Taken by the Alpha Wolf

by Bonnie
Vanak

Taken by the Alpha Wolf

Copyright © 2011 by Bonnie Vanak

All rights reserved.

Published 2011 by Bonnie Vanak

Visit www.bonnievanak.com

Smashwords Edition,
License Notes

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respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters in this book are fiction
and figments of the author’s imagination

Chapter One

Florida Everglades, 1997

“There she is.”

Crouched down, Etienne Robichaux peered
through the thick trees at his target. On a narrow path cutting
through thick brush of the Florida Everglades, the sleek white wolf
nosed through the bay head.

A thicket of cocoplum, red bay and wax myrtle
provided excellent coverage. Overhead the March sun was brilliant
and warm, no clouds in the sharp blue sky.

Perfect day for an abduction.

Green camouflage pants, an olive T-shirt and
jungle boots protected his body against branches and sharp
sawgrass. Etienne ran a finger along the bandana covering his light
brown hair. Hunkered down beside him also in camouflage, his two
younger brothers studied the prey.

Three Draicon werewolves on recon… for
another Draicon wolf. The image would’ve amused him, had the
situation been less grim.

“You sure that’s her?” Alexandre
wondered.

“I know her scent, could pick it up in a
garbage chute.” He drew in a deep lungful of the delicate fragrance
of fresh raindrops on lilies cutting through the swamp’s more
earthy smells.

Gabriel shook his head. “She may fight
you.”

“Doesn’t matter. The intel said they could
come after her at any time.” Etienne’s pulse raced.

Getting caught in heavy crossfire during the
Lebanon op had been nothing compared to hearing that news. Hell he
could take all the tight situations threatening his ass when he’d
been a U.S. Navy SEAL and retained his usual calm, tight control.
None of them compared to the gut-wrenching fear of losing
Cindy.

Before even having her, so to speak.

“Her father,” Alex began. “You warned him,
tried to reason with him?”

Etienne snorted. “Wouldn’t listen to me.
Damnit, it was like talking with a rock. This is the only way. I’m
taking control.”

Alex looked up, his lean face tight.

“Screw it,
mon frere
. Go for her,”
Alex said, growling.

Gabriel’s eyes flashed amber, signaling the
emergence of his wolf. “Do it.”

The white wolf loped down the path toward the
open plain. Now.

Bolting out of his cover, Etienne leapt onto
the path. He charged and tackled his prey. The white wolf snarled
and struggled, but he pinned her down, one hand wrapped around her
muzzle. Careful not to hurt her, he kept her subdued by superior
strength and weight. Still the wolf fought to be free.

His brothers raced toward him. Gabriel and
Alexandre stood guard at the entrance to the bayhead, their sharp
eyes scanning the flat plain of sawgrass. The white wolf twisted
suddenly, and nearly escaped. Etienne tightened his grip, smelling
fresh panic and animalistic fear as he tussled with her.

“Cindy, it’s me, Etienne. Shift back.”

The wolf’s struggles eased, but she did not
Change. He tried for the telepathic link they shared as destined
mates. All he got was a whining buzz of angry terror.

Etienne let loose a rich Cajun curse, causing
his brothers to turn.

“She’s not shifting back. You sure that’s
her?” Alex asked.

“Or an escapee from Metro Zoo?” Gabriel
added.

A frustrated growl tore from his throat.
“Cindy, c’mon, sweetheart shift back!”

Beneath his heavy weight, the white wolf
panted, her energy expended. Made no damn sense. “Cyn, stop playing
games. I’m here to protect you.”

“I hear the zoo is nice,” Gabriel drawled.
“Maybe you could set up housekeeping there.”

“Shut up.” Etienne partly eased off the
now-dusty white wolf, turning her muzzle to face him.

Blue eyes burned like lasers as the white
wolf glared. With a flare of iridescent sparks, a lovely blonde
woman replaced the Draicon werewolf. Finally.

He felt himself melt as he stared into her
deep blue eyes. Damn, she was so pretty, such a lady. When she
wasn’t a wolf.

“Etienne?”

The melodious timbre of her voice stroked his
senses. Then her gaze sharpened with fury. “Get off me.”

Warm female flesh had replaced fur. Etienne
felt a surge of hot desire raged as he realized he cupped a soft,
round breast.

His future mate was naked.

Gabriel stared, his eyes widening.

“Whoa, okay, if that’s Metro Zoo, I’m
changing my zip code. Being locked up can’t be that bad,” he
said.

“Stop looking at her.” Etienne ordered.

Cindy glared at him. “Your gun is digging
into my side.”

Mindful of the sidearm in his shoulder
holster, he eased off and stood so she could clothe herself. Cindy
got up, waved her hands.

Nothing. Still naked.

He took in an eyeful of slender legs that
stretched out like the Seven Mile Bridge in the Keys, and all that
silky skin. Blonde hair the color of corn silk swung down past her
shoulders. Her oval face was patrician and elegant, her carnation
pink lips full and lush.

Etienne dragged in another breath, averting
his eyes. Now was not the time to think about sex. Nope, maybe
later, when they were safe and he could remember exactly how her
breast felt in his big palm, the nipple tight and peaked…

He rubbed his chin. “Cyn? The clothes.”

Something flickered in her gaze. She waved
her hands. In an eyeblink, Cindy was dressed in designer jeans, a
white blouse with a scalloped neck, expensive sandals, and a string
of elegant pearls around her slim neck.

Blinking, he nodded at her neck. “Pearls? In
the swamp?”

“This is what I always wear. It’s
easier.”

“Let’s go.” He gently snagged her wrist.

“What is this?” she protested. “Etienne,
what’s going on?”

“It’s your wedding day,
chere
. I’m
taking you home with me to be mated.”

Cindy’s blue eyes widened. “Is this a
proposal? Ever hear of the old-fashioned idea of popping the
question?”

“No time.” He paused, hoping she’d believe
him. “Someone’s planning to abduct you. In the next two days.”

Her mouth twisted. “Original. I’ll give you
that much. Let’s see… is it you?”

“I’m intercepting.” He studied his charge.
“Your father’s gotten involved with some bad guys. The Diaz
brothers don’t like anyone sharing their sandbox.”

Her gaze darted to Gabriel, who continued
surveying the grassy plain. “Your brother told you this?”

Gabe had the power of mind-reading. Etienne
shook his head. “One of my men, correction, my former men, passed
along the intel.”

Ensign Tyler Harris had gotten it from an
undercover FBI agent working on the case of the Diaz brothers. And
even though Etienne was officially Navy-free, Harris risked his own
hide and called Etienne. His former team were all tight.

“My father’s been Liony Diaz’s attorney for
six years. All Liony cares about is his cancer foundation. What
could he want with me?”

A cold fist punched his chest as he thought
of Harris’s report. What Diaz had done to the last female he’d
taken, her grayish face frozen in a scream…

Lots, he thought, studying the lush contours
of her body. “You don’t want to know. Liony’s the front man for his
brother, Jorge, who operates a Columbian drug cartel. He launders
money and when someone gets in his way, he targets a family member
to launder as well.”

“I can protect myself,” she said.

He didn’t like the doubt shadowing her face,
the rapid way her pulse beat. “Can you?” he asked calmly. “Cyn, why
are you having trouble shifting?”

No answer, just a guilty glance away.

Frustrated, he glanced at his brothers. What
he wanted to say wasn’t meant for their ears. He concentrated on
her. Using the mind link unique to all Draicon destined mates, he
tried communicating with her telepathically.

I need you, Cyn. I need you with me, at my side
because if you ended up like the last victim, I’d die. I’d fucking
die. Right now all I can think about is getting you to my home,
knowing you’re safe and then getting you naked. I’ve been patient
for a year, but hell, each time I’m near you, it takes all my
control not to touch you, taste you, claim you… I’m crazy about
you, chere. And it’s not just biology.

But as he hit the send button on that
particular telepathic email, all he got back was a static buzz of
noise, as if the data connection between them fizzed out. Etienne
touched her hand.

“Cyn? What’s the deal? I can’t read you. You
shutting me out?”

“I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” She
brushed at her pants.

The jeans were crisp, new and designer, he
noted ruefully. Of course. Her wealthy Miami family had wealth and
fully embraced the human world.

Etienne came from a family as rough and wild
as the bayou.

Their worlds were galaxies apart. Yet ever
since meeting her at Bourbon Street bar during Mardi Gras last
year, Etienne had known Cindy was his mate. They’d shared meals,
exchanged letters and phone calls, but she’d balked at commitment.
He’d resigned his commission in the Navy, set up a nice little
house for her, with plenty of room for all the babies they’d have.
And then, because she needed time, he’d given her space. Until now.
Until finding out her life was endangered. Then all his protective
male Draicon instincts rushed to the surface.

No way in hell was he leaving here without
her.

“You need to go, Etienne. I can take care of
myself.” Challenge sparkled in her gaze. “And my father won’t be
pleased if I took off with you.”

With one hand, Etienne grasped her round chin
and lifted her gaze to meet his, fierce and glittering. “You’re my
draicara, my destined mate,
chere
, and what is mine I take,
and keep safe.”

He paused, struggling with his rising temper.
“Maybe your father thinks I’m beneath you because of my Cajun
roots, but I don’t care. Biology rules.”

Cindy’s expression softened. “Etienne, I’m
not a snob and neither is my father or anyone else in my pack. I
don’t want to mate you because I’m not ready.”

“Get ready,
chere
. Because we don’t
have a choice.”

She gave a deep sigh, shifting against him.
Aware of the warm, soft female flesh pressed against him, he felt
an instinctive pull, the thrill of the chase giving way to a
sharper, more urgent need.

“We’ll make it work,” he insisted. “Besides,
it’s past time for me to settle down. I need an heir to rule the
pack after me.”

He imagined them conceiving the longed-for
heir. He was on top of her, moving slowly, oh so slowly as he
watched her eyes filled with dazed pleasure.

“I want you to have my babies, Cyn,” he
whispered, his arms tightening around her. Etienne pressed a soft
kiss to the nape of her neck. Needing to touch her, put his claim
on her. He’d always been respectful and courteous in the past, but
now…

The urge to mate howled through him. Beneath
his pants, his groin tightened. Oh man, if he kept this up, he’d
have her on the ground and naked in a minute. He leashed his animal
(down boy) and stepped back.

“I want you too, Etienne.” Her voice was
barely a whisper. “But the timing’s really lousy. Just give me
another two months.”

Etienne touched her soft cheek, marveling at
the silky texture. “Tell me the real reason,
chere
. You’ve
enjoyed the times we’ve spent together. I want to make you happy.
Why are you avoiding this?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

She glanced at his brothers, a frown creasing
her brow.

“Gabe, Alex,
mon freres
, give us a
little space.”

He watched as they strode deeper into the
thicket of shrubs and trees, Gabriel tossing a concerned look over
his shoulder.

“Tell me,” he urged.

Cindy sighed so deeply, her breasts rose and
fell. He tried not to notice, pinned his attention to her face,
keeping eye contact.

“I need time to adjust. To your world,
Etienne. It’s not like you think…”