Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1)

by Jocelyn Thomas

  “I didn’t mean to upset you, Ava,” Sarah apologized, and Ava let her mother pull her into a soothing hug. “Why don’t you join your old lady for a movie, and we’ll forget all this mess for a few hours?”

  Ava rolled her eyes. “You’re not old, Mom.”

  Sarah laughed heartily. “I feel old,” she said, leading Ava into the living room. Maybe cuddling on the couch with her mother while they absorbed a good comedy was just what the doctor ordered.

  Chapter 25

  Ava’s eyes flew open, and she struggled to catch her breath as the horrible dream faded away and reality took its place. She sat up, gazing around the room, her skin clammy with sweat. She ran her hand through her hair, wincing in pain as something stung her wrist. What the hell was that?

  She raised her right arm to her face, inspecting the spot on her inner wrist that bothered her, fear and amazement gripping her chest. There was a perfect circle burned into her skin, about two inches across, as if someone had placed a hot branding iron to her skin.

  She jumped out of bed and rushed to the window, yanking the drapes open to let the sun seep in so she could examine the mark more closely. It was raised, like a fresh burn or scar, and she traced it with her finger curiously, wincing as it seared under her touch.

  It’s happening.

  Everything was coming to a head, she realized, and she flipped the light switch on as she moved to look at the mirror above her armoire. Her jaw dropped as she saw her reflection, and she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Her hand flew to a section of hair hanging by her temple, once the same rich brown as the rest of her locks, and now vibrant silver. “Fuck!”

  She raced downstairs, aiming for the kitchen. She could smell fresh brewed coffee, and she poured herself a cup with shaking hands. She would rather have a stiff drink, but this would have to do. Less than twelve hours ago, she’d started to believe things would be fine, and now, her resolve wavered, and she headed to the living room, walking like a zombie in a trance, to find her mother enthralled in the morning paper.

  Sarah lowered the paper at Ava’s approach, and her face registered no surprise. Ava wanted some sort of reaction. After all, her mother knew Ava hadn’t done this to herself. As she waited, her mother simply raised an eyebrow and quipped, “I like the new color, sweetheart. It suits you.”

  Ava flopped down on the couch. “Very funny,” she mumbled. She jutted her arm out so her wrist was under her mother’s nose. “Look!”

  Laying the paper down, Sarah leaned forward and inspected the mark. She nodded. “It’s an ancient symbol, the Unity Circle.”

  Ava shook her head. “I didn’t think it was actually going to happen. What does it mean?”

  Her mother looked exasperated. “It’s the universal symbol for unity, sacredness, and infinity. It signifies the goddess, female power, and the strength of the sun. It represents a feminine spirit or force, the cosmos, a spiritualized Mother Earth, and a sacred space. The circle is also a symbol of protection.”

  Ava gazed at the mark in confusion. Could another symbol have appeared instead? If so, why was it this particular symbol? What did it mean for her? She couldn’t figure it out, and she was a little irritated that having the mark didn’t give her a bit of insight into how she was supposed to go about restoring the order of things. It just looked like she’d burned herself in a moment of stupidity.

  Sarah patted her knee and chuckled. “The symbol doesn’t come with divine instructions, Ava. I’m sorry to tell you that. It’s simply a reminder of your greater calling, the purpose of your life going forward. All those who meet you and understand the significance of our kind will know, just as I’ve always known, that you are special in so many ways.” She stood and said, “I’ll get you some aloe to spread over it. It looks like it hurts.”

  Ava hadn’t counted on her mark being so blatantly obvious. Couldn’t it have appeared on her hip, or the back of her neck, somewhere more intimate that would avoid notice? She knew her mother meant well in telling her she was special, but Ava felt the opposite. She felt condemned, trapped. Marked. While she’d never been one to shy away from attention, this wasn’t the kind she was looking for.

  Things were spiraling out of control, and all Ava wanted was a modicum of control over her life and her destiny. She wasn’t looking forward to trying to explain this one or facing the reactions she’d encounter at work. She was already tired of feeling like a freak show. Now, she had to contend with both a very perfect burn and a strange silver streak in her hair. And that was on top of the ridiculous eyes.

  Sarah returned, smearing the aloe on the mark. “That should help soothe it. You’ll want to leave it uncovered.”

  ******

  Up in her bedroom, Sarah sat in her reading chair and gazed out the window. The mark’s appearance on her daughter left only one last piece of her prophecy to be fulfilled. The war would come sooner than later, and Ava would have to stand strong and be determined to meet her destiny. Sarah didn’t know exactly what Ava needed to do, but it wouldn’t be easy.

  She knew Ava didn’t want this, was overcome with emotion. If Sarah could have changed history, could have created a future where she’d never been the designated oracle and had never prophesied this war, she would do it to protect her daughter from all the things she would face. She would make Ava a normal young woman, coming into her own and building a life just like any college student desperate to get out of a small town and reimagine herself in a large city.

  But that wasn’t the case. Sarah closed her eyes and could almost hear her daughter’s thoughts as the girl quietly mourned her situation in the next room. She was angry at Caleb for appearing in her vision, for a betrayal she couldn’t be sure would actually happen. She was angry with Kelly and Katherine because she felt they were acting like nothing had changed. Sarah winced as she recognized Ava’s anger at her, for waiting so long to dump all of this on her shoulders. She felt blindsided, and that was another thing Sarah would take back if she could.

  But most of all, she realized, her daughter was angry with herself for being afraid. Sarah understood the fear; she had held her daughter close to her chest, sheltered her throughout her life, and this was bigger than anything Ava could have ever dreamed being involved in. She felt she wasn’t ready for the coming events and her responsibility in them, no matter what everyone else told her. Sarah frowned, sensing Ava’s crippling terror and denial.

  Sarah closed her eyes and pushed her strength and resolve in her daughter’s direction. She would drain herself by doing so, but Ava needed it now far more than she did. Sarah was willing to make any sacrifice to assure Ava could handle her responsibilities.

  Chapter 26

  Ava gazed in the mirror as she dressed for work, almost used to her appearance now. Her birthday had been a week ago, and she’d struggled through the questions people asked and the scornful expressions. At this point, her goal was to return to acting like a normal person, getting back to her old self in the wake of a week with absolutely no surprises. She felt like celebrating the fact that nothing out of the norm had happened, and now, she just wanted to forget about the prophecy.

  Ava took one last look in the mirror and headed downstairs, hearing Kelly’s honking as she descended the stairs. Her best friend could be ridiculously impatient. She wrenched the front door open and let it slam behind her as she yelled, “I’m coming!” irritably. She doubted Kelly heard her, the windows of the black ’72 Beetle were rolled down and music blaring through the quiet clearing as Kelly tapped the steering wheel to the beat.

  As Ava climbed into the passenger side, Kelly shouted, “Let’s go, sista! Lil’s going to be pissed if we’re late.” Ava rolled her eyes as she took in the black Gucci sunshades Kelly wore, having purchased them on their recent shopping excursion to Baton Rouge. They’d both needed to unwind, and they’d returned more relaxed.

  “We have plenty of time. What’s your rush?” Ava grumbled as Kelly peeled out of the drivewa
y.

  “You know how bitchy Lil can get. I’m just not in the mood for her to rain on my parade today.” She floored it as she turned into the road.

  Kelly was right; Lil had taken her bitching to a new level lately, and Ava knew she had to be wound tight over Blaez and his attacks. But since those deaths, everything had been relatively quiet. Ava might be naïve to think that Caleb had blown things out of proportion or already found a way to work things out, but she wanted to believe that it wasn’t as bad as it had first seemed.

  “You know, your hair is growing on me. It looks pretty cool, and I’m thinking about putting a thick black streak in mine to match.”

  Ava sighed. “I’m getting used to it. And you would look like a reverse skunk.”

  It took only five minutes to pull into the Coyote parking lot. It was a Friday night, and the parking lot was already starting to fill up. Tonight would be a full house, and the rush would start in less than half an hour.

  “Are you ready for a long, painful night?” Ava asked, pushing herself out of the low slung seat.”

  Kelly made a face as she opened the door and let Ava through. “Let’s hope the band is good enough to make up for the hard work.”

  ******

  Lil was behind the bar, as usual, her back to the door when a new, sweet scent wafted through the air with the chime of the door opening, and her nostrils flared. She whipped around, glaring at Ava, who had called in sick for the past several days. She entered as if nothing was wrong, but Lil scented a change and barely hid her suspicion as she took in the girl’s new look.

  Her animal instincts kicked into high gear as she and Kelly moved closer, the smell stronger and more potent. Kelly hadn’t changed a bit, and she’d been here every day, Lil watching her and wondering what exactly was going on with the other young woman. She hadn’t heard anything from Caleb about her, either, and she didn’t like that one bit.

  Her bar was starting to fill up, but she felt the rumble of a growl building in her chest as she watched Ava, her eyes glowing and the shock of silver hair completely out of character in her cozy establishment. “You two, in my office, now!” she called, pointing at Ava and Kelly. She was going to have a few words, right now.

  ******

  “I told you!” Kelly whispered as Ava glared at Lil’s back, her eyes narrowed. The woman stormed back to the office, and it set off alarms for Ava. “Are we late?”

  Ava checked her watch and shook her head. “We’re fifteen minutes early.” She hadn’t missed the slight glow in Lil’s eyes, and she was curious as to what exactly had set the woman off.

  Kelly clung to her arm as they headed back to the office, and Lil slammed the door behind them, walking over to her oak desk and leaning against it. “Come here, Kelly,” she bit out, and Ava felt her friend flinch.

  But Kelly moved toward her boss, sending Ava an anxious sidelong glance. Lil grabbed Kelly with both hands, and Ava tensed, ready to fight the woman, regardless of what she was if she hurt Kelly. She scrunched Kelly’s shirt in her fist and pulled her forward, sniffing around her neck and collar. With a disgusted face, she shoved Kelly away. Kelly nearly toppled, catching her balance on the back of a chair, her eyes terrified and angry.

  “Ava.” Lil’s feral expression indicated it was her turn.

  Ava froze. She knows. Shit! Her heart beat harshly in her chest, and she moved hesitantly forward, holding her head high. She wouldn’t let this woman terrify her. After all, hadn’t her mother told her that she held dominion to restore balance for all creatures? She told herself that she was more powerful than Lil would ever be, though she had trouble believing it.

  With two steps forward, she stopped moving. Lil closed her eyes, her nostrils growing large as she drew a deep whiff of the air. For a moment, her face was serene, and she took Ava off guard, grabbing her arm and jerking her forward. She growled, “Your eyes. You fed me a bullshit story about your eyes.”

  “I can explain, Lil,” Ava cried, panicking and trying to pull her arm free.

  But Lil held tight, her grip biting into Ava’s arm as she reached for the other hand, flipping it so the inside of her wrist faced up. Ava held her breath, hoping the decorative bracelet Kelly had bought to help her cover the mark didn’t slide away. But it didn’t matter. Lil yanked at it, snapping the band and dropping it to the floor. Her large brown eyes glowed intensely, bright amber, and she examined the mark with sight and smell.

  Suddenly, she dropped Ava’s arm like it burned her and backed away, baring her teeth and growling like she was ready to attack.

  “Lil, please, calm down.” Ava didn’t have the confidence in herself to stop whatever Lil was going to do when actually faced with the threat, and she whimpered with panic. Lil was usually the epitome of control, despite being a werewolf, and this was terrifying. She could almost smell Kelly’s fear, as well, the girl backing into the corner behind Ava.

  “It’s you!” Lil hissed between her teeth. “You’re the marked one!”

  ******

  Nostrils flaring, Lil took in Ava’s scent, so strong with every inhalation that she felt drugged by it. How had she missed this? She was so much more attentive than this. She’d had Ava working side by side with her, and only now did she recognize who and what Ava was. She saw the surprise on Ava’s face at her words, and it was no wonder. Only a handful of people knew of the mark and what it meant to her kind. To all the supernatural.

  For a moment, she raged inside that Caleb had kept this from her. After all, he had some sort of sordid relationship with Ava he didn’t want to discuss. But then she realized...he didn’t know, either. He had left last week with a few pack members to try and track Blaez.

  Lil was taken off guard as Kelly stepped forward, placing herself directly between Lil and Ava. Her face was stormy, though Lil nearly laughed at the intensity of her fearful odor. “Yes, Ava is the marked one. Why are you acting this way? It’s not like she’s going to hurt anyone.” Her voice was deceptively low and calm and Lil gave her credit. Anyone who couldn’t smell what she did wouldn’t know that Kelly was quaking with horror inside.

  ******

  Ava didn’t want Kelly taking chances like this. If Lil phased, they were both dead. This was a side of Lil that neither of them had seen, and Ava only knew in theory what she was capable of. This was getting out of hand, and something had to give.

  “Not going to hurt anyone?” Lil screamed and paced the room, her shoulders rolling as if she were going to pounce them at any moment. “Do you fucking realize that Ava holds the cure for werewolves? One ounce of Little Miss Sunshine’s blood and our extinction is at hand, you dip shit!” Her hostility permeated the air.

  Ava stood stalk still as Lil circled the room, landing behind her desk in the black leather chair. Her eyes shone with fury. “Jesus, this is why you took the week off.” They locked gazes, and Ava stood her ground. “When did this happen?”

  Quietly, Ava responded, “Last week, on my birthday.” She fought the urge to cry desperately, and her voice shook with the effort. “No one is going to find out, Lil.” She would hide what she was, no matter what it took. No one else in town, outside her family, knew what she was. She could keep it that way.

  Lil laughed sarcastically. “No one will know?” She shook her head. “Your scent is far too strong for that. You reek of some sweet, pungent musk that I smelled before you ever got through my door. Every werewolf within twenty miles knows you’re here already, I guarantee it. And other packs are going to catch a whiff on the breeze and come here to fuck with us. The vamps are going to fall on us in droves.”

  She tapped her fingernails on the desk in rapid succession, and Ava thought that, hopefully, she was calming a bit. “Caleb has no idea, does he?”

  “I haven’t seen him since last week,” Ava responded.

  Lil grunted, glaring at her before she turned away, deep in thought. “I’d have you chained in my basement, eating table scraps, if it were up to me,” she mumbled.

&n
bsp; “Nice, Lil,” Kelly barked, catching Lil’s attention to Ava’s dismay. “It’s not like she asked for this nor has any intention of doing anything bad.”

  Lil shook her head. “It’s not always about intentions, sweetheart.” She scowled. “I need some time to decide what to do.” Ava watched her get up and walk toward the office door. “Work tonight’s shift. We need the help, with the new band playing. It’s going to be a cluster fuck as it is.” Ava caught her breath as Lil’s glowing eyes turned on her again, boring into her. “But this is your last shift.” Her voice was stern, and she walked out, leaving no room for negotiations.

  Ava felt betrayed, and she exchanged horrified looks with Kelly as she collapsed into one of the chairs. Lil made no apologies and, after coddling Ava for weeks like a mother hen, she was tossing her to the wolves, literally, in favor of her own survival. Or what she expected to save her.

  “Jesus Christ!” Kelly breathed.

  Ava’s hope for normalcy shattered. Everything was falling apart, anything that could go wrong had. Lil would likely run to Caleb, and Ava was certain his fury would more than match Lil’s. She hung her head, catching it in her hands and trying to breathe normally. She couldn’t change what had just happened. The sky was falling, and she was powerless against it.

  “You know, she’s wrong,” Kelly muttered, coming and dropping a hand on Ava’s shoulder. “I don’t care how terrified she is, she’s being unreasonable and has no excuse for treating you like this.” Ava looked up and found Kelly reaching into her bag. She tore off her uniform shirt, replacing it with one of her own. “If you’re fired, then I quit.”