Possessed by the Alpha

by Nancy Corrigan

  He repeats the process with his next son before handing the baby over to Megan, then goes through the same motions with his daughter, but he doesn’t hand her off. He tucks her against his chest and glances at Megan and Molly, then the three of them walk out of the barn.

  Bree grips my arm where it’s still linked around her waist. She turns in my embrace, bringing her lips dangerously close to mine, and stares at me with wide, curious eyes that tempt me closer. “What just happened? I thought we were supposed to learn their names? It’s been driving me nuts calling them baby one, two, and three.”

  My gaze drifts from her hazel eyes to her lips. “Didn’t anyone tell you what would happen at this ceremony?”

  “No. I know next to nothing about shifters or your customs. That’s my first task—to learn everything I can about the shifter world. My partner is supposed to help me.”

  “Oh, is he?”

  “That’s what Ella said.”

  I part my lips and fight the urge to close the distance between us. Bree smells sweet, like a rich wine I could get drunk on. “Then you should be assigned to someone…knowledgeable, don’t you agree?”

  “I would hope.”

  I turn Bree’s face to the barn door, purposely stroking my fingertips over her jaw. Her soft skin sensitizes me. Leaning close to her, I brush my lips over the path I’d stroked to her ear. “Josh was claiming his young. If he’d found any babes unworthy, Ezra would’ve killed them. Mira stood outside to await her mate’s choice over which, if any of their children, would be announced to the world. Once all those who came here to witness the naming ceremony step outside, the babies’ names will be spoken to all.”

  Bree turns and presses her hands to my chest. “Then what are we waiting for?”

  “I’ve been wondering that exact thing all my life.” I move to take her hands in mine, but she evades my attempt to lead her outside and instead motions for me to walk with her.

  “Sounds more like a personal problem.” She grins. “Maybe you should take a hard look at your life. I bet the answer is right in front of you.”

  With an outstretched arm, I catch the barn door as the wind blows it and save Bree from getting whacked in the shoulder, then I stand there and take in all the family and friends I essentially blew off when I skipped town last summer. None point me out as the loser who abandoned Mira. None make any comments about it being awkward I’m here. And none of the shifters gathered here ask me to leave.

  Josh glances our way, then nods to Molly. Holding the baby close to her chest, Molly walks to where Mira stands alone in the middle of the yard, then hands the babe over to Mira and announces in a loud, clear voice, “Killian.”

  Mira smiles, kisses her baby’s head, then hands him back to Molly as Megan approaches and goes through the same motions. Once Megan hands over the baby, she turns to everyone watching. “This is my baby brother, Morgan. Captain Morgan, arr!”

  Laughter and smiles abound from all those present, and Mira narrows her eyes at her mate as he closes the distance between them. Grinning, she shakes her head and takes the baby from him. “And which of the possible names we picked did you decide on for our daughter?”

  Josh looks from Mira to the baby she’s holding and grins. “Bailey, of course.”

  “Of course.” Mira laughs, then kisses her baby before lifting her head for her mate’s kiss.

  Warmth spreads through me, a happy feeling I wasn’t expecting tonight. Maybe it’s seeing the woman I was promised to but never wanted finally happy. Maybe it’s everyone else’s amusement rubbing off on me. Maybe…

  “Josh named his kids after alcoholic drinks!” Bree turns exasperated eyes on me. “Can you believe it?”

  “Actually, yes.” I let the door close on the empty barn, then lean against the wood. “Oh, and you’re right, Bree. Maybe the answer to what I’ve been waiting for is right here in front of me.”

  And there’s only one way to find out. Stay and see.

  Have you read the connected series — Shifter WorldⓇ: Royal-Kagan?

  If not, read on to learn more about Rafe’s story. Or navigate to the BONUS section in this book.

  Treasured Find

  Shifter WorldⓇ: Royal-KaganⓇ, book 1

  by Nancy Corrigan

  An immortal shifter and a mortal woman form an unlikely bond amid the secrets that kept them safe—and the truths that threaten to separate them forever.

  Jasmine Wyn has always distrusted people: men in general, and shifter men specifically. When a handsome stranger appears out of nowhere to help locate a friend’s child, she’s drawn to Rafe in ways she doesn’t understand. Still, Jasmine has secrets to protect. No man, no matter how tempting, is going to endanger those she loves.

  But someone else is determined to destroy her quiet life. A stalker with a personal vendetta has his sights on her, and he doesn’t care how many people suffer as long as he gets what he wants. Jasmine must decide if she can place her safety and trust in Rafe, the man who’s already stolen her heart...

  Rafe Alexander, a Royal feline shifter, sees his police work both as a calling and as a way to keep human knowledge of their kind to a minimum. When he investigates a shifter kid living with a human, the scent trail leads to Jasmine, a child caretaker who’s reluctant to tell Rafe anything.

  Their undeniable chemistry forces Rafe to realize he’s falling for Jasmine, hard. If she is his true mate, he’ll have to confront her with the unspeakable challenges they’ll face to complete the bond. But first, he has to save her from a relentless enemy who’s always one step ahead.

  Learn more

  Or read an expanded excerpt:

  A bar. He brought the kid to a damn bar.

  Rafe Alexander gripped the steering wheel. The tips of his fingers burned from the press of his sharpened nails against his skin. His jaw ached from the pressure of his fangs sliding into place. He wanted to beat the human for exposing a preschooler to a world of drunks and illicit behaviors.

  But if it saved her? Yeah. If the human kept their cub from falling into the wrong hands, Rafe would be thanking the guy, right after he explained with his fists that a bar in the backwoods of West Virginia wasn’t the right environment for a little girl.

  Rafe slammed the SUV’s door and strode across the bar’s parking lot. A few males tucked their dates closer and turned in the opposite direction. Others dropped their gazes to the pavement underfoot. The familiar reaction to his presence annoyed him, but it wasn’t their fault. Humans might not know what he was by looking at him, but they sensed the danger—the predator in their midst—and reacted accordingly.

  He tightened his control over his primal side. He didn’t need any attention directed his way, not with the shit that had gone down here a few hours ago: a fire that resulted in a fatality.

  Sure, tragedies happened all the time, and in the grand scheme of things, one human’s passing was a blip on the radar. For Rafe, though, Tony Conway’s death was personal. The male had unknowingly adopted a shifter, a rare white lion cub Rafe had been tasked with retrieving.

  He cursed. The fire was too coincidental. Word of a shifter cub living among humans surfaced, and the next day her human father died. Yeah, it wasn’t related at all. Right.

  Once the fire chief finished his investigation, he’d realize the fire hadn’t been an accident too. The authorities would begin to search for the arsonist. It wouldn’t do them any good. Even if they collected evidence from the scene, they wouldn’t understand why Tony had been targeted. Rafe couldn’t share the details surrounding Megan’s uniqueness with them either. Shifters were fictional beings in most humans’ eyes. That fact hampered Rafe’s efforts. He was left on the sidelines with limited options.

  Rafe’s lion, one of the three feline spirits he housed, snarled, echoing his frustration. He used a mental hand to stroke the big cat’s side. It was the best he could do to calm the animal since it couldn’t speak or share its thoughts with him. His tiger and jaguar, the other two feline
s he’d been born with, nudged him, seeking his reassurance too.

  We’ll get our cub back. Promise. The vow wrapped around him, strengthening him. He let the connection to his cats fade and took a deep, calming breath. A familiar scent invaded his lungs. Lion. Faint, yet distinctive. He was on the right path.

  Long strides took him around the bar, an older structure that appeared as if it had seen several upgrades and expansions over its lifetime. An upper and lower deck graced one side. The raised level had tables, while the lower featured a live band and dance area. People moved on both, and the sharp twining from instruments as the musicians warmed up carried over the drone of laughter and conversation.

  The place was packed, a good thing for those partying and an inconvenience for him. He had business to take care of that didn’t need an audience. He continued past the decks to the employee entrance. Several cars and trucks were parked near the door.

  He followed the smell carrying on the breeze to a blue SUV. A child’s car seat was secured in the back. He tugged on the door handle. Locked. No matter. Going by the strength of the scent seeping from the cracked window, Megan had traveled in the vehicle recently.

  He pulled out his cell and dialed his friend and fellow pride member, Devin.

  “Yeah?” Devin answered.

  “You were right. Megan is with her uncle. I found Josh’s car, and there are enough stuffed animals and toys in it to amuse any cub with a short attention span.”

  “Have you spotted her?”

  “Not yet, but if she’s here, I’ll get her.” Rafe glanced over his shoulder at the building. “And once I hand her over to you, Josh and I are having a little talk about how kids should be raised.”

  “Just because the neighbor remembered seeing Megan with Josh doesn’t mean he took her to the bar. The woman said he owns the place. Maybe he’s working, and he dropped Megan off at a sitter or something.”

  The idea didn’t comfort him. Actually, it’d almost be better if Josh had taken Megan to work with him. It’d be harder to carry a screaming five-year old through a packed bar than killing her sitter without bystanders nearby and walking away with their rare cub—the innocent child who had a price on her head.

  “As soon as I find out, I’ll call.”

  Devin’s sigh carried over the line. “Good. I want out of here as soon as possible.”

  “You didn’t have to come. I could’ve brought one of my brothers.”

  “You know I couldn’t stay behind, not when kids are threatened.”

  Yeah, he knew that. It was an honorable trait, but Devin wasn’t exactly sane. Dropping him in a tense situation with humans close by was a disaster waiting to happen, but Rafe wasn’t their pride leader. He didn’t get to make the decisions. Kade did, and sometimes Rafe wondered if his twin thought through his dictates before issuing them.

  “So, what did you find at Tony’s office?” Rafe asked.

  “A whole box of documents from the lawyer who handled Megan’s adoption and…”

  Rafe waited for him to finish and finally prompted, “And?”

  Devin cleared his throat. “The female you smelled at Tony’s house has spent time here too.”

  Rafe cursed. When they’d stopped by the house listed as Megan’s residence, they’d found it engulfed in flames. There had been no sign of their white lion cub, but her fragrance had lingered there—a feline scent-marked human. Rafe had to find her. He had questions for her, including what her interest was in Megan.

  More importantly, he needed to discover which male had marked her. He’d been a Royal, not a single species shifter. That much Rafe had been able to tell from the unique scent. The mix of lion, tiger, and jaguar was unmistakable, but he couldn’t put a face to the smell. Considering there were only a couple dozen Royal feline shifters in the States, an unknown male was a threat. The safety of their women and children couldn’t be risked.

  “Did you pick up her trail?” Rafe asked.

  “Nope. She must’ve driven every time.”

  “All right. Check out the next of kin addresses. I’ll corner Josh and find out what he knows. Hopefully, one of us will get lucky.”

  He ended the call, gave the pile of toys in the car another glance, then headed to the front entrance. The door opened before he reached it. The stench of sweat and stale beer swept out along with the heavy thump of music. He inwardly cringed at the sensory overload. With three animal spirits sharing his body, everything was enhanced, from his instincts to his senses. It was enough to drive a male insane. Fortunately, he’d been dealing with his shifter nature for centuries. He knew how to handle it—with patience and control.

  Darkness edged the room. Rafe moved toward the farthest wall, needing a moment to acclimate to the environment. Eyes closed, he parted his lips slightly to taste the scents on the air. He had two very specific ones he sought—Megan’s and the feline scent-marked human’s.

  After a few more deep inhales, he cursed. Neither had been in the bar over the last couple of hours. Still, he loped the room and checked the hallways. Nothing. He ground his teeth and leaned farther into the shadows. He might’ve missed out on finding the females he sought, but his trip hadn’t been a complete failure. Josh Conway, Tony’s brother and Megan’s uncle, stood behind the bar with his arms crossed over his chest.

  His commanding personality was clear from his confident stance and the way his wait staff interacted with him, responding immediately to whatever direction he gave. Had the tall, black-haired, blue-eyed male been born a shifter, he would’ve been a dominant or maybe an alpha, leading his own pack or pride.

  Rafe rubbed his knuckles under his chin. Just his luck the human who’d been left as Megan’s guardian was Josh. Rafe doubted the male would blindly accept the bullshit speech or the legal papers claiming Megan was an Alexander who’d been stolen at birth.

  It wouldn’t matter if it was the truth. Or partially true. She had been stolen, but Rafe had no idea which pride she belonged to. White lion shifters were nearly extinct. Megan was the only female left. No matter the circumstances. Josh wouldn’t give her up without a fight. Rafe would bet his life on it.

  Oh yeah, they needed to talk, and Josh’s answer would set his path. The way Rafe looked at it, Josh had two options: become assimilated into the shifter world, vowing to protect their secret, or be handed over to the human government for reprogramming, a procedure that mixed brainwashing and magic and had about a fifty-fifty success rate.

  Neither option was ideal, but there was no choice. The general population couldn’t learn of shifters’ existence. Humans weren’t ready.

  Rafe’s cell vibrated against his leg, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and let Devin’s call go unanswered. It was too loud in the room, and he wasn’t about to leave Josh unsupervised. Rafe had no desire to hunt him down a second time.

  Knowing the drill, Devin sent a text. The rhythmic thumping announcing its arrival traveled up his arm. He glanced at the screen and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Devin had found Megan at the first address: Josh’s parents. Devin was laying low and watching the house. Everyone inside was asleep. At least one thing had gone right tonight. The most important thing—Megan was safe.

  Rafe sent a reply saying he’d meet him after talking with Josh. He slid the phone into his pocket and made his way to the bar.

  Josh ambled over to the counter. “What can I get you?”

  “Actually, the question you should be asking me is, can you help me?” Rafe grinned at the bemused expression on the male’s face. “You see, your brother’s desperation has dropped you in a world I can guarantee you don’t want to be in.”

  Jazz hurried across the Black Widow’s parking lot. She returned waves to those who called her name, but she didn’t stop to chat. She had to run damage control before it was too late. The call she’d gotten an hour ago was one she’d never expected. Tony, her confidant, had died in a fire.

  She didn’t know the details. The
fire chief hadn’t finished his investigation. She wanted to know how the blaze started, exactly as the rest of the town did. What concerned her most, though, was Tony’s brother, Josh. He was now part of a world he never knew existed and one that would change his life. It had certainly redirected hers.

  At the front door, she paused to mentally prep herself to break the news to Josh that the child he’d become responsible for wasn’t really a child…at least not by human standards. Jazz didn’t look forward to the conversation, but it was necessary. Luckily, he didn’t have to face it alone. He had her.

  She opened the door and slipped inside. On her tiptoes, she scanned the crowd for Josh. He wasn’t at his normal spot behind the counter. Maybe she’d missed him. Shit. She really didn’t want to have this conversation around Megan. That was why she’d come out tonight. Josh needed to know about Megan’s shifter status—the sooner, the better—but he’d ignored every one of her calls. Not surprising, really. His life had been turned upside down, and here she was about to give it another spin.

  Too short to see over the people milling around, Jazz climbed on a nearby chair and scanned the room. Josh stood in the far corner talking to another man. She couldn’t see the new guy’s face—his back was facing her—but the details she could pick out were enough to form an initial impression—tall, blond, and built like a body-builder. A little shiver ran down her spine. Jazz shook off the weird reaction and waved her arms to get Josh’s attention.

  Josh looked in her direction. Anger tightened his features. After a moment, his scowl and narrowed eyes lessened. She pointed to him then herself. He nodded, and the man with him glanced her way. Her breath caught.

  Gorgeous.

  His face was all hard angles, and his skin appeared golden in the wash of light from a nearby beer sign. Shoulder length blond hair went with his sun-kissed skin. A surfer. That was what he reminded her of. She could easily picture him on the beach with a following of bikini-clad women.