JaxThe sounds of violence reached me before the smell of blood. At the detective’s cry for help, I kicked at the jail cell. It took nearly five good kicks before I broke the bar open. Wrenching open the back door was nothing.Officer Jones had Detective Warnos on the ground and was about to kill him. The motel manager stood by helpless, his hands behind his back. As I broke into the room, Officer Jones turned and fired. I dodged the bullet and lunged at him.“What the fuck,” the officer screamed. He fired again, and a bullet tore into my shoulder.Ignoring it, I ripped the gun out of his hands and threw it across the room. Lifting him up, I slammed him into the desk.“Bishop, don’t kill him,” Warnos shouted as he stood. Reaching under the desk, he grabbed a gun and turned to point it at me. I held Jones with one hand and looked at him expectantly.With a shout, the manager turned and tried to run. Warnos tripped him up easily and pointed the gun at him instead. “How did you get out?”
Book 2 : The Alpha King's Rejected Mate BabyBook 2 introduces different characters and storyline while still maintaining The Rejected Mate Shifter Romance. ******************My fated mate rejected me,So I spent a passionate night with a sexy stranger.It turns out that stranger is king of werewolves, Rhyson Grind.One forbidden night turns into me being pregnant.But when I try to find Rhyson to share the news,He says we can’t be together.Now heartbroken and carrying the alpha’s pup, I have an ultimate choice to make—But evil lurks at every turn, and our new family is in danger.I refuse to touch Rhyson ever again, but every heated exchange between us tests my limits.Will Rhyson be at his family’s side to protect us?Or will we have to fight alone…___Full book starts here___Chapter 1 MayaThe dress was so tight that I could barely breathe. The red fabric hugged my cleavage and tightened around my ribcage before hugging my hips. The long slit up the thigh was the only reason
“Yes, I’ve also heard you have a very obedient wolf. I like that, too.” His hand squeezed my ass. “This is a very interesting dress that you’re wearing. What do you say we go somewhere more private so I can see it better?”This was it. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, to let Larson get a good look at the goods, as my father liked to call it.Except, I couldn’t do it. My chest was tight, and it was getting even harder to breathe. The room was starting to spin.Instead of letting him walk me through the crowd, I tried to pull away, but his hand circled my wrist. “What do you think you’re doing, little red?”“I just…I need some air.”“What’s wrong? Worried about your lover?”“My…what?” Surely, I’d heard him wrong.“Your horde of lovers?” His voice rose and his smile turned cold. “I know all about you, Maya Callahan. I know what you’ve been getting up to at night, and I know what your father wants.”At night? I just sat on the roof and tried to pretend I was free as I felt the mo
RhysonThe little bird didn’t say a word during the car ride, and her face was completely blank as my men led her up to the hotel room. It was only a fifteen-minute ride from the hotel—Kork’s idea, in case I didn’t show up to the ball.Already, my phone was blowing up, but I ignored it. Someone would distract Kork eventually. I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to take the redhead from the ball. Mostly it was an excuse to not go in, but it didn’t take long to hear what happened. Larson had claimed his wife, and it wasn’t the spurned redhead.She was lovely. Petite for a wolf, with a small heart-shaped face and red hair mixed with gold. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose, but there was no other indication that she spent much time in the sun. Her skin was creamy and smooth.Beauty wasn’t the reason that I took her. Beauty surrounded me. Women were paraded in front of me in hopes that one might catch my interest or that a mating bond would snap into place. I enjoyed women, but none ha
Instead of answering, she stared out the window. “I’m not really familiar with the area. Where do you think I should go?”I wanted to demand an answer. In part because I was not used to being ignored, but also because she was a mystery, and I didn’t like mysteries. Instead, I reminded myself of the task at hand. The sooner I finished meeting with the alphas here, the sooner I could leave. “Home.”Her face clouded over. “I can’t do that. Need to breathe and think.”“Breathing and thinking might be easier with jeans on.”Her gaze slid my way. “You don’t know much about women, do you? No one thinks easier with jeans on.”“And what are you thinking about?”“That it’s over,” she whispered so quietly that I almost didn’t hear it. “You really brought me here just so I can clean myself up? No other reason?”“Is that so difficult to believe?”“I see the way you’re looking at me.”At that, I smiled briefly. “I have good intentions, but I’m not dead. I can appreciate beauty when I see it.”“Why
“No. I have control over my wolf. I don’t need to let it out on full moons. Do you need to run?”“I don’t need to.”Interesting answer to the question. “Do you want to run?”“Not with them. I was thinking of a different way of letting off some steam. Are you mated?”Was she now? “No.”“I don’t even know your name or the name of your clan, Alpha…”“What makes you think I’m an alpha?”“It’s a ballroom of alphas, and you were ordering men around. This room must have cost an arm and a leg. Either you have a generous alpha or you are the alpha. There’s power in you, but it feels strange. Not quite like an alpha. Or maybe I just need to get out more.”Emotional but observant. “All you need to know is that I could end your life right here and nobody would do anything about it.”I wanted her to realize who she was poorly trying to flirt with. All she did was shrug. “That doesn’t make you unique. The lowest member of a pack could kill me and nobody would bat an eye.”Interesting. “I’m Rhyson.
MayaI was bluffing. I didn’t know how to do hard and fast. I didn’t know how to do soft and slow either. I just knew that his eyes couldn’t stay away from me, and my heart hadn’t settled since the moment I saw him.This choice was the first time I was ever certain about anything. I wanted Rhyson. I was never going to see him again, and only he would know the truth.A secret. I had so few of them, but I desperately wanted this one. I needed a memory.And Rhyson of Summerset would do nicely.His hands skimmed over my skin, and I couldn’t control my breathing. When he leaned in, my body started to quiver.“Changing your mind?” he asked quietly as his hands pushed up my t-shirt. In response, I removed the garment completely and licked my lips. I didn’t trust myself to say anything. Maybe I would say that I’ve changed my mind, or maybe I would beg for more.He was excellent at taking my mind off things.Instead, I grabbed his shirt and tried to tug it off him. It was difficult at our diff
Leaning down again, he pressed my mouth against his and bit my bottom lip. His kiss grew more aggressive, and he broke it only to rip the shirt off me. Naked and wide-open for this stranger, I wondered if I would succumb to my wolf’s skittish nature and run. He continued to fuck himself into my hand as he looked down at me. His hands skimmed down the column of my neck, and I waited to see if he would close his hands around me and squeeze. I’d seen some monsters in my time, and I had a feeling that Rhyson was the most dangerous wolf I’d ever seen, and here I was, willingly stripped naked in front of him.Had I lost my fucking mind? He could kill me in this hotel room. Nobody knew where I was. Hell, after what happened tonight, I suspected that nobody would care.His hands didn’t even pause as they made their way down my collarbone and over the swell of my breasts. I moaned involuntarily as they traced over my nipple.Rhyson froze and a feral growl burst forth from him as he suddenly gr
A fresh chill washed over her, causing goosebumps to rise along her arms. Her scalp prickled, and her chest tightened. Now that she considered that possibility, it was swiftly followed by a stark truth staring her in the eye. If someone did come for her, there wasn’t much she could do.As a human in a pack of shifters, she had little recourse for self-defense. She’d have to have a gun in hand at all times, and she didn’t have access to that sort of weapon. Even then, a shifter could easily tear out her throat before she knew what was happening. She was defenseless. And worse, there was nothing she could do to protect her baby, now or in the future.Hayden pulled her close into the fiery heat of his body. “Mica, Mica,” he crooned. “It’s alright. Nothing is going to happen to you.”“You can’t know that.” As much as she wished he was strong enough to keep every threat far from her, Hayden was only one person. He couldn’t be at her side at all times, and he had to take care of his pack re
MicaMica grabbed a washcloth and dumped too much body wash onto it. She focused on the lather of suds, trying to pretend as though she wasn’t shaking all over. This wasn’t right. Hayden should be going into the challenge with full strength. Not healing from injuries like this. It didn’t matter if he was saying that she wasn’t to blame.She was. He knew it. She knew it.“I’ve allowed the demons to delay the challenge too long already,” Hayden said.She glanced at his face. His eyes were closed, face lifted slightly toward the shower head. Was he deliberately not looking at her? Or was it just from how exhausted he was? His muscular body sagged somewhat, as though he was fighting not to lean against the side of the shower.Mica wiped the dampness from her face and started washing his body. She could be strong for him. He was facing death; even though it made her chest ache to think about it, she couldn’t let herself break down. Not yet, at least. He was strong. The strongest person she
“I… I trust that you want what’s best for the pack. I trust that you are a good man, Hayden. Right now, that’s enough for me to want more,” Mica said.They lingered, each searching the other’s eyes. Hayden saw the spark of a promise in Mica’s gaze. The tension that had been making his wolf on edge eased. His shoulders relaxed. It would take time, yes, but so long as Mica was willing to give him a chance, he would prove himself worthy.“How have things been while I was gone?” he asked.Mica shook her head. “We’re going to run out of supplies. Our food is low, and as for everything else… I don’t know what happened, but we’ve lost a quarter of our blankets. Not to mention medical supplies.”Hayden leaned into her touch as she resumed washing his body. “I stopped in to see Ryder. We got a message from Monroe, and I had to order Ryder to be strapped into place to keep him from leaving the medical room.”Mica winced as she glanced up at Hayden’s face. “He’s not happy with me. But it looks l
He stripped off his boxers and threw them into the hamper as well, then headed into the bathroom. The glass door was shut, and Mica stood, concealed by steam and fogged glass, under a stream of water.Hayden knocked on the door, making her jump. He tugged the shower open. “Mind if I join you?”Mica’s hair was hidden under one of those silly-looking shower caps. But her body… oh, her body! Now, this was a sight he would never get tired of seeing. Her heavy breasts were soft with their pink velvet peaks. Her round, soft belly and flared hips. The drab, baggy clothes she always wore hid so much of her. Not just her body but her vibrant personality as well.There was nobody better suited to be his mate. Nobody else in the pack would stand up to him like she did. Nobody would give him dirty looks or tell him that he was a jackass.Tearing his eyes from her sexy body, Hayden looked at her beautiful sea-green eyes. Exhaustion smudged dark circles beneath her eyes, but a small smile tugged at
HaydenHayden shook out his muscles, grimacing at the pull of his most recent injuries. Not only had Echo gotten him pretty good, but Kai had reported back that he and the team Hayden had sent into the forest had found a beast-demon nest. The last few hours had been destroying the eggs and hunting down the hatchlings.The team entered the mudroom at the back of the house and shifted to their human forms. Everyone had received some sort of injury, though fortunately, it wouldn’t take long for any of them to heal. They pulled on the boxer shorts that were kept in the mudroom, all except Finn.Blayke brushed back his hair and gave Finn an envious look. “Wish I could shift back and forth with my clothes on. Maybe it’s a type of magic that can be taught?”Finn gave him a dirty look. “You can’t teach being half—well. Half wolf.”“All of you, take care of your injuries and then get some rest,” Hayden interrupted. The last thing he wanted was for the pack to know that Finn was half-demon. The
Knowing she was pregnant would only make that target on her back even bigger.Tess frowned at her. “Are you okay?”Mica struggled to reign in the anxiety that was no doubt leaking into her expression. “Disappointed. A baby would be a welcome beacon of light in these dark times.”She hoped the strange lilt to her voice could be mistaken for sadness. She didn’t have the mental energy to explain everything to Tess, nor did she want to. Not only were these raging emotions making her feel hollowed out inside, but Tess shouldn’t be the first one to find out. Hayden should.Once Hayden knew and they had a plan for moving forward, she could tell Tess the truth. Hopefully, she’d understand.Right now, though, there was so much tension in the splintered pack that if it was known she was pregnant, it might push the pack to no longer wait for the challenge… which was meant to be tomorrow afternoon.“I’m going to rest,” Mica told Tess, managing a small smile. “And you should as well. We’ve been th
MicaMica didn’t know how she did it, but Tess managed to smuggle in a pregnancy test. Now, Mica sat in the bathroom, staring at the positive result. Her stomach was queasy, and now that she thought about it, she’d been feeling that quite a lot lately. Her body hurt, she always felt tired, and she had chalked it all up to stress.Pregnant.Even though she and Hayden had been having a lot of sex, and she had made the deliberate choice not to use condoms, she still could hardly believe it. Her period had always been all over the place. It wasn’t unusual for her to skip three or four months. She’d always been told it would make getting pregnant more difficult.Counting back, it had been, what, five months? Time passed so quickly that she hadn’t bothered to think about her last period. Before Hayden and the special ops team had returned to the Bluebell Valley pack, at least. So what did that mean? How far along was she?She peeled up her shirt and studied her stomach, looking at it from a
Hayden“I’m just saying that maybe this ritual is worth the risk,” Maverick said. His arms were folded over his chest, and there was a doubtful look on his face. “What will it hurt to try?”Hayden shook his head. “We can’t risk a demon getting free. We don’t know what will happen. For all we know, this ritual is something the demons put into the world to—”He cut off as Finn shuddered. His eyes widened, and his head snapped around, toward the house. “Something’s happening.”Mica.With a curse, Hayden wheeled around and raced for the house. The team fell in step behind him. The pack looked up from their tasks, startled, but Hayden didn’t give any orders. He threw open the front door and took the stairs two at a time. He kicked open the door leading to the room where Echo was kept.Mica, Tess, and Elin were all inside. Tess rang an old brass bell manically, the clanging echoing through the room. Elin held a lighter in hand, racing back and forth to light candles as Echo spun around in h
Mica squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her stomach churned. It was exactly what she thought—they weren’t even going to try to save Echo, too certain in their own knowledge.“It has to happen soon, Hayden,” Ryder said, his voice low, urgent, and… sorrowful. “I can’t keep holding my tongue. You are my Alpha, and I’ve tried to respect your decisions, but the situation is becoming untenable. This is my mother and my sister we’re talking about. I will tell Mica, if that’s what you would prefer.”“No,” Hayden answered.Why? Why did he not want Ryder to tell her? Tears filled Mica’s eyes and she crept away, not wanting to hear any more. Was Hayden afraid she’d let Echo go? Did he think it was up to him as her mate to tell her that he was going to kill her mother?He doesn’t consider it killing Mom, though. He considers it a mercy, freeing her from the demon.It didn’t make Mica feel any better. She carefully opened the kitchen door, slipped through, and softly closed it. Her heart pounded in h