Designated Alpha

by Crissy Smith

  “I understand,” Brian replied. “I really do. Just give me a chance.”

  Jace nodded before stepping back. Brian moved away but Jace kept his eyes on him until the door shut between them. He heard Piper moan from the bathroom and grinned.

  A hot shower would feel amazing, especially one with his lover.

  He stripped off his jeans and underwear before he’d even made it to the bathroom entrance. Piper’s body was concealed by the cheap vinyl plastic shower curtain but he could see her shadow.

  “Need some help in there?” he asked, pulling back the barrier.

  Piper glanced up while pouring soap in her hands. “You think you can fit? Because I may never leave the shower again.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll make it work.”

  It was tight but they managed to both stand under the water spray. The fact that they had to be pressed up against one another? Well, Jace wasn’t going to complain.

  Piper started to run her soapy palms down his body, and he really wasn’t going to bitch about that. He kissed the side of her neck just as she reached his cock. He pumped his hips for her but slipped, his shoulder slamming into the wall.

  “Damn it!”

  She giggled at his curse. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to pull her even closer. Her elbow connected with his stomach, causing him to grunt.

  “Fuck, this isn’t going to work.”

  Shaking her head, she smiled. “Let’s clean up and move onto a safer surface,” she suggested.

  “Oh all right,” he said, disappointed, but agreed with her.

  Taking turns, they cleaned their bodies and hair until the water started to cool a little. As Piper stepped out and grabbed a towel, Jace shut the water off. He watched her run the cotton over her body, taking inventory of the bruises she’d collected. Just a few, but even that small amount was too much.

  “Hey,” she said getting his attention. “I’m okay. You were hurt more than I was.”

  Glancing down at his torso, he could see the small cuts from the scalpel. Funny that they didn’t even hurt anymore. He wondered how long they had ended up being prisoners.

  She wrapped the towel around her hair before reaching for a second towel. “Now come here.”

  In the entire time that they’d been together and the numerous times they’d showered together, Piper had never dried him off. He quite enjoyed it. By the time she’d finished, his cock was fully standing at attention.

  “Now, you come here,” he ordered, yanking her against his body.

  She hummed happily. Their mouths met and Jace drove his tongue inside. It seemed like forever since he’d connected to her this way. Moving his hands up and down her back, he just couldn’t get close enough. He needed her to surround him, to know that he hadn’t lost her. Prove that they were both alive and together.

  Stepping forward, he forced her to walk backward, just one foot at a time. He just couldn’t make himself stop kissing her in order to get them to the bedroom.

  Piper dug her nails into Jace as she gripped his shoulders. The bite of pain from it felt glorious. “I need you,” she murmured against his lips.

  If Jace had had any control at all at that point, it snapped. He dropped to his knees and dragged her down with him, covering her body.

  She tilted her head back and he attacked her neck with his lips and teeth. Her unique flavor burst onto his tongue, causing him to groan deeply. Piper went wild under him, bucking her hips up and grabbing at his.

  “In me! I need you in me,” she pleaded.

  Not exactly the seduction he’d planned, but he wasn’t able to resist her command.

  Scooting down her body, he used his tongue to bring her pleasure. First her nipples then her stomach before he reached her sweet, moist pussy.

  Burying his face into her wet folds, he plunged a finger deep inside her.

  She wasn’t able to remain still. Her legs moved restlessly as her body shuddered and shook. He knew she was close. He wanted her to go over the edge at least once before he took her with his cock.

  “Jace,” she moaned, her body arching as she climaxed.

  He worked his tongue and fingers inside her, making sure she was thoroughly satisfied before lifting his head. Her hair had come out of the towel and was covering half her face as she lay there, struggling to catch her breath. He climbed back up, pushing the wet strands away.

  Piper grasped him by the back of his neck, bringing his mouth to hers. Jace ran his tongue over her bottom lip before nipping slightly. Her body jerked and she smiled.

  “I’m not nearly done with you,” he said softly.

  “Better not be,” she responded with a wink. When her hand closed over his throbbing erection he grunted. “Because I still want to feel you pounding me.”

  “Christ!” Jace blew out a breath, trying to get a hold of himself.

  Piper just laughed, stroking him faster.

  “St…stop,” he spoke but since he was thrusting into her palm, there wasn’t much conviction behind the order. Any minute he was going to shoot his load.

  He broke away and pointed a finger at her. “Naughty,” he accused.

  She widened her eyes in innocence. Even desperate and full of need, every moment of making love with Piper was perfect. He’d never had another lover that could tease him to the point of breaking.

  He lifted his eyebrow in challenge.

  Something between a laugh and shout escaped as he positioned her on her hands and knees.

  “Oh yes,” she practically purred when he knelt up behind her.

  Jace rubbed two digits against her clit while with his free hand he grasped his cock. He placed just the head at her entrance, he paused. “You ready for me, baby?”

  “Please!”

  With his hands on her hips, he slowly, very slowly started to breach her.

  He knew his woman well. She tried to push herself back to take him faster but after squeezing her hips harder, she stopped trying to force him.

  Dropping her forehead down, she breathed. He needed this. He’d take her hard and fast like she wanted, but first he had to have this reconnection.

  Deliberately keeping his pace unhurried, he gritted his teeth as her warm cunt engulfed him. When he was finally fully buried inside, he rested his head on her shoulder.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “My love, my mate,” she responded softly.

  That was what he needed to hear. Lifting his chest, he braced his knees and feet and started to withdraw.

  Then plunged back.

  Over and over again.

  The slap of skin on skin and their cries filled the air around them. It was a heady sound. Picking up his rhythm, Jace continued to drive himself forward, claiming what was his.

  Too soon and yet at the perfect moment, he felt the first twinge of release.

  Lifting his right hand from Piper’s hip, he clutched at her long hair and tugged her head back. Not enough to hurt but where he could watch her face.

  She sobbed just as her inner muscles clamped down on his cock. He thrust hurriedly as she fell over the edge before finally following her over.

  He came hard, shouting her name.

  * * * *

  There were sweats in one of the dresser drawers. Piper’s body was pleasantly sore and felt well used.

  Just walking past the spot on the floor where Jace had claimed her had her flushing. She still had a gut-burning desire to have another go at him but that would have to wait. She was starving and he needed to check on Mitch and Bobby.

  Once they were dressed and she’d found a rubber band to pull her hair back, Jace opened the door and peeked out. She waited until he’d glanced back at her and nodded before following behind him.

  Brian was leaning against the opposite wall. Piper had dozens of questions she was dying to ask him and knew Jace had just as many. The biggest shock had been learning that he was like her. He was obviously still in the military and from the sound of things, so
were several others here. Just what in the hell was going on there?

  “Mitch and Bobby just headed down the hall into the break room. I had the food put there if you’re ready to join them,” Brian explained as she and Jace exited the room.

  She twined her fingers through Jace’s when he reached for her. Since Jace didn’t say anything, she remained silent also. Brian turned and they followed behind him.

  She could hear Bobby’s voice carrying to her and immediately felt better. For some reason she just couldn’t stand the thought of either Mitch or Bobby being too far from her.

  Just outside the entrance, Brian stopped and stepped to the side. He dropped his gaze to the ground. The move seemed instinctual, and Piper had the urge to lay her hand over Brian’s in some sort of acknowledgment. Instead she strolled past him, ignoring the heavy sigh she heard.

  Piper was relieved to see Mitch looking better. He sat at a table with an empty plate in front of him. From the scent, she would guess he’d just finished a steak.

  “Smells good,” she commented, walking up to them.

  Bobby jumped up and hugged her. She returned the embrace before clasping Mitch on the shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Much better now that I’ve eaten,” he replied.

  “Here, sit and I’ll make you a plate.” Bobby held out a chair.

  “Thanks, but I can serve myself. Finish your meal,” she ordered gently.

  Bobby was underweight and she hadn’t had a lot of time to work on that. She’d have to make sure she made it a priority.

  Seated at the table across from Bobby was Cody. She nodded politely but didn’t say anything. She didn’t trust the guy and it was all she could do not to snarl at him until he was far away from her men. The feelings were overwhelming but she knew it had something to do with them belonging to her.

  Vince’s last words had been to call her an Alpha. How he’d known, she wasn’t certain.

  Luckily it appeared Jace either hadn’t heard or didn’t remember. Now that they were away from Vince, she was reluctant to confess like she’d been planning. So much had happened. The thought of losing Jace was enough to make her ill.

  Having a Pack, her being an Alpha… What if he couldn’t handle it?

  Jace patted her lower back as he moved to his own chair. No one said anything while they piled their plates with meat, potato salad, slaw and soft, buttery rolls.

  Once they’d had enough to get started, Jace nodded at Brian. “Have you eaten?”

  Brian just shook his head.

  “Will you join us?” Jace requested.

  Moving quickly, Brian sat on the other side of Jace and began loading up. Piper took a big bite of the juicy steak and almost moaned. Damn, this is good.

  She tried a little bit of the side dishes and could have wept that her neglected stomach was finally being satisfied.

  Half her food was gone before she slowed down. Once she did, she glanced around the table. Jace and Brian were shoveling their meal in just as quickly as she had. Mitch was going to town on another plateful while Cody and Bobby just watched everyone else.

  Catching her eye, Jace smiled and paused in eating. He nodded toward Brian then lifted his eyebrow. She caught on to what Jace wanted.

  Setting her fork down, she looked over the soldier. He was an attractive man, about the same age as Jace. While her mate had never mentioned him before, through their bond she could feel how much Jace wanted to trust him.

  “How long have you been different, Brian?” she asked, as a way of starting the questioning Jace was anxious to get to. She still wasn’t sure what to call their transformations.

  Startled eyes jumped up to meet her gaze. “Uh…” He paused long enough to wipe his mouth with a paper napkin. “Well, as you can see, I wasn’t killed in action.”

  Jace snorted.

  “I was attacked. Since at the time we didn’t know what being changed meant, everyone in my unit was reported dead.”

  “And now?” Jace pressed.

  “Now I lead a special division that is researching what we are. I have been able to take my experience in Intelligence and gain more knowledge of what has happened to us.”

  Jace and Mitch exchanged a look that she couldn’t read. Although she didn’t know what the two men were thinking, she could feel their wariness through the bond.

  “Maybe you should start from the beginning,” Jace suggested.

  “Yeah,” Brian agreed. “So my unit was charged with finding insurgents in the Afghan mountains. Rumors had been circulating for several weeks about a high-powered leader returning. We were dropped in at night and had forty-eight hours to get all the intel possible.”

  As Brian leaned back in his chair, settling into his story, Piper poured more coffee. She was existing on fumes and needed to keep sharp.

  “At first everything went as any other op. We stayed silent and hidden, moving from one tribe to another. As the sun started to come up, we noticed more and more excitement in the villages but we could never catch the name or names of who was bringing on the activity.”

  Brian glanced at Jace. “You understand what I’m saying. How frustrating it is to know something was happening but couldn’t find any clue.”

  After Jace nodded his agreement, Brian seemed to relax even more into his story. Piper couldn’t imagine having to live through what the men around her had. They’d sacrificed so much for so little reward. They believed in helping others and had committed their lives to that goal.

  “We moved as much as we could during the day. We had to remain unseen and finally decided to split up. Three of us took the south and I sent my other three teammates to the north. Then it started to get dark.”

  Jace shuddered, and Piper wondered how reliving this story would affect him. She wished she was close enough to offer some comfort. Instead all she could do was remain silent and listen to the man. Well maybe not just sit there, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She found the bond to Jace easily and just started to send her feelings toward him. He loved him, he was a strong man, and she would be lost without him. Love, affection and respect, she pushed those words toward him. She heard him gasp and reopened her eyes. He glanced at her and smiled. Hopefully she helped. She felt better for trying anyway.

  “Finally after the sun set, the men and women started to make their way deep into the mountains. We followed and couldn’t believe what we saw. It wasn’t a person but a large Pack of wolves.”

  Piper could guess where the rest of the story was headed.

  “Watching those people shift and transform for the first time was terrifying. By the time they’d turned into their second forms, it was too late. They easily picked up our scent.”

  The pain in Brian’s voice was too much for Piper to ignore. She stood and quickly walked over to where he was seated. Placing her hand against the back of his neck, she breathed deeply.

  The change in Brian was immediate. The tension in his muscles relaxed and he slumped forward. Since she wasn’t sure exactly what she’d done except following instinct, she glanced at Jace, confused.

  He nodded slightly while smiling.

  “That’s amazing,” Brian murmured.

  “Can you finish or do you need a break?” Jace questioned quietly.

  “I’m good,” Brian assured them, although he did press his neck harder against Piper’s palm. “They were organized and relentless,” Brian continued. “While we did manage to take out several, their numbers were too great. Eventually we all fell.”

  Rubbing her thumb across Brian, Piper regretted not being able to do more.

  “I thought I was dead when the wolf bit down on my shoulder. I passed out from the pain and knew it was the end—only it wasn’t,” Brian told them. “I woke in a dark cave in the most intense pain I’d ever felt. I could see some of the other members of my unit. That was when they started to change us.”

  “How long did they have you?” Mitch asked.

  “Six days. We missed our pick-up an
d they sent another unit in to find us—or what happened to us. The transformations were complete but we knew we’d never be able to hide what had happened.”

  “How many were changed?” she asked with dread.

  “Four, but more know about us. Six in my unit and two of our bosses. I don’t know how far up the knowledge has gotten.”

  It was so much to take in. After patting Brian’s shoulder one last time, Piper went back to take her seat. Instead, Jace caught her hand as she passed him and pulled her onto his lap.

  “We’ve been setting up the new unit ever since we returned. I knew about Cody’s experience from reports and visited with him a few times. So when he called and told me about the three of you being captured, I knew I had to do something.”

  “We’re grateful,” Piper said sincerely. “You didn’t know about Vince?”

  “I tried to speak with him several times but he kept dodging me. It wasn’t until Cody called him over without telling him I would show up, that I finally cornered him. That was last week.”

  “What happened?” Piper questioned.

  “Nothing. He told me a story about being turned during leave and stated he didn’t know who changed him. I didn’t believe him but I couldn’t call him out just yet. So we followed him for a few days and that is how we knew about the building.”

  “I didn’t know what to do,” Bobby spoke up. “Mitch made me hide when those guys came up to the room. After he was taken, I waited to see if you would come back. I was sure you would.”

  “It’s okay,” Piper assured him.

  “You did the right thing, Bobby,” Jace agreed. “It was smart going to Cody for help.”

  “I didn’t know how to really help,” Cody added. “I called Brian and let him know that you’d asked to meet with Vince.”

  “We followed you to the bar that night. Sadly we didn’t see you leave the next day. We had a meeting with our superiors and missed Vince disappearing. We didn’t put it together that you’d be in danger. We figured you went back home when Cody didn’t hear from you again,” Brian said.

  Wow, anything could have changed what happened to them. If Brian’s people had been watching, they might have gotten out sooner. Mitch would still be human.