The Alpha (7 page)

Chapter 11

If Eric ever saved enough money, he’d buy this abandoned warehouse and tear it down. Empty and worn, it symbolized
his
pack. The Alpha was the soul of his werewolves, but this pack didn’t reflect him. He sighed. They needed him to have a mate. She would be the heart, and then the real healing could begin.

His
people,
his
pack.

He observed the large group as they gathered inside. Every lifestyle and race was represented in the mix of the people who mingled in front of him. They owned Chicago after all. Some chose to attend in their beast form, which he accepted. Not everyone wanted their human form to be known.

After searching throughout the night and day for Clair so that he could confront and deny her, he’d decided to draw her out instead. She wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity to try and claim him in front of everyone. If he succumbed to her, then they’d be mated in the eyes of the pack for life. His stomach rolled at the idea. It could never happen, not with Spice in his life, but the pack would remain damaged.

Raising his arm as he stood on a dais constructed for such meetings, the room became silent. All eyes turned his way. It used to make him nervous to speak publicly. Not anymore, practice made perfect, and boy did Daedalus make him practice. He recalled his advice each time he needed to make a speech.
A good leader must know how to sway his people to his way of thinking. Words
are power.

“My people,” he cried out. “My pack, some concerns have been burning in my mind. The foremost is the way I keep thinking of
us
.” He rested his hands on his hips as he took a relaxed stance on the stage. “I don’t know if any of you do this, but I keep thinking of this pack as divided. There’s the original Ayumu, the Omegas…” He gestured to his friends standing on the dais with him, except Katrina who should be arriving soon. “And those who recently joined us in the past year.”

Most in the group nodded their heads.

“This is wrong. We should be united. A family, that’s what a pack is. When one of us falls down, we lift and support them. Do we fall upon them and rip out their throats? Are we Jackals?”

A few cries of “no” answered him. Good, at least someone listened.

“Of course not, our souls have been mixed with those of wolves. Strong predators who hunt together. Honesty, honor, and heart describe the wolf. Do they describe our pack?”

A low mumble developed among his people. It was about time he made them think.

Pacing the length of the dais, he waited a moment. “No, they don’t. Some may say those aren’t the true traits of a wolf, that wolves in their essence are vicious animals.”

Someone shouted, “Yeah.” He made note of who and would deal with them personally later.

“These characteristics come from us.” He gestured to himself. “The human part of the equation. Every time you allow your beast to consume your humanity, the less control you have over it.”

Silence blanketed the room, and his people watched him expectantly.

“As your Alpha I have decided we will no longer be known as the Omegas or as the Ayumu. We’re one pack.” He shouted the last sentence and paused as he waited for the echo of his voice to subside. “We’re Vasi. Guardians of the streets of Chicago, our territory.”

Cheers began before he finished his announcement. It warmed his heart to hear them support his idea. For a year, he wracked his brain trying to figure out what to do with his pack. Spice inspired the protector in him and brought forth this concept. They would defend the city instead of prey on it.

As the noise died down someone clapped loud three times. “Very nice, Alpha.” Clair slinked through the crowd. She wore a short red dress and a pair of matching stilettos. Her long, brown hair swayed as she made her way to the dais. “As your mate, I agree with the name change. Omegas made us sound weak, but giving us a role in what…crime fighting? I don’t think this would be a profitable venture.”

“I don’t accept you as my mate, Clair.” He crossed his arms. If he didn’t make a stand against her now, in front of everyone, then she’d slowly gain power.

“Your year is up, and I’ve won the challenges. You need a dominant female at your side. One of your own kind, not some floozy.”

His lips parted to respond, but the side door burst open and the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on stalked into the warehouse.

* * * *

Spice had listened to Eric’s speech through the crack of the door with Katrina. She crouched on the ground so they could both watch. Pride swelled inside of her with each point he made to the pack.

“Eric has so much potential,” Daedalus commented from behind them.

They swiveled around and found him with Sugar under his protective arm.

Spice leapt to her feet. “It’s not safe for you here. You should have stayed at home.”

“And miss your shining moment? Never. Daedalus will stay with me. This isn’t my first werewolf challenge.” She grinned but wrapped her arms around the vampire’s waist and squeezed.

He met Spice’s glare and a silent agreement was made. Sugar’s safety would be his priority.

“I’m glad you’re here.” The new werewolf nodded to them.

The cheering started and Katrina tugged on her elbow. “Clair is hiding in the back. I think she’s waiting for the right moment to make her claim. You’d better transform.”

Muscles in her shoulders tensed at the idea.
Easier said than done
. “What do I do?”

“Strip and stand in the moonlight, then do the exercise I showed you at the house. Meet your beast and invite her out.”

Turning her back on the vampire, she undressed. She could hear Sugar order Daedalus to not look.

“Not like I haven’t seen it before. You’re identical.”

“That’s my point.” She heard a thump.

Once naked, Spice shut her eyes and called to her beast. It perched on the edge of her awareness but wouldn’t approach. She ground her teeth and urged it to take her, but it yawned. “Katrina, it’s mocking me.”

She heard Sugar snort and whisper to her bloodsucking boyfriend, “Sounds just like Spice.”

The sound of a person clapping silenced them.

Katrina peeked back in the door’s crack. “It’s Clair. She’s trying to claim Eric.”

A snarl escaped Spice, and when she closed her eyes her beast raced to her. The collision snapped her bones and popped her joints. She tried to scream but only a howl came out.

Looking at the gravel on the ground, she raised her head. The light from the street cast her shadow onto the building.
Holy cow, I’m huge. All right!

Without a second thought, she smashed through the door and stalked across the floor. Clair’s scent filled her nose, and the beast declared her prey. Baring teeth, she paced through the crowd toward the bitch.

Clair spun around. “Who the fuck are you?” Without removing her dress, she transformed into her brown furred beast. Shredded red material fluttered at her feet and the shoes exploded.

Like I can answer, you stupid bitch.

“
You can
,
whore.
”

She blinked. The voice came within her mind, not via her ears. Katrina could have mentioned that ability. “
Get away from my mate. I’m here to challenge you.
”

“
Not until you tell me who you are.
”

“
Spice, his girlfriend.
” She glanced at Eric, waiting for his reaction at her announcement.

“
We can only hear each other in beast form. You’re new to this and you expect to win a
challenge against me, cub?
” She thwacked an open paw across Spice’s muzzle and raked her claws over her eyes.

Reflex saved her sight as she ducked her chin and rolled. The crazy woman had tried to blind her. If Clair wanted to play dirty, Spice would bring the mud. She sprang onto Clair’s back and bit into her neck. Fur rubbed against her tongue and tickled her nose. She shook her head like she’d seen dogs do when playing with toys and hoped to rattle Clair’s brain.

“
Is that all you got?
” The mangy cur flipped onto her back and crushed Spice under her weight, then twisted out of her grasp.

The crowd made noise but it wasn’t clear for whom. They didn’t know anything about her. Heck, Eric didn’t know the white werewolf was his girlfriend and soon to be mate.

Clair’s teeth reached for her throat.

With a swing of her large paw, Spice batted the Jezebel away. “
Are you trying to kill me?
”

“
Never, but accidents do happen.
” She lunged and pinned Spice to the floor, then kept snapping her jaw.

Only with luck did Spice keep her from biting anything vital, but Clair landed a few painful bites around Spice’s collarbone. A growl built deep in her chest. The beast wanted to hurt the one who dared try to take their mate away. It knew how to move on an instinctual level, and Spice understood how to hit.

In one of the moments where she jerked away from Clair’s maw, she glimpsed Eric. Concern painted his face.

She did what Katrina warned against, she allowed the beast a little control, a partnership for just this one time. It leaped forward mentally and pried Clair from her. With supernatural speed the white wolf pierced her back claws into the opposition’s abdomen and tossed her with a kick.

The brown werewolf flew off and landed on the hard concrete floor, but the pale beast didn’t let her have a reprieve. Bite after bite landed on Clair’s head. Blood splattered from lacerations and made the beast thirst for more. Spice tried to restrain it and needed all her strength to keep it from killing.
Don’t do it.

With a roar, Spice regained control. She grabbed Clair, lifted her high and drove her headfirst into the solid ground. Staggering back, she prepared for another assault, but the brown beast’s body remained limp. It melted back into its human form.

Eric ran past her and checked Clair’s pulse. “She’s knocked out.” He pointed to two pack members. “Take her away.” Then he turned to the white werewolf. “Who are you?”

Her beast retreated, and she felt herself reform into a human. She watched Eric’s eyes widen as he saw who he addressed. Elation filled her.

“Spice, what have you done?”

“I’ve won the challenge.” Standing naked in front of strangers didn’t bother her. If anything it made her more empowered. This was her pack, and they needed her. The man before her would be her mate, and they needed each other.

Her future became apparent and it made her happy.

She smiled and let the things she felt shine through. Her beast preened inside and urged her to finish. Facing the pack, she shouted, “I lay claim on Eric as my mate. Does anyone dare challenge me?”

Stunned silence answered her.

Traversing the small space between her and Eric, Spice ran her fingers through his hair and yanked a handful to expose his neck.

He gasped when she jerked his head back but didn’t resist as she bent her mouth to his skin and bit down until she tasted blood. Katrina had told her how to mark her mate. She licked the wound and left some saliva so it would leave a faint scar. Her mark on his skin was a better symbol than any wedding ring. She let him go.

“You did this for me?” His hands rested on her shoulders.

“For us. If I stayed human I’d only be sharing half your life, and I want it all.”

His gaze wandered from her face to her breasts, then back up with more heat in his expression. “My white wolf.” He pulled her into his arms and lifted her to his mouth, then returned the bite. It burned, and she held back a yelp but couldn’t stop the reflexive squirming in his arms. Her thigh brushed along the hard bulge in his pants, and her pussy moistened in response.

The light touch of his tongue on the mark cooled the pain. “I want you,” he whispered against her skin.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and ground against him. He felt so solid and strong as his hands cupped her bare ass. “Take me.”

“Here?” It made her glad to hear excitement in his voice and not horror. They were a sick pack and needed reassurance they’d be taken care of by their alphas, who loved one another and didn’t mind expressing it.

The pack seemed to settle down for the show. No one called out or jeered. She glanced over his shoulder. Most gathered in clusters to watch, some already started to enjoy themselves with fellow pack mates.

A brush of lips on her nipple startled her and elicited a moan. Eric suckled on her, drawing harder and harder on her flesh. His fingers dug into her as he pressed his confined length against her pussy.

He shuffled to the dais and laid her upon it.

She undid his pants as he removed his shirt. The jeans slid to the floor, and she shoved her hands into his boxers to stroke his hard cock. It pulsed.

Nothing seemed more right at the moment. He removed his underwear and kicked his legs free. Twisting her around to face the dais, he ran his cock between her ass cheeks while caressing the tender flesh.

She glanced at him over her shoulder and saw his eyes fade to amber just before he leaned her forward to gain access to her entrance.

His gaze locked with hers. “Your eyes, they’ve changed to blue.”

The white wolf came to the surface, sensing her mate close and wanting him as much as she did. She pressed her rear against him in invitation.

It was all Eric needed, and he shoved his cock all the way into her, growling the word, “Mine.”

It didn’t hurt since she was already wet, but the sudden sensation and pleasure made her groan out loud.

He snarled as he began to pump in a quickening rhythm. His hand reached around and fondled her breast.

The delicate touch, such a contrast to the brutal, yet intoxicating thrusting from behind, sent chills down her spine which made her clench even tighter around him.

“Oh, yes… Spice…oh, yes.” He released her nipple and grabbed her hips. His strokes grew desperate.

The cry of her name on his lips made her curl her back to give him better access to her core. Aching ecstasy grew inside, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. Her orgasm shook her body as she met him thrust for thrust until his cries of release joined hers.