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  Alpha

  Zodiac Dragon Guardians, Book V

  Kim Faulks

  Edited by

  Angela Kelly

  Illustrated by

  Jacqueline Sweet

  Copyright © 2017 by Kim Faulks

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For my husband, Anthony.

  For all the times you walked through Hell for me.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Afterword

  Get ready, this shit’s about to get real.

  Also by Kim Faulks

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  A massive thank you to the usual suspects: Ang for her kickass editing, I would’ve been lost well and truly on this one. To Jacqueline who is so damn good to me, your covers are amazing, I’m blown away every time I see them. To Eden who is always there for support and guidance when I need it, and Elle and Suzanne for your unwavering support. I can’t express how good it is to have you in my corner.

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  Dark, Sexy. Powerful. This Zodiac Dragon Series will scorch the pages.

  The first mistake they made was slaughtering her pack.

  The second was taking her to the compound where she was rescued, along with Joslyn and the Dragon, Zadoc.

  They won’t live long enough to make mistake number three.

  All the Marine combat techniques in the world never trained Alpha to care for X.

  He took her in, fed her, clothed her…yearned for her.

  But the one thing he failed to do was keep her safe.

  Those who meant X harm were ready and waiting.

  They won’t need to wait long.

  Alpha had killed in the line of duty.

  He’ll do it all again and more.

  Because he’s coming for them.

  They won’t know it, not until it’s too late.

  This is the salvation of X.

  1

  X

  Grandfather often told me there were two wolves that lived inside us. These two wolves represented each side of our natures. The good, gentle side fought the controlling, cruel, and sadistic side, and the wolf who won, was the one you fed the most.

  But this was a fanciful, childhood story meant to help the old and the young sleep soundly at night. It was nothing more than a lie.

  The wolf that survived wasn’t the wolf you fed at all—it was the last one standing. The last one with blood on its paws, and hate in its mouth.

  It was the last one, the only one that could save you.

  Hate fought, hate killed…hate did things love could never do. Hate did them all, and still slept at night, and when hate rose from a silent slumber, hate knew its life path…and it wasn’t to the evergreen hills and the wide-open sky of my ancestors’ lands…it was to revenge, to retribution.

  It was to stand on the highest mountain with the wind in its face and howl, you have not broken me…you have not won.

  I am alive.

  I am here…and I am coming for you.

  I was born into this world with the name my grandfather gave me. A name that had meaning. A name that was every bit as good as that other wolf inside me. But that name lost its power when the good side of my nature died.

  I’m known by a new name now. A name that has no potential. A name that just is. They call me X—an unknown, an unnamed and unwanted—and I am happy with that.

  I am X, the name they will never whisper…and they will never scream—for they will never see me coming.

  My loyalty is to Joslyn, and to her alone. She was the one who saved me from Hell. She was the one who pulled me from that dungeon and fought to protect me. I would give anything for her—my life—my safety. I would stay here with these people…these good wolves, others of my kind…I would try.

  I didn’t blame my keeper for her quick temper and careful glances—not all wolves were the same. My people were savages, even in the shifter world—one glace at my face and my skin and you could see where I came from. I promised Joslyn, and this was me keeping that promise. This was me living in a world I didn’t know, staying with wolves I didn’t care for…trying to survive.

  “E-eat,” the female voice wavered as my keeper shoved a plate laden with slabs of meat toward me.

  I never looked down, only held her gaze. She was afraid of me…they all were, every single one of them.

  They were my kind, but they were not. They were wolves and women. And for once you’d think that would help me, that this would somehow soothe the savage part of my nature, and I could find some way to finally breathe.

  But their trembled words, and panicked gazes lingering on my Cherokee features rubbed me raw. There was no air for me here, no peace of any kind, and in the cold, empty hollow of my chest, I realized I didn’t care.

  The darkness closed in. I wanted this darkness. I invited it in like the sister I never knew, wrapping my arms around it tight and inhaling the bitter scent of numbing pain. I whispered, don’t leave me…not again…never again.

  I stared at the woman who took me into her home.

  They didn’t want me here, and I didn’t blame them—but I had nowhere else to go.

  “Eat,” the woman snarled as she watched me advance, “or it’ll be the last meal you get from me.”

  I looked at the plate and couldn’t stop the shudder. Glistening juices ran off the side. The steak was thick, bigger than I’d ever seen before.

  My stomach tightened, a whimper was trapped, fighting its way along the back of my throat. She kept me in sight and lowered the plate to the floor. “I have friends coming—wolves, same as you and me. You just stay in here. I don’t want any problems, you hear me? No more problems.”

  She shoved the plate, enamel scraped the wooden floor. It didn’t get far, stopping inches from her hand. You fed animals this way. Ones you didn’t want to get close to—ones you didn’t trust.

  “No trouble,” she repeated and rose from the floor. “You just stay in here, and everything will be fine.”

  She swept her hand through the air behind her and grasped the corner of the door, dragging it closed as she left. There were no locks here, no bars, no white concrete walls, no uniforms. I stared at the plate. But this place was a prison. This place was my prison.

  I dragged in the scent of the seared meat. Red ran freely. My mouth watered, stomach twisted and howled. Couldn’t trust it, never trust it…not the meat. I backed away, tearing my eyes from the food and headed for the bed.

  Faint rays of the sun barely reached the window. I climbed onto the crocheted rainbow blanket and speared my fingers through the holes. A window. A view. So different to the one I had before.

  I dragged my knees to my chest and stared out at the thick forest until the creak of a floorboard dragged me from the sight.

  “Don’t…” my keeper warned outside my door. “Don’t go in there. She’s not one of us.”

  My insides trembled, shuddering until the
quake filled my chest.

  I slid my fingers from the blanket and dropped my feet to the floor. They were laughing out there—eating, drinking, dancing, having a wonderful time…faint memories come back, snatches of moments, glimpses of time from so long ago…when I was happy.

  Big bonfires.

  Howling at the moon.

  Staring at stars so bright, they sparkled like jewels across the darkened sky.

  I wanted that sky to return…wanted it as I’d never wanted anything more in my life.

  “She’s nothing like us.”

  I wanted the sky, and the fire. I wanted the throb of a drum, and the smiles…the smiles. Deep brown eyes came to me, leathered skin, etched with cracks. I touched his face and kissed his cheek. Dance…he whispered and gently pushed me toward the firelight. Dance my little wolf.

  Grandfather…

  Tears pricked my eyes as my keeper hissed the final word. “Savage.”

  I backed away from the door, backed away from those voices, still the memories haunted me.

  I would not cry. I would not break. They could not get to me. My foot hit the enamel plate, spilling beans and rice across the floor. The floor blurred. I stumbled for the darkened corner at the foot of the bed.

  Run, urged a voice inside me. Leave this place and these people. My knees buckled. I hit the floor and sucked in a breath. A wheeze tore through, harsh, shredding. I coughed and tasted blood.

  I could still smell the smoke on my skin and tangled in my hair. I’d give anything to go back to that moment, to change the course of time. To help Joslyn…to protect her…to protect the babies.

  But they were gone, stolen by Vampires, ones who left Joslyn for dead.

  I’d touched them, held their little bodies in my hand.

  Taken, just as I’d been taken. The sun slipped away, sending shadows across my room. I curled my knees to my chest.

  Joslyn was my pack. Her family my home.

  But I couldn’t help her…I couldn’t save her…I couldn’t even save myself.

  I closed my eyes and leaned into the wall. Their laughter haunted me, and cornered me from sleep…until the night deepened and the night calls came—owls, bats, badgers…and wolves.

  Out there…hunting. My wolf sniffed, but lay silent. It’d been so long since she ran, since she chased, since she felt the dirt under her paws and a fresh kill between her teeth.

  White teeth glowed in my mind, and a soft growl echoed. You don’t have to. Neither of us has to do anything ever again.

  Black lips slid home. Silver eyes glinted from a deep brown coat. We stared at each other from across the expanse. Neither knew each other anymore. Neither wanted to try.

  The noise dimmed.

  Sleep called, pulling me under without a fight.

  “My beautiful Cherokee girl, aren’t you?”

  My hair pulled taut and then eased, pulling me to the surface. I opened my eyes to the hulking shadow kneeling over me. Wolf—a wolf I knew.

  “I knew I’d find you again.”

  He leaned close, hot breath against my ear…just as he’d always done. He pressed his body into my thigh, his hands pushing between my knees, sliding lower.

  I swallowed a whimper. My heart thrashed in my ears.

  In my head I was running.

  I was fighting. I was crawling, clawing, climbing onto him to find the softest parts of his body and tear them from the sheath of his skin.

  “You and I are going to have some good times together,” he murmured against my face.

  Laughter blasted through the room from outside. Cold licked my skin where his hand had been.

  “I’ll come back, now I know where you are. See you soon my beautiful Cherokee girl.”

  I swallowed acid as he pushed in, pressing my head to the side to kiss my hair and whisper, “Such beautiful hair.”

  The dark slipped away. I didn’t have to see his face. I didn't have to see any of their faces…not for the rest of my life.

  I knew them by their touches, by their smells, by the way they kissed my hair and the way they grunted, thrusting all the way home.

  I knew by the way they left me…covered, tucked in just like a doll…or broken and bleeding.

  I knew them, better than I knew myself.

  Tears welled and slipped as my bedroom door closed with a soft thud. A hard bark of laughter followed.

  My knees knocked together. I clenched my fist, until my arms trembled. The sting of my nails was instant.

  You’ve got such beautiful hair, such perfect hair.

  Couldn’t fight. Couldn’t scream…couldn’t save myself.

  My hands shook. My legs refused to move. I crawled toward the door and gripped hold of the frame. The groan of the hinges went unnoticed. I couldn't look at them, couldn't see where they laughed and danced, couldn't see him.

  The hallway blurred. I skimmed the wall with my spine, stepping quietly, moving to the kitchen. Dishes and plates were strewn across the counter. One panicked glance toward the dining room and I took a step, scurrying for the sink. I shoved my fingers through the handle of the second drawer and yanked.

  Utensils clattered, filling the kitchen with the sound. I shoved my hand inside, my fingers skimming steel edges, and plastic spoons. The shears were heavy in my hand, weighted against my palm just as if I knew them—as if I’d felt them before.

  I clenched the blade and shoved the drawer. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, coming closer. I stared at the pointed blade and lifted my hand above my head.

  “Just a second will you! Hold on, I need to pee,” my keeper called.

  She turned at the last minute, and stumbled into the bathroom, slamming the door.

  I left the messy kitchen, retracing my steps to my room.

  My door closed behind me with barely a sound. I stumbled for the window, for the sight of the trees and the stars…the same stars Grandfather told me stories about.

  The same stars that shone bright for him…now shone bright for me.

  I hefted the shears high and opened the blade before squeezing tight.

  Long strands lay limp in my hand, and then floated to the floor.

  Fire lashed my scalp as I yanked and hacked, handful after handful until there was nothing to touch, nothing to kiss, nothing to love.

  The blade sparkled red. Pain was nothing more than a faint thought.

  I dropped to the ground and clenched the blade close.

  You’ve got such beautiful hair.

  Beautiful hair…I picked up the wet clumps stained red and gripped them tight, strands fell through my fingers and floated to the floor.

  Beautiful hair…I closed my eyes and pulled the steel close…

  And for the first time…I finally breathed.

  “What the Hell…”

  I wrenched my eyes open and pulled my knees to my chest. Sunlight streamed through the window and bounced off the mirror. I sucked in the air as the night came back with a roar. Laughter. A hand between my knees, pushing my legs wide. Hair…lots of hair…

  The mess was all around me. The handles of steel glistened, the blades darkened with dried blood. My keeper dropped her gaze to the shears and took a step. I moved, snatching the blade from the floor and lunged, driving her back to the open door.

  Rage filled me, burning like fire to drive my clenched fist through the air. The blades carved wood and sank deep. Betrayal was etched just as deep. “Did you laugh at me? Did you talk about me? Did you know about me?”

  My keeper yanked her hand in front of her face and cowered. “Get back! Stay back from me!” She slipped, and stumbled out of my bedroom door. “You’re fucking crazy! Fucking crazy! This was the last time…you hear me? The last fucking time. Pack your bags and get the fuck outta my home!”

  The world rushed in, bleeding gray. I dropped my hand from the embedded blade and turned. Long strands of hair were scattered across the room. I probed my scalp and hissed at the sting. Fresh blood coated my fingers.

  I didn’t
care. Didn’t feel. Only moved to the chest of drawers and yanked out the clothes Joslyn bought me. One ripped pair of jeans and three shirts. I dropped to the end of the bed and stepped into my sneakers.

  “Get in the car, X. Get in the damn car now!”

  I snatched my things from the end of the bed and followed her.

  She didn’t want me here, and now I couldn’t stay. Not in this place, not in this town. It wasn’t safe for me here.

  The screen door slammed open with a bang. I followed her outside and down the stairs to the old beat up wagon. “Where are you taking me?”

  She never answered, only yanked open the rear door and waited while I climbed inside.

  My aching fingers dug into the cotton as I hugged my clothes. The engine started with a growl. A loud thunk filled the interior as she shoved the car into gear.

  “Shoulda known better. Shoulda kept my big mouth shut,” she snarled and turned her head, backing the car out of the driveway. “What the fuck was I thinking?”

  The brakes howled. I lurched forward and then slammed against the seat as she tromped the accelerator.

  “Thinking about that ass, that’s what I was thinking. Gotta be fucking crazy to get mixed up with him.”

  Houses flew by. Nothing was familiar. Was she dumping me by the side of the road? Was she taking me back to Hell? An unseen fist tightened around my heart. I wouldn’t go back…I’d rather die…rather…“Where are you taking me?”

  She jerked her gaze over her shoulder and stabbed me with a glare. “Back where I got you. He wants you to be cared for, well he can damn well do it himself!”