Charming The Alpha (4 page)

"Thanks Rafael," Pinky said as she took a sip. "What do I owe you?"

"A date. That's all I ask. No strings attached," he said. "If you're worried about anything, bring your friend along. By the way the wolves are drooling over her I'm sure she'll have no problem finding a date."

Hannah looked around the room. She noticed how a lot of the wolves gave her the once over, but she thought it was all in her head. Scanning the room she knew they were all shifters, but she didn't know how she knew. Unfortunately the one wolf she was looking for wasn't there.

Rafael leaned in towards the two of them. "Watch for this one," Rafael growled low, under his breath as a man made his towards them. "He's Omega."

Pinky grabbed Hannah's arm and quickly whispered, "I'm sorry, I forgot how little you know. I'll explain it all later but Omega means he doesn't have a pack."

A thin man, on the smaller side of every other wolf in the bar, with wispy light brown hair and tortoiseshell glasses sat on the stool beside Hannah. He put his hand up to order a beer, but Rafael ignored him. Feeling bad for him, Hannah reached over the bar, grabbed a glass, and poured a beer from the tap in front of her then slid it over to him.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do that," the Omega said with a thick southern drawl before he took a sip. "He would've given in eventually. There's no rule that says you have to be bound to a pack." He looked around as if he was speaking to all the other wolves in the bar, before focusing back on Hannah. "I'm James Renfield, or just Renfield as most people call me."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hannah and this is Pinky," she said as Pinky turned away.

"Their Alpha knows I'm here," he said to Pinky looking hurt before focusing back on Hannah. "He's a strict wolf, but reasonable as long as you register when passing through his territory. I'm sure you know that."

"Alpha?" Hannah asked. "Sorry but all this is new to me."

"New? Really?" Renfield said excitedly. "Forgive me, I thought you were...never mind. I'm sure you heard I'm Omega."

"Yes, but I really don't understand."

"Look around. You see all those strong, beautiful bodies? Those are all grey wolves. They are also all part of the Rowan pack. A pack lives within its own territory and has its own laws and protections. These laws are created and enforced by the pack's Alpha."

"Why aren't you part of the pack? Is it because you're different?" Hannah asked.

"Ah, how nice of you to notice. I am different. I am a red wolf, but no, that's not why I'm not part of this or any other pack. The red wolves are in danger of extinction. Because of that the Shifter Council has seen fit to allow red wolves into packs with grey wolves. I simply choose to not be part of a pack."

"But what about protection? You said the pack–"

"No," he said cutting her short, "I don't need their protection. I respect Caleb as the Alpha so I let him know of my presence. I don't need anything from them and they certainly don't want anything from me. The pack's day will come though. Mark my words." He was silent for a moment when his expression suddenly changed from anger to sadness. "And when that happens I hope you're no where near these shifters."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stay away from them. That's all I can say. You're putting yourself in danger by coming here." Renfield drank the last of his beer and smacked a hundred dollar bill he pulled out of his wallet onto the bar. "Your drinks are on me the rest of the night. After that forget everything you learned about shifters and this place, Hannah. Their day is coming."

Before she could speak, he disappeared into the crowd. Hannah turned back to Pinky who was deep in conversation with one of the waitresses. Rafael took the cash then leaned across the bar towards Hannah.

"Whatever he said, don't listen to him. Red wolves are known to have a few screws loose. They're a lot like coyote. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Look, you and Pinky aren't even the only humans here."

Hannah followed his gaze across the dance floor, towards the tables where a beautiful woman with jet black hair sat. She wore a sparkly white top that made her look ethereal despite the plunging neckline. Seated across from her was a brawny, handsome older man with salt and pepper hair. Hannah couldn't speak. Without looking, she swatted at Pinky.

"Hey, that hurt!" Pinky said, then noticed what Hannah was looking at. "Holy shit! Did you tell her we were coming here?"

"Of course not! She would've freaked if she knew."

"Then why is she here?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Hannah said as she hopped off her barstool.

Hannah never lied to her mother before, but not telling something and lying we're two different things. Suddenly she realized her mother hadn't been telling her much lately either. Like why did she smell like a shifter last week? Had she been at Night Shift? Never in a million years did Hannah think she'd see her mother at a shifter bar, or any bar, yet there she was.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Hannah asked when she got to the table.
 

"Hannah?" Eliza looked confused and began nervously wringing her hands. "I suppose I could ask you the same."

"I just don't understand. All these years all you ever said..."
were bad things about werewolves,
Hannah wanted to finish saying, but couldn't.

"It's complicated. And something we can talk about another time."

"Fine, whatever. I don't think I even care, Mom. I'm just surprised to see you here." Hannah looked at the handsome man across the table from her mother and then noticed an old photograph she didn't recognize on the table. Whatever was going on, she was done interrupting. "I'll see you later, Mom. I'm going to visit Pea."

"But its not a full moon."

"I know. I just really need her right now. Maybe I'll get lucky. You know I don't need the full moon, it just helps."

Eliza nodded and lowered her head as Hannah kissed her on the cheek. Hannah could tell whatever her mother was going through, it would take some time before she was ready to talk. She also knew it involved Pea somehow.

Hannah returned to the bar where Pinky was flirting with a tall, hunky man with dark brown hair. She hated having to interrupt, but needed to get out of there.

"I'm sorry Pinky, but can we go?"

"One sec, Hannah. I'd like to introduce you to Cade. We were just talking and I think I found your guy."

"What? How?"

Pinky left her stool and moved Hannah a couple of feet away before excitedly speaking.
 

"Cade was just telling me how there's been some territory problems recently. Some wolves have been found dead and others are missing. They're not sure yet whether its hunters or a rival pack, but the Rowan Alpha has taken it upon himself to patrol the area. Including parts just outside their territory."

"I'm sorry Pinky, its been a long night. Spill. What are you trying to say?"

"That man you can't get out of your head? That's their Alpha, Caleb. That's Mr. Naked Wolfman."

Hannah couldn't explain how, but she knew Pinky was right. Now more than ever, she needed to get back to the woods. She had to see him again.

Chapter Six

The night air was cool, crisp, and still. Almost too still. That meant the other creatures in the forest knew there was an intruder, for good or bad.

The rash of recent killings could have destroyed many other packs, but as Alpha he wasn't going to let that happen. Caleb heard of other Alphas being challenged and even removed for less. He'd be damned if any of his pack was going to take his place. They'd have to kill him first. But that was the risk one took in being Alpha.

Sitting on a high tree branch in human form, he looked out and below for what the disturbance could be and spotted the small human running towards the clearing, her long dark red hair flowing behind her. Just like a human to not listen.

Stupid human!
he thought to himself as he sighed. Bad enough she entranced him so she was the only thing on his mind. It had to be witchcraft.

Since he saw her, she consumed his thoughts. He needed her like the air he breathed, he knew without her he'd suffocate. Caleb couldn't forget the weight of her body on his wolf form, and how badly he wanted to shift back and take her on the forest floor. His lips still remembered her softness. And how she tasted of fresh picked berries.

Caleb heard stories of wolf charmers who could not only entrance the wolf but control shifters as well. Some of these tales ended in the old Leeds graveyard where the accused were killed by stoning, pressing, or the common death of burning. He knew these witches were still in existence today, just as his kind had lived then.

But he never heard of such a strong charm to make a shifter, and an Alpha at that, obsess about the caster of that spell. Perhaps it wasn't a spell at all. She did have the scent. Or did he imagine that?

It was the scent every shifter lives for, but few ever find. The scent was their reason for being, the acknowledgement from the beyond that yes, there is happiness for you. It meant not just the completion, but the betterment of one's soul. One's soulmate; the fated mate.

It didn't make any sense though. While she had the scent his mind and body registered as his, the fated mate was to be one of his kind. A shifter. Werewolf to be more exact.

Her scent was one of warmth and sweetness that he could only describe as reminding him of his mother's homemade cookies. It awakened a longing and yearning in him, but also drove his wolf spirit mad with desire. The girl was human though, at best a witch. It made no sense.

Maybe it was part of her charm. She had to be a strong witch to captivate him like this and confuse him enough to think she could be the one. Or maybe she just was.

Using his strong hands to lower himself from the tree, he beckoned his wolf spirit to take over and bring him to the clearing. The cool air rushed past his face as he ran in wolf form. Low branches from the trees and shrubs in the forest whipped against his thick coat until he slowed at the edge of the clearing to spy upon the girl.

She was collecting stones again. Her collection wasn't as large as last time and he could hear her cursing the moon for not being full. Her brazenness made him smile.

Shifting back to his human form, he inhaled deeply when he realized her scent was stronger tonight than it had been last time they met. He wondered why that was. Oddly, she smelled almost like a shifter. But not quite.

Still, her scent made his blood rush. He wanted to hold her, to feel the softness of her skin and her warm body against his. He needed to bury his face in her luscious hair and breathe her in. At a minimum, he had to be near her.

Spotting a large, white stone at his feet, he picked it up and entered the clearing. He knew if any of his pack saw him in such a vulnerable state, it could be his death. But at that moment he didn't care about being Alpha, all he cared about was her.

With her back towards him, he watched her for a moment before stepping closer knowing she had no idea she wasn't alone. It was why she was in danger. Why he tried to warn her. None of that mattered anymore. As he moved closer to her, her scent overwhelmed him and he vowed to protect her at all costs.

"I told you to never return to these woods," he growled at her.

"Yes, yes, oh so dangerous," she said as she turned around then looked at his hand. "Is that for me? Or were you planning on using it to bash my head in?" She grinned wryly at him before picking up another rock.

"It's for you," he said as he held it out to her.

"So now you're helping me?"

"I know your kind. Stubborn, inflexible, challenging. You'll do whatever it is you want despite what I say. Maybe even because of what I said."

"So, you admit there's no danger besides yourself."

She was playing with him, of that he was certain. Growling softly he forced himself to calm down when he wondered if she was right. Maybe he was a danger to her.

"Human, my pack has seen many deaths recently. I've taken it upon myself to make sure even the neutral zones on the outskirts of my territory remain safe."

"Are we in your territory now?" she asked with her head tilted to the side.

"No. This area, and this clearing were spoken for centuries ago by another."