Copyright
Alphas Unwrapped
By: Michele Bardsley, Colleen Gleason, Dianna Love, Caris Roane, Mary Buckham, Dakota Cassidy, Claudy Conn, Melanie James, Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley, Gena D. Lutz, D’Elen McClain, Julia Mills, Dawn Montgomery, Stephanie Rowe, Terry Spear, A.K. Michaels, Candice Stauffer, Renee George, Tracey Jane Jackson, HM McQueen, Sky Purington
Copyright © 2015 by Melanie James
Cover Artist: Renee George
ISBN-10:1940968224
ISBN-13:978-1-940968-22-3
All rights reserved
Published in the United States of America
Edition License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you wish to share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should delete it from your device and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work. Illegal copies come with fine up to $250,000.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.
Acknowledgements
Renee George – Thank you for the amazing cover!
Tracey Jane Jackson – Thank you for making this anthology look so great!
Tammy Payne – Thank you for all of your hard work on this set.
Erin McRae – Thank you for going above and beyond.
Janet Juengling-Snell – Thank you for all you do.
CONTENTS
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Bear Winter (The Pack Rules #8)
Michele Bardsley
After a vindictive wendigo nearly kills his brother and kidnaps his sister-in-law, bear shifter Gabe Pearson has no choice but to ask psychic and ex-fiance Hope Wheeler for help. Together, they will fight through vicious snowstorms, murderous shifters, and grievous emotional wounds to save Gabe’s family--and get a second chance at love.
Raging Winter: Max Denton Book 2 (The Gardella Vampire Hunters)
Colleen Gleason
England, 1922: Savina Eleaisa is certain the famous vampire hunter--and her former lover--Max Denton is dead. But when she follows a vampire to a Christmas house party at a large English estate, whom should she find but Max Denton, deep undercover--and not very happy to see her. “If Buffy visited Downton Abbey.” --Laurie London
Tristan’s Escape: A Belador Novella
Dianna Love
Holidays stink when you’re alone, but the only woman Tristan ever cared for betrayed him years ago. Sucker that he is, Tristan teleports another Alterant to Atlanta in December to propose to his girlfriend, and walks straight into an ambush ...along with the woman he vowed would pay for his five years of imprisonment. Now he has to choose between saving her and losing his freedom forever.
Christmas Flame (A Flame Series Book)
Caris Roane
On Christmas Eve, vampire Officer Kyle Drake has finally persuaded the shy shifter, Verena, to go on a first date. His plans include a little mistletoe and a lot of seduction. But when a call comes in that a teenage girl has been abducted and Kyle and Verena go in pursuit, he fears the dangers of their world will once again force Verena back into her no-dating-ever mode...
Invisible Betrayal: Invisible Recruits Novella
Mary Buckham
Street savvy Jaylene Smart is spending her DC holiday on a snatch and grab assignment to terminate a threat, but it beats sitting alone in an empty hotel room. Her target is way-out-of-her-league-powerful Herm Kane and stealing from him sends her into the dangerous underworld of preternaturals she never knew existed. Surviving will depend on teaming up the same sexy Herm Kane, the man she just betrayed.
White Whitchmas
Dakota Cassidy
It’s Christmas in Paris, Texas, ya’ll! Prepare for a magical journey perfect for the holidays!
Nether Blue
Claudy Conn
Magic has always been a part of Calico’s life, but now because of it, she is on the run. Ahead, more danger. Enter Brodie, a prince from another realm. Will saving Brodie, trap her or save her?
Fur Ever Yours
Melanie James
When a dangerous female shows up in the middle of the night, Rafe’s world is turned upside down. Was she sent by a rival clan to rip apart his pack, or just his heart?
Christmas With The Beast
Rebecca Hamilton & Conner Kressley
Christmas heats up for a Beauty and her Beast when they find themselves at the top of a homicidal Santa’s naughty list.
Bite of Frost (A Dragon Blade Novella)
Gena D. Lutz
After Jericha Frost is thrust into a paranormal existence she knows nothing about, she learns that the scorching blood from an infuriating dragon-shifter is her only hope of survival.
Fang Chronicles: Esha’s Story
D’Elen McClain
Vampire politics are not exactly what Rondy expects when he enters the dark world of immortality and killing a deadly, out of control tigershifter is not his idea of fun. When fate intercedes, Rondy and Esha fight her inevitable death and take the brief time they are given to search for a miracle that would topple the childless world of vampires.
Her Dragon’s No Angel (A Dragon Guard Novella)
Julia Lake Mills
Take one snowbound dragon combine with one Christmas Angel, throw in a healthy dose of an attraction only the Universe could have conjured and top with the largest blizzard in a hundred years. Now sit back and enjoy the show! This one’s gonna be a bumpy ride!
Winter Guardian
Dawn Montgomery
Ashley Baker never forgot the icy December night he came into her life. Her fallen guardian angel with wings dark as sin destroyed a beast from her worst nightmares, and then disappeared into the storm. When the beasts return, so does the guardian, but this time he’s the one in trouble. Wingless. Mortal. The spark of attraction ignites into a flame that threatens to consume them both, but will it be enough to save them from the hell that awaits if they fail?
Dark Wolf Rising
Stephanie Rowe
Shifter Cash Burns has been on the run for ten years, hiding a dark secret. When his childhood sweetheart, who he hasn’t seen in over a decade, is targeted for assassination by his wolf pack, he’s the only one who can save her...but at what cost?
Covert Cougar Christmas
Terry Spear
Bridget Sinclair, Special Agent with the Cougar Special Forces Division has a mission--permanently stop two shifters from distributing a new drug in Cheyenne, Wyoming. While investigating, she rescues Special Agent Travis MacKay. Winter advisories are in effect for the Christmas holidays, but that doesn’t cool off the sizzling heat spiraling out of control between the two agents as they covertly team up to take down the drug-runners.
Lori’s Wolf Pack, Rolf’s Wicked Winter
A K Michaels
Rolf is Beta and has managed to escape the Pack for a couple of days ‘alone time’. However,
Fate has other plans for him and he soon finds himself in a situation he never envisaged. Finding a mate is surprise enough, but she is on the run, and those that are looking for her are only a day behind.
Ravished by the Alpha: A Christmas Cull (The Cull Book Three)
Renee George
Single by choice, werewolf Lizzy Langston has never been a fan of Christmas. But when Coy Vega chooses her tribe’s lands to hide from the drug cartel over the holiday, she is drawn to his dark nature and, oh yeah, his yummy six-pack abs. It will take a Christmas miracle to survive below freezing temperatures, Colombian hit men, an accidental culling, and each other.
Bound by Joy (A Cauld Ane Christmas Novella)
Tracey Jane Jackson
Kenna McFadden has waited more than two hundred years for her mate and she finds him in a most unexpected way. On a mission to find his missing niece, prince Gunnar Baldersson finds someone far more precious to him. Join in their bonding as they fall in love while celebrating the sweetness and joy of Christmas.
Choices
H.M. McQueen
An unbreakable bond with a handsome immortal Protector, drags Rachel Andrews into a world she never believed existed and has no desire to be part of. The actions of one night drastically alter the course of his long existence. Torn between his feelings for Rachel and his life’s calling, Roderick Cronan comes face to face with the fact that he is losing both.
Yule’s Fallen Angel
Sky Purington
Sparks fly as a sexy fallen angel turned warlock tries to free a feisty witch trapped between life and death. But rekindling lost love comes at a price. Now it’s time to beat the clock against a yuletide curse with a midnight deadline of December 25th.
Legendary Lover - Arctic Plunge
Candice Stauffer
Glorious friction sets Northern Alaska’s winter air ablaze when Dean Lawless, an alpha lycan, finds Jayne Dekker, his double-crossing mate, and takes the ultimate plunge
Bear Winter
The Pack Rules #7
By Michele Bardsley
Chapter 1
HOPE BOLTED UPWARD, clutching the patchwork quilt to her chest. Shudders wracked her body as she gulped in deep breaths. She buried her face into the old, familiar blanket, reaching for any kind of comfort. The last wispy layers of the nightmare faded, but her skin crawled with residual fear.
She slept on a too-soft mattress that occupied an elaborate bronze frame. Across from the bed, a white marble hearth housed a low-burning fire. She glanced at the rose-covered wallpaper and elegant mahogany trim and frowned. Where the heck—oh yeah. Silver Creek. Cripes. She took a deep breath to still the pounding of her heart.
A terrible ringing thrummed in her head. She pressed her palms against her ears, but the unceasing bells wouldn’t stop. She pulled away her hands, realizing with shaky chagrin that the trill of the phone had woken her.
She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Hope?” Her grandmother’s gravelly voice pierced the static-filled line.
Hope blew out a relieved breath. Gran’s voice had comforted her on nights long ago when childhood monsters had haunted her dreams. But her grandmother no longer held sway over Hope’s demons. She knew the truth: Monsters were real. Some were so evil, so vile, they could never be vanquished, and the ugly memories they created could never be purged.
“Hope? You there?”
“Yeah.” She grabbed the clock off the nightstand and groaned. Damn. She’d only been out twenty minutes—if the restless fear-filled journey into dreamland could be considered sleep. “Jeez, Gran. It’s nearly midnight.”
“Midnight? So what?”
Hope rolled her eyes. Her grandmother’s motto should have been “screw propriety.” When she figured something needed to be done, she didn’t wait for the so-called “right moments.” According to the old woman, there was doing it or not doing it. Virginia Matthews, age 76, was a lot like an Old West Yoda.
“I’m staying in Reno until the end of the week.”
“Gran! You’re already supposed to be here.”
“You ready to talk about it yet?”
No. Never.
Stop asking.
She bit her lip to keep the words from spilling out. Every day for the last three months Gran had asked the same question. Dread curled through Hope, stabbing at her conscience like hot knives, and seeping into the raw wounds left by guilt and self-damnation.
Hope stared at her red strands of hair draping her nightshirt. She took a curl and looped it around a finger. “I managed to pull the sheets off the tables and inventory the bar. We’re going to need some more rum—last year it seemed like everyone wanted Long Island Teas.”
“It’s only February. We don’t open until April.” Gran’s voice was soft, reproaching. “How long do you plan to run away from your problems?”
“I was thinking along the lines of forever.” She tugged on the coiled lock of hair. “I can’t get this place ready by myself.”
“We have plenty of time to bring the ole girl back to life.” Her grandmother paused. “Why do you sound skittish? You usually like being alone.”
Hope settled against the pillows, released the trapped ringlet, and rubbed her left temple. “It’s scary here at night.”
Her grandmother chuckled. “There isn’t a soul there who would hurt you. Even the ghosts are friendly.”
The line clicked then the dial tone buzzed in her ear. Gran never said good-bye. As Hope hung up the phone, she shivered. She couldn’t possibly close her eyes now. The fire in the hearth crackled, reminding her that there wasn’t any more wood in the bedroom. The flames sputtered, allowing enough light for shadows to creep around the room. She sighed. The wood was stored outside in the shed, which meant she’d have to tramp around in the cold desert air.
Goosebumps pimpled her arms at the mere thought of leaving the bedroom. On top of the impeding storm and bitter cold, the lights in the outside hall, stairs, and bar had gone out earlier in the evening. Another electrical problem that would cost a fortune to fix. Last time she checked, only the lights in the kitchen worked.
The nightmare, the one she’d been unable to escape, coupled with Gran’s reminders of ghosts, made her feel particularly vulnerable. She kicked aside the quilts, uncovering a Stephen King novel: The Shining. She picked it up and shook her head at her own foolishness.
“That’s what you get,” she muttered as she dropped the book and pushed the quilt off her, “for reading a scary story while stuck in a ghost town.”
She sighed. Time to go downstairs and grab the damn firewood...and raid her stash of Hershey’s Kisses from the kitchen freezer. Chocolate. Now there was suitable motivation to get her ass out of bed.
Hope pulled her pink bunny slippers from underneath the bed then she reached inside the nightstand’s drawer and grabbed the flashlight. As she walked to the door, the bunnies’ fuzzy ears flopped back and forth, tickling her ankles. Just as her hand touched the cold brass doorknob, she heard a groan, a creak, and an “ooooooohhh.”
Her hand clenched the knob, but she couldn’t find the courage to twist it. She debated diving under the covers to hide until morning came and sunshine swept away all the shadows.
A storm had been brewing all day and was still threatening to unleash its fury. In an old building like this, creepy noises were common and made worse by the fierce wind and ominous thunder. She just hoped it wouldn’t turn into a snowstorm.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. She stepped onto the landing, stopping when cold uneasiness pooled in her stomach. She touched the smooth wooden railing with her fingertips and looked down. The only discernable light was the moon shining through the big square windows. She nibbled her lower lip as she glanced to the blackness waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
Her grandmother loved to tell the tragic story of the first saloon owner’s murdered daughter, and how her ghost now haunted the upper floor. As a psychic, Hope accepted many weir
d things about life. After all, she was aware of shifters, and one bear shifter in particular. Gabe Pearson. Former handsome stubborn fiancé. She missed his face, damn it. But the only way for her to protect him was to stay away from him. As long as they were apart, he would live. She knew that as the truth because ever since she’d walked away from him, she stopped having all the ominous visions about his death. And if she knew one thing about her gift, it was to heed its warnings. She knew Gabe wouldn’t. As a bodyguard and bear shifter, he thought himself damned near untouchable.
Yep. I’d rather deal with the ghost.
After a short debate with her irrational fear, she decided chocolate was worth facing the dark. Hurrying wasn’t an option with her unwieldy slippers flopping around, but at least her feet were toasty-warm.
Gusting high winds lashed at the building; the windows rattled and shook.
Letting out a startled scream, Hope nearly turned around and fled to the safety of her bedroom. She took several deep, shaky breaths until she calmed herself and shored up her courage. She pointed the flashlight at the stairs. Chocolate awaits, remember?
GABE FINALLY FOUND the town of Silver Creek, Nevada. He’d passed Virginia City five miles back—which felt more like a hundred in the steep, winding mountain roads. He checked the map spread on the passenger seat of the Jeep. This had to be the place.
The ghost town, a summertime tourist attraction, wasn’t much to look at. Six buildings, two tall, three squat, and one crumbling, leaned against each other like drunken soldiers trying to stand at attention.
The sun had set about half an hour before and dusk slowly turned into night. Wind whipped through the parched street and dust swirled, dancing to the brewing storm’s ominous tune.
Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More Page 1