Wild Alpha Fantasy

Erin Working for Joey James was a trip. The man often gave the appearance of living a solitary, aimless life. A person who never showered or changed, let alone left the house. And boyfriend material he wasn’t for more reasons than I could list, but the main ones were: he was probably twenty years my senior, and my boss. While he wasn’t filling my romantic dreams, he was a kickass graphic novelist that was lousy at graphics. That’s where I came in. One day, out of the blue, I received a call from Joey, saying he had a private position to fill and I was recommended for the job. After Googling Joey James, I called him back. We talked and discussed the incredible job offer. I thought over wine and blueberry cheesecake, the only way to solidify one’s thoughts, and then decided it was the chance of a lifetime. The final determiner was he didn’t ask for exclusivity. When he didn’t need me, I could fill the time with freelance work. I’d long come to terms with the fact that not any of this particular endeavor was going to be art gallery work, but I was excited to accept his offer. I needed a change. A challenge. Income.

I moved from Seattle, a city I’d lived in and roamed through my whole life, to Wolf Pass, Alaska because I couldn’t miss the opportunity Joey offered and for all the people in Seattle, I was still lonely. Joey came to Seattle and met me. Once I was satisfied he was no ax murderer, he helped me pack and move. I left the comfort and familiarity of a city for the wilds of secluded Alaska, and it was exciting and scary at the same time.

Joey authored the stories, and I did the graphics. Well, he’d draw a rough impression of what he was thinking, doing the basic stick man drawing, but it was me who he relied on to bring the characters and action to life. Which is just what I did after I read the section I was illustrating. Some parts were easier than others.

“Joey, are you sure you want to add selkies to this book? Do they even fit?”

“Wherever there are seals, there can be selkies. I don’t think it’s their part of the story that bothers you, but the fact that you don’t like drawing them. Are they too difficult for you?”

“Now you’re trying to be ridiculous. You know I like my shifters to save only their part of the universe, and I want romance. Selkies are not romantic.”

“Good because neither are my books. They’re for entertainment, not for sexy dreams.”

“Really? Then why have you started another series on shifters because believe me, they are so very sexy.”

“Not the way I portray them.”

“Yes, but they are in the way I read them.”

Joey had sighed in resignation, but he smiled as he ruffled my white-blonde hair, as only a man nearly twenty years your senior might be expected to treat you and walked away to go back to work.

“Good to know that’s what you find sexy.”

I’d worried he had thoughts other than being my friend and employer and I didn’t want more. He hadn’t changed his demeanor towards me, though. No, it was apparent he didn’t have any designs on me, and we relaxed back into our comfortable relationship. Camaraderie was not something I had experienced once I lost my family. It was something I’d grown to cherish.

Once out of foster care and in college, I’d thought I’d finally be able to connect without any stigma or fear. But old insecurities rose up to haunt me. As a teen, the premonitions and hyper senses soon went from a coincidental thing to odd. Soon I was seen as a strange freak. Even when I hid what I now see as gifts, it was too late. Someone always knew. So I poured myself into my work, becoming quite good at it. As good as I had grown with solitude.

I enjoyed working for Joey as he created. Fairies and selkies weren’t my thing, nor was the superhero stuff that sold so well. I could draw them but reading his books was for work only—not my cup of tea. His characters were ‘save the mystical world’ but sans romance. I didn’t have any love in my life, and I wanted it but not at the significant sacrifice level it seemed was necessary to obtain such devotion and keep it. I wanted something that would last. Someday. Preferably before I needed orthopedic shoes.

Joey had several storylines ongoing, soap opera style, but this one was shifter based. And so realistic, I practically felt part of the world this time. I almost believed he knew what he was talking about because I wanted them to be more than a fantasy. Sometimes, when I needed a little more romance, they were real, which was ridiculous because, well, shifters. They only existed in my fertile imagination, supplying my dreams, and the native culture surrounding us.

I loved shifters, werewolves, werebears, werecats and so on, but I loved romance more. Put the two together, and you had a masterpiece as far as I was concerned. Shifters of any kind were mythical creatures that needed nothing to make them romantic. They just were. Dominant, protective, secretive and so damn sexy they could fuck anyone happy. Yes, please.

Joey must have listened because this last series was different.

“Here are your shifters, Erin. I wanted you to know that I didn’t forget you. I think you’ll love these. No, not romance but I don’t think that will be a problem. I’ll make them tough and protective. You fill in the parts you want when you read it. And illustrate to my story please, not your desires or imagination.”

“I use my imagination to create.”

“Well, create the way I write, please.”

“Fine.”

What I needed now, though, was a mind reader like one of his empaths, or telepathic characters from previous books to tell me what was going on. In the last week, something had happened with Joey. He’d become manic about getting out as much work as he could. I was already working hard to get the graphics out to keep up with him but not enough to satisfy him. It wasn’t possible to meet his goals, which, in itself, was a new experience.

Usually, I had patches of free time as he wrote the next chapter. Then I’d read it and work on the graphics finishing before he had completed the next section. This afternoon he called me to his house, presumably for another chapter. What greeted me was a man haggard beyond comprehension. A front room that looked like a tornado had hit it, and a stench I had never smelled before. He shoved a flash drive that included the rest of his draft work in my hands and pushed me to the door. I hadn’t even taken off my coat.

I refused to turn right around. Something was very wrong. Joey wasn’t a perfectionist, but he was kind of a neat freak. The front room was more than out of character.

“Joey, let me help you pick up. Did you have a break-in? Did you call the police?”

“No, don’t worry about the room. You have to listen to me.” He was so impatient and anxious, he was angry. I’d never seen Joey angry.

“What can I do to help? Something is very wrong and don’t you dare tell me it isn’t.”

Joey took a deep breath. “I am stressed, but it’s something I have to deal with. If you want to help me, do as I say. Take the drive and copy it to your cloud. Here’s the password to my cloud for back up. I’m going to keep sending my work there. You work from home to do the graphics but under no circumstances do you share this with anyone. And don’t come back this week. If something happens to me, read every line and then after you are sure you understand it, finish the graphics if you want, share it with everyone you want, but under my name. I don’t want you involved. It’s too dangerous.”

“What do you mean, ‘if something happens to you’?”

His manner confused me. His near manic state frightened me. I thought something like a brain tumor was causing his changes, but he was completely lucid. I pleaded; he refused all of my concerns; instead, he continued to reiterate what he had already told me. He made me promise. After another round of verbal pushing and pulling, I reluctantly promised, but now I was scared. And what was I supposed to do with that type of send-off?

Maybe I should call the police but what would I tell them? My employer and friend was trying to keep me out of his place? Told me to work from home because his place was a mess and he was stressed? Yeah, that works. Looney bin, here I come. I finally allowed him to push me out his front door and watched him watch me get in my car and start it. Something was very wrong.

The cold that usually shocked me when I stepped out of Joey’s house, barely registered until I got to the car and touched the door handle. Seattle was more temperate. Here, the snow was plentiful, the cold numbing, and sometimes I forgot. My car was already freezing again. Usually, I started it and then went back inside while it warmed up—not today. Joey wouldn’t welcome me back inside in his state of mind, and that bothered me more than I would have guessed. Feeling confused and a little abandoned, I snuggled into my emergency wool blanket waiting for the interior to warm. My engine was already warm from the engine heater I kept plugged in when I wasn’t driving so it didn’t take as long as it might have. Plus, I wasn’t gone even an hour.

I went home telling myself he hadn’t gotten out into the world lately. Holidays made him work harder, but maybe he should take a vacation. My internal trouble meter was screeching, but there didn’t seem to be anything I could do right now. I hadn’t felt this helpless and confounded in a long time.

A familiar voice full of gravel said, “Is everything all right, Miss White?”

The deep voice pulled me out of my reverie. “Oh, sorry Gage, I was concentrating so hard I forgot where I was. Isn’t it funny how you can do so many things by rote, and you don’t know you’re doing them? I didn’t even know I was home.”

I pulled off my large coat as I was suddenly sweltering. I wasn’t sure whether it was because I had come into a warm room from a cold exterior or Gage. I suspected it was Gage. Over the last year and a half, Gage, besides being incredibly easy on the eyes, was overprotective of me whenever he was in the building. I didn’t bristle when he grumbled and released a near growl at my confession. I smiled indulgently and relaxed. That was another thing about Gage. I always felt as though I could only tell him the truth. My deep dark secrets might be revealed without me ever knowing it if I wasn’t on my guard. That is if I had any secrets.

“I’m fine.” I heard his grunt of disbelief, and I was somehow comforted. He cared.

I immediately remembered the time, last winter, when he was with his boss, and they were in the office. I met Hunter while I was bundled up and in a hurry to go to Casey’s Bar. I didn’t want to go, but some people that I met there had invited me. I knew I was going to be there with plenty of other singles and that worried me. Bars, singles and dark winters didn’t mix well. Gage had made that clear often enough.

That was the one time I had tried to avoid the truth with him. I was going alone but said I was meeting a friend for dinner. Well, I was if you counted acquaintances as friends and dinner as bar munchies. He saw right through me. His look of ‘now you’ve done it’ made my panties steam and my belly wiggle so much, I confessed my actual plans and scurried to my apartment. That was when I noticed his boss was hot in a severe kind of way. Hunter must have thought I was a flake. He might not be wrong.

I anticipated what Gage would do if he caught me, and I almost wished he would. Well, I did wish it but didn’t want to acknowledge that fact, officially. I envisioned what it would be like for him to punish me for telling him anything but the unvarnished truth. Once inside my apartment, I locked the door and brought myself off, imagining his hands on me, his chastisement, his hunger. Best. Afternoon. Ever.

If I were looking for a boyfriend, Gage would have been my first choice if he weren’t so fierce. It seemed that every time I went on a date, which was three whole times since moving here, he was in the building if I told him in advance or found his way into the building to greet me home if I didn’t tell him. The only date I allowed back to my apartment gained a growl from Gage so intimidating that I’m sure my companion decided he needed to leave, fast. After a few days, I knew the poor man heard Gage because he never called back. I almost told him he owed me for running my prospective boyfriend off, but I held my sassy tongue.

“Miss White, that’s how bad things happen to attractive women. I’ve told you—”

“Erin, remember?” I said to cut him off. He gave me that raised eyebrow. Damn, that was so hot. “I know you’re right. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

His demeanor changed. He was attentive. “Can I help? Spank your ass so you will remember to pay attention, maybe?”

“Um, no, thank you. I promise to be more careful.” Why I loved the thought of that threat becoming a reality, I would not consider. Not now, anyway, regardless of the way my body was chanting, ‘bend over’.

“You’ve promised before. I think you need me to paddle that ass and take care of you.”

“Um… Maybe? No, sorry, sorry. You might be able to help if you know about shifters and writers and crazy employers. But being a hot, hunky security guy doesn’t quite fill my most urgent need right now.” Not sure where I found the bravery to be so sassy, but I didn’t regret it even though I’m sporting a wet pair of panties and a hot face.

Gage went still, and I watched him for a moment as he seemed to process what I said.

“Sorry to throw you with my bad mood. I’m just frustrated, and well, you asked.” I shrugged and started towards the elevator.

“What about shifters and the rest?” His wide grin is what I could only interpret as predatory. I wished that I felt confident enough to kiss that man because he would have become the face on my shifter dreams for sure. It might still happen, I told myself fueled by the realization that my panties were damper, my pussy, slippery. He was still waiting for an answer. Think girl.

Gage Erin White was the cutest, tastiest morsel my wolf or I had ever seen or been attracted to, but she was also either the most naïve or the riskiest woman I knew. It was apparent she didn’t have anyone to take care of her, or they would have already handled her unsafe behavior. Didn’t she know in this area of Alaska the female population hadn’t increased the way it had in other, more populated, areas of the state? In the less dense areas, hunters, trappers, loners would see her as prime sexy real estate, and that was from the male human perspective. The younger shifter population would love to take her for a ride. Her unprotected time was fraught with danger.

She had luscious hips and rounded bottom that had a distinctively gentle sway as she sashayed through the building, but she had breasts that could bring a man to his knees. They weren’t huge but ample, certainly and firm, yet still soft. Once, I was in the right place to catch her as she tripped. Those pillowy mounds of flesh pressed against my chest made my wolf howl.

Not only physically enticing, Erin had an almost ethereal aura of goodness that encased a sassy strength, an indomitable spirit that called to me. Any other woman that I’d lusted after, I’d bedded with few exceptions and didn’t crave more. I didn’t want to just bed Erin, I desired her and expected to claim and keep her when she was ready.

She gave me a forlorn sigh. “Nothing. I’ll figure it out. I’m fine, really. Thanks for asking.”

Her demeanor had a lingering essence of sadness, and I vowed I wouldn’t add to her sense of abandonment. It was that side that called to my nurturing animal the strongest and that side I fought most to contain around her. Few of my pack had the daddy urge to the level I did. I liked pampering my women, and I looked forward to the cuddle after a hard session of sex or administering punishment to a naughty girl. I seemed to have that strong nurturing and protection response in spades for only one woman, and she was human.

I opened my arms, and she sunk into their shelter. I took her bag from her shoulder and slid it to the floor. “I’m sorry it was such a stressful week, baby girl. Who can I maim or destroy to make it better?”

“Maim or destroy?”

I answered trying to interject humor that I didn’t feel. “Killing is against the law.”

She giggled just a little bit, and my wolf relaxed. “Hmm, this right here is the best thing I’ve had all year.” I pulled her closer. She laid her head on my chest and sniffed. “Mmm, you smell so good.”

I’d spent months thinking about why Erin might entice me so much, given her biology. I concluded there was something distinctive about her; her biology was unusual. She smelled different. To a shifter, that meant something. But there was another quality I had yet to identify. She was so unique, in fact, that I could understand why fellow shifters, desperate to have some type of love commitment, might consider outside of their kind. I wanted to keep her.

At first sight, I had wanted to bed her, plain and simple. I’d bedded other humans. But this was more. Like some of my fellow shifters had done, I had contemplated in recent weeks, that I might consider more with Erin. She got me and wasn’t intimidated by my mannerisms or size. It was apparent her intelligence was high, and her compassion was deep. Her senses were sharper than the average mammal, nearly rivaling mine and that right there was confusing. I’d never heard of a human with that type of sensory perception that wasn’t a mixed breed. And she needed me.

She was what non-shape shifters called a submissive. In my world, most submitted to someone’s authority and accepted it as a natural way of life. A comforting security in the hierarchy of life. In my community or territorial pack, I was the beta to my littermate Joshua Hunter, who held the Alpha position. I also held the second in command in Hunter’s business world, was his silent partner, and we liked to share our women. But we hadn’t ever discussed mating except with shifters. Those who did, often ménage mated with another shifter as they readily accepted multiple life partners.

It was well known that a mixed breed was more difficult if raised as human. Females were few and sometimes far between. There were not enough full female shifters to go around, necessitating looking elsewhere. Also, there was the issue of inbreeding that the world of shifters took very seriously.

I heard a stifled sniffle. “Honey, what’s wrong?” I almost said, ‘tell daddy’, which I felt sure would have ruined my slow, methodical stalking of this woman.

I kissed the top of her head, and she jumped as if startled, then snuggled in and a whimper slipped out. Erin had that distant look she had when something was preoccupying her, like trying to figure out a life solution—or listening to the essence of the Earth’s tempo around her. At those times, she wasn’t cognizant of her surroundings until jolted from her reverie. It was this that first alerted me to those hidden, almost mystical depths that made her unique.

Zoning out also made her a prime target. Since I had already discussed this with her ad nauseam, my wolf wanted to punish her for doing it again after so many warnings and then take advantage of her remorse. But I had to acknowledge reluctantly that often she had no control. That was why she needed a full-time keeper.

She wasn’t mine, although today, with her in my arms, I considered how that would play out. As my Alpha, Hunter would need to click with my choice. Since we often shared, I saw no reason why we would not do so in our bonding. However, most human women tended to be a bit squeamish about that. And the whole werewolf issue might put a damper on things, but somehow, with Erin, I wasn’t as worried about that.

I would have to talk to Hunter about taking a mate or at least importing more females from other territories. Maybe go into Anchorage and find a few. The presence of shapeshifters in Alaska was something people didn’t question, although we would never reveal ourselves outside of the pack. It was too dangerous because of the ‘outsiders’ or those from ‘down south’, those who came from the lower forty-eight states. The native people, however, had known of our existence forever. That was why they had so many retellings of how animal and man shifted from one to another. It was an accepted fact of life. It was the rest of the populace who caused the trouble. With Erin’s premonitions, it wouldn’t be as hard for her to accept.

“Erin, sweetheart, I’m worried about you. You seem concerned about something. I can help if you let me.”

She smiled ruefully. “I wish you could, but you can’t. However, if you were a werecat or werewolf or something, at least I’d be distracted.” She laughed. “I’m going to do a little work, then grab a glass of wine, and snuggle up to a shifter book boyfriend. That helps everything.”

She pushed out of my arms in sudden embarrassment. Her smile was self-deprecating as she trotted off to find her hiding spot behind her apartment door. I often passed her door to listen to her going about her day. Yeah, I had it bad.

“Eat a decent dinner first,” I growled.

“I will.”

She waved as she entered the elevator and I could tell she wasn’t going to listen to me. The elevator doors closed on her obstinance and my frustration. Again my hand itched, and my cock twitched. She might be the death of me. And what a sweet death it would be, but I hated it when she was hiding things and didn’t let me in. I’d been falling in love with this woman for over a year now and she’d just added another chink in my armor. Erin loved shifters. I could be her lover. The lips that she bit regularly were often in my dreams.

I wanted this woman, and after I spanked her ass for all the times she made herself vulnerable, I’d cuddle her in my arms until she stopped crying, and finally, I would take her hard and completely. Then I’d spank her for all her teasing before marking her with my scent so no one else would take her. No, that was for the bonding ritual that featured Erin in my dreams, not just tasting to satisfy my hunger.

Yeah, I was going to talk to Hunter about finding us a woman to share. Erin might have spoiled me for life-bonding right now, but a wolf had needs. My wolf was crying out for Erin, and I needed to appease him in some way. After watching her hot little ass disappear in the elevator, I called Hunter. Maybe we needed to check out this job and employer she had. And go for a run. And talk about Erin coming to our bed.

***

Erin My mind kept taking over. I tried to talk to Joey, reason with him but did I try hard enough? One of the many questions that plagued my confused brain as I tried to find something that sounded like I wanted to eat it. There was one pizza place that delivered, but they could only bring it to the building foyer. Gage had vetoed anyone entering without escort or prior approval since one of the older ladies was harassed by an unauthorized person when she came into the hallway.

Gage changed the protocol, so I have to meet them downstairs. Actually, what he said to me when he laid out his edict, was a security guy would greet them at the door, and I was forbidden to do so except if it was a friend. Like I have any. Well, damn it, it’s Friday night and I’ve had all I can handle with men telling me what they think I should do. Except Gage isn’t an ass, he was looking out for my safety.

It’s his job, I try to tell myself, but it didn’t help. Gage was my knight in shining armor with what I’m sure I’ve heard called a ‘daddy’ thing. I sighed and called in the all meat pizza with extra pepperoni and calculated the time I should go down to receive it. Gage should be gone soon, so he wouldn’t chew me out for not telling him to grab it for me. Or that I’m overexposed in my comfy nightshirt. That man was incredibly protective, and I loved it, on most days. Call made, I went back to fret over the issues with Joey.

What was so important that he had to hurry and get his final story told? It was the last book for this series, surely. Joey had always said that prematurely ending a good series was a bad idea and a flashing neon sign to a problem. I hadn’t been able to get more than a little peek at this last book, but I knew there were a lot of loose ends that the reader would have at the end of the previous installment. It would take more than one book to end this well. Because I trusted Joey knew what he was doing, I complied with his wishes. I loaded the draft directly to my cloud, hiding it well. I’d look at it later.

Right now, in case the whole Joey situation wasn’t scary enough, all those late nights spent watching cop shows, mysteries, and the like tramped through my brain to aid in building my fears. I called Joey. No answer. I just left him a little while ago. Maybe he was taking a nap. He had no circadian rhythm, destroyed by writing at all hours of the day and night. I checked the time and went for the door, leaving it open and my shoes off as I raced downstairs to wait for the delivery guy. Wolf Pass possessed two places that delivered: the pizza place and the Chinese place. Both were small mom and pop businesses, and they made the best food.

I saw a man arrive at the door holding an insulated bag presumably with my pizza. I was cold already, standing in the downstairs foyer because of the after-work door traffic. Without looking to see if there was a security man in the office to help me like Gage had instructed me to do, I opened the door to the hooded driver. Gage would have had a fit if he’d seen. That knowledge nearly caused me to slam the door shut again, but I shook that persistent worry from my head. Nonetheless, I did think it lucky for me that it was after he usually went home.

“Thank you for the delivery.” I held out the money.

The early January frigid cold swirled in, bringing with it powdered snow and frosty wind that chilled me to the bone as I accepted the pizza and paid the bundled-up man. He grabbed the money and held my hand a minute too long. I had a sense of being held captive, and I yanked my hand back, his nail scratching my palm, but he didn’t let go. I saw when he glanced over my head and dropped my hand.

“Have a nice night,” came out muffled as he rushed off.

I looked at my hand that stung where he’d scratched me. I started to put it in my mouth to lick my wound, but a large hand grabbed my wrist and flipped my hand to display my palm. When he saw the scratch, the owner of the big paw grunted. It wasn’t a real wound because it didn’t bleed much.

I didn’t have to look up to know who it was behind me, or who had my wrist. My heart sank as I prepared for the lecture. I gathered my flannel nightshirt around me and shoved at the door. Gage’s large hand pushed it the rest of the way closed.

“What were you doing, little girl?” he asked. His voice was low and deliberate, menacing. My belly started the acrobatics over again at the alpha tones.

“I’m hardly a little girl, but I would have thought it was obvious. I was hungry. You told me to eat.”

He stood and looked at me for a moment before reaching down and taking the box. “Hey, I can carry… is that dried blood?” I knew it wasn’t from my newly acquired scratch because there was little, to no blood. There was, however, a rather large bit on the corner of the box.

Gage was instantly alert. “Where?”

I reached over to point at it. “Right there on the edge. Someone must have cut themselves. Maybe the delivery guy.”

“And it seeped through the bag?” He sniffed at the corner and made a face.

“Oh, right, that wouldn’t work, would it?” I tried to puzzle it out. “Look, I don’t know, I’m just guessing but pizza, pizza sauce?”

I know I sounded testy, but I’d had a hard day, and I wanted to eat dinner, and that’s all. Gage always heats my blood and makes me a little unsteady. He put his arm around me, and I wanted to lean in, but I refused on principle.

“Let’s get you back to your apartment.” He looked down at my feet. “You have no shoes on, and you have nothing but a nightshirt to cover you. You need a spanking and a keeper. No, you need a daddy.”

I was right. My clit tingled and the muscles at the apex of my thighs actually clenched. I had to fight this attraction.

“I’ve been taking care of my own needs for more years than you can imagine.”

His voice lowered. “Don’t you think it’s time you let someone else help?”

I didn’t know what to say because the words stuck in my throat. Yes, I thought it was past time and precisely what I’d want. But I would never make myself vulnerable. I dropped my eyes.

“No.” My insides fairly jumped in disagreement, and I cringed.

He growled at my words, and his eyes brightened to a color close to silver. He knew I lied. He held the pizza box with one hand, and the other slipped around my waist, pulling me towards the staircase. I realized how big Gage actually was and how long his legs were as he took two steps at once but could have easily taken three at a time. He slowed to one step at a time for me. We made it to my landing, and he froze as he saw my door wasn’t only ajar, but at least a quarter open. I’d only left it cracked open. I stopped. He made a noise I’d swear was a growl. I shivered and felt his hold on my waist tighten.