Her Forbidden Alpha (2 page)

The wolves had weapons of their own, not just their natural claws and teeth but also guns and knives and other fun implements. If the wolves were ambushed by the humans, it would be bloody but they stood a fair chance of getting all of their people out alive. Wounded, no doubt, but alive.

Until the human delegation arrived, that is. Fifteen wolves against these ten guards—they’d do okay. If the humans brought another fifteen or twenty to the proceedings, the odds would get much worse for the wolves. He’d have to insist the guards leave. They had agreed to fifteen delegates on each side, not fifteen plus an additional ten guards.

The kitchen door opened, ushering even stronger, more delectable scents into the room…plus something else. Something he’d never smelled before, but couldn’t get enough of. He’d taken three steps toward the door before Killion grabbed his arm and Darius realized the guards were eyeing him.

Then
she
walked into the room.

She had long dark hair that streamed down her back, fair skin and eyes so blue he could see the color from across the room. Her conservative dress couldn’t hide her curves nor the nicely muscled legs that showed under her skirt. The small braids on either side of her face and her short stature made her look almost otherworldly, like a fairy princess. His fairy princess.

His mate.

And wouldn’t it figure he’d find his mate in the middle of his enemies?

***

Aislinn carried a platter full of meat into the meeting hall, following after several of the older women. She wanted to get her first look at werewolves—real werewolves—but was afraid she’d drop the platter if she didn’t look where she was going. How horrible would it be if she dropped it and everyone stared at her?

After she put the platter down, she turned to take a careful look, only to find one of the wolves staring at her. He wasn’t even trying to hide it. He was standing out in the middle of the floor looking straight at her and another one of them held his arm as though holding him back.

Had she done something wrong?

He stood taller and broader than the others. His hair looked black but it was hard to tell with it so short. His dark gaze was so intense she could almost feel it on her skin.

She headed for the kitchen, eager to hide away from his eyes.

Her father came through the hall door. “Aislinn!” He motioned her to him.

She was supposed to play hostess. The dark wolf had almost made her forget. She wiped her damp palms on her skirt and went to stand by her father.

“Welcome,” her father said. “I’m General Cavett. We’ll get started shortly. In the meantime, I’m sure you’ve had a long journey. My daughter and some of the women from the compound will serve you lunch.”

When she raised her eyes, the dark wolf still stared at her. He took a breath then tore his eyes from her face to look at her father. “I’m Darius Bishop, North American Pack Alpha.” His voice sounded deep and commanding. He walked toward them, reaching his hand toward her father. “We thank you for your hospitality.”

Her father gazed at the wolf’s hand for a moment before gripping it in his. Then he held Darius’ hand so tightly the veins stood out on his skin—her father’s skin. The wolf showed no reaction at all…until her father let go. Then his gaze darted to hers.

“It’s good to meet you,” he said as he held out his hand to her. “I’m Darius.” His voice sounded husky as he said the last few words.

She was going to have to shake hands with him? She wiped her hand on her skirt before placing it in his, hoping he wouldn’t take her father’s rudeness out on her. “Aislinn.”

“Miss Cavett,” her father corrected.

She barely heard him. Darius held her gaze, his hand firm around hers but not too tight. His attention made her feel light inside. For a long moment, there was nothing and no one but this mysterious stranger and her.

“Aislinn.” Her name sounded fresh and warm falling from his lips. “It suits you.”

“Miss Cavett,” her father snapped. He tried to step between them, though there wasn’t much room.

Darius growled. He actually growled, like a real wolf.

She pulled her hand out of Darius’. “If you’ll take your seat, we’ll bring the food to the table,” Aislinn said, her voice high. The last thing they needed was for the two leaders to be at each other’s throats before the negotiations even started.

All three of them paused. Finally, Darius moved away, not letting go of eye contact with her father but taking two steps back. “We agreed to fifteen delegates each.”

“Yes, we did,” the General said.

Darius motioned to the guards standing around the room. “I take it these are ten of your delegates?”

“Of course not.”

“Then they’ll leave,” Darius said. “They’ll leave, or we will.”

The General sucked in his breath. She expected him to begin yelling but instead he said, “They’ll leave right before the delegates arrive. For now, enjoy your lunch.”

Darius held the General’s gaze another moment. “That’s acceptable.” He met her gaze then turned and sat down at the table. When he sat, the other werewolves followed suit.

“Stay away from him,” her father whispered. “Mangy dog.”

Darius’ entire body stiffened.

She’d heard wolves had better hearing than humans. That proved it. As far away as he was, he shouldn’t have been able to hear her father—but he clearly had.

Aislinn didn’t answer her father. There was nothing she could say, anyway. If she defended the wolves her father would be livid—particularly if he realized they’d heard her. And if she didn’t, she’d be lying. Instead, she hurried across the room to get the food, waving the other women out of the kitchen doorway to help.

***

As his mate served lunch, Darius took the opportunity to watch her. She seemed nervous, a little timid. Yet she hadn’t shied away from him when they’d met. Having grown up with the General as a father, she’d surely been taught to hate the wolves. But she’d treated him with respect. Interest, even.

Being polite to him was a far cry from agreeing to be his mate, though. And as a human, she didn’t feel what he felt—this overwhelming need to claim her, the desire to take her to his bed and make her scream with pleasure, the determination to never be far from her side, ever again.

She kept glancing in his direction as though checking to see if she still had his attention. He longed to tell her she’d never lose his attention. She had it for good.

No. He needed to focus on the negotiations. He and his wolves still sat in enemy territory. He couldn’t let his guard down, even if the most amazing thing in his life had just happened. He had to stay alert—for her sake as much as for his.

She placed a plate of meat in front of him. He knew it smelled good, but he could only smell her, filling his senses and drowning out everything else. He just barely kept from touching her before she moved on to his brother.

Then all too soon, the women left, Aislinn with them. She put her platter on the table and hurried into the kitchen, giving him one last glance before she disappeared.

He was under her skin. Nothing had ever felt better in his life.

Darius picked up his knife and fork, prepared to dig into the food his mate had given him, when Killion put his hand on Darius’ left wrist.

“Smell it,” his brother whispered.

Darius took a deep breath. Underneath the spices and meaty scent, he could now detect something wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but every wolf knew better than to eat something that smelled like that…it was diseased or decaying or worse, poisoned.

Chapter 2

None of Darius’ wolves were eating. All watched him, waiting for orders.

This was the food his mate had served them. A sick feeling settled in his gut. What had she done?

He couldn’t think about that now.

The guards still stood around the room, watching them closely. No doubt the General expected the wolves to keel over without a whimper. Would the poison kill them or just incapacitate them? It didn’t matter. There could be no peace now. Not for a good long while.

What kind of man did something like this in a holy place like a church?

Darius had to get his people out of here without bloodshed. He spoke under his breath to Killion, knowing several of the wolves around them would hear it too. “You’re going to get sick. You’ll need to go to the restroom. Take at least two of the others with you. Go now.”

As a plan, it was weak. But at least getting a few of his number out of the room would help keep them from being surrounded. And Darius knew from childhood games that Killion could fake vomit better than anyone.

Killion made a huge retching sound and thrust his arms out, hitting Darius and their sister Jennalyn who sat on Killion’s other side.

Jennalyn jumped up. “Oh my God, Killion.” She slapped her chest.

Darius thought she’d overacted a little, but the guards didn’t seem to realize it. They fidgeted but otherwise didn’t move.

“Take him to the restroom,” Darius ordered.

Jennalyn hauled Killion over her shoulder while one of the other warriors rushed to his other side. They half-walked, half-dragged him toward the hallway door.

Two of the guards stepped in front of them. “You’ll have to stay here.”

Darius rose, the other remaining warriors standing with him. He motioned with his eyes for them to fan out.

“Can’t you see he’s sick?” Jennalyn nearly screeched. “If you don’t move, he might puke all over you.”

One of the guards skittered to the side but reluctantly returned to his spot when the other guard glared at him.

“This is ridiculous.” Jennalyn stormed forward. “Move.”

The two guards pulled handguns out and trained them on her, the other guards quickly following suit.

No one breathed for a full second. Darius put his arms out, palms down. “No need for trouble. We just need to use the restroom. You can put those guns down.”

“No one’s leaving the room,” the first guard said. “The General’s orders.”

“We don’t want any mangy dogs running around the compound,” another said.

Darius just barely kept his lip from curling back. If they called him a mangy dog one more time, he’d show them what a changed werewolf really looked like.

Breathe. He had to breathe. His wolves felt echoes of every emotion he had. If he gave in to his anger now, there’d be a massacre.

“Fine. We won’t leave the room. Killion, puke over by the wall,” Darius said.

“Hey!” one of the guards said.

Before Darius could say anything else, the door from the kitchen opened and several women streamed through.

“I’m telling you, the General didn’t want us to wait on them so soon,” an older woman said.

“What kind of servers are we if we don’t?” Aislinn’s voice came from behind.

The guards swung around, the women unknowingly passing between them and the wolves. As a distraction, it was perfect.

“Now!” Darius said.

The wolves raced at the human guards, jumping over and around the women where necessary. Darius reached the guard closest to him just as the guard fired his gun. The bullet whizzed past Darius’ ear. Before the guard could take another shot, Darius punched him square in the face. Even without his werewolf strength, Darius spent enough time in the gym to punch a wallop. The guard crumpled to the floor.

Killion and Jennalynn grappled with the mouthy guard while other wolves took on guards one on one or two on one. Darius came up behind one of the enemy and knocked him on the back of the head, taking him out of the fight.

A couple of guards got off shots, but most were knocked cold or pinned before they could hurt any of the wolves. In less than a minute, the guards were subdued. Two wolves covered each door so none of the humans could get out and alert the General. Several of the women screamed and wailed, but Aislinn stood stock still and stared at him.

He wouldn’t think about what she’d done. “Report!” They had to get out of here quickly before anyone realized what had happened.

Three of the wolves reported injuries but said they could walk. Four of the guards were still conscious.

Darius went to Aislinn and grabbed her arm. “Is there a door out of the kitchen?”

“What?”

He shook her arm. “Is there any other way out of the kitchen?”

“Yes.” Her voice sounded soft, as though she were in shock.

He kept hold of her as he turned to his warriors. “We’re going out through the kitchen. Get something to bar that hall door. Move.” He pulled her along with him.

It wasn’t until they reached the kitchen door that she started to struggle. “Let me go.”

He snarled. “Never.”

He hadn’t thought it through but now he knew the perfect way for them to get out of here alive. If the General were smart, he had all of the outside exits covered. But if they had the General’s daughter, he wouldn’t fire on them. All the better, because no matter what she’d done, he wasn’t leaving here without his mate.

She continued to struggle, so he slung his arm around her waist and picked her up, holding her against his side. While it was an awkward position, her small size made it possible for him to carry her like that through the doorway and into the kitchen. Behind them, one of his wolves barred the kitchen door.

Shouts sounded from outside. The humans knew. For a split second, he wondered if they’d had hidden cameras in the room or if he should have taken the time to strip all the guards and women of their cell phones and walkie talkies and whatever else they might have.

Too late to worry about that now. And he still had an ace in the hole—Aislinn. Darius would never hurt her, but the General didn’t know that.

The first of his wolves hovered by the outside door, waiting for orders. The last of them jogged up and then he spoke. They all had their guns out and ready. “I go out first. All of you stay close behind me. With Aislinn, they won’t dare fire on us. Get to the vehicles and leave immediately. Go through the Humans Firsters if they get in the way. Aislinn and I will get in the vehicles last.”

There were so many things he wasn’t saying, but his wolves were all trained warriors. They understood. If they strayed too far from Aislinn, the humans could pick them off. If they stayed behind after Darius had taken her out of the church, they’d be killed. They had to act quickly and get out before the humans had a chance to think.