it must just be my pheromones,” I say, oddly hurt by the idea. But that’s why I’m here right? Because of my genes and my smell, not because of my personality, who I am as a person. It’s nothing to be sad over, I guess, unless I want to go back to being a spinster in that lonely bookstore.

  But Lindon, I can see him pace in front of the window, illuminated by the moonlight. He slams a fist into the wall and lowers his head, counting in a low tone.

  Then he glances at me, bites his lip again. “Damnit, Misty. I don’t know if I’m the best one to protect you after all.”

  “You are,” I protest, standing to go to him but he puts his large hand up to stop me, telling me not to come closer. “Why wouldn’t you be?”

  “Because,” he says, looking a combination of ashamed and confused. “I think perhaps I want you for myself.”

  A couple minutes go by in tense silence.

  I slump down on my bed in confused shock, running my fingers over my still-swollen lips as I consider Lindon’s words. My eyes meet his and then he looks away and out the window.

  I thought he had a mate, I thought he wasn’t looking anymore.

  He looks back at me, gold eyes glittering, and I realize there is still so much behind those beautiful eyes that I don’t understand at all. Still a distance.

  He opens the window and night air blows in, cooling the room and blowing away some of the delicious heat and the scent we were making together. I wait for him to say something, to follow up what he just said.

  He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what came over me.” He looks at his watch. I’m beginning to love it when he does that. “It’s late.” He runs his hands through his golden hair, as if he’s forgotten it’s quite short now, and then looks at me with eyes that are slightly lost. “I should go. Let you sleep. Tomorrow is going to get even crazier.”

  He starts for the door but I reach out and grab his hand. “What did you mean, you want me for yourself?”

  He frowns and refuses to meet my eyes. “I don’t know, Misty. It’s confusing. I was…I was certain that…it doesn’t matter. I’m here to protect you, not to take you. And I’ll have better control in the future.”

  I try to restrain a disappointed sigh. Even though things would have kind of fallen apart without him to run them, for a moment I really did want to think that Lindon could compete, and that the alpha challenges would be over sooner than I thought.

  But he had a mate, he said so, and he doesn’t want one again.

  “So, just my pheromones?” I ask.

  He flinches slightly, as if he doesn’t want to admit that’s the truth. “They’re strong.”

  I flinch and let my walls come back up. My body is cooling rapidly, whether from the chilled air from the window or the coldness radiating off Lindon, I don’t know. “Could you shut the window?” I ask.

  He nods silently and goes to do it, using that fluid grace he always has. Even when he flung Asher at the wall, he did it with that smooth coordination, like a dancer.

  “Lindon?” I say quietly, as he heads for the door.

  “Yes?” he turns back to me.

  I twist the blankets in my fingers, trying to think of exactly what I want to say. I’ve never really made an effort to talk to guys, and I don’t know how to connect with them if they aren’t in a book. “Never mind.”

  He rolls his lips together in a tight line, then nods. He gives me a short bow and opens my door. “Make sure and lock this after I leave,” he says. “I need to know you’re safe.”

  I stifle a groan. Doesn’t he see how confusing that is for me? For any woman?

  “You’ll lock it?” he asks again, too persistent for his own good.

  “Fine,” I snap at him. “I’ll lock the damn door.”

  “I’m sorry, Misty. I shouldn’t have lost control. After all, I—”

  “You already had a mate,” I say, biting my lip angrily. “I know.”

  He shrugs.

  “So maybe I won’t lock my door. Maybe I’ll go visit someone, or let them come visit,” I say.

  Anger flares in his eyes, lighting up the gold in the darkness, and he takes a step toward me. No, not anger, fury. “No, you won’t.”

  “Why not?” I ask, challenging him.

  “Because I’m going to need some damn sleep if I’m to deal with all of those idiots again and keep them off your ever-so-tempting ass.”

  I stick out my tongue at him, aware that it’s juvenile but not having any other good comeback. Plus, my ass obviously isn’t that tempting because he can just get up and walk away from me when I’m practically begging him to take me.

  He shakes his head. “Lock this door when I’m gone.” His eyes flick to mine, hard and dominant like they were earlier, without the sexy undertone. “You will, won’t you?”

  I nod. I only said that thing about the door to provoke him, because I was hurt that he forgot about this so-called other mate just long enough to make me hope. To say he wanted me. To kiss me senseless in a way that I feel no other man will ever be able to match.

  “Fine, I will. Now get out.” I turn my head away from him.

  “Misty, I…”

  “Get out! I need to sleep,” I say. He nods and leaves, shutting the door behind him. I sigh and get up to lock it, knowing he’s probably waiting out there for me to do it.

  Then I go to sit by the window. There’s a plush window seat cushion and I sit atop it and look out over the grounds.

  In the distance, near the tree line, several large wolves are running. Some of the guys must have gone out to run off some steam, and they’re beautiful, magnificent animals, lit by moonlight, flying over the grounds like silver bullets.

  One stops and looks up at me, then away, and I flush and lean against the window.

  I really am in a different world, now. But I no longer want to go back to my old one.

  I fall asleep against the window, not sure what I’m going to face when I wake up the next day.

  * * *

  * * *

  To be continued in Alpha Contender 2. Turn the page for the next volume!

  Alpha Contender 2

  Copyright © 2015 by Terry Bolryder

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers

  Chapter 1

  In my dream I’m falling, falling, and then a loud knock wakes me up just as I’m about to hit the ground. I sit up in shock, hair standing on end, and jerk my gaze to the window.

  Nothing.

  I let out my breath in a long sigh and turn to put my feet solidly on the ground, facing away from the window. I must have imagined it.

  Another knock sounds, and I flip around again to see a pair of amber brown eyes glaring at me from the side of the window. Short, dark red hair and tanned skin. A stubborn, jutting jaw.

  “Thor?” I ask in shock.

  He frowns and motions for me to open the window. How the hell did he get up here? I decide to open the window, knowing Lindon won’t approve but not knowing how else to deal with the idiot shifter so he doesn’t fall and kill himself out there.

  The minute the window opens, his stern look turns to a pleased grin and he swings in. I dodge out of the way and stumble back toward my bed as he lands in
a crouch and then comes to his feet in front of me. Impressively tall. Impressively handsome and put together this early in the morning.

  Impressively pleased with himself. He folds his arms and looks at me eagerly, and I wish I hadn’t landed straight on the bed. I also wish he wasn’t seeing me like this. Rumpled from sleeping in my clothes. The feel of Lindon still on my skin. My hair mussed everywhere.

  “Damn, you smell good in the morning,” he says, taking another step closer. Flexing those impressive biceps as he adjusts his folded arms. He smells of a sharp, clean scent. Icy mountain water, soap, something like that.

  I gulp. “You know what else smells good in the morning?” I ask sardonically. “Bacon. I think maybe you should give up the wall climbing and get yourself some of that instead.”

  He shrugs. “There are columns. Too easy.”

  “You know there are stairs,” I say.

  He shrugs. “I didn’t want to deal with anyone else seeing me. I wanted some time to you with myself.”

  I cringe and bite my lip, unsure if this is where I should yell for Lindon. He senses my intent and lunges forward, catching me with his hand gently over my mouth and his other hand on the bed before I can say anything.

  “Calm down, I’m not an animal. I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to get to know you. I feel like I don’t know you at all.”

  “You and everyone else,” I say warily, once he removes his hand, once he’s sure I’m not going to scream.

  “I know, but I’m the one you’re going to pick, so you should probably give me more info.” He walks around the room, looking around.

  “What are you doing?” I ask. The conceited, ab-obsessed shifter is walking to my desk, my closet, moving things around like he has a right to.

  I groan and rub my temples. If you’d told me a month ago that I’d wake up to a hot guy knocking on my window after climbing the wall to my second story bedroom, I’d have said you were crazy. But as Thor picks up the romance novel I left on my nightstand, I realize this is complete reality.

  And I’m about to be completely embarrassed.

  “What’s this?” he asks, seeing my reaction and flipping it open. “You and these stupid books. Books are so useless…” he trails off and a deep flush moves over his tanned, perfect cheekbones. Even though his face is identical to Lock’s his features look sharper with his shorter hair.

  He bites his lips and flips another page. “What is this? This is…” he looks at me, brows furrowed in confusion as he flips another few pages and looks down. Then he chucks the book away from him as if burned.

  “Those people, they were mating. You read books about mating?” For the first time, it looks like I’ve finally thrown the arrogant, sure-of-himself shifter off his game. And all it took was a romance novel.

  “Oh yes,” I say, picking up the book and coming forward. The big man backs up a little, looking almost afraid of me and my book. “And I expect whoever I mate with to do it just like this guy,” I say, pointing to the book. I’m just teasing, but it’s funny watching him sweat.

  He hooks a finger into the neck of his tight crew neck tee and pulls at the collar. Then he stops fidgeting and seems to calm himself. He takes a step forward, reaching out a hand for the book. “Fine, let me see it. If I’m going to be the one mating you…”

  I hand it to him, but not before opening it to a rather spectacular love scene.

  “Impossible!” he bursts out, throwing the book across the room. “Besides, I don’t need this Sylvester’s help to know how to please my woman.” He takes a step forward, arms at his sides, a predatory gleam in those gorgeous, amber eyes.

  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.r />
  “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.