“I’m not sure what building he’s holding me in. There are a few boarded up windows and nothing else. It’s a large room. That’s all I can see.”
“Aren’t you even curious about your mating present?” Griffin walked over to a small closet and opened the door.
“There’s nothing I want from you.”
“Are you so sure about that?” Griffin reached into the closet, and much to Mina’s disbelief, pulled her sisters out by the hair, tossing them to the ground.
“He has my sisters, Rafe. They’re here with me.” Mina ran to her sisters, helping them from the floor. She wrapped them in her arms and tried pulling them to safety, but Griffin was faster. He latched on to Kenzie, jerking her from Mina’s embrace.
“Not that I don’t love a good family reunion, but I’d like to get things rolling along a bit faster, if you don’t mind.”
Griffin pulled a gun from behind his back and held it to Kenzie’s head.
“It’s time to shift, bitch.”
“Let her go, Griffin.” Mina was seething with anger. She pushed Bree behind her, shielding her from Griffin. Her wolf lingered in the foreground, seconds away from taking control.
“No. I don’t think I will. Maybe I’ll force a mating with this one instead of you. She seems to be more even-tempered. More accommodating. Or maybe I’ll keep the three of you and trade off day to day.” Griffin seemed pleased with his newest idea.
“Over my dead body.”
“Careful what you wish for, bitch. I could end one of you, or all three of you. It’s your choice. Now, shift.”
“He’s forcing me to shift, Rafe. He has a gun to my sister’s head.” Mina allowed her wolf to take full control of the situation. She trusted her to do what was necessary to keep her sisters safe.
“We’re here, babe. Right outside the door. I can’t believe Griffin hasn’t scented us.”
“I think he’s high on a power trip right now.”
Griffin shoved Kenzie to the floor as he began to shift. It was no surprise to Mina that he was just as ugly in wolf form as he was in human form.
Mina jumped toward her sisters, sending them silent commands to shift just as the doors crashed open. She watched as Rafe and about a dozen members from Black Paw descended upon their position. Griffin took off as soon as he realized his grand plan had been thwarted. He crashed through a window with a single board across the center.
Rafe let out a single howl before shifting to human form. He held his hand out for Mina to join him. She gladly accepted the hand he offered.
Chapter Fourteen
Rafe breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Mina and her sisters. He looked them over briefly, making sure there were no physical injuries that required medical attention. When he confirmed none had been harmed physically, he shifted to human and held out his hand for Mina. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his protection and never let her go. Which was completely unrealistic and he knew it.
Mina had been controlled too much in her life. He wanted to provide her with all the opportunities to discover who she was and what she wanted out of life, with him by her side.
“Is everyone okay?” Rafe pulled Mina into his arms and held her tightly.
“A little shaken, but we are all fine. I think he roughed Kenzie and Bree up a little bit, but it’s nothing shifting to their wolves couldn’t heal.”
Lucas ran into the building and quickly shifted to human so he could talk to Rafe.
“We lost his scent. He must have had a car nearby.” Lucas bristled with anger.
“Fuck.” Rafe’s fingers immediately combed through his hair. “Where could the bastard have gone?”
“You don’t think he headed for Black Paw? Do you?” Concern filled Lucas’s eyes.
“Even he’s not that stupid. His thugs probably helped him get away. We’ll catch up with him one day. Don’t worry. If he thinks I’ll forget about his transgressions against my family, my pack, he’s got another think coming.”
“I’m going to send a quick text to the group at home and let them know what went down and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Just in case.”
Rafe nodded, deep in thought. “Sounds good.”
***
Mina stepped away from Rafe and Lucas after learning that Griffin had indeed eluded them. She motioned for her sisters to join them in human form. It took a little coaxing to convince the girls that Rafe and Lucas would not hurt them.
With a little work, Mina finally got them to shift and pulled both of her siblings into a hug, consoling them. “I was so afraid he was going to hurt you, Kenzie.”
“I sure hope they catch him.” Bree was the first to break the hug. “So, are you going to introduce us to the hotties or what?” Bree smoothed her hair over and glanced at Mina. “Hey, is that a mating mark on your neck?”
Kenzie pulled Mina’s hair back and confirmed Bree’s suspicion. “OMG, you are such a hussy. You’re barely gone a full two days and you come home branded by a man.”
Mina laughed at her sisters’ familiar banter.
Rafe and Lucas joined them a few moments later and Mina started the introductions.
“Bree, Kenzie, this is Rafe, my mate and Alpha of Black Paw, and this is Lucas, Rafe’s second-in-command.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Rafe stepped forward and extended his hand in greeting. “I’d like to offer both of you an open invitation to join our ranks at Black Paw.”
Mina’s heart leapt with joy. There was nothing she wanted more than to know her family was safe.
“What about Mom?” Kenzie asked in a panic. “We can’t leave her behind. She needs us.”
“There’s plenty of room for your mom as well,” Rafe reassured the girls.
“Is there an empty cabin for them or would they stay with us?” Mina asked, hoping for the latter. Her sisters were several years younger than her and nowhere near ready to be left in charge of the day to day operations of a house. They barely cleaned their room, there was no way they could handle a cabin, even if it was a small one.
“Technically, I’m in the second’s cabin. I never moved to the Alpha’s home when my dad died. Maybe it’s time to make that move? As long as you don’t mind my mom being there as well. I wouldn’t feel right asking her to leave.”
“I would never expect you to put your mom out. We’ll figure it out.” Mina smiled.
“There’s plenty of room. Even with all of us there, we’ll barely make a dent in the two dozen bedrooms.”
“Holy shit.” Mina’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Exactly. My dad always dreamed of having lots of kids and grandbabies, but it never happened. Mom only uses one section of the house and the main kitchen. So everything will work out fine.”
“You mean we can finally have our own rooms?” Bree practically foamed at the mouth at the thought of having her own room.
Mina looked to Rafe for approval.
He answered her request silently through their bond. “Baby, I don’t care if they stay in the basement, as long as I get some time alone with you and soon!”
“Absolutely.” She managed to answer both questions with one word. “Let’s go find Mom and grab our things. Hopefully, Dad isn’t around.”
“Will she have a problem leaving your father?” Rafe seemed concerned about the idea of taking Mina’s mom away from her mate.
“No. She’s told us time and again the only reason she stayed this long was because she’s had no way to get all of us to safety. At least here at Twisted Tail she could keep an eye on all of us,” Kenzie explained.
“Kenzie’s right,” Mina agreed. “Our mom was forced into mating with our dad. She absolutely despises him, but only a true Alpha can break the bond. She went to Griffin about it once. He told her he’d do it for her if she agreed to be his mistress. From what I understand, she kicked him in the balls and told him to take a hike.”
“She also said something about ripping his balls off if he ever came n
ear her again.”
“Bree!” Mina scolded her younger sister.
“Well, she did!” Bree’s arms flew open, her eyes widened. “I’m just repeating what I was told.”
“You need a filter.” Mina shook her head. She never knew what Bree would say at any given moment.
“All right then, let’s go find your mom.” Rafe headed for the door, eager to depart the filth surrounding him. “This building should be burned to the ground.”
Mina and her sisters led the way as Rafe and Lucas followed behind. For the first time, Mina looked around at the land before her. “I don’t think I ever truly realized how bad everyone at Twisted Tail had it. Not until I ended up at Black Paw and saw that a different life was not only possible, but the norm.”
“It’s a shame because there’s no need for any of this. If Twisted Tail had a real Alpha, one that put his pack first, life would have been a lot different for everyone.”
Lucas whistled loudly as they came upon another enormous trash heap. “Does no one around here know what garbage service is?”
“Griffin didn’t want any outsiders on pack land. One of the other packs used to do the trash pick-up every week, but as soon as Griffin took over, that was one of the first things he nixed. He also shut down any of the businesses that worked with humans.” Mina picked up her pace, wanting to get the hell out of Dodge as soon as possible. Her eyes had been opened, the blinders removed. It made her sick to see everything before her with a new set of eyes. She thought of the years of isolation, verbal and physical abuse that everyone suffered under Griffin’s command.
“He did nothing more than cut off his nose to spite his face.” Rafe sensed Mina’s emotional state and hurried to catch up with her, wrapping his fingers around hers.
“Rafe, what will happen to the rest of Twisted Tail? There are many good people who still live here. Those people deserved better than a half-assed leader and subpar living conditions.”
“When we get back, I’ll contact the Counsel and have them step in. They will get things straightened out here in no time and find a new Alpha to lead the people.”
“Good.”
Chapter Fifteen
They finally came upon a trailer that had seen better years. The metal siding was void of its once colorful paint and rotted in several spots. Snow piled high on the flat roof and around the steps that led to a door that looked like it would fall from the hinges as soon as it was touched.
Mina hastily rushed through the door to find her mom, followed by Kenzie and Bree.
“Wait out here, let me know if you see anything.” Rafe slowly ascended the cracked wooden staircase.
“Will do, boss.” Lucas cooled his heals as the others entered the home.
The level of cleanliness inside surprised Rafe the most. Though everything in sight had well passed its expiration date, it beamed with a glow not often seen. Not a speck of dust could be found as far as the eye could see.
“Wow. It’s—”
Mina smiled up at him. “Mom has always been OCD about having a clean house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard ‘as long as there is soap and water, there is no need to be dirty’. I feel like I should warn you, though. My sisters and I did not inherit that trait.”
“I’m afraid to touch anything. I’d probably leave hand prints or something…mess up the shine.”
“Mina, is that you?”
Rafe watched as a slightly older version of Mina rushed them. If he didn’t know better, he’d believe they were twins.
“Are you okay, honey? I’ve been so worried about you and your sisters. Kenzie, Bree, are you okay?”
“We’re fine, Mom. I promise. What about you?” Mina looked at her mom, who looked shaken at best. Her cheeks were puffy and swollen, as were her eyes.
Rafe cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but we need to get moving. It’s not safe here.”
“Right. Kenzie, Bree, Mom, grab your things. We’ll explain everything later. Rafe’s right, we have to get out of here.”
The women quickly grabbed anything of importance and met back in the kitchen. Each had a backpack that had been stuffed to the point of popping and a tattered old suitcase.
Mina nodded to Rafe. “All set.”
The crew headed out to the waiting vehicles. “I figured it would be easier than trying to carry the stuff you wanted to bring along. I don’t want you coming back here. It’s not safe with Griffin on the loose.” Rafe grabbed Mina’s bags and threw them into the back of the SUV. Lucas helped with the other bags.
“Lucas, I want you with me. We’re going to stick to the back roads, that way we can keep an eye on those in shift. I don’t trust Griffin, and I’ll feel much better once we’re out of this hell hole.”
“You got it.” Lucas barked the commands to the others before joining Rafe and the others in the SUV.
Everyone was on high alert, jaws clenched with each bump, dip, and pothole that filled the terrain. Rafe sensed fear in the women as they sped along the winding dirt road. He could hardly blame them with the torture they had grown to expect from every man who crossed their paths. Concentrating on his connection with Mina, he sent thoughts of love and happiness her way and maybe a naughty thought or two.
She had managed to snag his attention when she turned the tables, sending him images of their all too brief time together. Heat pulsed through him, his wolf wanting to howl when she showed him images of her fantasies. There was nothing he wanted more than to complete the mating ceremony and bury himself deep inside of her. His wolf needed to claim her just as much as he did.
***
Lust poured through Mina’s body as she opened herself up to Rafe, sharing thoughts and desires with him. A blush stole over her face when he made eye contact with her. Sunlight shimmered off his eyes, highlighting the flecks of gold that danced like fire.
With one fleeting glance, Mina could see the hunger, lust, and desire Rafe held for her. The expression on his rugged face sent shivers through every inch of her body. It was the secret promise all lovers shared. The promise of ecstasy to be felt with one’s touch.
Lucas cleared his throat and interrupted the couple’s silent exchange. “Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?”
“I think it’s the love birds,” Bree was the first to chime in.
Mina’s face turned bright red when she realized everyone in the vehicle could smell the lust between her and Rafe.
“You know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Beth, Mina’s mom, laughed.
“Mom.” Mina’s face burned with embarrassment. How could I have forgotten my mom and kid sisters in the back? What is wrong with me?
“Please, they’ve only been apart for what, a few hours?” Lucas teased. “By the way, we are just crossing into Black Paw territory. We’ll be home in no time.”
A collective sigh escaped from the back seat. Mina breathed a bit easier knowing the ones she loved were finally free. Tears streaked down her face as the weight of a two ton elephant had been pulled off her chest.
“What day is today?” A thought popped into Mina’s head, one that excited her more than it should have.
“December 19.” Rafe arched an eyebrow as her thoughts poured through his head.
“You know I’m really digging this mating connection thing. It makes private conversations so much easier.” Mina watched Rafe’s expression very carefully. Her idea was crazy, but it would be oh so much fun. It was something she always wanted, and it would be an amazing surprise for her mom and Sisters.
“I think it’s something we can pull off pretty easily. It would make my mom pretty happy, too. She and Dad always went all out for Yule. The whole pack did. It would be nice to bring the traditions back to Black Paw. Maybe even create a few new ones.”
Mina wanted to leap for joy, but had to contain her emotions so she didn’t give too much away. All of her life she wondered what it would be like to celebrate Yule. Griffin ensured it was just anot
her day on the calendar at Twisted Tail. This year, she would find a way to make the Yule celebration special for all of them.
Rafe and Mina bounced ideas back and forth for the remainder of the ride. She was pleased to see that he meant what he said. Rafe gave Mina a very special gift. One she never had before. Hope.
Chapter Sixteen
The bumpy road soon turned smooth, the SUV slowed to a crawl and finally a stop. “Here we are.” Rafe nodded to the house that towered before them. The home his dad built was a sight to behold. Brick walls soared high above, with the three story architecture. The dim glow of lights seeped from windows that stretched across full walls of the home, giving it a welcoming aura.
A dusting of snow covered the concrete drive that led to the five stall garage. Rafe smiled as his mom stood in the driveway, waiting for their arrival.
“Oh my God, Rafe. This place is amazing.” Mina’s mouth nearly hit the floor.
Whispers sounded from the back, as well as a squeal or two when Mina’s sisters caught a glimpse of the estate.
When everyone was out of the SUV, Rafe ushered the group into the house and did a round of introductions.
“It will be so nice having everyone here.” Grace beamed with delight. “Let me show you all around and get everyone settled into their rooms before dinner. Rafe, I think you and Mina should take the master suite.”
“Mom, it’s not necessary.”
“I insist. I haven’t slept in there since your dad passed. Besides, you’re the Alpha and it’s time for you to take over. You and your mate.”
Rafe couldn’t find it in his heart to argue. He sent the girls on their way and motioned for Lucas to join him in the kitchen.
“I know we haven’t seen the last of Griffin or his enforcers. I’ve got a bad feeling that he’s up to something. Call it intuition or whatever you want, but I know he’s planning something.” Rafe grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and tossed one to Lucas.
“Is your wolf screaming at you as loud as mine is?” Lucas twisted the lid on his bottle and downed the ice cold water in one swig.
Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More Page 62