Page 3 of Unexpected Alpha's Claim

I gave an exasperated huff. “Oh, for God’s sake. We just pulled this man out of his wrecked truck, and you’re interested in his workout routine?”

“Okay, that last part was a joke, but...” She paused as Stacy strutted back into the living room. “He’s beautiful; don’t tell me you can’t see that. There’s one more thing. He was just in a car accident, but, other than that bruise on his forehead, I don’t see any other impact-related injuries.”

“He may have internal injuries,” I argued, popping open the first aid kit. “Girls, I’m going to need the room. I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

Emptying the contents of the first aid kit onto the table behind me, I scanned his body again, using my small flashlight. Very soon, I realized that Erica might have been correct. If I had been right about potential internal injuries, there would have been at least one telltale sign: extensive bruising of the affected area, along with swelling. There were none whatsoever. His skin was smooth and wet, as a result of exposure to the torrential rain. His wounds had not been the result of this mishap. On the contrary, they had to have been caused by something entirely different. I counted different sets of claw marks on his abdomen, his right leg, and his shoulders. Blood was dripping from the strange cuts and onto the cushions of my leather couch. There was also a deep puncture wound near the base of his neck.

I turned my flashlight to check the pupillary response and my heart fluttered in my chest as his pupil contracted. He hadn’t suffered a concussion. His memoryshouldbe fine, but that was just conjecture. It wouldn’t be strange if he woke up later that night without any recollection of how he ended up bleeding and naked in his truck.

All the evidence pointed to an animal attack. Those parallel claw marks and that double puncture wound could only have been attributed to an encounter with one of the apex predators out there. This was bear, wolf, and coyote territory. Nevertheless, something wasn’t quite right in this theory: His complete nudity. His clothes could have been ripped to shreds and they would have been in terrible shape, yes, but there would have beensomethingleft on him, like at least his shoes.

Stitching him up, I watched his eyes twitch, and my gaze roamed down his torso. Erica had been correct twice that night. He did look phenomenal. His complexion was somewhat dark for a mountain dweller. Well-shaped muscles dominated his chest. Each one was three times the width of my palm. As for his stomach? Those abs were so defined that rainwater had pooled in between the ridges. I was enjoying the view; yet it was late. After such a long, hard day, I needed to rest my weary eyes. He would have all the time in the world to explain what had transpired in the morning…

2

RAUL

Creaking bones, along with a huge sense of agony in my chest stirred me out of my slumber. I gritted my teeth and held in a grunt, opening my eyes to slits. A white ceiling met my gaze. It didn’t resemble any of the lashed-together planks in my cabin. I couldn’t see their grayish color, or the rope tied around their ends. A strange mix of scents flew through my nostrils. Alcohol, antiseptic, and iodine made my stomach churn. I turned my head left to discover their origin. It wasn’t far. On a coffee table were bundles of gauze, an empty box of bandages and wipes covered with my blood. Beyond that table, lay the most interesting sight I had come across in some time. A woman was asleep with her arms folded across her chest. She was in a chair, leaning over the armrest on her right. Strands of her whiskey-colored hair cascaded down her cheek, their strands brushing her chest. Her scent was strong, perhaps even stronger than I anticipated. The scent of sweet caramel…

I pushed the coffee table aside and put my foot down on the floor. Keeping her in my sight as I stepped around the table. As I bent down, the smell of medicine grew in intensity. No surprises there. This woman had treated my wounds. Closingmy eyes, I left a tender kiss on the top of her head. I knew it wasn’t much. I knew I had to do much more than this to thank her appropriately. Still, for both of usto keep out of trouble, this was theonlyway. And although I had been in that same sort of trouble for what seemed like a million times in the past, she had no idea about it. Her kind has a saying for situations like this.

Ignorance is bliss.

It was better for her to stay in the dark. Information about me and my kind could—and probably would—jeopardize her life.

“Oh, my God…” I heard her feminine voice behind me. “Where do you think you’re going? You need to rest.”

“Home…” My response was sharp. “Thank you.”

“Get back here!” I have never reacted well to commands and this one was no exception. She was being too bossy, and I couldn’t have that. A deep snarl rattled in my throat. The beast peered out of my eyes, causing them to flash yellow in the dark. Letting off a growl, I looked back at her. The woman recoiled and huddled up in the corner of her couch, wrapping her arms around her knees as her face twisted into an expression of fear.

Logic tried to intervene. It didn’t appreciate what I had done. But logic wasn’t in charge, not after what I had been through. It was the animal that dictated my actions. Suffering from hurt and a bruised ego, it had to leave this human house. It had to head back to the place I called home. Dawson Valley, which lay beyond the road. Down there, I would get a chance to lick my wounds and ponder over tonight’s events…

Slamming the door shut behind me, I breathed Mother Nature’s free air once more.

Cold and rain embraced my body, my quick strides leading me across the street. I felt the muddy soil beneath my feet, before jumping over a pile of brush. My gaze down on the valley, I put distance between me and that human home. Trees spread out in front of me, small flickering lights in the distance reminding me of Dawson’s beauty during the night.

Halting behind a thorny bush, I exhaled and closed my eyes. The vapors from my breath hadn’t even dissolved into the air, and the beast was already desperate to take control. I felt it stirring inside of me, knowing that I needed it, too. My human form was not suitable for running through rugged terrain. Claws sprang from the ends of my fingers and toes, and my legs shortened and thinned. My hips reshaped and narrowed, and a muzzle took the place of most of my face. Dark-brown fur surged from the top of my ears, while I pressed my front paws down into the mud and threw my head back. A raging howl shook the night air, its echo filling the valley.

I bounded forward, crushing the upper part of a bush. Hackles raised, and I let the wolf guide me through the blackness. Immersing myself in the familiar scents of my homeland, I galloped into the wilderness. Cedar trees. Elm trees. Balsam fir, the most dominant of them all, along with the sweet smell of smoke emanating from chimneys. Speeding past a thick trunk, I recalled that impeccable sight I had left behind me. It wasn’t her fear, though I enjoyed instilling fear into my enemies she wasn’t one. I savored that woman’s peace while she had roamed through the land of dreams. She had been right there, silent, away in a dream, her form in all its glory, ready for…

No!

Logic had its own, special way of messing with my instincts. Back in that house, it screamed “leave.” While I galloped, itwanted to prevent me from thinking about that noble creature. In both instances, logic was helped by instinct. And sadly, the reasoning was identical. I had to stay away from her. Failing to do so, would doom her to a brutal death, worse than any nightmare she had ever dreamed of.

Hurtling into town, my luck became clear to me. It was much too late for anybody to be up. Indeed, the narrow streets around my cabin were empty. The alluring scent of burning wood was weaker than usual, indicating that the fires in the hearths had long since died out. Loping into my neighborhood, the view outside my home was not welcome by any means. Sam and Ray, my two brothers, were standing in the street, and as I came into view, their gazes locked with mine. Both of them barked out a few slurs while I closed in on them. Of course, I could suspect why they were there. I had been gone for almost six hours.

Passing them by, I entered my home and shifted back into my human form. I went upstairs and put on a pair of jeans and a black sweater, before heading back down. To my satisfaction, they were not where I’d left them. They were in my kitchen, hands on their waists as their gazes followed me down the staircase.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Ray groaned, tossing his arms out to the side. “You said you’d have a drink at ‘Kayleigh’s’ and come right back.”

“Watch your mouth, kid.” I assumed a stiff tone, stepping off the bottom landing. “Thanks for your concern, but…”

“For once, I’m with Ray.” Sam interrupted. “You don’t do this sort of thing. Three hours after you were gone, I got a call from Steve Colton, saying he’d found your truck on the main roadto Shandaken. What if Brad had found it first? What do you suppose would happen next?”

“He, uh…” I faltered, squeezing my lips together. “He couldn’t have. That’s what I’ve got to tell you. I was having drinks with Bill Dexter when Brad and Kenny walked into the bar. I tried to ignore them, but they wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace. They started saying some real nasty shit about Nora and what they’d do to her when she comes back from Miami. And I’d be damned if I let them talk like that about my little sister.”

Sam puffed air out of his cheeks. “So, you got into a fight with them.”

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