Crissy Smith - Pack Alpha

Marissa took a drink of the coffee she’d picked up at the last gas station. The hot liquid burned her tongue and tasted like slug. It wasn’t Starbucks that was for sure. She had flown into the Texas International Airport and rented a car to drive the rest of the way to the small town her sister called home. Her mind was busy thinking about how her sister Elizabeth had been so excited about moving here, but looking at the passing scenery of trees, trees, and more trees, Marissa didn’t get it. It was so big and wide. No buildings, other cars, or people around.

Rolling her window down and turning Bon Jovi even louder on the stereo, she concentrated on the drive—not the reason for coming. She dreaded going into Pack territory, but Elizabeth was the only family she had left, and after finding her mate, Elizabeth wanted Marissa there for the mating ceremony.

That thought brought a smile to Marissa’s face as she glanced at the invitation on the seat next to her. She wanted Elizabeth to be happy, and Greg sounded like a nice guy. She’d spoken to him numerous times on the phone, and he’d always been respectful towards her. And that wasn’t common. A were who couldn’t shift was an outsider. And everyone except Elizabeth had treated her that way her entire life.

Marissa had left the Pack she’d been raised in as soon as she could. Never to step foot on any Pack territory again. That was until later today. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had stayed until she met Greg, a member of a different Pack. After the initial meeting, he had offered her a teaching position at the elementary school and she had taken it. He had been courting her ever since with the blessing of her new Pack Alpha, Gage Wolf.

Marissa chuckled, thinking of everything Greg had done to win her sister’s heart. He’d known he wanted Elizabeth and had patiently waited. It had taken Elizabeth a year to agree to the mating ceremony, but she finally did. Marissa knew one of the reasons Elizabeth had been holding off was because of her.

Marissa had the same instincts as any other were and with that came the need of a Pack, but she had given up on that a long time ago. She’d grown up alone and would always remain that way. In the middle between a shifter and a human. She had many gifts due to her genes—the extended life span, the wolf traits, and some enhanced features—but not enough.

But Marissa would put everything she had into this week and the ceremony that meant so much to her sister.

The differences between her and Elizabeth had grown as they had aged. That was why Marissa had never visited Elizabeth’s new home. She wasn’t scared being in Pack territory; she just didn’t want to face all the males and their egos. And from what she understood, the Pack’s Alpha or leader was pretty young himself.

When around other wolves, the female wolf inside her demanded she mate with one of her own kind. So, as long as she avoided everyone except her sister as much as she could and kept her urges inside, everything would be okay. She would not act like the wolf she couldn’t shift into.

And if the Alpha was anything like her old one, she’d just tell him where to stick it. The idea of telling the Alpha of a territory to go to hell made her smile wider and laugh harder. She wasn’t seventeen anymore. She wasn’t a scared little girl who had to follow everything someone told her. No, she was a grown woman. And she was going to enjoy the time with her sister.

She wasn’t dressed to impress the Alpha or any men in the territory as she currently wore a pair of hip-hugging jeans and a tight pink T-shirt. The paint on her toe nails matched the colour of her shirt, as did the flip-flops. It was a far cry from the suit she wore everyday as an office assistant. She felt free.

When she almost missed the turn off to the territory gate and turned the car sharply to the left, the back of the car skidded around and kicked up dirt. Laughing, she straightened the car and slowed her speed. She didn’t think Gage Wolf would be happy if she took out a couple of trees.

When she reached the gate, she stopped and waited for the guard. He didn’t disappoint. A man over six feet came over to the window and leaned down, smiling at her.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a husky voice.

She took a deep breath and smiled back. If all the men were this good-looking, she had her work cut out for her trying to keep her distance. They’d flirt and tease with her, and she had to be strong and resist, because as soon as they knew her secret, she wouldn’t exist any longer to them. And no matter what she said to herself, the rejection always hurt.

“I’m Elizabeth Boyd’s sister. I need directions to her house please.”

His smile didn’t change and he nodded. “Give me just a minute.” He winked, then headed to the guardhouse and picked up the phone.

No doubt checking with the Alpha to make sure she could come in and play. With her own sister, no less, Marissa thought bitterly.

She kept her face friendly and thoughts to herself as he came back to the car. “Problem?”

“Not at all,” he said, shaking his head, and gave her directions to her sister’s house. “My name’s Steve if you want to get together later,” he added.

Not in this life . “Hmm, we’ll see.” She was careful not to commit to anything he could hold her to later. The laws of the Pack were much different than the laws where she lived. Marissa knew them all and had only ever broken one.

Shaking that unpleasant thought from her head, she drove through the gate. Looking back into the rear view mirror, she saw Steve standing with a smile on his face.

“Down, girl,” she told herself. “This is Pack territory.”

Gage Wolf hung up the phone in his study and glanced at the clock. Elizabeth’s sister had made good time. When Elizabeth had told him she wanted her sister here for the ceremony, he’d thought it was a good idea.

He remembered the conversations he’d had with Elizabeth about her sister when he was first considering accepting Elizabeth into his Pack.

Elizabeth was protective and worried about her younger sibling. He understood it must have been hard for a non-shifter to grow up, but he didn’t get why Marissa refused to see her sister.

And that, he knew, was the main reason Elizabeth had held back on the ceremony for so long. Gage was determined to not allow Marissa to hold her sister back from what Elizabeth wanted. And she wanted Greg.

He looked up at the knock on his door. His second-in-command, Logan, poked his head in. “I’m taking off now.”

Gage nodded.

“Want to go for a run later?” Logan asked as he opened the door wider to lean against the jamb.

“I’ll be going by the Boyd house tonight,” Gage told him, watching his friend and Pack member smile.

“I don’t think you’ll be the only one.”

“What do you mean?”

The mischievous twinkle in his eyes was unmistakable. “Steve might have mentioned to a few of the guys how hot she is.”

Gage shook his head. Steve hadn’t wasted any time if Logan already knew. Gage didn’t need any more complications. “She’s not here to mate.”

Logan laughed. “Well, that may be beside the point.”

“She doesn’t need to be bothered.”

“Well, who is to say it would bother her. She is a were.”

“Yes but still…” Gage trailed off. He wasn’t sure why he already felt protective towards her. His best guess would be that Elizabeth had shared the secret of her sister not being able to shift and how it still affected her. While it wouldn’t be a problem to his Pack members, he didn’t want the girl hurt further by rejection.