Alpha’s Sun

by Rose, Renee

  I don’t know how she reads my mind like that. Witchy woman.

  “How many?” I choke.

  She places her good hand flat on my chest and swings a leg over my lap, straddling me. “Listen to me, Titus. You don’t get to ask that.”

  “You’re right,” I say quickly. I’m way out of line. I don’t know why I feel so damn possessive of this woman.

  This woman who won’t be claimed.

  * * *

  Sunny

  Titus thinks I chose this lifestyle out of frivolity.

  But the truth is, he’s not the only one who left a relationship with a wound that never closed.

  And even though I never talk about it, it feels important to tell him.

  “All I ever wanted was to settle down and have a family.”

  Titus snorts, but when he sees I’m serious, he stills.

  “I got married young. Just a year out of high school. To a nice young man. He was an actuary for an insurance firm. He wanted children—at least three. And he wanted to be the big man and support me to stay at home and raise the kids.”

  Titus stares at me with disbelief, like I might be making a long joke.

  “I wanted kids for as long as I can remember. Since I was carrying around dolls at age three, probably, so it seemed perfect.”

  Titus gets tense. “What happened?” There’s a warning growl in his voice, like he’s going to go back and rip Jack’s head off or something.

  “We got married in a church with our family and friends and bought a little two bedroom house in Kansas City. I cooked and cleaned and planted flowers and waited to get pregnant.”

  I see comprehension dawn on Titus’ face. Comprehension mingled with horror. He strokes a large, rough palm up my thigh. It’s not sexual—more like he’s trying to soothe me.

  “It took a year and a half just to get pregnant. And believe me, we were trying. I took my temperature every morning, tracked my cycle. I knew when I was ovulating. I don’t know what was wrong. The doctors couldn’t figure it out. Eventually I got pregnant.”

  “And you lost it.” The sympathy in Titus’ gaze is almost too much to bear.

  I blink rapidly. “Biggest disappointment of my life,” I choke.

  He squeezes both my thighs, then tugs me down to cover his body where he wraps me up in his arms. “I’m sorry, angel. It must’ve been awful.”

  “Yeah. My own private nightmare. After three more miscarriages, Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He asked for a divorce and kicked me out. He remarried six months later and his new wife got pregnant immediately.”

  “Christ, Sunny.” Titus’ voice cracks a little.

  I shrug against his chest. The sadness I buried so deeply, the one I’ve been running from all these years surfaces, but lying on Titus’ strong chest makes it seem less consuming than it used to feel. “I had no college education. I didn’t want to go crawling back to my parents, especially because they hadn’t supported me marrying so young. I didn’t want to hear I told you so.

  “A friend of a friend who made jewelry for a living invited me to join her on the arts and crafts circuit. I helped her while I figured out what I could make that would sell and not compete with her, and I’ve been doing the circuit ever since.”

  “And then you met Foxfire’s dad? What happened with him?”

  “Johnny. Yeah. He wasn’t the settle down and marry type. He was a very kind man. We had a spark immediately. Like you and me.”

  Titus’ brow wrinkles but his gray eyes remain intent on my face and he doesn’t interject anything.

  “He had a really backwards family. Some kind of cult, really. And they wouldn’t allow him to leave the flock or marry or anything. He was out selling wares on the circuit, too. That’s how we met. We hooked up. It was his first time with a woman, and he didn’t even think about condoms. I didn’t insist because—well, I knew I’m not exactly Fertile Myrtle and he was obviously clean.”

  “But you got pregnant.”

  “Yes. We’d already parted ways when I found out, and he felt terrible. He talked about leaving his cult to come and live with me, but I didn’t want that kind of pressure. I’d already had the picket fence and the provider husband and it sucked. The pressure to be perfect was too much to live up to, you know?”

  Titus’ jaw flexes. “Yeah, but he had a responsibility for the kit. I mean your little girl.”

  I laugh. “Did you call her a kit because of her name? That’s so cute.”

  Titus’ steel-gray gaze bores a hole through me.

  “He did the best he could. He sent cash when he could scrape it together, but he was as poor as I was. I sent pictures. It worked out fine. Honestly, it’s probably easier to raise a child on your own. No one to argue with about how they should be raised.”

  Titus shrugs. “True. Although I still don’t get how a parent could live without their child. It’s unnatural.”

  I tilt my head, noticing the clouds in his aura. “You never forgave her for leaving, did you?”

  Titus stiffens, his abs going rock hard like he requires protection. I run my fingernails lightly down his chest, over his belly.

  “No, I didn’t. But she didn’t just leave us. She cost me my job. My livelihood. She embezzled thousands of dollars from the company I worked for and then took off.”

  I can’t hide my shock. “Wow. Total betrayal.”

  “Right.”

  “I’ll bet you felt like you didn’t even know who she was after she left.”

  He leans up on his elbows. “Exactly. How do you know that?”

  I shrug. “I felt the energy of it. I’m so sorry, Titus. So you have to know it had nothing to do with you, right? That’s just the kind of person she is. She would’ve done that with anyone.”

  “I was the idiot who decided to mate—I mean, marry her.”

  “No. Don’t make yourself wrong. Your choice resulted in Tank. How can you possibly regret that?”

  Titus’ face softens. “You’re right. Yeah. Totally.” He scrubs a hand through his beard. After a beat, he says, “I get it now.”

  “What?”

  “Why you won’t settle down.”

  I hold my breath, not sure I want to hear his assessment of me. This is usually when I get my feelings hurt.

  “You felt like you failed at it.”

  Tears spear my eyes. Titus lifts a hand and cups my cheek. “But the truth is, sunshine, you were perfect. I know you believe the Universe has your back and all that shit. Maybe the Universe just didn’t want you to get stuck with that asshole raising pasty-faced weakling children. The Universe wanted you to have a big, bold bright daughter who is strong and as eccentric as you are.”

  I eyeball him. “I’m not sure if that was a compliment.”

  “Hell, yeah, it’s a compliment. You did a fine job raising a child with smarts, grit, and the spirit of a warrior. So how can that be wrong?”

  I grin at him like an idiot. He grins back. Then my stomach growls.

  “Let’s ride back into town and grab some lunch before you go out to the gorge,” Titus offers.

  “Yeah, okay.” I climb off him, allowing the warm glow from his words to surround me. I pull on a little sundress and slip into a pair of sandals. For the first time with Titus, I feel like we might be on the same page, and I really like the way it feels.

  * * *

  Titus

  After lunch, Sunny leaves me at my place and heads out to the bridge to work.

  I’m still anxious to get back and sniff around Sunny’s RV in wolf form, but I’m going to wait until tonight. The moon is full. If there are other shifters around, they might be out on the hunt. I may find what I’m looking for.

  In the meantime, I head into town and stop into the local dive bars, asking about my buddy Buzz.

  No one’s heard of him. And I don’t get the sense they’re lying, either. Maybe my friend isn’t in these parts anymore.

  I end up walking through the plaza. Everything reminds
me of Sunny. The cantina where we had drinks. The place I was standing when I heard her car wreck. The roof where she gave me the worst cock tease of my life.

  Where these thoughts used to grate on me, now all I feel is warmth for the beautiful human. Hearing about her past pain made it all clear to me now. She’s been running to avoid the kind of rejection she received from her husband.

  I want to smash his head in, even though I’m so glad she isn’t married to him anymore. Still, the pain he put her through. She must’ve felt so inadequate and alone when he threw her out.

  A growl comes from my throat and the tourists walking by skitter past.

  I want to show Sunny she doesn’t have to be afraid of rejection. She can settle down again. Not to raise a family, obviously, but to live in a real house. With flowerbeds.

  And me.

  Wait, no. That’s crazy. I’m a wolf.

  She’s a human.

  Relationships with humans are forbidden.

  Look at Garrett, my wolf whispers. My alpha’s son Garrett took a human mate. The excuse was that she’s psychic. Has special abilities.

  But my Sunny’s special, too. She may not be full-on psychic, but she’s certainly highly intuitive. She saw my wolf in her mind’s eye. On some level, she knows what I am, she just doesn’t have a context for it in this reality.

  I find myself outside the chocolate shop where Sunny went the other day after we quarrelled, and I push through the door. A cheerful bell tied around the doorknob rings and Sunny’s friend from yoga looks up with a smile.

  “Oh, hi,” she chirps. “You’re Sunny’s friend.”

  Is it weird that I’m pissed she didn’t say I’m Sunny’s man?

  Definitely.

  “Yes. I’m Titus.”

  “Adele.” She sticks her hand out across the counter and I shake it. The place smells like sugar and chocolate and… the faint scent of coyote.

  Please tell me she’s not dating one of those low-life coyotes. Adele seemed way better than that. And that’s saying something, since she’s human.

  “What can I get you?”

  I do a quick sweep of the glass cases. “What, ah… what does Sunny like from here?”

  A wide grin splits Adele’s face. “Are you buying her a gift? I have just the thing!” She picks up a little box and uses the tongs to fill it with four perfect little truffles. They’re like tiny art masterpieces. Too pretty to eat, really. “She will love this.” She pops a lid on the box and wraps it up with a pretty ribbon.

  I pull out my wallet. “How much?”

  “Ten dollars, please.”

  Christ, ten bucks for four truffles. I guess they taste as good as they look. But I don’t care. I would’ve paid fifty bucks for something that makes Sunny feel special. I hand over a ten dollar bill and accept the little box. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  I take the gift and walk out with a spring in my step. I made plans to see Sunny again tomorrow.

  Tonight, I’ll go out by her RV in wolf form and sniff around, but she doesn’t need to know that. I’m hoping I get more information—anything of value—before I call my alpha with a report.

  Chapter 6

  Sunny

  The long mournful howl of a wolf wakes me in the night.

  The moon is full.

  I hear coyotes all the time, but I’ve never heard a wolf before. I’m not sure how I even know it’s a wolf, but I do. Living in an RV, it often sounds like animals are close—just outside the thin walls. I usually love it, but tonight a shiver runs up my spine.

  Even though it’s warm out, I pull the covers up to my chin.

  I hear a stick crack beneath my window. The sound of panting.

  Oh goddess, the wolf is right outside. A real wolf, not a spirit animal.

  I sit up and pull the curtain aside to peer out. The moonlight clearly illuminates a giant black wolf with glowing amber eyes. He’s sniffing the ground around my RV.

  My heart skips a beat.

  Another wolf howls, farther away. The black wolf lifts its head and cocks its ears to listen. It stands still, waiting. Listening.

  I hold my breath.

  Another howl, this time closer.

  The wolf bares its teeth and growls.

  A silver wolf leaps from the thicket nearby and suddenly the two wolves are tangled in a snarling tumble.

  I scream.

  Nearby, the sound of growl-barks join the fray, like other wolves are closing in.

  Another black wolf leaps from the woods and joins the tussle. Then two more.

  I scream again; this time I get up and run outside. I don’t know what I think I’m going to do—scare them off, maybe. Stop the fight.

  One of the black wolves turns its white fangs on me with a snarl.

  The silver wolf leaps from the fight with a snarl, landing between me and the black wolf, his back to me. His hackles stand up, his fangs flash in the moonlight. The sound coming from his throat is terrifying.

  And yet it appears he’s protecting me. Which makes no sense.

  The four other wolves form a semi-circle facing us, growling, but then the biggest one sits, dropping its aggressive behavior.

  It’s clearly the alpha, because the other three immediately imitate the largest wolf, sitting.

  The silver wolf continues growling and showing teeth.

  It backs up, getting closer to me so I have to back up, too. The other wolves watch.

  I don’t know wolf behavior enough to understand what’s happening, but I’m definitely scared.

  The silver wolf backs up more, until its hind legs hit mine. Then it turns slightly and body checks me. Like it’s trying to shoo me into the RV.

  And that’s when an unexpected name bursts from my lips.

  “Titus!”

  I stare at the wolf. I don’t know what made me say it, but the energy is the same. This growling, fanged canine has the same gruff, protective quality Titus had when he dropped me off today.

  But that makes no sense.

  The big black wolf gets up and trots off like nothing just happened. It doesn’t even bother looking back, as if it knows there’s no chance the silver wolf will attack. The other three follow a moment later and I let out a shaky breath.

  “Titus?” I whisper.

  Am I going crazy? It’s one thing to see a spirit animal—something from beyond the veil. It’s another to believe an actual, real wolf is the same being as the man I was with earlier.

  The wolf turns bright blue eyes on me.

  My stomach flips.

  It’s the same wolf from my vision.

  Definitely.

  “Titus?” I try again.

  And suddenly there’s a blur of motion, a cracking of bones and the man stands before me.

  Buck naked, cock erect.

  Beautiful.

  Raw power radiates from him.

  Or is it magic? Because he’s certainly something of the magical realm if he can change form at will.

  I stumble back, suddenly frightened. I throw out a hand to catch myself on the RV. “Wh-what are you?”

  His eyes still shine bright blue, not the slate gray they should be. His teeth still gleam extra white, canines too long.

  “Get inside.” His voice is raspy and rough, like he’s forgotten how to talk.

  I’m trembling, although I can’t tell if it’s from fear or something else. Anticipation. Desire.

  Probably all of those things.

  “Y-you’re a wolf.”

  “Yeah.” He advances on me, a predatory gleam in those blue eyes, and I’m forced to back up into the Airstream.

  “Titus?”

  It hits me suddenly.

  Werewolves are real. He’s a werewolf and the moon is full, which means…

  Oh goddess, what does it mean?

  “What happens to you when the moon is full?” My voice sounds as raw and scratchy as his now.

  He catches the hem of the thin cotton nightshirt I was sleeping in and tugs i
t over my head. “Let’s find out.”

  I’m naked. He’s naked. The air charges between us, ready for the incendiary spark.

  Most of my fear evaporates. If he’s going to eat me, I don’t think it will be in the Big Bad Wolf kind of way.

  “Titus…”

  His torso bumps into my chest as he crowds me against a wall. I don’t know what I want from him—an explanation, a discussion. But he’s not having it. He’s still half-beast, and his wild side wants to get frisky.

  Okay, then. I’m down.

  All it takes is one touch.

  When I grip his arm with my good hand for stability, he pounces, mouth descending for a searing kiss, arms scooping under my ass to pick me up. He carries me to the bed and falls onto it with me beneath him. His breath is hot against my neck as he drags his open mouth from my ear to shoulder. His cock wedges between my legs, skimming along the wet petals of my sex.

  One thrust and he’s in me—without either of us guiding the way. He pumps in and out, still kissing and sucking along my neck, my ear, my mouth. His tongue delves between my lips.

  “Titus!” It seems to be the only thing I’m capable of gasping. I wrap my arms around his neck and rock my pelvis in concert with his, taking him deeper, receiving all the dangerous passion he brings.

  Titus is always a rough lover. This time is no different, but there is a change. That underlying anger and frustration he usually brings is gone. He’s stripped bare now, it’s just his unchecked animal passion.

  And he devours me.

  Flesh slaps flesh, the RV rocks and creaks so loud I fear it will fall apart at the bolts. Everywhere he touches me brings searing awareness. He rises up to his knees and holds my hips, lifts and tilts me to the best angle and fucks hard.

  I lose my breath. Even though my own need is off the charts, my body’s pliant and yielding, instinctively reacting to his extreme aggression. It must know asserting my own will, trying to direct the action could result in pain. I submit, surrender to the sensations, the pleasure, the rushing in my body to meet him. Receive him.

  He snarls. I see the wolf again, just below the surface. Not the real wolf, but his wolf spirit. This time I don’t see it coming, His teeth sink into my shoulder the instant he comes.