Claiming an Alpha's Heart

by A. R. Ford

The least fun job in the pizzeria, I found, was chopping onions. Tears, and mucus would stream. It gave me a good excuse to explore the things going on in my head. Everything from being given to the Rowe family, to Evan Quinn. Each and every time, I found myself wondering why he rejected me. Was I defective? Had I done something that offended him? Everything Posie told me about Alphas and Omegas, suggested an Alpha in rut would definitely claim an Omega in estrus. I was the only one she knew of on the mainland. In the past thirty years, if not longer.

  Not trusting others came after Evan’s callous treatment. The ledge in the drainage tunnel was my home. I worked on it as often as I could. The desperate attempts to provide safe shelter for the baby, left me drained. Once it was done, I stood back with both hands on my hips, more than happy with the raised bed constructed from scrap lumber. Tin cans on a string stretched across the narrow tunnel, serving as an alarm system. A discarded half barrel served as a fireplace.

  It wasn’t much, but it was all mine. My only concern was for when the baby arrived. I had months to make the shelter better. Don’t worry unless you have to. That was my new motto.

  I fell into a routine. Sleep. Wake up after nightmares crept in. Go to work. Cry, and think about Evan. Crawl onto the ledge, and repeat. Posie swore I was depressed, whatever that meant. Even bonus credits at the end of each shift did little to lift my mood. Rumors swirled that the rich Alpha in the hotel was gone now. That he had moved on to The Valley to investigate Luca Walker’s family. Eventually, I stopped eating, picking at the ingredients on each slice of pizza, more so than eating it.

  The first month after my impromptu arrival in Walden passed without incident. Until the night Posie asked me to deliver some food to the hotel. A couple of hours before the pizzeria closed, she stuck her head in the kitchen. “Hey, Emmy, could you save my life?”

  “You know I would.” I wiped the table down, dried my hands, and tugged the apron over my head. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Would you be a dear, and deliver a pizza to the hotel? Someone ordered one earlier for dinner later. They left a tip which is yours if you’ll help me out.” Posie grinned while rubbing her hands together. “I’ll close everything down since you’re doing me a favor. I’ll see you tomorrow, Emmy.”

  One thing was true about delivering pizzas. You had to nearly run to make sure the pizza didn’t cool off too much. Once inside the hotel, I rode the fancy elevator to the penthouse. A couple of men wearing camouflage fatigues, and shoulder holsters with guns, stood in the hallway. They stepped aside to let me pass. All of them greeted me politely. I knocked on the door, clutching the container of pizza precariously perched on one hand, and my shoulder. The thud of heavy footsteps grew louder as someone walked to the door.

  The instant the door opened; I realized the deceitful trickery that brought me here. I was set up, yet again, by someone I thought was my friend. Evan Quinn appeared in the doorway. His flaming jade eyes focused on me. The pizza hit the floor with a thud as I turned to run. There would be no escape. The men blocked any hopes of it by barring the hallway. Evan’s hand caught my shirt, tugging me backward, even as the fabric ripped in his grasp.

  I kicked, and screamed, fists pounding his chest, and shoulders. He held me with both arms. Tears of anger mixed with fear stung my eyelids. The door slammed, the lock clicked, and here I was, held captive, yet again, by the Alpha who did not care enough to claim me. I sagged in his arms. Exhausted. Defeated. Forlorn.

  Evan carried me to the sofa where he cradled me in his arms. One hand eventually made its way to my hair where the fingers tangled. He combed the chaotic strands. To my horror, I heard a purr coming from his broad chest. Squirming, I tried to fight my way free. He was too strong. Arms too massive. And the purr. Gods, help me! It changed in pitch, and volume, until a liquid warmth filled my veins, dulling my senses. Fear, and anger, evaporated. His scent drew me closer. One part of my mind was horrified at what I did. Another part applauded my actions. I buried my head against his chest, fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt.

  He began to talk when I calmed. His voice was low, and hoarse with emotion. “I was a fool to let you go, Emmy.”

  Saucer-like eyes flicked upward to meet jade eyes that now were limpid pools filled with something. Something I didn’t understand. What does he mean? A big hand cupped my face, thumb running along my cheekbone. The sensation woke throbbing pulse points centered in each pebbled nipple, and my core.

  “Yes, I said fool. When I arranged for you to be delivered to me, I knew very little about Alphas, and Omegas. You must realize the only Omegas I have met, appeared recently on Jade Island. Hailey and Eliane, were claimed by their mates. Perhaps two dozen others, who have not yet been claimed, live on an estate on the island. They are protected by the Alpha who owns the property. I knew only of the intense pleasure of rut. The knowledge was shared with me when two Alphas spoke at length about their time with their mates during estrus. I was only looking out for my sick, perverted sexual needs.”

  Tears welled, again, at his words. My assumptions were correct. I was nothing more than a whore to satisfy Evan Quinn’s lust. I could not speak as pain welled in my heart. The ache in the center of my chest returned, so intense that I cried out, a fist pressed against the place that reminded me of its emptiness. My gaze dropped, focusing on a bit of fuzz on my pants. I plucked at it, shoulders heaving as I fought back the emotional storm that now threatened.

  Evan groaned. He took my chin in his fingers, forcing me to look at him, again. “Let me finish, Emmy.” A tear trickled down my face. Evan’s darkly handsome face twisted. “Gods, don’t cry! I was wrong. So absolutely, utterly, wrong in my fucked-up mind to think I could take you, then toss you away. I haven’t slept since you disappeared. Rafe couldn’t find you. I went to The Valley to see if someone there could help me. I met some of the Walker family, Emmy. They gave me a book that explains it all. A hand-written book that tells of our history; the rut, estrus, pair bond, claiming. The need to nest, especially during pregnancy. All of it. I understand, now, how damaging it was to treat you in that manner.”

  Another tear made its way laboriously down my face. “You made me leave.” Each word sliced my heart. Faintly spoken, thick with tears, and pain. My chest heaved as my body did its best to expel the anguish.

  “Never again, Emmy. You carry my child. Although I did not claim you, some type of bond has formed. My chest aches, sometimes. I know that’s when you’re not in a good emotional state. And now? It feels like a bottomless pit lies where my heart should be.” He leaned over me, lips brushing mine. “Help me learn how to love you the right way. The way you need, so you’re happy, and carefree. I don’t like sad, broken, Emmy.”

  His words led me to two paths. Tell him how I felt, and trust him. Or walk away, and deal with the visceral agony that sliced my chest open each time I thought of him.

  “I love you, Evan. It hurt so much when you made me leave. When you didn’t claim me. I didn’t know what it meant, but something inside me told me it wasn’t supposed to end the way it did. That you wanted someone else, over me.” A hitching sigh wormed its way free. I wanted to reach out, to touch him, to snuggle against him while he purred. Something held me back.

  Evan made the decision for me. Both of his hands cupped my face. He drew me closer until our mouths met. Electric tingles raced from my spine, outward along nerves that suddenly came alive. I felt his emotions. His need to make things right. His tongue caressed mine. Silken stroking that made me moan. My arms curled around his neck of their own accord. The purr began, again, but morphed quickly into a growl. Evan’s teeth found my shoulder, clamping down, tearing flesh.

  I screamed. A scream born of pain, and the sudden claiming that filled my chest with a blinding tendril pulsating with Evan’s love, and desire, to protect me, at any cost. The brain can only withstand so much. My mind folded in on itself. Darkness took me.

  *****

  “Wake up, Emmy.” Evan’s voice nudged me
from unconsciousness. I lay in bed. He hovered over me, the back of one hand caressing my face.

  The white-hot agony of the claiming mark brought a groan. I sat up, a hand going to my shoulder. It came away covered in blood. “You claimed me?”

  “I should have prepared you. I’m not sorry I did it. You’re mine, Emmy. My mate, my Omega.” He paced the floor, pounding a fist into the palm of his free hand. His voice was a low growl that made my womb cramp, my sex throb with need. He turned, at my side in an instant, hands cupping my face. His voice, and behavior, led me to believe he was concerned. “You will stay.”

  I had no desire to torment him. Instinct mandated that I calm him. “I’m staying with you. You’re my mate, Evan. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere, but with you.”

  I’m not certain Evan’s behavior was instinctual. It bordered on the giddy happiness, and relief one experiences when a frightening event is over. He was in bed with me in an instant, peppering my face with kisses, laughing, pulling me against him where he simply held me.

  Wow. If this is Alpha love, I can definitely get used to it.

  “You’ll want to make a nest. If you need anything, please, let me know.” Evan’s hand cupped my belly. “And I should see to the claiming mark.”

  Evan’s calm demeanor, and quiet strength, calmed me. He cleansed the wound, then dressed it with gauze and tape from a first aid kit in the bathroom. He retrieved the pizza, chortling when he found the toppings effectively stuck like glue to the top of the container. We ate it, anyway, while sitting on the sofa.

  “Did you bribe Posie to send me here?”

  The question lingered unanswered while Evan chewed, and swallowed, a bite of pizza. “Posie came to see me when I returned from The Valley. She told me you were miserable, that you stopped eating. She wouldn’t tell me where you were, just that she could arrange something. I didn’t pay her, nor did she ask for money.”

  We sat on the sofa for hours, long past the time when we both should have been in bed, sleeping. I asked Evan questions, he answered. I returned the favor. My first question touched on his upbringing, and family. Our interaction brought a sense of peace. This is how it should be.

  “What was your childhood like? Tell me about your family.” My question was born of genuine curiosity. I wanted to know who Evan was, where he came from.

  “That’s a tough one, Emmy. My childhood was good. I had one brother, and both of my parents around, most of the time. My parents died years ago. I had my brother, but he was a power-hungry ass. We were never close after he took over the family business. Jade Island is different from other places. Although organized crime was thought to have perished after the great war, it returned in variations on Jade Island. My family dealt in arms, drugs, and information. Anything to make money. At one time, we were allied with another powerful family on the island. Arturo Michaels. He died, and his son, Baron, took over. We’ve gone from war, to peace. I wanted to pursue a different path. Researching our people, learning more about who we are. Now I have that information, I can return to Jade Island. Baron’s wife, Hailey, will be writing our history. I can’t wait for you to meet them!” Evan’s eyes grew brighter as he spoke. His hand returned to my hair, again, as if stroking it soothed him.

  “I lost my family a few years ago. No, not family. They were my guardians. They died. I had to burn our shack. I was on my own after that. Then, Rafe found me. And, now, I’m here. My story isn’t nearly as exciting as yours is.”

  “Everything about you fascinates me, Emmy.” Evan picked me up when I yawned. I felt like a princess in a fairy-tale story being carried to a carriage by the handsome prince. He placed me in the center of the bed, and joined me after he undressed.

  Sleeping in Evan’s arms brought a sense of peace I had not known for weeks. It felt right, almost like a missing piece of the puzzle finally clicking into place. I would follow this Alpha to the ends of the earth. I fell asleep with the heat of his body, and rhythmic heartbeat, lulling me to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Evan

  Posie paid me a visit the day I returned to Walden. She insisted on meeting behind closed doors. My gut rebelled when thoughts of another female wanting more from me than I could give, filled my head. I sat behind the desk in the office area of the penthouse. Something, anything, had to be between us. Posie wasted no time in taking a seat. My curiosity piqued when she sighed. These were not the actions of a Beta interested in sex.

  “I’m coming to you trying to help my friend. She’s broken, and I’m afraid things won’t end well,” Posie began with a shrug, and expansive gesture with both hands.

  “I’m certain I don’t know your friend.” Whiskey burned as I took a gulp from the glass filled halfway with the amber liquid.

  “I beg to differ.”

  Laughter flowed freely from me as I stared at the ceiling. “Doubtful. Since you’ve come demanding a private meeting with me, why not convince me of the need for my help.”

  Posie caught my gaze, swallowing hard before the name fell from her lips. The name that made my gut clench, and heart race. “Emmy isn’t doing well. She won’t eat. I’ve been to the hovel she calls home. It’s nothing more than a ledge in the drainage system. She has pine boughs to make it softer. There are rats crawling everywhere.” Posie’s voice broke in a sob. Tear-filled eyes met mine. “Please don’t turn away from her. She’s pregnant with your baby.”

  “Where is she?” I stood up; the glass of whiskey instantly forgotten.

  A sense of desperation grew larger, writhing inside the empty place in my chest. The place where our pair bond should be centered. But, no, the idiotic seeker of dark pleasures within me convinced me to deny my instinct to claim Emmy. Now, I lived in misery wondering where she was, if she was safe.

  “Probably sleeping in that awful place. She’s supposed to work this afternoon. I had a friend take over for a bit. What are your intentions with Emmy?” Posie’s hands twisted together in her lap. She was genuinely concerned for my Omega.

  “I had no understanding of the relationship an Alpha and Omega can share with a pair bond. The trip to The Valley changed that. I need to find her, to make things right.”

  A grin split Posie’s face at my words. “The pizzeria closes around nine, tonight. What kind of pizza do you like, Mr. Quinn?”

  For the first time in weeks, the empty place in my chest pulsed with gentle warmth. A sensation that calmed me, filled me with a sense of hope. “I’ll eat raw dough if Emmy brings it to me. Just tell me what I need to do.”

  Posie stood up before she caught my hand. “I’ll send Emmy with pizza. She doesn’t know you’re back in town. She’ll run. You just have to make sure she doesn’t get away, this time. If you let her get away, you’ll never see her again. Her heart is broken. Please, help my friend get well. You both deserve happiness.”

  I hugged Posie, without warning. What she was doing for Emmy, for both of us, meant more than all the riches in the world. I would have my mate. I would have a love that lasts a lifetime. Of that much, I was certain.

  After Posie left, I arranged with my security staff to allow Emmy to deliver the pizza, unimpeded. There was no question the men would obey. In my misery, I made their lives a living hell in the past few weeks. One man even dared call me an irritable, love-obsessed asshole. The name fit. Why would I punish him when I knew it was true?

  I paced the floor until the knock on the door came, just after nine that evening. Emmy paled even further, if that was even possible. Dark circles gave her eyes a sunken appearance. She was much thinner than I remembered. The pain in her eyes was nearly my undoing. I couldn’t let her get to the elevator. She was fast, but I was faster. And then, I had her in my arms, where she rightfully belonged. I could not resist the urge to claim her.

  The soft sound of Emmy’s breathing lulled me to sleep that night. I woke with her arm flung across my chest, a knee on my thighs. The pale light of early morning allowed me to examine her more closely. Long, thick las
hes rimmed her eyes. Pale pink lips begged me to kiss them. I could not resist. In just seconds, Emmy returned my kiss, arching her body, nipples rubbing against my chest. A soft moan came seconds before my growl. I felt Alpha instinct growing, rippling powerfully from brain stem, to spine, to nerves. My body reacted, instantly, to the instinctive commands our kind nearly forgot.

  “Evan,” Emmy whispered when I broke the kiss.

  She wore my t-shirt, along with her panties. Hands gliding across her skin, a breath hissed between my teeth as the silken expanse brought back reminders of our time together during her estrus. The perfection of being with her. She wiggled free of the clothing, lying back in a cloud of strawberry blonde hair. Pupils nearly blown, she cried out when two fingers thrust inside the slick heat of her core. A growl brought a gush of slick.

  “Need you, now,” I growled.

  Her cool fingers encircled my cock, guiding it home. Reality blurred as I sank inch, by inch, into the perfection created only for my cock. We devolved into nothing more than animals, mates separated by time, and distance, desperate to reaffirm the bond. The tendril within my chest pulsed, expanded, filling my chest with blistering heat. Emmy’s heels drummed against my thighs. Her nails left bloody trails on my chest, and shoulders. Only we mattered.

  Our mating spiraled out of control, within minutes. I roared. She howled. The knot swelled the instant my cock slid deep, locking us together. Swollen balls, heavy with semen, emptied inside her—jet, after blistering jet. The fluttering pulsations of her core continued to milk my cock. We collapsed in a puddle of sweaty, panting, mindless bliss. I eased Emmy onto my chest. Her tongue lapped at beads of sweat covering my chest as she ground her pussy against my groin. My purr filled the air. She calmed instantly, sighing softly, head nestling against my chest.

  After the knot loosened enough to set my cock free, Emmy prowled the bed, displeased with its current state. I joined her as she squatted in the center. I knew to leave her alone. She pulled bedding, and pillows, into an intricate network that formed the basis of her nest. She grew fiercely protective, slapping my hand when I reached out to touch the comforter. Once the nest was complete, she crawled inside. I chuckled when her face appeared in a gap between the pillow, and comforter.