Resisting the Alpha (2 page)

Chapter Two

Bridget
tossed back another shot of whiskey, the amber liquid burning its way down her
throat to warm her belly. It was her fifth one. Maybe. Truth be told, she’d
lost count. Drinking wouldn’t solve her problems, but it sure did feel nice.
She slammed the glass down on the bar top and motioned for the bartender to
bring her another.

“You
sure you want to do that?” Max asked.

Bridget
eyed the sexy incubus and pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t ask for another one if I
wasn’t sure I wanted it.”

“All
right, but if you fall off that barstool, I’m not picking you up. Your ass can
stay on the sticky floor.”

She
snorted and motioned for him to hurry up and pour the drink. When he went to
move away, she snatched the bottle out of his hand. Max just shook his head and
moved on to his next customer. She watched him with a hungry gaze. If it
weren’t for that whole soul-sucking thing, she might take him for a ride. Her
bed was going to be damn lonely tonight. She’d gone home to change out of her
wedding dress and found her fiancé’s half of the closet empty. Rat bastard
hadn’t even left a note. He’d just bolted.

What
a wimp, letting the likes of Micah Smythe get to him. Maybe the alpha had a
point. She needed a man with a backbone, someone who would go toe-to-toe with
her and not cower when she raised her voice, which she did rather frequently.
She’d been told more than once she should try out a shifter, but they were
always looking for their mates. That’s the last thing she wanted … that type of
commitment literally meant
forever
.
Shifters lived a damn long time, and once they bit their mates, their women
would live just as long.

Bridget
enjoyed life as much as the next person, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to
spend several hundred years hanging around. Wouldn’t it get boring after a while?
There was only so much travelling you could do, and only so many sights to see.

Someone
settled on the stool next to her and she turned to look at her best friend.
They couldn’t be more opposite, but somehow it worked for them. While Bridget
was loud and never backed down from a fight, Josette was soft-spoken and calm
in any given situation. Even when her pack attacked her, she handled it with
grace. Of course, she never fought back, which Bridget just didn’t understand.
No way would she ever be anyone’s punching bag.

“I
don’t think the answer is in the bottom of that bottle,” Josette said as she
flagged down Max.

The
bartender approached with an easy smile for the young wolf, and Bridget
wondered if there might be something there. It wasn’t the first time Max had
lit up when Josette was around. And he definitely acted differently around her.
He always turned on the charm with the ladies, true––but with Josette he spoke
softly and was a little too sweet. Bridget wasn’t sure how that whole soul-sucking
thing would work out between them, but obviously romance was in the air.

Too
bad it wasn’t
her
romance. No, a
certain obnoxious wolf had wrecked that for her.

“I’ll
have my usual,” Josette told Max.

“One
mudslide coming up, beautiful.” He winked and began gathering the ingredients.

Josette
smiled at him before turning to Bridget. “Have you talked to Paul since he ran
out of the church? If you could call that a run … I never realized someone’s
arms could flap so much. For a minute there, I thought he would take flight.”

Bridget
snickered. “Maybe he’s secretly a were-chicken. He damn near laid an egg when
Micah growled at him.”

“The
Alpha does have that effect on people.” Josette pursed her lips. “But then,
that’s because they don’t really know him. There isn’t a sweeter man around.”

Bridget
slid a glance toward Max. “I don’t know. There might be one.”

Josette
stiffened. “Are you thinking of moving on so soon?”

“I
wasn’t talking about for me.” Bridget rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know that man
only has eyes for you? I swear he wears his heart on his sleeve every time you
walk through the door.”

Josette
shook her head. “I can never be with Max. The incubus thing is just too much
for me. He’d always have to sleep with other women, and I’d risk my soul if we
became intimate.”

“You
never know. There might be a way. You’re friends with some powerful people. I
bet between Breena and her mate, they could come up with something.”

“Um,
no. Breena’s wand is temperamental at best. I’d probably end up with green hair
and warts if I asked her to help me out with my love life.”

“There’s
always Cade. Or even Jared. Surely the warlock would help you out, if he were
able to, that is. You have a lot of friends, Josette, whether you realize it or
not. You may not be as popular as most of your pack, but the friends you have
are true and will stand by you through thick and thin.” Bridget bumped her with
her shoulder. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

A
gleam entered Josette’s eyes and Bridget wondered if she’d just opened herself
up for one of the wolf’s schemes.

“Anything?”
Josette asked.

“I
have a feeling I’m not going to like this, but I’ll ask anyway. What is it you
need me to do?”

“Sleep
with Micah.”

Bridget
sputtered and coughed as her whiskey went down the wrong way. “What?” she
wheezed. “Uh-uh. No way in hell will I take that cretin to my
bed.
He’s a throwback to the caveman days. Overbearing
asshole.”

“You
don’t find him even a little bit attractive?” Josette gave her the sweetest
smile. “Maybe a teensy bit?”

“What
the hell does that have to do with anything? The man is god’s gift to women and
he knows it. Like he needs another woman throwing herself at him. Did you see
that skank he was entertaining last week?”

Josette’s
eyebrows rose. “So you did notice.”

Bridget
snorted. “She was hard to miss, with her barely-there clothes and bleached
blonde hair. Talk about plastic. I’m sure those boobs weren’t real. And that
waist of hers? She
had
to have had a
tummy tuck or something. No one is that damn skinny, shifter metabolism or
not.”

“Someone
sounds jealous,” Josette said in a sing-song voice.

“
Hardly
,” Bridget sneered. “If that’s the
kind of woman your alpha wants, he can have her. Probably catch something from
her skanky ass. You know she’s made the rounds.”

Laughter
danced in Josette’s eyes, but Bridget turned back to her bottle and ignored her
friend. So what if she’d noticed the women Micah had hanging all over him? It
didn’t mean anything except she had good eyesight. The man was just as bad as
the incubus, romancing a different woman every time she turned around. If he
wanted a revolving door on his bedroom, that was his business. All right, so he
was sex personified. And
maybe
she’d
fantasized once or twice about what those lips would feel like against hers,
how those callused hands would feel against her softer skin, and even wondered
if his cock was a big as the bulge in his pants indicated. But she’d never
admit it.

“You
won’t even admit that you’re curious?” Josette asked as she accepted her drink
from Max. Bridget watched as her friend tried to hand him money, but he refused
to take it. In all the months they’d been coming to the bar, he’d never allowed
Josette to pay for anything. If that wasn’t telling, she didn’t know what was.

“No,
I’m not curious.”

“You’ve
never once wondered what it would be like to be with Micah?”

Maybe
once or twice. Okay, more like twenty or more times. Not that she would admit
to that.

“Nope.
Never,” Bridget said as she tossed back another drink.

Josette
gave her a sly smile. “Never once wondered what he was hiding under those tight
jeans of his?”

Bridget
forced her face into a neutral expression. “His jeans are tight? I never
noticed.”

“Liar.
I totally saw you checking out his butt a few weeks ago. He’s
way
out of my league, but I have to
admit he’s rather yummy. I’ve had a crush on him since I was just a kid, but
he’s never noticed me as anything other than a pack mate. And that’s the way it
should be. I’m not strong enough to mate with the alpha.”

Bridget’s
stomach churned, but there was no way she was jealous over Josette’s
infatuation with the alpha. No, it was probably just the whiskey sloshing
around in her stomach.

“I
hadn’t really noticed him until he came barging into the church today and
ruined my wedding. My future.” Anger burned through her again as she thought
about the moment Micah had chased off her groom, leaving her standing at the
altar like an idiot. She’d led Paul around by his nose since they first started
dating. She never would have thought he’d jilt her. But then, she hadn’t
counted on a nosy wolf interfering in her life either.

Josette’s
look said she clearly didn’t believe Bridget. So she might have checked out his
ass. And possibly wondered if his chest felt as muscular as it looked.
Maybe
wondered what it would feel like
to run her fingers through his hair … but not under penalty of death would she
ever admit to any of those things. Micah was all wrong for her. He was bossy
and too arrogant by far. She’d always liked her men meek and biddable. Even if that
wasn’t working out too well for her, it didn’t mean she was going to take on
the alpha. He was just too … everything. He’d have her screaming and pulling
out her hair within minutes of agreeing to sleep with him.

But
if the rumors were to be believed, he’d also leave her in a puddle, a contented
puddle, completely boneless with just a kiss. She could only imagine how lethal
he was in the bedroom. Bridget shook her head, dislodging those wayward
thoughts. No, she wouldn’t think about Micah and a bedroom. That way led to
trouble, and she intended to avoid trouble at all costs.

She
scanned the bar, everything blurring a bit. Just how much whiskey had she drunk?

“What
are you looking for?” Josette asked.

“The
lucky bastard who’s going home with me tonight.”

Josette
shook her head. “No. I’m not letting you take home some random stranger just
because your ego took a hit today. But really, if you’d wanted a groom who
could face down an alpha wolf, you shouldn’t have picked someone so spineless.
I’m the weakest in my pack and
I
could have taken Paul.”

Bridget
snorted at the image. “Yeah, I bet you could have. Guess we’ll never know now.
He’s probably three states away.
Chicken-shit.”

“Come
on, Bridget. Let’s get you home and tucked into bed. You know what you really
want to do is curl up in that nice big bed of yours and sleep it off. You’re
going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.”

Bridget
waved a hand. “Nothing I can’t handle. I’ll just suck down my morning-after
concoction and I’ll be right as rain.”

“We’ll
see.” Josette helped Bridget off her stool and wrapped an arm around her waist,
guiding her toward the door.

“Wait!
I have to pay,” Bridget said, fumbling for her purse. She pulled out a wad of
cash and thrust it toward Max. “If that isn’t enough, I’ll pay the rest when I
come back. You know I’m good for it.”

Max
accepted the crushed bills and waved her away. “Something tells me I’ll be
seeing you again sometime this week.”

Bridget
gave him a smile as she wobbled on her heels. She let Josette guide her
outside, but when she started toward her car, the wolf pulled her in the other
direction.

“No
way am I letting you drive in this condition,” Josette said. “You’d end up
killing someone, or yourself. You can’t even walk!”

Bridget
grumbled under her breath, but let Josette lead her in the opposite direction.
She crawled into the backseat of the tiny-ass car, which reminded her more of a
wind-up toy than something that should be on the streets. Curling into a ball,
she closed her eyes to still the spinning world.

She
felt the car come to life and her body swayed on the seat as Josette pulled
away from the curb. As her friend rounded the corner, Bridget slid onto the
floor. She clawed her way back onto the seat and prayed the ride would end
soon. As the darkness surrounded her, she let go of the stress of the day and
began to drift.

Chapter Three

Micah
peered into the back seat of Josette’s car. “How long has she been like that?”

His
omega worried at her lower lip. “She passed out last night when I was taking
her back to her place. I couldn’t wake her up, so I just left her in the car
overnight. I made sure it was locked though, and I asked Breena to spell
protect it so no one would bother her. I promise, she was safe. And I swear, I
made sure she was breathing when I left her here.”

“What
did she do, drink half the bar?”

“A
bottle of whiskey.”

Micah
sighed and reached into the car, lifting Bridget into his arms. Her weight was
slight and she snuggled against him, showing a soft side he’d never seen
before. Her hair trailed over the back of his arm and brushed against his hip,
swaying as he carried her into the house. The pack had already started to
gather in his backyard for the weekly barbeque. It was going to be noisy before
long, and he knew that’d be hell on the woman in his arms. She was guaranteed
one brutal hangover when she awoke. Luckily for her, the werelock and his mate
would be in attendance. A little of their magic just might help her out.

Josette
hurried ahead of him and opened the front door, following him inside. Micah
carried Bridget to his room and laid her gently on the bed. After removing her
shoes, he pulled the covers over her and eased out of the room, pulling the
door shut behind him. His omega stood uncertainly in his living room, wringing
her hands together.

“She’s
going to be fine, Josette. We’ll let her sleep it off and when she wakes up,
we’ll have Cade help her with the hangover she’s sure to have.”

“I’m
sorry I left her in the car.”

Micah
smiled. “I’m not mad, Josette. There was no way you could have carried her into
your home. I’m guessing it was late. Otherwise, I know you would have called
me. Next time you need help, regardless of the hour,
please
pick up the phone.”

“Yes,
Alpha.”

Micah
pulled her closer for a hug, and then nudged her toward the back door. “Go
mingle. Breena and Cade should be here soon, so you won’t have to face the pack
alone. I’ll keep them in line when I get out there. I want to make sure Bridget
has everything she’ll need when she wakes before I head back outside.”

Josette
started toward the door and paused. “Thank you for taking care of her. She
means a lot to me.”

“I
know she does. She’s been a good friend to you, even if I don’t agree with all
of her choices. She stands up for you, and for that, she has my respect and
gratitude.” What he didn’t tell her was that, for some reason, his wolf had
liked the sight of the mouthy woman in his bed. Hell, if his hard cock was any
indication, the man liked her there too. Seeing her hair spread across his
pillow had made his heart pound and he wondered what she’d look like after a
night of lovemaking. But that was a subject to analyze later.

Josette
nodded and continued out the door to join the pack. Micah went into the kitchen
and filled a glass with water and then grabbed the bottle of aspirin out of the
cabinet over the stove. He carried the items back to the bedroom and set them
down on the bedside table, where Bridget would find them when she awoke. He
also scribbled a note telling her to come out back when she was ready. It
wouldn’t be the first time she’d joined them for pack events, and he doubted it
would be the last.

Once
he was certain she was okay and had everything she would need, he joined his
pack in the backyard. A dozen more wolves had shown up while he was inside and
someone was blasting music. Several people were already in the pool and more
lounged on the chairs nearby. His yard was larger than most, his house sitting
on three lots. At times like this, the extra space came in handy. If the entire
pack showed up, it would be more than a little cramped, but the older
generation usually stayed home and watched the grandkids. This was a time for
Micah’s generation, and those younger, to let go and party.

“Alpha,
come join us,” Nicolette called out. The perky blonde had been after him for
months, trying to coax him into her bed, but Micah was too wise to fall into
her trap. Word was out that Nic wanted to get pregnant. No way was he having
pups with that psycho bitch.

“Maybe
later,” he called back and made his way over to the grills. Sean was already
flipping burgers on one and had hot dogs cooking on the other. It took a large
amount of food to feed everyone, but the pack took turns supplying the meat.
Micah always provided everything else.

“Everything
okay?” Sean asked. “I saw you carry Josette’s friend into the house. She didn’t
look so good.”

“She
had a little too much to drink last night. She’ll be fine.”

Sean
nodded. “Think she’d give a wolf a chance?”

Micah
growled at the thought of Sean and Bridget together. The younger wolf swallowed
hard and took a step back.

“I
apologize, Alpha. I didn’t realize you’d claimed her.”

Fuck
. “I haven’t
claimed her. I just don’t want the pack sniffing around her. She’s Josette’s
best friend … I won’t have a bad breakup making her feel unwelcome around
here.”

Sean
didn’t look like he believed him, which made Micah question his own motives.
What he’d told the wolf sounded plausible enough, but in his gut, he knew he
was lying. It was no secret he’d always desired Bridget, but he wouldn’t make a
move on her. It was more important for Josette to have friends than for him to
get laid. He’d like to say any willing woman would do, but lately he hadn’t
felt as satisfied with his sexual encounters. They’d left him feeling cold and
empty once the moment was over. He knew, somehow, that being with Bridget would
be different. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, there were sparks between
them, and he hadn’t missed the heated looks she’d tossed his way. But he couldn’t
act on them. Right?

He
hadn’t thought much about it really, not until now. Past one hundred, it was
time for him to find a mate. The women the other packs in the area had been
sending to him weren’t making the cut. He’d found fault with every single one,
his wolf turning his nose up at the choices provided. The only time his wolf
seemed to pay attention was when Bridget came around, but he refused to believe
that Josette was right and the obstinate woman was his intended mate.

“Alpha,
if you don’t claim Bridget, you know the other males are going to sniff around
her,” Sean said. “She’s a beautiful woman, and now that she’s single again,
they’ll think she’s fair game.”

“If
Bridget wants to date a wolf in the pack, I won’t stop her. But if she’s made
to feel unwelcome when the relationship ends, that wolf will pay dearly. The
lot of you, you all treat
Josette horribly … and I won’t
have her losing a good friend over someone’s uncontrollable hormones.”

Sean
glanced Josette’s way. “Not all of us.”

Micah
arched a brow. “Is she your mate and you just don’t want to claim her because
she’s the omega?”

“No,
but I wouldn’t mind dating her. I don’t think I’m her type, though.”

“What
makes you say that?”

“She’s
been making eyes at the bartender at that place she goes to with Bridget. High
Noon. And he’s been looking right back. I have a feeling it’s only a matter of
time before they start dating.”

Micah
watched Josette as she tried to make herself as small as possible, shrinking away
from the pack. “The incubus? She’s interested in the
incubus
?”

Sean
nodded.

“If
she wants him, she’ll have him. I’ll talk to Cade about a spell or charm to
keep the leech from sucking out her soul. It’s the only way for them to be
together.”

Sean
gave her a longing look again. “If it doesn’t work out between them, maybe
she’ll consider going on a date with me.”

“Maybe.”
But Micah didn’t have hope for such a union. If Josette were interested in
anyone in the pack, she’d have said something by now. He wasn’t sure of her
exact age, but knew she was in her early twenties … plenty of time for her take
notice of the wolves around her. It was obvious her mate either wasn’t in the
pack, or he refused to acknowledge her because of her status.

“Alpha,
will you be bringing more women here as you search for your mate?” Sean asked.
“I don’t think the other alphas are taking the matter seriously, or they would
send you better choices. That last one looked like she worked on the street
corner.”

Micah
fought not to smile. Sean wasn’t far off. In the end, Micah had turned her away
without even welcoming her into his home. He’d known right away she wasn’t the
right wolf for him.

“No,
I don’t think I’ll bring anyone else around for a while.”

Sean
shifted from foot to foot. “I know it isn’t my place to say this, but did you
ever think that maybe your mate isn’t a wolf? Look at the werelock. He mated a
witch. Maybe you should branch out into the paranormal community. I think the
pack would welcome a witch or another shape-shifter.”

“What
about a human?” He mentally cursed the moment the words left his mouth. Had he
lost his mind? A human?

Sean
looked out over the pack. “I can’t speak for all of them, but most of us just
want you to be happy. If your mate is a human, I wouldn’t have a problem with
it.”

“But
some would.”

“They
might challenge her, thinking she was weak, but I know any woman you choose would
have to be strong. I can’t see you with a weak woman.”

Micah
smiled. “No. No weak women for me. I’d feel bad every time I raised my voice or
my temper got the best of me. I need someone who will fight back.”

Sean
glanced at the house. Micah didn’t miss the look in his eyes. The last thing he
needed was his pack trying to play matchmaker for him. Especially if it
involved Bridget. The sooner he found his mate, the better. The pack had been
on edge lately, what with so many of their friends finding mates. No wolf had
mated, other than the werelock, in the last fifteen years. Some were starting
to mumble that they would be cursed until Micah found his mate and settled
down. He didn’t put stock in such crazy notions, but knew his pack was another
matter.

He
moved away from Sean and went to mingle with his pack, listening to those who
wanted to express concerns, and congratulating those who had good news to
share. Slowly, he made his way to Josette, who looked positively miserable.

“Not
having a good time?”

She
shook her head. “Will Breena be here soon?”

Micah
glanced at his watch. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Maybe
I should check on Bridget. She hasn’t been in your house before, and may be
disoriented waking in a strange place.”

“She’ll
be fine.”

Josette
worried at her lower lip, a nervous habit he’d noticed quite often. “Can I ask
you something?”

“Of
course.”

“How
do you know if you’ve found your mate?”

Micah
claimed the chair next to hers. “This is about the incubus, isn’t it?”

She
nodded.

“Not
having found my mate, it’s hard for me to say. Some claim their inner wolf will
refuse to acknowledge anyone else. Others, like Cade, didn’t really know until
in the throes of passion, when the need to mark and claim his mate overwhelmed
him. I think it’s different for everyone. Do you think Max is your mate?”

“I’m
not sure. I’m attracted to him, but I don’t know if that’s all there is. If he
asked me out on a date, I’d say yes, but the whole incubus thing makes me
nervous. I don’t want to lose part of my soul.”

Micah
patted her hand. “Let me worry about that. You just focus on doing what you
feel is the right thing. If that means you date the incubus, date him. If it
means you walk away, then you know there’s someone else out there for you.”

“Thank
you, Alpha.” She smiled.

“If
you need me, you know I’m always here for you.
No matter what.”

She
nodded.

Micah
leaned over and kissed her on top of her head. Josette was like a sister to
him, a much younger sister in need of care. He truly wished she could find her
mate. It would make her stronger and the pack would be less likely to pick on
her. With a strong male by her side, she’d finally be able to truly be part of
the pack.

Micah
had made another circuit of the yard, stopping to talk to people here and
there, when he suddenly heard a screech coming from inside his home. His head
whipped in that direction and his nose flared as he scented the air. When he
heard a glass shatter, he knew Bridget was awake and ready for a fight.

Never a dull moment––not with her
around.