by Rosko, Mandy
“Boo hoo,” Dennis snapped. He headed for his son, but not without giving Anna a cursory glance. He would talk to her later, and find out how long she’d known how to handle a weapon like that.
For now, there was someone else he needed to take care of.
Dennis put his hands to Derek’s shoulders. “Are you all right?”
Derek nodded. “I’m fine.”
“I didn’t want you to see that.”
“I said I was fine!” Derek pulled back from him. Dennis wasn’t sure if he was aware that the omega was still clinging to him.
Even for friends, that was a little close. Was there something else going on here?
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m good. I was waiting close by in case you needed help. Or if one of these guys tried to jump you when it was over. Or before it ended.”
Smart kid, but it had been smarter for him to hold back as far as Dennis was concerned. He didn’t know or care if it was because Derek had come out and was scared that he’d realized he couldn’t partake in a battle like this, or because he’d been waiting for the right moment. The important thing was that he’d held back, and he was not hurt.
Dennis pulled Derek to him. The omega behind Derek released him so Dennis could hug his son, even though Derek tensed and struggled lightly to pull back. “I said I was okay.”
“Shut up. I know you are. Just let me do this.” Just in case it happened to be a long time before he got the chance to hold his boy again.
“Dad?”
Derek suddenly held on a little tighter to Dennis, gripping his forearms, as though picking up on the air that Dennis had around him. It felt like a poison him that he couldn’t be rid of.
He turned to look at Garret. Behind him, Dane and Jax were dealing with Laurence, hauling the man to his feet, ignoring his screamed abuse at them.
“Do I want to know what you’re going to do to him?”
The dirty look Garret gave him was enough to give him a hint.
“We won’t kill him. It’s not exactly the same when we’re not in a fight.”
Dennis nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Would you have killed him?”
Derek growled a little beside him. Dennis elbowed his son, encouraging him to shut up.
Garret was going to be Derek’s proper alpha if everything went the way Dennis wanted it to.
“I don’t know,” he answered, as honestly as he could. “I might have.”
Garret crossed his arms. He stared at Dennis as though he wasn’t entirely sure he believed it. At least he didn’t look at him as though he thought it was a complete lie.
“About my sister—”
“Dennis!”
Dennis turned. Even Garret’s needling wasn’t enough to ruin it for him when he spotted Anna. She ran to him as though she was getting ready to steal home base.
Her arms stretched out wide as she flew into his.
Dennis caught her, lifting her off her feet, and while he didn’t quite spin her around, he could feel the heat of Garret’s stare as the other man glared at him. One glance was enough for him to know that, yes, Garret was trying to murder Dennis with his eyes.
Whatever. Screw him. This was Dennis’ mate, and he was going to fucking hold her. Since it might be the last time he got the chance and everything.
But Anna quickly wormed her way out of Dennis’ arms. She stood in front of him, shoulders back, facing off against her brother as though she was attempting to protect him. “Garret, Dennis is my mate.”
Garret pressed his lips together, clearly struggling for patience. “Anna, sweetheart—”
“No! You don’t get to sweetheart me about this! Not about this! He’s my mate! And if you don’t like it… then I’ll leave.”
“You can’t seriously think I would let you leave with him.”
“Right, because you want to keep him prisoner here or something, but I’m not talking about leaving with Dennis. You’re too much of a stubborn asshole to let me.”
Garret fell back a step as though she’d punched him. “Stubborn asshole?”
“So I’ll leave without him. I’ll go off into the world, get a job and an apartment, and I won’t come back here unless I absolutely have to. Unless you want to keep me prisoner here, too.”
Garret growled at his own sister. “I’ve a mind to do just that.”
“Garret!”
Dennis rolled his eyes. Miranda. He recognized her voice. He couldn’t forget it, but at least the woman was glaring at her mate as she approached him to give him shit rather than Dennis.
Garret, for all his size against the two women, was starting to look a little outnumbered.
“Miranda, baby, please go inside. It’s not safe out here.”
“You are not locking up your sister like you’re her jailor. If you even think about doing something like that, then I’ll go, too.”
Dennis lifted a brow at that. He knew she wasn’t saying it to defend him, but it was interesting to see that she was willing to go that far to defend Garret’s sister.
“I wasn’t actually going to lock her up! What do you take me for?”
“Then don’t threaten it!” Miranda snapped back. She glanced at Dennis quickly, her look hardly forgiving, but there was something curious in it.
“Your sister is old enough to know that this is real if she says it is. You have to give her this. At least respect her enough to know that she’s not being taken advantage of.”
Garret growled at Dennis, glancing away from his mate, but he was forced to look back at her when Miranda actually grabbed him by his chin and forced his attention back onto her.
“Garret, cut it out.”
He yanked his face away from her hand. “You seriously expect me to just let this go?”
“Yes. I do.”
Garret jerked back as though his woman had just slapped him. He shook his head. “No, you can’t be serious. Miranda! He kidnapped her! He turned you into a shifter and nearly killed you!”
“I know.”
“And he’s spent the last seven decades making the lives of everyone living in this pack a living hell.”
“I know that!”
Dennis happened to think Garret might be acting a touch dramatic about that, but it was his territory, his mate, and his sister.
Dennis might be stuck here.
“Garret.”
The other man growled at him, his entire body seeming to clench under a heavy strain.
Dennis pressed his lips together. “I just want my son to have a happy existence here. I want him safe.”
“I can take care of myself, Dad. I’m a grown man.”
He was, but Dennis didn’t care. He was older than Anna by a good year, but he would always be Dennis’ only child.
Maybe now he could understand why Garret was being such a prick about this.
Anna was not his daughter, but he’d been the one to raise her after the death of their father.
At Dennis’ hands.
“I love your sister. With everything I am. If leaving will make her happy, I will go. If staying will make her happy, I will stay.”
“He’ll just lock you in the basement again,” Anna insisted.
“And that’s a small price to pay to make sure you have a roof over your head.” Dennis was not about to let this go, and he refused to break eye contact with Garret. “I do not want Anna leaving the safety of your land for me. Not with what Laurence has done to my pack.”
“Not exactly loyal, were they?”
Dennis nodded. He clenched his fists at the comment, but he nodded. “Starving men are loyal to those who feed them. I have failed to provide for long enough that this happened.”
And he knew many of Garret’s betas would turn their backs on him if times became hard enough for long enough.
Garret didn’t take the bait, which was good. Dennis should not have even put it out there.
“Do whatever you want to me. Keep
me as your prisoner, banish me, but I want to ask that you don’t deny me the right to see her or to be able to prove myself to you. To prove that I am sincere in changing my ways.”
“Why should I do that?”
Miranda put her hand on Garret’s arm.
It was Anna who answered. “Because he helped fight off the pack.”
“Barely, and they were only here because of him.”
Anna shook her head. “That’s not—”
“You’re right.”
Anna whirled around to look at him, her bright eyes wide and even a little horrified.
Dennis hated to admit it, but he had to if he was going to get this done. If he had any chance. “They were here because of me, because of what I’d done. I know I will never be able to entirely make up for my history with you, the wrongs I have committed, or what happened with your sister, but I want to try all the same.”
He hesitated. Dane and Jax had returned, though Laurence wasn’t with them, so Dennis assumed they’d left the man in the care of some of the betas since he was still screaming.
Because they were giving him a little payback, or trying to set his arm, he couldn’t tell.
“We were friends once before. We don’t ever have to be again, but I just want the chance to protect my mate. I will follow you.” Dennis was loathe to do it, but he sank to his knees. “Alpha.”
His son gasped behind him; it went against everything Dennis stood for, but when he was there, it was shockingly easy.
He was still himself. He was still as strong and powerful as he’d ever been, but if kneeling before a former enemy was enough to give him the chance to be with his mate, then he would take it.
Miranda’s eyes swam. She looked ready to cry. She probably thought this was incredibly romantic.
Dennis could barely look at Anna.
Garret looked ready to pop. His face turned red before he finally gave in, pointing a finger at Dennis’ face. “I’ll be watching you.”
Dennis nodded. “I understand.”
“And you’re not to be alone with anyone in my pack, not even my sister until I’m satisfied.”
Anna gasped. “Garret! No!”
“I accept.”
Garret narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going to lay around and do nothing either. You’re going to work. You’re going to get a job, bring money to the pack.”
“I understand.”
“And work the gardens, and even clean the fucking toilets if I tell you, too.”
If he was looking for a fight, or a hint that Dennis would walk away, he wouldn’t find it. “Does my son still have a place in her your pack?”
Garret looked up, as though finally remembering Derek was there. When Dennis had a look, the omega with him had his hand on Derek’s shoulder, and he stared at his alpha with the same conviction Anna had a moment ago.
“Yeah, he does. Now get off your damn knees. We have shit to do. There’s blood everywhere.”
Miranda squealed, kissing her mate on the cheek as Garret stormed off.
Dennis didn’t understand why she was so happy about this. She had more reason than most to be irritated.
Maybe she was happy for Anna? If that was the case, she was a good friend.
And Dennis would have much to make amends to her as well.
Dennis got to his feet, and no sooner did he do it than Anna jumped into his arms, shrieking with delight. He held onto her, shocked it was that easy, but as he looked at Jax and Dane, both of whom watched him with varying degrees of suspicion, he knew it hadn’t been.
He was allowed to stay, but Garret had been serious.
He would make Dennis do all kinds of horrible shit to prove himself. Possibly for months. Even years.
And Dennis was prepared to do all of it.
“We did it!” Anna shrieked again, taking hold of Dennis’ face, peppering kisses all across his cheeks and mouth. “You did it!”
Dennis allowed himself this moment of happiness. He was sore all over, and there was no telling what he would be put through, but the trials he would face for his son and his woman were nothing in comparison to what was behind him.
“No, you did it,” he said, touching her cheek. “You are beautiful. You are amazing. And you’re mine.”
Anna nodded, her eyes shining with tears.
“So, are you serious? You’re both mated?” Derek asked.
Anna laughed, nodding to him.
Dennis had a look at his boy. Derek’s shocked expression was something he didn’t often see, but the omega seemed just as pleased with himself.
“Are we really staying here?” Derek asked. He looked at the omega, then away quickly in a…suspicious manner. “Not that I mind, or anything.”
Dennis held Anna just a little tighter. “Yes, we are. Tomorrow, I get to work to earn it.”
The End
The Alpha Bites Collection
Secrets, shifters, sexy alphas, and true love…
Alpha
For billionaire and deadly alpha, Garret Maxwell, searching for and protecting Miranda, his mate, has been his life's biggest mission. Right up there with getting revenge on the mutt who killed his father. But before he can finally have her, he’s got to face down his sworn enemy who wants to kill her.
Alpha Bear
Former Navy Seal Dane Green already lost one mate to humans. He's not about to let himself get close to another, not when there are dangerous people out there who want to see him punished by hurting her. Too bad the bear inside him has other plans for their mate. It has no intention of letting Lois go.
Alpha Dragon
When dangerous and deadly alpha dragon, Jax, is injured protecting his pack, only his mate, Katie, can help him heal. The night of passion that follows leaves both wanting more. Now Jax’s dragon is unleashed and he can’t stand the idea of being away from his her, especially when a ghost from her past returns to make trouble.
Alpha Wolf
A villainous wolf alpha, Dennis is used to being chased by his enemies. But this time is different, because competing packs are threatening his mate and his son. If he’s to survive this with both of them, then he must carefully navigate the hundred year rage of his enemies, and come to terms with the crimes of his past.
The Alpha Bites Collection
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Mandy Rosko is a videogame playing, book loving chick. She loves writing paranormal romances that range from light steamy to erotic, and has some contemporary and historical romances as well. You can find her on all sorts of platforms, including Twitch, Patreon, Wattpad, Radish, and more!
Get all the latest news from Mandy by signing up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bQ8HvT
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Also by Mandy Rosko
You’ve Got to be Shifting Me
Zero Fox Given
Howl Always Love You
Can't Bear to Be Without You
Alpha Bites
Alpha
Alpha Bear
Alpha Dragon
Alpha Wolf
Dangerous Creatures
Burns Like Fire
A Shock to Your System
As Cold as Ice
Gonna Make You Howl
Things in The Night
The Vampire’s Curse
The Legend of the Werewolf
The Shepard’s Agony
The Dragon and The Wolf
Stand-alone titles
Darkness Awakened
Jessie’s Harem
Bad Boy Bear
The Wild Wolf’s Wife
Vampires Don’t Share with Dragons
Dangerous Guardian
Mate of a Dragon Villain
My Angel Lover Have Mercy on Me (M/M)
Bad Boy Billionaire Brothers
Arrangement with a Billionaire
Holiday with a Billi
onaire
The Billionaire’s Fantasy
Learn more at mandyrosko.com