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Charming The Alpha

By

Liliana Rhodes

Copyright 2014 by Jaded Speck !blishing

Co"er by Jaded Speck !blishing # $ichelle %leinhans

Smash&ords 'dition

This ebook is licensed (or yo!r personal en)oyment only* This ebook may not be re+

sold or gi"en a&ay to other people* ,( yo! &o!ld like to share this book &ith another

person- please p!rchase an additional copy (or each recipient* ,( yo!.re reading this bookand did not p!rchase it- or it &as not p!rchased (or yo!r !se only- then please ret!rn

to Smash&ords*com and p!rchase yo!r o&n copy* Thank yo! (or respecting the hard

&ork o( this a!thor*

All rights reser"ed* This book or any portion thereo( may not be reprod!ced or !sed

in any manner &hatsoe"er &itho!t the e/press &ritten permission o( the p!blisher e/cept

(or the !se o( brie( !otations in a book re"ie&*All characters appearing in this &ork are (ictitio!s* Any resemblance to real persons-

li"ing or dead- is p!rely coincidental*

annah Crane )!st grad!ated college- li"es at home &ith her mom- and has no idea &hat

to do &ith her li(e* 3ne night &hile "isiting her grandmother- shes startled by a &ol( ande"erything changes*

,n the (orest in"estigating a recent rash o( m!rders and missing shi(ters- &ere&ol( AlphaCaleb 3"erstreet doesnt e/pect to r!n into a h!man- let alone a &itch* 'specially not one

&hose scent tells him she is his other hal(***or is she5

As the secrets o( her ancestry are re"ealed- Caleb and annah are !nable to stay a&ay

(rom each other and annah (inds hersel( in danger* A ri"al pack belie"es her to be at the

center o( a c!rse that &o!ld enable them to control other shi(ters* B!t is annah the &ol(charmer they belie"e her to be5 3r is she really Calebs (ated mate5

Table of ContentsChapter 3ne


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Chapter T&o

Chapter Three

Chapter 6o!rChapter 6i"e

Chapter Si/

Chapter Se"enChapter 'ight

Chapter 7ine

Chapter TenChapter 'le"en

Chapter T&el"e

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 6o!rteenChapter 6i(teen

Chapter Si/teen

Chapter Se"enteen

Chapter 'ighteen'/cerpt (or Resisting the Alpha

A!thor.s 7oteLiliana.s Links

Abo!t the A!thor

Copyright

Chapter One

8,m lea"ing in a (e& min!tes- $om-8 annah called o!t*

9ressed in her (a"orite o!t(it (or l!ck- dark skinny )eans- &orn bro&n leatherboots- and a light bl!e chenille s&eater &ith na"y and &hite stars- she peered o!t thesmall o"al &indo& that (aced the street o( the old cottage she &as born in*

The (!ll moon h!ng large and lo& in the sky- lighting the road* She &as almost

ready to lea"e and her palms (elt a little moist as she tho!ght abo!t it- b!t she &asr!nning o!t o( time i( she &anted to see ea* And seeing ea &as all she co!ld think

abo!t*

As she (inished braiding her long a!b!rn hair- annah Crane &rapped an elasticaro!nd the end hoping that i( her hair &as neat- her grandmother &o!ldnt gi"e her s!ch a

hard time abo!t c!tting it* 7ormally she &ore it loose and &ild to lengthen her ro!nd

(ace* 7ot that her ro!nded cheeks bothered her- b!t she tho!ght she looked better &ith

her hair do&n* l!s annah lo"ed (eeling her hair s&ay against the middle o( her back*:n(ort!nately ea had a hatred (or long hair and annah desperately needed her (oc!sed

on this short "isit*

8ere- &ear this-8 'li;a Crane- annahs mother said as she handed her a na"yand red hooded cloak* 8, )!st (inished it and its going to get chilly tonight*8

8,ts )!st going to slo& me do&n- $om-8 annah said as she slipped her arms into

the hidden slee"es*8, dont &ant yo! to catch cold* l!s maybe yo! can t!ck yo!r hair in the back so


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its hidden* , kno& shes been on yo! to c!t it* She did the same thing to me &hen , &as

yo!r age*8

89id yo! do it5 9id yo! gi"e in to her5 ,m t&enty+t&o- , sho!ld ha"e cra;y longhair* Short hair is better &hen yo!re older-8 she said as she admired her mothers )et

black sho!lder length hair* 8Besides- , co!ldnt p!ll o(( short hair i( , tried* ,ts too m!ch

&ork*8 annah &as pretty s!re her mother had been one o( those girls she gre& !p

en"ying* She tho!ght o( the &omen &ho co!ld do anything to their hair and still look

gorgeo!s- and kne& her mother (it in &ith them per(ectly* 'li;as bea!ty &as a reg!lartopic in the to&n o( Leeds oint- 7J and annah gre& !p hearing abo!t it o(ten- b!t that

ne"er bothered her*

The to&n (olk lo"ed pointing o!t ho& she looked nothing like her mom*


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annah had a lot o( !estions abo!t her (ather- b!t she ne"er dr!mmed !p the

co!rage to ask* earing her mom say she c!t her hair &as the closest shed come to

talking abo!t him in years*89ont &ait !p-8 annah said*

A(ter kissing her mother on the cheek- annah stepped o!tside and leaned against

the hea"y- &hite+&ashed &ooden door o( their cottage* The tiny home had been in their(amily since the days o( the pilgrims* ,t barely had eno!gh space (or the t&o &omen- b!t

annah lo"ed it*

Their closest neighbor &as near eno!gh that she co!ld see their porch light on- b!tnot so close that she (elt cro&ded in* There &ere only a (e& small ho!ses on their street

and they all had historic markers on them* That didnt make them "ery special tho!gh*

$ost o( the area had small old homes like these*

The (!ll moon made the grassy path c!r"ing bet&een the tall pine trees at the endo( the street easier to see- b!t annah didnt need it* She (ollo&ed the trail like she did

e"ery (!ll moon- e/actly as her mother ta!ght her years ago* She en)oyed these "isits &ith

ea- e"en i( they &ere short*

annah breathed the cool air in deeply- happy (or (all to (inally arri"e in So!thJersey* ,t had been a "ery h!mid s!mmer and r!nning thro!gh the &oods !s!ally made

her easy prey (or blood thirsty mos!itos* She didnt ha"e to &orry abo!t them tonighttho!gh- and she ne"er ga"e any tho!ght to the other creat!res in the (orest*

>ranted- the last thing she &anted &as to r!n into a 8damned &ol(8- as her mother

and ea al&ays re(erred to them- b!t that &as only beca!se they &ere r!de- dirty-!ned!cated creat!res* At least thats &hat they al&ays told her*

annah &asnt e"en s!re she really belie"ed they e/isted* Leeds oint had al&ays

been a strange little to&n &ith its detailed (olklore* Sometimes it &as hard kno&ing &hat

&as real and &hat &ere simply stories* 6or e/ample- her mother once told her her (ather&as a &ere&ol(* B!t she also told her there &as a tooth (airy and Santa Cla!s* annah

didnt kno& i( &hen 'li;a re"ealed that detail abo!t her dad- i( she &as )!st trying toentertain the then ten+year+old annahs yo!ng- o"er+imaginati"e mind or i( she &astelling the tr!th*

As an ad!lt annah ne"er asked her mom abo!t her (ather and especially ne"er

asked i( he really &as a &ere&ol(* The tr!th &as she &as too embarrassed to ask* Shedidnt &ant to admit to belie"ing it (or so many years i( it &as )!st a )oke* And e"en

tho!gh o"er the past ten years- the people in Leeds oint seemed to belie"e in the

e/istence o( &ere&ol"es and other shape shi(ters- annah easily con"inced hersel( it &as

)!st more o( her to&ns eccentricities*annah lo"ed her to&n* She co!ldnt imagine li"ing any&here that didnt ha"e the

deep history and c!lt!re o( Leeds oint* B!t she sometimes &ondered i( her mother and

grandmother took ad"antage o( that*


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she !s!ally did and &as grate(!l (or that* There &ere times &hen she only had a eno!gh

stones (or a small circle and she had to stand the entire time* She pre(erred sitting-

especially since it sometimes took ea a long time to arri"e*lacing the stones in the center o( the clearing- directly in the moons path-

annah &aited (or the moon to reach the right height* Spotting a (rog (rom the corner o(

her eye- she remembered ho& m!ch ea hated them and !ickly carried it to the base o( atree at the edge o( the clearing*

randmother- please@8 she interr!pted* 8, didnt &ork hard* , hardly &ent to

class* , )!st didnt care* 7o& ,m s!pposed to get a )ob and , ha"e no idea &hat , &ant to


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do*8

8


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8,m pretty s!re yo!re the only danger in these &oods-8 she snapped at him*

The man stood shamelessly- as i( his n!dity didnt matter* annah tried b!t

co!ldnt keep hersel( (rom staring at him- especially there*8=o! sho!ldnt be here*


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8The small ho!se at the edge o( the &oods* By the path-8 she &hispered into his

pointed- black and &hite (!;;y ear*

e spr!ng (or&ard- leaping into the air- then raced along the grassy path she(ollo&ed earlier* The cool air r!shed past her- her heart beat &ildly- and she (elt like she

co!ldnt breathe* She &anted to pinch hersel( to make s!re this &asnt a dream- b!t she

&as too a(raid to let go o( his (!r*,n the back o( her mind she tho!ght abo!t him as the man- helping her !p- and all

her l!st came back to her* ressing her (ace against his neck- she (elt the &ol(s m!scles

&orking beneath her as he made short &ork o( the long path* Thinking abo!t his m!scles(le/ing and stretching &hen he &alked earlier as a man- she let o!t a so(t sigh* As i( in

reply- he gro&led (erocio!sly- bringing her back to the trees racing past*

The &ol( slo&ed do&n &hen they reached the edge o( the (orest*


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Chapter Three

8annah- &ake !p-8 annahs mom said as she shook her sho!lder gently* 8>o to

bed* The co!ch is no place to sleep- its !ncom(ortable*8annah slo&ly opened her eyes as she tried to remember &hat happened the night

be(ore*Did I dream that?R!bbing her eyes she ca!ght the &ere&ol(s scent again and sat

!p* er mother paced the room as she spoke- reminding annah o( a caged animal as'li;a kept her (ooting &ithin the con(ines o( the (aded (loral thro& r!g* annah &atched

her- her hands p!nct!ating her sentences as she rambled on abo!t things annah didnt

care abo!t eno!gh to listen to*>lancing to&ards the pict!re &indo& that (aced the backyard- she &ondered &hat

time it &as* The sky had the gentle glo& o( morning* She hated morning* And &hy &as

her mom already !p5

,t &asnt like her mother to &ear the same thing t&ice in a ro&- b!t annah &as

s!re those &ere the same s&eats she &ore &hen annah le(t to "isit ea the night be(ore*>i"ing her mom a closer look- she also reali;ed she had traces o( make!p on* She ne"er

&ore make!p !nless she &ent o!t* Add to that the ner"o!s babble her mother did a(tere"ery (!ll moon (or the past (e& years*

The pacing con(!sed her too* annah co!ldnt remember &hen that began- b!t it

&as long eno!gh (or her to (ind it endearing instead o( &orrisome* She &ondered i( it hadto do &ith her "isits to ea- b!t she kne& &hat &o!ld happen i( she asked* As annah

&rapped her cloak aro!nd her like a blanket- she t!ned back in to her mothers

yammering*8ea &o!ld"e killed me i( , slept on the co!ch* And &hats on yo!r cloak5 ,s that

m!d5 3h annah- cant yo! be a little more care(!l5 >i"e it to me and ,ll thro& it in the

&ash*887o@ J!st lea"e it alone-8 annah gr!mbled then reali;ed her mother &as

eyeballing her s!spicio!sly* 8, mean- ,ll take care o( &ashing it mysel(*8

8S!it yo!rsel(* o& &as ea5 She sol"e e"ery problem yo! e"er had58

8>i"e it a rest- $om*


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8,s that &hat this is abo!t5 =o! &ant a pet5


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treated- annah p!rpose(!lly kept hersel( ignorant*

>ro&ing !p in Leeds oint- annah &as ridic!led and b!llied (or being part o( a

&itch (amily* As a child she (ig!red the less she kne& abo!t anything s!pernat!ral- themore she &o!ld (it in* B!t no& she needed to (ind o!t abo!t this &ere&ol(* l!s- i( she

didnt tell someone abo!t him she might e/plode*

>rabbing her cell phone- she pressed her (riends name &itho!t needing to look*inky ans&ered &ith the so!nd o( children playing in the backgro!nd*

8ey girlie@ , &as )!st thinking abo!t yo!@8 inky said*

8=o! got a min!te5 , &anted to chat*88


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8=eah yeah- , get it* And , kno& its cra;y that , ne"er paid attention to anything-

b!t , think ,"e al&ays been so acc!stomed to my o&n &eirdness and ha"ing to deal &ith

that- that , ne"er paid attention to the other strange st!(( thats aro!nd !s*88J!st spill it- annah*


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Chapter Five

The street &as deserted e/cept (or a one story shack at the end o( the block* The

b!ilding tilted a bit to one side as i( it &o!ld collapse &ith a strong &ind* 3n the (ront o(

the dark grey shack &as a green neon sign that said"ight #hift* S!rro!nded by a!to bodyshops and a no& de(!nct processing plant- the bar &as t!cked a&ay in a part o( to&n

annah had ne"er been to*

inky parked her small s!nshine yello& Toyota in the lot and stepped o!t o( thecar &hile annah !ickly applied lipgloss !sing the mirror in the s!n "isor* As she e/ited

the car- inky took in a deep breath- then h!((ed it o!t and smiled as it made a clo!d in

the air*8, lo"e &hen it gets cold like this-8 inky said as she look o"er at annah* 8


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inkys taste- beca!se ne/t thing she kne& her (riend grabbed her by her hand- yanked

open the large &ood paneled door and p!lled her into the b!ilding*

As they entered the bar- a massi"e man blocked their &ay* e &as easily the si;eo( the door- &ith tattoos on both o( his arms- and his long hair p!lled back into a tight

braid* >rimacing he looked do&n at them- then smiled s&eetly*

8inky@ Been a long time* , tho!ght yo! decided to stop sl!mmin &ith o!r kind-8he said*

8a- ne"er@ =o! kno& , lo"e yo! g!ys* This is my (riend annah*8

8Ahh a (irst timer-8 he said then &rinkled his bro&* 8=o! smell***interesting* al(breed58

8


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annah looked back o"er at Ra(ael* '"en tho!gh he &as at the other end o( the

bar- his eyes &ere still on inky*

8And yo! dont &ant to sleep &ith him58inky la!ghed* 8Are yo! kidding5 That man is (ine@ 7o- hesfiiiiiiiiiinnne.,d lo"e

to sleep &ith him* B!t , kno& ho& , am* ,d get all attached and hed get o"er the &hole

(!cking a h!man thing and ditch me* Then &hat am , s!pposed to do5 This is the onlyplace anyone can go to meet a shi(ter &itho!t &orrying abo!t territory- so ,d ha"e no

choice b!t to see him*8

8


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Alpha*8

8


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86ine- &hate"er* , dont think , e"en care- $om* ,m )!st s!rprised to see yo!

here*8 annah looked at the handsome man across the table (rom her mother and then

noticed an old photograph she didnt recogni;e on the table*


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$ %ifteen &ears 'go $

Caleb thre& open the metal (ramed screen door- letting it bang against the

&eathered shingles as he stormed into the Cape Cod style ho!se he gre& !p in* The air

&as thick and damp as many s!mmer nights &ere- and his grey t+shirt cl!ng!ncom(ortably to his sc!lpted torso- b!t that &as the least o( his concerns* 6ollo&ed by

his closest (riends- 'rich the po&er(!l bear shi(ter &ith his slicked back dark bro&n hair-

and Joa!in the lean- s&arthy panther shi(ter- he spotted his mother sitting on the small(loral ictorian settee &ith her (ace in her hands*

9ropping to his knees in (ront o( her- they didnt need to speak* Caleb and his

mother al&ays had a special connection*


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sho!lder* 8Those (!ckers need to be taken care o( and yo! kno& yo!r dad &o!ld &ant

yo! to do things right and go to the Co!ncil- b!t that doesnt mean anything to these

people*


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obsess abo!t the caster o( that spell* erhaps it &asnt a spell at all* She did ha"e the

scent* 3r did he imagine that5

,t &as the scent e"ery shi(ter li"es (or- b!t (e& e"er (ind* The scent &as theirreason (or being- the ackno&ledgement (rom the beyond that yes- there is happiness (or

yo!* ,t meant not )!st the completion- b!t the betterment o( ones so!l* 3nes so!lmateD

the (ated mate*,t didnt make any sense tho!gh* ro&ling so(tly he (orced

himsel( to calm do&n &hen he &ondered i( she &as right* $aybe he &as a danger to her*

8!man- my pack has seen many deaths recently* ,"e taken it !pon mysel( to


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make s!re e"en the ne!tral ;ones on the o!tskirts o( my territory remain sa(e*8

8Are &e in yo!r territory no&58 she asked &ith her head tilted to the side*

87o* This area- and this clearing &ere spoken (or cent!ries ago by another*88Then , dont need to &orry* ,( anything- yo!re trespassing- right58

e re(!sed to ans&er* This territory hadnt been to!ched by a pack (or as long as

he co!ld remember* There &ere tales the clearing &as ha!nted- b!t Caleb didnt belie"e ins!ch nonsense*

8The danger isnt )!st (or my pack* =o!r small h!man mind cannot comprehend

the enormity o( these acts*88Stop talking to me like that@ 9o yo! reali;e ho& m!ch o( an asshole yo! are58

8o& dare yo! talk to me that &ay- &itch@8

8,ts annah-8 she said correcting him*

8annah-8 he said h!skily and ca!ght her smiling* 8,m sorry ,"e been r!de* ,mCaleb 3"erstreet*8

8So- Caleb***dont yo! get cold58

e la!ghed reali;ing she &as re(erring to his n!dity* Slo&ly he admitted to

himsel( that &hat angered him- interested him as &ell* 7ot only did this &oman ha"e thescent o( his mate- b!t she &asnt a(raid to speak back to him* e en)oyed the challenge*

8=es- , do (eel the cold b!t not the &ay yo! do*8Stepping closer to her- he (elt the &armth her body ga"e o((* As he looked into her

bright green eyes he (elt like he had been str!ck by lightning- and the &orld aro!nd them

disappeared* The &ind &hipped her hair into her (ace and he gently p!shed it back behindher ear* rabbing her cloak- he yanked it open as he p!lled her close once more* e ran

his (ace along her neck- breathing her in* is hands (irmly mo"ed o"er her so(t breasts

and he (elt her nipples harden thro!gh her s&eater* >ro&ling- he restrained himsel(-


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(ighting his desire and his hardening cock- be(ore kissing her ro!ghly- claiming her

mo!th as his*

!ickly shi(ting into his &ol( (orm- he (orced himsel( a&ay* At (!ll speed hepl!nged into the &oods- his long cla&s ripping thro!gh the earth* e needed this r!n to

clear his head- b!t he &o!ld keep an ear o!t in case annah needed him*

Chapter Seven

Breathless (rom his to!ch- annah stood there- her panties &et and her body

needy and ali"e (or him*


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8, tho!ght it &as 'li;a- b!t its yo!* , did &hat &as needed to protect yo! both*

7o& please c!t yo!r hair* =o!r scent stems (rom there* ,ts ho& he (o!nd yo!*8

ea disappeared* Alone again annah tried calling either &oman back- b!t it &as!seless* There &as too m!ch light in the sky* icking !p the stone Caleb ga"e her- she

broke the circle- p!t the stone in her pocket- and started the &alk home*

The sky &as an odd combination o( bl!e and pale yello& layers* The s!n stillhadnt broken the hori;on* 7oticing the (orest &as oddly !iet- she picked !p her pace*

By this time the birds !s!ally began their morning chor!s- b!t there &as nothing* As

annah stroked the stone in her pocket- she e/ited the &oods &ith the (eeling she &asbeing &atched*

6eeling an/io!s- she ran do&n the road to&ards her home* She tried con"incing

hersel( she &as )!st spooked- b!t it &as no !se* She co!ldnt shake the (eeling that she

&asnt alone*As she stepped onto the side&alk leading !p to her door- a thin animal- no larger

than a medi!m si;e dog stepped o!t o( the trees* S!rprised- she stopped and &atched it

approach as she tried to (ig!re o!t &hat it &as* 3ne thing &as certain- it &as a shi(ter*

The animal had a reddish coat and long pointy ears* ,t &as too big to be a (o/* Acoyote5 7o- coyote &erent bra"e eno!gh to approach alone like this* Slo&ly it da&ned

on her*


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Caleb stopped* is teeth ha"ing p!nct!red the skin* Slo&ly trans(orming back to

h!man- Ren(ield &himpered- his neck bleeding as he t!rned to annah*

8=o! didnt ha"e to do that-8 he said* 8, &as &rong* , e"en smelled the Alpha onyo!- b!t that didnt stop me*8 Caleb released Ren(ield &ho reached !p to check his neck*

8,"e li"ed thro!gh &orse*8 Taking a step to&ards annah- the grey &ol( snapped

(erocio!sly- stopping Ren(ield in his tracks* 8annah- yo!re in danger-8 Ren(ield said*8$y master kno&s o( the Crane c!rse* is pack has &aited cent!ries (or yo!* lease- go

back to yo!r old li(e*8

8


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8o& is this happening58 annah asked* 8A person doesnt )!st change into a

&ere&ol(*8Caleb sa& con(!sion spread across her pretty (ace* e kne& he had to help her

control it or as the &ol( spirit gre&- it &o!ld cons!me her*

8Come &ith me-8 he said as he took her hand* 8od only kno&s &hat my mother is !p to- b!t the lights are

o!t so , g!ess shes still at 7ight Shi(t*8 annah shook her head* 89ont ask*8She p!lled o!t an old bron;e key and !nlocked the door* They entered a small

hall&ay &hich led to an open room &ith a co!ch and the T at one end and a kitchen at

the other end* annah disappeared thro!gh a door then reappeared holding a pair o( baby

bl!e s&eatpants and a &hite o"ersi;ed b!tton shirt that she handed to him*8,m s!re they &ont (it- b!t yo! ha"e to p!t something on-8 she said*

8


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&ere&ol"es &ere a&(!l- disg!sting- and !ntr!st&orthy* , didnt e"en belie"e they e/isted*

And then , meet yo!*8

8=o! (eel &hat , do- dont yo!58 he asked so(tly*Caleb had been &anting to talk to her* Altho!gh she didnt kno& anything abo!t

(ated mates- he belie"ed she had to (eel the same thing he (elt*

8, dont kno&* , dont kno& &hat , (eel* ,m so con(!sed* , cant e/plain it*88, cant e/plain it either-8 he said (eeling the p!ll to her gro& e"en stronger* 8Let

me tell yo! &hat , do kno&* '"ery time , see yo!- yo!r scent gro&s stronger* And yo!r

scent***8 he shook his head as he tho!ght abo!t the delicio!sness o( it- 8its the mostama;ing thing*8

8Caleb- yo! keep talking abo!t scents and &ol( spirits- b!t , dont !nderstand*

7one o( that means anything to me*8

87o one really !nderstands ho& shi(ters came to be* Some say &ere )!st h!manhybrids- others say its magic- or a c!rse*8

8A c!rse5 Like (rom &itchcra(t58 annah asked*

8=es- e/actly* Some o( the earliest te/ts on &ere&ol"es link them &ith &itches*

There are acco!nts dating back to the &itch trials in '!rope acc!sing &itches- both maleand (emale- o( being &ol( charmers*8

8=o! mean &itches that co!ld make the &ol"es do &hat they &anted588=es- like attack a neighbors li"estock* onestly &hen &e (irst met , &as so

dra&n to yo! that , &as s!re yo! charmed me*8

8


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Alphas to &atch the (orest* The &oods seem to be at the center o( this* Thats ho& , (o!nd

yo!* , (ollo&ed yo!r scent o!t o( my territory into the ne!tral ;one- &hich is &here yo!

li"e*887e!tral ;one5 , cant belie"e all o( this has been going on my entire li(e and ,

kne& nothing abo!t it*8

e la!ghed* 8=o! ha"e no idea ho& m!ch has gone on in Leeds oint* As ah!man yo!re sheltered (rom it- b!t &here yo! li"e and &here the clearing is- are all parts

o( an abandoned territory* They belie"e it &as once managed by a &ol(- b!t no one

kno&s (or s!re so the shi(ter co!ncil declared it ne!tral*


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ha"e to go be(ore , cant stop mysel(*8

She smiled and (ollo&ed him to the door* 3nce o!tside- Caleb p!t his hand !p to

say good+bye as his ears lengthened and hair slo&ly spro!ted* e let the trans(ormation!icken and once he &as a (!ll &ol(- t!rned to&ards the (orest and ran at (!ll speed*

6eeling the cool air against his (!r once again- he slo&ed do&n en)oying the cold gro!nd

!nderneath his pa&s* Thinking abo!t annah- he &ondered i( she &o!ld en)oy the(reedom o( r!nning as a &ol( as m!ch as he did*

As the s!n lightened the (orest- he tho!ght abo!t ha"ing to call an emergency

meeting (or the Co!ncil* B!t almost more importantly- he &anted to make s!re annahhad a night she &o!ld ne"er (orget*

Chapter Nine

annah stood on the porch- her arms &rapped aro!nd hersel( (or &armth as she

&atched Caleb in &ol( (orm enter the (orest* icking !p the clothes he &ore (rom the

porch steps- she held them !p to her (ace and inhaled deeply- en)oying his scent*Slipping her arms into the b!tton shirt- she grinned thinking abo!t sleeping in that

shirt so she co!ld (eel close to him* Brie(ly she (elt the t!g o( her o&n &ol( spirit- b!tclosing her eyes she (oc!sed to contain it*

8=o!ll catch yo!r death o( cold o!t here-8 her mother said- startling her as she

entered the cottage*As she (ollo&ed 'li;a into the ho!se- annah co!ldnt help b!t remember her

mother sitting at 7ight Shi(t like it &as the most normal thing in the &orld*ow could

she act like that after all the things she said about werewolves her entire life?She neededans&ers- b!t she &anted a (ight and she kne& ho& to get one*

8,m going on a date tonight-8 she said as she (ollo&ed 'li;a into her bedroom

&here she sat on her bed as she took o(( her heels*8Thats nice* =o! dont normally tell me abo!t yo!r dates tho!gh*88es a &ere&ol(*8

8A &hat@ annah- yo! kno& ho& , (eel abo!t that* =o! kno&++8

87o- &hat , kno& is &hat yo!"e said all these years* =et there yo! &ere tonightall dolled !p and talking to one* 9ont be a (!cking hypocrite- $om*8

89ont talk to me like that@ =o! ha"e no idea &hat ,"e been thro!gh and &hy ,

&as there* =o!d ne"er raise yo!r "oice like that to ea@88ea &o!ldnt lie to me* She &o!ldnt keep things (rom me*8

83h5 She &o!ldnt5 =o! &ant to kno& &hy , ha"ent "isited yo!r grandmother all

these years58 'li;a got !p and p!lled a small bo/ (rom a shel( in her closet* 8, (o!nd this

&hen , &as going thro!gh eas things a(ter she died* ,ts (!ll o( letters*8 'li;a pa!sed-ob"io!sly !pset* 86rom yo!r (ather*8

8$y (ather5 B!t , tho!ght++8

8Thats &hat , tho!ght too* , tho!ght %no/ )!st le(t me* e &as in the Air 6orce*Stationed o"er at $c>!ire*


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(rom him* e &as being deployed that night* , raced o"er to the Air 6orce base- b!t , &as

a ci"ilian so they &o!ldnt let me on base* , glamo!red the $ and raced o"er to see him*

e said hed &rite and call &hen he co!ld*


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&ith age*

8, started coming here &hen , &as little-8 'li;a said* 8,t &as a good place to hide

and pretend &e &erent the strange &itch (amily on the block* As yo! kno&- the cottageis "ery old and has been in o!r (amily (or h!ndreds o( years* Back then (amilies &o!ld

b!ry their dead either in the ch!rch gra"eyard or in a small gra"eyard on their property*

Theres only one gra"estone here tho!gh and , al&ays &ondered &hy that &as- b!t ,kne& better than to ask ea*8

annah &alked o"er to the gra"estone and read it alo!d* 8ere lies Rebekah

Crane- $other Leeds and !n(aith(!l &i(e to Jacob*


31/64

annahs (ather* She kissed her cheek and le(t her alone &ith the pict!re and her

memories*

Chapter Ten

9ressed in a black- hip h!gging pencil skirt and a dark p!rple &ool "+neck

s&eater- annah &as early (or the (irst time in her li(e* She looked o!t the small o"al

&indo& that (aced the street and &ondered &here Caleb &as*e &asnt late- she )!st &anted to make s!re he didnt ha"e any time alone &ith

her mother* The last thing she &anted &as (or them to bond o"er naked baby photos o(

her*'li;a &as b!sy in the kitchen baking chocolate chip cookies- her !s!al treat (or

g!ests*


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&ere hoping yo! co!ld help !s* ,"e been talking to shi(ters aro!nd to&n and no one

seems to kno& him more than saying they think hes (amiliar b!t (rom a long time ago-8

she said*Caleb picked !p the pict!re*


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take their eyes o(( each other*

8


34/64


35/64

annah r!shed o!t o( the ho!se in a pair o( )eans- a heather grey o(( the sho!lder

s&eater &ith a pair o( black ballet (lats- and headed !p the street to inkys* '/cited to goto City all and see &hat she co!ld (ind o!t abo!t Rebekah Crane- annah kne& i( she

didnt in"ite inky along shed ne"er hear the end o( it* inky ne"er missed a chance to

learn more abo!t the history o( Leeds oint- especially &hen it had anything to do &iththe s!pernat!ral*

annah heard the childrens la!ghter coming (rom the backyard so didnt bother

going into the ho!se* As she &alked aro!nd to the back she spotted inky in a $ickey$o!se t+shirt &ith her royal bl!e hair p!lled !p into a messy b!n* To&ering o"er the

children- inky la!ghed and ble& b!bbles (or the kids to chase*

inkys mother stepped onto the deck (rom the kitchen &ith a tray o( "egetables-

yog!rt- and (r!it- placed it do&n on a table lo& eno!gh (or the children to sit at- thenplayed a (e& notes on a triangle* She &as the spitting image o( inky b!t &ith a platin!m

blonde pi/ie c!t* annah lo"ed inkys mom and called her mom as did a lot o( children

&ho gre& !p at their n!rsery school* As the kids ran onto the deck (or their snack-

annah smiled (ondly as she tho!ght back to &hen she &as one o( those children*8Long time no see-8 inky said as she elbo&ed annah play(!lly*

8, kno&- , kno&- please dont gi"e me grie( abo!t it* =o! ha"e no idea all the st!((thats happened*8

8ey- yo! kno& ,m )!st teasing yo!* =o! dont ha"e to tell me , dont compare to

some se/y &ere&ol(-8 inky grinned and &iggled her eyebro&s at annah* 8So &hats!p58

inky )erked her head to&ards the s&ing set in the corner o( the backyard and

started heading to&ards them* annah &a"ed to inkys mom be(ore (ollo&ing* The

s&ings &ere &here she and inky al&ays shared their secrets* ,t &as also inkys &ay o(telling her to not say anything !ntil they got there*

A(ter climbing onto one o( the s&ings- annah opened her mo!th and then!ickly sh!t it* inky ga"e her her patented


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inky sighed and t&isted her s&ing so she co!ld look directly at annah* 8lease

belie"e me- b!t , )!st (o!nd o!t* , o"erheard my dad on the phone* e said yo!r mom has

been looking (or %no/ and , p!t t&o and t&o together* e thinks hes been taken*88Taken5 9id he say anything else5 , dont !nderstand it* o& did he kno& abo!t

my mom58

8Serio!sly- annah* a"e yo! not learned anything (rom li"ing here5 $y dadkno&s e"erything* Like everything* , didnt hear anything else- b!t it did so!nd serio!s*8

8


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A(ter entering thro!gh the large &ooden doors- she made her &ay !pstairs to the

9epartment o( !blic Records &here a (rail- bald man &ith a pair o( thick ro!nd glasses-

sat behind a desk in (ront o( a room (illed &ith (iling cabinets*ently shaking his sho!lder- she

stepped back &hen he snorted and shook his head*

83h hello there- dear* , m!st ha"e do;ed o((* oodness me* =o! &o!ldnt belie"e the amo!nt o( records &e ha"e* And its all

paper* The original doc!ments are no& all p!blic record so i( yo!d like , can bring yo!to that area and yo! can look (or &hat yo!re interested in*8

e hobbled to&ards the back o( the room and annah (ollo&ed him- (orcinghersel( to &alk slo& instead o( r!nning ahead like she really &anted* The area smelled

m!sty and the (lorescent light o"erhead b!;;ed so(tly* As he tapped the top o( an old-

ta!pe (iling cabinet d!st (le& into the air*8These are them- dear* :n(ort!nately the cabinets arent marked* ,( yo! need any

help )!st come get me- or ask (or Abraham i( ,m not aro!nd and theyll (ind me*8

8Thank yo!- sir-8 annah said be(ore he &obbled brie(ly then headed back

to&ards his desk*As she p!lled open a dra&er- the cabinet made a horrible scraping so!nd* The

(iling cabinets &ere so old they r!sted years ago* She yanked open another one- lettingthe metallic groan (ill the air*A long ro& o( yello&ed paper greeted her* !shing back the stack so she co!ld

look at the (irst one- she sa& a name that began &ith A* -lose enough,she tho!ght as she

skipped ahead se"eral inches o( paper to (ind the Cs* Th!mbing thro!gh the (iles she sa&Crane (lip past and &ent back to (ind it*

She co!ldnt belie"e her good l!ck* '/cited- she p!lled o!t the piece o( paper and

sa& her address on top* ,t &as the original land deed* Rebekah Cranes name &as listed

&ith her h!sband Jacobs- b!t it &as neatly crossed o!t*At the bottom o( the deed- a notari;ed portion declared the land belonging to

Rebekah a(ter charges o( &itchcra(t and &ol( charming &ere dropped* ,t seemed her

h!sband acc!sed her o( &itchcra(t a(ter (inding o!t she had an a((air*annah tho!ght abo!t the Jersey 9e"il tales and &ondered i( they all began

beca!se o( an angry- )ealo!s h!sband* =anking open se"eral other cabinets didnt pro"ide

her &ith the ans&ers she &anted*She (o!nd the Leeds oint bible &here all births &ere recorded and sa& Rebekah

listed thirteen times- once (or each child* The last child had a deceased date ne/t to him*

,t &as eno!gh to make annah reali;e she needed a (olklore re(resher* She had to (ind the

oldest stories abo!t the Jersey 9e"il*


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A(ter closing the cabinets &ith a strong sho"e- she ran thro!gh the short ma;e o(

(iles to Abrahams desk* T!rning to thank him- she noticed he &as asleep again and )!st

kept &alking* The p!blic library &as a co!ple blocks a&ay and she co!ldnt &ait tocontin!e her research*

The library stood at the center o( a b!sy block* ,t &as one o( the oldest libraries in

the state and had been recently reno"ated* annah remembered going there &ith hermother and ea &hen she &as a child* The lo&er le"el had a bl!e three story doll ho!se

annah al&ays admired on their "isits there*

She tho!ght abo!t entering on the lo&er le"el- )!st to &alk past and see i( the dollho!se &as still there and as she remembered it- b!t she didnt ha"e time (or nonsense*

ositi"e the ans&er &o!ld stop the m!rders o( Calebs pack- she needed to get to the root

o( Rebekahs c!rse*

Climbing the sandstone steps !p to the circ!lar (oyer- annah gre& an/io!s* She&as s!re she &o!ld get some ans&ers here* And c!riosity had already gotten the better o(

her*

,( she co!ldnt (ind o!t &hat she needed to there- she &as de(initely s!mmoning

Rebekah in the clearing* Another (!ll moon &as already here and she kne& that- co!pled&ith her seeing her be(ore meant she co!ld bring her back again*

A g!st o( &arm air and the smell o( books en"eloped her as she entered thelibrary* The main section &as ro!nded like the b!ildings e/terior* At the center &as a

long rectang!lar desk &ith t&o academic looking people++a man &ith a t&eed bla;er- and

a &oman in a tan skirt &ith a black t!rtleneck shirt* Both o( them smiled as she enteredthe (oyer &ith its s!are stained glass skylights*

8Can , help yo!58 the &oman asked as the man &ent back to scanning a stack o(

ret!rned books*

8=es- &here can , (ind articles abo!t the Jersey 9e"il58The mans head popped !p and he smiled &armly at annah* 8, can help yo! &ith

that-8 he said as he stepped aro!nd (rom the e/pansi"e desk* 8,m Brian* ,m consideredthe Jersey 9e"il e/pert aro!nd here* ,( yo! dont mind my talking yo!r ear o((- ,d lo"e tohelp yo!*8

83k great- ,m looking (or the origins o( the story*8

Brian led annah thro!gh a t&o story arch&ay lined &ith bookcases* Stoppingto&ards the end o( an aisle- he p!lled o!t se"eral books and motioned (or her to contin!e

(ollo&ing him* e placed the books do&n on a long table at the back o( the room- near

pict!re &indo&s that (aced the ad)acent park*

8Anything in partic!lar abo!t the origins58 he asked as he sat do&n* 8As ,m s!reyo! kno&- there are se"eral theories*8

8,m really looking (or anything abo!t Rebekah Crane*8

8Ahh- $other Leeds* S!ch a tragic story really* $ost people dont e"en kno& herreal name-8 he said as he (lipped thro!gh a hardco"er book and then slid it in (ront o( her*

8This book has a collection o( &ritings (rom the 1E00s all based on the Jersey 9e"il*8

8


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those acc!sers stood to gain ad)oining portions o( their property i( said &itch &as

prosec!ted*8

8Thats terrible@8 annah said*8,ndeed* Rebekah &as l!cky tho!gh* er acc!ser &as her h!sband* B!t be(ore his

claim &as (inali;ed he came do&n &ith a brain (e"er and died* $any people belie"e

Rebekah &as behind it- b!t Jacob Leeds &as &ell established as the to&n dr!nk- so most&ere happy to be rid o( him*8

8


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Co!ncil meetings took place in the secret room o( the Smith"ille library* The back

o( the library (aced a &ooded area that &as per(ect (or each o( their arri"als* 6rom there

they &ere able to descend into the basement- still in animal (orm and then enter a pri"ateroom each o( them kept a change o( clothes in* 6or o"er t&o h!ndred years- this &as ho&

the %apok Co!ncil met and no one &anted to initiate any changes*

9ressed in dark bl!e )eans- a black t+shirt that cl!ng to e"ery m!scle on his chest-and his (a"orite pair o( black motorcycle boots- Caleb entered the room* The &ood

planked (loor creaked &ith each o( his steps* The room b!;;ed as Caleb took his seat at

the anti!e artisan cra(ted ro!nd table the Co!ncil !sed (or their meetings*Seated aro!nd the table &ere the Alpha (rom each o( the t&el"e gro!ps in the tri+

state area* Calebs oldest (riends- 'rich and Joa!in each took their places as Alpha years

ago and no& sat on either side o( him* 'rich- the handsome- o"ersi;ed br!te o( a man &as

the gri;;ly bear Alpha o( the Alders* Alder &as chosen to remind the bears o( theirend!rance and strength- traits that 'rich belie"ed he embodied and &o!ld (ight anyone

&ho disagreed &ith him*

3n the other side o( Caleb &as Joa!in- the good looking- dark skinned Alpha o(

the panthers Blackthorn* e belie"ed so &hole+heartedly in the discipline and control theblackthorn tree represented- that he &as kno&n to take things a little too (ar at times*

6oc!sed to a (a!lt- Joa!in sometimes p!t Blackthorns o"erall &ell being o"er thoseclosest to him*

Across (rom them sat $onica- the tall- s"elte (o/ Alpha o(


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&ol(- an 3mega named Ren(ield- &ho is in ser"it!de to Abel- said hes a(ter a h!man* A

&itch to be e/act*8

8o& &ill he (ind this &itch588, met her in the &oods one night- she kno&s nothing o( the c!rse or o( charming*

,t seems she has &ere&ol( blood and is slo&ly becoming one o( !s-8 Caleb said &anting

to protect annah as m!ch as possible- b!t kno&ing he had to gi"e the Co!ncil somein(ormation* 8er scent is gro&ing stronger* , ha"e an old photo o( her (ather- b!t she

kno&s nothing abo!t him* is name is %no/*8 Caleb- took the photo o!t and passed it

aro!nd (or the other Co!ncil members to look at*8, belie"e ,"e seen him be(ore-8 Liam o( the 3ak lion pride said as he ran his

(ingers thro!gh his blond hair* 8e &as li"ing &ithin my territory* A !iet man &ith an

air o( sadness* :n(ort!nately he is one o( my missing*8

8,"e heard o( shi(ters o( ancient blood- that do not contin!e their line do not shi(t!ntil theyre in contact &ith others-8 $onica said* 8, belie"e its some sort o( adaptation

&ithin their 97A to protect them* o& m!ch contact ha"e yo! had &ith this girl58

Caleb didnt &ant to respond* e co!ldnt tell them she &as his (ated mate* The

idea o( a (ated mate- &hile important &ithin the shi(ter comm!nity- &asnt something todisc!ss at Co!ncil &here they (ollo&ed their heads- not their hearts*

8Se"eral times* She contin!es to enter the &oods despite my repeated &arnings*88,s she in any o( o!r territories58 $onica asked*

87o- shes in the ne!tral ;one- not (ar (rom &here the cas!alties ha"e been

appearing* She needs to be protected- especially i( a&thorn is a(ter her*88,m s!re &e all agree*8

A(ter the meeting &as o"er- Joa!in p!lled Caleb aside and 'rich )oined them*

The three Alphas had taken it !pon themsel"es to sec!re the &oods*

8=o! look tro!bled- brother-8 Joa!in said to Caleb* 8,s it the girl588=es- ,m &orried abo!t her* ,( her scent is gro&ing stronger beca!se o( o!r

interaction- then perhaps , need to stay a&ay* er best protection is (or her to notcomplete the trans(ormation into a shi(ter* 3nce that happens her scent &ill be strongeno!gh (or Abel to track her*8

8,"e dealt &ith that pack o( coyotes be(ore* Theyre beyond dangero!s*


42/64

%no&ing he co!ldnt )!st lea"e her he planned to talk &ith her and e/plain &hy he

co!ldnt see her anymore* er scent and her shi(ting &ere increasing and it &as only a

matter o( time be(ore her trans(ormation &as complete* e &o!ld die be(ore he let hissel(ishness be the reason annah &as in danger*

Chapter Thirteen

6or the (irst time since ea died- annah &asnt going to "isit her on a (!ll moon*She missed ea b!t i( she &anted to call on her ancestor- Rebekah Crane she kne& it &as

going to take e"ery o!nce o( her energy*

Collecting the stones (or the circle &as hard eno!gh that night* The (!ll moon liteno!gh o( the gro!nd (or her to (ind them easily- b!t she co!ldnt help b!t think o( Caleb

each time she picked one !p* There &as the (irst time they met &hen she tripped o"er one

and he let her ride him home* 3r the time he handed her a stone to help her &ith the

circle*

Caleb took !p so m!ch o( her tho!ghts that she re(!sed to &ash the b!tton shirt he&ore at her cottage* She lo"ed ho& m!ch it smelled like him and had been &earing the

shirt to bed e"eryday since their date* She almost &ore it that night &ith a pair o( )eans-b!t she had the dra& the line some&here*

:n(ort!nately thinking abo!t him &as all she co!ld do lately beca!se she hadnt

seen him in days* e &asnt ans&ering his phone and he hadnt come by since their date*annah &as beginning to (eel insec!re abo!t sleeping &ith him- despite ho& &onder(!l it

&as*

She tho!ght they had (eelings (or each other- b!t maybe she &as &rong* $aybeher mom and ea had been right all along*


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The lea"es r!stled and she t!rned to &atch as a large grey &ol( stepped o!t (rom

the &oods- his head h!ng lo&* annah (elt sadness &ash o"er her as the &ol( came o"er

and p!shed his large head !nder her arm- (orcing it aro!nd his neck- then rested his headon her lap*

8


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on a barberry b!sh*

89ammit- annah-8 she m!ttered* 8>et a hold o( yo!rsel(*8

8=o! ha"ent been yo!rsel( since***8 inkys "oice trailed o((*annah kne& &hat her (riend &as going to say and &as grate(!l that she didnt*

As they sat on an old orange print co!ch at inkys ho!se- sharing a do!ble cheese-

do!ble pepperoni pi;;a- aeal ousewife &hined abo!t her latest plastic s!rgery mishap*They &ere both dressed in yoga pants and t+shirts- not beca!se they planned to &ork o!t-

b!t beca!se they )!st &anted to be com(ortable*


45/64

'asily (inding eno!gh stones (or a large circle- annah sat do&n and closed the

circle as the moon reached the position she &aited (or* She closed her eyes and tried

clearing her tho!ghts- b!t it &as no !se* She co!ldnt stop thinking abo!t him*Taking a deep breath- she started again* Sh!tting him o!t o( her mind- she tho!ght

abo!t the time Rebekah appeared* er pale green dress &ith the apron and her red hair

t!cked into her &hite bonnet*6eeling something !n!s!al- like she &asnt alone- annah opened her eyes to (ind

Rebekah standing there looking aro!nd in a&e*I did it,she tho!ght to hersel( happily*

8,s that a bl!e moon58 Rebekah asked*8=es it is* , &anted to call yo! d!ring the last (!ll one- b!t***8

8=o! poor girl* e le(t yo!- didnt he58

8o& do yo! kno&58 annah asked- con(!sed*

8Beca!se yo! look )!st as miserable as , did &hen it happened to me*88=o! mean &hen Jacob died58

83h- no* Jacob co!ld be s&eet &hen he &anted to- b!t o!r marriage &as one o(

con"enience more than anything* , honestly think he kept me &ith child )!st to make s!re

, co!ldnt lea"e* ,t &as a di((erent time back then* arsh and ro!gh* A &oman didnt ha"em!ch say* , belie"e marriages like that are rare no&adays*8

83h yo!d be s!rprised-8 annah said* So- i( yo! dont mind- &ho made yo!miserable58

8A shi(ter* A &ere&ol( to be precise* ossibly one o( the (irsts in the 7e&


46/64

e"er laid my eyes on*

8, bro!ght him into the barn so Jacob &o!ldnt (ind him and , took care o( him*

B!t as , n!rsed him back to health &e got to kno& each other and (ell in lo"e*88o& did Jacob (ind o!t58 annah asked*

8,t &as my o&n (a!lt* , &anted L!ke to be near so , ga"e him this part o( the land*

, didnt think Jacob &o!ld care or e"en notice since he ne"er cleared the trees* L!ke madethe clearing and b!ilt a small ho!se* That path yo! (ollo& on yo!r &ay here &as

originally made by !s (rom r!nning back and (orth bet&een ho!ses to spend &hate"er

time &e co!ld &ith each other*8B!t then one day- as l!ck &o!ld ha"e it- , got pregnant* Jacob and , hadnt been

together in a "ery long time and like , said- he &as a dr!nk- not st!pid* e c!rsed me*8

8


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Chapter Fifteen

The most important thing annah learned the night she s!mmoned Rebekah- &as

that her h!ndreds o( years o( roaming the earth &o!ld ha"e been easier i( she had one

more day &ith L!ke* annah had eno!gh o( her o&n mistakes- she re(!sed to copy

someone elses*A(ter !nlocking the padlock on the storage shed in the back yard- annah opened

her grandmothers bo/es as she searched (or eas potion book* ea ne"er liked talking

abo!t it- b!t she &as a highly skilled herbalist* ,t &as a passion she c!lti"ated &ith hero&n gardens and tried to teach to her da!ghter and grandda!ghter- b!t they lacked the

patience needed to b!ild a strong potion*

Sliding the third bo/ o!t- she opened it to (ind mo!nds o( scrap paper &ith notesand diagrams on them*)ack/ot+ea liked to call it an organi;ed mess- b!t annah kne&

better* ,t &as really )!st a mess* annah dragged the bo/ o"er to a nearby la&n chair and

sat do&n*

annah had an idea* She remembered ho& ea &as so obsessed &ith &anting the

cottage to smell like baked goods- that she created a scent potion* She didnt kno& i( it&o!ld &ork on h!mans- speci(ically one trans(orming into a &ere&ol(- b!t annah didnt

(eel she had any other options* Changing her scent to enter the (orest &as the bestprotection she co!ld think o(*

She didnt &ant to ca!se tro!ble- b!t she needed to talk to Caleb* 7ot e/pecting

him to be on his ho!seboat- she kne& the g!aranteed place to (ind him &as the (orest*art o( her tho!ght o( risking it- o( letting the coyotes track her- b!t she &asnt st!pid

eno!gh to p!t hersel( in danger like that )!st to hope Caleb &o!ld sa"e her*

A(ter sorting thro!gh a third o( the scraps o( paper- annah (inally (o!nd thepotion she &as looking (or &ritten on an inde/ card* She tossed all the paper back into the

bo/- dragged the large bo/ back to the shed- and padlocked the door once again*

Scanning the ingredient list- annah recogni;ed the herbs (rom being in easgarden* L!ckily none o( them &ere poisono!s- b!t that didnt mean m!ch* Simplycombining t&o nonpoisono!s plants didnt mean the res!lt &o!ldnt be deadly* 'ither &ay

the potion &o!ld taste like crap- she &ondered i( it &o!ld &ork cosmetically*

'asily grabbing the herbs she needed- she bro!ght them into the cottage* appy toha"e the place to hersel( &hile her mom ran errands- she (ollo&ed the recipe to the letter*

She didnt &ant to &aste time &ith careless mistakes* '/perimenting &ith a small dose

br!shed on the &indo& sill- the ho!se s!ddenly smelled like (reshly baked bread*:sed correctly- the scent potion only lasted a day* She had no idea ho& long it

&o!ld last on a person* 'specially one &hose &ere&ol( scent &as gro&ing stronger*

o!ring the eli/ir into a shot glass- she admired its deep green color* Taking a

sni((- she &as s!rprised it didnt ha"e a scent* As she ca!ght her re(lection in the &indo&-she noticed her hair*

ea al&ays ho!nded her to c!t it* The last time she sa& her she said it &as the

so!rce o( her scent* ,( that &as tr!e- she didnt ha"e to drink the potion- she co!ld )!stco"er her hair &ith it*

o!ring the contents o( the shot glass into her palm- annah &orried i( she had

eno!gh* She decided to start at the top and go do&n to the ends* ,( she ran o!t o( thepotion she &o!ld c!t o(( the rest o( her hair* >etting to the &oods and talking to Caleb


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&as more important than her st!pid hair*

Someho& she had eno!gh o( the eli/ir- and &hen she sni((ed her hair it smelled

like bread also* She had to be sa(e* B!t i( something happened- at least she co!ld say shetried*

Changing into a pair o( dark bl!e )eans- her old bro&n leather boots- and her

l!cky bl!e chenille s&eater- she then p!t on her cloak and ran to&ards the grassy paththat c!t thro!gh the &oods* The moon had beg!n to &ane b!t she didnt need the light-

annah kne& (or her to (ind Caleb she &o!ld ha"e to rely on the senses o( her

b!rgeoning &ol( spirit*earing a noise !p ahead she stopped* A man called o!t to another- then

(ootsteps*unters?Reorienting hersel( based on the moon in the sky- she reali;ed she

&asnt (ar (rom the clearing* !ietly she made her &ay to the clearing* A large pick !p

tr!ck- its lights on and motor r!nning- sat by the tree line not (ar (rom her* She didnt seethe men b!t sensed other &ol"es close by*

%eeping &ithin the tree line- annah made her &ay o"er to the tr!ck* As she

mo"ed closer- she &as able to make o!t the o!tline o( cages in the (latbed* 6oc!sing on

them- she heard the metallic scrap o( pa&s on the metal*She stepped o!t o( the trees and into the clearing beside the tr!ck* 6o!r cages took

!p the (latbed and inside them &ere grey &ol"es* She co!ldnt tell i( they &ere&ere&ol"es- her senses &erent de"eloped eno!gh yet* B!t she kne& &hat she co!ld do

to (ind o!t*

Taking a deep breath- she (oc!ssed on her &ol( spirit* Speci(ically on the deepyello& her eyes changed to &hen it &anted to be kno&n* She let the &ol( take o"er and

(lashed her yello& eyes at the &ol"es* ,t &orked@ They (lashed their eyes back at her*

Ret!rning to hersel(- she opened the cages reali;ing these men had to &ork (or the

a&thorn pack o( coyote* She opened the cages to release the &ol"es- &ondering &hythey didnt let themsel"es o!t &hen the men disappeared- b!t the &ol"es didnt mo"e*

Spotting a glint (rom one o( their necks in the moonlight- she reached aro!nd theneck o( the closest &ol( and (elt a collar made (rom leather- sil"er- and other items shedidnt recogni;e* ,t &as the &ork o( a &itch*

The collars had a secret clasp she didnt ha"e time to (ig!re o!t* She opened the

tr!ck door and spotted a toolbo/* At the bottom &as a (olded b!ck kni(e* Care(!lly !singthe large blade- she c!t thro!gh each o( the collars and the &ol"es leapt o!t o( the cages

and into the (orest* 3ne shi(ted into h!man (orm- a girl probably not m!ch older than

annah- &ith short dark hair*

8Thank yo!- b!t yo! sho!ld r!n* , dont kno& ho& yo! did it- b!t ,m s!re theylltake a h!man too-8 she told annah*

8i"e these to Caleb- yo!r Alpha* ell !nderstand*8The girl nodded- !ickly changed back into &ol(- and &ith the collar and her hair

in her mo!th- do"e into the (orest* annah &as alone &ith the tr!ck* She co!ldnt

!nderstand &hy h!nters &o!ld need a &itch to capt!re &ol"es especially &hen the coyotehad been killing them* Then she remembered Caleb saying her (ather &as among the

missing*

She reali;ed the a&thorn m!st ha"e gro&n impatient &aiting to (ind her* They

t!rned to other &itches &ho claimed they &ere &ol( charmers and tested them &ith


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capt!red &ol"es* As she t!rned to lea"e- the t&o men mas!erading as h!nters in )eans-

&ork boots- and (ield coats- stepped o!t o( the (orest*

8


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me too*8

87o o((ense- b!t ho& do yo! think yo!ll be able to get !s o!t o( here5 =o!re )!st

a h!man* ,"e been here (or &eeks*88,m not s!re- b!t maybe , can call someone-8 she said*

8Theyre not going to let yo! !se a phone*8

8Can yo! keep an eye o!t5 $ake s!re the others dont see &hat ,m doing and i(anyone comes stall them*8

8S!re- not like ,m doing anything else-8 he said* 8l!s those shi(ters &ont notice

anything- their minds are gone (rom the tort!re* 7o& theyre like dogs at a po!nd &aiting(or resc!e*8

She looked back at the door and sa& the shi(ters &ere still looking o!t- &aiting*

oping theyd stay distracted and block the door&ay (rom anyone &ho passed- she

looked aro!nd (or something she co!ld make a circle o!t o(- b!t didnt see anything* Theroom &as completely bare*

She kne& she co!ld s!mmon the dead to speak to her- she co!ldnt see &hy she

co!ldnt s!mmon the li"ing the same &ay* She had to at least try- it might be their only

&ay o!t o( there* 6r!strated- she p!t her hands in her cloak and (elt the stone Calebhanded her not so long ago* She remo"ed her cloak and ga"e it to %no/*

8ere- ,m s!re yo! co!ld !se something to &ear-8 she said*e slipped it on and smiled at her grate(!lly* 8,( &e do get o!t o( here- there are

others* ,"e seen them bro!ght in* There ha"e to be more like me &ho s!r"i"ed the

coyotes tort!ro!s e/periments* , need to (ree them too* 9o yo!r thing and h!rry* , dontkno& &hats going on b!t yo!r scent is changing !ickly*8

annah nodded and took a deep breath* J!st &hat she needed- more press!re* er

heart (l!ttered in her chest and she bit her bottom lip as she &iped her moist palms on her

)eans* his has to work- she tho!ght*Cro!ching do&n- she dre& a circle aro!nd hersel( on the (loor &ith the stone*


51/64

t!rned annahs blood cold*

8


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8, kno& &here yo!re at- annah-8 Caleb said* 8,m on my &ay*8

9ri"ing his motorcycle at top speed- Caleb arri"ed &ithin min!tes o( speaking to

her* e descended the pier near the dra&bridge like he did in his yo!th- and entered thecatacombs (rom the back* e kne& Abel &ell eno!gh to kno& e/actly &here hed be++in

the great hall*

The corridors &ere empty* e tried to (ind annahs scent- or e"en that o( theother shi(ters- b!t they &ere masked by the strong salt air o( the ocean* As Caleb entered

the great hall- Ren(ield slipped o!t o( the room* 7o matter- Caleb &o!ld deal &ith him

later*8lancing to his le(t he sa& Ren(ieldleading her and a small gro!p o( shi(ters do&n the corridor* annah sa& him- her (ace

(illed &ith relie( then (ear as her large green eyes scanned the room* She grabbedRen(ield and spoke h!rriedly- b!t be(ore Caleb co!ld t!ne in to hear her- the (irst coyoteattacked*

Caleb !ickly let his &ol( spirit take control* As a &ol(- he d&ar(ed the coyotes

and smacked the smaller animal o!t o( the &ay &ith his large pa&* The coyotes attackedat once* 3ne by one he eliminated them- teeth sinking into (!r or a s&i(t shake to break a

neck* 3ne by one the coyote bodies &ere tossed like garbage at the &all* %eeping an eye

on Abel- he made his &ay closer to his throne as the coyotes slo&ed their attack o!t o(

(ear*8, sa& ho& yo! looked at her- Caleb* Shes the &itch isnt she5 , had her all along-

b!t she tricked me*


53/64

the &oman beside him* 8This is my 6aith* J!st &ait !ntil yo! see &hat she can do*8


54/64

ha"e*

Chapter Eighteen

,n the month since the a&thorn pack had been capt!red- annah and Caleb hadspent e"ery moment together* B!sy en)oying li(e in the present- she hadnt e"en gone to

the clearing to speak &ith ea or Rebekah*

Caleb said he needed to take care o( some b!siness- so she &ent home to "isit hermother- 'li;a*


55/64

sno& in the air and &ondered ho& many inches they &o!ld get later* Snaking thro!gh

eas old gardens- she yanked the &ro!ght iron door to the small gra"eyard open*

icking !p a long stick- she dre& a circle in the dirt aro!nd her and (oc!sed onRebekahs gra"estone !ntil appeared smiling and clasping her hands together happily*

8,"e been &aiting (or yo!@8 Rebekah said* 8, didnt &ant to lea"e &itho!t

thanking yo!*88Lea"e5


56/64

e !ndressed then shi(ted into &ol( (orm* She climbed onto his back- holding

onto his )eans and t+shirt (or a(ter he changed back*


57/64

series 0 esisting he 'l/ha 0 "ow 'vailable+

Resisting The AlphaBy

Liliana Rhodes

Copyright G2014

lilianaHlilianarhodes*com

httpI##&&&*LilianaRhodes*com

Sign !p (or Lilianas 7e&sletter

6aith >allo&ay is an orphan- a &itch- a po&er(!l charmer- and still in lo"e &ith her highschool s&eetheart* B!t Abel Barlo& isnt the man she (ell in lo"e &ith- instead hes the

c!nning coyote Alpha behind the kidnappings and killings o( &ol( shi(ters in Leeds oint*


58/64

&ore* She lo"ed the (eel o( a (lo&ing skirt against her bare legs and the richness o( the

silk blo!se &as something she bo!ght hersel( as a treat- b!t clothing &as the last thing on

her mind right no&*8, ha"e to do this-8 she reminded hersel(*

Things had gone (rom bad to &orse in a matter o( days* She had to get a&ay- b!t

co!ldnt* ,t &asnt )!st their history together- there &as m!ch more* er heart &o!ldnt lether lea"e*

As she came do&n the c!r"ed staircase- she already kne& he &as alone* The more

he let the coyote take o"er- the less he &anted anyone aro!nd* '/cept (or her* She &as theonly person he tr!sted- or so he said*

6aith stepped onto the marble (loors o( the entry&ay- her ballet shoes clicking

so(tly as she &alked to&ards the li"ing room* She didnt need to see Abel to kno& e/actly

&here he &as sitting or &hat he &as doing*Abel sat on an old dark stained oak chair &ith thick ro!nd arm rests and a high

back resembling a throne* 9eep green c!shions made the chair as com(ortable as it co!ld

be- &hich &asnt m!ch* Abel seemed to think di((erently tho!gh as he al&ays chose that

chair* The large chair &as centered along the longest &all o( the li"ing room- a&ay (rom

the &indo&s on the other &alls* Abel kept it this &ay so no one co!ld see him (rom thestreet* Co"ering the (loor &as i"ory pl!sh carpeting and on the &all across (rom him h!ng

a plasma T he ne"er &atched anymore*

6aith eyed him s!spicio!sly- !ns!re not only &hat to e/pect- b!t &ho* is eyeshad beg!n to hallo& and his once thick dark blond hair had been red!ced to strands* She

hated the coyote (or doing that to him- b!t e"en more (or &hat it t!rned Abel into* The

more control Abel ga"e his coyote spirit- the less h!man he became*

Spro!ts o( reddish bro&n (!r lined &hat &ere his hands* is (ingers- once longand tapered &ere no& in a grotes!e state bet&een man and dog* 6aith had no idea ho&

he got dressed e"eryday- b!t as !s!al he &ore a pair o( beige slacks &ith a grey plaidb!tton shirt she recently bo!ght him*


59/64

8,ts not late* ,ts not e"en oclock* ,ll be back be(ore yo! go h!nting* , )!st need

to pick !p some things at the grocery store* 9o yo! need anything58

e didnt need to ans&er* Abel hadnt eaten h!man (ood in o"er a year* ,( she &asl!cky hed lea"e to h!nt &hile she &as gone so she &o!ldnt ha"e to r!n into him &hen

she got back* She &asnt s!re &hat she &as looking (or&ard to more- getting a&ay (rom

Abel or )!st being alone (or a little &hile*6aith grabbed her &allet and keys and &alked o!t o( the ho!se hoping to make

her appointment on time* ,t &as the most dangero!s thing she e"er did and co!ld get her

killed i( Abel (o!nd o!t* She didnt ha"e any choice tho!gh*

Arri"ing at 7ight Shi(t- 6aith parked her Cadillac and &alked to&ards the slanted-r!n do&n b!ilding &ith its bright neon sign* 7ight Shi(t &asnt a place she e"er

(re!ented- b!t she had been there be(ore* =o! co!ldnt li"e in Leeds and not go to the

shi(ter bar at least once in yo!r li(e*

At the entrance- a h!ge man co"ered the door&ay* 6aith brie(ly &ondered i( he&as o!tside beca!se he &as too large to enter- b!t !ickly p!shed the tho!ght o!t o( her

head* She al&ays (o!nd &ays to distract hersel( &hen she &as ner"o!s* ,magining thisgiant si;ed shi(ter st!ck in the door&ay &as e/actly the kind o( thing she didnt need to

am!se hersel( &ith* '"en i( she co!ldnt help thinking that &ith his enormity it &o!ld be

(!nny i( his animal spirit &as a s!irrel*8o to the bar and gi"ehim yo!r name* They.re e/pecting yo!*K

The &ords h!ng in the air omino!sly* ,t &asn.t ho& the big man said it tho!gh- it

&as 6aith.s o&n g!ilt abo!t &hat she &as abo!t to do* As she nodded- the bo!ncer mo"ed

o!t o( the &ay gi"ing her a (!ll "ie& o( the pop!lar shi(ter bar*%eith :rban blared (rom the )!kebo/ in the corner and the &ood paneled room

looked ha;y despite no one smoking* Color(!l neon beer signs glo&ed along the (ar &all

&here the bar &as*As she passed the bea!ti(!l people she kne& &ere shape shi(ters- 6aith tho!ght

back to high school &hen she (irst met Abel* e &as tall- &ith thick blond hair and the

gentlest grey eyes* ,t &as a shame &hat that damned coyote did to him*

%ifteen &ears 'go

Sitting at her desk at the (ar back corner o( the classroom- 6aith &orked on a


60/64

sketch o( a ictorian ho!se she once sa& on a Cape $ay postcard* 7e/t to her &as an

empty seat she al&ays dropped her bag onto so she had easy access to another pencil

&hen the one she sketched &ith got d!ll*,n (ront o( the !iet room $s* $!rphy- the spinsterly istory teacher &ith short

sil"er hair &rote e"ents &ith their corresponding dates on the blackboard* 6aith kne& all

that st!(( &as going to be on a test- b!t she co!ldnt bring hersel( to e"en look at it*So(tly tapping the pencils eraser tip against her notebook- 6aith glanced aro!nd at

the other st!dents* These &ere her classmates (or the past t&o years- the longest she e"er

attended any school and the last school shed go to* She hardly kne& any o( them andpre(erred it that &ay* A(ter years o( constant changes in &here she li"ed- 6aith (o!nd the

sa(est thing to do &as to not get to kno& anyone*

Things &ere better &hen she didnt ha"e to &orry abo!t &hen shed lose a (riend*

6riends had an e/piration date &hen yo! didnt ha"e a home to call yo!r o&n* ,n a (e&months she &o!ld t!rn eighteen and (inally be rid o( the endless &ait (or her mother and

a home* Shed make a home (or hersel( by hersel(- the (irst one she e"er had*

A knock at the closed classroom door ca!ght e"eryones attention and silence

(illed the room e/cept (or the glide and tap o( the chalk (rom $s* $!rphys &riting* 7oone e"er dist!rbed a class and the st!dents &ere c!rio!s &ho co!ld be at the door*

As the door slo&ly opened- some o( the st!dents closer to the door- leaned in theirseats to get a better look* C!riosity al&ays got the better o( 6aith* '"en as she looked

do&n at her partially completed sketch- she kept an ear o!t (or the so(t th!d o( (ootsteps

entering the carpeted room*8


61/64

6aiths throat &ent dry and she tried to s&allo& to clear it* She co!ldnt remember

the last time someone spoke to her and she !ickly looked aro!nd to make s!re he &asnt

talking to someone else*e raised his eyebro&s as i( saying he &as &aiting (or an ans&er* 87o-8 she said-

her "oice barely a &hisper*


62/64

(amiliar and com(orting abo!t him* $aybe he kne& something she didnt* $aybe he

co!ld see into the (!t!re* 3r maybe she )!st &anted to spend more time &ith the

handsome ne& g!y*

(resent Day

A bea!ti(!l- caramel skinned man &ith a tight black t+shirt knocked on the bar in

(ront o( her and bro!ght 6aith back (rom her memories*

$iss5 Can , help yo!5K he asked*e &as m!sc!lar in a di((erent &ay than the rest o( the shi(ters there- telling 6aith

he &as a di((erent animal than the others*


63/64

attraction to him take o"er- b!t it &as hard to (ight &ith biology*

She met his light bro&n eyes and noticed a smirk* !ickly looking a&ay she sat

do&n- embarrassed by his kno&ing ga;e*8Tell me &hat , can do (or yo!-8 he said* 8,ts not e"eryday the Co!ncil gets a

re!est (rom a h!man- especially not a h!man mated to a rog!e Alpha*8

Mated?,s that &hat she &as to Abel- his mate5 3r &as that all this big mantho!ght o( her5 She disliked the term and meaning o( it* She liked thinking o( Abel as her

high school s&eetheart and (irst lo"e- and hoped he tho!ght o( her the same &ay* 3r at

least did be(ore the coyote took o"er*8,m here to talk abo!t Abel Barlo&-8 she said* 8es o!t o( control and , need

yo!r help* , dont kno& &here else to go*8

Resisting The Alpha is now available

Author!s Note

i@ Thank yo! (or reading@ ,( yo! en)oyed this book- it &o!ld mean a lot to me i(yo! helped others (ind it too* lease consider &riting a re"ie& on the site yo! p!rchased

it (rom or recommend this book to (riends or (amily*Re"ie&s and &ord o( mo!th recommendations are the best &ay yo! can help an

a!thor* ,t helps other readers disco"er ne& books too@

, lo"e hearing (rom readers@ ,( yo! ha"e any comments or !estions please (eel(ree to email me at lilianaHlilianarhodes*comand ,ll reply as soon as possible*

Lo"e-

Liliana

"iliana#s "in$s

Get news about my new and u/coming releases as well as s/ecial offers by signing u/ for

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64/64

engaging characters* Blessed &ith an o"er acti"e imagination- she is al&ays &riting and

plotting her ne/t stories* She en)oys mo"ies- reading- photography- and listening to

m!sic* A(ter gro&ing !p on the east coast- Liliana no& li"es in Cali(ornia &ith herh!sband- son- t&o dogs &ho are treated better than some people- and t&o parrots &ho

plan to take o"er the &orld*

Cop%right

Charming The Alpha

Copyright G 201? by Jaded Speck !blishing

Co"er by Jaded Speck !blishing#$ichelle %leinhans

hotographyI GBigStockhotos # hotosani- 3lly

This book is a &ork o( (iction* The names- characters- places- and incidents are prod!cts

o( the &riters imagination or ha"e been !sed (ictitio!sly and are not to be constr!ed asreal* Any resemblance to persons- li"ing or dead- act!al e"ents- locales or organi;ations is

entirely coincidental*

All rights reserved&7o part o( this book may be reprod!ced- scanned- or distrib!ted

in any manner &hatsoe"er &itho!t &ritten permission (rom the a!thor e/cept in the caseo( brie( !otation embodied in critical articles and re"ie&s*