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

by Michele Bardsley

“Will I become like you after I take your blood?”

  “Yes.” While looking down at her and studying her every feature, happiness and sense of complete fulfillment welled up in him. Everything about her fascinated him. His heart felt so full, so satisfied. “Since you’re my true mate my blood you will change you, it will make you become like me. Does the idea of it bother you?”

  “No. It’s weird. But I think it will have its perks. I like the idea of having sharp teeth to bite you with.” She flashed a sexy smile. “When you’re naughty.” She took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “The only problem I have with it is that the idea of actually drinking your blood makes me feel very nauseous. I would hate to puke on you. It would likely ruin an otherwise wonderful moment.”

  He kissed her, his lips hungrily finding hers, his tongue delving deep, making love with hers, heightening her desire, intensifying ache between her legs. Reaching between their bodies, she gripped his hard, throbbing cock and, making the hottest gasping, groaning sounds he’d ever heard, she massaged the head over her slick entrance. Supporting his weight with one arm to use his other hand to tease her nipples with his fingers, he kept his gaze on hers as she pleasured herself with his cock.

  Then, grabbing his ass and lifting her hips, she pulled him to her. Watching her, memorizing her every expression, he slowly pushed his cock into her hot, tight entrance. He’d never seen anything more stunning than her looking up at him. He’d never experienced like it. He was addicted. He would never have enough of her. He’d lived for hundreds of years without her, but he wouldn’t last a day if he lost her.

  Nothing topped the experience of finally joining their bodies in love’s most intimate, sensual embrace. His movements started out slow, but quickly became wild. She was so hot. So damn tight. He thrust into her savagely as she raised her hips to meet him. Again and again, creating the most wonderful friction, he slammed into her.

  Feeling his muscles bunch beneath her fingertips she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back. He was long, hard and so thick, stretching her, filling her completely, creating intoxicating sensations.

  She recognized his presence in her mind, sharing his pleasure with her and sharing hers. It was incredibly intimate. Reaching up he sliced his chest with a lengthened nail. Her pulse race with a strange combination of fear, and anticipation. “Trust me,” he whispered. “Stay with me. Keep your mind merged with mine.” Cupping one hand behind her head, he brought her mouth to the small wound. “Feel what I feel.”

  Taking her by surprise, she felt the first ripples of an orgasm the instant she tasted his blood. It was the opposite of repulsive. The act caused every thought to center on her body, his body burning up in firestorm of sweet ecstasy. Each thrust of his hips was faster and harder. Savoring every drop, her body exploded.

  Feeling her take his blood, knowing it was healing her, binding them together, was definitely the greatest, most intimate moment he’d ever shared with anyone.

  She felt her inner muscles tightening around his cock a second before he reached his climax. He plunged deep one last time, his entire body tensing and shuddering, his powerful release, like hers, went on and on.

  Supporting his weight with his elbow, he pushed her hair back and looked down at her, stared at her. “How do you feel?”

  “Wonderfully sore in all the right places.”

  “Does that mean it was tolerable?”

  “Very much so.”

  He laughed as he rolled over onto his back, keeping his arms wrapped around her, taking her with him. Resting her head on his chest, his fingers massaged her back as she listened to the steady, strong rhythm of his heart. In his arms she felt safe. She felt whole. Their souls were beautifully, perfectly bound together as one. He belonged to her. And she belonged to him.

  ETERNAL BREATH OF DARKNESS

  One

  TAKING A DEEP breath, savoring the sweetness of her lingering scent, Haden Drake watched Caylee Adams walk toward Mia’s Clothing Boutique. He shifted, repositioning the seam of his pants, attempting to lessen the terrible ache that was becoming his most loyal, frustrating as hell companion. There was a small chance his attempt to get a little more comfortable would’ve worked if she hadn’t dropped her phone and bent over to pick it up. Shuddering, he uttered a curse, his cock swelling until it was impossibly hard, nearly bursting out of his pants. She was sexy in anything, but nothing compared to the way the worn fabric of those tight, low-rise jeans hugged her ass at that moment.

  He, a demon, was the furthest thing from a saint, and pretending to be one was no longer an option. For a year he’d battled against his powerful, volatile sex drive, but day after day the torment of wanting her and not having her had been building into a fierce, unstoppable storm of raw lust. Every night he dreamed of her writhing beneath him, calling out his name in sheer ecstasy as he plunged deep inside the tight, silky heat of her body. She wasn’t ready for him to stake his claim on her, but the season for moving slowly, seducing her gently, was long gone. Despite his great power, he was utterly powerless to deny his insatiable hunger for her any longer.

  Just before entering the boutique, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. It was a naughty, wickedly sexy smile. If he didn’t know her better, he would’ve thought she’d purposely bent over to torment him. Had she? Rejecting the thought, he shook his head. “Nah.” Teasing wasn’t her style. Once she was out of sight, he wasn’t unable to shake the feeling something wasn’t quite right. Every second that went by the feeling of uneasiness increased in him so much that his centuries-learned ability to remain absolutely calm under pressure failed. It was her smile. Something about it was raising a red flag. He would never admit it, but the moment she turned to smile at him, chasing after her was inevitable.

  While getting out of the car he tried to merge his mind with hers, but she was blocking him. He could easily use more force to penetrate the barrier, but he wouldn’t do it. Not yet anyways. He would if it proved necessary, but for now, knowing it would cause her pain, he decided to wait.

  A terrible, should’ve known better feeling churning in his gut, he approached the boutique, hoping she was inside. He really wished she wasn’t so skilled at blocking him. She was uncomfortable with his ability to touch her mind at will so he permitted her to build a wall to keep him out. Hindsight was a particularly brutal thorn in his ass. He was an idiot for allowing her wall to become so solid the only way to get through it was to cause her pain.

  Taking a deep breath, he released it with a frustrated groan as he entered the building.

  “Well, Mr. Slick, it definitely took you long enough to figure it out.” Mia approached from behind.

  Her sharp voice slicing deep gouges into Haden’s skull, he cringed as he slowly turned toward her. His eyebrows drawn together, he flashed an uneasy smile. “Hello, Mia.” The instant he saw the wicked look in her eyes, his heart stopped. “Where’s Caylee?”

  “Oh, I get it.” Hands on her hips, Mia narrowed her gaze on him. “It’s a man thing. You couldn’t possibly comprehend what has just happened without further explanation. Oh my, you poor, miserable boy. There’s no reason to pout. It’s your lucky day. I just happen to be feeling quite charitable.”

  He suppressed the urge to growl. She was smiling too sweetly, showing way too many teeth for any demon’s liking. The woman was a wolf. Literally. She was lycan, though she didn’t know it. She had been orphaned at a young age and raised in foster homes and eventually group homes. He wasn’t sure why, but the true essence of her wolf remained dormant. However, when she was riled, the temperament of the wolf was always present. She never hesitated to follow through with a bite after baring her teeth.

  “She ditched your pathetic ass,” she whispered.

  “What?” Things like this didn’t happen to him. “No.” He was a powerful, immortal warrior. “No.” He was a demon, a master of deception. “No.” He’d live too many lifetimes, acquired too much knowledge to be so easily duped.
“Where’s Caylee?” It was a joke. She was hiding somewhere, having a good laugh at his expense. Laughing was good. It was great. But enough was enough. Feeling uncharacteristically bewildered, he glanced around. Spotting the dressing room area, deciding it was a perfect hiding place, he walked toward it.

  “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t you dare open that door.” Mia followed him. “You’re going to scare the hell out of my customers.” She grabbed his arm and yanked it as hard as she could. “She isn’t here.”

  Turning, he glared at her. “Where is she?”

  Mia glared right back at him. “She … ditched … your … pathetic … ass.” She said, then smiled, lifting her chin defiantly, obviously enjoying the moment. “Was that clear enough for you? If not, I’m sure that I could look around and find some crayons to draw you a picture.”

  “Why?” Nah. It was much more than enjoying the moment. She was clearly savoring it.

  “Why do you think?” Snorting indignantly, she glanced down at his groin. “You haven’t even tried to make it worth the aggravation you put her through day and night. Try using the most valuable tool God gave your gender.” Smirking, she shrugged. “Maybe, and, yes, I know it’s a highly unlikely maybe, if you manage to use it correctly she’ll learn to look beyond the fact you’re a seriously flawed, arrogant bastard.”

  Fists clenched at his sides, Haden nodded. Yep. The woman was a wolf. Rather than bite and release, she clamped down to bury teeth bone-deep to rip and devour. She clearly had some really messed-up, unresolved issues with men. He wanted to strangle her, but unfortunately, no matter how infuriating women happened to be, he never strangled them. He was a demon of great strength, integrity and valor. A warrior. A guardian. Demons like him didn’t strangle women. Not even if they were lycan. Grumbling, because it was the only thing he could do, he turned to walk away.

  “Leave her alone, Haden.” She managed to get in front of him, using her body to prevent him from leaving. “I’m serious. You can’t continue whatever sick game you’re playing with her. It’s wrong, and you know it is.”

  He stared down at her. “What are you talking about?” Wonderful. She was willing to take him on to protect Caylee. Now, despite the fact she irritated the hell out of him, he actually respected the woman.

  “Look, Haden, it’s totally cool if you’re gay. It’s not a big deal. Really, it isn’t. I swear. Just be honest with Caylee. Introduce her to your lover. You can still be her friend.” She shrugged. “Unless—” She tilted her head to the side. “—your lover boy is the controlling, jealous type and he doesn’t allow you to engage in other relationships.”

  “Huh?” His jaw dropped. “Caylee thinks I’m gay?”

  “No,” she lied. Smiling, she softened her expression, attempting to use kindness to manipulate him into continuing the conversation. “That’s my assumption,” she lied again. “You’re a very wealthy man. You’re not all that hard on the eyes. You’re always clinging to Caylee. I’ve never seen you give any other woman a second glance. And, here’s the big one—you’ve never tried to get down her pants. Oh, and don’t try to lie to me about it—she would’ve told me. She always shares her greatest disappointments with me.” She waited for a few seconds, but he didn’t respond. “Look, I don’t have all day to play games with you. Just tell me the truth, are you gay or not?”

  Haden really wished he didn’t know Mia was lying. He didn’t even want to consider the possibility Caylee believed he was gay. For the first time ever, he truly regretted having the ability to hear the thoughts of another person. A few women, peeking at them from behind a manikin, giggled and whispered to each other. He glanced over at them and then, shaking his head, he looked down at Mia. “No.”

  “Oh crap. It figures. She won another one.” She waved a twenty-dollar bill in his face. “You know, I’m starting to think it’s time to take that girl to Vegas. Well anyways, give this to her when you catch up to her.” Dismissing him, she turned and walked away.

  The moment Haden stepped out of the boutique he tried to call Caylee, but her phone was turned off. Driving to the secluded trails where she jogged, he reviewed everything that had happened. Fearing for her safety, he’d told her to stay out of forest. As expected, she refused to listen. She loved using the scenic trails to jog in the afternoon. He was ready for the argument, ready to win. He’d offered to jog with her. How could she refuse? And, she didn’t. She looked up at him with the mysterious, sexy smile that always heated his blood and wreaked havoc in his body, and she agreed.

  Caylee smirked at him, Haden suddenly realized. She wasn’t teasing him. Opening the door to the boutique, she’d glanced over her shoulder to smirk at him. She was flipping him the bird in her own special way. He would’ve known it if he hadn’t been obsessing over her ass. Accelerating through the last curve, pushing the car to its limits, he punched the dash with so much force he left an impression of his fist in it. If she were anyone else, he would’ve happily abandoned her. He sure as hell wouldn’t be chasing after her to protect her, completely helpless to do anything else.

  Throwing gravel, he sped into the parking lot and slammed on the brakes. Sliding sideways, the car abruptly stopped when the rear end crashed against a boulder. From time to time, she accused him of being a control freak. To be fair, he was a bit overly protective of her, but he wasn’t a control freak. His behavior wasn’t due to a lack of respect for her. It was his responsibility, his right to ensure her survival. If she would just be honest with herself, she would accept the fact she didn’t always make the best decisions. It wasn’t her fault. Not really. She was a woman. Women needed men to lead them. Women commonly made bad decisions based on overly sensitive emotions. It was a hormone thing. Hopefully she would eventually learn to rely solely on his flawless wisdom. It would sure as hell make life a whole lot easier.

  He opened the car door and stepped out. Hoping to find her more quickly, he checked his phone, just in case she’d left a message. “Of course not,” he growled, clenching his fist, crushing the phone. “Why make anything easier?” The woman was stubborn as hell. He had until the end of time to train her, but deep down in his heart he knew it wouldn’t be long enough for him to teach her to submit.

  There were miles of trails in every direction, and he needed to find her now. He never should’ve let her out of his sight. Slamming the car door, he moved quickly, allowing his finely honed tracking skills to lead him. The warm, muggy air reeked of old blood and decayed flesh. A vampire was nearby. Surely, despite being human, she could smell it, couldn’t she? He grumbled unintelligibly; questioning her ability to detect the presence of danger was senseless. It was his responsibility to guide and protect her. What pissed him off was that he’d told her to stay out of the forest and now, deliberately defying him, she was jogging directly into the path of a vicious predator.

  Haden stopped. The vampire wasn’t just close. It was hunting. Swinging his head to the left, he clenched his jaw, drawing his lips back in a soundless snarl. All senses on alert, he scanned the ever-darkening interior of the forest. Standing completely still, he was silent, barely even breathing, focusing on the vampire, studying the creature’s venomous thoughts. He felt the ferocious, relentless thirst for blood driving it far beyond a state of madness. He felt its depraved anticipation for the kill.

  Then, Haden saw the vampire’s intended prey.

  “Caylee.”

  Absolute fury welled up, stirring the deepest, darkest portion of his essence, the dragon, the living force of destruction feared by even the most powerful, deadly immortals. A deep, ominous growl, a promise of swift, violent retribution to the undead pursuing her, rumbled in his throat as he expanded his mind to pinpoint her exact location. But he felt nothing. No hint of her location.

  Terror instantly replaced fury. It slammed into him so hard and so quickly that he did what a fearless, unfaltering immortal never resorted to doing: he panicked. Heart pounding, he took to the sky, ripping the atmospher
e apart, creating a thunderous boom while an enormous mass of black, swirling clouds that completely covered the sun and hid his ascent. As he traveled with supernatural speed, he covered her with a hedge of protection, but he quickly realized that he still didn’t know where she was. With his enormous power and strength, he’d never experienced fear or doubt in his ability to defeat adversity of any kind. But now with her life in jeopardy, fearing he wouldn’t reach her in time, he froze.

  While he plummeted toward the ground, lightning exploded all around, violently crisscrossing the sky. He landed hard, jarring his bones, but ignoring the pain he remained on his feet. Lifting his face to the heavens, he closed his eyes and expanded his mind to search for her. Caylee, where are you? Normally, nothing ever rattled him to the core. He was utterly unshakable, but not now. Show me! He didn’t have the strength to wait for her to answer or to willingly open her mind to him. Sending forth a brutal current of power, he forced his way into her mind.

  Fully merging his mind with hers, Haden was able to see through her eyes. She was scared out of her mind, but she was safe and would remain safe as long as he reached her before the vampire breached the hedge of protection surrounding her. He should’ve felt some relief, but he didn’t. As a demon, he was far more powerful than the undead, but with her life a stake it didn’t matter. You’re safe, Caylee.

  * * *

  Looking down at her foot, Caylee wiggled her toes. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” She yanked on her foot, but it was too tightly wedged between tree roots to move it very much at all. “Oh, God.” She had always joked about having the worst luck, but suddenly, thanks to the fact that Haden’s bossy nature had finally pushed her too far, her lack of good fortune was no joking matter.

  Okay. In all honesty, it wasn’t Haden’s fault. Not really. Sexual frustration was to blame. He wouldn’t have the ability to irritate her so easily if she hadn’t allowed her secret crush on him to spiral out of control. It wasn’t his fault that she’d entertained countless sexual fantasies about him. During the past year, he’d never even pretended to be interested in more than a platonic friendship. He’d always, despite his habit of continually being present and bossing her around, behaved like a perfect gentleman.