by Bryce Evans
Beta’s Delight
Dixon Pack Book 2
Bryce Evans
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Blurb
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Coming Soon
Also by Bryce Evans
About the Author
Beta’s Delight © March 2016 Bryce Evans
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Art and Logo Copyright © Bryce Evans
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All rights reserved.
Edited by: Suzanne Lahna
Artwork by: Andy Atkins
Formatted by: Stacey Price
Published by: Bryce Evans
E-books are not transferrable.
This book is intended for the purchaser’s sole use.
Sharing, or downloading to other individuals or devices is illegal.
This work is fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.
All Rights Are Reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Dedication
I would like to acknowledge my mom, who passed away a few years ago; she told me to follow my dreams and never allow anyone to tell me I couldn’t achieve them.
Thanks to the love of my life, John, for making me a place to write and even taking up the slack when I was typing away in my own world. You helped to make my dream come true. It may be a small table in the corner, but it’s my corner of make believe, where dreams do come true.
Thanks to my beautiful kids, who keep me grounded and drive me crazy at the same time. I love you all.
Thanks to Janka Dustan who agreed to be my PA and tells me now what to do and when to do it. We have been figuring it and having a great time at it. Thanks Janka.
A special thanks to my friend Bobbi Kinion, who beta reads and gives me great advice. Also, thank you to all of my Nite Stalkers who have stood behind me throughout the good and bad times. Thank you, Bobbi Kinion, Kent Kinion, Kristina Galbert, Janka Dustan, Amy Bowens, Lori Backfire Twardokus, Ronda Reed, Debbie Raddatz, Lori Engelbrektso, and Penny DeLoche.
Thanks to the Bryce Evans Paranormal Society, who have helped me spread the word of my books and keep driving me.
A SPECIAL THANKS to the REBELS. You know who you are.
It’s a long road but it’s worth it! We did it!!!!!! And now we are making it a reality.
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Please be kind and leave a review on the site you purchased the book from.
Blurb
Simone Alexander fled her life for a new one in the small town of New Hope. Entrusted with a new friend’s secrets, she finds herself immersed in a world of shifters that she never even knew existed. Her plans to open a bakery of her own seem riddled with hurdles—the biggest being a wolf shifter named Bane.
Beta wolf of the Dixon Pack, Bane Cross, was intrigued by Simone when she was a still a stranger on the other end of the phone. His plan is to charm her when he finally meets her in person, but he keeps putting his foot in his mouth.
Can Bane untie his tongue long enough to protect Simone when danger from her past shows up on her doorstep, or will this sugary sweet baker break his heart?
Chapter One
“We need more beer!” Terry Dunn yelled.
Simone cringed; his yelling echoed off the walls. She didn’t want to go back in the living room with Terry and his friends. He had been grabbing her all night, trying to raise her shirt up so his friends could see her breasts. The stench of alcohol and cigarettes riddled her home from an all-nighter full of his friends watching TV and playing poker. Her apartment was totally trashed with cigarette burns in her couch and chairs. Instead of putting their empty beer bottles in the trash, they just racked them on the floor.
Terry Dunn was a good-looking man who had charmed her from day one with his handsome face and muscular body. Coming into the bakery sometimes twice a day had made Simone believe he was interested in her. His blond hair and blue eyes filled her with hope, or at least, that’s what she had thought. In the end, his eyes were simply the devil, filled with pain, anger, and misery—something she chose to overlook again and again. Why, why didn’t she just leave and never look back? She continued to ask herself over and over. The only reason she could give was the devil inside him, playing tricks on her again and again, making Simone believe that he was the way to salvation, when really she was on the path to hell.
“Now Simone,” She knew that tone. Quickly, Simone grabbed the beer in the refrigerator and took it into the living room. Everyone was watching her. She leaned down, and put the beer on the table. “I told them you would do it.”
Simone narrowed her eyes at Terry. “Do what?”
“Strip on that table. They bet me you wouldn’t, and I told them that you would. Now baby, you know I can’t loose that money for the rent. So get your sweet ass up there and show them what you got.”
“No!” Simone felt disgusted as the men all moved up in their seats, eager to see what was going to happen. She started to walk off, when Terry jumped up and grabbed her by the arm.
“I said get up on the table, now.” Terry gripped her arm so hard that it felt like he was going to cut her skin open.
“No Terry. Go sober up.” Again, she tried to leave, but Terry’s big arms grabbed her. He was a muscular man. At first, it had been sexy, but now she knew he was just a bully who used her as his personal punching bag. Simone tried to hit him, but his fist smashed into her side first. She could hear the pop, and knew that he had cracked a rib, maybe even two. Simone screamed out in pain as her boyfriend threw her on top of the table.
“If you won’t strip, then I will strip for you.” Terry tried to pull her shoes off, and she kicked him in the head. She was terrified, screaming for help at the top of her lungs. Terry hit her in the stomach to silence her cries, slapping her in the face for her protests. She tried to move, but couldn’t as he tore her shirt open. Then, without warning, he stopped. Apparently, Simone had made enough noise—the only reason he paused was the pounding on the door.
“Shit man, it’s the cops.” Mossy yelled out. Terry and his cohorts ran to the window in the kitchen and threw it open. They were so drunk that one of them fell over the chair, slamming it into the wall.
Simone screamed out, “Help me, please!” and the front door was kicked in. She moaned in agony. Her chest was in agony as she gasped for breath. She leaned to her side and vomited on the floor; she wanted to die. Her life had been a living hell with Terry. All she wanted to do was leave this place, and never look back.
* * *
Simone woke up in the hospital two days later with Mr. Olsen sitting at her bedside. Her kind friend and boss was smiling as she opened her eyes. She still couldn’t believe how old he was?
“How are you sweetie?”
Simone smiled and shook her hea
d.
“As soon as you’re better, I have a place for you to go and change your life.”
Mr. Olsen was always telling her to get away from Terry. He had only been in the store a few times since they had gotten together, but from day one her boss had told her Terry was bad news. She wanted to cry as Mr. Olsen pulled his chair closer to her bed, and picked up her hand. Despite his age, Mr. Olsen, looked like a man in his forty’s. His black hair was always kept neat, just like his mustache. He never made her feel uncomfortable or talked down to her. He educated her on the business and taught her everything she knew. He was always proud of her new confections, encouraging her every step of the way.
“It’s a place of hope, Simone. If that’s what you want?” Mr. Olsen asked. She could see his blue eyes, pleading that she would say yes. If only that was true, she thought.
“He will find me,” she croaked out. Her throat ached as she tried to take in shallow breaths.
“No honey, he won’t find you here. I have some friends in New Hope, Georgia. It’s a small town, but they have a great storefront there that is bringing in a lot of business. I thought maybe you could open up a bakery next door. You know how to do that, Simone. I have taught you everything I know, and business has never been better. You’ve surpassed me by leaps and bounds with your own creations. You have worked in my bakery for ten years; you know it as well as I do. I know you can do this.”
“But, Mr. Olsen, I don’t have that kind of money—”
“You can borrow it from me, but I still expect those confections you create to be e-mailed to me, with step by step instructions on how to make them. When you get on your feet, we can talk about a monthly payment plan for the money I’m lending you. I was just going to give it to you, but I know how you are about taking handouts, so it’s a loan, and I won’t take no for an answer. I think of you as a daughter, Simone. You bake like a master and you will be missed, but if you don’t do this, he will kill you. All you need to do is nod your head yes.”
Simone wanted to cry. She couldn’t believe it. She would be the owner of a bakery, and most of all, she would be free from Terry. Simone nodded yes; Mr. Olsen smiled big and bright.
“Good. You can go home today to pack your things. We’ll hide you at the rural home of one of my family members, far out in the country. When you are well enough, then you will drive to New Hope, Georgia. Deal?”
“Deal.” Simone squeaked out. Her ribs felt like red-hot pokers were pushing inside her chest as she took in a deep breath. She prayed that her life would change, and it certainly had. Finally, Simone was going to escape to a new town and start a brand new life.
Chapter Two
Bane Cross sat outside, watching the crowd of customers as they went in and out of Southern Treasures. His blond hair blew in the wind as he watched people walk around. The temperature outside was colder this morning, as fall had come on strong. He wished he could shift and go out running on the mountaintop. He loved sitting on the ridge and looking down at his town. He always had the perfect spot as the sun beamed down on his body. Sometimes he would shift, letting the sun’s rays warm him as he kept watch on the place he called home.
However, today he was watching the crowds as they came in and out of Southern Treasures. His sister Jade was quickly becoming a big star with her line of jewelry and accessories. His Alpha’s mate, Quinn, owned Southern Treasures, and Jade sold her products there. It was a pack business, so he needed to check on the storefront frequently. But Bane was there for another purpose, and as much as he wanted to be doing something else, Arden had let it slip that Lennox Bartley, was coming around Jade a lot, with romantic intentions in mind.
Bane didn’t care if the man was an Alpha, or the fact that he was the leader of the Death Hunters, the chosen few selected to do the Council of Wolves dirty work, all Bane knew was that Lennox Bartley wasn’t going to be around his sister. The man was certainly not going to mess with his sister’s head either, or whatever nonsense he had up his sleeve.
He watched as crowds of people came in and out of Southern Treasures, smiling as they carried their perfect merchandise home or to the next store, which brought him to the second reason he was in town this morning.
Bane had purchased the building next door to Southern Treasures and fixed it up. He and Finley had worked long hours into the night remodeling the store, until finally it was ready for the new merchants to move in. A woman by the name of Simone Alexander was moving from New York to their quiet, little town. She wanted to open up a bakery and candy store in New Hope, Georgia. Bane wanted to laugh when the woman asked if she would have any competition in town.
When he told Quinn about the bakery moving in, she got so excited, saying that it would bring in tons of new business and tourists to the area. During their conversation, Simone explained that she was also going to make homemade taffy that people could watch being made from the store window. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, fudge, and different types of candy would also be made and sold in the store, which made Quinn jump up and down, raving about how incredible this was going to be. Simone already had all of the equipment delivered. It was waiting for her to show up today, get the keys, and get to work. And so was Bane.
When the baker had inquired about houses for sale or apartments to rent, Quinn was nice enough and offered her the apartment above Southern Treasures, so Simone would be close to the store. Quinn had moved in with her mate Arden and was now living on Dixon Pack land, leaving the apartment vacant.
He had run a background check on Simone Alexander, as a general precaution, but there wasn’t much to find. She had never been arrested, and for some reason had left her job quickly, according to the owner of the apartment complex where she lived. When he checked, she had worked at Olsen’s Bakery for ten years. No other employment was shown, or family for that matter. Her mom and dad were dead and had been for a number of years. He found it odd that there wasn’t any aunts, uncles, or even cousins noted. Maybe it was a mistake, or she just didn’t have any family.
The only problem Bane could see was her tendency to be prone to serious injury. Simone had been to the emergency room ten times for falling down stairs or tripping over chairs. Apparently, the woman was a klutz. Just what he needed, a ditz of a human who was around hot stoves and appliances all day. At least her boss was a good man, according to Arden.
What made him curious about the woman was when Mr. Olsen stated that he understood why she was running, then corrected himself and said leaving. He wouldn’t give any further information, except to tell Arden that he would vouch for her. Bane had never met the man, but his Alpha had, and Arden said he trusted his word.
Robert Olsen was an Elder in the New York Pack. He had come to New Hope several times in the past for vacation. Arden said that if Robert Olsen claimed she was a good person, then that was all he needed to know. Bane left it at that, and didn’t go any further with the background check. The Elder did say that he was coming to town in a few weeks for vacation to check on Simone.
He only spoke to her on the phone twice, but her voice intrigued him to find out as much about her as he could. Simone Alexander had a sweet voice that made him smile as she described the equipment she would need to fill the store. He found himself asking her more questions just to prolong the conversation, but sadly she had to go. He couldn’t wait to see if the woman was as sexy as the voice.
Bane had a lot to do, but the thought of picking her out of a crowd made him smile. This was a game he liked to play, and picking the person that went with the voice was his favorite.
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Simone Alexander parked her vehicle in the crowded parking lot, and couldn’t believe how many people were roaming around. She had done some research on the small town of New Hope, Georgia and didn’t find much. There was one store called Southern Treasures, a diner, and a furniture store. That was it. What the hell was Mr. Olsen thinking when he sent her to this small town to open up a bakery? Would she make enough money here to cover her c
osts, or did she need to move to a bigger city? But Mr. Olsen had assured her that she would do great. For once in her life, Simone needed to trust someone and Mr. Olsen was the only one she could.
She climbed out of the car and looked behind her. Simone felt silly being so paranoid, but the injuries from her ex still ached, and that made her look twice. But unless Terry had a tracker on her body, there was no way he knew where she was. He would never think she would go to a small town in Georgia. She had even taken a different car, so there was no way he could trace it back to her. Mr. Olsen had sold hers and bought a larger, older model SUV. It was lacking in modern upgrades, but it had low mileage and was kept in great shape.
Finding nothing except lots of people she didn’t know, Simone began walking toward the store where she was supposed to meet Bane Cross. She couldn’t wait to see if the sultry southern voice she had spoken to over the phone was as sexy as the full meal deal. He had said he would meet her around lunchtime in front of Southern Treasures.
She laughed shaking her head; he was most likely a fat old man with twenty kids. But she had several restless nights thinking of that voice.
No, stop it. It didn’t matter. She was here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to re-build her life, without anyone telling her what to do, or how to do it, and to make herself happy. Never again would she get together with someone that controlling. She dreamed of being free from this man, but Terry had scared her so much that she let that fear control her, until now. Now, Simone was going to be a business owner and live a happy life.
She glanced down at her watch, still far too early to be expecting company. So instead of calling to let Mr. Cross know where she was, she sat down on a bench to watch the crowd and get a feel for the small town.