Alphas for the Holidays

by Mandy M. Roth

  He had their scent.

  And they’d dared to harm his Dani.

  Oh, they would most certainly pay.

  For now, he would watch the blonde who captivated him as she continued her youthful antics, bringing a smile to his face. A face that belonged to a man who all too often forgot to find pleasure and happiness in the things around him—a fault many immortals suffered from. Becoming jaded was easy to do.

  As of late, Cornell had found himself falling into the trap. But he had Dani. She was his salvation. His tie to humanity, though he’d never actually been human.

  She was a curious woman, one who managed to always keep him guessing. He knew of her past. Of the horrors she’d endured at a young age at the hands of those like him—vampires. When Cornell had been informed of what Dani had suffered through, he’d gone on a hunt for those who had harmed her and he made them pay—for weeks on end, again and again. Until they understood what a mistake it had been to harm Dani and those she loved.

  Of what an error it had been to ever lay a hand upon his woman.

  Mine.

  Burning-hot need rushed over him, and he held his drink so tight he was amazed he didn’t shatter the glass. He had spent years longing for the woman, wanting to know the feel of her body against his, the taste of her lips, the sound she would make when coming.

  “Ignoring me now, are you?” asked his best friend and fellow vampire, Finn Mackay. The man’s brogue had never waned in all the years he’d lived in the States.

  Many supernaturals that had centuries under their belts tended to cling to certain aspects of old. Cornell did so in the form of his home. He had it built from memory, based off his home from long ago in Europe. This was not the first time he’d had the castle-like mansion recreated. It would more than likely not be the last, either.

  “No. I am not ignoring you, despite how much I am considering it,” returned Cornell. “There is a reason I’m looking out the window. And I suspect you already know what that reason is.”

  Finn whistled low and laughed. “Aye, you mean who. And my money would be on the tall blonde, not the tiny redhead, though she’s a looker. I would nae kick her out of my bed for eatin’ crackers.”

  Cornell sighed, as all the reasons why he could never have Dani for himself, despite what the Fates appeared to think, rushed over him. She was a natural-born slayer. He was a vampire. She was his subordinate. He was her boss. The list went on and on. “It could never work.”

  He watched as she danced around an obviously male snowman she’d built that was anatomically correct. Dani’s friend Mimi seemed too focused on adding light-up decorations to an already over-lit display to notice Dani’s antics.

  Cornell had been obsessed with the young slayer since he’d first met her five years back, upon her completion of slayer training, and right before she had been officially brought into the Bureau for agent training. She was eighteen at the time. Far too young for him to have the feelings and desires he’d had stirring inside him. Cornell had placed a trusted friend in charge of overseeing Dani’s training within the Bureau, knowing his willpower was pushed too far when it came to the stubborn blonde.

  The last few years had been sweet agony for him, being near her day in and day out, yet not in the way he wished and longed for. He wanted her in his bed, by his side as a mate should be. He didn’t bother denying what he and his demon knew to be true—the real reason why he felt so drawn to her.

  She’s my mate.

  He knew the truth, though he’d not admitted it out loud just yet, let alone to her or anyone else. Besides, she wouldn’t be open to hearing such a proclamation from him. She always came off as disliking him greatly. It didn’t matter. He was more than fond of her.

  With as old as he was, he knew better than to fight nature. It ended poorly for any who tried, and for some reason, many supernatural males did. They thought if they buried their heads in the sand, and pretended what was before their very nose was not true, then they could continue living the way they’d become accustomed to. He supposed it was a flaw of most alpha males, it didn’t matter what type of supernatural they were.

  As a natural-born vampire, Cornell had never been a slave to his demon to the extent the sired were. But when it came to Dani Malloye, he found himself no more able to control his demon side than a newly sired vampire fledgling.

  He moved his free hand to the window as he stared out at her, watching her laughing with her friend. It was difficult to keep from smiling as well—her expression was that infectious. He wanted to touch her, to know the feel of her skin. Countless hours were spent fantasizing about what she would feel like beneath him, his cock buried deep in her, their bodies intertwined.

  “Corny, old buddy, old pal,” said Finn, interrupting Cornell’s thoughts. “I can smell your arousal and I do nae want to be here if yer going to start jerkin’ off. As close as we are, I have to draw the line somewhere. I pick there.”

  Groaning, Cornell cast a speculative look over the top of his glass at Finn, who sat with his legs open, beer in hand. The beer was foaming over the sides of the glass and down his hand, onto a sofa worth thousands. “I greatly dislike being called Corny.”

  “I know,” returned Finn with a waggle of his dark brows. “’Tis why I do it.”

  Figures.

  Finn stood and approached, dripping beer on his way over the oriental area rug, before joining Cornell at the window. “I see the way you look at her. And let’s nae forget where we’re standing, in the home you had built to be near her. That is nae creepy at all. Nope. Nae a bit.”

  He had to admit that it was over the top to build his home directly next to Dani’s, yet he’d been unable resist being near her any longer.

  Cornell wondered when and how he’d become such good friends with Finn. The Suttons weren’t known for their fun and fancy-free ways. Kendrick, one of Cornell’s brothers, was even worse. He lived by the rules and found comfort in routine. He was a born leader. Also, Kendrick had a low tolerance for Finn. Finn often goaded him when the opportunity presented itself. That was probably part of the problem. Cornell had always found Finn’s outlook refreshing and welcomed it. They’d been friends for centuries, but some days he did wonder how, since they had very little in common. He enjoyed Finn’s lust for life. Many vampires lost themselves over the years, moving far from their human ways.

  Not Finn.

  While Finn was certainly a force to be reckoned with in vampire circles, he kept hold of his humanity, but that was perhaps because he had started out as human. Unlike Cornell and his siblings. Finn’s ability to stay removed from his demon—something almost unheard of in those who had been sired—had been what prompted Cornell to ask the man to oversee Dani’s training. And Finn had done him proud.

  Cornell stared out the window, his gut clenching. “She was injured last night.”

  “She’s fine. I read the report. Banged up but fine, Cornell.”

  He stiffened, regret washing over him, sinking deep and settling there. “I should have been there to help her from the start.”

  “Her job is dangerous and she’s good at it,” Finn said, his tone light. “One of your team’s best enforcers.”

  “I know, but it changes nothing. I let her be harmed,” he said, feeling defeated. He’d been tied up with another matter and had been unable to shadow Dani as he normally did.

  “You’ve got it bad for her.” Laughing, Finn shook Cornell’s shoulder lightly. “Go over and speak to her. Nae as her boss but as a man. I seem to recall a time, long ago, when you were verra guid with the ladies. Try to remember what that was like.”

  “What would I say?” he asked. The man he’d been long ago had left no trace of himself behind. He was a mere shadow of who he’d once been when it came to Dani. Once upon a time, he had wooed women to his bed nightly, using them to sate his needs—both sexually and blood-related—and then he’d send them away, having no desire for repeat visits. Dani was different. He ached for her so much
that it tested his limits. Much more and something would give. He wasn’t sure what, and that terrified him. “At times, I run out of work-related items to discuss with her.”

  “Offer to stuff her stockin’. Ladies love it when they get pumped full of a big one.”

  Cornell choked on his whiskey and Finn patted his back.

  “See, the idea of fillin’ her with yer holiday cheer has you speechless,” returned Finn with another chuckle.

  Cornell groaned. “It really is amazing I don’t stake you myself.”

  “I know, right?” Finn clapped his hands. “I’m also right about you needing to make yer move. If you do nae, she might find some handsome bastard and decide to shack up with him. You think seeing her get a little bruised on a hunt is bad. Imagine seeing her get the hell fucked out of her. She’s young and in the prime of her life. I do nae think she’s going to remain single forever. Do you?”

  The very thought of Dani with another man set Cornell’s teeth on edge. His demon reared up, threatening to force fangs to show as his mood soured. He pushed his glass of whiskey at Finn and stormed toward the door, grabbing his coat as well. As a vampire he was already cooler than most and he wasn’t a fan of the bitter cold any more than anyone else.

  Finn downed the last of the whiskey and rushed up behind him, laughing. “I do nae want to miss this. ‘Bout time you vampired-up, Corny.” He withdrew his cell. “I may record this so yer brothers believe me when I retell the tale.”

  Cornell gave him a piercing look. “I am about to make a move on my mate and you’re worried about how this will appear when retold?”

  “Aye.” He waggled his brows. “I should call Matthew. He’ll nae believe it. He thinks vamps are pussies when it comes to claiming their mates.”

  Cornell came to a sudden stop and Finn ran into him from behind. “Why aren’t you surprised I called Dani my mate?”

  Finn chuckled. “Every one of us but you two seem to have figured it out, buddy.”

  “Really?”

  “You should have heard yer sister,” said Finn. “She’s been threatening to lock the two of you in a room until you admit yer feelings for one another. Athena is strong. I’d be worried if I were you. Now, Operation Mate-Claiming has commenced. What can I do?”

  “Avoid saying anything to piss her off,” answered Cornell.

  “So yer saying I should nae speak. Got it.” Finn pointed. “Look, she’s on the ground. Best you take advantage of this straight away. Yer already way behind on making a move here.”

  Cornell groaned as he took large steps through his snow-covered side yard in the direction of Dani’s front yard.

  “Did you get a glimpse of the snowman? Sweet mercy, if the lass is after a dick that is only as big as a carrot…”

  Cornell looked over his shoulder. “Finish the sentence. I dare you.”

  “Nae. I’m guid.”

  Chapter 3

  Tall, dark, dead, and the boss

  “Dani Malloye, do my eyes deceive me or are you playin’ in the snow? Bit old for snow angels, do you think?”

  The sound of a Scottish brogue brought a smile to Dani’s face. She knew that voice and had been friends with its owner from a young age. “Finn, I’m off the clock, and if you’re here to offer me overtime, I’m passing. I barely have a life. Sutton has me working fourteen-hour days as it is. He’s trying to kill me. I’m sure of it.”

  “I doubt that verra much,” returned Finn.

  With a snort, Dani lay on the ground still, shaking her head. “You’re wrong. I’m pretty sure he hates me. Why else would the man work me nonstop? Wait. Why are you here?”

  “Cornell does nae hate you, lass. Far from it. And I had some business to attend to at Sutton’s,” he said with a laugh that was infectious. “Spotted you outside. Thought I’d stop by.”

  Pushing up and off the ground, Dani made it less than one step before Mother Nature decided to place her on her backside once more. She lost her footing on the patch of ice, her feet went out from under her, and she flopped onto her backside. Discomfort exploded up her back, but her pride hurt more than anything. If she had been at full strength, a patch of ice would not have done her in.

  Finn laughed, extending a hand down to her. “Trick spot, huh?”

  “Want to kiss my boo-boo?” she asked.

  “I do nae think that wise. Though I do know someone here who would be willing to kiss your arse,” he said, a suggestive note in his deep voice. “Though, I’d be willing to watch the actions happening.”

  She stared into the grinning face of the man who had trained her when she was brought on as a slayer. “Of course you’d see me do a butt plant. It will be all around the office next week, won’t it? Tell me you didn’t get a picture of it. I don’t need to be the start of the next office blooper reel.”

  “Och, I would never.” Finn Mackay waggled his dark brows. “Besides, the reel is full of Sasha for this week. Be hard to top that.”

  She laughed as he pulled her to her feet. At five-ten she was hardly short, but Finn stood tall over her. “I don’t believe you.”

  “For the best,” he returned. “Enjoying yer decorating spree?”

  Dani glanced at the front of her house. It was now a total and complete eyesore. “Not as much as Mimi.”

  Finn laughed. “She’s responsible for this?”

  Groaning, Dani moved her shoulders some, trying to work the kinks out of them. “Oh yeah. It’s all her.”

  Finn flashed his notorious bad-boy smile as he ran a hand through his shoulder-length dark-brown hair. “Well, I dinnae dare think you had this much happy in you, lass.”

  A deep sigh came from Mimi, and Dani couldn’t help but turn to see what was going on. The dreamy look on Mimi’s heart-shaped face left Dani’s lip curling. “Ohmygods, do not tell me you’re doing the breathy sigh over Finn. It’s Finn, for crying out loud. We make fun of him daily at work.”

  “Hey,” Finn said, dusting snow off his leather coat. He was always dressed like a badass who belonged to a motorcycle club. He might be part of one. She’d never inquired. “I’ll have you know that every other woman but you finds me attractive. You holdin’ out for somethin’ better? Say, someone tall, dark, dead, and yer boss?”

  “Cornell?” She would have laughed at the suggestion, but he was right. She did find Cornell sexy. Sexier than she’d ever found another man. “Oh, please, whatever.”

  Mimi shot forward and took Dani by the arm, as she looked past Finn. “That is probably enough sharing now. Let’s go get some cookies and cocoa.”

  “Let her embarrass herself in front of him, l’il one,” Finn said, his gaze locked on Mimi. She was five inches shorter than Dani, and that put her almost a foot shorter than Finn.

  Wait.

  In front of him?

  Turning, Dani found Cornell standing there, his expression unreadable, his dark gaze sweeping over her, heating her body on its journey. Per usual, he was dressed in designer clothing, and nothing on him was out of place. The deep red of his shirt showed through his open, long, black coat. He had a red scarf paired with it, and she wondered if he actually planned his entire outfit at the start of each evening or if he just happened to match it perfectly.

  Probably planned it.

  Did he ever let loose?

  Did he ever just throw caution to the wind and live life to the fullest?

  Probably not.

  His pink tongue darted out and over his lower lip, exciting Dani more than it should. She wanted that tongue in places it was best she not mention out loud. Mimi’s sensitive ears were sure to ring and then Dani would be in for even more lectures on how to be a lady. Still, thinking of Cornell’s tongue on her clit turned Dani on, and then some.

  “Enjoying yourself?” he said.

  She nearly gave a smartass response, but decided against it for the sake of the season and all. Besides, she was tired of always being at odds with him. “I am. Did you enjoy the view?”

  His brow rose.
“You felt me watching you?”

  She blushed and glanced at Mimi, hoping her friend would throw her a lifeline. She didn’t. Mimi just stood there, smiling from ear to ear. For that, Dani was considering stealing the power cords for the decorations.

  Mimi brought her hands together and giggled. “I made cocoa. Who wants some?”

  Finn’s expression changed and Dani nearly laughed. The man did not want to be forced to drink cocoa. She couldn’t blame him.

  Cornell took a step in Dani’s direction. “We actually came out to see if the two of you would care to join us for a drink.”

  Mimi eyed him. “We’re not on the menu, are we?”

  Snorting, Dani covered her mouth with her mitten-covered hand. She didn’t want to outright laugh at the tension that still remained between the Fae and the vampires. They’d had more than one war flare up over the centuries between the two groups of supernaturals, and with immortals living pretty much forever, they could hold grudges with the best of them.

  She failed, laughing anyway. “Sorry. But really, we’re not going to get into this again, are we?”

  Mimi sighed. “I’d be happier if they agreed to cocoa, but I’ll accept the olive branch, and yes, we’d love a drink.”

  Dani stiffened. “We would?”

  Cornell was suddenly right in front of her, moving at a speed she couldn’t track, something only the most powerful of vampires could do in regards to a slayer. He pressed against her, his hand coming to her cheek, and she noticed how cold his skin was. Her brows knitted as Cornell brushed something from her cheek, his touch exciting her more.

  “You had snow on you,” he said, looking sexier than any man had a right to look. Damn him for having the dark and brooding sex appeal down to a science. And damn her for being a total sucker for it.