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

by Michele Bardsley

  “Let. Her. Go!” Coy’s bellow shook the trees.

  Joe released Lizzy and stumbled back several feet from where she fell. Coy fought the impulse to rush to her side. He could hear her heartbeat, even if it were weak, and he knew he had to take care of the danger to them first.

  He heard Manuel Salazar, who was only a couple of feet from Lizzy, pray in a high-pitched voice. The cartel baron crossed himself and muttered something about a chupacabra.

  Coy smiled, viciously bearing teeth. “I’m a werewolf, not a goat-sucker, Manny. And I think I promised you a meal.” The middle-aged man had watched Coy, in half-form, tear an arm off one of his men, and Coy could smell the pungent acidic aroma of his fear.

  Joe was scrambling back toward his vehicle while Manny closed the distance to Lizzy. He grabbed her and jerked her body between himself and the advancing beast. “I’ll kill her,” he said, his tone high and sharp.

  Coy reached out a hand as if the gesture alone might stop the man.

  Lizzy. Talk to me. Be strong. I can’t lose you.

  I’m here, she answered.

  Hope blossomed in him.

  You’re strength, she told him. It makes me stronger. I will not let him take me. She opened her mouth and howled, the sound haunting, yet urgent. It startled Joe enough for him to loosen his grip.

  Tucking her chin, Lizzy bit down on the man’s forearm until blood filled her mouth. When he tried to snatch his arm away, she dropped to her knees and rammed the back of her head into his groin before rolling away. When Manny went down, she leaped away. He managed to get two shots off at Lizzy. One hit her in the hip, the other in the thigh. She went down hard, her surroundings spinning around her.

  “No!” Coy thundered. He lunged at Salazar, pinning the hefty man to the ground. He stared into the drug runner’s eyes.

  “Don’t do this, Aviles. We can work something out. I can set you up for life.”

  Coy shook his head, his body shaking with unfettered rage. He held up a hand so that Salazar could see his razor sharp claws, and in one smooth, forceful movement, he punched his way under Manny’s ribs, grabbed his beating heart and yanked it out. There was a brief moment, where Salazar recognized his own heart in Coy’s hand. His mouth dropped open, and Coy shoved the useless organ inside as the spark of life left the man’s eyes.

  He jumped nearly twelve feet, his powerful new legs propelling him with lightning speed, and landed in front of Florrick, who had been running toward his car.

  “Wait, Coy,” Joe said, his hands held up in surrender. “Just wait. You don’t want to do this. You’re a good man.”

  Coy growled. “I am a good man.” He reached out and snatched Florrick by the throat. “But you’re not.” He ripped out the man’s trachea and threw it on the ground.

  Lizzy. God no. He’d fought for her, conquered for her, and in the euphoria of victory, he’d nearly forgotten her. He ran to her side, dropping to his knees. He hauled her into his arms, her body drenched in her own blood.

  “I’m here, amorsito. I’m here.”

  ***

  Lizzy, unable to move, blinked tears away. Her pride swelled as her man had roared his victory over their enemies. He was a warrior, a true alpha, and an even truer mate. His control had amazed Lizzy. He would have been a powerful partner in their world. Already, he was one of the strongest lycanosapiens she’d ever seen, born or culled. He hadn’t even changed to wolf yet, and here he was in a mammoth half-form. And wow, what a magnificent werewolf he made. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt a chill like never before. She fought against nausea and the light-headedness as she reached out to Coy.

  You must live, my mate. You are too important. You are...everything I never knew I wanted.

  The last thing she thought before darkness swallowed her whole was how lucky she was that the deer had bolted across the road.

  ***

  “No, baby,” he said. “Hang in there. Just hold on.” She was the nurse, not him. Coy’s training in first aid consisted of a CPR class he’d had to take at the police academy. She seemed to grow heavier as his body shifted, changed and transformed once again into human form. She had a wound in her shoulder and stomach, and now her legs were bleeding, too. He needed to get her into the den where he could get a better look, or to a hospital. Where the hell was the nearest hospital? Her breathing was shallow. Panic rose in Coy as sweat beaded on her skin. She was pale. So very pale. And her thin pulse was erratic. Irregular. He didn’t have to be a medical professional to know the situation was dire.

  He pressed her with his thoughts, searching for any sign she was in there. Can you hear me? Lizzy. Answer me. Lizzy! He couldn’t feel her, not like before. She’d told him that shifting could heal. He rubbed his knuckles against her chest to try and wake her up. “Lizzy. Change, baby. Be the wolf.”

  She didn’t respond. He swallowed the bitter taste of dread and fear that burned his throat. His heart hammered against his chest, filling him with foreboding. Coy had never expected much from life, and in this, he hadn’t been disappointed. His father had died in a firefight, and his mother had died of a broken heart. She’d committed suicide two months after her husband’s death. Coy had been twenty-two at the time and newly deputized. In the police academy, they called people like her EDPs, emotionally disturbed persons. She’d been undiagnosed, but he’d lived with her long enough to know she’d been mentally ill. Still, he’d hated her for leaving him, for making him an orphan.

  Right now, holding Lizzy in his arms, helpless to save her, Coy forgave his mother. How did someone go on living when faced with the loss of a love such as this?

  His stomach clenched. “Please, cariño. Please. Don’t leave me.”

  Her head lolled back. Hot tears streaked his face.

  The whirr of engines, crunching gravel, and headlights didn’t faze Coy. If Lizzy was dying, he didn’t care if more cartel assholes were here to kill him. He’d gladly take death over living without her. Two men scrambled from an SUV.

  Coy growled, holding Lizzy close, rocking her limp body in his arms.

  One of the men shouted, “What have you done to her?”

  “I can smell her blood...and more,” another man said. “It’s everywhere, Donovan.”

  “Jesus Christ, what the hell happened up here?”

  “Who are you?” Coy asked.

  “Donovan Wright,” the first man said. He came closer, his gait careful, his face wary. “I’m Lizzy’s guardian. And who are you?”

  He remembered Lizzy mentioning Donovan. These were not cartel men. They were Lizzy’s people. Her tribe. “Coy Vega,” he finally said, his voice choked. “I’m her mate. Help me.” He dropped to his knees, still holding Lizzy’s near-lifeless form. “Please help me.”

  The next few minutes blurred by as the men ushered Coy, who refused to let go of Lizzy, back to the bunker. The place where they’d made love. Where they’d claimed each other with bite and blood. Where he’d pledged his life to her. His life. A life he would give up in an instant if it meant she’d survive.

  “I need to check her out,” the large man with thick black hair and gray-green eyes said. “I’m Dr. Conor Evans. I can help Lizzy if you let me. You can stay close, but I have to get to the wounds.”

  Coy’s instinct was to keep them all away. She was his woman. His. But his logic overrode the impulse and allowed Conor to examine her and dress her wounds with pressure bandages.

  “How bad?” Donovan asked, worry coloring his tone and expression. He was a tall man, thin shoulders, with disproportionally large arms. His brown hair was graying at the temples. His dark blue eyes pinched with concern.

  “It’s bad.” Conor shook his head. “She’s lost a lot of blood. Her pulse is faint.” He didn’t finish his thought. “What did you say your name was again?”

  “Oh Jesus,” Donovan said.

  “What?” Coy and Conor said almost simultaneously.

  “Can’t you smell it?”

  “Smell--”
r />   Conor put his hand on Coy’s arm, cutting off his question. He inhaled deeply. “There was so much blood, I hadn’t noticed over the other scents. They truly are mated.”

  “What does that mean?” Coy asked. Of course, they were mated. He’d already told them so. He inhaled the air around him, opening his mouth to discern better the different aromas. He smelled the peppery scent of blood, the balmy musk of the other werewolves, the spice of their lovemaking, and beyond that, there was the scent of something citrusy and lightly floral.

  He dipped his head to Lizzy, his brow raised in a question. It was her. The strange, new scent was emanating from her skin. “She doesn’t smell like herself.” Was that the first sign of death? God, don’t take her from me.

  Conor rose to his feet and took Wright to the other side of the room. “These wounds are dire, Donovan. I think the mating, a true mating, is the only thing keeping her alive. If we can’t wake her up, I just don’t know.”

  “A clinic?” The older man wrung his hands.

  “The nearest facility is two hours away.” Conor glanced at Coy and Lizzy. “She needs fluids, and she needs to shift.”

  Coy’s frantic thoughts cluttered his mind. He had to wake her up. He shook Lizzy by the shoulders. “Lizzy, stay with me,” he demanded. “Don’t you give up on me. On us. Wake up, Lizzy.”

  He gathered her in his arms again, cradling her to his chest. “Do something,” he yelled at the two men. “Fix her!” He could feel himself changing again, his bones shifting and cracking. “Wake up!” he roared.

  Lizzy gasped in a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, then she stopped breathing altogether.

  “Do something,” the Donovan shouted at Conor. The stench of fear and anxiety poured off the older man. It was the same aroma Coy smelled on himself.

  “Your blood,” Conor said to Coy. “As a true mate, it will help her. It may be the only hope now.” Conor grabbed the scissors off the floor and handed them to Coy. “Use these. Your wrists will bleed the best.” Next, he snatched a mask with a bag attached. I’ll help her breath. You concentrate on healing her.”

  Coy took bandage scissors and cut his wrist, slicing deeply with the dull blades until a bright red blood spurted from the wound.

  “Press it to her injuries.”

  He ripped the bandage off the worst injury, the one near her stomach. The blood slowed but hadn’t stopped. He pressed his bleeding wrist to the ragged hole, praying for her to heal.

  Please don’t leave me, Lizzy. I don’t want to live without you. Please, sweetheart. Stay with me.

  Nothing happened for the span of a second, then thump-thump thump-thump. Her heartbeat grew stronger and steadier. She inhaled, gasping for air, and knocked the mask from her face. Conor moved away from them, but Coy could see the relief on the man’s face.

  “Change, cariño. My angel. Bring your wolf and heal.”

  “I can’t,” she said, her voice weak. Too weak.

  You have to. The bleeding from his wrist wound had slowed. He ripped at it with his teeth, bring a fresh well of red to the surface. He pressed it against the shoulder wound then the hip wound. You can do this. You’re strong. The strongest person I’ve ever met.

  Coy. Her voice was music in his head. I’m so tired.

  I know, mi cielo, but fight. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Fight to stay with me.

  I’m trying.

  Shift, Lizzy. You can do this. A strange pressure pushed at his chest, his stomach, and his mind. The air around him stirred, and he nearly let go when the woman in his arms transformed into the white wolf who’d ran out in front of him on an icy road.

  She whined, her tail swishing across his legs. Tears streamed freely now as he held her tight. Her long, rough tongue licked his face. The weight of his anxiety, the dread of losing his reason to exist, lifted, and Coy felt as light as air.

  I do believe you’re falling in love with me, Coy Vega.

  Are you okay? Are you healed?

  Getting there. I’ll have to stay a wolf for a couple of hours to completely recover, but I feel much better. Thank you, she said. Thank you for saving me. Again. Jesus, I’ve never loved a damsel in distress.

  I don’t know. Coy smiled. I think I could love one. He sniffed the air, noting once again the citrusy-floral fragrance. What is that? Your scent has changed.

  You don’t like the way I smell?

  You could smell like dirt, and I wouldn’t mind. It’s just different than before.

  I’m pregnant, she told him. Our mating was true.

  We’re going to have a baby?

  Yes. He could hear the pride in her answer. She wasn’t scared or unsure. Are you happy? she asked.

  More than, Coy said, wanting to shout it from the mountaintop while he fist bumped the sky. Dios mio, they were going to have a baby.

  The wolf turned her head and saw the two men in the room.

  He got my text message, she said.

  “What’s she saying to you?” Donovan asked. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s getting stronger,” Coy said. “She’s happy you got her text.” Strong emotions of gratitude welled in him. He brushed at his eyes. “Thank you.” He held out his hand to Donovan.”

  Donovan smiled. “So you’re Lizzy’s mate.”

  “Yes.” Coy couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “And you’re her father.”

  “Her guardian,” Donovan said, a hint of sadness in his tone.

  You had it right, Coy. He’s not my blood, but he’s been a great dad.

  Donovan must have seen something on Coy’s face because he asked, “What’s she saying?”

  “She says you’ve been a real father.”

  The man’s face reddened.

  “Breathe, Donovan,” Conor said.

  The older lycanosapien, nodded, and let out a breath he’d held. His eyes shined bright with the smile tugging at his lips. “She’s been a good daughter.”

  Coy felt Lizzy elation. I feel really awesome right now. Strong. Shift with me, Coy. My wolf wants to run with yours.

  I don’t know if I can.

  Oh, you can. If you can manage the anthro-form, the wolf will be easy for you.

  “Is something wrong?” Conor asked. “Is she having any pain?”

  “No. Just the opposite. She wants me to change into a wolf and run with her. I don’t know how.

  “Just think of it as an exchange.” Conor said. “Human for wolf. The first time can be weird, but don’t fight it.”

  Coy nodded. He imagined himself a wolf. Exchanging skin for fur, hands and feet for paws. He didn’t know if he was doing it right until he felt his face widening, his nose lengthening. Within seconds, his spine hunched, up and out, as his bones, once again, cracked and popped, shifting and reshaping. It didn’t hurt. On the contrary, he was filled with jubilation, an exuberant high no drug could match. Fur sprouted along his skin, thick and heated. Then, he was no longer holding Lizzy. Instead, he was standing next to her on four paws.

  You’re massive, she said.

  His fur was the color of tar. As pure black as she was white. Can you run? I want to run!

  I thought you’d never asked. She trotted to the open door. She looked over her shoulder at him. Let’s go!

  Coy took off after her, and knew without doubt, he’d follow Lizzy Langston for the rest of his life.

  ***

  Donovan Wright crossed him arms and stared at Conor Evans. “Well, I guess that’s something.” He let go the fear he’d been trying hard to hide.

  Conor nodded, unable to keep the grin off his face. “At least she’s found herself a mate. Ana is going to do backflips.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” Donovan said. His feelings were a mixture of exuberant joy and nervous trepidation. He’d wanted Lizzy to find a mate, to breed and produce an heir, but he’d miss her. With a mate and a child, she’d have even less reason to come home. He might not have been her biological father, but he loved her and took pride
in her like any parent would.

  “About the dead bodies...” Conor said.

  “I’ll get the shovels.”

  “Ground’s pretty hard.”

  “Fire then? We’ll weight down the remaining bones and drop them in the lake on the way home.”

  “Sounds about right.” Conor nodded. “We’d better hurry. Ana will kill me if we’re not back in time for Christmas dinner.”

  “She’s excited about the holiday.”

  “It’s Mariah’s first, and Ana wants it to be special.”

  Mariah was their firstborn. Donovan knew how it felt to love a daughter so much it hurt. To love her enough to make sure she never had to worry about bodies coming back to haunt her. Merry Christmas, baby girl.

  He looked at Conor. “We best get to it then.”

  Chapter Eight

  LIZZY FIDGETED WITH her cashmere blouse. It was candy cane red and paired well with her pale, winter skin tone. She paired it with red bauble earrings and matching lipstick. Dressing up like this made her feel self-conscious.

  Warm fingers slipped into her palm. She tilted her chin to gaze at the handsome face of her mate. “You look beautiful,” he told her.

  She was still sore from the night before, but the majority of the damage had healed while she was in wolf form. It didn’t stop her from feeling like a semi-truck had hit her in the chest and hip, though. Coy kissed her, gentle so he wouldn’t smear her lipstick.

  “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.” Her hands were freaking sweating. She hadn’t celebrated Christmas in over sixty years, not since she’d become a legal adult, but that wasn’t the main reason her nerves were acting up. For so many years, she’d poked fun and rolled her eyes at mated couples, and now, they’d all be here, behind this stupid door, just waiting to give it back to her.

  Her pulled her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “These are your friends. They will be happy for you.”

  “Uh-huh,” she replied, unconvinced.

  Coy stroked her cheek. “You give my heart wings, mami.”

  She learned that mami meant “sexy as hell chick” and every time he used those Spanish sweet nothings, she melted into a puddle of sappy, love-struck goo. Ack.