Code of the Alpha: Shifter Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  Ferren rang the doorbell and he looked at her nervously.

  “Just relax,” she whispered.

  The door opened and the two people whom Kodiak had been terrified of seeing for the last month stood in front of him.

  “Mom and Dad,” Ferren greeted her parents with a smile and hugged them.

  “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels,” Kodiak greeted them formally and shook her father’s hand.

  “Please, call me Greg,” Ferren’s father replied with a warm smile.

  Kodiak nodded and glanced at Ferren’s mother. She had the same copper hair as her daughter, and Kodiak could easily see where Ferren got her pretty features from.

  “Mrs. Daniels?” he asked, not sure how to address her.

  She chuckled and waved off the formality before hugging him. “Delia, please.”

  “Mom and Dad, this is Kodiak Wylde, my boyfriend,” she introduced him to her parents and Kodiak had to admit, he loved the sound of those words coming from her mouth.

  In the last few weeks after everything that had happened with Mike and the Crescents, Ferren went back to her home and let her parents know that she was never missing, or kidnapped, for that matter. She and Kodiak had conjured up a story that she had had a bit of a meltdown after the attack. Things became a bit too much to handle and she needed some time to get away for a bit to recover. She went out of town for a while and booked into a hotel under another name. She also apologized for making them think she was dead, but they were happy to have her back.

  Luckily everyone believed their story and everything started going back to normal. Mike was deemed a missing person, and after Ferren was questioned by the detective assigned to his case, she was dismissed as a suspect.

  Ferren still worked at the hospital, but only in the trauma department, doing what she loved. She introduced Kodiak to a few of her coworkers and they were more than a little ecstatic to learn that they were dating and that Ferren had found someone who looked at her the way she deserved to be looked at. The nurses especially couldn't stop talking about Kodiak, who they thought was the most charming man in the entire world, after the first time they met him.

  “Nice to finally meet you, Kodiak,” her mother beamed as she hugged him cheerfully. “We’ve heard so much about you that we feel we already know you.”

  Kodiak grinned at Ferren, who smiled warmly at him over her shoulder as they entered their home.

  Dinner was great, and Kodiak really enjoyed spending time with Ferren’s parents, who were not only kind and happy, but also witty and intelligent, and he instantly knew that her parents were some of the rare ‘real’ people in this world. They were humble despite their apparent wealth and that was what Kodiak liked and admired most about them.

  “So, Ferren tells us that you manage your own business,” her father remarked at the dinner table.

  “Yes, it’s a security company,” he answered.

  Technically he wasn't lying. He and his Betas and Zetas made sure that the entire state, and his territory, were safe from the Crescents, or any danger.

  “That’s a good field to be in. Hopefully you’re not putting your life in danger.”

  “Not at all, Greg, but if something does happen to me, then Ferren can patch me up,” Kodiak smiled and winked at Ferren who sat beside him at the dinner table.

  “Absolutely,” Ferren said with a proud smile. “But he enjoys it, keeping people safe, and if that makes him happy, I would never stand in his way.”

  Kodiak grinned and looked at her.

  “Or, if it gets too much, I can just use my powers of persuasion to make him stop,” Ferren mocked and pouted at Kodiak.

  “Watch out for those, Kodiak,” her father warned. “I’ve learned from experience she can be pretty ruthless when it comes to getting her way.”

  “I was not that bad,” Ferren contested and rolled her eyes.

  “Manipulative,” her father whispered, trying to be inconspicuous, but failing miserably.

  Or purposely.

  “That’s what you get for having only one kid,” Ferren pointed out.

  “Or maybe that’s why we only had one,” her father chuckled.

  After dinner, he and Ferren insisted on cleaning up, as it was the least that they could do after her parents went to so much trouble to provide them with a delicious meal, with dessert as well. Kodiak packed the dishwasher, which didn't only impress Ferren, but her mother as well.

  “I’m glad that my daughter found someone like you, Kodiak,” her mother whispered to him. “I know your mother, God rest her soul, is very proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Delia,” Kodiak said to her with a smile.

  Talking about his family, especially his mother, had been difficult, but he eventually opened up to Ferren and he laid all his feelings out on the table, which helped tremendously. He also learned to let go of his anger toward his brothers for leaving. At one stage he also considered finding his brothers, for closure, but decided against it as it would only bring old and resolved feelings back to the surface. He was done with the anger, the guilt and the resentment. He forgave Cole for being an asshole, for splitting them up, driving them away. He also forgave the others for staying away, as he now realized that they had moved on from the pain of the past and gone on with their own lives. It wasn't healthy to live with all those negative emotions he had lived with for all those years, and he ultimately also forgave himself for emotionally torturing himself unnecessarily.

  The kitchen was quiet all of a sudden and he felt Ferren’s hand on his arm, jerking him back to the present moment.

  “Is everything okay in that head of yours?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I was just thinking about the last month,” he shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

  “I’m really proud of you, you know.”

  “You should be,” he scoffed.

  “You’re an idiot,” she laughed and put her arms around his shoulders, “but you’re my idiot.”

  “And that makes it better?” he asked.

  “Of course,” she answered and kissed him briefly on the lips. “My parents like you. I can tell.”

  “Really?” he asked with a frown as she slid her arms off his shoulders and stepped away from him.

  “Yes. They think you’re amazing.”

  “Good, because I am,” he shrugged once again and winked at her.

  “See, it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be,” she pointed out.

  “You were right this time. They’re really nice people.” He neatly folded the cloth and placed it on the counter beside him. “And there were no guns, which I am really grateful for.”

  “Tell me about it. I deal with blood on a daily basis at work,” she said with a wink and walked up to him.

  “I’m sorry for everything,” he said to her.

  “Why on earth are you apologizing to me?” she asked and crossed her arms.

  “Just for everything. For all the spilled blood, and my moods and me being a pain in the ass the last month.”

  “You weren't a pain in the ass, Kodiak. You were working through a bunch of things. You were allowed to be moody.”

  “I guess,” he sighed.

  Ferren stepped up to him, gazing into his eyes. “I love you, with all your moods and the days when you’re going to be a pain in the ass, and the days when you’re emotional. It’s who you are, and I love all of you. Everything, not just the good parts. Your worst parts. Literally everything.”

  “That is good to know,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered against her cheek. “I love you too, a whole bunch, and there is nothing that can possibly change that. And I’m really glad that your parents approve of me because I’m going to be a part of this family for a very long time.”

  “Careful. My parents might overhear and think you were proposing,” she whispered in return.

  “Maybe I am,” he shrugged.

  She glanced at him with wide eyes. “Are you
?”

  “Well, we might as well make it official,” he whispered.

  “Would you mind if we did this a little later?” she asked and continued before Kodiak got the wrong idea. “It’s not because I don’t want to, because I do. It’s just that I don't want my mother to think that we’re getting engaged so soon because I’m pregnant or something.”

  Kodiak’s eyes widened for a second and he cocked his head. That wasn't the worst idea in the world. He had never ever considered having any children, but when he looked at Ferren, all that seemed to melt away, and he envisioned them with a few wolf pups running across the lawn. A smile formed on his lips and he chuckled. “We could always make it true,” he said with a wink.

  Ferren slapped him playfully on the arms and laughed. “Don’t you dare.”

  “You know I wouldn't let you do anything that you’re not ready for,” he stated.

  “It’s not me who’s not ready, it’s the parents,” she assured him, her voice low.

  “I get it. That’s what I get for imprinting on a wolf with human parents.”

  “You couldn't have helped it any more than I could have,” she shrugged.

  Kodiak nodded slowly and the corners of Ferren’s mouth curled up seductively. “I’m glad that I did. Technically, it’s all thanks to Jett. She was the one who brought you to the Underground.”

  Ferren nodded and her smile faded. “You know, I was thinking. If we were to have a daughter,” she said and watched as Kodiak’s face lit up, “in the future, I want to name her Jett. If that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course. That would mean a lot to me, and to her,” he said as he gazed into her clear blue eyes. “How did I get so lucky?”

  Ferren shrugged modestly and smiled at him. “I knew it ever since the first moment I saw you. Of course, I was a bit aggressive and deranged, locked up in a cell, but I knew.”

  “I knew it,” he scoffed.

  “I mean, come on. Who could say no to this?” she asked with a giggle and he shrugged modestly.

  Her eyes sparkled in the light as she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the lips. “Come on; we’d better get back to the living area. We don’t want my parents to think we’re making out on the counter, do you?”

  “Maybe,” he shrugged and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the kitchen.

  Slow jazz music played in the living room, which neither of them noticed until now, and as they stepped inside the room, Kodiak saw Ferren’s parents dancing with one another to the music that played in the background. The loving looks in their eyes and the way they smiled at one another while playfully and tenderly gliding across the floor reminded Kodiak of how his mother would dance with him and Wren like that, especially when they were younger. Their father never danced, he barely smiled, so never in his life did Kodiak think he would ever see his parents dancing like that.

  Until one night in the summer of ‘42.

  There was a terrible heatwave and it was so bad that Kodiak couldn't sleep, or fall asleep, for that matter. He’d wake up drenched in sweat and hated every second of it. He went downstairs to refill the water bottle that stood beside his bed but as soon as he turned off the faucet in the kitchen, he heard soft music coming from the basement. He made sure he didn't make any noise as he quietly crept down the stairs to the basement, and he saw his parents dancing together. At first he thought that he was dreaming, because he had never seen his father act this way before. It also gave him hope that even the most serious and hardcore man could easily turn into a marshmallow for the woman he loved. Of course, Kodiak never mentioned it to either of his parents, or to his brothers, but he knew that his mother knew he was halfway down the staircase to the basement, sitting there for a while watching them.

  A smile ran across his lips as he tore his gaze away from Ferren’s parents and looked at Ferren.

  “They’ve been married for nearly thirty-five years and they are still as in love as the day they met,” Ferren whispered quietly so as not to disturb the peaceful and happy ambiance that filled the house to the brim. “It’s actually quite sickening to watch, but also the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.”

  Kodiak smiled at her and pulled her closer to him. “I can say the same thing about you,” he whispered.

  She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Would you like to dance?” he asked gallantly, and she looked up at him with a perplexed expression on her face. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “I didn't know you could dance.”

  “You never asked,” he grinned and held out his hand to her.

  She pouted and placed her hand in his. He led her to where Ferren’s parents were dancing and he spun her around before pulling her close and whispering in her ear, “I’m good at a lot of things.”

  She raised an intrigued eyebrow and whispered, “Oh, I know that.”

  Kodiak chuckled in amusement and wrapped his arms around her, with absolutely no intention of letting her go.

  She was the one who made him feel again, even though he thought it would break him.

  She was the one who made him realize what he had been missing all these years by closing himself off from everyone.

  She was the one who restored his faith in the power of love.

  She was the one.

  THE END

  Alpha’s Secret

  Code of the Alpha

  1

  Bend, Oregon

  Most people preferred the full moon in all its glory, shining like a bright beacon against the dark backdrop of the sky, but to Asra Morgan, the new moon was the most amazing of all. A new moon was not only a time for new beginnings, but it also allowed her the opportunity to rid herself of the negative habits in her life, which seemed to get her down more than she had initially thought they would. Ever since she was a little girl, she would watch as her mother and grandmother led the celebratory rituals on the new moon along with the other members of their coven.

  Asra belonged to a family of powerful and extraordinary witches, and like her mother, she was blessed with a powerful magic that not only flowed through her veins, but through those of her entire family.

  The smell of burning sage filled the air, and Asra gazed up at the sky, allowing the new moon’s energy to fill her up. The low chants coming from the elders carried across the lawn, and the lanterns flickered in the dark. The chants grew louder, and Asra focused her attention on her grandmother, who stood in the middle of the large circle of coven members. To the right of the circle, an altar had been erected, beautifully crafted out of wood to display the sacred artifacts that the coven had kept in their possession since settling in Bend three centuries ago. Amongst them were crystals and stones which were passed down from one generation to the next, and candles were scattered in between, their flickering lights illuminating the crystals, making them glow mystically in the dark.

  Asra glanced down at the sage wand in her hands and watched as the smoke twirled and whirled upwards into the air. Taking a deep breath, she grounded herself, letting go of all her anxiety and racing thoughts. Her grandmother had taught her this when she was a little girl, impressed by her abilities at such a young age.

  She closed her eyes as soon as she heard the elders singing a chant to the moon and felt the energy running through her, and into the ground below her, connecting her once again with the Earth. Her soul lightened as her burdens and fears slipped away, and her body soared with the purity she wished she could keep with her always.

  As Asra opened her eyes, she realized that she was levitating a few feet above the ground and that most eyes were on her, including those of her grandmother. Her cheeks flushed slightly, as she detested being the center of attention. She cringed apologetically and lowered her gaze as she dropped down onto the ground. She unintentionally made it a habit to get herself into embarrassing situations on a daily basis, despite the responsible facade she tried so hard to show to everyone who knew her.
r />   She was responsible, but at times the ways of the world distracted her, which caused her grandmother to scold her regularly.

  As a chef for a well-known restaurant, Asra had a high-pressure job, and even though she meditated as often as she could, she was constantly stressed. To deal with all the anxiety and strain, she had started smoking, much to the dismay of her grandmother and mother. It had carried on for nearly three years, but she had had her last cigarette this morning. She was adamant about quitting, hence her participation in the ritual this evening.

  Having had a human father, Asra was more susceptible to worldly ways, which in turn meant that she needed to be extra disciplined—which only led her to fail more frequently. She did, however, make a conscious decision to stop, and she would definitely try to quit this time.

  As the ritual and ceremony drew to a close, each member of the coven was handed a paper lantern and a stick of kohl. Asra wrote in thick black letters “quit smoking” and with a snap of her fingers, along with everyone else, the lanterns were lit and Asra sent hers up in the sky. Hundreds of lanterns rose upwards, and Asra sat back against the wooden railing of the back porch, gazing up at the sky in awe.

  She wondered what the other lanterns had written on them, and whether those people felt as ashamed as she had writing those words down for the first time. Maybe it wasn't their first time, much like herself, but she had vowed that this would be the last time.

  Much later that night, Asra sat in the backyard of her grandmother’s house, on the oversized porch swing, still staring up at the dark sky. The evening’s festivities had died down, and Asra was happy to have the solitude of the gazebo encapsulate her. She was too used to the silence of the small town of Bend, nestled between the mountains, and she could not imagine living anywhere else.

  The familiar sound of the back door opening didn't startle Asra in the least, and she looked up to see her mother gliding towards her with a thick wool blanket. She had forgotten that it was still cold, but somehow Asra didn't feel the chill. It neither bothered her nor made her feel cold. Obviously, she needed to dress accordingly, or people would think there was something wrong with her.