Owned by the Alpha

by Sam Crescent

  “We’ll go,” his friend, Ernrider, insisted.

  Jaeger, Kenny, and Mark watched both men flee the lodge. The door slammed shut behind them.

  “Wow,” Kenny said, sounding impressed. “I think the jerk peed himself.”

  “No,” Jaeger muttered. “But he was close.”

  “She had found a great piece of evidence,” Mark told him. “A tribe in the Himalayas who had a pelt of what they said was the Yeti. She was able to obtain a skin sample, but Dendy stole it from her and claimed it as his own. Turned out to be a new species, a hybrid bear that brought him national recognition and brand-new funding. Kicked her to the curb.”

  Jaeger’s protective nature rose to the surface, and he had a new perspective on her chosen career.

  “Thank you for letting me know,” he said. “Agathe has finished dinner if you’d like to eat.”

  “What about Gabs?” Kenny asked.

  “I’ll bring her a plate,” Jaeger said. “I need to talk to her.”

  “Sure,” Mark said. He grabbed Kenny and pulled him along toward the kitchen. “We’ll just, you know, eat. You go take care of Gabs.”

  Kenny gave him a thumbs up.

  Chapter Five

  Gabrielle stared at her laptop screen and wanted to scream. The webpage she stared at recorded everything about why she was in Alaska, a blog of day-to-day activities and the hunt that something might be wandering in the Arctic Circle.

  Little bird, my ass.

  Memories surged, every single one of them ugly. The blog almost felt like another betrayal, although she didn’t think that was Kenny’s intention. And maybe she was just over-reacting. After all, she’d been such a young, idealistic girl when Burt Dendy had sunk his hooks into her, spinning tales of the Yeti and making the hunt seem romantic and glamorous. She’d changed her life around for him, began to miss school, and after she’d spent the entire semester allowance following him to the Himalayas, her parents had yanked their support which forced her to drop out of college.

  A knock sounded on the door, bringing her out of her thoughts. She wiped her cheeks, surprised to find she’d been crying. “Come in.”

  The door opened and Jaeger stood there, holding a tray in one hand. A covered plate and a can of beer was his offering. He came into the room and shut the door with his heel. “Dinner,” he said, setting the tray upon the dresser near the door. “Agathe’s mixture of her homeland and Alaska. Braised caribou, prepared like Mørbradbøf, with onions and cabbage.”

  She raised the lid off the plate and inhaled. Her mouth watered.

  “Thank you, it smells amazing.” She cut a piece of the meat and with a fork, lifted it eye level to inspect the meat. “I’ve been to Tibet and Bhutan, and I’ve eaten many odd things, but this will be the first time for caribou.”

  He shrugged. “A little tougher than pork. I will warn you that it does not taste like chicken.”

  She smiled and ate the morsel on her fork. The flavor burst across her taste buds, slightly salty, very savory, and a little chewy.

  “She’s a very good cook,” she said once she swallowed. “Is Agathe from the Netherlands?”

  “No, we’re both from Greenland, by way of the Vikings,” he replied. “I came here about ten years ago to set up this lodge.”

  “Vikings?”

  “Yes, both our families are direct descendants, and Agathe’s family has served my own for many generations.”

  Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. “Is that still common? I mean, I’ve studied tribes in various parts of the world where family traditions are handed down like that, but that’s a practice not readily found in more modern civilization.”

  “Agathe is a traditionalist,” he said with a shrug. “I have two younger brothers she could’ve gone with, but she decided to stay with me. And I’m thankful to have her. She is a den mother here at the lodge.”

  “I can see why,” Gabrielle murmured around a mouthful of food. “This is really wonderful. Does the lodge’s name mean anything?”

  “Frosset means frozen in Danish,” he said. “My family’s moto is Frosne Hjerte. It means frozen heart. Frosset seemed like a fitting name.”

  They lapsed into silence while she ate and she was surprised it wasn’t uncomfortable to be around him and not talk. His presence was actually more soothing, even though her senses still danced at his nearness. When she finished, she laid her utensils on the plate and wiped her mouth.

  “Thank you for bringing this to me,” she said. “Do you always provide personal service like this to your guests?”

  “No,” he said. He sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him.

  She hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of being near him. She had an inkling of where he wanted the evening to end, but she still wasn’t quite sure if it would be a wise move.

  “Will you be up for snowmobiling tomorrow?”

  “Yes.” She wrapped her arms around herself. That seemed to help stifle the urge to sit next to him. “Although I know it’s a long shot that any evidence or proof will still be out there.”

  He frowned. “What is more important to you? The proof that cryptids may exist or proving to yourself you made the right career choice?”

  “Ouch,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes. “You don’t hold back your punches, do you?”

  “We may not have known each other very long, but I feel a connection with you, Gabrielle.”

  She blew out a puff of pent-up frustration that startled her bangs. She didn’t want to admit that she felt it, too. “I don’t trust easily anymore, especially when it comes to my work.”

  “Mark told me about your history with Dendy.”

  She reached over to her laptop and turned it around.

  “That’s how Dendy knew I was here,” she said, pointing. “Kenny wrote a blog and tweeted about it. So I guess a little bird did tell him.”

  “Does he do this often? Pop up wherever you are, uninvited?”

  Gabrielle shook her head. “This is the first time since our partnership dissolved, and I don’t know why now.”

  He studied her for a moment. “Why the Yeti?”

  She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the words she never voiced aloud before. “I’ve always felt like there was more to this world than what our eyes can see or our hands can touch. I became an anthropology major but was seduced by the dark side, per se. In this case, legends of the Yeti. And the search can be addicting.”

  He cocked his head. “So you do this because you believe in the supernatural?”

  “I don’t classify it as supernatural.”

  “Many people would. Many people probably think you’re crazy.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, well, there’s a few who don’t. I have funding through a local college interested in the Yeti legends. It’s through their history department that Mark, Kenny, and I were able to explore for so long. And for us to come here. I’m on the last bit of our grant so I’m hoping to find something positive to bring home to them. Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course,” he replied. “You can ask me anything, Gabrielle.”

  “Why did you use the word ‘werewolf’?”

  He didn’t answer right away. Instead he patted the bed again, and this time, she sat down. Her heart beat accelerated as her pulse jumped from simply being near him. There it was again, that electric arc that seemed to wrap around them like gossamer strings. Was it really just physical attraction that would die away as soon as it was satisfied? An itch to scratch? After all, she’d only been with one man and that relationship had ended in betrayal.

  Maybe it was time to take a new model for a test drive. Erase the old with a new memory, something to look back at fondly whenever Dendy showed his face again.

  “Maybe, like you, I, too, believe in things our eyes cannot see or our hands cannot touch,” he murmured. Their gazes met, locked. He leaned closer until his warm breath fanned across her face. Her heart thumped with anticipation and her pan
ties grew damp. The time for denial fled. She wanted this. Wanted him.

  Jaeger possessed her mouth, curling one hand around her head to hold her in place while he kissed her. This was different than before. This kiss had a touch of possession in it. He plundered her mouth and she let him as her mind went blank. It was only him and her, and the presence of a bed beckoning her to lay back. Jaeger left her mouth and made his way to her ear where he sucked lightly on the sensitive area behind the shell.

  “Oh, wow,” she breathed. “That feels so good. You feel good. M-maybe we should, um, stop.”

  “One more kiss,” he whispered.

  Jaeger kissed her cheek as he slowly moved his hands down until he cupped her breasts. She gasped as he teased the nipples with a fingertip.

  “One more?” he asked before he pressed his lips against hers again. A light, feathery brush of their mouths as he continued to tease the turgid peak under her bra.

  “O-okay. One more,” she agreed, stuttering a little from the desire wracking her body.

  One hand left her breast and he slid it down her side, over her hip and across her thighs until it nestled between them. Instinct, or maybe reflex, had her legs opening. Hoping, yearning, he’d touch her further.

  Taking the invitation, he moved suddenly. Not releasing her, but only shifting until he kneeled between her spread thighs. Determination seemed to shimmer in his movements as he placed a hand on her chest and pushed her until she lay flat on her back. He then unsnapped her jeans and tugged on them. Gabrielle lifted her hips so he could slide them down. The momentary break in the sensual haze he’d wrapped around her made her wonder if she should call a halt to this, but her body didn’t want to stop. So she gave into the demands of what she really craved.

  One more kiss.

  Jaeger pulled her jeans off, dragging her panties along with them. He slid his hands under her bare ass and lifted as he bent over her. Okay, so one more kiss was placed on her pussy mound, but that only led to another and another, until fingers slid along her slit and opened her up to his loving.

  “Oh!” She gasped. “Lick my pussy!”

  Jaeger obeyed, starting from the bottom of her pussy and licking up, until he drew her clit into his mouth. Gabrielle panted, bucking her hips against his mouth, wanting more. He gave it, sliding his tongue up and down, sucking and licking until Gabrielle was in heaven, her mind in a daze as she gave herself up to the unbelievable pleasure.

  “I’m going to come,” she cried. She thrust her fingers into his hair. “Please oh, please don’t stop.”

  Gabrielle’s legs twitched and she lifted her pelvis off the bed, wrapping her thighs around Jaeger’s head. The tension built, coiling higher, until it suddenly snapped and threw her off the plateau. Gabrielle gave a breathless little scream as light burst behind her closed eyes.

  She fell back limp, her limbs wet noodles she couldn’t move. Jaeger left the area between her legs and lay beside her. Not caring that his face was wet with her release, she leaned forward and kissed him, tasting herself upon his lips. It was sexy as hell.

  He brushed her hair off her forehead. “Gabrielle,” he murmured, his voice soft and endearing.

  “What about you?”

  He smiled. “Not about me, love. This is all for you.”

  She closed her eyes, content. Wow. A man who gave pleasure without expectation? She might have found her mythological creature after all.

  Chapter Six

  Gabrielle was nervous as she descended the stairs for breakfast. She had passed out last night after the mind-blowing pleasure Jaeger had given her, but now in the light of day, she wasn’t sure how to handle it. Would he ignore her? Would he mock her? Or worse, would he pretend last night never happened?

  Dendy had insisted their relationship remain a secret. For years she had dealt with that and she could do it again, remain quiet about what had happened in her room. But when she approached the kitchen, Jaeger came out from his office and smiled at her. His smile relieved a lot of lingering tension and she relaxed. She smiled back and Jaeger put his arms around her in a hug.

  “Good morning,” he murmured.

  “Morning,” she replied.

  “I’ve already pulled the snowmobiles out from the shed, so right after breakfast we can head out.”

  “Okay.”

  “You have warm clothing?”

  She nodded. “I never really unpacked from my trip to Bhutan. I have my Himalayan gear in my suitcase.”

  He smiled, took her hand, and led her into the kitchen where Agathe was dishing up plates of eggs, biscuits, and bacon for everyone. A carafe of coffee was on the table where Kenny and Mark were already shoveling food into their mouths.

  “Right after breakfast, we’re heading out on snowmobiles to the area where the picture was taken,” she told them.

  Kenny took a gulp of black coffee in an effort to talk. “We are?”

  He jumped up and began to shovel more food from his plate into his mouth, until his cheeks puffed out.

  “Not you, Kenny,” Gabrielle said quickly. “Slow down.”

  His mouth dropped open in shock, and the look on his face was as if she had just kicked his puppy. Some of the food fell out of his overstuffed mouth back onto the plate.

  “I only own two snowmobiles,” Jaeger said, sounding regretful. “The company I usually rent from has shut down for the season.”

  “You and Mark can explore after us,” Gabrielle replied quickly. She reached over and closed Kenny’s mouth.

  He sat down, looking a little dejected.

  After breakfast, she went upstairs and changed into her snow clothes. Jaeger waited for her out back, and she climbed onto the one next to him. A moment later, Jaeger took off, heading south toward the wilderness, and she throttled after him.

  The trip was refreshing. The cold air cleared her head, brought a sense of rawness to the moment. She felt exhilarated, alive. A sense of wonder, and hope. The exact opposite of what she had felt in Bhutan. Perhaps it was time to move on from searching for the Yeti, to get out of the search all together. She was tired of remembering Dendy in everything she did. Perhaps she should go back to school and finish her original life plans.

  They entered the forest and it wasn’t long until Jaeger pulled over and signaled to a grove of aspen trees. Their yellow leaves were already frozen, and some had begun to fall to the ground, but it was no mistake they were the trees that had been in the photo.

  She turned off the snowmobile and dismounted to walk to the trees. From her pocket, she took out the photos, and holding them up, she compared each one until she found the right angle from where the picture had been taken. Walking forward, she looked back to confirm she was in the right spot. Jaeger watched her, arms folded as he waited on his own machine.

  Just as she thought, any prints that might have been left had already been swept away from the wind. Walking in the direction the creature must have taken, she examined all around, looking for any type of evidence. Something white was stuck to the bark of a tree and she hurried forward. At first, she thought it was just a bit of snow, but as she got closer, it swayed a little in the breeze. Excitement gripped her. Once closer, she realized it was fur. Thick, white fur.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered. Taking off her backpack she pulled off her gloves to grab a plastic evidence bag and tweezers. Carefully extracting the small patch of fur from the bark, Gabrielle put it in the bag.

  “It’s probably just bear fur,” Jaeger said from behind her.

  She jumped a little. “Ah! You scared me. Uh, no, I don’t think so. A polar bear has hair. This looks to be fur, and it’s too high up on the bark to be an animal on four legs.”

  “Like a wolf, you mean?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. Perhaps it’s my werewolf.”

  “Perhaps.”

  There was something very closed off about him as he stared at the fur in the bag. Shaking off the odd feeling, she placed the bag of evidence into her backpack. They h
eaded back toward the hotel, and this time she was leading the way. As soon as they arrived, Kenny and Mark came bounding down the porch steps.

  “Our turn!” Kenny cried. He was bundled up head to toe and waddled slightly. She decided to hold off telling them about the fur until after their exploration.

  She went up to her room and took off her snow clothes, laying them on the luggage rack that every hotel room in the world seemed to have. Sitting on the bed, she dug the package of fur out of the backpack and held it up to the light. Something told her it wasn’t ordinary wolf fur. The same thrill that had gripped her when she’d seen the so-called Yeti pelt now zinged through her blood. Placing the plastic bag back into her backpack, Gabrielle walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

  As she dried off, she heard a noise and opened the bathroom door. Jaeger stood in the doorway with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Although it was the middle of the day, the sunlight had started to fall, casting the room in shadow. Gabrielle’s heart pounded with anticipation, and she knew now was the time to either give in to the desire between them or deny it, and she really didn’t want to say no.

  “Close the door,” she whispered.

  He stepped into the room and used his heel to shut the door. She dropped the towel and stood naked before him. Jaeger put the bottle of wine and glasses on the dresser and made a beeline toward her.

  Their lips met and she immediately felt the change between them. There wasn’t any hesitation, no coy reserve left at all. He wanted her and she wanted him, so Gabrielle opened for him. He nibbled and devoured until they were both breathless.

  He swept her up in his arms, his muscles bulging as he held her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed. He didn’t stop until they were at the bed and he tumbled her onto the mattress, coming down on top of her. Gabrielle needed to feel his skin against hers, needed to feel her own softness pressed against his softness. She tugged his shirt up and over his head, tossing it aside. He kicked off his pants. The man was beautiful. Hard muscles, an ass that made her want to take a bite out of it. His cock was big and thick, and it jutted out proudly. He leaned over and trailed his lips down her neck, his fingertips traveling upward until they reached her breasts. She hissed and arched her back, thrusting more into his hands as his thumb flicked over her nipples.