Summer's Alpha (4 page)

“Stop it Summer. 
Don’t pick a fight with me because you’re scared.  You always do that.”  I
don’t do that.  Do I? 

“I’m not scared.” 
I roll my eyes.  Okay maybe I am a little.  “Who?”  I ask.  “I have a right to
know.”  Jackson has slept with other girls.  Jealously streaks through me and I
want to rip their throats out. 

“Okay.”  He sighs
and rolls off me but stays close.  “The first one was Melanie.”  I make a
face.  “Hey, I know you don’t like it but you have no idea how many hormones
are in a male’s bloodstream during puberty.  I would’ve used a hole in the
drywall.  Don’t ever repeat that either.”  I laugh.  “We did it a half a dozen
times before she went after Tim.”  My mouth dropped open.  “It was before
Autumn looked at him so close that.”  He pushed my mouth shut with his
fingertip and grinned.  “The second was Laney but we only did it once, she
preferred oral.”  I scrunched my face up.  Laney, that little bitch!  She’d
been with nearly every male in a thirty-mile radius.  She will turn her tail up
to anyone.  “The third was a girl I met when we went to Florida.  It was one
time in a bathroom stall.  I didn’t get her name.”  He looked ashamed at that
admission.  “Since we’re having this talk, who have you been with?”  My brows
knitted and I worried my lip.  “Come on, I told you.”  I felt the flush creep
over my cheeks.  “No one?”  I shook my head and he looked pleased, more than
pleased.  “Good.”  He pulled me to him and kissed me again.  My hands flattened
against his chest, my fingertips explored the planes of muscle and ridges of
rib.  His skin was soft and hot.  Jackson took my hand and kissed my palm then
put it on his erection.  “Feel how much I want you.”  He left a trail of nips
and kisses along my jaw and down my neck.  His erection was long and thick but
I stroked it from base to the tip that was peeking out of the top of his
boxers.  I looked down at it.  The tip glistened.  I wanted to taste him.  I
bent and he rolled to his back knowing what I wanted.  His fingers wove into my
braid and guided my head to it.  I licked it tentatively.  Jackson groaned and
pulled the boxers down with his free hand.  Crisp dark hair surrounded his
length that I felt with my fingers.  I stroked down with my tongue.  This was
the other dream, me doing this to him.  I did what I did in the dream and let
my lips suck him deeply into my mouth.  “Fuck.”  He hissed and dragged me up
his body.  “I don’t want to come yet.”  Jackson unclasped my bra and rolled me
onto my back.  His mouth worshipped my breasts.  Nipping at them, licking them,
sucking them then he was kissing his way down my belly.  I quivered and
trembled, aching for him.  I heard someone knocking on my door that went to the
store.  That had to be Shirley.

“Summer, you need
to come down.  It’s urgent.”  She called through the door.

“Coming!”  I
called.  “I’m late for work.”  I looked over at the clock.  I’ve worked for
Shirley for less than a week and I’m already late.  I can’t even blame traffic.

“Like hell.” 
Jackson trapped me beneath him.  “You are not leaving this room until I’ve
marked you.”  Jackson growled.  His eyes went amber and his nose twitched. 
“Your father is here Summer.”  He jumped from the bed and pulled his jeans on. 
Jeez, his mood changes faster than the weather.

I scent the air. 
I scent family but not my father.  I pull my clothes on quickly and shove my
feet into my shoes.  “Come down and meet my boss.  Her husband was the alpha
before he passed and it was her idea to call you.”  Jackson nodded and pulled
his tee shirt on.  “She’s still a pack member I think.”  I hurry down the
stairs apologizing to Shirley before I see her.  I am hit full force with a
full body hug and I hear Jackson laugh.  My sister is here.  “Kelly!”  I
squeal.  “Oh my God!  Kelly!”  I squeeze the life out of her until she pushes
out of my arms.  “Sissy, let me look at you.  What are you doing here?  Did you
escape?”

“Let her talk
Summer.”  Jackson is beside me pulling Kelly into his arms and hugging her. 
Jackson and Kelly always got along, if he weren’t mine, I think Kelly might
have been interested in him.  She kissed his cheek then dropped her blushing
face to the floor.  “Don’t hide.”  Jackson tipped her face up with a finger and
I was instantly jealous.  What was wrong with me anyway? 

“We’re passing
through East View.  Frank and I went to see his brother.  He just had his first
um…baby.”  She glanced at Shirley.  “He’s at the diner and he only gave me ten
minutes to look around the bookstore.  I’m not allowed to buy anything
though.”  Her mouth twitched and I saw the desperation in her eyes, the
loneliness.  I swallowed hard.  I wanted to kill Frank.  Jackson rested his
hand on my shoulder and squeezed the mating muscle.  It was soothing and calmed
me.  It was also a reminder that she belongs to that asshole and what he says,
goes.

“Summer if your
sister is unhappy with her current mate, it is allowed that she rejects him and
leaves.  She would be more than welcome in our pack, I’m sure.”  Kelly’s eyes
flashed and she whirled to look at Shirley.

“It’s okay Kel,
Shirley was the old alpha’s mate, she is recently widowed.  Jackson might be
the new alpha here soon and she’s right, you would be welcomed.”  Kelly dropped
her head.

“I have to go,
he’ll be looking for me, and I don’t want any trouble.”  Kelly hugged me
quickly and ran down the street.  I exhaled loudly and Jackson wrapped his arms
around me from behind. 

“She’ll be okay.” 
Jackson murmured in my ear.  “I really hope she will be okay.”

“I hope she
doesn’t tell Frank that she saw us.  He’ll tell dad.”  Jackson squeezed me
harder.

“You’re father
wants to use you as leverage, is that right?”  Shirley sipped from her tea cup
and perched on the counter.  It smelled like vanilla and pomegranate.  I
nodded.  “If you’re mated, he loses that leverage.  You two look like you’re in
love to me, am I wrong?”

“We’re still
negotiating.”  I felt Jackson smile against my temple.  It was nice having him
so close.  I felt safe and protected, not as smothered as I always thought I
would if a man clung to me.  “Summer thinks that I’m not interested in her,
just in your alpha position.”

“Oh Summer for
heaven’s sake.  If he didn’t want to claim you, he wouldn’t be able to.  I was
married to a wolf for a long time and if I learned anything it was this, when
he wants you, it’s damned obvious to everyone.  It seems damned obvious to me
right now.  Anyway, you said that your dad wanted to use you to gain an
alliance with another pack.  If you were mated to the alpha of the East View
pack and offered an alliance, wouldn’t that eliminate the threat of him
dragging you back home?”  Why didn’t I think of that?  And why am I fighting
Jackson?  We’ve been best friends our whole lives.  He has never lied to me. 
He has never given me a reason not to trust him.  If Jackson says that he’s
always wanted me, maybe he has, maybe I am creating problems when there don’t
need to be any.  “Summer?”  Shirley is waving a hand in front of my face.

“Sorry.  You’re
right.  You are so right.”  I turn in Jackson’s arms and hug him.  “I’m sorry. 
I don’t know why I doubted you.  You know that I’m stupid sometimes.”  He
smirked.

“Oh so now that
you’ve figured out that you can escape your dad if you mate me, you want to.” 
His eyebrow quirked up and my chin quivered.  “Don’t cry stupid, I’m only
playing with you.”  His kiss is soft and not demanding but full of expectation. 
“Get to work.”  He slaps my bottom lightly and I’m shocked, he’s never done any
of this before and it’s just…weird.  If he’d done that last week I would’ve
…hmm, I would’ve liked it as much as I did now.  I smile and start shelving
books.

“Jackson, can I
offer you a cup of coffee?”  Shirley was already pouring it.  She was going to
make him her best friend if she kept that up.  Jackson was a coffee freak and
had been since he was ten.  His grandpa gave him some once and Jackson did
everything Grandpa did.  “When do you go to meet the pack?”

“Larry said this
evening around five.  We’re meeting in a restaurant.  I found that a little
odd.  Usually pack meetings…”

“Are hosted by the
alpha, this pack has no alpha, male or female.  No one to cook, coddle,
direct…”  She sighed and sipped her tea.  “When my Mark died, I would’ve been
left in charge until a new alpha was found but I’m human so the pack thought it
was best if Larry was in charge in the interim.  See if a human female were in
charge it would leave the pack vulnerable.”  Jackson was nodding and I was agreeing
while I shelved books.  I’m starting to wonder how Shirley stays in business. 
I haven’t seen many customers since I started this job.  “I’ll take you to the
meeting, I am still well liked, and these people were my family for a very long
time.  I can’t stay though after the meal because I’m not pack anymore.”

“You should go for
Larry.  You could be back in the pack and you’re both widows.”  I say looking
up from the box that I am unloading.  Shirley smiled but turned her head so
that I couldn’t see the emotions there.  I’d hit a nerve.  Shirley liked
Larry.  She unconsciously patted her long graying hair and moved around the
counter.  Jackson was perched on a low side counter.

“You should get a
coffee bar in here like they have in the big book stores.  They have drinks,
pastry and you can munch while you read.”  Shirley looked to be considering it
when the bell jingled over the door.  Frank.  Kelly had a fresh black eye and a
bruised cheek.  I couldn’t help the rage that swept over me.  I couldn’t stop
what was about to happen and I couldn’t see straight because I was suddenly so
angry.  I sprang from my place on the floor.  He didn’t see me because he was
too busy sizing up Jackson mentally preparing his attack.  I shifted to wolf in
mid air and I hit him hard.  My teeth and claws were in him, in his neck, face,
and chest.  I ripped at his flesh and tore with my teeth.  Frank was a bloody
mess by the time his wolf presented to engage me.  I kept ripping and tearing,
snarling and growling.  Frank was whimpering like the weakling he is.  What
else could he be?  All he ever did was prey on women and humans.  He was on his
back with my teeth in his throat.  Jackson snarled in my ear.  I let go and
backed off.  Frank was shifting back into his human self.  I did as well.  I
was coming to my senses now.  I’d just challenged an alpha male and won.  I
knew that it might happen one day that I would rip his throat out.  I hadn’t of
course, but if Jackson hadn’t stopped me, I would have done it.  Jackson was
the last to shift.  Kelly stood back.  She wanted nothing to do with her mate. 
I could see in her eyes that she wanted him to die there.  Frank was healing. 
Jackson hovered over him watching.

“Summer, go get
towels.”  I nodded and took the stairs two at a time.  I brought them back. 
“You realize that you’ve just declared war on his pack.  They will avenge his
death.”  Jackson said when I came back.

“No, they won’t.” 
Kelly said quietly.  “He died in a car accident, he was playing chicken. 
Luckily, I wasn’t in the car.  I can’t stay in that pack there are too many
memories and I am joining the East View pack.  Frank was recovering, healing
and I struggled to understand what Kelly was saying.  She was nearly catatonic,
her voice was so soft, and her eyes never left the floor.  Frank groaned and
started to get up.  Kelly reached across Shirley’s desk and grabbed the letter
opener.  She launched herself at her mate and plunged the long silver opener
into his heart.  Frank’s eyes rolled back and his last breath wheezed out with
the word ‘
Bitch
.’

“What the fuck
Kel?”  Jackson growled. 

“He won’t hurt me
again and he won’t hurt my pup.”  She rested her hand on her belly and a smile
broke across my face. 

“Sissy!  I’m going
to be an aunt!”  Kelly smiled and let me hug her.

“It’s my fourth
pregnancy.”  Tears filled her eyes.  “He beat the last three out of me because
he claimed that they were girls and females are useless.”  Kelly put her face
in her hands and sobbed.  I hugged her tighter.  I don’t regret helping her kill
him, Frank deserved it.

“This is going to
be a problem.”  Shirley said flipping the sign on the front door to ‘Closed.’

“We need to get
rid of him.  Is there any water or open fields that no one uses anymore?” 
Kelly asked and we all looked at her dumbfounded.  “Frank has been up to some
things that are not very nice at all.  I pay attention.  You have to bury the
body at least 5 feet deep and cover it with lime or you can toss it in the
water tied to cinderblocks.” 

“How many wolves
has Frank killed?”  Jackson asks.  His eyes are amber with anger.

“None.  He kills
humans for sport though.  Homeless people.  He offers them a meal then puts
them in the woods to play survival.  They have a fifteen-minute head start,
then an hour to find their way to the nearest highway.  If they make it, or
evade him for the hour then he lets them go but if, they don’t.  Well, he and
his friends have a bet running on who can kill the game first.  Frank was not a
nice man.  I was thankful for those games though because if he was out hunting
a human, he wasn’t beating me or screwing me.  To be honest, I’d prefer the
beating to the screwing.”  Kelly said matter of fact. 

 “Jackson your
first job as potential alpha of the East View pack is to dispose of all
evidence associating this man to your mate.  There is a lake ten minutes north
of here.  No one goes there this time of year.  You will follow me out, drive
the car in and I will bring you back.”  Shirley ordered.  “Summer, you will fix
Kelly a cup of tea and mind the store.  Jackson, take him out to my truck and
cover him up with the tarp in the back.” 

“Whoa.”  Jackson
put his hands up.  “Slow down girls.”  He closed his eyes and opened them
again.  “All of that is illegal.  It’s evidence tampering or some shit.  I
watch TV and we aren’t doing any of that.”  Jackson checked Frank for a pulse
then went to the phone and dialed the emergency number.  He told the operator
that there was a man dead and that he needed police.  “Now, he hit you Kelly,
hence the black eye.  He hits you a lot.”  She nodded.  Shirley, get a damp
rag, hurry up.  He hit you and he’s beaten three children out of you.  You
couldn’t take it anymore.  You were protecting yourself and your child.  You
stabbed him through the heart when he lunged at you.”  Shirley came back with
the rag and Jackson wiped Frank’s face and neck.  The wounds that I made healed
before Kelly got him with the letter opener.  “He died right here on this rug. 
The best possible explanation for all of this is the truth.  The only part that
we leave out is the alpha werewolf business.  That’s our business.” 

“Oh thank God.” 
Shirley said when the police car pulled up with flashing lights.  It said
Sherriff down the side.  “Earl.  I am so glad they sent you instead of
Lawson.”  Shirley stood up on her tiptoes and hugged him when he came into the
store.  “This is my brother in law Earl, Mark’s youngest brother.”  Earl, a
large but seemingly humble man, tipped his hat.  “Earl, this is the new alpha,
Jackson.  That is Summer, his mate, and her sister here, Kelly.  The dead man
is Kelly’s mate.”  I nodded at him.

“Who killed him?” 
Kelly raised her hand a little and waved then dropped her eyes to the floor,
her cheeks pink.  Earl’s green eyes flashed.  I grinned when a rhyme went
through my head.  ‘Earl and Kelly sitting in a tree…’  “So tell me what
happened, Miss?”  Earl led Kelly to the couch and sat down beside her.  An
ambulance and another Sherriff’s vehicle pulled up with flashing lights.  I watched
as Kelly told Earl what happened and rubbed her tummy while she did.  Kelly may
be a submissive wolf but not a stupid one.  She had Earl eating out of her
hand.  I went to the bathroom and cleaned Frank’s blood from me before any more
people came into the store.  Jackson was speaking to another man in uniform
when I came out of the bathroom.  He glanced up at me then went on talking to
the man.  I stayed out of the way.  No one asked me anything and I made myself
a cup of tea in the kitchenette while the officials cleared out.  Earl promised
to stop by and see how Kelly was doing later and I hid my grin behind my hand.