The Alpha's Choice: A Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Roadside Angels Motorcycle Club Book 3) (9 page)

He was on his way within minutes.  By the time he got to the outer limits of the Prime Council territory, it was early evening.  He stowed the bike, stashed his bag, stripped, and shifted.  The urgency to get this over and done with rode him hard, and his wolf had been pushing to be let out.  Both of them needed to expend some of the restless energy and rage that had been building all day.  A run would be best now, before Lex went to set up the meeting that would expose the traitors among them and bring Lancaster and his fellow rogues to justice.

No one knew he was there, but the sight of a white wolf would definitely be a tip off, so the man kept his beast to the outskirts mostly, watching to see what, if anything was amiss.  The man felt pride at the way his lands were secured, and the wolf enjoyed the pristine terrain through which it ran.  When other wolves were near, the man helped the wolf to avoid detection.  As the sun finally sank, the wolf headed back to the cabin, and Lex shifted back.  There was no reason now to delay any further.  Dressing quickly, Lex took his bike back the way he had come and rode the extra hour so he would ‘arrive’ when families were getting ready for their evening meal.  He called Jeffrey, his chief of security, and gave him the instructions for the meeting.  Then, he called Lord Lindgar, who didn’t seem surprised to hear from him again, and who assured him he would be ready for the ceremony whenever Lex said.  Then, he rode home and parked his bike in the shed at the back of his parents’ home, knowing that by the time he emerged and strode around to the front, almost everyone who occupied the town itself would know he was back.  Everyone, including his enemies.

A door opened to his left, and he looked up in time to see his family all rushing out to meet him.  They must have been watching out for his arrival.  He could see the joy on their faces, and then a prickling sensation at the base of his skull made him stop and drop his bag.  Not for the first time, he wished things could be different, but there was no time for such thoughts now.  The future had come; his fate was sealed.  He must act now; there was no choice. 

Quickly stripping off, he stalked to the side and looked round.  Three men stood tall at the end of the driveway, and Lex knew now by scent which one was Tony Lancaster.  He shook his head wearily.  He might have known that the insanity taking over the rogue’s mind would eventually drive him over the edge, but he had hoped to end things differently, in the light of day, after the Council meeting had been held.  Instead of sentencing the rogue to a public execution, Lex would have to kill him himself in mortal combat.  He waited until they were closer to the house, and then he stepped out from the shadows.  He knew his parents and his younger sister would see a side of him they had never seen before, but he knew they would understand.  He hoped his sister would not be too traumatized by what was about to occur.

“Boys?  Lost?”  His voice was even, cool, unconcerned.

They eyed him suspiciously, and Lex waited patiently for Lancaster to speak. 

“You made it, eh?  Pity.  If you want anything done right, you gotta do it yourself.”  The rogue tsked as though he were exasperated.  “And it’ll be my pleasure to send your little lady friend your regards when I finish you off.  Maybe I’ll send her the picture of your defeat afterwards.”   He licked his lips obscenely.  “I wonder what she tastes like?” 

Lex knew what he was doing, and even though Lancaster’s mention of his mate drove him to the brink of madness, he did not react to the statements.  Instead, he recited the ritual words of the challenge, “I am Prime.  I hold your fate in my hands.  Prepare to die, rogue.”

He shifted without further ado, aware that by the time he had finished speaking the words, there were many people about who had heard it, thus making it legal and binding.  Lex watched as the three men huddled, and when Lancaster finally spoke, it was no surprise that he chose not to use surrogates.   Lex knew it was not a matter of honor or fairness that drove the rogue to fight alone.  It was pride, fueled by an ego that was out of all proportion to his achievements, of which there were none.  The two wolves circled each other warily, both trying to assess the situation.  When the rogue attacked, the white wolf warded off the blow with a powerful swipe of his paw across the rogue’s ribs.

Jaws wide, snarls of rage enveloping them, the two wolves fought hard.  No quarter was asked as they stalked each other, and none was given as they bit and slammed into each other.  Neither would back down, but Lex could tell the other wolf was tiring.  He kept up the intensity of his assault, leaving deep bite wounds and gouges on his opponent’s body.  The rogue got in some serious wounds to Lex’s wolf as well, but nothing would stop the man this time from finishing the job.  The white wolf slammed the gray wolf to the ground again, hearing its foe howl in pain at what was no doubt some more broken bones.

The snarls and growls had by this time drawn quite a crowd, but the two battling wolves paid them no heed.  Up on their hind legs, slapping at each other’s faces like boxers in the ring, leaving deep scratches, and snapping at each other’s bellies, backs, and legs. Each seemed determined to do the maximum damage to the other.  Then, the white wolf made its final attack.  In a move reminiscent of a leopard, it plunged in and grabbed the big gray wolf by the throat.  The gray fought to escape the death hold, but the white wolf was stronger and its fangs sank deep into the gray’s neck.  The gray wolf knew it was losing power; it knew it would die, and no one would help it.  It tried to buck the white wolf off its heaving body, but to no avail.  It could not even cry out.  The white wolf squeezed it, and the gray wolf’s blood flowed.

No one moved as the white wolf slammed its foe to the ground and stood over the twitching body.  It circled, growling, ready to finish the job if the gray wolf found any last spurt of life.  But the enemy lay dying, its big body bloodied and broken.  The white wolf did not stop circling its body until it breathed its last breath.  It pushed at the gray wolf’s head with its snout and did the same to its belly and its hind legs.  There was no movement.  The white wolf turned its back at last upon its mortal enemy, and the man took over, shifting back despite the intense pain he endured. 

When he was once more himself, Lex collapsed, the severity of his many injuries and blood loss taking their toll at last.  Adrenalin had taken him through that battle, but it had drained away, as the rogue’s life had.  He knew no one would approach until the man he would replace came to acknowledge him and declare him the winner.  He remained still, glad his mate could not see him now.  At that thought, he raised his head, suddenly recalling the time.  He hoped he would be sufficiently healed by the time she got home so she wouldn’t realize how badly wounded he was.  He didn’t need to be weak when he called her.  But he knew, because the shift back had been so bone-crunchingly painful, that his injuries this time were more severe than last.

A sound to his right made him turn his head.  Lord Lindgar stood at the head of the dead wolf, pushing at the animal’s head with the toe of his boot.  This would be his last official act as Prime, aside from the declaration in Council, which would now have to wait till Lex was healed.  He looked Lex in the face and nodded. Then, he turned to the crowd and said, “The rogue is dead.  Your Prime lives.  A new day begins.”

A cheer rose in the night air, long and loud, as Lex was helped to his feet by Jeffrey and his father, part of the ritual of victory. 

“Welcome home, son,” his father said at the same time that Jeffrey said, “Welcome home, sir.”

Lex smiled, despite the pain, and the weakness that made him almost not able to feel his feet.  He had deep wounds across his back and belly. Plus, one leg was ripped from hip to heel, and once again, his ribs were bruised. 

“Thank you,” he managed to say, as he looked up to see the crowd watching him.  He wondered, as he raised a hand to acknowledge them, which ones were part of the One Blood organization and had wished for a different ending.  The wolf whistles and cheers continued as he limped painfully through them into his house. His mother was already waiting in his room with the doctor.  Ritual was important to her, so his baby sister, whom he glimpsed in the shadows outside his room, would not be allowed in until he was healed enough to entertain visitors.  Only the doctor and his security chief were permitted to be with him at this time.

“We’ll be waiting for you, son,” his father said, squeezing his uninjured shoulder gently before leaving.  His mother kissed his cheek and followed her mate out of the room. 

Jeffrey stayed with him while the doctor tended to his wounds.  They each knew he could tend to his own wounds and would heal on his own, but the ritual required that he be tended by a physician.  Lex was grateful for ritual in the absence of his other right hand man, Bear, who was protecting his mate.  At that thought, he looked at the clock on the chest of drawers.  Tammie would be home in another couple of hours. 

“Doc, do you think I could clean up a bit first?” he asked, looking at the pristine sheets his mother had covered his bed with.

“Can you stand on your own without keeling over?”  The old guy, who had been the Council’s doctor for almost as long as Lex had been alive, eyed him with a sardonic eye.

Lex sighed.  He knew he would fall over if he didn’t give his wounds time to heal some.  “I just don’t want to mess up my mother’s sheets or give her any extra work.”

The doctor looked around him.  “How about that leather recliner?  When we’re done, and you’re back on form, you can clean it yourself, if that’s what you wish.”

Lex liked that the doctor didn’t treat him any differently from any of his other patients.  He couldn’t have handled an endless stream of ‘sirs’ and ‘your lordships.”  He nodded his agreement and leaned on his friend’s arm to get there.  Jeffrey helped him settle his hurting body on the recliner, and then he resumed his position on guard at the door.  Lex closed his eyes, letting his mind wander so he wouldn’t feel the pain as the doctor prodded and pressed and cleaned and poured salve.  He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but a hand on his shoulder woke him.  He tried to sit up and groaned.  Lying back, he looked up at his chief of security, who had Lex’s cell phone in his hand.

“Call for you, sir.”

Lex took the phone and cleared his throat.  “Cole.”

“Lex, it’s me.  Tammie.  I’m home.”

He breathed in deeply and let relief flow through him. 

“Hi, baby.  I’m glad to hear you’re safe.  How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.  Just sleepy now.”  She paused, and he waited for the inevitable question.  “How are you?”

He smiled.  His feisty Tamara was back, and he couldn’t have been happier.  He settled in for a long conversation.  There were plans to be made, a mate to proclaim, a new life to start.

Epilogue

“What matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”
~ Paul Coelho

“Just remember I love you, and it’ll be all right.”  The song by Firefall was playing softly in the background as people milled around on the back lawn of Lex’s official residence.  It had been a month since his victory over Tony Lancaster, since Nimrod Chase, the Secretary of Defense, had been exposed, along with his undersecretary, and two members of the Council version of the FBI, known as Council Enforcers, as not only active sponsors of the One Blood Society, but also as the funders of Tony Lancaster’s activities in Rojo Arroya.  It had been one month since Lord Wulf Lindgar, former Prime, had become a private citizen, since Bear had gone with him to visit Tammie in her apartment.  It had been a month since he had told his parents about her and had arranged for her to come for a visit to meet his family.  The stories she had written for her paper had gone viral, especially, surprisingly, the human interest piece.  Lex had given up trying to dodge the media—though he and his security team had been very careful to keep them away from Council territory and to keep all knowledge of his position within the shifter community off the radar. 

Tonight he would declare himself publicly and honor Tammie’s human tradition by asking for her hand in marriage.  He had already spoken with her grandparents, and the ring was burning a hole in his pocket.  This was her engagement party—though she didn’t know it.  He had engaged the help of his security team to ensure her safety, so Bear could go back to Arizona and settle his affairs there.  Jeff had been released once Tammie’s story went public, and the coroner’s investigation showed the men had been killed by puncture wounds to the throat. He and Ginny were already mated, as Jeff had no family, and Ginny’s mother had been ecstatic.    Ownership of the ranch had been transferred to the Roadside Angels, and though Lex planned to stay in touch with his friends, he knew his life could no longer be lived there.  Plus, all his club members were here, at last, their bikes clogging the field behind the large residence.  Tomorrow, they would go for a ride, and he could give his friends some joy. 

Right now, though, he cast his eyes over the crowd gathered to celebrate his Primacy and his engagement to his mate.  According to shifter custom, she was already his mate, and only the legal ceremony before the Council and the people remained.  But Tammie was human, so this party would be important for making it real for her in ways his wolf ceremony never could.  She had had to remain in Connecticut for the whole month, as she had a job she couldn’t just leave, and he had responsibilities as Prime that required his full attention.  Their time together had been severely limited, and Skyping, phone calls, and text messages had been all they could do to be together.  She had only come last night, and he smiled as he remembered how their reunion had exploded around them once they were alone.

“She’s beautiful, my friend,” Jeffrey said in his ear.  “You are a lucky son of a bitch.”

“I don’t think my mother would appreciate that description, Jeff,” Lex replied, his face serious.  But Jeffrey saw the twinkle in his eye and burst out laughing, slapping his Alpha on the shoulder.

“Very funny, man. You know exactly what I mean.”

Lex grinned at him.  “Yeah, I do.  But you better remember who she belongs to every time you see her, my man.  I don’t wanna have to kick any more ass around here.”

His tone was light, but both men knew he was serious this time.  Jeffrey knew his friend trusted him, but an Alpha needed to stake his claim to all whom he considered a threat, which in this case was every male in the area.

“Noted.  I kinda like my ass, anyway.”  Jeffrey smiled and turned as his name was called.

“When are we going to get to the best part, Lex?”

He turned again and smiled at the pretty young woman who stood next to him.  He hadn’t seen his sister in too long, and she had grown up on him.  He reached over to pull her under his arm and squeezed her shoulder. 

“Soon, baby girl.  Go get our parents and her grandparents.” 

He smiled when she reached up to kiss his cheek and let the warmth spread in his chest.  No more hiding in plain sight, keeping his location secret from his family.  He had begun a new chapter, one with a mate and the possibility of children of his own.  He couldn’t wait to begin.  He turned to find his mate and saw her in earnest conversation with Bear, so he went over to get her.

“It’s time, Bear,” he said, as he steered her back toward the center of the space.  He had chosen the song that had been playing on repeat for the last five minutes.  It had become their song during the long month of separation. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like your attention, please.”

Everyone turned to where he stood, Tammie at his side, no doubt full of questions he would not give her time to ask now.  He looked down at her and smiled.

“This has been a very eventful month for all of us.  I’m grateful to all those of you who have been loyal friends, and to my family for being patient over all these years.  As Prime, I’ll do my best to maintain those elements of our society that will keep us strong.  But you have to know I can’t make everyone happy all the time.  I hope you will be patient with me as we work together for the good of all of us.”

He paused and looked around before continuing.  “However, this isn’t an official Prime reception.  That’s next week.  Tonight, you are all gathered here for something far more personal and close to my heart.”  He looked at Tammie again and then said, “I met a most incredible human being five weeks ago, and my life changed forever.  She is my mate, and I wish to present her to you all.”

He held Tammie at arm’s length and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tamara Gibbs.  My mate.”

The applause was deafening.  Wolf whistles pierced his ears, and he watched as the love of his life blushed and smiled.  Quieting the crowd, he turned and stood in front of her for a moment, then got down on one knee.  The silence grew, every eye trained on him.  Pulling the little jewel box from his pocket, he opened it and presented it to her, as he said, “Tamara, you know more about me than anyone outside of my family and my closest friends.  When we first met, I didn’t immediately know who you were to me.  Now, I cannot imagine being without you.  I hope you’ll make me a happy man by saying yes when I ask you to be my wife.”

Tammie felt the tears spilling down her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop them from falling.  She had suspected that there was more to the party than Lex had told her, else why were her grandparents, her best friend, and her boss here?  But she had never dared to hope he would propose so soon.  She had no words.  The love she felt for him expanded in her chest, and she smiled at him through her tears.  Clearing her throat, she inhaled deeply.  Then, loud enough for everyone to hear, she answered,  “Yes!”

She felt Lex slip the ring on her finger, but she couldn’t stop to look at it just then because all she wanted was to hug him and kiss him and be one with him.  His arms wrapped round her, and his mouth descended, kissing her slowly, deeply, with hunger and desire.  She held on to his neck, opening herself to him.  When he pulled away, she moaned in protest.  Lex chuckled and whispered in her ear, “Behave.  We’ll finish this later, I promise.”

He kissed her cheek when she blushed, and then they stood to receive the congratulations and hugs and kisses of their friends and family.  Her grandparents had been surprised when he had gone with her to visit them, and her grandfather had been a tough inquisitor.  Lex had told him everything he could about himself, and when her grandfather told him that he would hear from them after they had discussed it, he knew where his mate had got her stubborn determination from.  Her grandmother had wondered how he could know that his feelings for her granddaughter were love and not merely lust for her flesh.  He had been happy when they had given their consent because it made it easier to be with his mate, but he had known that no obstacle would have stood in his way.  Tammie was his, and now everyone knew it.

The party went on into the wee hours of the morning, but finally, everyone but his house guests were gone.  His family had kissed him and Tammie goodnight, and he had escorted her grandparents and friends to their quarters in the guest wing of the residence.  Now, at last, he was alone with his mate.  She flowed into his arms when he closed the bedroom door behind him, and their mouths fused together hungrily.  This would only be the second time that they had made love since she had come to him, and they both trembled with the need they could not deny.

“I love you, Tamara.  For always.”  His words whispered across the skin of her cheek, as he kissed her and licked her lips.  “I hope you’re not too tired…because I intend to keep you up all night.”

“I’ll fall off the bike tomorrow if I don’t get enough sleep,” she protested, but she kissed him back and followed his example, licking his lips and nipping his chin.

“I won’t let you fall, baby.  Always remember, I’ve got you.”

Tammie smiled and let her mate undress her, knowing she would always be safe with her bad boy biker…her Alpha Prime.

Be sure to check out other works by Kathryn Thomas!