Curse of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle (33 page)

A
insley awoke suddenly
. Her wolf senses had been alerted to footsteps on the porch a second before the knock came.

Cressida.

And food.

Somehow, they had forgotten to eat last night. She was ravenous.

She was also tangled in Erik’s embrace. It reminded her of real wolves sleeping in a big heap and she almost giggled.

Her stomach growled, reminding her there was time to giggle later. She went about trying to slip out of the bed without disturbing him.

Ainsley padded down the stairs to find her friend.

She supposed Cressida was her friend now, although she wasn’t altogether sure.

It was an odd relationship at best.

Cressida seemed completely unconcerned. As soon as Ainsley came to the door she handed her a grocery bag.

“Good morning!”

“Hi, Cressida.”

Cressida headed right for the kitchen. She banged the refrigerator door open against the cabinets and began rummaging around.

Finding what she needed, Cressida made a small sound of victory and grabbed a pan off the stove.

“I’m gonna make you the best steak you ever had!”

“Let me guess – Pittsburg style?” Ainsley ventured.

“You’ve had it before.”

Cressida’s mouth formed the cutest little pout.

“I didn’t like it then. But I might like it now.”

It seemed the most natural thing in the world to sit at the counter and watch Cressida work. There was a time, not so long ago, when Ainsley would have insisted on helping. Being alpha had its perks. Cressida was clearly proud to be feeding her superior.

In no time, the steak was steaming on plates.

“Go wake your man,” Cressida said, grabbing juice out of the fridge.

Ainsley’s stomach was knotted in hunger, but she had another plan.

“Hold the steak warm, I need a minute,” Ainsley said.

Cressida shrugged and turned back to the meal.

Ainsley headed up the steps.

Erik was right where she’d left him.

His too long hair was splayed on the pillow behind him. A five o’clock shadow defined his strong jaw line. His bulging biceps were thrown behind his head, and his abs were rock hard, even as he lay sleeping. The morning glow through the skylight gave him an otherworldly quality. He looked like a sleeping angel.

The sheet was tented below his waist, telling Ainsley he was ripe for the little surprise she had planned.

Slowly she drew back the sheet.

He didn’t move, so she eased herself onto the mattress.

She lowered her head and took him into her mouth.

He awoke with a low moan.

“Ainsley.”

“Mmm…”

“Oh god, woman, that’s good…”

T
hey arrived
downstairs breathless and bright-eyed, but if Cressida noticed she didn’t let on.

“Steak and eggs are on the counter.”

When Erik lifted the bowls that covered their plates the steam that unfurled was so fragrant Ainsley’s mouth watered.

She tried her best to appreciate the meal in a way that was worthy of Cressida’s generosity. But mostly she just bolted it down – blood and all.

“You liked it,” Cressida said proudly.

“I could eat three more,” Ainsley said with a smile.

She was horrified to admit to herself that she really would have liked to eat at least one more.

“I’m going to need to get a better job if you keep eating like that!”

What did Cressida do for a living? Was it possible to share the level of intimacy they had and not know something as basic about her as how she spent her days?

“What do you do, Cressida?”

“I’m a waitress. It’s a job. Not what I wanted, but it pays the bills. At least it used to,” Cressida looked significantly at Ainsley’s plate.

Ainsley laughed.

“I’ll reimburse you for the steak, Cressida. I’ve got loads of money. God only knows what I’ll do with it now.”

There was silence.

“
That
makes you guys uncomfortable? After all we just went through?”

“Sorry, Ainsley, it’s just weird to talk about money, I guess,” Erik said.

Ainsley shrugged.

“I worked really hard for it, at the expense of everything else in life. I had a plan to buy my broker’s business when she retired. Now I guess I don’t need it for that. And that was the only thing I wanted. We’ll spend it all on steak, instead!”

“Everyone said you were really rich, but I didn’t believe it. How rich are you, exactly?” Cressida asked.

“I won’t have to work again if I’m careful with it. Though I’ll work anyway.”

“
Why?”
Cressida asked.

“I like to work. Haven’t you ever had a job you liked?”

Cressida shook her head slowly.

Ainsley immediately wanted to offer to help her friend, but she sensed Cressida would want to save face in front of Erik.

“You will one day, and then you’ll understand,” she said instead.

The phone rang.

“Hello,” Erik said in his lovely deep voice.

Ainsley smiled at him and he winked back, long lashes kissing his cheek.

“For you, baby,” he said, handing her the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Ainsley, it’s Grace.”

“Grace! I’m so glad you called. I owe you my life!”

“Ainsley, I’m calling about the house.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think you need to just come,” Grace said carefully.

Ainsley’s heart sank.

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

They had already stolen all her stuff and painted graffiti all over the living room. What else could be so bad she had to see it in person?

The thought of her family home burned down or bulldozed was too much.

And if people were still pulling that kind of stuff, it must mean that her new role as alpha wasn’t really as undisputed as they told her it was.

Ainsley’s stomach lurched.

She replaced the phone in the cradle and turned to Erik.

“I have to go. There’s something wrong at the house.”

“We’re coming with you,” Cressida said immediately.

They climbed into Erik’s truck, Ainsley smashed cozily between Erik and Cressida.

Erik’s thumb tapped the steering wheel nervously on the short drive. Cressida held Ainsley’s hand and patted it in a grandmotherly way.

When they pulled out front everything seemed normal. They hopped out of the cab and headed for the front porch, where Grace waited.

“Ainsley!” Grace embraced her warmly.

“Grace, thank God for what you did that night! How did you know to come?”

“I’ll tell you all about it over coffee before we talk about
The Mockingbird Next Door
next week!”

Ainsley remembered her promise to have a weekly book club with Grace and laughed. She had nowhere else to be for a while.

“It’s a date.”

“Are you ready to go inside?”

“How bad is it?”

“You’re going to want to see this for yourself.”

Ainsley took a deep breath.

Erik grabbed her hand in his. The warm pressure made her feel better immediately. Cressida fell in step naturally behind them.

The door opened and Ainsley stood in the doorway, frozen with amazement.

It was as though the events of the last few days had never occurred.

The furniture was all back. The books were back on the shelves. The walls were free of graffiti and freshly painted.

She ran to the kitchen.

There was the old oak table with its familiar rings.

She ran upstairs.

The rooms were full again. The window in her father’s study had been repaired. All his books were back on the shelves. She peeked out. Someone had even planted new rhododendrons to replace the ones Julian had squashed in his hasty exit.

The others had followed behind her quietly.

“How? Who?” Ainsley asked incoherently.

“People were returning stuff all day yesterday,” Grace replied. “Mr. MacGregor sent people from the hardware store with supplies for repairs and cleaning. They worked all night. Sadie Epstein-Walker was fussing over your rhododendrons until a few minutes ago. The rest of them just cleared out.”

Ainsley sank into her father’s chair.

“Ainsley, this is big,” Erik said, crouching at her feet.

“I know. I can’t believe it’s all back,” she breathed.

“It’s not just your stuff, Ainsley,” Erik said quietly.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Any alpha could have demanded their stuff back and it would have reappeared,” Cressida explained. “They did this on their own. This means they accept you.”

“They love you, Ainsley,” Erik said with a smile.

L
ong after Grace
had left and Erik had begun a massive round of phone calls, Ainsley wandered the house, lightly caressing each doorframe and piece of furniture. It felt almost like having her family back.

She supposed Erik and Cressida were her family now. Erik sat in her father’s chair, listening and typing notes into his iPad between giving orders to the person on the other end.

Cressida lay on her back on the sofa, trying to read a National Geographic. Never one to sit still for long, Cressida’s limbs were already in constant motion and she moved from her back to her belly to her back again as Ainsley watched.

“What?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing, just wondering what you’re reading about.”

“Arctic wolves!” She held up the magazine to show Ainsley a picture of a beautiful, white wolf.

Sounded about right.

Ainsley cocked her head to listen. Someone was approaching the front door.

She knew it was Julian before he even rang the bell.

Sighing, she opened the door.

Julian stood before her with a chagrined expression. His sandy hair was ruffled as though he had just run his fingers through it. His blue eyes were full of apology.

Erik must have hung up the phone. He stood behind her, a low growl building inside.

“Stand down, Erik,” she said.

“Ainsley, I know you’re angry, but I am
not
the enemy,” Julian said.

“I know.”

Ainsley reached out with her wolf. Julian’s heart rate was even. His breathing was normal. He was telling the truth. But she didn’t need her wolf to tell her that. She had known for a while that Julian wasn’t the one causing trouble. It didn’t add up.

But he sure had some explaining to do.

“Come in,” she said.

Julian eyed Cressida, who was sitting up on the sofa. She met his gaze with fire in her eyes, and he turned quickly back to Ainsley.

“Sit down,” she said.

He sat on a wooden chair. Ainsley seated herself next to Cressida on the sofa. He looked at his hands, unsure where to begin.

“Better if you just spill it all,” Ainsley said.

“Right then.” Julian took a deep breath. “I was working with your father before he died, Ainsley. He told me about a magical text he had encountered in his rare book dealings. He’d tried to decipher it with your mother, and what they could make out was bad. They called me in, because that is my area of expertise. Unfortunately, your father died before he could show me the book.”

“So you broke in and trashed Ainsley’s house and her father’s office looking for it?” Cressida asked.

“He’s not the one who did that,” Ainsley answered for him.

“I should think not,” Julian said. “I had ample access to your father’s office. And no need to break in here, as you well know.”

He smiled at Ainsley.

Cressida laughed.

Erik shot her a terrible look and she stifled herself.

Julian cleared his throat and went on.

“Ainsley, our meeting was purely by chance, and I promise you that everything that happened between us was real.”

Erik bared his teeth.

“Look,” Julian said. “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. Not that sort, anyway. I understand that you’ve chosen a mate now.” He eyed Cressida. “Or two?”

“
One
,” Eric said.

“And one…lieutenant.” Ainsley added.

Cressida visibly puffed up with pride.

“At any rate, I didn’t need you to get in here. I was already in once while you were away. Locked doors don’t present much of a barrier to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything.”

“So, who tossed the shelves?” Cressida asked.

“That was someone else. I would never disrespect your father’s books that way. My methods are not so crude. It could have been Clive, but he would not have wanted the book for himself.”

“What were you doing when I walked in on you?” Ainsley asked.

“I was casting a locating spell to search for the book one last time.”

“But it pointed at me.”

“I must admit, that bit confused me at first, as well. Come with me, I want to show you something.”

Ainsley stood and Erik shadowed her instantly. Cressida shrugged and hopped up.

They followed Julian upstairs to the study.

“Stand where you were that night, please, Ainsley.”

She took her place just inside the door.

“Do you remember where the arrow was pointing?”

“Yes, right at me.”

“So it seemed,” Julian said. “Look behind you.”

They all turned to the chest behind her - the gigantic one with the wolf inlays she’d brought out of the attic. She still didn’t have a key for it.

“Did you move that chest?” Julian asked.

“Yes, it was in the attic. I moved it here. Then someone took it out of the house and put it right back here again.”

“Your mother must have put a spell on it to avoid location. You disturbed it by moving the chest out of the attic. That’s why my spell worked that day. May I open it?”

“I don’t have a key.”

Julian raised an eyebrow at her, then waved his hand.

The lock opened immediately of its own accord.

All three wolves took a step back.

Julian smiled.

“I told you locks don’t present much of a problem for me.”

He opened the chest and removed an old, leather bound book.

There was something repugnant about it, but Ainsley couldn’t figure out what it was.

Erik reached out a hand to touch the cover.

“Is that…?”

“Wolfskin.”

Erik drew back in disgust.

“What the hell kind of book is this?” he demanded.

Julian appeared to be choosing his words carefully.

“You know that wolves are naturally resistant to magic, yes?” He waited until Ainsley nodded before continuing. “This book is full of spells that work on wolves.”

Erik and Cressida exchanged nervous glances.

“Your mother taught me the one I used on you to stop your change. But that is just the beginning. There are spells that will kill a wolf, control a wolf, even take someone’s wolf away, permanently.”

Ainsley couldn’t help but think what that information might have meant to her younger self. Hell, what it would’ve meant to her a week ago. But things were different now.

“Why don’t we just burn it?” Cressida asked.

“Because there are people out there who know how to do this already,” Julian replied. “Ainsley’s parents thought this book might be our way to understand the magic, and fight it.”

“What are you saying?” asked Ainsley.

“There are people looking for this book, Ainsley. People a good deal more competent than your sheriff friend. Bad people. You need to be prepared for them.” His sparkling blue eyes locked on hers. “And I am the only one who can prepare you.”

T
hanks for reading
Curse of the Alpha!

Read
Fate of the Alpha,
a steamy new adventure set in Tarker’s Hollow. An unexpected romance blossoms, friendships are tested, and an ancient evil threatens everything.