Annie Nicholas - The Alpha

Eric was a lover.

“No, it’s not. Point made, but I’m not the one you truly have to convince. There’s a warehouse full of female werewolves duking it out as we speak. What are you going to do, Alpha?”

“Shit if I know. Let’s go before someone gets seriously hurt.”

Daedalus shifted the car back into motion and drove to the warehouse where Eric had killed Michael, the old Ayumu alpha. Forest surrounded the building as it tried to reclaim this abandoned area. It was ideal for the pack to use.

Eric hated the place. Not just because it held bad memories but it symbolized the way the pack lived their lives. Hidden and abandoned by humanity. Things needed to change and as alpha it became his responsibility.

Ten cars sat in the parking lot by the entrance. A low growl rumbled in his throat. Daedalus heard through the grapevine some of the females were forming challenge rounds tonight, but Eric hoped the rumor to be false. When he took control of the pack, he’d asked them for a year before he picked a mate. His one year anniversary passed a month ago. Since then, the women with ambition to lead next to him had been challenging each other to obtain dominance. The one who wins gets the prize. Him.

They parked next to the cars. “What next, Alpha?”

“If I break this challenge up, they’ll start another one tomorrow. I’m getting tired of these games.”

Daedalus leaned his seat back and placed his hands behind his head. “If you need me, holler. I’ll come running.”

To add to Eric’s stress, over the last few weeks Daedalus had stopped being a physical presence at his side. Time to cut the apron strings, he’d said.

“Sure you will.”

The vampire grinned and flashed his fangs.

Eric opened the car door and climbed out. He stretched since his six-foot frame felt cramped after being folded into the sports car. A faint cry of cheering came from the warehouse. He rolled his eyes. How was he going to deal with this?

He walked to the door and entered the building. Two werewolves fought inside a cacophonous ring of crazed women and snarling beasts. The larger of the fighters smashed her opponent to the ground, then pinned her with a clawed foot. She howled her win.

At least these fights weren’t to the death.

After she gloated, the female beast looked in his direction. From her scent, he recognized her as Clair, the most dominant of the challengers so far. She changed back to her female form, her fur melted to smooth skin and her bones slid into place without a single pop. Her long brown hair fell to her hips but instead of using it to cover her nudity, she flung it over her shoulders. The others turned to stare at him.

Show no fear . I’m bigger and stronger than them. He swallowed. “Time to go home everyone. Fun’s over.” With a gesture of his arms to scatter, he approached the group. A few whimpered and crawled away but most stood their ground. They were competing to be the alpha female after all. “I said it’s time to leave.” He glared at each one.

Four others walked away, which left three facing him. Clair crossed her arms under her bare breasts. “If you won’t choose a mate then the Accords state we’re entitled to fight for it.”

She used the Accords against him. The very thing he’d done to get Michael into the challenge ring. Most paranormal races still followed the general laws set down centuries ago. Vampires, merpeople, selkies, and other Were races, but the werewolf population had forgotten them. Eric suspected on purpose but couldn’t figure out why. He brought the Accords back to the Ayumu— the Omegas, he needed to stop thinking of them as separate.

“I’m very aware of your rights, Clair, but I’ve found a potential mate. These challenges are over until I’ve courted her.”

“You can’t do that now! We gave you a year.” Clair howled and changed back to beast form. It took strength and stamina to transform twice in a short period of time. Eric had no doubt who would win those challenges and didn’t care for Clair one bit.

She and the other two females stalked toward him.

His beast roared and tore from his body. He was going to kick their disobedient, mangy asses.

Clair crouched low to the ground and stalked on all fours while her two companions circled him on either side. The woman on his right started to change into her beast form but couldn’t complete the act. She crumpled to the ground in an exhausted heap.

He sighed at the sight. It was irresponsible of Clair to encourage acts of stupidity from her pack mates. A Were could die if caught in such a state. What kind of leader would she be? His pack would wither and die if she became their heart.

Without further contemplation, Eric pounced on the woman to his left, who remained in her human form. He threw her against the wall. Her head banged against the hard surface, and she fell to her knees. She was lucky he restrained his beast. It wanted her unconscious.

A snarl warned him of Clair’s attack. He spun and caught her neck in his grip mid-leap. Her confident demeanor evaporated into a whine.

“ Did you really think the three of you could take me on? ” He sent his thought to her mind but could sense her beast had more control over her than it should. Disgusted, he tossed her toward the exit, then changed back to his human form. Naked, he faced her beast, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at her. “Get out.”

If she didn’t fear him, she would have followed suit and changed back as well, but she stayed in her beast form. When she started to crawl away, he turned his back on her.

Big mistake.

The treacherous bitch lashed out and gouged his back with her claws. Not a fatal wound but it hurt him.

If he’d called for Daedalus’s help it would make him look weak. With a growl born of frustration, he spun around to watch Clair run out the exit with her tail between her legs, abandoning her accomplices.

He turned to the woman slumped against the wall who rubbed the back of her head. “This is what you want in a leader?”

She didn’t respond or meet his gaze, merely laid herself prone on the ground.

When Eric stumbled out of the warehouse, naked and injured, the vampire jumped out of the car and offered a shoulder to lean on. “You sure have a way with women. Remind me to never take any of your advice.”

Eric chuckled.

Daedalus pulled a gym bag from the trunk of the car, opened it, and offered Eric his workout clothes.

“They stink.”

“Don’t be a wuss. Dawn’s approaching, hurry and dress.” He got into the driver’s side and started the vehicle.

On the trip back, an overturned vehicle caused a traffic jam on the interstate. Daedalus shouted at the windshield. “Eleven hundred years old and I’m going to fry in the sun because humans can’t drive.”

“Leave the car with me and find a hiding spot until nightfall.” Eric grimaced as he turned in his seat. He could feel the blood trickling down his back from Clair’s claw marks.

Daedalus’s pupils dilated as he stared at him. “You’re bleeding quite a bit.” He ran his tongue over a fang.

“Snap out of it, buddy. The cars are moving again.”

His friend blinked and turned his attention back to the road.

They raced against time to get home and lost as they pulled up to the house.

Daedalus’s exposed head burst into flames as he stepped out of the car and the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. Shrill shrieks accompanied it.

Eric scooped his friend into his arms, not thinking of burns, and ran for the house. Kicking in the door, he found Sugar inside, the source of those screeches as she watched her lover burn from the living room window.