The Alpha's Other Woman by Vielle Nye (best fiction books of all time .txt) 📖

I might have made it, but the single wolf on my tail was joined by another, and another, and finally, another pair managed to cut me off. I growled warningly as I was forced to stop, hackles raised. I couldn't beat five wolves, four of them male, but I was confident I could at least get in some damage before they took me down. If I had to die, I was going to go down swinging. I swivelled my head around to keep an eye on the many threats surrounding me.

They didn’t move forward, content to keep me penned in. One of them shifted into a human with black hair and striking light coloured eyes that stood out against his medium complexion. He looked at me. "Our alpha wants to see you, trespasser."

Trespasser? This was not a pack territory. I had encountered no other wolves on any of my previous visits, and there had been no border of scent trail or any other signs to warn me off this night. How dare they suggest I had been trespassing? I growled again.

"Your best bet is to come quietly," he said. His voice was level and calm, and for one insane moment I almost thought I could trust him.

Instead of allowing him to lull me, I leveled my gaze at him rebelliously and bared my teeth. Although it was my best bet, I had no interest in cooperating. But for now I could play along since I could not take them all on. I just had to wait for my chance to dash away when their guards were down.

That chance did not come. Instead, I was herded forward, surrounded by these rogues playing pack, until we reached a clearing with a number of trailers and outbuildings situated around the skeletal frame of a building. It was obvious that the wide open space was a recent addition to the area, because the ground was still dug up in spots with treads of huge tires and spots where trees had been removed.

The scents of dozens of wolves met my nose, wild like rogues, but not as unpleasant as my past experience with packless wolves. Maybe it was because I now had the same scent, or maybe it was because these rogues were behaving like a pack. My wolf was still on edge, but her fear had lessened to be replaced with watchful curiosity, and some unfamiliar energy I couldn’t identify.

A spark of curiosity hit me underneath my fear. Was I witnessing the beginning of a new pack? Most packs were generations old and wolves seldom had the desire to start anew, but the original packs had to have come from somewhere, right? This was likely dangerous and risky, but it was also intriguing.

A woman in worn clothing came towards me, holding out a grey blanket. "Shift," she said, in a no nonsense tone.

I felt exposed in front of these strangers, but I did what she said, wrapping the cloth around myself, leaving only my face, curly black hair, and feet exposed. It would have been nice to be in my own clothing or even given something proper to wear, but this was better than nothing by far.

"Come on," she said and I did, still flanked by several wolves.

My wolf was getting increasingly excited. I tried to calm her. I knew that she missed being around other wolves because I felt it keenly as well, but this was not like being around my old pack. These people were unknown and unpredictable.

She did not care about my caution.

A man walked up to us, clearly visible in the moonlight. He was all muscle, a bit wiry, but more than adequate, with a strong jaw and dark hair. The ink of a tattoo wound up his bicep and under his t-shirt and I couldn’t help but trace it with my eyes and wonder how far it went.

Then, I met his nearly black eyes and the reason for my wolf's excitement became crystal clear. She was overjoyed and the feeling affected me on some level, but so did my memories of the last alpha I had dared to trust. I had given him everything I could, and I’d been rewarded for my loyalty to him by being pushed too far until I broke and lost everything.

Still, this man was like no one I had ever seen before. His appearance was like a dream I couldn’t remember come to life, and now that he was before me, it was like I had always known and wanted him.

Maybe it was worth trying to trust again...

He had been gaping at me exactly as I had been gaping at him, and then he swore under his breath. The scowl marring his forehead, confirmed the wisdom of my original misgivings. Alphas were all arrogant assholes who couldn’t be trusted and this one could be no different.

His expression seemed to be of disgust or some equally negative emotion and it reminded me of the way Asshole Dane had looked at me at the end. My heart sunk and I tried to control my shaking.

"I don't need a mate," he muttered.