The Big Alpha in Town
Page 31
Easier said than done when that very male had a dagger pressed to Mia’s throat. He could attack. Throw his body slightly to the left in the hopes of knocking the dagger away. It was a risk Owen wasn’t sure he wanted to take, but the alternative was to leave Mia where she was. Owen didn’t doubt for a second that the bastard would kill his own daughter to further his agenda.
Owen made the decision in an instant. If they were going to die here tonight he’d rather they died taking a stand than on their knees. He dug his back legs into the snow and pushed off, careful to aim for Mia’s father’s left shoulder. His reaction time was faster than Owen thought it would be and he swung the dagger away from Mia’s throat at the exact moment Owen crashed into him. Pain ignited along his nerve endings as the blade sank into his gut. Not steel.
Silver.
Owen’s snarl ended on a low whine as he collapsed to the ground. He should’ve known the son of a bitch would come prepared to fight werewolves. The annoyance of the bullet wound in his shoulder was a surface scratch in comparison to the large gash that had been opened in his stomach. Blood scented the air, so intense that it made Owen’s snout wrinkle. His strength flagged as every bit of energy he had funneled to the wound that refused to heal thanks to the silver that burned through him.
He looked up and his eyes met Mia’s. She stared, aghast, her hands covering her mouth. Her shivering form blurred in his vision and a single thought formed in Owen’s mind: Run.
* * *
A scream lodged in Mia’s throat. She watched, helpless, as Owen lay bleeding on the snow. She knew of only one thing that could effectively disable a werewolf. Silver. Her father had gutted Owen with the silver blade.
Anger and sorrow unlike anything she’d ever felt welled up inside of Mia to the point that it could no longer be contained. The power that her intimate moments with Owen had manifested swirled and built, adding to the storm that raged inside of her. Her skin tightened on her frame and a sharp stab of pain caused her to double over.
“You’ve only made matters worse.” Mia’s eyes went wide as she looked at her father. “I wanted the werewolves gone, but dead is just as good.”
Mia looked up. Her father shifted the dagger in his grasp as he stepped up to Owen. Mia’s heart clenched in her chest as her father brought up his arm for the killing blow. The power that she didn’t know how to contain exploded through her with a violent shout. “Stop!”
Everything around her stilled. Not a single body moved. Power radiated around her, flowed through her, and thickened the air. Mia’s teeth chattered from the force of it. Her breath raced from the effort it took to control it. She imposed her will on every living thing around her, including her father, who was the most powerful nymph she’d ever known. Her bond with Owen had given Mia unimaginable strength. She felt the connection arc between them as she forced herself to straighten.
She put her back to her father and Owen and turned to face the bulk of the conflict. She’d never used her powers of influence on so many at once and she wasn’t quite sure how to do it. “Those of you who stand against the werewolves, leave this place and never return!”
A fair amount of pent-up energy drained from her with the command and Mia released a shuddering breath. She turned to face her father. He met her gaze, his eyes narrowed to hateful slits. She approached him slowly, the only sound that of her feet crunching on the snow. She plucked the dagger from his grip and pointed it at his face. “Father.” Her entire body trembled from the force of magic that swirled within her. “Leave this territory, go far from here to the other end of the world, and never return.”
The influence she exerted over her father’s will drained Mia in an instant. She collapsed to her knees and let out quick panting breaths as she tried to stabilize her careening world. She watched as her father slowly turned and walked away. His shadowed form became harder to make out in the backdrop of night the farther away he moved and finally, it disappeared altogether in the darkness.
Mia barely had enough strength to cover the few feet of space that separated her from Owen. She crawled through the snow on her hands and knees, exhausted, shivering, barely able to support her own weight. She collapsed beside him in the snow and let out a sob as her fingers dove into his thick fur. He watched her with wary eyes, feral and bright gold.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use a nap.”
Owen’s tongue lolled out and he lapped at her cheek. Mia let out a weak laugh. At least they were on the same page.
* * *
Mia felt as though she’d been run over by a truck. Every inch of her hurt, even her eyeballs. A dull, orange glow reflected in the back of her mind. She cracked a lid and shielded her eyes against the sudden brightness. Someone seriously needed to turn down the lights.
“Good morning.”
Owen’s gorgeous face came into focus and Mia came fully awake. Sunlight filtered in through the window of his bedroom and he reached out to smooth her hair away from her face.
“Hey.” Her voice rasped in her raw throat. “We’re not dead.”
Owen chuckled at the revelation. “No,” he said. “We’re not.”
“How is that possible?” As she’d lain in the snow last night, Mia had been certain that they were both done for. That they were both alive now seemed a miracle.
“Believe me, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a silver dagger to my gut to take me away from you. I’ll be laid up for a few days. Silver wounds take a little longer to heal, but I’m going to be fine.”
Warm emotion bloomed in Mia’s chest. She reached out and put her fingertips to Owen’s cheek. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
His bright smile caused her stomach to do a back flip. “Never. Sorry to say, Mia, but you’re never getting rid of me.”
Thank the gods. Because Mia didn’t know what she’d do without him. In such a short amount of time Owen had become the most important thing in her life. So much had changed so quickly, she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around it.
“What happened last night?” The details were a little hazy in her mind and she found it difficult to grasp onto any detail.
Owen chuckled. “What happened? For starters, you went completely badass, powerful wood nymph on everyone and shut down the conflict before it got out of hand and anyone got hurt.”
Wow. Tiny bits and pieces began to fall back into place as Mia remembered the power that had exploded through her. “That’s not exactly true,” she said. “You got hurt.”
“Okay.” Owen leaned in and put his lips to her forehead. “No one got seriously hurt.”
She supposed that was a little better. “My father…?”
“Gone. You told him to leave and never come back. I’ve never seen anything like it. He just … obeyed as though he had no other choice. Liam sent out trackers early this morning to find him and there isn’t even a trace. Whatever influence you exercised over him, it worked well.”
Mia let out a slow breath. She still couldn’t believe she possessed the strength to do what she’d done last night. “That influence might fade. He might come back…”
“If he does, we’ll deal with it. But until then, I don’t want you to worry about it. We’re safe now and that’s all that matters.”
Anxiety tightened her stomach but Mia knew Owen was right. It wouldn’t do them any good to worry about it. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
Owen’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Mia met his gaze. “Being with you … It’s like … magic. I can’t explain it, but it’s amazing.”
“The mate bond.” Mia might not have been able to explain it, but Owen had no problem. “Do you doubt it now?”
“No,” Mia said with a laugh. “Not at all.”
Owen wrapped his arms around her and pulled Mia against him. The heat of his body permeated her skin and left her more relaxed and content than she’d ever thought she could feel. She couldn’t believe sh
e’d once thought it would be so easy to walk away from such an extraordinary male. Owen had no comparison. He was hers.
“What did your father mean when he said you used me to buy your birthright?”
Mia cringed. She supposed they’d have to talk about it eventually but she was ashamed for having used Owen in the way that she had. “My father refused me a position of leadership within our band. He gave me an ultimatum. Produce an heir or he would find me a suitable partner to get the job done. I refused to live my life on his terms. And so…” She found it difficult to finish the sentence.
“And so … you went out looking for someone to give you what you needed with no strings attached.”
He spoke the words softly without an ounce of anger or hurt and it only endeared him to her more. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I did.” The admission burned a path up her throat, but speaking the truth lifted the weight of guilt from Mia’s chest. “I’m sorry, Owen. I shouldn’t have behaved so carelessly with you.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.” Owen held her tighter and Mia hoped he’d never let her go. “You did what you thought you had to do and I admire your strength and conviction.”
“Even if I went into it just wanting to use you?”
Amusement rumbled in his chest. “Baby, you can use me anytime you want. Just promise you’ll never leave me again.”
“Never.” It was the easiest promise Mia had ever had to make. “But there is one small issue. With my father gone there’s no one to lead our band. I don’t expect you to leave your pack but I can’t leave my people either.”
“I would never ask you to. We’re in this together. I’m not ever going to give you an ultimatum and you’ll never have to choose between your family or me. You won’t have to choose between anything that’s important to you or me. We’ll find a way to make it work. I’m not worried.”
Owen certainly was one of a kind. “Thank you,” she said. “And for the record, I’m not worried either.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s discuss this issue of an heir…”
Mia smiled at the humor in Owen’s voice. She sensed his excitement and was happy that she wouldn’t disappoint him. “How do you feel about babies, Owen?”
“I absolutely love them.”
“Good. Because I think you’re going to be changing diapers soon.”
Owen put his lips to her temple. “A new adventure.” He pulled back and graced her with a brilliant smile. “I can’t wait.”
Owen was everything she could ask for and more and Mia wouldn’t change how any of this had gone down for the world. After so many years of going without, she’d finally gotten everything she’d ever wanted. And the best part? Owen would never make her choose, or make a sacrifice, and in return, she’d never make him sacrifice or choose. They would be partners. Equals. She returned his smile, her heart so full of tender emotion she thought it would burst. “Neither can I.”
Also by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter
Thanks Fur Last Night
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
EVE LANGLAIS is a New York Times bestselling Canadian author who loves to write hot romance. She enjoys strong alpha male heroes, shifters, and a happily-ever-after. You can sign up for email updates here.
MILLY TAIDEN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the renowned Paranormal Dating Agency series, the Sassy Mates books, and the Federal Paranormal Unit novels. You can sign up for email updates here.
KATE BAXTER is a die-hard romantic with a thing for Shakespeare. She lives in the great Northwest and writes about all things fanged, furry, and undead. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
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
Epilogue
Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden
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
Epilogue
No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
Acknowledgments
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
Also by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter
About the Authors
Copyright
These novellas are works of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in these novellas are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.
THE BIG ALPHA IN TOWN. Copyright © 2018 by St. Martin’s Press.
Bearing His Name. Copyright © 2018 by Eve Langlais.
Owned by the Lion. Copyright © 2018 by Milly Taiden.
No Need Fur Love. Copyright © 2018 by Kate Baxter.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design © Danielle Mazzella di Bosco
Cover photographs: couple © Kiuikson/Shutterstock.com; bear © Clickalps/Getty Images
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-18048-3 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-18049-0 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250180490
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First Edition: May 2018