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Alpha Picked 19
*** Brad ***I realise how lucky I am that Halle has trusted me enough to help her. It has been frosty between us for over three months and as much as I am annoyed at both our parents for poking their noses in, I cannot deny that I want her. I want Halle Morales like my life depends on it. I would be a fool to not want her, she is incredible.This started off as a business arrangement, but boy could that woman keep me honest. She takes none of my crap, she stands up to me, she has a brilliant mind and work ethic, and it does help that she is sexy as hell and fiery and passionate.Ever since that night when I caught her before she fell down the stairs head first, all I can think about is the connection between us. There is a chemistry there that I have never felt with any other woman, she has me enraptured and her elusiveness just fuels that even more. To prove my point, I start to harden at the memory of her in my arms.We are just coming out of the local authority building and she is
Alpha Picked 20
*** Slayne ***I have been on the hunt for a couple of hours trying to find the little girl. There is nothing in the systems and, despite intimidating some young girl who works within the child protection department, all I had found out is that Summer was assessed by a woman called Carole Berkley who has called into the office sick now.I call Ivan, and I want to cry with how distant he sounds to me. “Yes?” That’s how he answers my call, he used to always call me beautiful, and I would chastise him. Now I have to settle for a ‘Yes’!“Beta Ivan, could you please run a check for me, I need everything you can pull on Carole Berkley who works for children services.” I wait for his reply but it’s not what I had hoped for.“I will send it through now, bye.”It feels like my heart drops into my boots. This feels like the long goodbye. I need to do something fast to show Ivan that I do care, but after all this time, will that be enough?True to his word, all the information about Carole Berkl
Alpha Picked 21
*** Halle ***I watch in disbelief as my best friend walks into the café holding hands with Alpha Manzitti Goldrick. What the actual fuck is going on? I also groan internally as I see the Alpha has brought his obnoxiously rude sister, I cannot be bothered sparring with her today, she is like a chihuahua constantly ankle biting and retorting and yapping.Brad converses with them with ease, he quickly addresses Alpha Manzitti and Lieutenant Slayne before hugging Helen and inviting them all to sit. I notice the protective way the Alpha looks at Helen especially when Brad hugs her. I wonder!“Eve, what happened? You finished work and then there was no sign of you after you left to get into your car.” I look at her with concern, especially when her eyes fill with tears.“I was kidnapped, Sal. Just before I got to my car someone grabbed me and stuck a sack over me and took me away somewhere. I was bound and gagged and locked in a cage. I missed Summer’s pick up. Alan the piece of shit refus
Alpha Picked 22
*** Manzitti ***I tell Slayne to leave her motorbike and travel with Helen and me, and despite her moans, she does as she is asked. It's nice having Helen here. Slayne seems to want to make a good impression and isn’t half as annoying and outspoken as she usually is. I could get used to this.We decided in the café before we left that Brad, and I would knock and pose as businessmen since we both have a shirt and tie on. We will make enquiries and try and listen out for signs of a child. When we give the signal, Helen will approach with Slayne and Halle and demand that this Carole woman tells her where Summer is.“I will mindlink Slayne when the time is right for you to come to the door, okay, Shortie?” She nods at me and then frowns.“When you say mindlink, do you mean you can talk to each other in your heads, like telepathy?” My sister laughs and I growl at her. She had best not mock my mate, I will kill her if she does.“Sorry, Alpha,” Slayne says and she sounds contrite, so I let
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*** Helen ***I cry until I am numb with shock. Where is Summer? What has that woman done with my precious little girl? Halle and Brad want to stay with me but I tell them I need to be alone, I can’t keep up this pretence in front of them. I am dying inside and need to be able to just feel this pain, to know I haven’t lost my mind. This is real, my daughter has been taken away from me.“I will see you tomorrow, Sal, please just go home and get some sleep. I want to be on my own. Thank you, Ale, thank you for everything.” I shut the car door and run to my home before Halle tries to force me into accepting her company.As soon as the front door is shut and bolted, I hear Brad’s car drive away and then I sink to my knees and cry. I have cried like this only once before and the incident that caused my reaction pales in comparison to the loss of my child even though at the time, I felt like I wanted to die.My miserable state of mind allows me to recall the harrowing incidents of living in
Alpha Picked 24
Back then, being sexually humiliated by my husband and then scorned by him caused me to feel like life wasn’t worth living anymore, but that is nothing in comparison to not knowing what has happened to my daughter and facing an eternity not knowing how or where she is.Alan is well and truly out of my life now and I will never, ever want or need him again. I stayed shackled to him for far too long for all the wrong reasons. My marriage never failed because of me or because my mother has several failed marriages too. It failed because the piece of shit I married treated it as a joke and made a mockery of every pledge, vow and promise we made to each.I do shoulder some of the blame. I am starting to suspect I never truly loved Alan. I married in haste because my new stepdad frightened me, and because I felt flattered by all the attention Alan showered on me. Whatever it was that drove me to accept his proposal, I tried to give our union my best shot, but he never did and therefore it w
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*** Manzitti ***I watch my little sister looking out the window as Beta Ivan leaves the pack territory and I am there to catch her when she falls and cries.“He left Manzitti. He actually fucking left,” she says as she howls in pain. “He said he would never leave, but you all do eventually”.“Hey, I’m still here!” I remind her through her uncontrollable sobs. “And you could have asked Ivan to stay. He would have stayed if you had asked him.”She looks at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “I can’t just ask him to stay, he wants me to mark him, Manzitti.”“That’s what we do. We are first and foremost werewolves. We are territorial about what belongs to us. How would you feel about a load of girls coming on to Ivan when he goes to a bar later, since he is unmarked and therefore fair game. He has wanted you to be his for seven years, Slayne, and seven years you have been with him and no other. Who are you trying to kid, me or yourself, Sis? Because you’re fooling no one. Take your time a
Alpha Picked 26
*** Ivan ***Slaynes' hurt and resentment is building up inside me and blending with my own. Why did the Moon Goddess mate me with such a resisting and challenging woman? I have nearly turned back on three occasions and told her it's ok, she doesn’t have to decide but I know that I will end up begrudging her and her unwillingness to be as one with me.I love her, probably too much, and I don’t want to hate her. I cannot hate her because deep down I know it’s not me she’s resisting. What she really fears is commitment and abandonment. I don’t want to leave her, leave my home, leave my friends and family, or my position. I hate it all.Pushing past the desire to turn around, I drive the van to Helen’s house and set up a discrete perimeter for us to maintain, and only ten minutes pass before a dark figure approaches Helen’s house. I stay back, assessing what is happening but I feel giddy in anticipation of a ruckus, and I am amazed that what I thought would be a lazy and pointless babysi
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Alpha Picked 79
FANEI grabbed another crate of flowers and put them in the cooler. The door to the shop opened and Thorne walked in carrying two more.“Where do you want these?”“Are those the daffodils or the baby’s breath?” I asked.He glanced inside the crate and made a face. “This one is baby’s breath, and this one looks like curly twigs.”I laughed. “They’re curly willow tips.” I pointed to where Liv stood at another cooler. “Let Liv have them. They go in that one.”He walked her way, and I stared at him, still blown away that he was mine. It had only been two weeks since the night at my apartment when I asked him to stay after everything with Brooks happened, but it felt like we’d always been together. There was an ease with Thorne I had never felt with Brooks.Life was magical with him.Liv took the crates from Thorne, and then I noticed her checking her watch. That had to be the tenth time in the last few minutes. When she chewed the inside of her cheek—her telltale sign she was nervous—I kn
Alpha Picked 78
THORNE Nadine had asked me to stay the night, which was more confirmation she wasn’t freaked out by my wolf. This meant everything. My wolf vibrated with triumph. He’d expected things to go this smoothly, though.After all, he had already known she was his mate.He also had high hopes for what would happen between us tonight, and as I walked up the stairs to her apartment, I growled at him mentally. Nothing would happen tonight. Not unless Fane initiated it. She’d been through a lot and I would push for nothing.When we reached her front door, she glanced at me and smiled. I caught sight of the purple bruise shading her cheek and any sexual thoughts fled my mind and my wolf’s.My vision tunneled, and red rage flared through me instead.My teeth gritted together as I tried my damnedest to force my anger away, reminding myself she was safe, and that there was no way Brooks would ever hurt her again. It didn’t help.“What?” she asked, innocently.“You need ice,” I said. “Let’s head ins
Alpha Picked 77
FANE Either Brooks had passed out or he was being really quiet. Goose bumps prickled across my skin, but not in a good way. I gripped my cell tight and shifted my gaze from window to window. Thankfully, my apartment was above my sister’s garage and not at ground level, which meant there was no way for Brooks to climb through any of the back windows. If he got inside, it would be through either of the two windows alongside the front door or through the door itself.Even knowing this, my anxiety was still through the roof.I’d never seen Brooks like this before. Typically, he was controlled while in the public eye, and he rarely let himself get this drunk unless we were home. My heart beat triple time against my ribs, becoming the only thing I could hear. Until the sound of a motorcycle broke through everything.Thorne.Tension melted from my muscles, and my grip on my cell loosened. I pulled in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, glad he was here. When it sounded as though he’d pulle
Alpha Picked 76
THORNE We walked to where we parked by the light of Fane’s flashlight on her phone. I didn’t need it, but I didn’t say so. Thanks to my wolf, I could see just fine in the dark.As soon as we reached her car, she spun around to face me and I knew what words were building on the tip of her tongue.“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. “I don’t want to hear you say you’re sorry for the things that happened tonight or thank you to me again.”She smiled. Damn, she was pretty when she smiled.“Okay, so what do you want to hear me say, then?” she asked, and I swore she was flirting with me.I liked this side of her. This flirty, confident side that came out from time to time.It was sexy as hell.I took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing along her knuckles while staring into her eyes. Her pupils dilated and my wolf picked up on a light scent of arousal. He released a howl and urged me to kiss her like before. I didn’t. A kiss on the hand was what she needed right now.Someone to b
Alpha Picked 75
FANE When Thorne pulled into a gas station, I assumed it was because he needed gas for his motorcycle, but when he parked in a space instead of at a pump, I realized that wasn’t the case. I pulled into the parking space beside him, wondering what we were doing here.“I’m heading inside for something. Be right back,” he said, sliding off his bike, looking sexy as hell.I leaned against my seat and exhaled a slow breath while watching him walk inside. This day had been a roller coaster. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as my thoughts drifted from one moment to another. I glanced at my wrist. It was still wrapped like Thorne suggested. While it was tender to the touch, I was glad I’d gone through with covering up Brooks’ name. I wanted nothing to do with him ever again.Thorne came back, his presence pulling me from my thoughts. There was a six-pack in his hand and a lopsided grin on his face. I smiled back, but narrowed my eyes.What did this guy have up his sleeve? He looked like he w
Alpha Picked 74
THORNE I hated Brooks. He was like a pimple that popped up at the most inconvenient time. Fane and I had been having a good time before he’d rudely interrupted us. Our thank-you drink was becoming a celebratory one. It was great she’d worked out a deal with May and was buying May’s Flowers. It was a beautiful thing when someone knew what they wanted to do with their life and made it happen.And then here was this douchebag tripping her up.Fane was moving forward, but he kept pulling her back.“Can we go?” she asked, looking directly at me. There was fear in her eyes. Clearly, she’d seen this side of him before.“Yeah, sure,” I said without hesitation. Bars weren’t really my scene, anyway.I tossed a twenty on the bar to pay for our drinks, even though she said she would buy, and gave Joe a nod before lacing my fingers through Fane’s and steering us toward the exit.“Holy shit!” Brooks shouted from behind us, causing my wolf to go on high alert. He’d picked up on Brooks’ anger escala
Alpha Picked 73
FANE I walked toward the doors of Last Drop, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe I’d asked Thorne Beckett out for a drink. It was a bold move, but after everything with Brooks and my tire, it felt right. Thorne had helped me more than he could ever know today.“Fane,” a familiar voice called from behind me while I walked through the parking lot.I spun around to see Thorne weaving his way toward me.“Hey, you came,” I said, unsure why.“Of course I did. You offered to buy me a drink.”“Right, that I did.” Ugh. I sounded like a complete idiot!“I’m kidding. I would have come even if you hadn’t offered to buy me a drink,” he said, still sauntering toward me. An adorable grin hung from his lips, one that sent butterflies through the pit of my stomach.Thorne was hot—smoking hot.I scolded myself for the thought. This wasn’t a date. It was me buying him a drink because he’d helped me with my shitty Brooks issues more than once today. I shouldn’t feel butterflies while in his presence.“Re
Alpha Picked 72
THORNE Nadine was scared. I could tell. And it was driving my wolf wild. He didn’t like smelling her fear saturating the air around us. All he wanted was for me to fix it. To comfort her and make her feel better.The problem was, I didn’t know how.Talking to her and getting her mind off her asshole ex seemed like the way to do it, but I didn’t know what to say. My mind was drawing a complete blank, and it didn’t help that my wolf was pulling me in multiple directions. While he wanted me to stay here with her, to protect her and make sure she was okay, he also wanted me to track Brooks down and make him bleed for hurting her.I had an internal battle waging inside me, tearing me in two.I outlined the last petal of her lotus and then cleaned her skin. The shop door opened as I covered her tattoo with plastic wrap and secured it. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know who had entered. I could tell from the way Fane’s fear intensified in the air and how her body tensed.Brooks
Alpha Picked 71
FANE I found a parking space on Main Street and cut the engine of my car. To say I was excited to get Brooks’ name covered with a lotus flower was an understatement.However, I was also excited to see Thorne.As I thought about the conversation we’d had on the phone the other night when I called to book my appointment, I wondered for the millionth time if he’d cared that I had shortened his name to Cal.I hoped not.I exhaled a slow breath as I slid out of my car and made my way down the sidewalk toward Inked Wolf. When I spotted Ms. Lynette on the bench beneath the clock tower in town square, I smiled and waved at her. She motioned for me to come over, so I headed in her direction. There was still ten or fifteen minutes before my appointment with Thorne. It was enough time to say a quick hello to her and then make my way back across the street.“Hello, Ms. Lynette,” I said when I reached her.She held up her index finger. “I have something for you,” she said, before rummaging throug
