King's Mate: An Alpha Shifter Romance Read online

  Men in crisp black suits.

  The expensive tailored attire indicated the upper echelon of law enforcement, those who worked exclusively for the Department of Species Integration and Control. The DSIC never attended graduation services, had no dealings with probational officers. They were in a league all their own, dangerous yet effective.

  I moved toward the window as my instructor greeted the group of six, speaking without emotion.

  “Oh, God,” I said under my breath.

  “I wonder what the hell is going on?” Emily asked as she flanked my side. “I didn’t think they normally attended the ceremonies.”

  No, they certainly didn’t.

  When all seven of them turned their heads toward our room, my mouth went dry. “I don’t know but I don’t like this.”

  “Don’t jump to any conclusions. Their presence doesn’t always mean someone is being terminated. Maybe one of us has been selected for a fabulous assignment,” she offered.

  I shot her a look, backing away from the window. And maybe the Breeds could fly. Not a chance in hell. I’d been observant enough during the last two years to notice that when several members of the DSIC appeared, their purpose was usually devastating. Several instructors had been unceremoniously yanked from our program, subsequent information citing their lack of dedication to our cause.

  The cause?

  Keeping the various animal Breeds in check, the organization a testing ground for any and all alien species as well.

  Animal hybrids had lived and thrived on Earth for three decades, the once primal animals ascending to the throne of almost human.

  Almost.

  Wolves.

  Tigers.

  Jaguars.

  Bears.

  Their abilities to shift from one form to another was still a mystery, although dozens of scientists had attempted for years to find out how their genetic DNA had allowed such a drastic alteration. It was reported that the specially created toxic chemicals used during various wars had played a part, including the elimination of several dominant species as well as other reptiles and more domesticated animals. What few Breeds had remained were now only starting to increase in number.

  They’d been given a place in society, allowing them to live as almost humans, working and playing as if they were true sapiens.

  But they’d harbored a desire to return to who and what they were.

  After years of relative peace, the shifters had begun to demand additional freedoms, even causing minor disturbances and standoffs. The more aggressive Breeds were feared amongst the majority of society, specialized law enforcement agencies tasked to keep them in check. Although thousands of them maintained a human appearance, working and enjoying life as anyone else, it was widely speculated that they were retreating to their predatory ways.

  Waiting.

  Watching.

  Hungering.

  All in preparation for taking over.

  There was no way that could happen. They simply didn’t have the numbers.

  Yet.

  “I doubt it,” I managed, my breath skipping. None of us had ever met the new DSIC commander, although his reputation suggested he was a difficult man. He had no love for the current methods of police work, nor did he believe that the altered species should have a place within any level of human society. That alone made me sick to my stomach.

  As the group of men marched in our direction, I shrank back even more, walking quickly toward the back of the room. I kept my eyes pinned on them as they stood outside the door for another thirty seconds, my instructor more animated than I’d even seen him in a classroom.

  When they walked toward what we called the forbidden hallway, I breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps my stress was getting the better of me. Yet something didn’t feel right, my nerves crawling. I had the distinct feeling that someone was coming for me.

  No, I had the feeling a beast was coming for me.

  And he was never going to let me go.

  Chapter Three

  Clarise

  Gggrrrrr...

  Jerking up from the bed, I was forced to blink several times until my eyes became accustomed to the darkness. I remained frozen, the eerie sound still reverberating in my ears. As I controlled my breathing, I waited to see if there was another noise. Thirty seconds passed. Then sixty. Other than the rumble of thunder, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

  But the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  Gggrrr...

  Fuck.

  Was that a fucking growl?

  After a few seconds, I dared to turn my head toward the digitized panel on the nightstand. It was after two in the morning. The witching hour, my mother would say. A time for the predators of the night to feast on the most vulnerable creatures. Like I was going to allow that to happen. My gaze fell to my weapon, which always remained within inches of me, embracing a crazed comfort there wasn’t an asshole on this planet who could take me alive.

  Snickering, I folded my arms, a series of shivers dancing down my back. While I lived far away from the majority of people, the aging farm left to me by my parents, I’d experienced only a few intruders now and then, poachers who wanted a free meal off my land. Times were tough, food rations dwindling. If fuckers were on my property, instead of supplies, the assholes would get a sense of one pissed off soon to be law enforcement officer.

  At least all seemed quiet, the two flashes of lightning coming in through the open blinds adding to my level of comfort.

  I’d always loved storms, adored the vibrations thunder made, the sizzling of pure electricity. Tonight, the extreme weather seemed foreboding. As well as the darkness.

  Stop being an idiot. It’s just a storm.

  Or so I told myself three times.

  I’d experienced a dream and nothing more. That’s what was making me jumpy.

  My father had told me from when I was a small child that fear was simply uncertainty of the unknown. While I’d agreed with him at the time, I’d learned that fear had everything to do with lack of control.

  Something I loathed.

  After a full two minutes had gone by, I slowly lowered my head toward the pillow, the uneasy feeling remaining.

  I’m coming for you.

  A tremor skated down my spine. I could have sworn the words had been said out loud. Jesus. I really needed to get some rest.

  I slid under the covers, staring at the ceiling, still able to see his face.

  And his cock.

  The beast...

  “Ugh.” Even my pussy was wet, leaking into my panties. I was some kind of nutcase. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

  Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

  The second I closed my eyes, the sharp snap of a branch just outside the window drew me immediately from my bed, my hand wrapping around the weapon on the nightstand. I took careful steps toward the window, peering out into the blackened night. At least the rain had slackened from earlier, allowing me to catch short glimpses of the area outside.

  I knew the various sounds, could tell when a limb had fallen. What I heard was something entirely different. As I scanned the darkness, a sense of creepy-crawlies shifted down my back, slithering into my legs. I’d never been one to be afraid of anything, had been able to handle myself in various life-threatening situations.

  But the fear that had wrapped around my throat in a suffocating manner was entirely different.

  A presence.

  But not just any presence, a monstrous creature. Whoa. This was getting out of hand. I’d never been the kind of girl to fantasize about any man, especially a Breed. Breeds and humans weren’t supposed to be together, a coupling against the law. After a few seconds of quiet, I took a deep breath. What if I wasn’t imagining the entire thing?

  No. I knew better. Something was outside, prepared to take what...

  Belonged to him.

  The thought was riveting, delicious, and dangerous. And completely insane.

  Making certain the w
eapon was ready to fire, I took another look just as a series of lightning bolts flashed across the sky, lighting up the entire backyard. Another wave of paralyzing terror swept over me as the bright hue highlighted several yards.

  Including the massive figure standing on my lawn.

  “What?” The word was whispered, and I moved as close to the glass as possible, struggling to get a better look. Another extreme flash allowed me to catch a second glimpse of the intruder.

  Big.

  Brawny.

  Dangerous.

  Predatory.

  The four words came to mind all in an instant, leaving me tingling all over. “What the hell?” As the darkness fell over the land again, I huddled against the wall, my mind reeling from what I thought I’d seen. Jesus. I shouldn’t have had the celebratory champagne. I bit my lip, daring to look one more time as a single flash of lightning barely illuminated the same space.

  Nothing.

  No monsters.

  No delicious hulking man.

  No horrible criminals.

  Hissing, I tried to rationalize that my mind might be playing tricks on me, but my extensive training screamed otherwise. Think, girl. Take a deep breath.

  I wasn’t imagining it. There was someone or some thing out there in the dark. Oh, hell, no. I wasn’t going to have any asshole try to take what belonged to me. Not now. Not ever. I threw on my shoes before racing toward the back entrance, my hand shaking as I attempted to unlock the door. I’d changed very little of the house or barns after my parents had died, preferring the old-timey door and locks the same way they had.

  Still, when the hinges of the cracked wooden door creaked, the sound seemed to reverberate all around me. I bit back another hiss as I held the weapon in both hands, taking a few tentative steps outside. The drops of rain instantly chilled me even more, my heart racing, my mind playing tricks on me.

  Shadows seemed to be coming from everywhere, the flashes crisscrossing the sky causing me to jerk from one direction to another. My God. Get grip on yourself. You’re a trained officer. Even the nagging little voice did nothing to soothe the girl inside. I took several calculated strides, blinking as the rain fell into my eyes. As I wiped them away furiously, I could feel my heart hammering in my chest.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  There was a presence. He was here. He was...

  A musky scent manifested itself, rich and thick with testosterone. I took a deep whiff, the odor filtering into my nostrils, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

  What I suddenly realized was that I was no longer experiencing terror or even apprehension. I was excited, shaking from an adrenaline rush. My breasts were aching, my arms and legs quivering.

  Swaying, I dragged my tongue across my lips, licking off the drops of rain. The taste was entirely different. So sweet. Delicious. Decadent. Even my pussy clenched and released several times, forcing a single moan up from my throat.

  What the hell was going on?

  I was shocked at my body’s reaction, so damn confused as to what I was experiencing, even more intense than the fantasies from before. With my limited training in chemistry and alternative substances, I was well aware there were airborne drugs capable of producing hallucinogenic effects. I knew there were certain virulent criminals who regularly used them in their acts of violence, but there was nothing of value to steal in my dwelling. Nothing except...

  Me.

  Another round of real terror swept through me, fighting with the effects of whatever was happening to me to take control. Was it possible the inoculations I’d received only days before had manifested horrific aftereffects?

  I stumbled backwards, further shaken that I’d walked a solid ten feet into the yard. How the hell did that happen? Jesus. That wasn’t good. I was likely to be tested one last time before an assignment was made. If I had drugs in my system, all the hard work I’d put in would mean nothing. I had to get inside and try to find a way to eliminate the intoxicating effects.

  What if the asshole beast was actually here? What if he’d made it inside? No, I knew better. No one had passed by me. I couldn’t think straight, my mind a muddled mess, completely unprepared for an attack of this kind.

  I managed to make it inside, gasping as I shut and locked the door, rubbing my hands over my eyes and nose in some ridiculous effort to rid myself of whatever had occurred. Shuddering, I inched toward the light panel, slapping my hand over the heat scanner.

  Nothing happened. Not a single light came on.

  That was impossible. Electricity had been altered over a century before, the source no longer dependent on grids and outdated power stations, the fear of enemies using electromagnetic pulse too significant. Everything had changed decades before. Even our vehicles were new, scientists perfecting a new system that would supposedly prevent attacks on our machines. Short of a variant nuclear blast, there was no way to shut down any system.

  Then why the hell was there no light?

  Oh, God. Oh...

  As the storm raged outside, raindrops now pelting against the windows, I became sick to my stomach. I’d been told that living so far removed from civilization wasn’t a good idea. Why had I believed I was impervious to the living and breathing beasts that roamed the forests?

  Almost panicking, I tried to remember where I’d placed the single light-stick I owned. The kitchen. Trying to remain silent, I kept the weapon positioned in both hands, shifting it from one hand to the other as I made my way through the house, furious with myself for not remembering the exact location of the alternative light source. One of the drawers. Yes, that had to be where I’d keep it. Right?

  I rushed forward, my fingers like ice as I pressed my hand against one of the levers, waiting as the drawer slowly opened.

  “Gggrrr...” Him. Oh, God.

  The deep gravelly sound pulsed through every cell and muscle, stealing every ounce of energy as it suffocated me. I was instantly electrified, my pulse skipping as a humming sound thrummed in my ears.

  Then I felt him.

  The presence.

  The beast.

  The man destined to take me.

  “Hello, Clarise.” The being chuckled after whispering the two little words, the tone so husky and dripping with a vibrant hungry lust that I fell against the counter. Whoever the intruder was, he knew my name. That wasn’t good, not on any level. “Were you waiting for me? Are you as hungry as I am? Are you ready for me to fuck that tight pussy of yours?”

  The recent fantasies floated back into my mind, my heart skipping several beats. I almost said his name out loud. I almost believed what I was seeing.

  Finally, my instincts kicked in, the training that I’d lived and breathed every day. “Don’t you dare move any closer, you fucker. I’m trained and know how to use this.” I managed to swing around, pointing the weapon toward him, only able to see a hint of his silhouette in the bolt of current flashing across the sky. Standing at least six and a half feet, his bulging muscles screaming of domination and power, he wasn’t anything like I’d expected. The fantasy hadn’t done him justice.

  Trembling, I kept the laser barrel pointed at his heart, knowing the impact would shatter every artery, instantly killing him.

  “You don’t want to do that,” he stated as he dared to walk closer.

  “I suggest you stop right there, whoever the fuck you are. I don’t take kindly to assholes breaking into my house.”

  Boom!

  The hard slam of thunder forced a moan past my lips as the combination of fear and excitement surged, meshing together and keeping me on edge.

  Keeping me hungry.

  I was overwhelmed by the various sensations cascading through me, my fingers suddenly numb. When two quick bolts of lightning flashed in close proximity, I was shaken to the very core by the sight of his eyes. I could swear they were glowing, the vibrant blue hue shimmering like electrified sapphires.

  In those few seconds, his entire being seemed to encapsulate me, further paralyzi
ng any concept of protecting myself.

  I’d been able to see his long dark hair, the ruggedness of his chiseled jaw and sculpted body as well as the fact he was completely naked.

  His chest rising and falling.

  His cock thick and hard.

  He took long and slow strides toward me, his eyes still glowing as he locked his onto mine. I could swear I sensed his purpose, could tell exactly what he’d come here for.

  To take me.

  Use me.

  Fuck me.

  I was breathless, my nipples aching to the point I was almost in pain, the hard buds scraping across the thin tee shirt I’d selected. I could feel the heat between my legs, my juice soaking my thin panties. Nothing like this had ever happened to me.

  No, that was a fucking lie. I couldn’t figure out why I was bothering to lie to myself. Out of some fucking guilt? Out of the shocking embarrassment that I hungered for this brutal, horrible beast?

  Yes, it had happened on three occasions, but not to this degree. Not like this.

  Not the wanting.

  The roaring desire.

  The almost desperate need crushing down on my system.

  I backed away, refusing to take my eyes off him. He was a true predator, a man who was capable of stripping away not only my dignity but all sense of rationality.

  “I said, don’t come any...” The words died in my throat, the ones I said almost inaudible. This had to be some kind of crazy dream. I wasn’t standing here in the middle of the night with a naked man, let alone a gorgeous, roughhewn specimen with a perfect body.

  Oh, hell, no.

  As he issued a low-slung growl, the sound permeating the air all around me, I was no longer afraid.

  Just pissed off. Who the hell did he think he was?

  “Clar-ise...” he whispered. “Come to me.”

  “Over my dead body. I will shoot you without question.”

  “No, you will not, or you will be punished. All bad girls deserve to be punished and you are one bratty girl in a woman’s body.” His damn insanely husky voice had some kind of power over me, the tone floating into my mind as bizarre images of the stranger taking me, sliding his thick cock deep inside yanked at my very soul.