Read The Alpha's Fight: Huntsville Pack Book 3 Online

Authors: Michelle Fox

Tags: #paranormal romance, #werewolf romance, #Werewolf, #vampire romance

The Alpha's Fight: Huntsville Pack Book 3 (7 page)

BOOK: The Alpha's Fight: Huntsville Pack Book 3
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Turning to face her, his eyebrows raised in concern, he said, “Do you need something?”

"It's just... I feel like I know you. Are we..." She trailed off and gave him a pointed look.

"Are we what?"

"I mean, I get why maybe you wanted to play it cool in front of your grandma, but she smelled it,
I
smelled it and surely you smelled it." She sniffed at him. "Are we a thing?"

Ryder shook his head. "Sorry, no. I never met you before today."

"Why are you in my head like a song I can't forget?"

"I don't know." He made to pull away, but she held fast. His lips had transfixed her again and her vision narrowed until they were the only thing she could see.

Ignoring the sledgehammer in her head, she sat up and leaned toward him. "Sorry. I just have to do this. I can't stop thinking about it."

"About what?"

Jane kissed him. The contact was fleeting, but it surged through her like lightning, setting her senses on fire. It was so strong, it obliterated the pain in her head. "Oh boy," she whispered against his lips. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah, maybe. It's not a good idea." He turned his head, breaking contact.

"We could set things on fire with our lips alone." She laughed. "I don't even know you. I don't even know
myself
. But I feel you under my skin. What is that?"

"I don't know." Ryder looked over his shoulder to the door, as if checking to make sure it was still there.

"Just tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you feel it, too." She clutched at his arm. "Just give me one thing I can know for sure. Please."

He looked at her, his gaze intense as the sun, and then dipped his head down to kiss her. This was nothing like the soft peck she'd surprised him with. This was the real thing with tongue and teeth and a primal demand that she yield to him. Ryder reached into her heart and gave it a kick start. Blood rushing in her ears, she tasted him, a sweet salty flavor that she lapped up like a greedy kitten.

After a moment, he tore himself away, breathing heavily. "Jane, we can't. I can't."

"I understand," she said quietly. "But thank you for being honest. Maybe down the line things might change."

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean, after I know who the hell I am. You know, little things like that." She tried to infuse her voice with light humor, but it didn't take.

"I'd like to know who you are." He stood and ran a hand through his hair, looking a little frantic. "I mean, you just showed up out of nowhere. It's too..."

"Too what?"

"Perfect." He took a step back, his eyes wary.

Damned if she didn't want to crawl out of bed and go after him, but she held back. First, she had her pride, and fawning over a man—even one who called to her like Ryder did—just didn't sit right. Hell, she might already have a Ryder waiting for her back wherever home was. Plus, she'd scared him. She could see it in his eyes, which made her feel bad.

Jane laid back down and pulled the covers up to her neck, hoping that would reassure him. “Before you go, do you know Sheriff Garde? Can you call him?”

“Yeah, I can call him. What do you want me to say?”

“Tell him I’m awake and I need to talk to him. Will you do that? Please?”

He nodded. “No problem.”

“And Mason—”

He frowned. “What about Mason?”

“Don’t tell him about me? Just call the sheriff, okay?”

“Sure. I can do that, but rest, okay? You’re pale as a ghost. I’ll call the sheriff and Mason is the last person I would say anything to about anything.”

She nodded and sank back into her bed, her eyes closing as she gave in to the headache that had reclaimed her body. The wrong kinds of throbbing filled her sleep. Pain pulsed, annoying as an eye tic, alongside desire for Ryder. One she didn't want, the other she shouldn't want, but it didn't matter. Fate wasn't taking orders from her.

Chapter Six

R
yder looked down at Jane and resisted the way her sweet feminine scent filled his mind. No matter how sizzling their kiss, she was trouble. He could feel it in his bones, and just then, he wasn’t looking to add to his list of problems.

His grandmother had been right, their scents mixed well. More importantly, his wolf had been at attention since first meeting Jane. It was ridiculous in a way. She was dressed like a refugee from a 1980s Miss America pageant. The outfit alone should have put him off. Instead he’d been unable to ignore the way her cleavage filled the dress and how it hugged her rear, making her walk a sultry come-on.

She looked so good, maybe the eighties were due for a comeback.

But as much as he needed to walk away, he wouldn’t turn his back on a shifter down on her luck. He would call the sheriff for her, and while he wouldn’t say anything to Mason, he would sniff around and see if there were any clues that would explain why his alpha was familiar to Jane.

And he'd just pretend they'd never kissed.

His wolf whined at that and gave him a look of reproach.
Yeah, I know you want her. But she doesn't even know her name. Not exactly prime mating material, right, buddy?

The wolf that shared his life yowled, the sound full of disapproval. Apparently names were optional for his wolf.

Ryder shook his head and steeled his resolve. Any man who let his beast lead him wasn't much of a man. Jane was off limits and that was that. Self-control intact, he left Jane's room and almost tripped over an elderly man.

“Excuse me,” he said, jumping back.

“No worries. Just checking on our newest resident.” The man peeked into the room. “Haven’t seen a looker like her in ages.”

Ryder’s hands curled into fists and his wolf narrowed his eyes at the man. Ryder’s wolf did not like this stranger. He smelled sour, like he, or something on him, had gone bad.  Ryder took a breath and forced himself to relax. Being jealous of such an old man was silly. His wolf’s ears twitched at that as if to ask ‘are you sure?’

Yeah I’m sure.

“You’re Tillie’s grandkid, right?” The man looked at Ryder with a steady gaze, his blue eyes clear.

Ryder nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m Charles. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand and Ryder shook it despite being confused as to why Charles wanted a formal introduction.

“Ryder.”

“I’ve heard about you.” Charles narrowed his eyes.

Ryder kept his expression neutral. ‘Heard about you’ could mean several different things. Perhaps Charles was a fan of his fighting career. Or maybe he’d caught wind of the trouble with Mason in his home pack. Another possibility, Tillie could have told Charles and the moon knew who else about Ryder’s youthful exploits. As a teenager, he’d been wild and difficult to contain.

“I thought you should know me,” Charles said.

“Oh?” Ryder sucked in air, testing it for a scent that would tell him what the hell was going on, but all he caught was the stale, dull scent that always permeated the nursing home.

“I was hoping I might have permission to take your grandmother out sometime. It doesn’t feel right without her family’s blessing.”

Relief filled Ryder. The guy just wanted to date his grandmother...who was about to be the matriarch of a brand new pack. Ryder chewed on that thought for a moment. They'd need alliances. There'd be friends...and enemies. What side would Charles come down on when the time came?  “What’s your home pack?” he asked.

“Silver River Run” he said. “Lived there until last year.”

“That’s a good pack,” Ryder said, pleased with the information. “I’d be happy for you to keep my grandmother company, but I expect you to be a gentleman.”

Charles straightened to his full height. “I am always a gentleman.”

Ryder gave the man a look. "Are you sure? Weren't you just checking out Jane?"

The old man shrugged, unconcerned. "Looking isn't illegal, is it? She's the first woman I've seen out of a track suit or scrubs. Sue me."

Ryder stared Charles down, but the old guy wouldn't look away.

"Dating is different when you get to be my age," Charles said, his gaze locked with Ryder's. "We don't waste time or fight over the little things, and we always appreciate a good view. You can ask Tillie."

“I will, and if there are any complaints you will answer to me." Ryder stepped away, wanting to end the conversation. “If you don’t mind, my grandmother is waiting on me.”

Ryder strode off, quickly ducking into Grandma Tillie’s room on his way out, and grabbing a light jacket for her. To him, it was hot both outside and inside, but he knew she would welcome an extra layer.

Jacket in hand, he made his way back to the patio where Grandma Tillie waited. Chuckling to himself, he wondered what she would think about Charles’ interest in her. As far as he knew, she’d only ever been with his grandfather. There hadn’t been anyone else that he'd heard of. Wolves and other shifters could mate again if their first relationships didn't last, but he knew his grandparents had been true mates. Charles had some big shoes to fill.

Out on the patio, he handed her the jacket.

“How’s Jane?” she asked shrugging on the coat and rubbing her hands together.

“Asleep. She was out the second I put her on the bed.” Ryder snapped his fingers.

“What did you think of her?” She gave him a shrewd look.

He refused to look her in the eyes, convinced she would see the memory of his kiss with Jane dancing in his. “She seems nice, but this isn’t really the time to worry about my love life.”

“I’m not worried about your love life, Ryder.” Tillie shook her head. “I’m worried about you finding a mate. I’m not stupid. I know you’ve had your choice of women over the years. That none of them have ever stuck worries me, and not just because I’m your grandmother. You’re going to be leading a pack and you will need an Alpha’s Mate at your side.”

Ryder held up his hands. “What can I say? I haven’t met the right woman yet, Grandma.”

“So Jane didn’t do anything for you?”

“I liked her fine. If she had a working memory and wasn’t currently living in a nursing home, I might consider asking her.”

“The memory and the nursing home can be fixed,” Tillie said. “You can’t hold those against her.”

“Regardless, my focus right now has to be on the pack.” He filled her in on the status of the paperwork and the challenges Mason had been sending his way.

Tillie sighed. “You’d think the bastard would be glad to have us out of his hair.”

“We’re going to end up taking half the pack with us when we leave,” Ryder said. “He feels threatened.”

“He doesn’t like us when we’re there and he doesn’t like it when we want to go. This is how I know he’s crazy; we can’t make him happy.” She crossed her arms and harrumphed. “So what’s your plan?”

“I’m going to wait to hear from the Pack Council and lay low. These challenges aren’t legitimate. I’m not even an alpha yet.”

“He wants to make sure you never are.”

“Yeah, well, you and I both know that’s not going to happen.”

“If Mason isn't doing the punching, he’s not interested. He has no idea what you’re capable of," Tillie said.

“I just don’t want an alpha challenge,” Ryder said. "Timber Creek isn't my pack anymore.”

“A bunch of bloodthirsty wolves, the lot of them,” Tillie said, scowling. “Back when Alan was alpha, he kept them in check and busy working. It wasn’t so bad then.”

“The pack is different now. They've changed. I don't think even grandpa could make them better. I want a fresh start with a pack of people who want what I want.”

“I know, son. I’m just not sure it’s going to happen the way you want it to.” She pointed up at the moon, which had appeared as the sun began its descent into the horizon. “The moon has its own mind sometimes.”

Ryder scowled at the sky. “I make my own fate.”

“If you say so.” She gave a bright smile and changed the subject. “Since you’re laying low, you’ve got some time to do me a favor.”

He glanced at her, wary. “What is it?”

“Poor Jane has no clothes. Can you find some for her?”

He balked, wanting to say no, but he didn't have a good excuse to not help a shifter in need. “I guess. What size?” 

She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. “Here’s what she told me when I asked.”

Ryder blinked at the list. “I’m buying her underwear?” The idea sizzled in his mind and brought the tantalizing image of a half-naked Jane to mind. He shook his head, scattering the mental image. No. He wouldn't go there.

“Well, I’m not exactly mobile these days.” Tillie patted her walker for emphasis. “Or I would do it. The girl needs help.”

“What about the sheriff? Isn’t she his problem?”

She rolled her eyes. “I have no idea when he’ll get around to checking on her. It’s been two days. He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry.”

“I’m going to call him,” Ryder said. “Maybe he’s figured out who she is and why she might recognize Mason’s name.”

“That’s not a bad idea, but you’ll still get her some clothes, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, and then grimaced as lace underwear began to dance in his head. His wolf let out an excited howl.

Chapter Seven

R
yder left the nursing home and swung a leg over his Ducati. When he’d been a fighter, his life had been marked by hotel rooms, big arenas and lots of attention of the female persuasion. Now he spent his days hiding from his own pack, conferring with his grandmother at a nursing home and buying women he didn't know underwear. He gave a soft chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

Putting on his helmet and starting the bike, he took off. The wind streamed around him, seeming to blow away his worries. He relaxed into the open road, enjoying the thrum of its powerful motor and with a quick burst of speed, headed for Hudson. Buying clothes for Jane wasn't the only thing on his agenda. He wanted to go see Sheriff Talon Garde in person and check in with Keira, the sheriff's deputy. As an extra bonus, it would keep him out of Mason’s sight. He might even be able to enjoy a beer in relative peace at The Crescent, the bar Talon used as his headquarters.

A half hour later, he pulled into the parking lot, noting there weren’t many cars. The bar inside was quiet and empty, save for members of Talon’s crew. The Pack Council hired and paid the stray sheriffs, but other positions were filled by strays who were compensated by accelerated reviews of their cases. Ryder knew that Talon paid his crew a little on the side, but there was also a certain status in working for the sheriff. Strays had a strict pecking order; the closer you could get to the sheriff, the better.

BOOK: The Alpha's Fight: Huntsville Pack Book 3
10.33Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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