Code of the Alpha: Shifter Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  “I have no idea,” Asra shrugged one shoulder and turned to him. “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know, but for now, I don’t even think that I have the time or the energy for a relationship right now.”

  “Women are pains in the ass, anyway,” Ben muttered.

  “Right back at you,” she retorted and handed him a finished dessert with a spoon. “Try this. It might make you feel better.”

  Ben took the dessert and spoon from her, scooped a spoonful and tasted it. He groaned softly and shook his head. “I’m going to take this to Vegas and marry it.”

  “So, it’s good?”

  “It’s more than good. It’s fantastic. Not too sweet, and not too tart, just perfect,” he replied and shoved another bite into his mouth.

  “I’m so glad to hear that,” she chuckled.

  “You should definitely take this to Joel. He’ll love it.”

  After closing time, Asra walked to her car and noticed a big black motorcycle parked in front of the restaurant, which she found strange because no one at the restaurant owned one. She glanced around her a few times as she walked to her car, but stopped abruptly as a strange feeling washed over her. It was the same feeling she felt right after she had left the hardware store and the bar. She wanted to call out his name, but that would simply be weird, and inexplicable.

  She inhaled sharply through her nose and continued towards her car. She heard footsteps behind her and whirled around.

  “Hey,” Cole said, standing on the other side of the road, and she let out a relieved sound.

  “It’s you.” She sounded more breathless than she would have cared to admit and slowly approached him. “I thought you were a kidnapper or a killer or something.”

  “You’re that paranoid, huh?” he smiled.

  “Yeah, we just don’t know who and what’s out there in the dark, right?” she answered.

  He shifted his weight and nodded slowly. “Rather safe than dead.”

  “Exactly,” she nodded and crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?”

  “I kind of wanted to surprise you at your work by waiting for you in the parking lot, but as soon as I stopped out here, it all seemed a little creepy,” he answered.

  “It is a little creepy, to be honest.”

  “You smell like coffee and cream.”

  “I do?” she muttered and nodded as she remembered her dessert creation.

  Joel, her boss and the owner of the restaurant she worked at, absolutely loved it, being a coffee lover, and had agreed to put it on the menu in the coming weeks.

  “Right. I was making a dessert with ground-up coffee beans and heavy cream.”

  “Columbian?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “I have a keen sense of smell,” he grinned. “Do you feel like doing anything?”

  “Like what?”

  “Going to dinner, letting someone else do the cooking for a while,” he suggested.

  “I’ve had a really long day, Cole. I’d just like to go home and watch television, or read a book,” she admitted.

  “What’s going on?” he asked abruptly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Two days ago you said you’d love to see me again, and now you’re blowing me off with one of the dumbest excuses?” he asked incredulously.

  “It’s not an excuse. My job is really demanding,” she said indignantly.

  “Then let me take a bit of the weight off you.”

  She narrowed her eyes slightly, and as much as she wanted to tell him that he should leave, she wanted him to stay even more.

  Forever.

  “Fine, you can cook me dinner at my place.”

  “Great,” he smiled. “I’ll just follow you to your house, in a non-creepy way, of course.”

  Asra nodded and opened the door of her car. She watched Cole walk to the big bike, and she sighed. “Great, he owns a motorcycle. Another reason for my mother and grandmother to hate him,” she grumbled as she climbed inside and shut the door, “as if being a wolf was not bad enough.”

  She drove home with Cole behind her, and she pulled into the garage. Luckily, she had packed her grimoire away in the basement in its normal place, and the door of her altar room was locked. As she climbed out of the car, Cole was suddenly beside her, gently pushing her up against the car and gazing down at her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  She didn't want to be afraid of him, but a small part of her was.

  Terrified.

  He leaned in closer to her and kissed her on the lips as his fingers wove through her hair. A wave of desire crashed over her, and she was swept away by the current, falling deeper and deeper.

  She pulled away and caught her breath.

  “Why are you afraid of me?” he asked, his handsome face looking pensive and worried all of a sudden.

  “I’m not,” she insisted, though she was afraid her eyes gave her away.

  6

  Cole had never been very tuned in with other people’s feelings, especially not his own, but he could definitely tell when someone was afraid.

  Like Asra, standing in front of him, saying she wasn't when she clearly was. He could see it in her eyes, and he didn't understand why.

  “Then why is it written all over your face?” he asked.

  “We should get inside,” she whispered and tried to walk away.

  He wouldn't let her, grabbing her wrists and yanking her back.

  “Stop it, Cole. You’re hurting me.” Her words cut through him like a sword, which he knew exactly how that felt, and he released her. He never wanted her to get hurt, and now he was the one hurting her. He felt ashamed and stepped away from her.

  Asra locked her car, and he followed her through the interconnecting door into the living space. It was a beautiful house with wooden floors and high ceilings. It was cozy, warm, exactly like he imagined it would be. He watched her as she dropped her keys in a handmade ceramic bowl on the kitchen counter and he sighed.

  “Asra, I’m sorry if I—”

  “I know what you are,” she said, turning around suddenly and pinning him with her stare.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to sound convincing that he didn't know what she was referring to, even though he guessed she had figured it out somehow.

  But how?

  “I know that you’re a wolf,” she said and crossed her arms. “And I know all about your family.”

  “A wolf? Really?” he asked, exasperated.

  “Just stop pretending you have no idea what I’m talking about, Cole. I know about your family, your dad, Luther. I know about Minnesota, the fire, and everything else,” she said.

  His heart sped up slightly, and he slowly approached her. “How do you know about this? You’re not one of us.”

  “No, I’m not, but I am different,” she answered and raised her hand in the air.

  An orb of light manifested from her palm and floated an inch above her hand, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow.

  Cole almost couldn't believe his eyes and simply stared at it. Normally, wolves would be terrified in the presence of witches, as they were far more dangerous than a human, or a wolf, for that matter. Wolves had no defense against their magic, and the witches knew that. Which is why they were so powerful.

  He stepped away slightly, not in fear, but in wonder, and he raised his gaze to meet hers.

  “Are you afraid of me?” she asked as the bright light of the orb slowly died down, and she lowered her hand.

  “No, not at all.”

  “Why is that?” she asked with a frown. “I’m a witch, you’re a wolf, and neither of us is afraid of the other.”

  “Give me your hand,” he whispered, and without any hesitation, she placed her hand in his. “Do you feel that?”

  Asra glanced at his hand for a moment and nodded. “I do.”

  “That’s why.”

  “I don’t understand.” Her voice was shak
y, and her eyes seemed sad.

  “I didn't understand it either, Asra, but I realized what happened the first time we saw each other. Even though it sounded completely insane to me, we imprinted,” he said.

  “Can a witch and a wolf imprint?” she asked shakily.

  “Apparently.”

  “This is not a good idea,” she whispered.

  “It’s not something either of us could control. This happened because we are supposed to be together,” he said.

  “No,” Asra let go of his hand and walked past him. “My mother is going to freak out. My grandmother... oh my God! She’s going to kill me for sure.”

  “You don’t know that,” Cole chuckled.

  Asra whirled around, and she nodded. “I do know that. I was there, and I told them about you, and they completely freaked out. I’m not supposed to go anywhere near you. You’re supposed to be dangerous, and our kinds don’t mesh well,” she stuttered.

  A smile spread across his lips as he watched Asra go off on her own little tangent, and he crossed his arms. He could see himself watching her freak out over things for the rest of his life, and he wouldn’t mind that at all. She was adorable in her own way, but the turmoil inside her mind was a little less amusing. He knew it had to be difficult for her to fathom the idea of imprinting with a wolf, let alone knowing a wolf.

  “Hey,” he called out to Asra, who was pacing around the living room, muttering incoherently to herself.

  She stopped abruptly and looked at him. “What?”

  “Come here,” he said and held out his hand.

  “You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

  Once again, her words cut through him like swords and he shook his head. “Asra, I would never hurt you.”

  “Promise,” she demanded, her voice breaking, and her vulnerability shone through, breaking Cole’s once frozen heart.

  “I promise you that,” he answered solemnly and held his hand out to her again.

  She slowly approached him and placed her arms around his shoulders. Cole wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. “I will never let anything happen to you,” he whispered against her ear.

  She looked up at him, the desire flowing through her veins at an overwhelming speed. Despite knowing what she did about Cole, she allowed herself to be swept away by him once again as he held her tighter against him and kissed her.

  Asra wasn't the kind of person who would have sex with just anyone, especially not when she hadn't known them for a very long time, but with Cole, everything felt right, even though it was as wrong as could be.

  Their kissing intensified, and Cole felt the heat rise up inside her until she finally could not bear it another moment. She grabbed hold of the hem of Cole’s black sweater and pulled it up and over his head.

  Pulling herself away for a moment, she glanced down at his chest, his muscles rippling under his skin. Asra ran her fingers along the indents of his stomach muscles, watched his chest expand as he took a few strained breaths. He could tell she was fascinated by it, and feeling her fingers run along his skin was driving him crazy.

  He needed to have her, right now, or he would explode into a million pieces.

  She took the liberty of taking her own shirt off, which took his breath away.

  Asra’s eyes were locked on his as she threw her shirt across the room, not caring where it ended up.

  This foreplay had to stop right now, so Cole scooped her up in his arms. To his surprise and relief, she motioned to the hallway, guiding him to her bedroom. If she hadn’t, he’d probably have fucked her right there on the leather couch, but in his experience, it wouldn't be the most comfortable. Even though there was no such thing as perfect sex, that was all that he wanted for her. He wanted her satisfied, he wanted her to scream out his name in pleasure, and he wanted her to know what it felt like to be pushed over the edge.

  Wolf-style, he thought to himself.

  He dropped her down on the bed, and while she hurriedly pulled off her pants, she commanded, “Those have to go, too,” and motioned to his pants.

  A smirk formed on Asra’s face as he began to undo his jeans, her brown eyes smoldering in the dimly lit room. The sight of her lying on her bed, her body screaming out to him in every way possible, made him want her even more. Stepping out of his jeans, he climbed onto the bed and gently pushed her knees apart. He hovered over her for an elongated moment, taking in the wonder that was Asra, before he leaned down and kissed her. Her fingers ran along his torso, and he felt himself harden against her thigh. He was so close he could taste her and was surprised when she applied pressure to his back with her heel, guiding him to take that next step.

  He followed her lead and thrust himself between her legs, gripping her thighs. Her skin was smooth and warm, welcoming his body in the most sensual manner. His rhythm was strong and steady, never faltering. Her moans were music to his ears, and he gazed down at her with reverence, desire filling him up to the brink. Releasing her thighs, he grabbed hold of the oak headboard in front of him and felt her tighten around him.

  She pushed him off her suddenly, and he lay down on his back. She straddled him, moving her hips in a figure-eight motion as he cupped her perfect breasts. Her eyes were fixed on him, creating an even deeper stirring inside him. Her rhythm picked up pace as she quickly pushed him over the edge where his desire and passion suddenly exploded, causing him to groan from pleasure so intense, it bordered on pain. He threw her off him after a few seconds, pinned her down on the bed and entered her once again. Their bodies intertwined on the bed, their ragged breathing perfectly in sync with one another. A powerful orgasm ripped through Cole’s body, overflowing into Asra’s. Cole collapsed beside her as a wave of satisfaction swept over him, and he was filled with a peace he had never felt before.

  Cole rolled onto his side and looked at Asra, who lay beside him, breathing as heavily as he was.

  “What the hell did you do to me?” she panted.

  The tension between his shoulders had finally been released, but he never thought that a mouthy little witch was the only person who could fully satisfy him. He also had no idea that he had the amount of stamina to do what he did to Asra as many times as he did. Maybe it had something to do with not having any alcohol in his system, or maybe it was because their connection spanned far wider than simply the physical.

  “I thought it was pretty clear,” he huffed and rolled onto his side to look at her with a playful smirk. “You have had sex before, right?”

  She playfully slapped him and laughed. “Shut up!”

  He laughed heartily. She was not only gorgeous and beautiful, and made him feel things he never thought he could, or would, but she also made him laugh, made him feel light.

  “Of course I have,” she answered raggedly and rolled her eyes. “I’ve just not felt anything like this before. You know?”

  “I do.” His answer was clear and concise.

  “Is it because of the imprinting?” she whispered.

  Cole gazed at her and smiled. “It is.”

  “What was it like for you?” she asked. “I read different accounts of it, but apparently it’s different for everyone.”

  “It is different for everyone, because everyone is different. We want different things, and we want to feel different and be different for that person,” he answered.

  “What did you feel?”

  “My entire life I felt isolated and misunderstood, like I was shackled to a wall that followed me around everywhere I went. I felt trapped and couldn't really be myself. I was categorized as a bad guy and seen as the villain of my family,” he answered and lowered his gaze.

  “I’m so sorry, Cole.” Her hand touched his cheek, and his gaze returned to her, resting on her brown eyes which seemed to melt away his sadness.

  “When I saw you and realized what happened, it felt like a calmness came over me, and for the first time in my life, I felt free. Your broke those shackles and freed me from my life,” he
whispered.

  A slow smile spread across her lips, and she rolled over to him. “I did?”

  “Yes. I never thought that it would happen for me. I’ve not been true to myself for a long time, so I just figured no person would benefit from having me in their life,” he continued.

  “That’s the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard in my entire life,” Asra scoffed.

  “Maybe, but I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad that I’m here with you.”

  “So, it doesn't bother you,” she asked, and he frowned, “that I’m a witch and not a wolf?”

  “Not at all.”

  She nodded and licked her lips. “I’m glad to hear that. I must admit, it’s kind of a turn-on knowing you have wolf blood running through your veins.”

  “Is that so?” He raised an intrigued eyebrow and she giggled. “It’s not really that sexy, but if you want, I can take you into the woods and let you see me the way I truly am.”

  Her eyebrows lifted in surprise and she nodded. “I’d love that.”

  Cole smiled slightly and ran his fingers through her silky soft hair. She yawned, placing her hand in front of her mouth, then asked in a whispered tone, “Can we sleep now?”

  “Of course,” he answered and kissed the tip of her nose, before wrapping his arms around her naked body and holding her tightly against him. “Good night, beautiful.”

  “Good night,” she murmured in return.

  They lay in the darkness, wrapped up in each other’s arms, and even though Asra fell asleep almost instantly, Cole spent the rest of the night listening to her breathing, smelling the sweet scent of her, and still tasting her on his tongue. It was just before sunrise when he dozed off into a deep sleep, feeling content inside himself for the first time.

  7

  The darkness inside the forest loomed and the shadows, which Asra had welcomed her entire life, now felt threatening. They grabbed at her with malice, and fear pumped through her veins as she ran through the trees. It was too dark to see properly, but she simply kept running. She wasn't sure whether she was running away from, or towards, something, or someone. All she knew was that she needed to keep moving.