Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Michele Bardsley

  “Is this normal?” he whispers into my mind.

  “I’m not sure,” I purr.

  V rolls and comes up to his forearms so he’s slightly above me. “I love your eyes,” he marvels. Now he does see my teeth when I grin. His fangs flash when he answers with his own smile. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into shifting back and spending the day in bed?”

  “I’m hungry,” I say with a purr.

  V lowers his head and nuzzles into the fur at my throat. He accepts this part of me, and I’m content; and really, really hungry. I lift my body, and, for just a split second, I’m perched over V before I leap to the floor and swish my four-foot tail. Power exudes from every cell in my tiger’s body, but it doesn’t feel right to be in a position of dominance over my mate. My tiger accepts him as dominant.

  I know my eyes are orange, tinged with brown. My fur is a similar orange with bold black stripes. I glance over my shoulder and see that he’s watching me. The look he’s giving me makes me feel beautiful, and my tiger gives a low rumble that makes him flash his fangs with another smile. He’s vampire, and beastkind are a part of his life, so he’s accustomed to seeing us in animal form. I’ve heard humans have a different reaction to finding a mate. Once a tigress finds her mate, a human is completely helpless to our will.

  A vampire cannot give you a child.

  My tiger might accept him, but she also knows what mating with him means. I ignore her, and refuse to think about the future. We have time, and I’ll take advantage of every moment.

  V rises, grabs his pants, and pulls them on. His hand goes to my back and he strokes his fingers through my fur. A tingle shudders through me at his touch. We walk to the door, and he reaches above me and turns the handle. Mother, Grandmother, Marcus, and Letta are sitting at the large dining table in the corner of the suite. The table is covered with food, including raw meat, and my nose twitches.

  Letta’s voice enters my mind. “Marcus took me to the store and we purchased meat for you. Your mother and grandmother told me you would need it.”

  “Thank you, Didi,” I tell her.

  The smile that spreads across her face is beautiful. Didi is a Hindi term of endearment and respect for an older sister. My tiger feels she is not a threat, no matter Letta’s past relationship with V. She is now part of our small clan, and I can be magnanimous.

  Marcus breaks into my musing. “I must return home. I’ve been away from my mate too long, and want to wear the current look in your eyes, Rondy.”

  It is strange to hear V called by his other name. It does not fit him. I turn my head so I can see V’s eyes. They shine with sensuality, and I understand Marcus’ meaning.

  “Dmitri is having legal documentation delivered this afternoon,” Marcus says. “A photographer will be here within the hour for passport photos.”

  I swish my tail and Marcus turns his attention to me. “Good morning, Esha. I hope you found your accommodations… satisfying?”

  He’s teasing me, and my tigress doesn’t like it. She knows he’s vampire and deadly, but she does not accept him as dominant. I growl, and watch a touch of amber enter Marcus’ eyes as he stands.

  “Marcus,” my mate responds evenly. “My clan, my mate, my rules.”

  Marcus’ eyes quickly return to normal, and he smiles and gives a gruff laugh and a slight bow in my direction. “My lady, you have already left your mark on this young deviant, and it will take time before I know if I can put up with his more serious persona.”

  The hand on my back sinks farther into my fur, and V speaks into my mind, “He’s teasing you, Esha. Ignore him.”

  I do just that as I give another swish of my tail and turn my eyes to the women. They are watching the byplay—Mother and Grandmother completely unconcerned, while Letta appears nervous. She belonged to Torbic, as I did. His tigers were treated somewhat better than his other shifters. I know she must have suffered extensively for her liaison with V. I’m surprised she still lives. I will think on this more later. Right now, my tiger needs meat. “Please bring me the largest piece of uncooked meat you have,” I tell her telepathically.

  She moves instantly, carries over a huge tray, and places it on the floor. I salivate when I see that it holds an entire raw pork roast. I’m starving, and don’t waste any time digging in. Too many calories were burned with my mate, and I need to renew my strength.

  “The seduction must have worked,” Grandmother says to the room in general.

  I growl between bites. Now she is teasing me, too. She may not have liked the fact that I didn’t have a long and pretentious wedding ceremony, but she accepts it. Mother gives Grandmother a stern “Tut, tut” before whispering inside my head, “It is good to see you as tiger, my daughter. Your beauty fills the room, and I am now blessed with a true son. Thank you.”

  I lick blood from my lips and turn my head and rub it against my mate’s side. Tigers always take the mates of their daughters as sons. They are treated as royalty for saving their daughter from the separation. I worried that V would not receive the same treatment because of his inability to father a child. I was wrong. For however long we have, my family will embrace him fully.

  V’s hand moves, and he scratches between my ears. I purr and he speaks inside my head. “You will need to shift before the photographer arrives. I’m thinking a shower is in order, too… a sudsy shower.” His statement ends with a growl.

  I return the growl, though I don’t know if he understands the nuance. The women do, and Grandmother claps her hands twice. “Please eat your meal, Grandson, so you have strength to continue the seduction of my granddaughter.”

  V looks down at me and winks. I must remember to ask him what he does so the eye charcoal stays so perfect after hours of sleep. We move toward the table as one, V’s hand remaining on my head. He sits and I lie at his feet, leaning against his legs. Everything we do is seamless. He’s vampire, and maybe that is what makes this bond seem much more powerful than I’ve been told about.

  “Cub,” my tiger cries inside my head.

  No, we aren’t going there. It’s time for me to shift and take a shower with my mate. He needs to hurry his breakfast.

  ***

  We leave our bedroom twenty minutes after the photographer arrives. Letta sent the announcement of his arrival into my head, and I ignored it. V was proving that soap and water are not an American luxury, but a sexual necessity. I also learned his upper and lower eyelids are tattooed, and remain perfect even in the water.

  After my picture is taken, the photographer assures V that the passports will be delivered this evening. My mate is tired and we return to bed after the photographer leaves. Marcus is also gone and we will stay one additional night. Grandmother, Mother, and Letta are in a connecting suite. They close the door between us so V can sleep. Of course, my mate has no intention of sleeping.

  “I suffer greatly because I haven’t had your body in over an hour,” he tells me as we lie naked on the bed. His serious eyes lock with mine as he pulls me closer.

  I thread my fingers into his hair and delight at his words. I feel the same sweet pain of need. “I am sorry for your suffering. Maybe there is something I can do to help,” I say, as seriously as I can manage.

  “I was hoping you would understand.” He nuzzles my hair and cups my breast.

  His eyes are a sensual pool of need, but it doesn’t take away from the lethal reality that is vampire. He is deadly, and carries a darkness within his soul that I do not understand. Three days ago, I didn’t know he existed. Now, I need to discover all that he hides behind the wall he guards so closely.

  I place my other hand flat to his chest and feel his heartbeat. Mine matches the steady rhythm. “Do you miss eating food?” I quietly ask.

  He plays with my nipple as he speaks. “I did at first. It took a few years. Sometimes certain smells bring the longing back, but it doesn’t happen often.”

  My thighs clench as his inquisitive fingers explore my other breast. “Did it bother
you when I ate the meat?”

  He leans in and kisses my neck. “Nothing you could do would ever bother me, and raw meat was never my thing.”

  “What is your thing?” I whisper as his other hand skims my belly and travels lower.

  “Your blood… I can’t get enough of it. I haven’t been this hungry since I became vampire. You are more delicious than the best steak or finest wine.”

  His fingers find the part of me that craves him most, and his fangs slip into my flesh. I gasp, and run my palms over the muscles of his shoulders and back. His fingers enter me, and I arch my back and thrust my hips into his assault. My blood burns with need, and the intimate connection is doubled with the penetration of his fingers and fangs. He releases my throat and I open my eyes.

  His eyes are pure amber. He licks his full lips before leaning in and running his tongue over the bite marks. His fingers slide slowly back inside me, and I want more. He does the exact opposite, and stops the exquisite torture down below. He rolls until he’s leaning over me. He trails small, wet kisses down my neck and continues traveling past my breasts. I inhale sharply when his tongue tickles my belly, and then he moves lower, and the pulse between my legs intensifies.

  “Relax,” he whispers, but I can’t.

  Desire coils between my legs and I want him there, deep inside me. He kisses lower until his tongue slides between the delicate parts of me that are burning with need. Mother and Grandmother did not mention this. He positions my legs wider until his head is fully between them. I’m drowning in small waves of pleasure.

  “Esha, look at me.” I peel my eyes open at his command.

  His gaze holds such need. He pulls my right thigh farther out, and runs his tongue back through my folds before moving slightly to the inside of my thigh. He opens his mouth and I see his long fangs. A loud moan escapes me when they enter my flesh.

  Vampire.

  My vampire.

  Mates.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rondy the Sated

  She’s magnificent. She watches me drink her blood with desire-filled dark orbs. I slide two fingers back inside her and, for just a moment, she closes her eyes. I tighten my grip on her other thigh and her legs fly open.

  I want her to watch me. I want her to see what her blood does to me. The erotic smell of her desire is making it hard for me to hold back an orgasm, but I’ll be damned if I release anywhere but inside her.

  I withdraw my fangs while continuing the steady pace with my fingers, and lick the wet juice between her thighs. I find the small swollen nub between her folds and suck gently. Her eyes close again and I suck harder. Her hips lift from the bed and I know she’s close. I’ve tasted her blood, and now I want to taste her as she comes. I run my tongue over her again and increase the thrust of my fingers. Her hands lift above her head and push against the headboard as she cries out into the room.

  I absorb each pulse of her orgasm and pull the taste inside of me.

  She cries out again, but this time it’s my name, “V”.

  Not Rondy, V. The name I give to those I’m about to kill. She earned the right to call me V. When she’s in my arms, reality stands still, and I feel more alive than ever. Life and death are catalysts, as are love and hatred. They bring about change, and Esha has rocked my world with change.

  It doesn’t matter that it’s been only thirty-six hours; she’s part of me now. I will defend her with my life and kill anyone who threatens her. I will also somehow find a way to give her a child—break the curse or die trying.

  I rise and move up her soft, warm body. With one thrust, I bury myself deep. I take her from one orgasm into two. Tears stream down her face, and I kiss them away before the intensity of my own orgasm makes me throw back my head.

  When our bodies settle, I disengage so we are lying side by side, with her head pillowed on my chest and her leg draped across my thigh. She sighs with contentment as I play with strands of her hair.

  I was curious about her beastkind form and then woke up to an ten-foot tiger wrapped around me. It was still her—her scent, the constant vibration that travels beneath my skin with her nearness and the part of me that recognizes my mate. She’s magnificent in her tiger form, but lying here like this trumps her beast.

  Her dark skin in all its glory is the softest I’ve ever felt on a woman. She has a button nose, large eyes, and full, sensual lips. Her breasts fit my large hands perfectly. She’s beautiful, with a savage undertone. And, even with all of this, it’s the taste of her blood that drives me wild. It’s like nothing else on this planet. It’s what’s been missing from my life.

  I close my eyes and my thoughts drift. Now that my lust is sated, I can’t stop the thoughts of Lincoln Donovan rising to the surface, and it pisses me off. This time with my mate should hold thoughts of him at bay. Donovan’s the next man on my list. He’s wealthy, and thinks he owns the world. He also thinks rules don’t apply to him. When I was attending classes in New Mexico, a nineteen-year-old student disappeared. It took me three years to find her. She was buried in a shallow grave in Mexico, her badly burned and decomposed body beyond recognition. I’d flashed into her apartment shortly after her disappearance and locked her scent into my memory. I stood over her grave and swore I would discover who killed her.

  It took another two years to tie Donovan to the human-trafficking ring that ended her life. He lives in a jet-setting world with endless women. He owns a high-rise in New York worth over a billion dollars, along with other investments all over the world. I vowed a few weeks ago, when one of my contacts came through with his name and I was able to confirm the information, that Donovan would die a horrible death.

  Now, lying with Esha in my arms, the burning need to kill the man who has ruined so many lives is in the background of my thoughts. Esha comes first, even before the vengeance that I’ve dedicated my life to.

  I exhale slowly and close my eyes.

  “What troubles you, mate?” she whispers so quietly it almost doesn’t bring me from the edge of sleep.

  I can’t tell her yet. “What if Marcus had been the one to end your life? It was so close.”

  She snuggles farther into my chest. “You would never have known.”

  I tighten my arms around her. “I would have known.”

  And I would have. She’s part of me—my other half—my mate.

  ***

  We wake up in the early evening and make love again. I can feel her tiger close to the surface, and I know we need to leave for The Moor’s home so Esha can let her tiger run free and hunt. Marcus will meet us there to discuss the Council of Thirteen. I’ve claimed three tigers and a wolf. The council will argue that Letta is the only beastkind I have rights to. But I don’t care; Esha and her family—my family—will never return to Torbic.

  I make a few phone calls while lying in bed. Esha rests her head on my shoulder. She listens with interest as I talk to the caretaker of my house that is high in the Rocky Mountains. I don’t use it often, but it’s about to become home to my new clan, so I need things ready. The property sits in the middle of the national forest, and Dmitri granted permission for me to buy it and the decrepit house it included. It sat unused for six years, and, for some reason, last summer, I was driven to see it remade into the beautiful home it is today. Somehow, subconsciously, I must have known that my life would be changing. Cochran, a bearshifter from Dmitri’s clan, is the caretaker. He’s losing his job, but doesn’t seem upset. He agrees to everything I ask and we end the call. He will return to his home when he completes my tasks.

  I’ve been getting faint telepathic messages from Treson, and I can’t put off talking to him any longer. I know he felt the mating bond, even if he couldn’t completely communicate with me from a great distance.

  I dial his number.

  “What the hell, Rondy? You could have warned me. My brain is a shuffled mess. Every time I seem to gain control, something else hits me. Talk.”

  That’s Treson. He isn’t afraid of th
e big, bad vamp. I lay some of what’s happened on him. “I’m mated and have three additional clan mates besides Esha. We’re heading to The Moor’s home and then we’ll travel to the Rocky Mountain house. I need you to get there and oversee the list I gave Cochran.”

  Treson stays quiet for about ten seconds. “And Lincoln Donovan?” I can hear frustration in his voice. Treson wants the bastard as much as I do.

  “We’ll discuss him when I see you. Esha will share my room, of course, but the other three will need accommodations. We can put Mother and Grandmother in the apartment above the garage. Letta will need her own room, and you can sleep in the bunk house, if that works for you. I’m also going to try to talk Cecily into coming with me, and, if she does, we’ll give her the room next to the master bedroom.”

  He replies with a puzzled, “Mother? Grandmother?”

  “They won’t give me their names, so that’s what I call them. They’ve officially adopted me.” I fiddle with a chunk of Esha’s hair as I say this. Being an adopted son gives me a warm feeling, and I like it.

  “Okay, got it. Isn’t Letta the concubine you screwed and caused all the trouble with the last time you were in India?”

  Esha is raptly listening to every word we exchange, and now her low growl fills the room. I pull the phone from my ear and place it closer to her throat before bringing it up and answering Treson’s question. “My mate is lying beside me. If you value Letta’s life and your own, you’ll watch your tongue.” I add a bit of power to the words because, even over a great distance, Treson will feel a small bit of my irritation. He would also have no problem teasing my mate.

  “Long talk, you and me, as soon as you’re back. Nice to meet you, Esha. Is there anything else you command, my liege?”

  Smartass. He never calls me “liege”. He calls me ‘Rondy’, unless we’re on a hunt. “No, minion, I think I’ve given you enough for your itsy bitsy wolf brain to handle.”

  “Then I’m outie. Bye, Esha. I hope you can keep Rondy in line. I was unsuccessful, so I had to join his escapades.”