A Mate for Jackson: Bad Alpha Dads: A True Mates Standalone Novel

by Alicia Montgomery

  “Wait—” Meredith, his sister, who he just realized was also in the office, called out to the hallway. She then turned her gaze toward Connor, her amber eyes narrowing. “What’s going on here? How do you know Evie again?”

  Evie. So that was her name. It fit her. But what was she doing here? “She was that girl who caused trouble for us at that witch strip club,” Connor explained, barely containing the snarl in his throat. “Everything was going fine with our op, and then she tried to get in, all liquored up, causing a scene, and I wouldn’t let her through.” Okay, so she wasn’t liquored up, but he could smell the alcohol on her breath as her plump pink lips parted when she talked. She wasn’t in full control of herself, and he had saved her from making a foolish mistake. Like watching a bunch of men parade their bodies in front of her.

  “As I recall,” Meredith began. “It was Quinn going full Lycan in a room full of witches and warlocks that caused trouble for us.”

  “What the fuck was she doing there, anyway?” Connor really wanted to know now. “A Lycan in a witch strip joint?”

  “She’s not a Lycan, moron,” Meredith shot back.

  Not a Lycan? But she had a scent. Only Lycans had scents. “Then why does she—”

  “Yo, what’s up?” Quinn walked in. His second brother glanced around. “Who’s the cute skirt I saw running out of here? Connor, did she see your ugly mug and run the other direction?”

  Connor growled. His youngest brother screwed anything that moved and, while it normally didn’t bother him, this time it did. He wanted Quinn to stay the fuck away from Evie.

  “Don’t you start, Quinn,” Killian groaned. “Is she still out there?”

  Quinn shrugged. “Probably. Waiting on the elevator, maybe. You know that rickety old thing takes ages.”

  “Good.” Killian rushed out, presumably to chase after Evie. Part of him wanted Killian to fail, to chase her away. She didn’t need to be caught up in their messed-up life. But the other part of him …

  A low rumble tore through his chest, and he faltered for a moment. No. Fuck no. Not again.

  Meredith visibly flinched but said nothing. Instead, his sister straightened her shoulders. “So, let me get this straight. Evie was there the night we had the op at Merlin’s, you refused to let her in, and she hit you with her purse?”

  He grunted. “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “Yeah, Connor?” Quinn asked, a glint in his eye. “Why?”

  He looked at Meredith, then Quinn and scowled. “Because.”

  “Because what?”

  “Because … fuck you, Quinn, I don’t gotta explain myself to you. You were the one who screwed things up!”

  “Oh my God, she was the girl who was staring you down! And she really hit you?” Meredith laughed. “I wish I’d seen it! Why wasn’t I …” She trailed off and her lips curved into a smile. “Oh yeah. Daric and I were in this closet and—”

  “Shut up, Meredith,” Connor groused. He did not need to keep hearing that shit. Sure, Daric was her husband now, but thinking of his only little sister having sex made his stomach turn.

  “She’s cute, huh?” Quinn said.

  Connor recognized that look in his brother’s eyes. Oh, fuck no. It was a good thing Evie was gone. If Quinn got his hands on her, Connor really would have to punch his face in. Hitting him with her handbag aside, Eve was probably a nice girl. She had that fresh-faced, innocent look. He bet she wasn’t even from New York. She didn’t have that hardened, cynical aura most of the city dwellers had.

  He thought for a moment. She looked a little different from that night, though. Of course, she was wearing that sinful, short red dress that showed off her curves and enough of her creamy skin that he wanted to kill any man who looked at her. That was months ago, and he noticed the change in her body today. The skirt suit she wore didn’t fit her properly and hung looser on her frame. He didn’t care, but was she starving herself? He stifled a growl. He realized he preferred her with more curves. She was apparently here for a job interview; maybe she didn’t have money to eat properly. Why was no one taking care of this girl?

  “Hello? Earth to Connor?” Quinn snapped his fingers in front of his face.

  “Quit it.” He swatted Quinn’s hand away. “Don’t fucking do that. Ever again.”

  “Jeez, tell me, were you born with that stick up your ass?” Quinn groaned. “Hey, you know there’s a proctologist’s office down the road. I bet he could take care of that for you.”

  “Shut the hell up, Quinn,” Connor warned, stepping forward.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Meredith rolled her eyes. “Stop it, you two. I’m drowning in testosterone. See, this is why we need Evie around here. This sausage party isn’t working for me.”

  “What the hell are you doing here, anyway, Mer?” Quinn asked. “Last time I checked, this was Lone Wolf Security. Not Lone Wolf and Sister Security.”

  “I’m here to help you with office stuff,” Meredith said. “And if you’ve scared Evie off, you’ll probably be seeing more of me.”

  “That’s going to—”

  “You can’t—”

  “All right, stop. Stop.” Killian strode back into his office, his face drawn into a serious expression. “What are you arguing about now?”

  “Connor being a dickhole to Evie,” Meredith barked. “I like her. I want to keep her. Even though she is taking my job.”

  “She’s not a pet, Mer,” Quinn added

  “You know what I mean,” she snapped. “I have this feeling we need her. And she needs us.”

  “You were always the one taking in strays like you were some Disney princess.”

  Connor had to agree with Quinn. Meredith had this mother hen quality, even though she was the youngest of all of them. Mother hen might be putting it too mildly. She was more like a rabid dog when she got an idea in her head, refusing to let go until she had her way. And being their only sister, they often had no choice but to give in. He had a feeling this was not going to end well for him.

  Killian let out an exasperated sigh. “She’s not some lost animal. Listen to me. Evie is the most qualified person to help us out here. I’ve hired her. She’ll come in on a part-time basis and work around our schedule if she has to. Don’t scare her away,” he warned. “That means, no growling at her,” he said to Connor. “No hitting on her,” he looked at Quinn, “and no smothering her with your constant need to get into everyone’s business.”

  All three of them looked at each other. Killian meant business. He had been stressed, much more so than they had been that last couple of months. They could all feel there was something going on with their brother since Archie died, he must have been feeling the pressure of now becoming the head of their little adoptive family. He had changed a lot and was much more closed off from them.

  Connor grunted. Fine. If hiring Evie would help his brother, he’d agree. And it wouldn’t be a problem for him. If she was going to work here, then he was just going to stay the hell away from the office from now on. He would avoid Evie as much as possible. That first time he saw her, he felt it. Felt out of control and, if he were honest, it scared the shit out of him. Because if he lost control, he knew it would mean the end. The last option for all Lycans who couldn't control their wolves.

  But before that, he wanted to make sure he completed his revenge by making everyone who turned him into a monster pay for what they had done.

  All for Connor

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  Preview: Fated Mates

  If you enjoyed A Mate for Jackson, check out this preview of the first book in the True Mates Series

  The club was dark and the music terrible. Just like any New York club on Friday night, Alynna Chase thought.

  Blood Moon wasn’t the type of place where she hung out regularly. It was, after all, one of Manhattan’s hottest nightclubs, and she normally wouldn’t be able to afford such a place or even get in. Of course, a flash of T&A helpe
d usher her through the door. Her eyes grew wide at the price of a single drink. Well, I’m not paying, she thought as she brushed her long dark hair off her shoulders. She smoothed down the fabric of her very short pink dress and looked at the other girls around her, all similarly dressed in their flashy and even shorter attire. Gotta blend in, after all. But she wasn’t here to snag a guy.

  Well, technically, she was. Male, in his early forties, five feet, ten inches in height, thinning hair, with a slight paunch. Not her type exactly, but he was similar to many of the guys she had to tail as a private investigator. It was a suspicious wife who had hired her, of course. She came to her office the day before yesterday, afraid her husband was cheating on her. Wife’s instincts were probably correct. Chances are, when someone suspects their spouse of cheating, they almost always are. Despite being only twenty-two years old, Alynna had been in the business for almost four years and she could attest to this truth.

  Ah, there he is, she thought, as she took a sip of her beer. She watched as her target – a Mr. Greg Truman – approached a young, svelte woman about half his age. Alynna’s bright green eyes tracked his every movement, watching as he slid a drink over to her, smiled, and leaned in close to say something. That wasn’t a crime, or proof of cheating, but definitely a sign. She would just have to wait until Mr. Truman sealed the deal and then try to follow them. He seemed like a classy guy, and quite well-off, so he’d probably spring for a hotel room instead of getting a back alley blow job. This business was making her too cynical.

  After twenty minutes of watching Greg Truman flirt with the younger woman, she was getting antsy. Also, her drink was getting warm and she needed something to cool her off.

  “A glass of ice water, please,” she asked the bartender.

  He turned around and flashed her a smile. Cute, she thought. Well, everyone who worked in this club was insanely hot, from the beefy bouncer out front to the skimpily dressed waitresses. She was only human, of course, and she noticed these things. Many of New York’s top clubs employed only the best-looking people.

  The bartender handed her a glass of cold water. As she wrapped her hand around the glass, she could feel the condensation forming on the outside, wetting her palms. Alynna took a casual swig, keeping her eyes on her mark. Mr. Truman was definitely getting cozier with his sweet young thing. She could tell by the girl’s body language she was definitely interested in what he had to offer.

  “Typical,” she snorted to no one in particular. Greg Truman wasn’t anything to look at – maybe once long ago he was hot – but he was slick and rich, one of those Wall Street hedge fund guys. Girls could smell the money oozing from him, and it didn’t hurt that he was charming.

  “Excuse me,” a low baritone voice said from behind. “Is this spot taken?”

  Alynna was shook out of her thoughts by the deep, rumbling tone. Before she even turned around to face the speaker, a strange scent permeated the air. It wasn’t bad, but she couldn’t quite identify what it was. She breathed in deep – it was male, spicy, with tinges of an earthy, after-rain scent.

  “What do you–” She stopped suddenly as a pair of hazel eyes stared back at her. They were almost luminous in the dim light of the club. The scent grew stronger. Not like a suffocating perfume, but she had a hard time concentrating on anything except the tall, handsome man in front of her. “It’s … fine?” she managed to choke out.

  The man moved closer, staking out the spot beside her at the bar. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so forward. I mean, a girl like you at a club like this … I’m sure you get lots of attention.” He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.

  Alynna wasn’t quite sure how long she stared at him, but then she finally snapped herself out of it. “It’s not … I mean … you can … it’s a free country!” she stammered and took a sip of her ice water. The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to spike, and she fanned herself with her hand.

  “Yes, I know,” he said. “I’m –”

  “Alex!” the bartender called out as he came over. “Nice to see you here, bro. Got the night off?”

  “Yeah, Sean, it’s my night off.” He accepted a beer from the bartender. “How about a drink here for –” He looked meaningfully at Alynna.

  “I’m … uh … Alice,” she fibbed. It’s not like she was an undercover cop, but her reaction to the man – Alex, apparently – made her uneasy. “And no, thanks, I’m fine.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her glass of water. “Not the usual drink around here.”

  “I’m not your usual girl, I guess,” she said. He smiled at her, which, if it was possible, made him look even more handsome.

  “I guess not.” He took a sip of his beer, but his eyes never left her. It unnerved her, but she refused to be intimidated. She squared her shoulders.

  “So, I hate to sound cliché, but … what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

  She nearly choked on her water, sputtering liquid down the front of her dress. Alex tried to help her, but he accidentally knocked her glass from her hand and spilled the rest of the water all over her.

  “Oh fuck, Jesus! Sorry!” Alex said in a panicked voice. Sean the bartender laughed out loud, handing him a towel. “Here. Let me help.” He tried to wipe her down.

  Alynna grabbed the towel from him angrily. “No, it’s fine. I’ll be …” She coughed, then wiped the front of her dress. “I’m – shit!” she cursed. Across the room, Greg Truman leaned over and whispered into the girl’s ear. She giggled, then gave him a nod. He finished off his drink and took her by the arm, then led her to the back of the club toward the exit. “I need to go.”

  “Wait!” Alex grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

  His hand on her arm sent small shocks up and down her spine. She gasped at the sensation, feeling her knees go weak. The warm feeling flowed through her, slowly getting hotter and hotter.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, genuine concern on his face. “Are you sick?”

  “I … I don’t know.” She felt dizzy and steadied herself against the bar. What the heck was going on? “What the fuck. Was there something in my drink?” She looked up at him.

  Alex’s eyes darkened and took her empty glass. He sniffed the rim. “Do you think someone spiked your drink?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t take my eyes off my glass,” she said weakly. God, she was burning up, feverish.

  “Shit!” he cursed as he felt her forehead. She moaned and recoiled from his touch. “Sean!” he called out. “Did she have any other drink?”

  Sean nodded. “She had a vodka tonic, that’s about it. Hey, is she okay?”

  “I don’t know, but you better give security a call. Might be someone causing trouble,” he turned to the girl. “Alice … are you all right?”

  Alynna heaved and she felt her stomach rolling. “I think I’m okay. Don’t call anyone. I mean, I just need to get out of here.”

  Alex nodded and took her by the elbow carefully. She didn’t recoil from him this time, but clung to his arm instead, allowing him to lead her away.

  She wasn’t sure where she was being led, but she didn’t care. She felt a little bit better once she got away from the noise and pulsing lights. She closed her eyes and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

  “Feel better?” Alex asked, his face a mask of concern. He stood right in front of her, one arm braced on the wall behind her.

  She nodded, then opened her eyes. “Where am I?” There were three twin beds in the room and several lockers.

  “It’s the staff break room,” he said. “Do you want me to call a doctor or a friend? Boyfriend?” He leaned in closer, examining her face.

  “I’m much better now.” She shook her head, then gave him a small smile. “And no. No boyfriend.”

  “Good,” he said in a serious tone. “I wasn’t sure a girl like you would be single.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him. “Not from New York, are you?”

  He laughed.
“No. I just moved here from Chicago a couple of months ago. Were my Midwestern sensibilities showing through?”

  “Hmmph,” she huffed. “Something like that.” That same masculine smell filled the air again and this time, without the distraction of the club or other smells, it hit her nose sharply. “Shit! Do you smell that?” She felt her temperature spike again, though now there was no nausea or dizziness. In fact, she felt almost … tingly. “Do you work here or something?” she asked, looking around again.

  He chuckled. “No, not really. This is kind of a regular hangout for my, uh, workmates and me. My boss is part owner and the bartenders here treat us well.”

  “Ah, I see,” she said. God, was the A/C broken? It’s burning up in here. Why was he leaning in so close? Not that she minded. The smell was turning into something amazing, and it grew stronger as he came closer. Was that smell his aftershave or something? She looked up straight into his eyes, which seemed to have changed into a bright, glowing yellow. He also had the strangest expression on his face, which sent shivers through her. “I’m much better. I think I should go.” She saw the door next to them and turned to leave.

  “Don’t!” he said in a low growl. Before she could open the door, she found herself pushed up against it, her back against the hard wood.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  Alex said nothing, but instead pressed his body up against her. He leaned in, nuzzling her neck and letting out a guttural sound. Alynna froze on the spot. She could feel the hard planes of his chest and torso against her own body.

  His lips grazed the soft flesh of her neck, moving up her jaw to her chin. Finally, his lips claimed hers. Alynna was surprised at the touch of his lips and perhaps even more surprised she responded. Her mouth moved against his, opening to let his tongue snake in to mingle with hers. She gasped against him when he pressed his hips toward her, his erection evident.