Alpha Son

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Title Page

Blurb

Copyright Statement

Alpha Son

About the Author

Also by this Author

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Blurb

Tyler made a bad decision when he was a first year student. Now that his den brother has been dishonored, Tyler wants to make all the wrongs in his life right, not the least of which is claiming Julianna as his mate.

Fireborn Publishing Copyright Statement

Alpha Son

Copyright © 2015 by Brenna Lyons

eBook ISBN: 978-1-943528-41-7

First eBook Publication: October 2015

Cover Artist: Brenna Lyons

Photo Credit: Dollar Photo Club

Logo copyright © 2014 by Fireborn Publishing and Allison Cassatta

Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is strictly coincidental.

This book is written in US English.

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Alpha Son

Werewolf U III

Tyler stood at the corner of Kythera Hall, watching the group of girls laughing together.

Not quite
, he admitted to himself. He wasn't watching the group. He was watching
her
.
Julianna.

She dressed in a Bohemian style...ankle-length, flowing dresses made of linen, ramie, hemp, or double gauze. Her coppery-brown hair was long and loose, pulled back at the temples to a ponytail at the back to keep the strands out of her eyes. Still, waves escaped and framed her face.

She was tall for a female, nearly Tyler's height. Were they standing face-to-face, he would be able to look directly into her medium gray eyes.

I want to be that close to her.
It's what he came here to do, and unless Julianna sent him away, he would have that wish.

* * * *

"Ladies," a male greeted them.

Julianna focused on the book in her lap. She had no interest in randy males sniffing for something appealing.

A gasp from one of her friends made her stiffen.

No. It can't be.
Julianna raised her head slowly, panning her gaze up strong, male legs encased in tailored suit pants. The shirt was undoubtedly a fine twill, and his arms were crossed over his broad chest.

His. No, Tyler's.
She didn't question that she was correct. When their gazes met through the fall of his unruly hairstyle, Julianna wasn't surprised.

"Hello, Alpha Tyler." She tried to act unaffected, though his mere presence made her heart pound in excitement.

"Hello, Julianna." He smiled at her, though it wasn't reflected in his eyes.

Her friends shot uncomfortable looks at each other. When Tyler didn't continue speaking, they started mumbling excuses and taking their leave. Far too soon, they were alone together.

"You wanted to see me, Alpha Tyler?" she inquired, still trying to act unaffected.

"Call me Tyler. Please."

Not on your life.
Julianna waited to see what he would say next.
Can't be worse than anything I've heard before.
At least she hoped not.

He sighed and rubbed a hand along his lower lip and jaw. "I was wrong."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "About?"

Tyler ground his teeth, but he nodded. "You're due a full apology. I know that. So...yes, what I said about you...about lowborn wolves in general... It was wrong. I was willful and arrogant and hurtful. I can't lead if I don't respect all wolves equally."

"I'm...stunned, to tell the truth." She was. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm trying to make right the things I've screwed up."

"Good start," she admitted.
Grudgingly.
She could almost grow to like this Alpha Tyler, though previous encounters with him still stung.

He stood there, seemingly waiting for something she couldn't name.

"Was there something else you wanted?"

"Yes. No. Sort of." He took a calming breath. "Not the right time. Do you mind if I talk to you later? Another time?"

Julianna tried to come to grips with this new, unsettling side of him. She'd never seen an Alpha so tongue tied. "Sure. You can talk to me another time."
But why?

Tyler nodded and strolled away, more at ease than she'd ever seen him.

"So what was that all about?" Veronique asked, appearing from the distance as he disappeared the opposite direction.

"I have no idea."
But I may find out when he returns to talk to me again.

"What did he say?" Vanessa asked. She was shadowing her twin, as usual.

"He apologized."

"Just like that?" they asked together.

"Just. Like. That."

* * * *

Four days later

Julianna slowed her steps, discomfited, though she couldn't put her finger on why she would be. Warmth at her back startled her. Before she could react, his scent reached her.

"Alpha Tyler."

His breath teased at her cheek. "I told you to call me Tyler, I believe."

She licked her lips, trying to calm her thundering heart. "Did you want something in particular?"
I will not call him Tyler.

He inhaled deeply.

Taking in my scent.
It aroused her.
This isn't smart. This is Alpha Tyler. He's not to be trusted.

Julianna glanced around, relieved to see that no one else was in this section of garden. Then again, it was after nightfall.

"You." There was no hesitation in the reply.

Neither was there in hers. "So that's what the big apology scene was about." Her stomach ached at the truth of it.

I don't
know
the truth of it.
Was he hoping his attraction to her was a fleeting thing, and he wanted to scratch the itch and toss her away? Or was he fully aware of what they were to each other, and he finally gave in and decided to accept his
fate
?

I'm not sure I'm willing to help him with either.

He turned her toward him, and Julianna braced herself for his anger at being called out. It wasn't forthcoming. He shook his head, his color less than robust. His expression said she'd wounded him. It was almost enough to spur her to comforting him.

Almost.

"No. Not at all. You know I've apologized to more than you. I've... I won't say I've changed, so much as I've stopped letting the other alphas define my actions for me. Please believe me, I was never comfortable with acting that way."

"Then why did you?"

"I made a mistake."

She straightened her backpack and prepared to leave. "Yes. You did."

"More than one, but a few major ones. And I never knew how to fix them."

"You don't have to fix it. Consider yourself forgiven." Julianna nearly choked on the words, but she spit them out when she wanted to spit in his face.
No. I don't, and that's the worst of it.

"I'm not, and we both know it."

She couldn't argue that. "A wolf never forgets." It was one of her father's favorite sayings.

He sighed. "I should never have chosen Darian as my den brother."

"Then why did you?"

"I don't know." For a moment, he looked lost and forlorn.

"I don't believe that." What caused this certainty was a mystery, but Julianna didn't question it.

Tyler shifted his feet, looking not one milligram the Alpha he was. "I was awkward. I guess a lot of guys are at that age. He was...larger than life."

"That's one word for it," she muttered.

He winced, then nodded. "I know. He's unstable, but at the time, he seemed confident. He seemed like a leader. I wasn't those things, and I wanted to learn to be. I thought Darian could teach me."

"Those things come with time. There are no shortcuts."
Now I'm lecturing him? When did my life become so weird?

"It took me a long time to learn that."

Something in his tone said there was more. "But--?"

"By then, I'd alienated everyone
but
Darian and a few others. Even my sisters considered me a lost cause."

"So why didn't you get rid of Darian then?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I wanted to, but—"

"You couldn't figure out how to without looking foolish, so you waited until Darian did something unforgivable."

His throat bobbed. "Yeah. I guess that describes it well enough."

Again, he'd stunned her. It took a moment for Julianna to collect her wits.

"Why did you come here?" At the last moment, she reminded herself not to call him by name.