Alphas choice, p.1
Alpha's Choice, page 1
Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
More From the Author
Alpha’s Choice
C. A. Hall
Copyright © 2023 C. A. Hall
Cover and interior design by C. A. Hall
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any way, including information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
Chapter One
As a fox, I was used to moving around. I’d moved eleven times in my life. Which makes this one number twelve.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, I leaned forward and eyed the white condominium several yards away. Even with my windows rolled up, there was no mistaking the smell. Wolves. Three of them, all living inside that tiny house.
“Maybe we have the wrong address,” my fox murmured from the far corners of my mind.
I didn’t have to look at the scrap piece of paper or the directions on my phone to know that wasn’t the case. I’d checked and rechecked everything before we left, so like it or not, this was it. Our new home.
Great. Just great. I honestly shouldn’t have been surprised seeing as my last manager was a wolf, but a heads up would’ve been nice. Do they know? I wondered as I studied the house again. Did they know my history or had Mark left out that detail for them as well?
Deep in thought, I didn’t realize someone was watching me until I caught a bit of movement from the front window at the bottom of the building. However, as soon as I noticed, it was gone.
“The longer we stay out here, the more suspicious we’ll become.”
My fox was right. The sooner I got out of the car, the better. So with my heart in my throat and my thoughts going a mile a minute, I collected the few things I had from the trunk, then headed toward the sidewalk.
The heavy scent of wolf assaulted my nostrils as soon as one of them opened the front door. Seconds later, they rushed out to help.
“It’s okay, I’ve got it,” I said, jutting out my chin so I could see over the cardboard boxes.
“Nonsense. Here. Allow me.” Before I could protest, the weight lifted away from my arms, leaving me to stare at a tall, dark-haired man. “Lynn, right?”
“I… yes.”
“I’m Brandon.”
“I’m a fox. I figured I should mention it in case–”
“In case we want to kick you out.” It wasn’t a question, and given the somber tone of his voice, he seemed as thrilled about the idea as I was. “Look, I don’t know your history, but if Mark sent you here, then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“That’s good to hear.” I released a nervous laugh, then stared at the ground. “He didn’t mention you guys. Wolves.” My cheeks burned at how awkward I sounded then.
“I think that’s part of who he is, you know?” Brandon paused while I got the door, then followed me inside. “Mark considers everyone his family regardless of who they are. It’s a belief we share.”
“We?” I could’ve sworn I smelled others inside the house, but looking around, we were the only ones there.
“Me, Zack, and Dova. You’ll get to meet them around dinner. Oh, there’s also our folks. Mine and Dova’s. They visit a lot, so don’t be surprised if you see two wolves poking around.”
“Not in our rooms, I hope.”
“Oh god, no. That stopped after we moved out.” He carried my boxes over to the stairwell, then set them down. “This is the living room. It isn’t much, but we like to hang out and play board games at night.”
“Board games? Man, I can’t remember the last time I played one of those.” It had been ages!
“Or read. It depends on the mood of the house. Sometimes we’re too tired and we’ll have a movie night instead.”
“Sounds pretty chill,” I said as I inspected the sofa sitting below the front windows.
“It is. We figure the world out there is hectic enough without bringing it here.”
“You’re telling me.”
“Anyway, the kitchen’s through that door there.” He gestured down the hall and grinned. “You’re free to make whatever you’d like. Zack does most of the shopping, so if there’s something you need, let him know. Dova’s the head of our house. She can be quiet at times, but I promise she means well.”
“This isn’t what I expected,” I said as I studied the fireplace with its stone trim and tall mantelpiece on the other side of the room.
“You thought you’d get shoved into a one-bedroom apartment, huh?”
“Or inside someone’s basement.” I’d made it work before.
Brandon combed a hand through his short, curly hair. “The only things we keep in the basement are the washer, dryer, and an extra fridge for our leftovers, which you can find by going behind this wall here.” He inclined his head at a wall on the other side of the stairwell. “Are you hungry?” he asked as he headed toward the kitchen. “I make a mean bean burrito.”
“Any chance I could change? I’ve been sitting in that car for hours and could really use a shower.”
“Oh. Right. Of course.” He walked over to my things, picked up a few of the boxes, then headed up the steps. “Your room’s the one on the left. It gets the best sun in the afternoon. It isn’t much but–”
“Are you kidding me?” I said as we walked into the room. “This is twice the size of my last one.”
“It even has a bed!” My fox buzzed excitedly in the back of my mind.
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Brandon said once he deposited my things inside the door. “Come and find me if you need anything.”
“Including a burrito?”
“Always.”
* * *
Showered, fed, and wearing a fresh set of clothes, I couldn’t decide if what I’d experienced was a dream or not. It certainly felt real, and I had received a bit of generosity in the past. However, out of all the places I’d lived and everyone I’d ever met, none of them came close to this.
Instead of getting one corner of the room to myself or having a small area sectioned off in the basement, Mark had somehow managed to get me an entire space. I made a mental note to thank him later once he wasn’t at work. So long as I didn’t wake up, that is.
“We could live here,” my fox chirped as I sprawled out on the bed.
We are living here. And I still couldn’t believe it. Part of me insisted this was a joke. Another told me not to unpack my things because I’d have to leave soon.
But then there was my fox who, like me, wanted this to be the real deal.
How did we get so lucky? Mark had helped me so much in Pennsylvania, even after everything that had happened. But to find that level of kindness here?
There were no words to describe how I felt then. Excited? Sure. Nervous? You bet. But I was also scared. Any second now, the rug would go out from underneath of me and I’d be hiding under an overpass somewhere.
“In the rain,” my fox added with a faint smile.
I’m sorry, I apologized as I soaked up some of the afternoon sun. I don’t mean to get down. I was so used to being reprimanded or judged for what I was that I didn’t know what to do.
“Helllooo.” A deep baritone voice pulled me from my thoughts as someone walked through the foyer downstairs. “Brandon, you here?” There was a pause, followed by footsteps as the newcomer went in search of Brandon in another part of the house.
“Maybe we should go and say hello,” my fox said while gently nudging the back of my mind. “You know, to be cordial.”
Introductions were awkward, messy, and I’d already gone through one of them this afternoon. The more time I put between those uncomfortable silences and embarrassing moments, the better.
“It wasn’t that bad,” my fox chirred when I refused to move. “Brandon’s nice.”
He is. But that didn’t mean the others would be the same.
Brandon had said they all shared the same beliefs, but after the hell I went through at my last job, I couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.
“So how is she?” the deep baritone voice carried up the steps enough for me to hear.
“Shy,” Brandon said, “but what do you expect? She’s in a new area.”
“Not sure how I’d do if I had to move.”
“That’s because we’ve always lived here.” Brandon paused, then called up the steps. “Hey Lynn, you need anything from the store?”
“Um…” I sat up, then walked out into the hall. “I don’t think so. Hi.” I waved at the redhead at the bottom of the steps.
“Hey. I’m Zack. You sure you don’t need anything? We don’t mind. Really.”
I hated to impose. I wouldn’t get my first paycheck for a few weeks. “I’m good,” I said after a long moment.
“Any allergies?” Brandon asked with a slight tilt of his head.
“Nope. None that I know of.”
The redhea d, Zack, nodded. “We’re going to order some pizza tonight. Sound cool?”
“Sounds great,” I said.
With yet another introduction out of the way, I slipped back inside my room and closed the door.
“That went well.” There was no mistaking the sarcastic tone in my fox’s voice.
It could’ve been a lot worse.
“Yeah. You could’ve fallen down the stairs and landed in his arms.”
Oh god. My stomach churned.
“Who knows,” my fox went on, clearly enjoying herself as I paced from one side of my room to the other, “it might happen later.”
“Will you stop?” I spoke under my breath, then went to unpack some of my things. “We’re supposed to be on the same side, remember?”
“We are,” my fox chirped. “You just haven’t caught up with me yet.” She swished her tail behind my ear, then finally shut up.
Unfortunately, my reprieve was short-lived. Halfway through a box of clothes, she started her incessant chattering all over again.
“Someone’s here.”
Duh.
“Someone new. We should go see.”
No. The last time I listened to her, she made fun of me. I’d had enough of that back home. I wasn’t about to go through it now that we were here.
My fox nudged me. Hard.
Knock it off.
Closing my eyes, I pushed her to the back of my mind long enough to finish unpacking my clothes. The knick-knacks inside the other boxes could wait. It wasn’t like I needed them right now, anyway, so as soon as the front door opened, I sucked in a breath.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but the mix of scents wafting up the steps definitely weren’t it.
Unlike Brandon and Zack whose scents were heavy and tart, this new one was light with a mix of other species thrown in. Intermingled with the she-wolf’s scent, I picked up hints of cat, bird, and a handful of reptiles.
Brandon never told me what they did for a living, but if I had to guess, the she-wolf probably worked as a pet sitter or maybe at the zoo. If we have one. I’d have to ask later.
Curious, I gave in to my fox’s prodding and opened my door. As soon as I did, a new scent hit me, stronger than the first. This one belonged to the she-wolf, and while it wasn’t tart like the others, it was still enough to make my stomach flutter.
Maybe it was because of my nerves. Maybe it was because she was the only other female inside the house. Regardless of the reason, I took a deep calming breath, gathered the little courage I had, then walked to the edge of the stairs.
I was only planning to take a quick peek, then run back inside my room. However, when I got there, it felt as though I was sinking through the floor.
“She’s beautiful.”
My heart jumped as much from my fox’s thrilled voice as the woman standing at the bottom of the steps.
With hair almost as dark as mine, hers was the type I would’ve done anything to run my hands through. It looked so silky and smooth, whereas mine had to be tamed with hairspray and a rushed ponytail.
Fortunately, she hadn’t noticed me yet, but she must’ve known I was there. Her eyes were fixed on something outside the door. It wasn’t until she opened it when I realized she’d been waiting for Zack to return with the groceries so she could help.
Feeling terrible now, I picked my jaw up off the floor, then headed down the steps.
“Told you food would get her to come out,” Zack said with a big grin on his face. “Settling in okay?” he called over his shoulder on his way to the kitchen.
I nodded and managed a small smile. “It’ll take some getting used to,” I admitted once I was sure my voice would work, “but I’m used to moving around.”
“Hopefully, this will be the last time.”
“I heard you and Brandon talking earlier. Have you really lived here your entire lives?” I asked.
“We have,” the she-wolf said as she opened the refrigerator. “We’ve never set foot outside the valley.”
“Really?” Coming from a wolf, I found that hard to believe.
“We have no need,” she explained. “Everything’s right here.” She checked the contents of the fridge, then closed the door with her hip. “I’m Dova, by the way,” she said while offering me her hand. “Sorry about the smell. I usually hop in the shower right as I get back, but I wanted to get things situated before Brandon has to go in for work.”
“It’s no trouble at all. If you don’t mind my asking, what do you do?” My heart stuttered as I took her hand in mine, doing my best not to linger more than was acceptable.
“You can’t tell?”
God, you’re gorgeous. Silky brown hair, ice-blue eyes, and a faint but contagious smile that could’ve pushed me over. I’m in for it now.
“I’m a vet,” she said when I didn’t say anything. “It pissed off my folks once they realized I wasn’t going to medical school, but that’s exactly why I did it.”
“Why would they be angry about that?” Being a vet sounded amazing.
“Because their children were supposed to be doctors,” Zack said as he rummaged inside the cupboards for some plates. “Brandon followed in their footsteps. Dova decided she was better off doing something else.”
“I can still follow their conversations,” Dova said in her defense, “I just have an understanding of animal anatomy as well.”
“Being a vet sounds like a dream job to me,” I said as I took the plates from Zack.
“Sounds like?” Dova cocked an eyebrow at me, then gathered a few things and walked back into the living room. “We’ll eat out here tonight. That way we can relax.”
“Dova keeps a tight ship,” Zack warned as we both deposited our items onto a large coffee table in the middle of the living room, “but she means well.”
“I like when things are in order,” I said, scanning the room.
In addition to the sofa by the front window, there were two recliners on the other side of the table. So when Zack sat in one, I took the other.
“Then you’ll love it here,” Zack said.
Dova glared in Zack’s direction, then smacked the bottom of his shoe. “Where the hell is my brother?” She glanced out the front window, then turned to me again.
“Bet he went over to your parents. Give the new kid some room,” Zack said.
“I hope he didn’t leave you for too long,” Dova said with apology. “I’ll talk to him later.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I mostly vegged inside my room and detoxed for the afternoon. I hate traveling, so having a place to crash for a few hours was really nice.”
“Ah. Speak of the devil.” Dova walked to the front door, then held it so Brandon could join us in the living room. “It’s about time you showed up.”
“Sorry,” Brandon said with a sheepish grin on his face. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me leave until I had something to eat.”
“Of course not.” Dova rolled her eyes, then finally settled down on the sofa. “Well, while we wait for the pizza to arrive, I guess we should go over the house rules.”
Oh no. I didn’t like the sound of that. “House rules?”
“Everything we bring in is shared,” Dova said. “If you use the last of something, note it on the refrigerator so Zack can get it from the grocer once he finishes his shift. Laundry is done in rounds. Zack on Sunday, I’m Wednesday, and Brandon’s Friday. So feel free to take any of the other days outside of that. Oh, and Sunday dinners are with my folks if you can make it. It’s a free meal, which is always nice.”
“Good company too,” Zack added.
“The only other rule I have is no hooking up. We like to keep a calm house, so anyone who catches your interest can’t stay here.”
And if it’s you? My stomach flipped. “I’m not really here for relationships anyway.” As much as my heart said otherwise.
“Good. If that changes, as it sometimes does, you’ll have to go to theirs. Other than that, if you aren’t sure about something, ask. Oh, and don’t use my shampoo.” This time when she spoke, she looked right at me.
And damn if those eyes didn’t do funny things to my stomach.
“Yeah. You don’t want to go walking around smelling like a mix of skunk and strawberries and cream.” Brandon laughed at his sister and narrowly missed a slap to his head.
