Secret Alpha Wolf (Shifter League Book 2)

by Leela Ash

  But the second she had taken that mask off, the second she had managed to show someone exactly who she was and thought he might accept her for it, he literally walked away and never looked back.

  Sure, he had been polite when they ran into each other on the street, though she had been tempted to tell him to kiss her ass and had refused to speak with him at the time. But there was no way she would ever forget the desolation she had felt upon realizing that, even to Achilles, the man she thought she could begin to trust and confide in, she wasn’t acceptable.

  He wouldn’t even introduce her to his friends, for crying out loud. It was like she meant nothing to him. And likely, she didn’t. Maybe she had been misreading the signs all along, and once he got what he had wanted, all his respect for her was shot and he wanted nothing more to do with her afterward. It wasn’t the most unheard-of thing for a guy to do. In fact, she had come to believe it could be fairly typical. But she didn’t think Achilles was like that. It came as a complete and horrifying shock.

  “I guess I’m having some guy troubles,” she mumbled to Quinn, relieved there was someone there who might listen to her if nothing else. And it was someone who clearly knew who Achilles was. They had seen each other at the bed and breakfast for certain. They were aware of each other.

  “Guy troubles are the worst,” Quinn groaned, heading to the studio’s door. She shut it and turned the Open sign to “Closed” and then led Ronnie to her desk. She gestured to a chair and had her sit. Veronica obeyed and soon, Quinn’s eyes were sparkling.

  “Okay, tell me everything,” she said, leaning back in the swivel chair with her arms crossed behind her head and putting her feet up on the desk.

  “It’s a little bit complicated,” Veronica said. “I doubt you would understand the whole story.”

  Quinn let out a short laugh. “Try me,” she said. “I have had my fair share of challenges in the guy department. Trust me on that one.”

  Veronica nodded slowly. “He wanted to keep our relationship a secret. Which made sense. It was a work relationship. We were dealing with sensitive information.” She paused. “I’m the sheriff, you know?”

  “Ah, yes. I get that,” Quinn said, her eyes sparkling.

  “It’s just that, I’m pretty sure I trusted him too much and he isn’t who I thought he was. We… we got close one day and after that, things just got weird. Like, he didn’t want anything to do with me. I mean, even more than he already did, not wanting me near him or his friends…”

  Quinn nodded. “That sounds like it must have been painful for you.”

  “It was,” Ronnie acknowledged. “It isn’t how I expected things to end up.”

  “Is it possible you could be misunderstanding the situation?” Quinn suggested. “I mean, I know when I have been ghosted in the past, I assumed the worst and didn’t give the guys a chance to explain themselves. I’m worth more than being an afterthought, and so are you. But I also learned a bit more recently. Sometimes, when a man is acting distant, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for you or want to be there for you.”

  “Well, that could be the case, I guess,” Veronica admitted. She knew that, according to their work, Achilles had a lot on his plate. If he was busy saving the world, then sure, his actions would make sense. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt her. And it certainly didn’t change the fact that he had stolen from Lester. That was unforgiveable.

  “But?” Quinn asked, raising her brow at Veronica. Man, this woman was intuitive. It almost reminded her of the way Achilles spoke with her sometimes.

  “But I think he might actually be a criminal, and I was just another sucker.”

  “You don’t strike me as a sucker, Veronica,” Quinn said seriously. “How certain are you that your guy is a criminal? And is there any other possible explanation? When we’re hurt, sometimes we jump to extremes instead of staying level-headed, and that can occasionally make things worse. Beyond the point of repair.”

  “If he is a criminal, then there is no way any of this could possibly be repaired,” Ronnie exclaimed. “Why would I want to be with him?”

  “Well, if it’s upsetting you this much, maybe you should be asking yourself that question in present tense. Why do you want to be with him?”

  Veronica sighed heavily. She had been working hard to repress all the good thoughts and feelings she had felt with Achilles. Remembering the good made it far too easy to forget the bad. And some bad things just couldn’t afford to be forgotten. That was how toxic relationships started. Pretending everything bad was fine and letting that pain and resentment go until it was built up so much that you couldn’t help but lash out at the person you thought you cared most about. No, she couldn’t let herself get away with anything. It was too risky.

  “It’s just hard to get over someone who seems to see you so clearly. And who values the things about you that you thought were too ugly to show anybody else.”

  Quinn nodded slowly. “Have you tried talking to him about what happened? About why you can’t be with him? Maybe he thinks you’re the one avoiding him and hasn’t wanted to push you.”

  Ronnie shook her head. “No, we haven’t spoken again. And if he really is a criminal, as I suspect, then the only time I will ever speak to him again is in court.”

  She stood up with finality and offered Quinn a weak smile.

  “Thank you so much for the class, and it was nice to vent for a minute about this. To be honest, I don’t have a lot of people I can talk to about this kind of thing.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” Quinn said, dropping her feet from the desk to the floor and standing up to walk Veronica out of the studio. “Please come back and visit any time, whether you want to do yoga or not. I’ve enjoyed your company.”

  Veronica gazed at Quinn, wondering whether the words were sincere, but with another warm smile, Veronica decided it was possible that Quinn might very well be capable of being true to her word. Unlike so many other people in her life.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’d like that.”

  They said their goodbyes and soon, Veronica was on her way to the hospital to visit Lester. It had been a long day, but the worst was yet to come. She would tell him what Achilles had done and then watch as the fallout began.

  ***

  Veronica was rounding the corner on the way to the hospital, still on the outskirts of town and moving along the road halfway covered with the foliage of the forest, when she heard a loud thunk on the roof of her car.

  She gasped and pulled over, stopping suddenly in the hopes that if something had fallen on her, it might be jolted forward from the velocity of the gesture.

  She didn’t see it fall, but she did hear it, and a sudden cloud of dust raised on the gravel at the side of the road as whatever had landed on her car was jerked to the ground.

  Oh no, Ronnie thought. She realized immediately the danger she was in. This wasn’t Achilles. This wasn’t a trick. This was real. And it was lethal.

  And she was trapped on a deserted country road with nobody around for miles to help her.

  17.

  “That should about cover it,” Achilles said, huffing a little bit as he closed the vault. They had been working their asses off to clear out Lester’s cellar. Having the old man’s blessing had been a dream, and Gavin was already locked inside the vault with his glasses and his notebooks, scrawling away as he went through all the readings.

  “That took forever,” Atlas complained. Apollo slapped his back hard, and Atlas winced. “You know you don’t have to do it that hard,” he stated.

  Apollo grinned and shrugged lightly.

  “Everything is working out,” he said. “I’m just relieved.”

  Achilles shook his head and wandered back to his room to continue pouring over the book that he’d gotten out of Lester’s house. Gavin had brought the real Serah Stone with him, upon Apollo’s request, and it was sitting in the vault with him right that moment. However, there were far too many items of interest t
hat Lester had accumulated for him to be interested in the wolf shifter book that Achilles had pilfered, so he was still trying to figure it out for himself.

  Unfortunately, he had peered closely at every single page of the book, clueless as to how it might all relate to their search. He finally reached the end and gazed at the back cover in defeat. His eyes roamed slowly along it and he frowned, noticing that a piece of the cover didn’t quite seem to match up with the rest of it.

  Achilles ran his finger along it and his eyes widened in surprise. The cover lifted and he was met with what appeared to be a disk made of stone with engravings from the ancient languages on it. He recognized their meaning immediately. They belonged to the Serah Stone.

  Achilles bolted upright as he realized the significance and grabbed the disk, running toward the others to show them what he had found.

  Gavin appeared immediately from the vault and they huddled together, speaking quietly with each other so that nothing might overhear.

  “They belong together!” Achilles hissed. “This and the stone. We can use them together!”

  The others fell silent as they realized the implications of the discovery. Apollo finally raised his head and closed his eyes, speaking in a low draconic language; a prayer of thanks.

  “We have to take it there!” Gavin exclaimed. “Now!”

  The others agreed, but Achilles frowned and looked to the west. Something wasn’t right. There was danger in the air.

  “What’s the matter, Achilles?” Atlas asked, casting his eyes in the same direction.

  “Soon,” he said, immediately shifting into his wolf form. He had one thought on his mind. Veronica. He could smell her, and something else. Something evil.

  The others exchanged worried looks as he bounded away. He knew they would follow once they realized what he’d felt. But for now, his only mission was to find and protect the woman he wanted so badly to claim as his mate.

  ***

  It was just as Achilles had feared, and he was almost too late to stop it. A Kaw had Veronica by the shoulder and was dragging her out of her vehicle. She was putting up a hell of a fight and had nearly won her freedom several times. Unfortunately, she was outnumbered, and a second came to restrain her when the first lost its grip.

  No, he wasn’t going to allow it. Achilles bared his teeth, his eyes flashing with fury as he lunged toward the strange specters. They were large and humanoid, with flowing, tattered gowns. They looked almost ghostly, and their faces were avian-like with sharp, beady eyes deep set and staring intently at Veronica.

  They must have thought she knew where Lester’s research was. She had been hanging around the place a lot lately, and Achilles and the others had been careful not to take the research out of the house while the sheriff was around. It nearly killed him not to tell them who she was and what she meant to him, but it could kill everyone else if he did and let his feelings get in the way. So, he dealt with it.

  But now, the Kaw were there, threatening her, and he wasn’t going to tolerate it. Achilles bared his teeth and let out a low growl before leaping over the hood of the car and lunging at the Kaw that had Veronica by the shoulder. She let out a cry of surprise, and the creature let out a screech as it flew backward and landed on the ground in a heap.

  Achilles was on the other one just as fast, snapping his jaws hard around its neck. A loud crack echoed through the trees and Veronica gasped and scrambled into the car. Achilles looked at her meaningfully and she nodded, shutting and locking the door as quickly as she could. He wanted her to drive away. Go somewhere and be safe. But she stayed, watching him helplessly before digging through the glove compartment of her cruiser and finding a gun.

  She held it out in front of her, her hands shaking, but didn’t fire. She just watched where the enemy who was left standing was moving. Achilles whipped around and lunged at the Kaw, who unleashed a burst of unexpected energy that sent Achilles flying.

  “No!” Veronica shouted.

  Achilles landed hard, his chest heaving in pain. He opened his eyes, panicked, as the Kaw made its way toward the cruiser. A loud shot fired off, and the sound of broken glass flooded his ears. Then another, and the Kaw paused as the bullet struck its chest.

  It wasn’t enough to keep it down though, and Achilles took the moment of surprise to launch a furious attack, knocking the creature to the ground and disseminating it with his teeth until nothing was left of it but the rags of tattered clothing it had been wearing.

  The bodies disappeared, disintegrating into the air as mysteriously as they had arrived, and Achilles ran to the cruiser and shifted back into his human form.

  Veronica was shuddering in fear in the passenger’s seat and Achilles swiftly swept the glass out of the car and climbed over to cradle her in his arms.

  “Are you okay?” he asked seriously.

  She nodded but her eyes were brimming with tears.

  “Let’s get you home.”

  He didn’t wait for permission before he put her car in drive and headed to her property.

  ***

  Veronica was starting to calm down by the time Achilles got her home, and he helped her inside.

  She finally cast a long look at him once he settled her on the sofa.

  “You’re naked,” she said quietly, her face flushed hot.

  “I am.”

  He stood there shamelessly and crossed his arms over his chest, examining every little crevice of her body with his eyes. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” she murmured. “Are you?”

  Achilles looked down at himself. He’d had the wind knocked out of him, certainly, but he was fine. He shook his head slightly.

  “Why did you save me?” Veronica asked. Her voice seemed miserable. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me with the way you left like that. And why should I want anything to do with you?”

  Achilles furrowed his brow. “I want too much to do with you. I just… I couldn’t let it be a distraction anymore. I’m sorry for the way things unfolded. I missed you every day.”

  “But you stole from a sick old man. Everything he cared about. I can’t trust you.”

  “I stole? You mean from Lester?”

  To her surprise, Achilles laughed. “He understood the risks. He gave us permission to keep his research safe. if you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.”

  Suddenly it al made perfect sense and she felt the weight of the world drop from her shoulders as Achilles smiled kindly at her.

  Veronica’s eyes filled with tears, and Achilles scooped her up against his chest and squeezed her tightly. “It’s okay now. I’ll never do that again. I don’t want to be without you. You do know that, don’t you?”

  He looked her seriously in the eyes, knowing nothing could be more true. Veronica searched them soulfully, then finally nodded. The second her eyes made contact with his, the unmistakable electricity nearly floored them both. There was no denying it.

  “I want to take care of you for the rest of our lives,” Achilles finally admitted. “Would you let me do that? I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

  Veronica’s face softened as she took in the reality of their situation and did the bravest thing Achilles had ever seen her do. She accepted the truth of her feelings.

  “I want that,” she murmured. “Even if it makes me stupid.”

  “It’s not stupid,” Achilles said, touching her cheek gently. He closed his eyes as the sparks between them heated and he pressed a firm, passionate kiss on her lips. She let him hold her as the wolf within finally felt permission to make its claim.

  Veronica sighed softly as she felt the testament of Achilles’ arousal against her middle, and he carefully lifted her into his lap, spreading soft lingering kisses along her neck. She shuddered in his arms, a sensual desire beginning to creep through her body. The wolf sensed it immediately and responded in kind, and Achilles felt the hot burning of his own desire flood through him.

  Veronica responded immediately, and
Achilles wasted no time. He helped her strip slowly, sensually, touching and appreciating everything about her body. He bucked his hips gently against her so she could feel the pressing want of his member, and soon, she was gasping against his ear. The wolf was gratified as he found himself being enveloped by the soft warmth of the woman he loved, and her desire urged him to carry her toward her pleasure.

  She let out a soft sigh, her body trembling as hot tendrils of pleasure surged between them. Achilles gripped her by the waist and guided her body down his shaft and back up again, carrying them both to a new sensual world of their own making.

  A hot tension was building in Achilles’ abdomen. He wanted this woman more than he had ever allowed himself to want anything before. And now, finally, he felt as though it was okay to have her. He was happy.

  Veronica let out a soft moan, her body was moving more urgently against his, eager for the promise of release. Achilles let out a low growl of approval, and she locked eyes with him, and he knew suddenly that somehow, this woman was part wolf shifter too. Maybe not full blooded, but a descendant, somewhere along the way, had ensured they were fully made for each other.

  Veronica sank down hard, burying him as deep inside of her as she could. The friction was too much for Achilles and he lost his control. He overpowered her with his body, allowing all his desire to accumulate into a display of power that left his lover quaking in his arms as she finally reached her peak.

  Her release caused delicious contractions around his erect member, and together, they were carried to their climaxes. He unleashed the full torrent of his longing within her, and finally, they collapsed together on the couch, their chests heaving rapidly as they held one another close.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured, kissing her on the forehead. “I’ll never leave like that again. I love you.”

  Veronica touched his cheek, her actions slow and labored after their exertion. “I love you too,” she whispered.