Alpha
Authors: Charlene Hartnady
ALPHA
Demon Chaser
(Book 2)
By
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright
©February 2014, Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by Kimberly Reichmann
Produced in South Africa
Published by Charlene Hartnady
PO BOX 456, Melrose Arch,
Johannesburg, South Africa, 2176
ALPHA is a work of fiction and characters,
events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to
be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either
living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews
no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file
sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing
from the author
Demon Chasers…
Protectors of humanity. Sworn to uphold
the peace. Oath bound to keep the existence of demons a secret.
Gray, a newly appointed Alpha and half
blood demon wolf, can only turn during a full moon. With only three days before
the next cycle, time is running out to convince the highest ranking female wolf
to become his mate. Success will see him become a full blood. Failure will
spell his death. It is only a matter of time before the challenges start coming
in.
Ashlyn, a hard ass Demon Chaser just
happens to be human and the pack’s newest resident. She is there on Demon
Control Agency business. Her attraction for the new Alpha can’t be allowed to
stand in her way, after all, Gray is already taken. More importantly, she has a
serial killer to catch, and then she needs to get the heck out of wolfville.
For both their sakes…
My hero in this story is a warrior and a
gentleman. A brave fighter to the very end and for that reason, I dedicate this
book in the loving memory of my Uncle Tony.
Gray
looked into eyes made from pure liquid poison.
“Let’s
get two things straight”−the female demon wolf paused−“I hate you
and I don’t want this union. Step down now before you get hurt.”
It
was either the words themselves, or the calm way in which they were delivered
that got to him. He grit his teeth, his natural instincts pushed at him to
force her to submit while his rational side pushed back in an effort to be more
understanding of how she was feeling. In the end, there was sweet little he
could do about the situation.
Somehow
he managed to grind out, “Our feelings have nothing to do with this. It’s not
about what we want. The pack is at stake.”
Alisha
made a sound that told him he was full of it. “It’s your needs and wants that
you are concerned with, this has nothing to do with the pack.”
“You
will have to trust me on this one.”
She
shook her head, a look of utter disbelief clouded her perfect features.
Gray’s
instincts bristled; his demon clawed at him, it continued to demand her
submission. He ran a hand over the light stubble on his head and squeezed his
eyes shut, fighting for control. “This has to happen, there is no other way.”
“I
don’t care. Find a way that doesn’t involve me.”
With
challengers closing in, his options were limited. It was either take Alisha as
his mate or he would most likely die. Where would the pack be then? The clock
was ticking, he needed to be strong. Needed to believe that he could get
through this.
“I’ve
made my decision. You have three days to come to terms with it and to prepare.
Once the full moon hits, we will mate. If you give me a chance I will prove to
you that I can be a faithful and strong provider. I will do my best to make you
happy. We can make this work.”
“There
is no way in hades I’ll let a bastard mongrel like you touch me.” Her voice
remained even, but her eyes narrowed as she spoke.
Once
upon a time, he’d actually found this female attractive. More than just attractive,
hounds
, as a young wolf he’d have given his left canine for one night
with her. Right now…he’d give anything just to get out of it. All he knew was
that he couldn’t blame her for hating him since she believed he’d killed her future
mate, his half brother Bain. That didn’t change the predicament they were all
in at the moment though.
“Sorry
to interrupt,” the petite Demon Chaser rounded the corner and entered his suite
without permission.
Bain
would never have stood for such a breach of protocol. Especially from a human. The
muscles in his shoulders cramped as he remembered why she was here. Taking a
calming breath, he turned and faced her wondering how much of the exchange she
had heard. He found himself hoping that she hadn’t been standing there long.
Ashlyn
stepped further into the room, her head held high. She maintained eye contact,
her gaze moving between himself and the female demon wolf. Alisha growled. The
Chaser didn’t flinch, in fact, her chin cocked to the side in an arrogant lilt.
Impressive.
“We
need to talk,” she paused, her eyes brushing over the female demon wolf. “That
is, when you get a chance. I’ll be in my room.”
“We’re
done. You may stay,” Alisha said, as if she were granting the Chaser permission
to be there.
“You’re
too kind. Thanks ever so much. What is it that I should call you? Your
highness, Alpha bitch...or maybe just bitch?”
Alisha
growled, low and deep. She flashed a set of healthy canines. The Chaser widened
her stance. The pressure in Gray’s head increased. Was he going to have to
break up a cat fight today as well?
Could things get any worse?
“I
don’t have time for this.”
He
breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Alisha turn and stalk out with all the
menace and cunning of a wolf and all the sleek grace of a cat. The woman was a
beauty, highly intelligent and strong. Yet the thought of tying himself to her for
the rest of his very long life just wasn’t appealing. He shook his head as he
added the undesirable fact that she was his brother’s leftovers.
Like
it or not, he knew beyond a doubt that he would do what he had to do to secure
his position as Alpha and to ensure the survival of this pack. He just wouldn’t
do it at the cost of his own conscience or sense of who he was by forcing her.
She didn’t know that though, and she and the rest of the pack would just have
to assume at this moment that he would take her like it or not. So, he had to
win her over. For both their sakes.
Gray
turned and looked out the window. The thought of his other options were more
stressful to think about than his first one. He could take one of the lesser
females, but that would lower his chances of success. He could take the third
option which, for him, was just plain ridiculous.
Why would they even add an
option that was based more on personal desire than the survival of the pack?
The elders must have enjoyed themselves while creating that one, because the
final Lore was never going to happen. No use wasting precious time even thinking
about it.
No,
he needed to focus his thoughts on the option with the highest chance of
success. The Lores were clear enough about that, and he knew that the chances
of a half blood wolf like him changing successfully into a full blood demon
increased when his chosen mate was a high ranking female – the higher the
better – and the bond had to be completed under the light of a full moon. He
was tough, but with challengers circling him he knew he wouldn’t survive
another moon cycle without the change. He knew it as sure as he stood there. Alisha
was his best option, and the next full moon was in three days. His decisions
right now could not be based on anything but the simple fact of the highest
chance of success. The future of his pack depended on it.
The
sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention and he turned to
see Ash watching him cautiously.
Christ.
He was so preoccupied that he
had forgotten she was standing there. He closed down his emotions and asked,
“Any developments?”
“Some
DNA evidence from a brown hair found on the second victim has finally come back.
It confirms our suspicions.” Two women had been killed and a third left for
dead. All the evidence pointed to someone from his pack. When he stayed silent,
she continued. “A Chaser at the CSI lab confirmed wolf DNA and it’s definitely
female. We’re looking for a brunette female demon wolf.”
“Damn,”
he’d hoped that Bain had been responsible. “Most wolves have dark hair so it
doesn’t narrow it down much. How’s the girl doing?”
She
shrugged out of her trench coat and the light weight garment clunked as it hit
the table. She didn’t wear it to guard against bad weather, the coat was a
clever conceal for an array of weapons. Her hand went up, briefly touching the
holstered gun at her chest. “Still in a coma. The doctors say it’s a miracle,
but she’ll live. Her throat’s a mess. I’m sorry Gray, but she’s going to need
reconstructive surgery on those scars.”
“Keep
forwarding the accounts to me,” he couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible.
He’d been so hell bent on proving Bain the killer that he hadn’t investigated
the deaths properly. “Please tell me the girl’s protected.”
Ash
flicked a wayward strand from her face. Hair the color of a snow storm. A white
blizzard against skin so pale. Even her eyelashes were like threads of silk. He’d
heard humans refer to each other’s complexions as peaches and cream and never
understood the term. Until now. Hell, she even smelt of peaches and soap and
strangely enough of gunpowder. An intriguing combination.
“Two
Chasers three shifts a day. She’s safe.”
“Good,”
he could breathe again. “I’m going to assist you on this myself, but if I can’t
be at your side then one of the other wolves must accompany you.” He may not be
in favor right now, but he still had a select few who were loyal to him. “Let’s
just say that things are a little…unstable at the moment so I don’t want you
out of your room alone.”
“I
can take care of myself.”
That
same feisty defiance that had kept her from reacting to Alisha. It appealed to
him in ways it shouldn’t.
“I
don’t doubt your abilities, but I still don’t want to take a chance on anything
going wrong while you’re in my care.”
An
eyebrow arched and she crossed her arms. A move that drew his eye to the swell
of her breasts. She might be a petite little thing, but she was definitely all
woman. He looked back into eyes that had gone from soft glacier to stormy blue.
“Let’s
get something straight. I’m a Demon Chaser. Firstly, I hunt and very often kill
demons. Demons that make you doggies look tame, and secondly I am
not
in
your care. I’m here on official Agency business. The Demon Control Agency sent
me to do a job, one which I damn well intend doing. I do not need babysitting.”
His
mouth twitched, but he forced back the smile knowing it would make things
worse. Even though he was an Omega, a mongrel outcast, he’d never had a problem
with women. Not with female demon wolves and never with humans. Yet, today,
he’d managed to piss off both without even trying.
“You
have quite the reputation as a kick-ass slayer and I’m sure you eat demons for
breakfast, but please humor me. Your brother would have my tail if anything
happened to you.”
She
dropped her arms, lowering her eyes to her gun for a fraction of a second, making
him think she was more nervous than what she was letting on. Why the agency
sent a human to investigate the murders was beyond him. Someone in his pack was
a killer. Murdering beautiful, young human woman much like Ash and he would
make damned sure not a single sun bleached strand on her head was touched, and
he’d do it himself if he could help it.
“Fine,
but if you or any of your puppies gets in my way it’s over. Do you understand?”
This
time he did allow himself to smile. “I do, just remember we’re on the same side.
Now let me go fetch my lead and I’ll let you walk me to your room. I’ll try not
to lift my leg along the way.”
She
giggled for a few seconds before catching herself. Finally something that
matched her sweet looks because man oh man she might look like peaches and
cream, but she was all firecracker underneath.
“I
want to go check out the spot where Brice was found
.” Left for dead in a
side alley like trash.
When he found the wolf responsible he would make
sure that she was brought to justice.
“That
was days ago,” she rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, you doggies and your heightened
sense of smell. I thought you Omegas had to wait until a full moon before all
your wolf…stuff happened.”
“I
can’t fully erupt for most of the month, but there is nothing wrong with my
wolf
senses thank-you.”
****
There
was nothing wrong with the man.
Period.
From his close cropped hair all
the way down the six foot three of him. Solid, muscled, so powerful she had to
stop herself from touching because he was seriously off limits.
Agency
business took first priority and right now everyone was a suspect including
Gray. Ashlyn realised that he most likely had nothing to do with this since up
until a week or two ago Gray had been an outcast, but you could never be too
careful. More importantly, he was scheduled to marry, mate whatever the hell it
was that doggies did, that nasty female wolf. If it weren’t for her sheer
beauty, Ash would be feeling sorry for the poor guy. Which was strange because
surely she should be empathizing with a woman being forced to marry against her
will rather than the man that was doing the forcing, but there was something off
about Alisha. Probably just the bitchy attitude. And maybe a touch of jealousy
since Alisha was everything she was not, all that olive skin, raven black hair
and bountiful cleavage. Not that she’d ever had hang-ups or anything, but she
couldn’t suddenly help but wish she could be a little curvier or a little
taller. At the very least, it would be fantastic if she could sun bathe once in
a while. But no, any time in the sun would just result in bountiful freckles
which was not the bountiful she had in mind.
“What
time were you planning on leaving?” she asked.
“As
soon as you’re ready.”
She’d
never met a man with such a deep voice. Timber baritones she wouldn’t mind listening
to all day. “Let’s save the walkies for another time then and hit the road.”
“Fine,
we’ll take my bike…faster that way,” he half smiled.
“No,
no, no…thank-you doggykins. I appreciate the offer, but we’ll take my corvette.
It’s just as fast and much safer.”
Gray
hitched his eyebrows. “What? It can’t be. Is the big, bad Demon Chaser afraid?
”
Oh,
so this was how it was going to be.
Interesting.
There was only one
thing she liked more than looking at a sexy man and that was a little friendly flirtation
with said sexy man. Normally she would hope for a little hand to hand combat as
well. Not this time though.
