Shifter Alpha Claim 1-6 Omnibus (16 page)

SHIFTER

An Alpha Claim Brief-Bites® Novelette

New York Times
Bestselling Author(s)

MARATA EROS

TAMARA ROSE BLODGETT

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2015 Marata Eros

Copyright © 2015 Tamara Rose Blodgett

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

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Cover art by:
Willsin Rowe

Proofed by:
Corinna

Talyn wakes to find that she's not with who she started with, and tragedy dogs her every step of the way.

Narah works to secure her safety while Mutables make a bid to have her.

Can Merck claim her before it's too late? Or will Drake find a way to insert his dominance above all.

Narah

“For fuck's sake!”

I
so
didn't need a dragon Mutable mess. Didn't order that.

A chair cruises over my head, the leg catching the mess of my braids and jerking hard.

I know my hair's a liability—I've stubbornly kept it in a bid for femininity. As I land in an ungraceful pile on the floor, I regret the long hair,
and
not telling the boys I'm knocked up.

With a... I don't know? Fang baby?

As the enemy pours through the door to see what all the ruckus is about, I fight crying. I'm so in my damned head, my thoughts are cannibalizing my brains.

“Love,” Murphy calls out with soft urgency, “
move
your bony arse!”

I whip a palm into the air and his slaps mine, hoisting me up.

Jamie Duncan walks in, looking decidedly
toothy
.

Great.
This is the stalker dude—he's
not
a human? My glare falls on a drunken and claimed Talyn Phisher in the arms of a hot dragon Mutable.

Not hot as in
sexy
,
but hot-underneath-the scales.

Can't I just catch the criminals anymore?
Now I'm refereeing mating too?

Ask me if I care. “Grab the client,” I say to Murph.

“Oh no, love, I don't do dragons.”

I turn to Murphy, hands on hips. “I'm not asking you to
do
him, Murph. Just get Talyn.”

“What?!” he yells. “Have you noticed anything a more sensible person would? Like scales? And
fire
-breathing? I will be a barbequed vampire if I get near his claim.”

My eyebrows shoot down. I stalk over to the dragon, muttering about how I have to do everything myself. I look up, way up—as steam lazily pools and dissipates out his ears and nose.

Wow. Up close he's a
thing
.

I suck in a balls-to-the-wall inhale.

Whatever.

Jamie Duncan is sleazing along the wall, and my blade is suddenly in my hand without me thinking about pulling it. Obsidian—volcanic glass hardened metal of champions—gotta love technology. “Back off mutt,” I say without looking at him. My peripheral vision will have to keep tabs on the Lycan because I've got fire-breather holding my client.

“Stay out of Mutable business, enforcer,” Duncan replies from my left, conveniently allowing me to place his position.

I give a hard eye roll. “Fuck off,” I say, and my blade's already flying. A satisfying meaty thunk and yelp have me curling my lips.

My focus returns to the Mutable. “Drop the chick, dragon.”

His eyes are like a snake's. Golden green, bisected by oblong-shaped inky pupils.

They're dilated, eating away at the smoldering peridot color.

Those riveting eyes fix on me. “No. This transitioning female is
mine
now.” He glances at where I stabbed Duncan, his eyes moving back to me. “However, I do appreciate you taking one more Mutable out of the equation for my goals.”

This guy.
“Fine. Whatever fuels your fire, dragon-boy.”

“Narah,” Murphy says from behind me.

“What?” I turn slightly, grumpy from all the interference but still keeping a wary eye on Dragon.

The males who are connected to Talyn stand there—Merck and Arden.

God. Can't catch a break.
Okay.
“You two,” I wave my finger between the two, “flank dragon, get him all hot and bothered and we'll snag Talyn.”

Murphy says, “You
do
understand you're telling the Mutable what your intentions are?”

“Yup.” I nod. “Like he's wondering about my intentions?” I snort. As an enforcer, my intentions are
always
known.

Big exhale from Murph. Exasperation. Hear it a lot.

“I am Alpha to all,” the Dragon says.

My eyebrows rise, and I fight yawning; I'm all
draggy.
And hormonally pissed off. But Dragon doesn't know that.

Who the hell wants to deal with an Enforcer with all-day-morning-sickness, and who is also conveniently, a vampire.

Quick answer:
nobody
.

I feel the Mutables at my back. I guess it's not too great a sign that none of them will come near the dragon even with the prize of Talyn in the mix.

“Here's the thing,” I begin, “you just lay the client down right there, and I'll let you live, big boy.”

The hard edges of his lips twist. “You're charming, but I must refuse.”

Figures.

I don't wait for Arden or Merck to make their play. They've got my back or not.

I charge, low and hard.

Dragon's eyes widen at my speed.

Surprise,
ember-dick.

Being tiny has its uses. Like now. I plow into his knees, wrapping his lower body and rolling as I do.

Heat warms my back.

Shit.

I tuck hard and begin to heave his large body with my momentum. A vague hiss ensues and I know Murphy is preparing to strike.

Dragon falls with Talyn.

Their body weight pins me.

Oh shit.
Not feelinʼ it.

Dragon's eyes meet mine. A forked tongue slides out.

I pride myself on having nerves of steel. But when that hot tongue tastes my face, a scream wedges itself in my throat.

“Narah!” Murphy bellows from above Dragon's shoulder.

Fangs sink into Dragon's neck as half-changed Lycans each take a piece with their teeth.

A roaring fills my ears and heat encapsulates me.

Stealing the scream I never get out.

Talyn

I remember when saunas were in vogue.

It was the cool thing to do. Work out, use the sauna, cleanse your pores.

It's overrated.

My eyes pop open to the smell of singed flesh and air that tastes like metal.

Drake stands above me, his mouth opening and fire pouring out.

Oh. My. God.

Maybe I can just crawl away. Seems to be a theme.

I subtly begin to back away from between his legs then my eyes peg his dick.

It's very... sizable.

My core pulses, enjoying the view.

That
again.

I close my eyes in defeat. First violence, now this irritating
lust
issue.
It doesn't matter
, I tell myself, if I can just get away.

I scoot back as Drake blankets the room with fire.

Fur shrinks on bodies, melting against skin without a protective barrier. I gulp, breathing through my mouth. The smell of burning flesh, and the blood flowing underneath is gorge-worthy.

Enforcer Adrienne is hanging onto Drake's legs. She can't get purchase because they're covered with scales.

Time to go.

Drake seems to ignore her. Every subtle shift of his weight, and the hardened shapes shimmer like multifaceted jewels.

I'm mesmerized.

Sweat breaks out on my forehead.

The shrieking and chaos of the room is total. There doesn't seem to be  a piece of silence in all the world.

A vampire hangs off Drake's shoulder like a tick with fangs. When my gaze catches sight of Arden I'm on my feet before I realize I'm moving.

“No!” I yell.

His spots are running together like melted candle wax, his animal is wheezing, fur standing like strangled patches of singed ivory islands in the raw charred skin that lies beneath.

I run to him.

The fire recedes, vaporing heat shimmers between us.

“Talyn, stop!”

Merck.

I slide in next to Arden, heedless of the torch of Drake's mouth all around us.

My fingertips hover over his wounded skin, unsure where to touch first. An unburned paw lands on my thigh, twice the size of my hand, and I close my fingers around claws meant to kill.

“Arden?” I say brokenly, huge teardrops landing on his charred fur.

He doesn't seem to mind.

“Talyn,” he chokes from the back of his throat, “get out of here.”

I shake my head, making myself dizzy. “Drake can torch us both, I'm not leaving.”

“Yes you are,” Merck jerks me from the floor. My frantic eyes move to Arden's, and he manages to shake his head, his dying eyes encouraging me to leave.

Drake's gaze finds us, and he smiles, striding toward us.

Adrienne rears back, a black glittering opaque blade arcing downward.

She embeds the blade, hilt-deep in his thigh. “That'll stop a truck!” then, “or a dragon.”

He kicks out viciously and Adrienne flies, hitting the nearest wall, and sliding down into a heap. Drake roars, fire leaking from his lips. But he doesn't hurt Narah, though his thigh has to be absolutely killing him.

He limps to her, jerking the blade from his flesh. “I don't hurt pregnant females. But
you
test my limits.”

Pregnant?
I twist to look at her.

Enforcer Adrienne gives me a sullen look. “What?”

“I—I can't
believe
this!” I say, Merck's hand on my upper arm.

“Let me go! I need to stay with Arden.”

Merck shakes his head. “He's too far gone. No shifter can heal damage that extensive—especially by fire.”

My head feels half-attached at the news. “What?” I ask, shaky.

“He's dying,” Drake says dismissively, whirling in our direction, and beginning to hobble determinedly toward us again.

“Dying?” My voice sounds far away, breathy—bereft. I shake my head, as though by denying Arden's impending death, it won't happen.

“Dick,” Adrienne spits from the wall where Drake flung her.

Drake smirks. “It is the way of the Mutable, female. The leopard knows this.”

The vampire swings from Drake's shoulder, hanging on as iridescent blood flows down his muscular chest.

Arden doesn't even manage a gurgle as Drake steps over his body,  reflective eyes dimming as our gazes collide, locking in silent mourning and goodbye.

I shift my eyes to Drake's, boring into him. “If you think that you're going to win me over by killing my best friend, you're sadly mistaken.” My lip trembles, but my chin kicks up.

Drake stops, his unblinking gaze fixed on me.

I cough at the smells in the air, not bothering to wrench my arm from Merck's hold, covering my mouth.

“I don't
need
to win you over. I just need to
breed
you. Transition you to your true Lanarre wolf.”

I'm so tired of that line.

His forked tongue slides out of his mouth as though licking his lips is the only thing that matters in that moment.

I don't hang around for a round two.

Somewhere in the room, Duncan groans, still bleeding out from the wound Enforcer Adrienne gave him.

Her eyes widen on mine as I jerk my arm from Merck's, sprinting to where Arden lays.

A low growl of warning sounds from Arden. He's still trying to save me, even though he's dying. I duck low, tucking my hands underneath his matted bloody fur.

“No,” I sob.

Crystalline eyes meet mine, the last vibrant thing left of Arden. “I love you, Talyn.”

I know. I
know
he does—and I ran from what he offered. Transitioning with him and Merck doesn't sound so bad anymore.

A hand falls on my shoulder, ripping me away and Arden's eyes flutter shut, a final breath shuddering out of his failing body.

I lift my hands in front of my face, my fingers come away bloody.

I'm numb. Numb to who has me. To what I'll become.

To my life.

I close my eyes and let the arms that hold me take me where they will.

I might as well be dead, like Arden.