Alpha's Prize: A Werewolf Romance (Bad Boy Alphas Book 3)

by Renee Rose

  “This happened under your watch. Our pack grows poorer, sicker. Weaker. You cannot be trusted to protect the best interest of the wolves here. As alpha, that’s my job, and it’s one I accept. Your assistance in leading the pack is no longer wanted, nor accepted.”

  The sound of a vehicle climbing the road to the citadel rumbles.

  Jose gives a loud, fake laugh. “Boy, you think this pack would ever give control over to you—an untried, unpracticed youth—to lead, you’re as deranged as your mother. You may have alpha blood, but you don’t have what it takes to make the hard decisions.”

  The other two council members arrive, walking swiftly, straightening their ties and jackets. “What is all this?” Don Julio asks.

  “The council has been disbanded. Anyone who questions my authority will be banished. Is that clear enough?” I shout, making sure everyone can hear. “Who’s first?” I make a beckoning motion with my hand and sweep my gaze to encompass every wolf around. I’m ready to fight, in human or wolf form.

  “The boy’s gone mad!” Don Jose proclaims loudly. “He’s dangerous. Grab him and put him in the dungeons.”

  It’s on.

  Three of council’s lackey servants strip to shift. The four members of the council advance on me. Alone, I could take any of them. Probably even all seven. But will the others stay back to watch? Or will they join in?

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Guillermo taking off his boots, preparing to fight. I guess I’ll find out which side he’s picked. Growling, I tear off my shirt and yank down my pants, shifting the minute my clothes are off.

  Growls erupt all around. I leap, not waiting for the elders to strip and shift. Not waiting for the pack to choose sides. The warning bell tolls, calling all the pack in to join the melee.

  I take down one of the council’s lackeys, and knock his flying body into another. I tear deep into his shoulder. We roll on the ground but he doesn’t give the submissive whine to signal defeat. To the death, then. I release my jaws, adjust and sink into his throat. Two other wolves attack me from both sides, but Guillermo’s wolf knocks one of them down, snapping his neck with a crunch of bone. I tear the flesh of the third wolf.

  In a blur of movement, every pack member prepares to shift. Wasting no time, I flip up to my feet and lunge for the council elders, who seem to think they’re exempt from the fight. I launch into the air for Don Mateo.

  Shots ring out and pummel my chest. Too late, I see the gun in Mateo’s hand. My body twists in the air. I lose my breath and my bearings and land on my side. Snarls and yips—the sounds of a full wolf fight—fill the air.

  Before my vision clears, I spring up again, snarling, fully expecting attack from the wolves closing in from all directions. A blur of white fur flashes in front of me. I lunge on instinct, then whine and twist away so fast I skid out on the blood pooling on the marble.

  Sedona.

  Somehow, my white wolf is here, fangs bared, feet planted in front of me.

  No, it can’t be. This is some hallucination. Did I die from the gunshot wounds?

  I scramble back to my feet, vision swimming. A tight circle of fur and legs closes around us only—can it be?—the wolves are facing out, away from us. They’re protecting their alpha and his mate.

  His pregnant mate.

  I snarl with a furious need to protect her when I realize the change in Sedona’s scent. I spin in a circle, checking all around for danger, but we’re completely protected. She growls at my side, fucking magnificent. Bigger, healthier than any wolf here.

  The ferocious sounds of wolves fighting to the death reaches my ears but I can’t see over the wall of wolves guarding us. It goes against my nature to let others fight for me. I nip at the flanks of my guards to get through and they reluctantly fall back, dropping to their bellies as I pass to show deference.

  The terrace teams with wolves and those in human form, who cannot shift. Every pack member must be here, the mines and fields empty. Dead bodies strew the terrace. One, two, three… nine. All the councilmembers, minus Don Santiago, who hasn’t returned from Europe. Some of their closest lackeys and guards. Others are being chased away by small packs, the whine and yip of the hunt carrying away from us now.

  My body is weak, but I’m careful not to show it. I sit on my haunches and howl. Voices lift all around me, mating with mine, answering my call. Gratitude pours from my being as the sense of oneness, of pack, of family joins us all.

  I wheel around and limp back to Sedona, who’s still trying to nip her way out of the protective ring of wolves. When they see me coming, they once more go down on their bellies and she rushes out, meets me halfway. We whine and lick and circle each other and every wolf there drops down, honoring us.

  Their alphas.

  If I can convince Sedona to stay.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sedona

  Juanito takes away the bloody towels and spreads a blanket over Carlos. I curl up on the bed with him because it’s the only way I can get him to stay lying down. He refuses to be parted from me, won’t take his eyes off me for a second.

  I twitch the blanket higher over his mostly naked form. He did put on boxer briefs in deference to his mother, who insisted on sponging the blood from him. She appeared lucid to me, although she did babble a lot about a wolf fight that I think must’ve been in the past.

  Carlos reaches for me, and I nestle closer so he doesn’t have to move. “Just lie still and let your body take care of the bullet wounds,” I chide.

  Shifters have incredible healing capabilities, but in such a serious case like Carlos’, with major blood loss, it takes a few days of rest. Or at the very least, a night.

  We’re nose to nose and he strokes my hair back from my face, leaning his forehead against mine. “Mi corazon, I feared I’d never be this close to you again.”

  “What does corazon mean?”

  “My heart. You are my heart. What made you come here?” He strokes a hand over my hip. “Did you come to tell me about our pup?”

  I shake my head, experiencing a pang of guilt at keeping that from him the whole time we were in Europe. “Carlos—” I stop, unsure how to tell him what I learned.

  He stiffens, like he thinks I’m breaking up with him—again.

  “I met a shifter from your pack. She told me the council killed your father.” I blurt it out quickly, so he won’t have to suffer any suspense.

  He nods gravely.

  “You knew?”

  “No, I discovered last night that my mother believed so. I now think the council drugged her to keep her quiet. I planned to take her to the city today to see a human psychiatrist. I don’t know how much permanent damage has been done, but I’m hoping there’s a chance her mental faculties can be restored.”

  “Were all the councilmembers killed today?”

  “All but one—Don Santiago, who we saw in Barcelona. He’s still away, but I’ll deal with him when he returns. He’s the one who’s been stealing from the pack.”

  I rub the place my arm had been pricked again. “I think he drew blood from me there.”

  “What?” Carlos surges upright and I have to tug him back down to the mattress.

  “When you were talking to him, these humans jostled up against me and something poked my arm. I think he was testing to see if I’m pregnant.”

  Carlos’ grim face pales. “Santiago… playing doctor with my mother. With you. Interested in gene mapping. Healthy young wolves disappearing from this pack—like Juanito’s brother and father. Huge amounts of money disappearing… Could he be the so-called Harvester?”

  I shiver involuntarily. “There were lots of cages in the warehouse where I was held. Many wolves had been prisoner there. And they took my brother and his pack mates prisoner rather than killing them. You think he’s… experimenting on shifters?”

  “I do.” Carlos surges off the bed and onto his feet.

  Fates, he’s pushing himself too hard. “Carlos, wait. He’s not here now—it
can wait. Or do what you need to do in bed. With me.” I add the last part on and waggle my eyebrows and his expression softens into a smile. He sinks back down onto the bed. “Well if you put it that way…” His palm lands right on my ass and he squeezes a handful.

  But his smile falls away again and he pins me with his gaze. “Tell me, Sedona. Can you ever forgive me? Forgive my pack?”

  “Yes. I know you had nothing to do with it. And the council is now gone. I should tell you—my father and brother and their packs will be here soon.” I texted my dad when I landed last night. He let me know they were right behind me, on a flight this morning. I pull out my phone to text again and let him know I’m safe. “After we talked to the shifter from your pack, he believed me to be in danger from the council, so he’s coming to help you clean house. I’ll let him know it’s already done.”

  “Then he will be here for our mating ceremony.” Carlos’ tone is light, but he watches me closely and I don’t think he’s breathing.

  I throw a leg up over his. “I believe we’re already mated.”

  His smile flashes, sexy and winsome. “Does that mean yes? You’ll have me as your mate?”

  My nod wobbles a bit. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Of course.” Carlos sobers. “I would never keep you here if you cannot find joy. But I promise I will work very hard to keep you happy, mi amor. And if you wish to split your time with the States, I understand that, too. You’ll be like Persephone, taking a break from hell.”

  “No,” I answer immediately. “My place is with you. I mean, yes, I want to visit home, but there’s nothing there for me. Not without you. And this place isn’t hell. It’s beautiful. A paradise, Carlos.”

  He blinks rapidly. “Thank you,” he chokes and takes my face in both hands, stamping his lips over mine, stealing my breath. “I think it can be a paradise. It’s a fixer upper, but if I’m working for you, there’s nothing I can’t do. Fates, I can’t believe it. I feared I wouldn’t manage to keep you.”

  “I’m here,” I whisper.

  He kisses me again. “I see you, preciosa. Gracias.”

  I gaze into his warm chocolate brown eyes, feel the love pouring from him. “When I thought you were in danger, all the walls I’d erected, all the fears and insecurities about whether you really loved me, or if it was just your biology insisting you follow because you’d marked me fell away. I knew I wouldn’t want to know a future without you in it, that I’d be willing to die to protect you. So I’m here.”

  “Muñeca, yes, there’s biology—fates, so much—but my love for you goes way beyond the physical. You are everything that’s beautiful in the world. And I know I don’t know everything about you yet—I don’t know your favorite song, or movie, or television show, I haven’t met your family, yet, I don’t know your childhood stories. But I do know that I crave every part of you, even the parts you keep hidden.” His hand curves around my nape and pulls my face to his. He kisses me with a soft, exploratory movement of his lips over mine.

  Heat surges through my body, but I do my best to ignore it. Carlos needs to heal. Jumping his bones definitely won’t help. There will be time for that tomorrow.

  He must pick up my vibe, because his eyes smolder when he pulls away. “Don’t think you won’t be punished for putting yourself in danger out there, ángel. It’s not your job to protect me. I would much rather die than ever see you hurt.”

  And just like that, my pussy is dripping. It’s all I can do not to close the distance between our hips and grind against the bulge in his boxer briefs. I can’t stop my lids from dropping to half-mast. My tongue runs over my lips. “How will you punish me, Carlos?”

  His cock punches out to a full erection, tenting his shorts and he yanks my body up against his hard muscles. “You’re lucky you’re clothed or I’d already be inside you,” he growls.

  I push against his chest, but he doesn’t give me any freedom—not that I wanted it. “Easy, big wolf. You still have five holes in your gut.”

  He squeezes my ass and wedges a finger between the cleft, working deeper until he presses against my back hole through my pants. “Tomorrow, muñeca. Tomorrow I’m going to fuck this ass until you scream. That’s your punishment.”

  A tiny whimper escapes my lips as my entire body lights on fire, flames sizzling right down to my toes. I bite his bulging pectoral muscle. “Promise?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carlos

  I wake with Sedona in my arms. I bury my nose in her thick hair and breathe in her scent. Somehow, I managed to actually sleep with her beside me and I didn’t even have to tie her to the bedpost and fuck her senseless.

  It must have been the bullet wounds and my body’s need to heal.

  Although my dick is rock hard, I don’t move, content to simply watch my mate sleep. I’ve already marked her, but today she’ll become mine in front of my pack and hers. Her mother and Garrett’s mate are even flying out this morning to witness it.

  Yesterday’s cluster-fuck ended up better than I could’ve wished for. Sedona’s father and brother spent a good ninety minutes giving me the third degree, but I think they finally conceded that I love Sedona and would give my life to protect her and make her happy.

  We spent last night initiating a worldwide search for Santiago, who I believe must be “the Harvester.” According to a hacker friend of Garrett, Santiago has gone dark. The hacker friend found every bank account he’s associated with and issued a fake FBI freeze on the funds. She also removed him from every pack financial account, so I hope with his financial support cut off, his activities will be quickly curtailed. Sedona’s father and brother vow to continue the hunt for him.

  Sedona’s lids blink open and those azure eyes train on my face. Her soft lips part and she leans forward. I think she’s going to kiss my neck, but she bites it. Hard.

  Laughter rockets from my throat as I flip her onto her back and pin her hands above her head. “Someone’s ready for her punishment.”

  She blushes and squirms, but the flare of her pupils and scent of her arousal tells me I’m right.

  Fates, how did I get so lucky?

  I nudge her legs apart with my knee, and bite her shoulder.

  “Are you sure you’re up for it?” She peers innocently up from under her lashes.

  I growl and roll her to her side, applying my hand to her backside several times. Nothing pisses an alpha off more than the assumption he’s not up for something.

  She giggles and wiggles her ass. She’s wearing a pair of panties and one of my t-shirts, which my wolf finds tremendously satisfying. “Get up. Use the bathroom, if you need to. Take off your clothes. I’ll deal with your misbehavior when you return.”

  She shoots out of bed, excitement evident in her race to the bathroom and her quick shower. She emerges damp and naked.

  Growls start up in my throat the moment I see her naked body, which she throws at me from across the room, tackling me down to the mattress when I catch her. I flip her to her tummy and pin both hands behind her back. “Leave these here. Don’t even think about moving them, or I’ll double the punishment.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  A blast of lust pounds through me at her submissive response. She’s so hot.

  I pull her hips up until she’s on her knees, her face pressed into the mattress. “Get those legs wide.” My voice has never sounded so low.

  She spreads her knees apart and I grip the tops of her thighs and pull them open, parting her wide. I lick into her, parting her outer lips with my tongue, tracing the inner ones.

  Her pussy drips honey and I lap it up, tonguing her clit. Her thighs quake. I drag my tongue up to her anus, rimming her as I slap between her legs.

  She cries out, a wanton, needy sound and I continue, spanking her wet pussy as I lick her anus. “No, no more. Oh fates, yes. Please, Carlos.”

  I spank harder, faster, until she comes, arms flying off her back, knees snapping closed.

  I change my attack, sp
anking her sweet ass, all the way through her orgasm, following when she flops flat on the bed, body soft and pliant from her release.

  I turn her ass red, and the pain must set in, because she whimpers, twisting her head around. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Carlos.”

  I fall on her immediately, squeezing and rubbing her chastened cheeks as I kick her legs apart. I kiss a trail up her back, admiring the slender lines, the lean feminine muscle of my alpha she-wolf.

  We could be mated for eighty years and she’d still steal my breath with her beauty. I caress her nape, move her hair to one side to bite her ear. “Don’t move,” I murmur.

  I scramble to grab some lube, still packed in the bag from Europe. When I return, I pull her cheeks apart and squeeze a dollop on her anus. Using a medium-sized buttplug, I stretch her opening. She whimpers and moans as I twist and pump it inside of her.

  “What comes now, Sedona?”

  Her bottom squeezes around the plug. “I-I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do.” I give each cheek a smack. “What am I going to do to you now, ángel?”

  “F-fuck my ass?”

  I grip each of her cheeks roughly, squeezing and separating them. “That’s right, mi amor.” I pull out the medium plug and apply more lube. I coat my throbbing cock, too. This might be punishment but there will be no pain, only pleasure.

  “You’re going to take it, you know why?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you do. Because you were a bad girl. You put yourself in danger. That’s not allowed, beautiful.”

  “S-sorry.” She’s panting, lifting her ass for me, excited.

  I straddle her ass and pull her cheeks wide, bump the head of my cock against her back pucker. “Take me.”

  Somehow, she knows to relax, and the tip of my cock enters. I go slowly, giving her time to get used to it.