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

by Michele Bardsley

  I scent the anger and sadness that leaks from his pores. His pain is tangible and worries me. I feel him trying to control it, but he can’t hide from his mate. My tiger revels in his fury and rolls just beneath my skin in ecstasy.

  I squeeze his hand. “As long as we are in the bus, you will be listening to Grandmother complain.” I receive the first smile since Cecily died.

  “I can handle Grandmother,” he says with a wink, and then returns a light pressure to my hand.

  He does exactly as he says. When she starts harping, he kisses me until she quiets and turns around mumbling. He has gone from poison toad to the smelly intestines of a dead, week-old pig.

  “I don’t want to know what she’s saying,” he says in my mind, and I smile at him as he grimaces. This gains me another kiss.

  We stop to eat a few hours later, and also say goodbye to the others. The sun won’t rise for several hours. I hug Mother and Grandmother. Letta looks so forlorn that I hug her, too. She’s tense, but I don’t have time to worry about what’s bothering her. Mase drives the bus away, and I’m actually relieved. Grandmother was behaving quite badly, and I was about to let my tiger take over and handle the spoiled woman.

  V unloaded the motorbike before the bus took off. He tells me a motorbike is known as a motorcycle in America. He adjusts a helmet on my head and then his own. They’re black with dark face shields. He assists me to sit behind him, and I wrap my hands tight around his stomach. “Hold on,” he says as he starts the engine and takes off.

  We drive until the sun is high in the sky. V pulls over in a small town and we eat. He finds a motel and rents a room so we can sleep. The inside smells bad, but I’m too tired to care. V pulls the bedspread off the bed and we fall on top of the sheets. We sleep for several hours, or at least I do. When I wake up, V is staring at me so intensely I think he’s angry with me.

  “No, not you, sweetheart. We need to talk.” He’s listening to my thoughts. He rises and collects me into his arms, carrying me to an ugly stuffed chair in the corner of the room. “You won’t like everything I tell you, but you have a right to know. Due to the intricacies of mating with a tiger, I can’t leave you to take care of a problem that has been weighing heavily on my mind for a long time. What I must do is not pleasant, and I would leave you behind if I could.”

  I don’t like him saying this.

  “Shh, listen and I’ll try to explain.”

  I place my head against his shoulder and do as he asks. He tells me of his brother’s death and the years of living with his drug-addicted mother before he became vampire; hunger, pain, loneliness, and no one but Cecily to care one way or another. I’ve always had Mother and Grandmother, and cannot imagine the world he describes. Then he tells me about Talya saving him, and how he entered the violent world of vampires and beastkind. I learn about his friend, Treson, and how he and V were kidnapped when V was human. Talya saved him again by requesting that The Moor change him to vampire. I’m enthralled with the entire story.

  He hesitates on the next part and pulls me closer before continuing.

  “I killed the man who killed my mother. He was also responsible for my brother’s death. It wasn’t pretty. I terrorized him and made sure he suffered before he took his last breath.”

  I lift my head and look into his eyes. His have a slight amber cast.

  He inhales and doesn’t release my gaze. “I never stopped killing after that. I kill those who deserve it. Treson helps. We terrorize these men and make sure they feel like victims before we grant them death. Each of them needs to die, and the man I am going after right now deserves it tenfold.”

  I process his words. Torbic controlled his dominion with an iron and often bloody fist. If I could have killed him without all tigers suffering, I would have. Some people need to die. “Please explain why you wish to take this man’s life.”

  Sadness fills his eyes as he tells me of a young college girl he didn’t even know, who died so very young. About eventually discovering her body and the horrors she most likely suffered before death granted her peace. I feel his rage and his need to avenge the innocent. I understand. My tiger already knew there was more to him than what he revealed to his friends.

  I have suppressed my tiger since mating with V. He has no idea what my tiger is capable of. This man, Donovan, will meet death at both our hands. I will gladly follow my mate and help serve justice. We will not grant a quick death, because this man, Donovan, does not deserve one.

  “We will terrorize this mouse together,” I say with finality. He stares at me for a long time. Finally, he lowers his head and kisses me.

  When he lifts his head, I see regret in his eyes. “I won’t make love to you in this filthy room. We need to get on the road so we arrive at our destination late this evening. Treson has mapped Donovan’s house and property. It won’t be easy, but Donovan’s blood will soak the ground before the sun rises tomorrow.”

  I now understand the two sides of my mate. I also know why my tiger claimed him so fiercely. He’s perfect for her, and, when I help kill this man, I will allow her savage nature to rise. She purrs inside my head because she likes the idea.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rondy the Bringer of Death

  A mile from the ranch, Esha shifts to her tiger form. Donovan has an extensive security system, and I had planned to flash inside, grab Donovan, and run for the hills. Being unable to leave Esha’s side for more than a few minutes curtails that plan. For such a large creature, she moves silently. We find our way to the tall fence that surrounds the perimeter of the grounds. Donovan portrays an upstanding citizen, but the security and armed guards give his double life away.

  “Are you sure you can make it over the fence and to the house before the pain is too strong?” I ask. Separating for a few minutes is the only way we can do this.

  “I can do it,” she says with confidence.

  She’s so strong. “Okay, I’ll wait at the edge of the house. When you get there, we’ll give ourselves a minute to recover if you aren’t spotted. Then I’ll flash inside and you can climb to the second floor balcony. We must take him quickly and get out. Donovan’s men carry assault rifles. Even though they deserve it, I don’t want to kill anyone else if possible.”

  Killing so many draws too much attention. I want Donovan’s men thinking this is gang- related. If I kill them all, the local authorities will become involved and possibly the military. The U.S. military works with beastkind, but doesn’t entirely trust us. They keep a close eye on savage killings.

  I flash to the edge of the house and watch Esha leap the fence, like it’s two-feet high and not eight. The power in her muscles is unbelievable. My stomach cramps as she streaks straight toward me. She falters for a moment and then adds more speed and makes it to my location before I puke. I go to my knees and wrap my arms around her shoulders, burying my face in the fur of her neck.

  Outer floodlights go on, and I know she was spotted. A very large striped tiger on the security cameras was sure to draw attention. We need more time, but don’t have it. “Go,” she whispers into my mind.

  I immediately flash into Donovan’s office, which is where the guns are kept. A few seconds later, Esha’s feline eyes stare at me through the window. I walk to the window and touch the glass. She runs her striped cheek along the other side of the glass and the nausea recedes. Maybe if this connection lasts forever, we’ll not have need of a child. This bond isn’t as stifling as I thought it would be when I discovered it. I crave her nearness, and it has nothing to do with tiger mating rules.

  I hear voices, and walk away from the window to wait in a shadowed corner of the room. My stomach cramps and sweat breaks out on my skin.

  “I swear it was a tiger on the monitor, not an overgrown house cat. It ran straight for the house, sir.”

  “I’ll grab my rifle and meet you downstairs. If we don’t find a large predator, I’ll staple your balls to the wall in my trophy room.”

  “Yes, sir.”
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br />   I can feel the man’s fear. Not of the tiger but of his boss. The office door opens and the light flashes on. He’s not paying attention to anything but his gun cabinet, and I give him a minute so the other man is far enough away. I finally move out from the corner of the room, and place a finger to my lips just as Donovan removes a rifle from the cabinet.

  “What the fuck?” Donovan bellows as he lifts the gun.

  I flash to his side and sink my teeth into his throat. He tries to slap me with the stock of the gun, but I grab it and fling it away. My hold on Donovan tightens and I cover his mouth while drinking as much blood as I can. While he’s still struggling, I drag him to his desk, lift it with one hand, and throw it across the room into the door. Our next stop is the window. I shield Donovan from the glass and bust through the window, just as his body goes limp in my arm. I don’t want him dead yet.

  Esha jumps from the balcony first and I follow, Donovan slung over my shoulder. This is the tricky part. “Stay close, Esha. They will shoot and try to stop us. They won’t want to hit Donovan, so the closer together we are, the safer we are.”

  We take off running, her fur brushing my side. Our powerful legs eat up ground. Donovan’s weight doesn’t slow me. We both clear the fence when the first shot is fired. We don’t stop. Treson didn’t notice scopes on their rifles while he did surveillance. A few more shots ring out, but, within another minute, we’re far enough away that they can’t see us clearly. We keep running, and follow the road for a mile before turning off the pavement and heading into the hills. Donovan’s men will be regrouping, and they will stay on the road to try to figure out how we approached. My bike is hidden miles away. They won’t find it. Esha and I scouted the area earlier, so we know exactly where we are going. The higher we are, the more Donovan’s screams will echo and confuse his men. We planned thirty minutes to kill him. I enjoy hours, but we won’t have the time.

  Donovan begins struggling a few minutes before we reach our destination. As soon as we arrive, I toss his body to the ground. He manages to get his arms and legs beneath him, and starts crawling away. Esha extends her massive front paw and knocks him down.

  “Fuck!” he screams when he sees what hit him.

  “Good evening, asshole,” I speak into the night.

  “Who the fuck are you?” He turns to me, but looks back and forth between me and Esha when I don’t answer. Then he voices the words I’ve heard too many times, and I fight laughter. “Do you know who the fuck I am?”

  Esha’s low growl fills the night, and the scent of Donovan’s fear permeates the air.

  I step closer to Esha so my stomach doesn’t revolt. I give Donovan my best “I don’t give a fuck who you think you are” look. “You’re Lincoln Donovan, the man responsible for the death of countless women, child prostitution, and other deeds that we’re here to discuss.”

  “Fuck you,” he says as he sits up and rests his hands on his thighs.

  “No, thank you. My friend here is hungry. I’m thinking that’s not a good thing for you. I, on the other hand, enjoy playing with my food.”

  “You’re fucking crazy.” His eyes jump between me and Esha.

  “You are going to give me the names and locations of your business associates, or the tiger will start feeding.”

  His demeanor changes and he seems to calm a bit. He actually laughs. “Again, fuck you. Even if you kill me, my partners will find you. Your life won’t be worth shit.”

  “Oh, there’s no even about it. You will be dead shortly. You only control how much pain you suffer between now and then. Oh, and the number of body parts that stay intact before you die.”

  He manages to gain one knee and he spits at my feet. “Fuck you.”

  Esha’s voice floats into my mind. “His vocabulary is quite limited. Does this afflict all humans in this country?”

  I can’t help bursting into laughter and that’s when Donovan attacks. He comes up off the ground and charges me. Too bad I’m not there. He slides into the dirt face-first.

  “May I, mate?” Esha asks.

  “Of course, dear.”

  In one short leap, she’s at his feet. Her powerful jaws wrap around one leg and she drags him to me while he kicks and screams like a pussy.

  “She can easily sever your leg,” I tell him after he decides that screaming and fighting aren’t helping. He twists and grabs at everything he can, including cacti. Ouch.

  Esha’s voice enters my head. “Tigers have no problem eating human meat. It’s not my favorite, but if you’d like me to rip off one leg, I’ll not waste the food.”

  Holy fuck, she’s perfect. “We’ll let him decide,” I respond out loud. Esha lets Donovan go and he rolls over, so he’s facing me. For the first time, I see the terror I’ve been waiting for. I have found that men who live by a code of death are usually harder to terrorize, and Donovan is no exception. Showing my monster should take him over the edge, but I’ll delay it as long as possible. “My tiger has decided to eat a leg, but I’m feeling generous and will give you the choice of an arm or leg.”

  Esha stretches her huge jaws and growls.

  Donovan is realizing his death won’t be gentle. I can actually see the calculation behind his eyes. “I’ll pay whatever you ask.” The sour odor coming from his body grows stronger.

  I give him my badass amber stare. “Arm or leg?”

  “You’re fucking crazy. Millions. I can pay you millions.”

  I turn my head to Esha. “Your call, mate. He’s being difficult.” I reach down and rip his shirt, pulling it off so I can use it as a tourniquet. Donovan tries to crawl farther away.

  Esha pounces and grabs his leg. With a mighty rip of her savage teeth, she pops the joint at the knee and clamps her jaws. Donovan’s screams fill the air. She jerks the lower half of his leg away, taking the pant leg with it.

  “I’ll remove the wrapper for you in a minute, dear. Let me tie this off first. We don’t want him dead before I get my information.”

  She growls, blood covering her muzzle.

  Donovan’s screams turn into whimpers as I apply the tourniquet. His body goes limp, and he passes out when I tighten it. I leave him there and approach Esha. “You don’t really want to eat that, do you?”

  “I’m hungry,” she says petulantly.

  Goddess, she’s mine and I’ll kill anyone who says differently. “Okay, but no kissing until you’ve brushed your teeth.”

  “Are you a squeamish vampire?” she taunts, and the sound of her voice in my head makes me smile.

  I don’t bother lying. “Slightly.”

  “Okay, remove the pant leg and I’ll just stay within his sights and lick.”

  She’ll be able to teach Treson a thing or two about terrorizing prey. I rip the pant leg off and leave the leg between her paws. She hunches down and gives it a slow lick and the rough surface of her tongue makes a sliding sound. What a woman.

  I walk back to Donovan and slap him until he starts to come around. It isn’t fast enough, so I grab one arm and sink my fangs into the vein. It will lessen his pain slightly, but I need information. The terror will break him before the pain anyway.

  His eyes focus and he goes to his forearms and looks down where his severed leg is tied off. He actually starts crying when he sees Esha licking the limb. “Please,” he begs, “I’ll do anything, pay anything.”

  “Information is all I want from you. My tiger tells me that she’s partial to intestines, so that’s where she’ll feed from next. You can live for quite a while as she munches on them. I’m also quite capable of bringing you back from the edge of death as much as needed.” I flash my fangs for the first time. He felt them back at his house, but he never saw them.

  His entire body starts shaking. Half shock, half fear. “Please, anything you want, please.”

  “Names.”

  And he gives them to us—names, locations, rendezvous points, everything.

  It took all of twenty minutes, from start to finish, to accomplish o
ur goal. My only act of mercy is breaking his neck quickly. I lean in close so he hears my words. “My name is V. Take it to hell with you.” The crack of his bones stops his breath on a final scream.

  I need to take my mate somewhere so she can shift, wash up, and brush her teeth. I really need to fuck her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Esha

  I’m tired of traveling on the motorbike. I’m also starving and cold. I should have just eaten the leg; it would have increased my metabolism and kept me warmer. V wants to be out of Texas as soon as possible. He said we would stop once the sun comes up. It’s peeking over the horizon when we enter a mid-sized town in a place called Oklahoma. He pulls up to a hotel that looks much nicer than the one we stayed in the night before. I’ve cleaned up slightly, but I still have blood between my fingers, so I stay out with the bike.

  A few minutes later, looking slightly green, V leaves the office. I don’t feel good either, but curling up on the ground wasn’t an option. He pulls me into his arms and holds me long enough that we can settle. He throws a leg over the bike and assists me onto the seat behind him. “Our room is in the back.”

  We roll slowly through the parking lot and then park the bike. We don’t run into anyone as we make our way to the room. V has the saddlebags slung over his arm, along with his helmet. I’m carrying mine.

  The room is a huge improvement. My sensitive nose picks up disinfectant, and I’m fine with that. “Shower, and then we’ll go eat breakfast. As soon as it’s lunchtime, we’ll order pizzas, too. I know you need calories.”

  “Pizza?”

  He smiles and my heart melts. All thoughts of food disappear. “You’ll love it. Come on.” He takes my hand and leads me into the bathroom. He adjusts the water while I go through the saddlebags and find my toothbrush. He walks over and nuzzles my neck while I brush. His fingers undo the button on my pants, and he slides the zipper down before tugging the pants lower. I finish brushing and kick the pants away. My shirt follows. I turn around to help him peel his clothes off and he tosses them on top of mine. The shower is actually a tub, and we step over the rim. V grabs soap and tears the wrapper off. He snags a washcloth and begins to wash my back. I allow the water to warm me while his hands do the same.