The Alpha's Read online

  Henri seemed to know. Generally, Henri knew everything. He, very much like David, was a smart-ass and a know-it-all, which meant together they made quite the pair. It was also why they didn’t have too many friends between them, especially when shifters were involved. David frequently had to step in the middle of pack arguments before fur flew, and so the mere sight of the time-traveler, or “The Timeless” as they called him, never brought a smile to their stubborn faces. He was only ever doing his duty as a traveler, and as long as no one stepped in his way, he was able to do his job thoroughly. Being a perfectionist had its ups and downs.

  David stepped from the shower and into his Natura-Dry. Two wind blades dried the water from his skin and hair in a matter of seconds. He chose a pair of pale gray pants, a black shirt, and his trusty black brogues. After he threw some product in his hair to achieve that perfect bed-head look, he smiled at his reflection, liking what he saw, and disappeared from 3042.

  He stood outside The Blood Bar in 2011 and watched Henri trap the red-haired lady against the brick exterior. She appeared flustered, heated even, and David laughed quietly to himself.

  Henri snapped his head round, his fangs out.

  “Having a slight problem here, my friend?” David asked.

  “Take her to mine, now!” Henri demanded. David assumed he meant his current place in Edinburgh, and before she could react to either of them, David left her standing in the hallway of Henri’s place and returned at his friend’s side.

  “She’s not gonna be too happy with you, bud. I took her quick, so she’s no doubt searching for the nearest bathroom to pray to the porcelain god.” David smirked. “So, what exactly are we dealing with here?”

  Henri looked over, his mouth open to reply, but the towering shifter alpha, Xander De Rista, caught his attention. The two of them hissed at each other and David stood in the middle.

  “Is this your doing, leech?” Xander asked with distaste. David pushed Xander back and felt the deep tremor through the tips of his fingers.

  “Down, boy,” David said, knowing exactly what reaction he’d receive. Xander pushed his hand away and slammed David into the wall. He growled in his face, but David never flinched.

  “I’m not a dog, Timeless. Don’t speak to me like one.”

  “Hey, if you howl at the moon and sprout fur, then to me you are a dog. But that isn’t a concern of mine or of Henri’s at the moment. There are more important things to discuss,” David replied, and although Xander bared his teeth and his eyes flashed gold, something softened in his face, and he stood back.

  “A merman,” Henri said.

  “A merman?” David asked, and the wolf stifled a laugh. Stupid mutt! He has no idea what we’re dealing with. A creature of the sea is not something to mess with. Henri and I know all too well.

  “It’s no laughing matter. His siren call is incredibly difficult to break.”

  “Josie, she seemed…” David trailed off. He smiled as he remembered the moment of sheer sexual bliss he’d had with her, but soon frowned when he realized that it was probably all because of the merman’s spell.

  “Horny?” Henri asked.

  “Well, of course. She was with me.” David smiled at his oldest friend.

  “You didn’t waste any time,” Xander said.

  “Pun intended?” David asked.

  “You had sex with her?” Henri grinned in return, his fangs peeking from the corner of his mouth.

  “Can you really blame me?” David thought of the gorgeous creature who had invaded his very being. It should disturb him, but it didn’t.

  “Did she come?” Henri raised a single dark eyebrow in question.

  “No. We were interrupted. Why? Looking for material for when you jack off later on?” he asked the vampire whose smile faded.

  “Theories,” Henri said.

  “Let’s find out for sure,” Xander said with a growl, and his teeth showing too. David sighed at his toothed company and followed them inside The Blood Bar.

  David and Henri, the exact same height but contrasting hair colors, led the way, while Xander, a giant in comparison, stalked close behind. Henri spotted the blond man, who was staring over at the now almost empty table where the ladies sat, with a forlorn look. Henri sped over to him with incredible speed. David and Xander looked at each other, panicked, and followed. Before either of them could do a thing, Henri had the merman over the bar with one hand wrapped around his throat. His teeth dropped farther, and he almost hissed as he spoke. “Reverse the siren!”

  The man smiled. “I cannot.” His voice was cool like the ocean, much like the way he smelled.

  “Morceau de merde!”

  David leaned over and said, “I would listen to him if I were you. He has a passion for ripping throats out.”

  “I’m not afraid of a vampire,” the merman said. Xander snarled as his patience grew thin. “Or a werewolf.”

  “Shifter!” Xander boomed. “If we kill him, it will probably reverse. I say we take that chance.” His eyes kept looking to the bathroom off in the corner of the building. Henri looked at David, who shrugged.

  “It worked once before,” David said, and Henri shot him a deadly look.

  When the blond man said nothing, he tightened his grip on his throat. His patience had run out. He opened his mouth, teeth ready to tear, throat ready to drink, but someone pushed themselves through, and a small female voice spoke.

  “Stop!” she cried. “The man has done nothing wrong!” All four men looked at the young woman. She was one of the humans who had been sitting with Josie. She seemed unaffected by the supposed siren call and she was shaking with anger. “Three against one isn’t fair.”

  “This is none of your business!” Henri snapped.

  David pushed her back lightly and stood in her line of view. “You’re friends with Josie,” he said to her as she stood on her toes in an attempt to see past him.

  “Yes, I know Josie,” she said in exasperation. “Wait, how do you know Jo—no!” she suddenly screamed. David swung round and saw Henri going in for the kill, bloodlust taking over. David threw his whole weight into the vampire and knocked him from the merman.

  “Merman isn’t on your diet, dear friend. I was really hoping to avoid saving your ass again,” David said. Henri was in a fit of rage so strong that words would not register. David shot the shifter a telling look, and in response, Xander took the merman and dropped him to his knees with a kick to the back of the legs, his eyes flashing gold, claws protruding.

  “How do we make it stop?” he asked.

  “An orgasm,” the man finally said. “If the affected orgasm, the siren will stop. But only the touch of another being will do it, the one whose heart they belong to.”

  Xander released his grip on the merman and stood back. He looked at David and Henri, who’d thankfully calmed upon hearing the man’s answer, and raised a single eyebrow.

  “And who are we to argue?” David asked, and smiled. All the more reason to see Josie again. If the awful and familiar feeling had anything to answer for, he was sure he could break the spell. God help me if it’s true. Love died along time ago for me.

  He brushed his shoulders off and stretched. Just before he traveled, Henri put his hand on his shoulder. “We have more than the merman to discuss. Find me later,” he said.

  David nodded and traveled to Josie’s flat, where he found her in the bath. David smirked and knew exactly what he had to do, and there was no way she could refuse.

  Chapter Four

  She screamed. “Jesus!”

  “Sorry, sugar. Didn’t realize you’d be…busy. Shall I leave you or join you?”

  “I…I…” she stuttered.

  “No need to hide from me. I’ve seen every inch of that delicious body, and I’d like to see more.” He unbuttoned his shirt and climbed into the tub with her. She didn’t have it in her to refuse him. Her nipples hardened at the sight of him, naked as the day he was born, and his erection stood to attention. He sli
pped in and pulled her to him, lifting her bum on to his lap. He threaded one hand through her hair and kissed her with a passion she didn’t know existed. His tongue wrapped around hers, and she slid her hips against his stomach. The fingers of his other hand found their way inside her, and he guided her until the tip of his cock met her pussy.

  “Condom.”

  He laughed, softly. “Future advances, sugar. We don’t need one.” And he pressed her down, entering her fully in one swift movement. She cried out, gripping the back of his head by his hair. She pushed herself up, dragging her breasts across his chest and to his mouth, where he nipped on them before she sat back down again.

  He moved her hips fast over him, and soon she was riding him so hard that the bath water was nearly gone from sloshing over the sides. Josie raised her arms above her head, held her wet hair away from her face, and rocked back and forth. He teased her clit as she moved, and when her body shook with pleasure, he came inside her. She felt his seed spread, before collapsing on his chest.

  She started to shift, and pull away. “Oh, no you don’t.” He panted and climbed from the tub with his arms wrapped around her, still hard inside her. “Not again. We are going to fuck all night this time.” And he took her to the bedroom.

  ***

  Josie lay with her back against David’s chest on the bed after a marathon of orgasms that she didn’t think was possible for her and smoked one of his cigarettes from the future. Instead of the disgusting and lingering taste of tobacco, it was like little shots of sweet vanilla that still gave the same satisfaction. His hand traced shapes down her arms and he breathed heavily behind her.

  “So, what year are you from?” she asked as she blew smoke rings and passed it back to him.

  “The current year for my age is 3042 and I was born in the spring of 3011.”

  “Wow.” Josie breathed softly. He was born a thousand years from now. “What’s it like?”

  “Desolate, destroyed, different. I’m thankful I can travel through time. It gives me reason to escape the shithole that has become Earth.” The tone in his voice was monotone and Josie wondered about him.

  “What’s happened to you?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, and stubbed the cigarette out on the glass ashtray.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way—” Josie looked around at him, and his eyes seemed more green than blue—”but there’s an emptiness about you. Like, like there’s a hole where something, or someone, used to be.”

  David looked down at her, all lightness in his face now gone and curled his top lip. “Nothing’s happened to me.”

  “Don’t take offense, David,” Josie said, and placed her hand on the top of his naked thigh.

  He relaxed under her touch and nibbled on her neck. “I’d just rather talk about something else. Or not talk at all.” He rested his head against her shoulder. “How do you feel now?”

  “Okay,” Josie said, and sank back into his chest.

  “So the crazy peaks of ecstasy are gone? You don’t feel it anymore?” he pried.

  “No, it’s gone. You tired it out of me, I guess.” His heart beat against hers, and she felt warm in his hold.

  He sighed and leaned his cheek against hers. She could feel his smile spread across his face.

  “What?” She turned around in his arms and looked up at him. He smirked down at her, and his eyes almost twinkled. She huffed a piece of hair from her face, and he started to laugh.

  “Nothing, baby girl,” he said, smoothing her hair behind both ears. She ignored his sudden change in subject. If something had indeed happened to him, she did not need to know at this exact moment. She was content, moreso than she’d ever been in her entire life. David made her calm. She felt comfortable with him, and she’d searched for just that for far too long.

  “Is there any place you’d like to go?” he asked, breaking into Josie’s thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “Like the Great Wall of China or the Golden Gate Bridge? Anywhere, at any time.” He pulled her closer to him and held her stomach tightly. She laid her head back against his collarbone and thought. But not for long.

  “Alexandria, Egypt.”

  “Cleopatra,” he said.

  “You know.” She smiled snuggled into him further.

  “She’s not as beautiful as people say she was. A complete fabrication. You are much more stunning,” he said, and Josie leaped from his lap, turning and placing her hands roughly on his chest.

  “You’ve met her?” Her voice squeaked in excitement.

  He chuckled. “A few times. She had shifters surrounding her almost all of the time. Some of which were as wild as she was. Someone had to take control. Would you like to meet her?” he asked.

  Josie felt her eyes widen. “Yes! Oh my god, yes!” She slipped back on all fours and looked at David as if he was God himself. His smile cut through her like a sharp blade, and she bled for his next touch and reassurance that he was in fact real and not a figment of her imagination.

  “Okay. I’ll take you, but…” He leaned forward and was only an inch or so from her face. She could feel his warm breath, which created a flush of goose skin down her neck and arms. “As much as I’d like you to be naked all the time—permanently, actually—the queen has a jealousy problem with beautiful women and she would probably rather you were dressed in her presence.”

  Josie bounced from the bed and practically ran to her wardrobe. She picked out a black cotton dress, hopefully plain enough not to strike unusual notice with the queen of Egypt. She had to stop, to take in what she was about to do. This was no dream, she knew that now. David Malm was as real as her own flesh, and he was really taking her to the past. To meet a historical icon who Josie had been fascinated with for years.

  She threw the dress over her head and stepped into a pair of flat black ankle boots with silver buckles across the front. She threw her hands in her hair and huffed in frustration. What on earth was she going to do with the tangled mess of her hair? It had dried naturally and from David running his hands through it and pulling it herself, it was a total mess. David laughed as he stood and took her hand.

  He pulled her close and said, “Don’t worry about your hair and makeup. I’m sure the queen can arrange something for you.”

  “Really?” she asked, still feeling and sounding like a small child in a toyshop. David nodded, and Josie jumped onto him, wrapped her legs around his waist, and repeated “thank you” over and over again in his ear. He hugged her tightly, and she felt his cock erect beneath her bum.

  “One more thing,” he said, and dropped her to the ground softly. Her dress slid up as she stood, but he pulled away and fastened his trousers low on his waist after pushing his erection down. “You’ll need this.” He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small black object that had a curved rubber hook. It almost looked like a Bluetooth.

  “What’s that?”

  “A translator.” He placed it in her hand. “Put it over your ear and it will allow you to not only understand the ancient language the queen speaks, but speak it too. Give it a try.”

  Josie placed the translator over her ear, and once it was wrapped around her ear, the piece inside moved and slid inside her ear until it was a snug fit.

  “Do you understand me?” David asked, and although the words were clear as day to her, in his own voice, his mouth moved in a much different fashion.

  “Whoa! How does that work?” she asked, but outside, she heard her voice speak an entirely different language. If the events of the evening hadn’t already seeped into her, she would have fainted. Instead she found herself against David again in an embrace. She peeled herself away from him and a fluttering created in the pit of her stomach. She was suddenly nervous and felt incredibly underdressed. But she didn’t want to cause a fuss, and David would tell her if she was inappropriate.

  ***

  Josie clung to David as if her life depended on it. Which, in a way it did, but David would never let h
er go. The effects of the siren wearing off meant that his feelings for her were not merely lust, but something rooted much deeper. No man can easily refuse a willing companion in the bedroom, but he found that even after the spell wore off, his body was drawn to her, and his heart swelled with her in mind.

  David hadn’t believed in love, but he knew he belonged with her. When they landed in Egypt, 43 BCE, the air was warm, and a gust of sand blew over them. Josie opened her eyes and gasped at the palace before her.

  The queen’s royal gardens lay out in a wild array of green reeds. The palace, just beyond, blocked out the sun and was carved from fine sandstone. Each pillar was scripted in hieroglyphs, some of which were crusted in gold, much like the double doors at the entrance. The Mediterranean Sea was behind them, and the streets were busy with people, both rich and poor. Some of them looked at David and Josie with wrinkled noses, confused by their attire, but when David walked toward the palace, they bowed low to the ground.

  “Why are they doing that?” Josie asked, taking David’s hand in hers.

  “Because we are guests of the queen,” he said, and gripped her hand tightly as they approached the doors. He knocked twice, and the door creaked slightly. A tall, thin man with caramel skin peeked out and widened his chocolate eyes. “Adjo, we are here to see her majesty.”

  The doors flew open, and a gust of smells flew in their direction. Josie inhaled them, almost collapsing. David took hold of her body by her waist and guided her through inside. Adjo led them down the long, golden hallway toward the throne room, where the queen sat upon her seat, slumped to the side as if bored.

  “Your majesty, you have guests,” Adjo said, and bowed so low he might as well have been crawling on the floor. The queen turned her head and her brown eyes lit up when she saw them. She sat straight and waved her hand in front of her.

  “David! I’m so glad to see you,” she said, smiling.