Curse of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle (24 page)

A
insley crouched
in the impenetrable darkness of the dank cave. Her clothes were torn and bloodied and her hair tangled and full of brambles from her frantic run through the woods. Outside, giant wolves stalked, waiting to tear her apart.

Ainsley had never felt so blissfully alive.

Erik’s kiss had driven away the thoughts of anything else. She tried without much success to pull her mind away from it. It didn’t help that he was naked and holding her in his lap, whispering strategy into her ear as she nodded along and tried in vain to pay attention.

She could still feel the warmth of his tongue in her mouth.

“… just hold on tight. Whatever happens don’t let go,” he finished.

Well crap. She had missed most of it.

“So you’ll shift and I’ll hop on and not let go? That’s the whole plan”

“Yep, that’s pretty much it from your perspective. And if inspiration hits, don’t be afraid to use some of that magical talent.”

Ainsley nodded. It was sort of nice to think of her new ability as a talent instead of a curse.

“But mostly just hang on. I want to keep you around,” he said gruffly.

Before she could think too much about that last he was expanding rapidly. Though her mind knew that the wolf before her was Erik, she still took a step back. A small step - there was barely room in the cave for both of them.

A cool snout nuzzled her arm. She held back a giggle and let her fingers play in his smooth, silken fur. He bumped her chest with the top of his head affectionately. Then he lay on the cave floor.

Ainsley placed one hand on his massive shoulder and stroked down the curve of his back. She could feel each vertebrae, like someone had magnified a pearl necklace. He was large but he was no horse - his back wasn’t meant to carry things. The thought that she might hurt him made her hesitate.

He turned his muzzle back to her and gave her a nudge.

She threw one leg over and paused again. Was this really a good idea?

Ouch!

What the hell? Erik had nipped her.

She hurriedly climbed the rest of the way onto him and could swear he was laughing, not just panting.

“Laugh it up, fuzzball. If we make it out of here alive, I am so going to whack you on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.”

As he rose up to his full height, she gave up trying to hold onto her dignity and focused on trying to hold onto
him
. His topcoat was long but slippery. His undercoat was less slippery, but too short. She tried just gently putting her arms around his neck but he shook and she flew off.

She picked herself up and he nuzzled the nape of her neck.

“Quit it. No more nipping,” she whispered.

He nuzzled her nape more insistently, then lowered his head.

Hmm.

She scrambled up again and grabbed the scruff of his neck. To her surprise, it was easy to hold onto.

He shook again but she held him tight between her knees and didn’t let go of his scruff. She stayed on board.

Yes!

He licked her leg, and the tickly feel of his raspy tongue made her giggle.

Before she could think he leapt with all his strength. They burst through the vines and into the night air. The moonlight was almost blinding after the dark of the cave.

In two giant leaps he was over the creek.

Suddenly, she could hear the other three wolves, they were splashing through the creek, toward Erik, snarling. She put her head down into the shining fur on his neck and willed him to go faster.

As though he heard her thoughts, the giant wolf expanded his stride. Trees blurred past them. His heartbeat drummed and she felt it like her own as she pressed against him. Soon, she could no longer hear the wolves behind them.

Erik kept his new pace though. The wind whipped her hair and she lifted her head a little.

It was exhilarating!

If she shifted, would she be able to do this?

Too soon, he was slowing. They came out of the woods back at the bank of the creek. Erik leapt into a stand of bamboo. Instead of crashing through it though, he followed a curving path. When they emerged they were in a huge meadow. The wind and rain whipped the lush grass. Ainsley could just see the roof of a cottage on a hill overlooking the clearing.

Erik lifted his glossy muzzle and sniffed the air. He seemed satisfied with what he smelled and began trotting through the meadow toward the hill.

They had thundered through the woods for an hour and Erik was barely panting. As the adrenaline rush faded, Ainsley found herself suddenly weary to her bones. Soft fur warmed her and the slow, hypnotic beat of his heart lulled her. The rhythm of these shorter steps was all that kept her awake.

Finally, they reached the top of the hill. Erik carried her as far as the steps to the cottage, then stood next to the landing for her to dismount.

She slid off his back and felt a pang of sorrow that the wolf would soon be gone. She chided herself, knowing that Erik was Erik, no matter what form he took. But their relationship was easier this way, without the sexual pull and the pressure to talk.

He bumped his head into her chest again and she embraced his shaggy head, burying her face in his fragrant fur.

When she let go, he bowed his head and slipped back into human form.

A
insley was struck all
over again by Erik’s nakedness. The moonlight accentuated the contrast between the muscles and veins on his arms. A silky trail of fur led down his chest, but Ainsley managed to stop her eyes from following.

He looked up and she was nearly lost in his luminous dark eyes.

Somehow, she pulled her gaze away from his and stared down at her own hands instead.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Let’s go in.”

“Is this your house?”

“Yes,” he said proudly.

She tried not to stare at his perfect ass as he led the way in, but it was hard not to notice. If only she could take a quick picture for later.

“So, this is why I bought the house,” he told her as they stepped into the screened porch, turning her shoulders to face back in the direction of the woods.

Even in moonlight the view was breathtaking. The meadow stretched like a blanket all the way down to the bamboo forest and the woods below. A white finger stretching toward the sky in the distance caught her eye.

“Is that…”

“Our sycamore,” he confirmed.

“Wow.”

Our
sycamore. Her stomach fluttered a little.

“I’m working on clearing the bamboo. When that’s done, I’ll have a view of the creek in the wintertime.”

She turned to take in the porch.

The vaulted ceiling housed three ceiling fans with lights, spaced evenly as the porch wrapped around. The stone wall of the cottage met a natural mahogany floor. On the main part of the porch, a brown leather sofa with a colorful hand-knitted throw sat on a knotted area rug. One side table was stacked with library books. The other was laden with glazed mugs and little clay figures.

The whole porch had a loved and lived-in look. It smelled like Erik Jensen and night air. Erik must have spent a good deal of time out here. She looked back at the view with the bright white bark of the sycamore signaling over the woods like a lighter raised at a concert.

Our sycamore.

How often did he remember her?

“What are you thinking about?”

Erik picked up a pair of faded blue sweats from the arm of the sofa and pulled them on. That made it a little easier for Ainsley to concentrate.

“Nothing, I just… I like it. It feels like a tree house.”

He smiled.

“The rest of the house isn’t as nice. It’s kind of a fixer, but it’s got some character.”

“My favorite kind of house.”

He laughed and she followed him in. They crossed through the center hall and into the living room.

Original chestnut paneling covered the walls. The sumptuous woodwork looked like it hadn’t been cleaned and oiled in a long time, but the elements were all there. Two floor-to-ceiling bookcases flanked the fireplace. Both were filled to bursting.

Ainsley tried to steal a surreptitious glance at the titles. They were all over the place: a book of photos of Rodin sculptures, Commercial Real Estate for Dummies, the Game of Thrones collection, Agatha Christie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Wow.

There was nothing else in the room. Maybe Erik was planning to refinish the pine floor.

They continued into the kitchen. The old wooden cupboards had been painted so many times they were lumpy with old drips. Right now they sported a cheerful coat of pale yellow. The window over the sink looked out on the woods.

Erik pulled two mugs from the open shelf over the sink and set the on the counter. He put on the kettle and placed a bag of peppermint tea in each mug.

“Come on,” he said, and headed back to the hall.

They climbed the stairs to a large open room under the eaves. The ceiling was low, Erik could just stand at the center of the room. An enormous mattress, covered in pillows and blankets rested on the floor under a large skylight.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

He’d probably guessed she wouldn’t like an unmade bed. Normally, he would have been right, but right now the bed just looked soft and warm and very inviting.

He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of boxers out of a dresser.

“This is all I can offer you, but it’s warm.”

Ainsley looked down at herself. Mud, sprinkled with a few glossy black wolf hairs clung to her. Her dress hung around her in tatters. She let out a small, disappointed sound.

Erik laughed and pointed her to a door at the end of the room. She could see the claw foot tub already and it took all her restraint not to dash over to it.

“Help yourself,” he said. “I’ll bring tea up for when you’re done.”

Ainsley smiled up at him gratefully and flew into the bathroom. She tried not to look at the mirror. Instead, she stripped down quickly, throwing her ruined clothes into the wastebasket. Then she turned on the water, and rinsed off the first layer of muck in the empty tub with a washcloth.

When she had gotten rid of the worst of it, she put the stopper in the tub and filled it with steaming water. Slowly, she lowered herself all the way in.

Her body sung with pleasure. She swirled her head around in the water, then sat up and examined Erik’s selection of soap and shampoo.

After fifteen minutes of pure heaven, Ainsley emerged from the bathroom feeling like a new woman.

Erik was waiting on the mattress. It was made up neatly now, which made Ainsley smile.

He must have used a downstairs bath to tidy up. He looked as neat and clean as she did. His t-shirt and boxers matched the ones she wore.

He cradled a steaming mug of tea in his hands. Another was next to the mattress on a low table, which overflowed with more books.

He handed her the tea and indicated a place on the mattress next to him.

She lowered herself and took the mug. The tea was sweet and hot. They sat together in silence while she sipped.

“What do we do?” she asked when she had finished.

“I texted a few of my guys while you were getting cleaned up. They’re taking turns making perimeter runs until we get this squared away.”

“You mean they’re…”

“They’re in wolf form, patrolling the bounds of my property. Same as I did at your house.”

“But what are we going to do…permanently?”

“You need rest. We can figure it out in the morning, Ainsley.”

She began to protest but realized he was right. She was too tired to think or worry or be of any use, even to herself.

As she sank onto the mattress, he stood.

“I’ll be right downstairs if you need anything,” he said with a tender formality.

“No,” she almost shouted.

He turned to her with a questioning gaze.

“I mean, please…I don’t want to be alone.”

Erik hesitated, but then smiled down at her. He reached up and turned off the light, then crawled into bed beside her.

She snuggled into his warm arms. Oh, he felt so good. His heat was already soaking into her bones.

Her thoughts raced. Ainsley worried that after everything that had happened, she might never be able to sleep again.

She was asleep almost immediately.

A
insley woke
from a dreamless sleep with her head on Erik’s chest.

She had kicked off the sheet at some point in the night and he must have pulled off his t-shirt. Her back and legs were deliciously chilled from the air conditioning. Her chest and cheek soaked in the soothing heat that radiated out of Erik’s skin.

She opened her eyes. The skylight brought in gentle beams of sunshine that bounced off Erik’s gleaming dark hair. His eyelashes skimmed his cheeks. A five o’clock shadow highlighted the angle of his jaw.

Surreptitiously, Ainsley shifted to see his body.

Oh.

He had a body like a young god. She took in his muscular chest and the six-pack abs that were like nothing she’d ever seen before. She wondered if it was all from being a wolf, or if he worked out. A lot.

She snuck a peek at his face. He was still sleeping hard. She slid her hand from its former place on his chest down to those rock hard abs. Just as she began to marvel at the feel of them, she sensed him waking.

Before she could remove her hand, he caught her wrist in a strong grasp.

“Ainsley Connor, what do you think you’re doing?”

Oh crap.

“Um…”

He laughed and brought her hand up to his face.

“You want to feel this too?”

He brushed her hand against his stubbly cheek.

“Ow, it’s like sandpaper,” she teased.

But with his face in her hand, she suddenly felt shy and serious.

Before she could change her mind, she rolled up on her elbow and kissed him lightly. Last night that had gotten her quite a reaction.

Erik froze under her. Then pressed his lips firmly to hers.

Emboldened, Ainsley moved her hand into his hair and pulled lightly. Then she slid it back down to stroke his chest and abs.

She could feel him hold his breath, wondering if she would go lower. She wavered a moment in indecision, and he brought his hand up to stroke her cheek gently.

Her heart melted at the sweet gesture and she drew back a little to look into his eyes.

He looked back at her for a moment, a flash of mischief in his brown eyes.

The next thing she knew he had flipped her onto her back and pinned her down with his body.

Her heart raced. That gorgeous, rock hard body was covering hers. She could feel the heat of his colossal erection against her thigh.

She knew they were just sharing a flirtation, but being in his arms like this felt so right. She looked up at him, searching his eyes for what he might be feeling.

He smiled down at her, then lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.

His stubbly jaw felt amazing against her skin. She giggled and arched herself up to him.

“Are you giggling at me?” he demanded, pulling away.

Her heart almost stopped, but then she saw he was being playful. She nodded slowly.

“Well, then you’re just asking for it!” he announced.

Suddenly he was rubbing his face in her neck, on her chest, and lifting her t-shirt to rub against her belly.

Oh no. Ainsley did not have rock hard abs. Instinct made her struggle to cover her imperfections.

Erik stopped instantly.

“Are you okay?”

“Um, yes, I’m fine…I…” How could she tell him she was embarrassed about her body without making things worse?

He flipped off of her and sat on the edge of the mattress at a safe distance.

“Listen, Ainsley, I won’t do anything like that again, ok?”

Reluctantly she nodded.

He smiled back at her encouragingly.

“I’m going to make you some breakfast. Go ahead and do whatever you like to do in the morning.”

He walked away and she allowed herself to watch him go. Even his back was muscular.

Ainsley shook herself and hopped out of bed. There was no point crying over spilt milk. And besides, what if she had drawn his alpha?

After getting refreshed, Ainsley padded downstairs. The house was really amazing– the woodwork made it feel homey in spite of the large rooms. She could hear Erik humming in the kitchen. She turned the corner and he looked up at her.

“Hey,” he said softly, pushing a mug of tea across the counter.

“Mmm, thanks!”

The smell of peppermint filled her nose and she took a tiny sip, knowing already that it was too hot.

“So did you get any sleep?” he asked.

He’d turned to crack a few eggs into a pan. Ainsley noticed with regret that he had found his t-shirt again as well as jeans and work boots.

“Yes. You?”

“Yes,” he said thoughtfully.

“But?”

“But nothing. I usually don’t sleep well with… company.”

Ainsley smiled into her mug. The sound of another egg cracking told her that Erik was back at work on their breakfast.

“Can I help?”

“Nope, I’ve got this.”

Ainsley looked out the window. A flash of brown fur reminded her of everything.

“There are still wolves patrolling?”

“Twenty-four seven until I tell them to stop,” Erik replied grimly. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened yet…”

He paused, and Ainsley could tell there was a
but
coming. She decided to spare him.

“No, I don’t mind telling you. I was freaked out last night, but I’m fine now.”

She toyed with the string on her teabag, trying to decide where to begin. Erik kept cooking - a mercy, since it made it easier for her to speak.

“I invited Clive over last night. I thought it would be best for the town if I could choose an alpha. You finally convinced me,” she laughed weakly.

“Why did you choose Clive?” Erik asked lightly.

She had told him her parents wanted her to choose Clive. But it was a lie. Maybe Erik had sensed it.

“Because he seemed like an easy choice. And because…”

Erik turned. There was a look on his face that Ainsley couldn’t place. It was almost like he expected to be disappointed. She might as well tell the truth.

“Because I didn’t plan to stick around. I figured with Clive I could choose him and then extricate myself and go back to New York as soon as things were settled. I knew I wouldn’t accidentally fall in love with him. Though I knew I would have to love him in some way to make it happen. I hoped that loving the way he took care of everyone else would be good enough. Pretty dumb, huh?”

She swore there was a victorious little smile hidden in Erik’s cryptic expression as he spun back to the pan of eggs.

“There’s no way that could work, Ainsley.”

“So…so clearly it didn’t work. And he got angry. He decided that if we had sex it would happen without me making it happen. And when I got scared and angry and told him to leave, he told me he would be alpha whether I wanted him or not. And he came after me.”

There was no point bringing up the ghostly visit from Brian. This story was hard enough to tell.

Erik was silent.

She could tell he was listening hard, but trying to give her the space to talk. She was glad he wasn’t being too sympathetic. She was a strong person and it would have been an insult to have him treat her like a poor pathetic thing.

“So I backed up and knocked over my softball trophy. And I grabbed it and when he stepped toward me, I threw it at him as hard as I could.”

“Nice,” Erik remarked as he flipped their eggs onto plates.

“Yeah, it cut his face too. Didn’t really slow him down, but it was a good feeling.”

Erik slid a plate to her and grabbed forks out of a drawer.

“He was so mad that his eyes went yellow. I knew he was going to change. And I thought the best thing I could do was change too. I’ve never changed before, but I almost changed once.”

Erik raised his eyebrows.

“This is going to sound crazy,” she warned.

“Try me.”

“So, the guy, Julian, who I, um…”

“Yes,” he cut her off mercifully.

“Remember when you heard the noise and you found me in the house with the broken window?”

“Day before yesterday?”

Wow, had so little time passed?

“Yes. Well, he isn’t just a college professor. He’s also, um, magical.”

Ainsley let that sink in.

Erik’s eyebrows went up, but he nodded for her to continue.

“I didn’t know that. But when I woke up he was in my dad’s study. There was this awful blue light and a compass. And it pointed at me. He started looking at me like I was…I don’t know… an object. I was so mad that I let go. And I was going to change. But he said something, a spell. And blue light came out of his fingers. And it was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water on my head. I couldn’t change and the light hurt so much. So I threw it back at him. And he flew out the window. And then you came.”

“You’ve had quite a week, Ainsley.”

“I just want to get out of here,” she heard herself say.

“I don’t know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You seem to be holding up really well. As a matter of fact, this town seems to be awakening some serious power in you. Do you think you can really go back and pretend everything is normal after this? Do you even want to?”

Ainsley thought about New York. There was her tiny apartment with half a view and a closet full of gorgeous suits and heels. It was a quiet place, perfect for reading the Journal, but she seldom spent time there.

Most of the time she paced the few feet of cubicle at the office while talking on the phone and drinking coffee. Or she stared at a computer screen replying to email messages while writing property descriptions.

What was her favorite thing about her New York life?

She thought immediately of the incredible feeling of signing a high-end listing. Knowing that the owners had interviewed the best and selected Ainsley Connor. She would practically fly back to the office and complete the listing folder and place it in the admin’s bin - picturing how impressed the admin would be in the morning when she found it there.

Was that as cool as running through the woods with Erik or shooting blue electricity through her hands to smite her enemies?

On the other hand, in New York she made tons and tons of money. And the broker was sure to retire one day. If Ainsley bought the business she would have instant celebrity, and maybe have an influence on the New York skyline.

Of course just by sticking around in Tarker’s Hollow she would literally save the town and college from destruction. And the money she had already saved would be enough to live on until she was a little old lady.

There was no use thinking about it now, while Erik watched her expectantly. She shrugged and took a bite of eggs.

“I feel bad about this, Ainsley, but I have to go to work today,” Erik said cautiously.

“What about Clive?”

“I’ve put the word out about him and I’ll meet with MacGregor. He would never move against you in the open. He’s not the alpha. The pack would tear him apart.”

She nodded with a casual braveness that she didn’t really feel.

“I want you to stay put right here. There’s still a patrol and I can spare the guys to keep it up until I get back.”

“I thought you said he wouldn’t move against me.”

“I’ll feel better if you stay put. I can get Cressida to come and check on you.”

Ainsley almost spit out her tea.

Erik spun on his heel and put their plates in the sink quickly, as though he was embarrassed too.

Did he
know
? Oh god, it would be awful if he knew.

He turned around and grabbed his mug without making eye contact.

Crap. He
did
know. He must think she was a gigantic slut.

“I’m going to need to get my stuff out of the house at some point.”

“I don’t want you going back there.”

“What if I call Grace and have her meet me there?”

“Why don’t you have her come here and get you.”

“Sure,” she relented.

“Even when you’re with her, stay on the main roads. Stay visible. There are people in town, more than the three from last night, who aren’t happy with the direction the town is going in. Like we talked about, the inn and the highway are going to bring in more people. This is the integration your parents pushed for. Look where it got them.”

Ainsley’s world began to rearrange itself.

“Erik, are you saying that my parents’ death wasn’t an accident?”

“Before last night I would have said no way, but now… Just
be careful.
And try to keep the magic stuff on the down low. Wolves don’t like magic.”

“Do you think Clive is behind all this?”

“Clive isn’t much of a planner, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else were pulling the strings.”

“Could that be Julian?” Ainsley whispered.

“I saw him around town a lot with your dad, Ainsley, when he was alive. He seemed to take a real interest in your dad. And I don’t like what you told me today.”

Erik patted her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it for now. There’s a patrol and I’ll stop home at lunchtime to check on you.”

She wished he wouldn’t go. Not just because she was scared, but because she liked to talk with him. She looked up into his brown eyes.

He smiled mildly and brushed the top of her hair with his lips.

“See you at lunchtime.”