Alpha by Sophie Fleur Read Free Book Online Page B

was nothing but pulp and bone.
    The other
wolves in the pack stood back, afraid to approach. Fred slowly made his way
forward.
    “James?
He’s dead now. Let’s go home. My arms hurt. Can we go home?” He knew if he told
James he hurt James would want to care for him. Maybe calm down.
    He put
his hand on James’s furred back. It was so hot it near burned his palm. James’s
chest heaved as though he couldn’t catch his breath.
    “Come on
now. Let’s go home,” Fred said.
    The fur
on James’s arms and back began to recede. Fred touched warm flesh instead of
blistering fur. James turned his face around. Fred touched his cheeks and chin and
mouth that no longer had fangs. James’s eyes still had that dull yellow glow,
but no madness.
     “Home,”
he said.
    “Home,”
Fred agreed.
    They rode
home with Fred tucked up against James’s chin.
    “They
didn’t hurt you?” James asked.
    “Not
much,” Fred said. He’d tell James about the knife and the Taser another time.
He just wanted to sit in James’s arms and forget about it.
    Fred’s
father had to look him over when they got home. He re-bandaged the cuts and
treated them with antiseptic.
    “You keep
getting hurt and I won’t have any supplies left,” Doc said. He leaned over to
gently hug Fred. “And don’t ever steal my truck again!”
    Fred
nodded, though he knew not all promises could be kept.. At least now the pack
knew where the problem was. No more bombs. No more attacks. At least Fred
hoped.
    He saw
Craig, Hook Nose, and Pugsly being dragged down into the basement. All looked
worse for wear with bruised faces and blood on their clothes.
    “He was
nice to me,” Fred said. “Can’t we let him go?” Fred didn’t much care what
happened to the other two wolves, but he’d liked Craig.
    “Keeping
someone tied up against their will isn’t nice,” James said.
    Fred
sighed. He wanted to argue but knew James wouldn’t budge. The wolves would be
taken to the dungeon and Fred didn’t think they’d be hurt too much that night.
He’d work on James the next day, convince him to treat the boy lightly. He was
just too tired to do anything else that night.

Chapter 8
     
    “Why was
I so sick yesterday?” Fred asked once they were in James’s room.
    James ran
his hand through his hair. “When we became mates, you sort of changed. A little
more than I’d told you about.”
    Fred
scowled. “Am I going to turn furry? Fur makes me itch, you know that.”
    “No,
you’re not going to become a wolf. You know only certain humans can be turned.”
    “Omegas?”
    James
snorted. “I don’t know how you know that, but yes. Omegas can be turned. But
they’re rare and I’ve never even seen one. It’s…hard transitioning. I spent
years fighting my wolf until we both settled. If you’d have stayed, I would
have helped you.”
    Fred
looked away. “I didn’t want you to be hurt.”
    James
turned his face back to him. “You were hurt instead. I’d rather die than let
that happen.”
    Fred
swallowed. He couldn’t look away from James’s eyes. “I feel the same way about
you.”
    James
kissed him on the corner of his mouth. Fred rubbed his eyes with the back of
his hand, wiping away tears.
    “So I can
hear you in my head like other wolves do. The Thorn Hills mentioned that we’re
connected in other ways. Is that true?”
    “You can hear
me and I can hear you. If you hurt, I know it. If I hurt, you know it.”
    “That
doesn’t sound so bad,” Fred said. “Although it is something you should have
told me before you bit me.”
    James
shrugged. “Heat of the moment?”
    Fred hit
him lightly. “Heat of the moment my ass. You knew what you were doing.”
    “I
couldn’t let you leave again without being able to find you,” James said. He
pulled Fred close. “Now I know where you are. I know when you’re afraid. I
wouldn’t trade that for anything. Forgive me?”
    “Maybe,”
Fred said. “On one condition.”
    “Anything.”
    A few
minutes