Blood Born: Cora's Choice #2 (12 page)

Author’s Note

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The Alpha’s Captive is a novelette serial that comes out on the
first
Tuesday of every month
. When the serial finishes, it will be collected into an omnibus/boxed set edition. If you like this book and want to try out my other serial (with installments that run about twice as long), try
Life Blood
, the first in the Cora’s Choice serial. It comes out on the third Tuesday of every month.

I’m currently working exclusively in the
Aethereal Bonds world, which I’ve mapped out to be big enough to let me tell all the different kinds of stories I want to share with readers. It’s got vampires, demons, weres, faes and more—all sorts of creatures that are great fun to play with.

I live near Washington, D.C., with my family. A proud geek, I love fantasy, romance, science fiction, and historical fiction.

In the mood for more sensual paranormal romance?
 

Prey by Chloe Cole –
Free Now
!

Photographer Amalie
Baptista is appalled by the hunting of wolves in Montana. She hopes that photographing these savagely beautiful animals will call attention to their plight, but her mission ends abruptly when she’s attacked by one of the animals she’s sworn to protect. When a gorgeous stranger saves her from certain death, she can’t seem to fight the attraction…but giving in could mean giving up life as she knows it.
Alpha male Liam Albrecht is breaking every rule for the curvy, captivating Amalie, risking his place within the pack and his own life to protect her. As discord among the clans reaches a fever pitch, he must find a way to save her from the monsters among them

***

The pain came before she even opened her eyes. Damn, it felt like someone had tried to rip her guts out. Amalie moved to sit up but regretted it immediately as the ache in her side went from throbbing to excruciating.

As if she’d beckoned them, memories crashed through the last of the grogginess and flitted through her brain like an old movie reel. Fur and teeth and blood…

Holy shit. Someone--no, some
thing--had
tried to rip her guts out. She’d been attacked by a wolf.

She squeezed her eyes closed again and tried to hone in on details.  She remembered the wolf running off and the dark-haired stranger rescuing her, but then it was a total blank, no matter how hard she thought. After another minute, she gave up as her head began to pound from the effort.

She crabbed backward, kicking off the covers and sitting up gingerly. A chill swept over as she realized she had nothing on but an oversized t-shirt. Someone had changed her clothing as well.

Footsteps sounded outside the doorway and she scuttled back under the blankets, covering herself from chin to toes.
Probably a silly reaction. Her visitor was likely the man who had saved her from bleeding to death. Odds were he wasn’t going to molest her. Then again, maybe he was some creeper who’d helped her just so he could starve her and then Buffalo Bill her later.

A soft knock sounded.

“May I come in?” a deep, oddly familiar voice called through the door.

“Yes.” After all, if he planned on making a dress out of her skin, would he really have knocked?

The door swung open, and she recognized him immediately: the stranger who’d helped her. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him. Her breath came out in a gasp as she met his gaze in the dim light.

He was beautiful. Over six feet tall with dark hair, he was muscular without being bulky and his face was carved from stone. The severity of his straight nose and sharp cheekbones was undercut by the raw sensuality of his sculpted mouth. But it was his eyes she was drawn to again and again. So familiar, a mix of gold and green she’d seen only once before, they burned into hers with an intensity that made her shiver.

What was happening to her?

***

Liam drank in the sight of the striking woman lying in his bed and fought a surge of possessiveness. From the second he’d laid eyes on her, he’d suffered a fierce and puzzling need to claim her. She was lovely, to be sure. A little softer, more rounded than the women he was used to, but in a way he found compelling, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be grip her full hips in his hand and-

He shoved the thought away and tried to keep his voice calm and his presence as non-threatening as possible. Not an easy feat when he wanted to lace his fingers into her sweet smelling hair and kiss her senseless. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he walked toward her.

“I’m okay. I mean, my side hurts and I have a terrible headache, but I’m okay.” She backed up on the bed, her eyes wide.

She looked like she was about to run screaming from the room, so he went to the fireplace under the pretense of adding wood in order to give her some space. The last thing he needed was for her to get spooked and take off. Then he’d have to chase her down, and that certainly wouldn’t earn her trust, which he desperately needed if he was going to get them out of this mess.

“Who are you?” she asked softly. “What were you doing out there? And how did you manage to get us away from the wolves?”

He paused a moment, trying to think of how to answer each question without scaring her, but knowing there was little time for coddling. Tomorrow night he had to meet the other packs armed with both a good explanation for his behavior and a resolution to the problem.  Anything less would spell disaster.

He opted to give her bite-sized bits of information for now. Once she’d rested and they’d gotten her pain under control, he’d delve into the heavier, hard to swallow stuff.

“My name is Liam Albrecht. You’re in my home just outside of Pray, Montana, a few miles from where you were attacked. I was out hiking when I heard the commotion.” Jesus, when he’d see her, bloodied and on her back, he’d nearly lost his mind.

He shoved the thought away and offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile. “Amalie Baptista, nature photographer, yes?”

She nodded wordlessly, eyes still glassy. He’d given her the basics, and before he said anything else, he needed to get her into a more stable frame of mind.

“I’m going to get you some food and something to drink. There’s some aspirin on your nightstand along with a bottle of water. I’ll be back soon. Try to rest while I’m gone. I’ll answer all of your questions when I get back. Don’t be afraid, Amalie. You’re safe here.” He turned to go, but her shrill call stopped him.

“Wait! Please, don’t go. Something…strange happened out there. I can’t remember, but I know something isn’t…” she trailed off, confusion clouding her dark eyes.

He hated leaving her like this, but she needed sustenance and time to rest. If she didn’t regain some of her strength before he told her the truth, the shock could send her into a tailspin.   

“One hour. I promise.” He left, shutting the door behind him with a snap.

Yep. One hour before he had to tell beautiful, strong, amazing Amalie Baptista that her life would never be the same.

When he made his way back to the room with a dinner tray sixty minutes later, he knocked but received no answer. He let himself in, shutting the door behind him, and looked toward the bed. She was sprawled out, dressed in only his t-shirt, the blankets kicked to the floor during what appeared to be a fitful sleep. He set the tray on a table next to the bed with every intention of leaving, but his mouth went dry as he stood over her.
Man, was she gorgeous.
Long, shapely legs and that plump ass… He pushed away the carnal thoughts.

She muttered softly in her sleep and he strained to understand what she was saying, but all he could make out was the word “hot.” Unfortunately, that was enough. He’d hoped for another half a day, maybe more, to work up to an explanation before she began to show any symptoms. Now, however, it seemed he’d be lucky if he had a few hours before she sensed something amiss within her. The time for coddling was over.

He laid his hand gently on her back and spoke her name to wake her. She was indeed hot, the heat of her skin burning through the t-shirt and heating the skin of his hand.

Amalie instantly pressed back toward his touch. She moaned, and he swore under his breath as he tried to remain detached. He needed to help her deal with the changes she was going through, not take advantage of her weakness.

As he moved to pull his hand away, she protested, rolling onto her back. Eyes still closed, she sat up and tugged the t-shirt over her head. She sank back onto the bed, naked but for the bandage on her side, and he wanted to throw his head back and howl. Her breasts were magnificent, golden and full, and blood rushed to his groin at the sight. The need to cover her…to make her his…to slide his cock in and out until she screamed his name, was almost overwhelming.

She took his hand again, and pressed it to her shoulder, moving it down her arm, then back up and over to the other arm. The whole time, she made sleepy, sexy humming sounds in the back of her throat.

He groaned out loud, trying desperately to steel himself against her silken skin and erotic murmurs. She wasn’t herself. The hunger was upon her, and she was caught in the throes. He needed to put a stop to this, but he simply couldn’t muster the will to pull away.

Her eyes flickered open and she peered at him through a thick fringe of black lashes. Her face was flushed, her brown eyes glassy, her breathing coming in short, choppy gasps. “I feel…funny. Hot,” she murmured.
“But no pain at all. What did you give me? Surely aspirin wouldn’t have helped that much. Everything seems so crisp and clear. And something is strange. I should be mortified right now. But I’m entirely unconcerned about being naked in front of you.”

In fact, as her gaze raked over his body, she seemed rather put out that he wasn’t naked as well. Taking the hand she still held, she cradled her cheek with his palm. Then, with slow but infinite purpose, she dragged his fingertips down her neck and across her breast. She arched into his grasp until he cupped her, whimpering as her nipple pebbled beneath his touch.
Another blade of lust sliced through him and he pulled his hand back as if burned. The second he escaped her grasp, she trapped him again, this time, winding her arms around his neck. He tugged at her wrists, but her mouth was on his, open and hot. She licked at him gently, pressing for entry and he couldn’t refuse her.

Helplessly, almost of its own volition, his hand moved back to cover her breast, kneading first one then the other.
So soft. So lush. He growled and she growled back, biting and sucking at his bottom lip.

Insanity.
It was pure insanity, and he could no more stop it than he could the moon from rising.

She used her weight to draw him down, slowly, inexorably toward the bed next to her. Once he was seated, she wasted no time, climbing onto his lap and straddling him. She pressed her sweet heat against his denim-encased erection and pushed his mouth to her breast. Thoughts of refusing her sizzled away again at the sight of her naked flesh offered so willingly. He latched onto her nipple and sucked hard, his body temperature sky-rocketing as she rhythmically ground her softness against his throbbing cock.

He was strong—the fucking alpha—and she was laying him low with her uninhibited responses. He needed to push her away, to focus on the things he needed to tell her, but she was making it damned near impossible. The scent of her want hung thick in the air, and it was driving him a little more insane with every indrawn breath. If he didn’t stop now, there would be no stopping.

Calling on the last shred of his rapidly waning willpower, he tore his mouth from her breast.

“Amalie, we can’t. You’re going to hurt yourself. There are things we need to discuss. Dammit!” he ground out as she continued to flex her hips against him. He grabbed her hands and pinned them behind her. Unfortunately, that only succeeded in thrusting her gorgeous breasts an inch from his face. He closed his eyes, but the sight of her ripe body was burned into his brain forever.

She pushed wriggled beneath him and he opened his eyes. Desperation shone in her gaze. “Please. I’m begging you. Don’t stop.”

He bit back a curse as the truth of his situation became painfully clear. The hunger was rampant in her now. She would not,
could
not listen to what he had to say in her current state.