Alpha's Mate: A Rough Shifter Romance Read online

  A knowing settled in, one I’d refused to accept up to this point. I wasn’t crazy. I was well educated. I had friends and a sister I cared about. There were no mental stability issues in my family, at least that I knew of.

  Yet the vision had been so real, the experience leaving me with tingles all over, a desperate hunger coursing through me. As a series of sensations kept me electrified, I was finally forced to face what had haunted me for weeks.

  It hadn’t been the first time the beast had taken me, nor would it be the last.

  He was powerful.

  He was the alpha.

  Soon, he would hunt me down and he would capture me.

  For I was his mate.

  And soon, I would become a… Breed.

  Chapter 2

  Akuma

  Her scent.

  Exotic.

  Flowery.

  Perfect.

  Just like her voluptuous body.

  I couldn’t get the human female off my mind, which made absolutely no sense. While I’d never met her, I could clearly see her porcelain skin and luscious long red hair in my mind. Visions had played out over the last few weeks, leaving my muscles aching and my cock rock hard and leaking pre-cum every morning.

  And I could swear her scent remained on my skin.

  Nicolina.

  The fact that her name continued to run through my mind gave credence to my fears that I’d hunted without remembering, shifting to my human form and taking the woman. My body tingled just thinking about the filthy experience, my cock aching to the point of making it difficult to breathe.

  Unfortunately, the now almost nightly visions or whatever the hell they’d been were crowding into my responsibilities, adding to the growing tension within the encampment. I needed to focus in order to be able to lead us out of this fucking mess.

  Lead.

  I’d been forced into the very position I’d fought against for far too long, relying on my father’s decades of heading the Streak. Now he was gone.

  Murdered.

  Snarling, I rubbed my jaw as I stared at the Netscape monitor. The teleconference had been called by the king of all kings, the lion who’d appointed himself as the master of the Breeds a couple of years before. Perhaps given Luca’s bloodline, the lion should be placed on some kind of throne. After all, he’d given the Breeds hope.

  At least that’s what I’d heard more than once.

  Granted, the fact he’d mated with a human, allowing the first cub to be born into their Pride in decades had been significant. The cub’s blood and DNA had started the frantic work involving almost every human scientist across the world to find a cure for a crippling disease.

  But not for the survival of the Breeds even if we’d been granted our freedom. For the filthy humans.

  Freedom. The word held no actual meaning for the various Breeds from Streaks, Prides, Claws, and Dens who continued to live in squalor. While they’d fled the tyranny of factions of dissident humans who were hell bent on wiping out every Breed, we all remained prisoners.

  My world was no different. We were almost crippled by a disease of our own as well as constant hunger, still forbidden to hunt the way our kind had known for centuries. While I heard the grumbling of the various alphas in the background, I’d grown bored with the teleconference. What the hell did it matter if we were sharing information? If the humans wanted us dead, that’s what would happen.

  The incredible creatures of the forests and jungles had forever been transformed, forced to live a portion of their lives as human beings. I was no different, except I was considered one of the lucky ones, able to shift from my beast to a human at will. Lucky. That was bullshit. In my mind, we’d been cursed, the damn chemical warfare destroying our destiny. I hated the term Breeds, as if we were second class instead of rulers of the various kingdoms.

  “The actions of the dissidents are increasing, their numbers growing,” Luca said into the Netscape lens.

  As others of my Streak crowded around me, their scattered breaths a reminder of how intolerable the situation had gotten, I held my tongue. There was no sense in riling the illustrious king. We all despised the rogue factions of humans who’d taken it upon themselves to be judge and jury in their efforts to exterminate our kind. Even I had noticed their activity was becoming more violent in nature, as well as becoming far better organized than just a few months before.

  They were growing in numbers, making them even more dangerous.

  “They must be stopped at all costs,” he continued.

  “What the hell are they afraid of, Luca? The great serum that was developed last year enabling our different species to produce offspring hasn’t taken priority for any human leaders. There’s no established date for release, at least that I’ve heard of,” Braxton barked. The Bear Clan alpha was one of the most vocal of the group, his arrogance barely tolerated by other Breeds.

  “That is in itself one reason, Braxton. The dissidents fear every Breed will rise up and take their place as rulers, slaughtering innocent human women and children.” While Luca’s eyes shimmered from limited amusement, I could tell he was agitated at Braxton’s outburst.

  However, the bear was right. Their numbers were increasing while ours were decreasing. All because there’d been only a few dozen births in two years and only where the alpha male had found his mate. As if by some kind of sick magic, that allowed the rest of their particular species to procreate. Our Streak hadn’t been so lucky.

  While I was now the alpha, I’d yet to find a suitable mate. Then again, I hadn’t been actively seeking one either. I certainly wasn’t ready to settle down. I sat back, folding my arms in front of me as several on the teleconference grumbled their displeasure. I found the politics of it all to be amusing, something my father had tried to warn me of.

  “Listen and observe, my son. That is vital to ensure clarity.”

  My father had been a great man, but he had remained rooted in the past.

  What I did know is that we’d been attacked more than once by small groups of dissidents, every single group easily crushed. Except for the last time. I sucked in my breath as I thought about what had happened, anger almost blinding me. I had to shake it off. I couldn’t go back in time and save my father. Since then, the assholes had gained momentum and backing, some said even by the government itself.

  I sneered at the thought. The great president of the United States couldn’t enforce his proclamation making us free or the rules imposed on his own people. His decisions certainly hadn’t been universally accepted.

  “There are other reasons for us to be concerned, Luca,” Jabari said with almost no inflection in his voice. I admired the Jaguar alpha. He was a formidable force as well as an honorable man. He’d also fought off hundreds of dissidents, protecting his Claw from slaughter. Hell, the stories told about him were legendary as well as entertaining.

  Luca exhaled then nodded. “Yes, the mutations.”

  The disease every Breed was facing was a direct result of what had altered our DNA in the first place. Another reason to hate humans.

  Disgusting, filthy creatures.

  “Unfortunately, even my mate has yet to figure out why the chemical reaction that created the Breeds is causing yet another toxic reaction within almost every species,” Jabari continued. “She has some ideas but has yet to formulate a reason or a cure. Without additional equipment or funding, I doubt she can go much further.”

  His mate. The very human scientist who’d created the serum allowing us to procreate. Since a faction of the government had taken over final development of her miracle drug, she’d been pushed out of the scientific community even though she’d produced a cub of her own. Other humans certainly didn’t give a shit about whether the Breeds went insane or became riddled with horrible diseases. They had issues of their own, including the fact they’d yet to formulate a vaccine to keep them alive.

  Thirty years. They’d all be dead within thirty years.

  I hated humans
. Always had. To me they were vile creatures that deserved to have their entire species wiped out. They’d caused us to shift in the first damn place. They’d created tremendous hunger, destruction of our natural homelands and our very way of life.

  “Then what the hell are we going to do? Either the dissidents are going to wipe us out or we’re going to die some freaking horrible death from a fucking human disease.” Rollins White was another tiger, a larger than life man with an even bigger ego. He and I didn’t get along on any level. He was as argumentative as they came.

  Jabari huffed. “A cure will be found.”

  “Sure it will,” Rollins snarled.

  Luca stared into the Netscape screen, allowing his eyes to project his lion’s anger. “There is a rumor that the dissidents are in the process of finalizing a plan of attack. We must be prepared. It is vital that we don’t lose control.”

  “What aren’t you telling us, Luca?” I asked, able to tell by the look in his eyes that he was hiding something significant.

  His smile was followed by a short laugh. “You are very much like your father, Akuma. You take no bullshit. You are correct. There is also increasing fear that the dissidents will attempt to overthrow the government, including assassinating the president.”

  “Why should that affect us? Let the man die,” Mika asked as he leaned over my shoulder. While he and I had once been friends, the tiger had enjoyed his taste of being second in command for my father during times I’d been… absent. The truth was I’d gone rogue on several occasions, refusing to take the lead and enjoying the freedom of remaining as my tiger. While my father hadn’t objected, he’d certainly been disappointed in his only cub.

  “Because if the president is assassinated, there is a good chance the decisions and proclamations he made in giving us our freedom will be reversed,” I said as I shifted my gaze toward Mika, who glowered down at me. He didn’t like to be corrected on anything.

  Fuck him.

  I couldn’t place my trust in the tiger. He was much more friendly with certain humans than the rest of his Streak.

  Luca was obviously pleased by my answer. “Yes. I’m afraid so. There is also a rumor that certain members of government are ready to go even further, enslaving those considered useful, exterminating the rest.”

  “Then they must be defeated,” Braxton roared.

  “And they will be,” Luca said in his usual quiet manner. While I’d heard the king was brutal as fuck, he was always polished and composed on these damn monthly teleconferences that he’d initiated. While communication amongst every Breed had been an excellent idea, it was also a time for certain alphas to preen. “As long as we work together, we can eliminate our enemy.”

  Well, this was the first time I’d heard Luca talk about killing the lot of them. That meant he was concerned the rumors were true. “What about the disease? Is anything being done?” I asked.

  Luca took a deep breath. “As Jabari said, there are several of our own scientists working on developing a cure. Hopefully, there will be some promising news within the next several months.”

  Months. Hell, some of my people didn’t have months. We’d lost two alone last week, another two beginning to worry me with their erratic behavior.

  The irritation was across the board, Luca’s answer troubling.

  “Enough,” Luca growled. “As I said, you need to keep a watchful eye. And… every alpha should be searching for a mate, a human mate. It would seem that is our quickest way of ensuring growth of our kind.”

  “There are no guarantees that mating will work for every Breed, Luca. There are several reports of failures.” Galen, the wolf alpha, was obviously in distress, his face turning beet red.

  Yeah, but the sex still had to be damn hot.

  I snickered at my own filthy thoughts, a single image of the human female resurfacing in my mind. I could also hear her calling out for me.

  “There have been failures because the correct mate wasn’t chosen. You will know when you’ve found the right one. You will easily be able to communicate as you can with your own species,” Luca insisted.

  Through our minds.

  I’d yet to find a human who could do that.

  “Understood,” Galen said.

  “An impossibility,” Braxton added.

  Luca held up his hands, obviously prepared to end the call. “If you are attacked, please make a report. We need to determine if what I’ve heard is true.”

  “And if they are going after the president?” I asked, uncertain if I wanted the answer.

  “Then we will ensure his protection.”

  Luca’s answer managed to stun a solid half of those on the teleconference. Nothing surprised me any longer. I knew Luca felt he owed the president his life. I owed no one and had no intention of helping the human.

  “We will talk in two weeks unless things progress,” Luca moved on even as the alphas became more aggressive. “And Akuma. I am very sorry about the loss of your father. He was truly a great man. If you have the time, I need to talk with you directly. Call me on my direct line.”

  Trepidation swept through me once again, but I nodded out of respect, waiting until the monitors began to click off.

  “Sucking up to the king?” Mika sneered as he walked toward the door.

  “You should get used to the fact that I am fully in charge of this Streak. I am the alpha.”

  I didn’t need to look in his direction to know how pissed he was. However, the words were long overdue. The door was slammed shut, forcing a growl to erupt from my throat. He and I would come to blows one day.

  Or worse.

  I pressed Luca’s number on the Netscape, curious as to what he had to say.

  “Thank you for waiting,” Luca said, shifting his gaze as if ensuring that I was alone.

  “There’s more.”

  “I’ve received information coming from near your Streak that I wanted you to be aware of.”

  I leaned forward, my hackles raised. “Go ahead.”

  “There is a very powerful group of men, some of whom remain in the government system. It would appear they are using their connections with government officials as well as the scientific community to provide information to what have become extremely organized groups of dissidents.”

  “Do you have any names?”

  He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t as of yet. If you have the time, it would be helpful if you’d see what additional information you might be able to gather.”

  “Savannah?”

  “Yes. I wish I knew more,” Luca said as he sat back in his seat.

  “You’re worried.”

  “Very much so. There are too many overtures being made toward the president and his cabinet. If the dissidents get control, every serum that’s been produced for the Breeds will be destroyed.”

  I exhaled before nodding. “I’ll find out what I can.”

  “There’s one more thing.” He hesitated briefly. “There is also some unverified information that one of the smaller, nongovernment-run laboratories has been gotten to the human trial stage on members of their own species. They’ve not gone well, but it would seem they are close.”

  “That’s not necessarily news. You’re very concerned about something else.”

  Luca smiled, his eyes lighting up all over again. “You are so very much like your father. No. That’s not the only concern. I was privy to a top-secret report that two scientists have found something remarkable, a possible cure for the onslaught of the mutated diseases. However, the work is being done in private.”

  “This cure is for the humans.” As if I gave a shit.

  “Possibly for the Breeds. If that is the truth, then these scientists must be protected at all costs.”

  “You’re saying these scientists are also in Savannah.”

  “If the information provided is truthful, then yes. However, I’m hesitant to consider this good news at this point. As you might imagine, the leaders of the dissident group woul
d be furious experiments were being done under their noses. Now you understand why this must stay between us. We don’t want to tip off anyone. You can just imagine what will happen if the scientists are discovered.”

  “And if I find these two humans?”

  “You will have my lifetime of appreciation if you can bring them to DC. That may be a difficult feat, and they may not be interested in coming willingly. That I’m unsure of.”

  “Meaning you’re not entirely certain they are on our side.”

  Luca seemed exhausted, nodding only once. “You would be surprised the facilities that the president had provided for our scientists. If this formula exists, we should be able to expand on it within weeks, months at the latest.”

  Some hope in a murky sea of bullshit.

  “I will see what I can do.”

  “Be careful. As you might imagine, there are members of every Breed who have sold their souls to the dissidents amidst promises of fame and fortune.”

  “Understood, Luca.” My thoughts drifted to Mika. I wouldn’t put it past him to betray his Streak.

  “Keep me informed but remember that the closer you get to any of the government facilities, the easier it is to track you. Don’t take any communication systems with you. As you might imagine, what I’m asking of you places you in harm’s way.”

  “I know the protocol. It would appear we have no other choice.” I would leave with little more than a couple of weapons and the clothes on my back, hiding them in a central location then returning to my tiger form.

  “No. I don’t believe we do. Time is running out. Be very careful, Akuma. Every alpha male, especially one who’s yet to mate, is considered a valuable commodity. While the government tried to intervene to stop this from happening, unfortunately the process is continuing. Alphas are not safe.”

  “I assure you that I can take care of myself.”

  He offered a slight smile. “I know that you can. Your father spoke very highly of your skills. Just remember that the decisions you make are vital to your Streak’s survival.”

  Luca was far more concerned than I’d ever seen him. What he didn’t want to say is that every Breed would be faced with a series of bloody battles on a large scale much sooner than anyone had believed. When the call ended, I remained where I was. The weight of our future seemed to land firmly on my shoulders. Fuck.