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

by Michele Bardsley

  His beast leaped high over a bush, not taking the time to go around, saving every moment it could on the return journey. It’s one thought to get back. As they neared the clearing the cabin was in, Rolf sensed a change in his beast, tuning into its enhanced abilities. His paws slowed, ears pricked, and that’s when he heard the distinct noise of another large beast. “Shit, I hope it’s not a bear! I don’t have time for that,” he thought as his Wolf stopped entirely, listening intently.

  A soft yowl of pain came from just up ahead; not a bear—good. His beast slinked forward slowly, gently pushing its head between some scrub, and saw a sleek black panther. He barely managed to stop his beast from whining as a shot of something ran through it. “What the hell?” he thought as he stared at the magnificent beast before him. Although not as large as his Wolf, Rolf knew better than to surprise such a beast, but it was injured and his senses were telling him this was no ordinary panther. No, it was a Shifter, and it needed help. His Beta rose its head, always helping others, and he let out a soft yip of his own before stepping forwards.

  The Panther swung its head toward him, lips drawing back to show a vicious set of teeth. Rolf dropped the rabbit, morphing quickly, and holding his hands up. “Hey, I won’t hurt you, but you look as if you need some help. I’ve a cabin just a short distance away, and you’re welcome to join me, until we can see what’s wrong with your leg.”

  Keeping his guard up he waited, ready to transform if the Panther became aggressive. However, it bowed its head in a parody of nodding and he gave a small smile. “Alright, follow me, I’ll go slowly, so you can keep up.”

  Changing quickly, he picked up the rabbit and started slowly toward the cabin, the sleek black beast at his side. His Wolf was almost prancing as they set off and again he wondered what was up with it. His beast most definitely never “pranced.”

  He kept a close eye on the Panther as they inched nearer to the cabin. It limped badly on one of its hind legs, yelping softly as they progressed. Rolf could sense its apprehension, fear, and a little anger, as they closed the distance to the cabin. He could understand the feelings, but wondered at the anger. Was it toward him or itself? He hoped the latter because he wasn’t in the mood for any angst. Not when he’d came here for solitude and peace and quiet.

  The sense of relief he felt when he saw the cabin was immense. Hopefully, he could sort out this Panther and send it on its way. Then he could get his rabbit stew on to cook and settle down for a nice relaxing evening. That’s what he hoped anyway. However, as he thought this his Wolf let out a low growl and Rolf quickly ordered it to be quiet.

  Chapter 3

  Rolf trotted over to the door, noticing the snow was now lying in a thick cover on the ground, his paws leaving prints as it went. The rabbit fell from his mouth and he morphed quickly, bent to pick up the rabbit and went inside. He grabbed the towel, wiping his feet clean, before turning to hold it out to the Panther. It stared back at him, a soft whine escaping it as he stood naked before it. “What?” he asked, wondering why the beast hadn’t shifted.

  It stepped forward, its snout snatching the towel from his hand, before retreating and disappeared off to the side. Rolf shrugged and left it to transform, going inside he quickly pulled on his jeans to cover his bottom half. Maybe the beast was some kind of prude. He had no clue and he set about getting the fire going as he waited. It didn’t take him long, he was quite adept at getting a good fire going, and as soon as he knew it would blaze into life he left it. His thoughts still on his rabbit stew, he went to light the stove, knowing the temperamental old thing took a while to heat up. Once he was happy that it was alight he returned to the living room, his eyes almost bugging out of his head at the sight that greeted him. His Wolf howling in his head as he took in the beauty before him.

  A young woman was standing in front of the growing fire, shivering as she tugged the much too small towel around her. Rolf’s eyes roamed over her back, long dark hair falling down to almost caress the top of her ass, her legs long and shapely, even if one of them was dark blue with a huge bruise. He coughed to let her know he was there, her head spinning around, her wide eyes locking with his. “Hi.” He gave her a smile, his heart thudding in his chest at her beauty. “My name’s Rolf and I’m Beta of a nearby Pack. What’s your name?”

  She tugged the towel tighter even though it barely made it all the way around. “I’m Mishka.” She looked scared as he closed the distance between them, his hand held out in front of him.

  Mishka looked at his hand, then her own that were holding the towel in place. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you have something I can wear?”

  “I think one of my shirts should do the trick, if you don’t mind?”

  “Anything.” She cocked her head, looking at him from between long dark lashes. “I feel a little underdressed.”

  Rolf laughed. “You look just fine from where I’m standing, Mishka.”

  “I bet.” She gave him a tiny hint of a smile as she said pointedly, “Well? Your shirt?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Rolf flushed, she’d knocked him off kilter with the smile, and he turned to snag one from his pack. When he brought it back, she grabbed it quickly, raising an eyebrow again.

  “Turn around.” She motioned with a finger and he flushed again as he did what she asked.

  His Wolf ears heard the moment the towel hit the floor, and it took all his resolve not to sneak a peek at her body. He knew it would be magnificent from the small glimpses he’d already had. As she tugged on his shirt he sighed, wishing he was the one doing the tugging. Her voice making him jerk as she sniggered. “You can turn around now.”

  “Pity, I think I preferred the old look.” He smirked and was happy to see his shirt only came to mid-thigh, giving him an excellent view of her legs.

  “I bet you did.” Mishka frowned as she stuck out one leg. “I hurt my leg a few days ago and it’s taking forever to heal.”

  Rolf strode forward, a frown also on his face as he inspected the leg. “It doesn’t seem too bad, what did you do and when? Surely it should’ve healed by now?”

  Mishka shrugged. “I fell, down a steep incline and broke it.”

  “A few days ago, you say? Why hasn’t it healed? Especially if you stayed in your beast form.”

  Again she shrugged. “I didn’t rest it.”

  “What?” Rolf was horrified. “Why not? And just how the hell did you walk about for days on a broken leg?”

  “Painfully.” Mishka sighed. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “What the hell do you mean by that?” Rolf pointed to a soft armchair sitting next to the fireplace. “Sit. I’ll have a look.”

  Mishka’s eyebrows rose again. “Bossy much?”

  “I’m Beta,” was his only response as he waited on her sitting down.

  Rolf fell to his knees, his hands reaching out to examine the leg. When his fingers touched her skin a jolt like an electrical shock ran through him, causing him to snatch his hand back as his beast howled once again. “What the fuck?” he muttered as Mishka made a sound like a kitten purring.

  “Your fingers felt good, even though it’s still hurting like a bitch.” Mishka’s eyes half closed as she looked down at him.

  His heart started thudding in his chest, his blood pumping so fast he could barely hear what she’d said as it invaded his hearing. “What?” He looked up, the sight of her bare thighs eliciting an embarrassing response as he grew hard. He was extremely glad he’d grabbed his jeans earlier.

  “Rolf, I’m not sure if you can feel something, but my Panther is giving me a headache.”

  “My Wolf is acting kinda strange too,” he admitted as he tore his eyes away from hers to inspect her injury again. “So, tell me, why couldn’t you rest to heal?”

  “I’m what could be called ‘on the run’ and I didn’t feel it was prudent to stop.” Mishka sniggered. “Jeez, that makes me sound like some kind of criminal running from the Law. I can assure you that’s not the case.”


  “I hope not.” Rolf saw the break was healing, slowly. “Because we are a law abiding Pack and if you’ve broken the law then we’d have no choice but to report it.”

  Mishka nodded. “I understand, but I promise I haven’t. I’m running from my family, more specifically, my father.”

  “Why?” Rolf asked, his fingers still on her skin. “What happened? You have a falling out?”

  The rueful laugh followed his words as she shrugged. “You could say that. He’s what you’d call a traditionalist, no, that’s not the right word. He’s an extremist in regard to keeping our line pure. He doesn’t believe in mating for love, only for allowing our line to progress with absolute purity.”

  Rolf nodded, sadness in his eyes as he looked up at her perfect features. “I know there are a few Packs like that. Don’t like inter-species breeding. I could never understand it though. A Shifter is a Shifter to me.”

  “Me too.” Mishka gave him a smile, one that had his heart thudding wildly again and his beast urging him to get closer. Way closer.

  “So, you left?” Rolf breathed, finding it difficult to focus on the words.

  “I did.” Mishka nodded. “He’d planned to bond me to a Panther from Europe and I told him no, but he didn’t listen and ordered me to be a ‘good mate’ and give him plenty of pure-bred grandbabies. Can you believe that? First chance I got I took off and I’ve been running for two weeks now.”

  “Shit.” Rolf shook his head. “I understand why you left. A loveless mating rarely works out well, especially for the female.”

  “Exactly!” Mishka’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I’d be nothing more than a breeding bitch and I wasn’t about to let that happen.”

  “Alright, well, you’re safe here and you can rest up and get some food and we can reassess things in the morning. Is that okay with you?”

  Mishka grinned, cheekily. “Is rabbit stew on the menu? If so, then I’m staying.”

  Rolf reluctantly got up, smiling as he answered. “It is. You can clean up in the bathroom and I’ll get to work on the stew.”

  “Wonderful.” Mishka rose, limping as she headed toward the bathroom door he’d pointed to.

  “No hot water but you can have a cold shower if you want.” Rolf’s eyes were locked on her ass as she sashayed across the room.

  “I’m good with that, but it’ll be a short shower. I’m not keen on cold water.” Mishka stopped at the door, looking over her shoulder at Rolf. “I like you, Wolf, and so does my Panther.”

  Rolf’s breath stopped in his throat, his beast pawing the ground in his head. “Ditto,” was all he managed to say before she disappeared.

  “Damn!” he exclaimed as he shook his head. “What the fuck is that all about?” he asked aloud as he went about sorting out the rabbit for the stew. He had no idea but his beast was making so much noise in his head he had to tell it to shut up, more than once.

  He expertly gutted and prepared the rabbit, added the vegetables, spices and water, to a large dish and then popped it in the stove’s oven. Rolf checked there was enough wood to keep the ancient range going and then grabbed his bourbon, pouring a large measure and downing it in one. He was feeling “out of sorts” and hoped the liquor would calm him down a bit. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t want to come across as being an ass. In fact, if anything, he wanted to make a good impression on her. “Weird,” he mumbled as he replaced the glass on the worktop.

  “What is?”

  Mishka’s voice surprised him and he jumped, turning quickly as his face heated. “Oh, nothing,” he muttered as his eyes roamed over her intently.

  “You look as if you’re about to eat me.” Mishka snorted with laughter. “Please tell me you’re not the Big Bad Wolf from fairy tales?”

  Rolf’s heart stuttered, her beauty, her scent, and her voice were having an effect on him he couldn’t quite understand. He stepped toward her, his eyes locking with hers. “No. I’m not the Big Bad Wolf, but eating you sounds good.”

  Mishka’s eyes widened, a blush creeping up her face as he closed the distance between them. He stopped right in front of her, his bare toes touching hers. His hand slowly moved to take a lock of hair in his fingers, slowly tangling it around them. “Your hair looks gorgeous.”

  “It does not,” she argued. “It’s a mess, like the rest of me, but you don’t appear to have a hair dryer, so wasn’t a lot I could do with it.”

  “It’s beautiful just the way it is.” Rolf leaned forward, sniffing the strands in his hand. “You smell…enticing.”

  “Do I?” Mishka’s voice sounded breathless as she leaned into his hand.

  “Yes.” He nodded. “And your eyes are the prettiest I’ve ever seen. They’re so dark that they’re almost black. A guy could get lost in them, very easily.”

  “Really?” Mishka leaned even further into his hand.

  “Yes, really.” Rolf cocked his head to the side, his heart beating way too fast. Mishka’s was too, he could hear it clearly. “Can I kiss you?”

  Mishka’s eyes twinkled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Rolf’s fingers grasped more of her hair, tugging her forwards as their lips crashed together. Her mouth opened beneath him, his tongue darting inside to investigate. One word rang loudly in his brain, Mine!

  One of her hands grabbed his hair, pulling him tighter into her, as her other snaked around his waist and slipped inside the back of his jeans. As her fingers caressed his bare ass he moaned into her mouth, his cock straining to break free of the confines of his denims. Lust engulfed him like never before, all reason and thought gone from his mind as he reached down, his hand slipping beneath the shirt she wore. His fingers trailed upwards, cupping her ass cheeks and jerking her to his long, hard, and aroused body. Rolf pressed his hardness into her, the resulting mewling noise from her throat, driving him wild.

  His fingers sank down, reaching in from behind to find her wet warmth. As he slipped one finger inside, she ground her hips on his hard length, humping him until he was completely lost in a red haze of arousal. He forced his lips from hers, picking her up and quickly placing her ass on the counter top, his hands prying her thighs apart as he stepped into her willing embrace. Mishka’s hands grabbed the top of his jeans, undoing them with a speed that expressed her need was as great as his. Her eyes half closed as she stared hard into his, her mouth tugging up at the sides as her tongue slipped out to roll over her bottom lip.

  Rolf growled, the low rumble coming from deep inside as he grabbed her head, forcing his mouth onto hers. His cock sprang free the moment she lowered the zipper, her hand firmly wrapping around and bringing it towards her pussy as her teeth nipped his bottom lip. Another loud rumble erupted from him as she positioned it at her entrance and he pushed forward, forcing his way inside. His rock hard cock met a brief resistance, before thrusting inside her sheath. The gasp she gave only just making it into his consciousness.

  His eyes widened with realization and he stilled his movements. “You’re a virgin?” he asked, barely restraining his ardor.

  Mishka gasped. “Don’t stop!”

  “Answer me,” Rolf said firmly, holding on to the last vestiges of his control.

  “Yes! But I’m not now, so will you move!”

  “You should’ve told me,” Rolf whispered, distraught at thinking he’d taken her for the first time on a fucking kitchen counter.

  “Please, Rolf, no talking, not now. I need this. I really need this.”

  Rolf was on the verge of pulling out when she yanked his head forward, talking against his lips as she placed kisses all over his face. “Please, don’t stop.”

  With that plea his hand held the back of her neck, holding her firmly as his other wound around her back. “You sure?” he asked one last time.

  Her hand grabbed his waist, her nails digging into his muscles, and she yanked him towards her. “Yes.” She breathed into his mouth, her lips devouring his.

  All semblance of control flew out the wi
ndow, his hips thrusting so hard he was balls deep inside her. “Fuck!” he cursed as a feeling of utter euphoria overwhelmed his senses. A feeling he’d never encountered before, and one that he knew he’d crave from this moment on.

  Their movements grew more frenzied, Mishka meeting his thrusts with an enthusiasm that belied her lack of experience. Rolf’s beast howled with glee as they stampeded towards their release and something magical, unique, and overpowering happened: in his mind’s eye he clearly saw her sleek Panther submitting to his Wolf.

  The vision caused him to tear his lips from hers, his head falling back as a roar erupted from his throat. Mishka’s warm, virgin, pussy clenched tight around him as her orgasm overtook her body, her nails raking his shoulders as she screamed his name. At the sound of her pleasure echoing in the cabin, he thrust wildly, once, twice, and finally his seed erupted deep inside his Panther.

  Their breathing slowly returned to normal, still locked together, entwined in each other’s arms, and their foreheads touching. “You’re mine, Mishka.” Rolf gasped, knocking his head against hers with the firm knowledge that he would never be able to give her up.

  “I think I am,” she purred. “My Panther submitted to your Wolf and that’s not something I ever thought would happen.”

  “I saw it.” Rolf reared back, his eyes wide. “In my head, I saw it. Your Panther and my beast. That’s never happened, ever, and I know we are meant for each other.”

  “We can talk later.” Mishka’s stomach growled. “Right now, can you feed me, ‘cause I’m starving.”

  Rolf laughed, disentangling their bodies. “Sure. I think the stew will be about ready.”