The Alpha's She-Wolf (8 page)

“Hello brothers.  You have
something that is mine.  I have something that is yours.  I suggest a trade.” 
He smiled like a lunatic.

“What do we have that’s his?” 
Derek asked, looking around his brother’s huge bicep.

“I want you to pass the alpha
position onto me Connor and then I want you and our brothers to leave town. 
I’ll let you have your clothes.  You will leave the pack and the business to
me.”

“Jesus, he is crazy.”  Connor said
quietly.  The brother’s looked at one another.  Kirk stepped up behind Connor
and looked over his shoulder. 

“Hey that’s my pool cue leaning
against the wall.”  Kirk said moving away from them and toward the door.  “He’s
at Mom’s house in the basement.”  Kirk called over his shoulder as he ran out
of the conference room, his brother’s were close behind.

The Rescue

The brothers found the bungalow
deserted when they arrived but they’d obviously been there.  Shauna’s phone was
on the kitchen table with a note. 

-They are safe - for now.  Draw up
the papers and announce it to the pack then send the video message to Naomi’s
phone.  I will return them once the transaction is complete.  Oh and tell the
people in Mom’s Victorian to move out.  –V

“Fuck.”  Connor spat.  Mike
couldn’t maintain control anymore.  He snarled and growled angrily.  He lost it
and shifted into a big angry wolf.  Derek opened the back door at the same time
Connor boomed at him.  “Take that outside!”  His brother more than willingly
sprinted across the yard.  Mike always was hot tempered and he just needed to
work it off.  He’d come back calmer and focused.  He may even have a plan. 
Meanwhile, Connor, Derek, and Kirk searched the house.  Their mother was
missing too.  Only remnants of her perfume lingered, it was strongest in the
bedroom where he Connor noticed her suitcase was missing. 

“Hey Con!  Does Mike still have a
GPS on Mom’s cell?  Do you remember him putting that app on her phone so they
could find it when she lost it?”  Connor shifted and bolted out the door after
his brother.  The air was hot and the grass dry beneath his massive paws.  He
nearly collided with his brother half way to the park.  They both shifted back
at once.

“GPS!”  Connor said.

“Find my phone!”  Mike grinned and
hugged his brother.  The men shifted and ran for Mike’s house and his computers
or mission control as Connor called it. 

Mike’s house looked normal but both
of them scented their mates, their mother, and Victor at once.  Heading in
opposite directions, they searched but found nothing but clothes strewn about
the dark male bedroom.  “You should let her decorate this room man; it’s not
girly at all.”  Connor looked around.  “She can’t be comfortable in here or
especially romantic feeling.”

“She feels plenty romantic in here,
in the bathroom and on the couch.  Don’t worry about it.  I’m sure you have a
new canopy bed and lacy bullshit everywhere for your mate.”  Mike rolled his
eyes waiting for mission control to spring to life.  There were four computers,
a server, several printers, copiers, and a fax.  In truth, Mike had to work
from home on occasion since he was head of their IT security section but
really, this was excessive.  Connor let him have his way though because
security was important and his brother was an equal partner in the business as
far as Connor was concerned.  Right now, Connor would be willing buy him the Dell
corporation if it would help find Shauna.  Mike was tapping keys on two
computers at once.  Connor was always amazed to see his brother master the
internet.  He was an artist.  If he found Shauna, Connor would give him a
raise.  “Got her.”

“Hey what the hell?  Why did you
leave us at Mom’s?”  Kirk asked coming through the house followed by his
smaller younger brother.  “Did you find them?”  Connor and Mike grinned
wickedly at each other. 

“Yes, and when I see our brother, I
am going to go alpha on his ass.  “They’re at the hotel up the street.  Is
everyone ready to play like Jack Bauer?”  Mike pulled his nine millimeter out
of his desk drawer, loaded it, and shoved it in the back of his pants.  He
pulled another out, repeated the process, and tossed it to Kirk.  “If my mate
gets shot…”  Mike nodded.  Connor knew he could trust his brothers, Mike and
Kirk were both military police a lifetime ago.  It didn’t change the fact that
he needed to warn them.  Everyone followed the alpha to the SUV. 

***

“Mom, do you want another soda?” 
She burped delicately behind her hand and shook her head.  Shauna and Naomi
were sitting on the floor against the wall near the window.  The old carpet
felt sticky beneath her and was reminiscent of nineteen seventy-five.  It was
avocado with gold flecks through it but it matched the ugle bedspread.  The
paneling on the wall behind her was scratchy and there was a small hole a few
feet away at the base.  Shauna prayed that a mouse did not poke through there
or she would pass out like her sister was trying to do.  Naomi didn’t look good
to Shauna, she kept trying to nod off but Shauna kept nudging her awake.  She
was worried that Naomi may have a concussion after that shot to the temple. 
Shauna suddenly looked over at Victor.  He was the junkie outside of ‘Off
Center’ that day, the week before Connor showed up.  He’d been planning this
kidnapping.  How did he know that Connor was her mate though, they hadn’t met
yet when she saw him. 
Weird
.  She nudged Naomi again. 

“Feeling okay Princesses?”  Victor
sneered at them.  I was pleased to find out that you mated my brothers
especially when I found out that your family is broke.

“What family?  Our family has
always been broke, Missus Branson didn’t have anything.”  Shauna spat.

“You’re daddy the King, not the old
lady he dumped you on.  It was damned disappointing when they refused to pay
the ransom.”  Victor tipped his Sprite back and finished then belched loudly. 
Naomi slumped over onto Shauna’s shoulder.

“We need to get her some help, my
sister is not well.”  Shauna begged.

“Don’t care.  She’s wolf, she’ll
heal.”  He tossed the empty can at the trashcan and missed.  It skittered
across the carpet and landed with a ‘tink’ against the wall.

“Are you going to let him treat us
this way?”  Shauna glared at her new mother-in-law.  “This isn’t breeding good
feelings for the future.  You may want to see your grandchildren some day.” 
Shauna hissed.

“I’ll see them.  As soon as my
son’s show up and Victor eliminates the lot of the ungrateful little bastards,
he’s going to take over as alpha.”

“So?”  Shauna said.

“So when he does, according to old
customs and laws he can have his pick of the she-wolves.  He’s going to fill
both of your bellies with his pups then he is going to take the throne from
your daddy.”  She smirked and wobbled her head back and forth as if to say Ha –
Ha.  Shauna gritted her teeth.  This old woman may be Connor’s mom but she’s
needed a can of whoop ass opened on her.  Shauna fiddled with the nylon cord
that banded her hands together.  She’d been double jointed her whole life and
in a few seconds, her hands would be free. 
What then though?
  She may
be able to take Mom out but she could not over power Victor.  Shauna saw
movement outside of the window.  Mike.  Thank God.  And Kirk, where was
Connor?  Naomi’s mate came but not her mate.  There he was, his eyes glued to
her and examining every square inch of her through glass.  They were talking to
each other and Shauna directed her attention back to Naomi.  She nudged her
hard and Mimi looked up at her with unfocused eyes.  Shauna’s gaze softened and
she whispered “don’t worry we’ll get out of this.” 

“No you won’t, you’re mine now.  I
am smarter and stronger than my stupid little brothers are.  They are giving up
control of the pack right now and any minute I will get that video then, it
will be official.  They will have no rights and will be cast out as is my right
as the rightful alpha.  Once that’s done, they’re dead.”

“You’re nuts.  What consumes
someone in so much hatred that they would turn on not only their own family but
their pack too?”

“I am perfectly sane.  I will take
over this pack, its bank accounts, and then the entire Lycans Kingdom.  I have
secured the support of the McGregor pack already and with them plus this pack,
I will control the entire South.  There are more wolves in this region than all
of Europe and that gives me the right to take the throne especially when I have
two she-wolves carrying royal heirs.  Two half breeds’ makes for a whole
Kingdom.”  He snickered.

“Got news for you buddy…”  The
window exploded inwardly at the same time that the door was blown from its
hinges.  Smoke filled the hotel room from the small charge that opened the
door.  Connor filled the doorway as Mike and Kirk came through the window. 
They hoisted Shauna and Naomi off the floor.  Mike carried his prone mate out
and quickly down the stairs as Kirk tried to usher Shauna out but she wanted to
help Connor if she could. 

“Come on, he wants you out of
here.”  Kirk tugged at her.

“I’ll go, you help him, and I’ll
go.”

“Agreed.  Go!”  Derek brushed passed
them with his gun drawn and pointed at Victor.  Shauna hurried down the stairs
to climb into the SUV.  Mike draped Naomi across his lap.  He was stroking her
face. 

“You need to drive us to the Doc’s
Shauna.  She needs help.”  Shauna nodded and climbed over to the driver’s
seat.  “Don’t worry about them, Derek brought the van.”  He nodded toward the
blue minivan parked next to the SUV when he saw her glance up at the room. 
“Connor will bring them both back to face the pack.  Shauna started the SUV and
shifted into drive.  She tried to calm herself and not think about her sister. 
If she had a panic attack, it would not do any of them any good.  Connor would
take care of it.  Slow breaths, slow breaths just like Naomi taught her.  He
will take care of it, of me, I’m safe, with him, I’m safe.  She thought as she
sped toward Connor’s home territory.  Mike directed her to the Doc’s house and
she pulled into the driveway with her horn blaring when she got there.  Mike
threw the door open and climbed out with Naomi in his arms while Shauna ran to
the front door and pounded until it opened.  “Doc, my mate got hit in the
temple about…”  He looked at Shauna.

“About four hours ago with a really
big gun by a really big wolf.”  The Doc, a tall, reedy wolf with blonde wavy hair
and huge green eyes held the door open and stepped out of the way. 

“Put her on the couch and I will
get my bag.”  Shana followed Mike inside and knelt on the brown Berber carpet
beside the couch at her sister’s head.  It looked like a typical living room. 
There was a long beige couch on one wall, a rocker, and a big screen TV.  There
were pictures of babies everywhere and Shauna supposed that these were babies
that he’d delivered “Okay, let’s see what we have here.”  The doc squatted by
Naomi and listened to her breaths, checked her pulse and looked at her eyes by
pulling up her eyelids.  Shauna remained silent while she watched but Mike
paced and grunted. 

“Can you do that outside?”  Shauna
asked quietly.  “If she wakes, you will frighten her.

“Take that temper outside for a run
Michael.”  The Doc said without looking up from his patient.  Mike let himself
outside as he grumbled to himself.  The Doc grinned but continued to examine
Naomi.  “He’ll be okay.  He has his father’s temper.  Sometimes they just need
to burn off all of that energy.  I’m Craig by the way, my mate is Lana, but she
is at work I’m afraid.  The alpha should’ve introduced you two already.”

“We were getting to that, we’ve
just gotten together.  It wasn’t an immediate claiming like some wolves.”  He
smirked.

“I suppose not with you being a
royal and all.”  Shauna gasped.  “I won’t tell if you don’t want me to.”  He
glanced up then went back to Naomi.  “You’re sisters?”  She nodded.  “Halves are
my guess and half breeds too.”  She nodded again.  “Who did this to her?”

“Victor.  Connor’s brother.” 
Shauna brushed the hair off of Naomi’s forehead. 

“Shit, is he back?  I’d hoped he
would stay gone.  Victor is clinically insane, you know that right, I should
probably keep that to myself but it’s not like the whole pack doesn’t know
about it.”  Naomi opened her eyes then and startled.

“It’s okay Mimi, I’m here.  This is
Doc Craig and you’re at his house.  Victor knocked you in the head.  How are
you feeling?”  Naomi closed her eyes and opened them again.

“Are you okay?”  Shauna smiled and
nodded.  “I knew you were stronger than you thought.  Now where is that SOB? 
He’s mine.”  Naomi growled and snarled her delicate pixie features. 

“Whoa there, easy girl.  I would
imagine that your alpha is handling him.”  Shauna nodded.  “Everything will be
fine.  Connor is a very strong and very smart wolf.  He will make sure that you
never see Victor again.”  Shauna smiled.  She knew that was true in her heart
and soul.

“Where is Mike?”  She asked looking
around.

“He’s outside running off his
anger.”  She grinned.  “He’ll be back.”  Naomi nodded and sat up with the doctor’s
help.  “You’ve had a minor concussion but you are fine and will be healed in no
time.  No flying, no running and…” the door opened then and Mike came in
sweating and looking for his mate.  “And absolutely no sex for six months.” 
Naomi and Mike gasped at once.  Shauna’s face split wide with her grin then she
and Doc Craig laughed. 

“Very funny Doc, you’re a riot.” 
Mike glowered.

“The scariest thing for a newly
mated wolf is to tell him no sex, and it works on she-wolves too I see.”  The
Doc’s eyes twinkled with mischief.  Shauna laughed harder. 

Reunion

Connor caught Victor’s throat in
his big hand.  When Victor left so long ago, he was bigger than Connor, taller
by at least a foot and wider by half that much.  That was no longer the case. 
Connor now towered over Victor and outweighed him by fifty pounds of solid
muscle.  Connor glared down at his big brother, and growled loudly.  Derek
grabbed their mother and put her back down on the side of the bed as gently but
as firmly as he could when she tried to go to Victor.  “Kill him Connor.”  Kirk
was behind him snarling at their brother.  “He’ll just keep coming back and
eventually he’ll kill one of your mates.  I don’t have one yet but when I get
one, I don’t want to worry about this asshole.”  Connor was still staring
Victor down, their eyes locked, and both of them growling trying to out-alpha
each other.  “He’s no brother to us now, hasn’t been since he left to plot
revenge against us for something we had no control over.”  Derek shoved their
mother back down again. 

“Take them all out Vic, they’re as
weak as their father and just as useless.  None of them knows how to use the
power given to them and none of them knows how to care for their mama.”  She
shrieked.  Connor didn’t turn but Kirk did. 

“What do you mean ‘their father’? 
Victor doesn’t have the same father does he?  Did you screw around on Dad?  You
bitch!”

“I was already pregnant when I
mated your father.  I let him think that Victor was his pup because Jake
Macgregor killed Victor’s father for the alpha position.  I came here seeking
refuge.  Your father was more than happy to mate me as stupid as he was; he
never suspected that Victor is a Macgregor.”  Connor snarled and pulled the
buck knife from the scabbard at his hip.  The blade sliced cleanly through the
pale skin of Victor’s throat.  There was a brilliant crimson arch of Victor’s
lifeblood fleeing him.  It sprayed Connor and Kirk’s clothes.

“No Macgregor will threaten my
mate, not now not ever.  Sorry brother but Macgregor’s and Maddock’s don’t
mix.  Nature says so.”  Panic flared Victor’s eyes wide and he sunk to the
floor in an undignified heap.  Kirk nodded to Derek who ushered their mother
outside where he tied her hands and put her gently but firmly in the back seat
of his minivan.  For someone who cared so much for Victor, Derek found it very
odd that she never even sniffled.  Kirk and Connor rolled Victor up in one of
the bedspreads and carried him to the back of the van like a carpet.  Kirk
raised the tailgate then let Connor drop him inside on the carpeted back end. 
Derek drove them home. 

“Where the hell is Mike?  And where
the hell is my mate?”  Connor complained from the passenger seat. 

“There!”  Kirk pointed out the
windshield between them.  The SUV was parked at the Doc’s house where Mike was
carrying Naomi Rhett Butler style to the truck.  “He is so getting laid
tonight.”

“Every night.”  Derek murmured. 
“New mate, oh yeah.”  Connor smirked.

“Man I need a girl.”  Kirk
grumbled.

“It’ll happen brother, it’ll
happen.”  Kirk scoffed but said nothing.  Shauna was coming out of the house
now and hugging the Doc.  Connor growled.  “Mine.”

“Yeah we know.”  Derek said and
stopped the van.  Connor bolted out and pulled his shirt over his head slinging
it to the ground as he stalked toward her.  He did not want his mate covered in
Victor’s blood.  Shauna turned and saw him then smiled.  It nearly stopped his heart
at how beautiful she was with the sunlight streaking her hair red.  Shauna ran
toward him and leaped into his arms.  She buried her face in his neck.

“Is it really you?”  She cried. 
Connor turned and stalked toward home a half a block away.

“Take care of the rest Kirk.”  He
called over his shoulder. 

“On it.”  Kirk called back. 

“Did he hurt you?  I was so worried
you would have one of those attacks and that he would…”  She shook her head
while nuzzling his neck.  “Thank God.  I was so worried.”

“I knew you would come.  I knew you
would find me and I knew I could trust you save me.”  Shauna kissed the hollow
under his ear then his cheek.  Connor started to jog making her laugh.  He had
the keys in his hands when they got to the door and kicked it shut when they
were through it.  Connor stalked straight to the bedroom and put her on her
feet beside the bed.  Shauna pulled her shirt over her head and unbuttoned her
pants while he kicked his off.  Shauna licked her lips and unfastened her bra. 
Connor grabbed her and crawled up the bed until her head was on the pillows
with her hair fanned out around her head.  “Wait my…”  Connor reached down and
crushed the panties in his huge fist pulling them free in a rip of thread and
thin material.  “I liked those.”

“I’ll buy you the factory.”  Connor
eased himself into the cradle of her thighs kissing her mouth, nose, cheeks,
and throat.  “I was so worried.  I’ve never been that scared about anything in
my life Sweetheart.  I’m so tempted to handcuff us together right now so no one
can ever take you away again.”

“Kinky.”  Shauna wrapped her legs
around his middle.  “Connor?”  He grunted his reply.  “I need you inside of me
now, that’s enough of the obligatory foreplay, inside, deep inside.”  Connor
slid into her gently, burying himself to the hilt inside of her.  “Oh yes!” 
Shauna shouted bucking up to meet his thrusts. 

“Mine.”  He growled into her neck.

“Yours.”  She said between kisses. 
Her climax rode her hard.  All of her muscles seized at one and her backbone
arched violently as she screamed his name.  Connor’s breath huffed against her
throat as he laughed softly.

“Tell me how you really feel.”  He
chuckled then placed warm kisses down the column of her throat and rolled his
hips into hers.  Connor roared his climax just as she reached her second then
collapsed beside her while she caught her breath.  “Come here Sweetness.  I
need to hold you.  I’m still not sure that you’re here.”  Shauna soft smile
reassured him as she rolled toward him to melt into his side.  “I missed you.”

“Me too.  I know that it wasn’t a long
time but it felt like a lifetime to me.”  Connor nodded.  “What happened? 
After I left, what happened?  I know you guys came back safe and sound.”

“Victor is not my brother.  Mom
said that he had a different father.  He won’t bother us anymore.  You don’t
have to worry about him ever again.  We will have a funeral pyre tonight.  The
council will determine mom’s fate tomorrow.  I could cast her out right now as
the alpha, it’s my right, but since she is my mother, I think it’s best to
convene a council and let them vote.  I will give them all the information,
I’ll not edit for her.  She lied to my dad for their whole marriage but I like
to think that he kind of knew about it.  It explains my feelings for Victor
though, all of our feelings.  We always knew he was a little crazy but when she
said that he was a Macgregor, it confirmed everything.”  Shauna cringed.  “You
are not a Macgregor no matter what some note said, you are a Ross-Maddock and
that’s all that is important, the Maddock part.  You are
mine.”

“I am.  I know I am and I love it.” 
She murmured falling asleep.