Loved By The Alpha Leader Read online

  Chapter 1

  The sun was still fairly high, hiding behind a few clouds, as London Sawyer drove down a weaving mountain road, unsure of where she was exactly. The trees lining the two laned asphalt made it seem later in the day, forcing worry to wash over her as she wondered when she’d ever make it to Myre Falls.

  “At least before sundown,” she mumbled to herself staring out at the road ahead. There weren’t any drivers around. No one had passed her in over an hour. The only sound she heard was the constant and repetitive hum of her tires peeling over the pavement. With one hand gripping the wheel, she reached over to shuffle the map around. The frustration of trying to read the darn thing, with its blue and red lines; the numbers against the soft white backdrop was overwhelming.

  Enough was enough, as she tossed the map into the backseat, but taking her eyes off the road for that split second was dangerous. She never caught the beast out of her peripheral. London only saw its rich chocolate coat glistening under the sunlight. The snarling grin from its protruding fangs told her it wasn’t scared, but she honked her horn anyway. She pushed it down and braced for impact as she locked eyes with the animal just as it dodged off the road and into the woods. With both feet, she slammed on her brakes, swerving to make sure she didn’t hit it. The steering wheel did as it pleased as her car skidded onto the shoulder. It didn’t stop until the side of the grill hit the guardrail with a thud.

  “Damn it!” throwing her hands off the steering wheel trying to see through the billowing smoke pluming from the front of her car. Turning from side to side, she couldn’t help but wonder if the animal was waiting for her to step outside or if it continued its gallop into the trees.

  “Are you alright?” a deeply masculine voice called out to her from across the way.

  London looked around to see where the man’s voice originated to see a sight she only thought existed in her wildest fantasies. A magnificent specimen of manhood simply standing there with his cool gray eyes peering into her driver side window. With jet black hair softly cascading down to his shoulders, her heart skipped a beat even as her pulse raced from the mild collision. His T-shirt clung to his bulging muscles, but his overall frame was fairly lean. It never dawned on her where he came from as a feeling, she hadn’t felt in some time, began to pump through her body… lust.

  Clumsily fumbling with the door, London got out of the car. The oddity of the handsome stranger out in the woods didn’t deter her from wanting to greet him. She wasn’t sure if it was his smile, or his dominating presence … whatever it was, it made her feel safe.

  He waited patiently across the road while she circled around to the front of her Jeep. London hoped the damage wasn’t too bad. Running her fingers through her long dark brown hair, she pulled it up into a high ponytail. Her dark brown eyes glancing toward him wanting his eyes to travel down her own body; from her slender neck down her slim fit frame. She wanted him as entranced with her as she was with him. Her hands dropped to her waist as she studied the connecting point of her car and the guard rail. With a heavy sigh, she finally responded to the stranger, “Yeah, I’m okay, but I’m not so sure about my car.”

  “Here, let me take a look,” he’d walked over with the sun glistening off of every black strand moving on his head. His hair moved in slow motion as he made his over to her.

  London drank in his scent of pine and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The stranger was tall, holding his height at least eight inches above her own. However, what stuck out to her the most was his smile. The stranger’s smile illuminated his chiseled, square jawline, making her swoon silently as he bent down to look at the same damage she was.

  “Name’s Paxton by the way,” he told her gripping the grill of her car while extending his other hand toward her. The softness of her hand against the hardness of his calloused palms sent a shockwave through them both.

  “London,” she swallowed, “London Sawyer. I was heading toward Myre Falls when this thing, um, I want to say it was a wolf but it was bigger than any canine I’ve ever seen. It was brown and it darted out into the middle of the road. I didn’t want to hit it so I, well yeah, this happened.”

  “I see,” he said hopping over the barrier. Something stirred behind him in the trees. London could see the flash of worry in his eyes, but that smile instantly distracted her. She hung onto his every word, “Well London, I think you should be alright to drive into town. Myre Falls is only a few more miles down the road. It’s going to be the first break in the rail that can fit two cars driving through. Why don’t you try turning the car back on? Throw it in reverse. I think this is mostly cosmetic and you can get that headlight fixed in town.”

  London hated stepping away from his personal space, but she did as she was told. Sure enough, the screeching metal pulling away from her car was loud, but it didn’t stop her from pulling back as she turned over her shoulder to see where the road was again. Excitement beamed across her face, “Hey! I think I’m good! Thank you!”

  But when she turned back around he was gone.

  She didn’t bother turning the car off as she put it in park and hopped out. Her eyes darted to both sides of the road, hoping to see her handsome stranger somewhere amongst the trees.

  “Damn it, all the sexy ones get away,” she laughed to herself before getting back inside her car.

  Myre Falls was exactly where Paxton said it was; a few miles down the road, through a break in the railing. The closer she got to the town, the more the trees opened up until finally she passed a huge sign, painted red with bright gold letters stating, “Welcome to Myre Falls.”

  A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she finally pulled up to her grandfather’s old antique shop. Grandpa Sawyer was in the hospital a few towns away after suffering a mild stroke. Her mother was too busy with work, and her father was sick himself, so London volunteered to come down and run things until her family’s patriarch recovered.

  She had the fondest memories of visiting Myre Falls as a girl but those visits came to an abrupt halt. Grandpa Sawyer was adamant about her not coming to the town, although as she looked around, she couldn’t figure out why. It didn’t look like a place that stirred up trouble. However, the ex she’d left back home, just before this trip, was living proof that looks could be deceiving.

  London made up her mind right then and there to leave the problems she had outside of Myre Falls where they were. Focusing on getting the shop open and running was at the top of her list of things to do, but first things first, she needed to unpack.

  There were three large suitcases in the back of London’s Jeep; all waiting for her to give them the heave ho. There was one particular piece of this plan she’d overlooked. While the antique shop was street level, the apartment where her grandfather lived was up two flights of stairs on the side of the building. London simply stared at the steps dreading the task ahead.

  “Can I give you a hand there?” a very familiar voice said from behind her.

  “Paxton!” London nearly leaped out of her skin, “You scared me! How did you get into town so quick? I didn’t even see you pass me on the road. And why did you leave like that?”

  “Sorry about that,” he ran his fingers through his hair.

  She suddenly wished it were her hands, gripping at his nape as he showered her body with passionate kisses and love bites. She was certain he noticed her blushing at her very own salacious thoughts.

  His smile had a magical way of soothing her anxiety, “I was actually in my truck driving around the perimeter of town. I like to think of myself as a patrolman of sorts, to keep the unfriendly animals out. That’s when I saw you. Sorry I took off like that, but I’d kinda left my truck unattended, with the
doors open and didn’t want to fend off anything inside of it. But I knew you’d make it to town. So can I give you a hand?”

  “Yes, please,” London smiled as she motioned toward the suitcases. She watched as his muscles bulged while he picked up all three bags with ease. “Please, don’t hurt yourself!”

  “I got it,” he winked tossing one bag on his shoulder, gripping the other two in his hands and marching toward the stairs. She waited for him to come back down dark green metal stairs, before making her way toward him. There was only room for one person to maneuver up and down them at a time anyhow.

  “Thank you again. Maybe I can treat you to dinner or something for all the help you’ve given me today,” she attempted to flirt.

  “I’m not so sure that would be a good idea around here,” he told her with his smile fading, “But I’ll definitely be around to help you whenever you need.”

  Before she could object or fight for her right to take him out, he was trotting off down the street, hopped into a beastly black pickup truck, and roared off back toward the edge of town. Admittedly, she was grateful for Paxton that day, but there were too many questions around him. Especially how he moved around the area so quickly. But all of that would have to wait as she trudged her way up the stairs to her grandfather’s apartment. She could unpack all her fantasies and wonderment about Paxton, as soon as she unpacked all of her bags.

  Chapter 2

  What the hell were you thinking Pax?, the chiseled wolf scolded himself as he drove off, away from London. The softness of her hands in his, the unparalleled way her eyes gazed into his, and her scent was remarkable. It took every ounce of willpower not to mark her the moment he laid eyes on her. He needed her to be his. There was nothing to think about. His wolf’s instincts were never wrong about people but this one gave him pause.

  “She’s human!” he slammed his hand against the steering wheel. He stared into his own gray eyes through the rear-view mirror of his truck, scolding himself, “You know how the town feels about you and you go there willingly? For her? Get it together, man.”

  It was one thing to help her out on the road, but to meet her in town… And the look of sheer disappointment on her face when he turned her down for dinner. There was nothing he’d like more, but there were rules. He’d already broken several of them.

  Driving back toward the edge of Myre Falls was full of self-loathing and worry for Paxton. He was certain her scent was still with him. The pack wouldn’t understand or accept any human interaction unless absolutely necessary. The people of the small town already showed themselves to be less than receptive of their nature, regardless if the pack was there to protect them. All he ever wanted to do was keep his territory safe for everyone who lived in it, wolves and humans alike.

  Paxton wondered if he should forget about London as he parked his truck not too far from the welcome sign. He always left it off the road, near the brush where it went undisturbed as he changed.

  It was easy enough for him to slip out of his shirt and jeans, leaving only a pair skin tight boxer briefs as he summoned the animal inside of him to the surface. The stiffness in his neck was painfully normal at this point in his life. Twenty plus years of shifting had given him the endurance to bear the pain from the transformation. The breaking, growing, and fusion of his bones all happened in under a minute as paws formed, and fur flowed down from his full head of hair to cover his entire body.

  Once his change was complete, Paxton took off up the mountain. By the time he’d reached his pack’s lair, most of them had returned. Their home was a clearing in the forest that backed up to a steep cliffside wall. It was easier to survey the land from that position. A slender stream of water poured out from the rock which emptied into a natural spring. If they followed the water, it would lead them straight into the lake behind Myre Falls. It was a great place for his small pack to operate out of.

  Shrinking back down to his human form, he watched the pack members before stepping into their presence. Cara and Cairo, twin wolves that he’d found wandering outside of his territory a few years back. Being their alpha as they grew into the wolves they were was something he’d treasure for the rest of his life.

  They were the first in his sights as he stood among the trees; bickering over something as usual. Cara always had her eyes open for an alpha to mate with. She’d even set her eyes on him once upon a time, but they weren’t compatible. She was too head strong, and he refused to mark an alpha female. Cairo was just as stubborn as his sister. He acted first and asked questions last. There were many battles they’d fought together but were often unnecessary due to Cairo’s volatility. Yet, Paxton knew it came from a place of love and protection. He loved them both dearly as they grew into his pack. It wasn’t long before they both changed and were tussling around gnashing their teeth and pouncing on one another.

  “Would you two give it a rest already?” Fang’s voice carried down to them from a rock jutting out from the side of the cliff. He sat up there, perched, watching the movements of the forest around them, always on guard. He was the smallest of the group but his hearing and vision were comparable to Paxton’s.

  Lorna, Derek, and Cameron were the only ones he didn’t have eyes on yet. “They must still be out tracking it,” he mumbled to himself.

  “No, we’re back,” Cameron spoke softly behind him. Looking at Cameron was like staring at a younger version of himself. Paxton couldn’t deny their father’s strong genes running through them both, but Cameron’s soft green eyes and chestnut brown hair truly separated them.

  Cameron stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder next to him. He took a deep breath in, making Paxton clench his teeth as he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide it from him. But Cameron didn’t say anything; instead, he walked into the clearing to break up Cairo and Cara’s fight. He grabbed them both by the scruff. He was second in command and while they detested the practice, they heeled, changing back.

  Paxton walked toward them, and his pack gathered around to listen, “Last I saw, the rogue was simply sniffing around the perimeter of our borders. Our scent is all over these woods so he should know that if he tries anything, he will be dealt with accordingly.”

  “You should have let me tear him to shreds. I don’t trust wolves who roam without a pack. Those Omegas can’t be trusted,” Derek asserted. He was big, the muscle of their group, and had the battle scars to prove it.

  “I’m not sure if he’s an Omega,” Cameron said shaking his head, “This one felt different. He had a very defiant stance until he realized he was outnumbered.”

  “Just keep an eye out until his intentions become clear,” Paxton said.

  “And what are your intentions,” Lorna eyed him mischievously, “We saw you with the woman down there.”

  “I was just protecting a visitor to Myre Falls,” Paxton assured her in front of everyone, “She was close to hitting the one we were tracking and nearly careened off the road. I want to keep the town as safe as possible with as little interference as possible. Let’s relax for now guys. Its scent isn’t as close as it was earlier today. We’ll resume our tours later tonight.”

  As Paxton walked away, he couldn’t help but feel the bold stares of his pack. It was rare for him to be questioned and even rarer for him to reply. But there was something off about today, and he was certain he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

  Cameron ducked around a few trees in order to catch up with his brother. Paxton knew it was coming as soon as the words left Cam’s lips, “She’s more than a visitor, isn’t she?”

  “I can’t say,” Paxton lied.

  His brother called him out on it, “Your tail would be between your legs right now for that. You shouldn’t keep after her. I know you tracked her all the way into town. One person is never more important than your pack. Father taught us that. He and the Council would be deeply troubled to know your fawning over a measly bag of flesh when we already have a beautiful alpha in our pack, ready and willing to mate with you.”<
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  “I don’t want Cara, you do,” he said blankly.

  “But she wants an alpha,” Cameron sighed, “I don’t want to leave your side, Pax.”

  “If the time comes where it’s necessary for your own happiness, I will support that decision if that’s what needs to be done. I would hope you’d support me the same way when it’s time for me to choose my mate. Besides, it wouldn’t be the greatest downfall to have an allied pack in the territory.”

  “You know that would bring about a war if we invade another territory simply to expand on our own, for the sake of making me an alpha. Whatever spell that woman has on you, you need to snap out of it before the others actually notice it. And take another run through the trees, jump in the stream or something, do whatever it takes to get her scent off of you. It reeks of weakness,” Cameron snarled.

  Paxton was grateful their discussion didn’t turn into anything more than a warning. Being the pack of his group didn’t mean he wasn’t to be held accountable for his actions. Mating with a human was one of the highest forms of treason for their kind. It was thought to dilute the gene pool, bringing about shiftless pups and inevitably the end of their species. However, there was something different about London. That much … he could feel in his bones.

  Chapter 3

  The sun was the brightest it’s been since London arrived at Myre Falls. The summer weather breezed through the town like a leaf drifting down a stream. She’d been working day and night to clean and organize the antique shop. It was a never ending task that made her tire easily but disappointing her Grandpa wasn’t an option.

  She’d only spoken to him briefly, and even in those minutes of his weakened condition, he was adamant about her keeping the shop locked up tight, especially at night. While London wanted to believe it was for her safety as a woman staying there alone, there was a far more sinister tone to his voice that he seemed to be protecting her from.

  The shop itself wasn’t big at all. There were three foot-tall shelves that lined both sides of the once light colored hardwood floors. The front space was open so people could look into the 5x5 size windows and see all that could be theirs. There were antique globes, books, and trinkets along with a desk that sat toward the side of the entrance. A little bell would chime every time someone stepped inside. This time wasn’t any different as the subtle ting-a-lingling and the door swung open.