by Skyler Snow
Fated To The Alpha
Burns Brothers Book 3
Skyler Snow
Copyright © 2019 by Skyler Snow
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, is pure coincidence. As are any similarities to any businesses, events or locations.
All products and brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holder and or company. I do not own the rights to these, nor do I claim to.”
Edited By: Alphabitz Editing
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Contents
1. Jed
2. Parker
3. Jed
4. Parker
5. Jed
6. Jed
7. Parker
8. Jed
9. Parker
10. Jed
11. Parker
12. Jed
13. Parker
14. Jed
15. Parker
16. Jed
17. Parker
18. Parker
19. Jed
About the Author
Also by Skyler Snow
Chapter 1
Jed
Parker was back in town. Jed repeated that thought over and over as he drove to the little cafe where Parker had texted him to meet. Parker's back. It was still surreal for him to think that the man had returned after being gone for almost ten years. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and tapped his foot.
Just calm down. We're going to have coffee, catch up, and then he'll probably be back in New York by tomorrow.
Parker had never loved small-town life, and the minute he was able, he'd taken off for New York, leaving Jedidiah and his parents behind. He gripped the steering wheel harder and his hands throbbed. There had been an urgency in Parker's text, and Jed worried something was wrong.
Or he's getting married. Or having a baby.
The only time people suddenly showed up and had big news was if it was something, well... huge. If he was a wolf, Jed would have assumed he'd gotten mated and was finally going to settle down, but humans were unpredictable, and Parker was the most unpredictable of all.
Jed thought about the handsome beta with someone sitting next to him... touching him. The idea made his gut churn. Since they were kids, he'd had a bit of a thing for him, but it was never allowed to flourish. Wolves didn't mate with humans. It just wasn't heard of, and his family would never accept something that could put the whole pack at risk.
It wasn't that his family were bad people. No, all of them just wanted to make sure that the pack remained safe. There were dozens of accounts of men finding out about wolves and then taking advantage of the situation and trying to out them.
I'm getting ahead of myself. There's no telling what he wants to talk about, so there's no reason to worry about it until I get there.
As Jed came closer to the Clover Cafe, the butterflies in his stomach only became more pronounced. How was he supposed to get through this if he was already on edge? The alpha’s wolf was already stalking around in the back of his mind, anxious and curious with a hint of something else underneath. Jed tried to remind himself to remain calm and that everything was going to go fine.
He reached the cafe and parked his car before he hopped out. There was a text from Parker telling him he was sitting in the back near the windows. Jed looked up and examined the building, but he couldn't see much inside from the glare of the evening sun. So, he simply trudged inside and scanned the room until his bright green eyes landed on an eager hand waving at him.
"Jed, over here!"
Jedidiah spotted Parker and slowly strolled over to him. With each step he took, his heart raced more and more. Parker stood up, and he could see he was still the same man, but more refined. The awkward, lanky teenager was gone and had been replaced by a sturdy, strong man with dark brown hair and stubble along his jaw. He was still on the shorter side—or at least shorter than Jed himself. The alpha shook his head and roused himself from his daydreams. His wolf was persistent, though, and howled that Parker was his. He'd always heard that little voice that said Parker belonged to him, but it couldn't be true.
Jed realized that he'd been standing in place for way too long. He waved back to Parker and headed to the table where his best friend was seated. They embraced and sparks traveled through Jed’s body like little pops of electricity. When he finally pulled himself away, he expected every hair on his arms and up the back of his neck to be raised, but he was perfectly fine.
What the hell was that?
"Oh, man, it's so good to see you," Parker exclaimed as he kept a tight hold on Jed’s hand and pumped it up and down. "Damn, you look so different. I mean, I saw the pictures on Facebook, but I didn't think you look like this for some reason." He gestured a finger up and down Jedediah’s physique.
Jed raised a brow. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult."
Parker grinned. "We both know I would never insult you"—a spark of mischief flashed across his eyes—"and it was definitely a compliment."
Jed suddenly became very aware that their hands were still touching. His own hand was rough and calloused against the smoothness of Parker's. Their eyes held each other for a moment more before they finally pulled apart. The heat that had surrounded them, and even flickered in each other's eyes, was still there after all this time. Jedidiah knew that he had to shake it off.
The alpha sat down ran a hand over his beard. "The way you texted me to come ASAP, I thought you would be hurt or something." Jed looked around the restaurant, but there didn't appear to be anyone else with Parker. No, he was on his own from what Jed could see.
"No, it's nothing like that. I just got back into town a week ago, and the first thing I thought about today was contacting you." Parker flashed a megawatt smile at Jed, and the alpha nearly bounded over the table and bit him right then and there. "I did have some trouble in New York, though"
Jed was immediately all ears. Parker fidget with his fingers and then plucked up a napkin before he started to tear it into tiny little pieces. That had always been something Parker did what he was upset or worried.
"What happened? I can tell you're freaking out. Did you end up getting married or something? Or go to jail?"
“Married? Hell no! I did however... go to jail for a little while." He muttered this so quietly that Jedediah almost didn't hear him—and that was even with his wolf ears.
"What do you mean you went to jail? Is that around the time you stopped messaging me back?"
Parker nodded and rubbed a hand over his face. Jed saw the worry lines around his mouth and eyes, and his wolf became ultra protective. The alpha leaned back in his seat a bit, ready to interrogate Parker and find out what the hell was going on when an annoyingly cheerful waitress popped over and asked for their order. Jed quickly ordered a black coffee and a blueberry muffin—screw his diet—while Parker asked for an Americana. Once she was gone, the silence stretched between them until Jed couldn't take it anymore.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Jed asked as he softly drummed his fingers on the table.
Parker rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. "I ran into some trouble, that's all. I don't exactly want to talk about it, but that's not the point of meeting
with you today. I wanted to let you know that I'm moving back to town. Well, I've already moved."
Jed blinked at him. "What? When did you move back? Where did you move?"
"It wasn't that long ago. I bought a place last week, sight unseen, and everything was finalized yesterday. I had to put a rush on the process because I just had to get out of New York."
Jed frowned. Parker was hiding something from him. Since they were kids, he had always been able to tell when Parker was lying, and it felt that way now, like he was holding something back.
"You can tell me anything, Parker. You know that, right?"
Parker nodded his head, but Jed saw the way he shut down. He wasn't going to get anything out of the stubborn beta, not without using his alpha voice and commanding it out of him.
"Okay," Jed sighed. "So why did you want me to meet you here?"
The beta perked back up at his words and beamed. Gods, Jedediah was pretty sure he would never get used to that brilliantly stunning smile. Parker practically bounced in his seat.
"Well, part of the property that I brought is a ranch. There's a few animals there, and I want you to come and take a look at them."
"Is that all? You could have invited me over to your place for something like that," he said as he reached for the cup of coffee that had been placed in front of him.
"I could have, but I wanted to meet you here first and grab food together. We haven't seen each other in so long that I didn't want you to think that I was just calling you because you were the only vet I know."
"Are you calling me because I'm the only vet you know?"
"No, of course not! I was—I mean... That's not the only reason I wanted you to show up."
Jedidiah grinned at him. "You're still way too easily flustered." He chuckled as Parker glanced up at him and narrowed his eyes.
"You're still a son of a bitch, I see," Parker said as the worry left his eyes and he smiled at Jed instead. "I missed the hell out of you."
"I missed you too. Things definitely are not the same when you're gone. I never imagined that you'd come back here."
Parker shrugged. "I didn't really have a choice. I'll miss the city. We both know that small town life doesn't agree with me. I get bored way too easily."
"You used to be just fine with it," Jed muttered, "until you met your fancy new friends."
"Aww, is that your way of saying that you were jealous?" Parker teased with a wicked little grin on his lips.
Jedidiah ignored him in favor of sipping at his coffee. They had always ragged on one another when it came to the attraction they both so obviously felt, especially in their youth. However, it was dangerous ground. Jed didn't like being taunted by what he couldn't have, and that included Parker.
"What made you want to buy a ranch?" Jed asked as he cocked an eyebrow at his old friend. "I mean, you still feel like South River is some kind of plague to you, so why on Earth would you buy a ranch? Especially when you don't have a single clue on how to run one."
"I mean, how damn hard can it be?" Parker asked with a hint of that rural Michigan accent that he tried so hard to hide peeking through. "And I figured what I didn't know, maybe you could give me some pointers on."
"Oh, is that what you thought? You were sure I’d just come to your rescue and fix everything, huh?" Jed leaned back in his chair again and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why the hell do you have to say it like that?" Parker laughed. "Seriously, it was an impulse thing. Just something that I needed right at that moment. I'm still not totally sure why I did it, but I needed to get away and this is at least an escape. Besides, South River is the only place in my budget."
"You're broke?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow.
"Not entirely... but a lot of my money is being held up right now." His friend glanced down at the table, refusing to meet Jed’s intense stare.
"Why didn't you come back and move in with your parents?"
Parker ground and squirmed in his seat. "Are you kidding me? Who the hell wants to be almost thirty and still living at home with their..." He stopped short, his face flushed, and he swallowed thickly. "I didn't mean it like that, of course. I know you're still staying with your family, and there's nothing wrong with that! Goddess, I'm putting my foot in my damn mouth again," he trailed off, more to himself.
Jade let it roll off his back. Maybe he should have been a little more independent, but he liked living with his pack, even if one of his brother’s had built his own house further back on pack land and the other was soon to follow. There was a familiar ache in his stomach that had been growing over the last few days. A longing for something more.
"I don't mind," Jed lied as he shook his head. "I have no reason to move out yet, and I like where I am."
"Of course you do," Parker said as he reached across the table and touched his hand instinctively. "I didn't mean to make it sound like it was a bad thing. I just do this thing where I can't shut up. I mean, you know how I am."
Jed smiled. Yeah, he knew how Parker was. He had gotten used to his antics years ago, but now, so many things had changed. He felt the warmth of Parker's hand against his own, and his eyes watched as the beta’s fingers traced patterns on his skin. It soothed the ache in his belly.
“Let’s go see this ranch of yours.” Jed sighed as he glanced up and caught a peculiar look in Parker’s eyes. “Are you okay?”
Quickly, Parker nodded. “I’m fine. I’ll take care of things and meet you at your car?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Jed walked out of the cafe and wondered what that look was on Parker’s face. It was almost sad, but there was more behind it. I’ll find out eventually. He can never keep anything from me for very long.
Chapter 2
Parker
Sunnyside Ranch was absolutely stunning. It was the reason Parker had fallen in love with it in the first place. The beautiful house, stark white and gorgeous, had a wrap-around porch that was enclosed behind a mesh screen to keep the bugs at bay. The light blue shutters and trim of the house along with the yellow splash of the interior itself were all comforting to Parker for some reason.
Maybe it was because it reminded him of home. Growing up, he had a pretty good life. They weren't rich by any means, and there were plenty of times that he suffered because of it, but his parents sacrificed everything to make sure that he had never went without. Parker had just always wanted more. He didn't want calm and quiet, or just getting by. He wanted the good life.
Too bad the good life seemed to have eaten him up and spat him out on the other side more bruised then he'd been going in. Just thinking about New York was enough to send him into a tailspin. He had truly been on the brink of complete and total self-destruction. Parker never wanted to experience that again, and he didn't want Jedediah to know about it just yet—if ever.
Parker shyly peeked over as the man examined the house. He hadn't seen that face in so long. Jed had always been taller than him by at least a full head, but somehow, he appeared even taller now. He still had the same dark hair, but he took after his mother in that it was tinged with red. He’d had always loved that his friend was a ginger, and it showed up even more in the impressive, but nicely kept beard that donned his face. Jed’s hair had been trimmed short on the sides, but it was long on top, and the front fell into his face. Parker itched to brush the hair away from his brow, but that would be weird, and the last thing he wanted to do was make the situation more awkward between them.
"Not bad at all," Jed finally said as they wandered into the kitchen.
They had already toured the rest of the house. Well, Parker called it a house, but it was much larger than that. There were four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an extensive attic, and a finished basement with a wine cellar. The living room was huge with a flat screen TV on the wall, and there was even a study upstairs. The entire house was done in soft, sunny, forest colors, and even though it was huge, it still felt homey.
"Thanks," Parker said
as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Why did you get something so big though? It's just you."
Parker shrugged. "You know me. I've always had a taste for the finer things."
"I get that, I really do, but didn't you just tell me that you don't have a lot of money anymore? How are you going to be able to afford this place and run a ranch properly?"
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I didn't totally think it through. But I'm sure my money will stop being tied up soon."
"You keep saying that." Jedidiah crossed his arms across his thick chest before continuing. "How exactly is your money tied up?"
Parker quickly danced around the question. He still wasn't ready to talk about everything that happened during his stay in New York and shortly after when he'd come home. Jed was just going to have to understand.
"It's a long story," Parker replied as he waved a hand through the air. "Let's go check out the animals now."
Jedidiah looked him up and down, and he knew that the alpha didn't totally believe him. He always had the most piercing green eyes that seemed to pick up on all of Parker's bulshit in a matter of seconds. Parker quickly dipped past him and out the door and immediately rubbed his hands over his arms. Michigan fall was very quickly turning into Michigan winter, and it was bittersweet.
On the one hand, Parker did love the winter. Snow falling outside, a fire roaring in the fireplace, eggnog, Christmas, holiday music, and friends. It had always been his favorite time of year, but he hadn't been home for Christmas in over five years, just to visit his parents briefly, and it was going to be weird to celebrate it back home instead of bar hopping and attending elaborate dinners.