Excerpt
Alpha Turned (Wolf Appeal Book 1)
By KB Alan
(Available Now)
Not all men are bad…
Strong, independent, and happy on her own, Hillary has grown from the naïve person she was four years ago after a brutal rape turned her into a werewolf. The normal life she’s made for herself is only upset once a month when the moon calls to her and she has an uncontrollable urge to turn furry and chase small creatures. And she doesn’t need a man for that. Until she finally meets another werewolf, this one a gorgeous, sexy guy who is determined to change her mind about one furry man in particular–him.
No, some men are very, very good…
The minute Zach scents Hillary he knows she’s the mate he’s been searching for. Though both the wolf and the man are itching to claim her, first he has to convince her that he’s one of the good guys, and that there are certain benefits to being an alpha werewolf. And there’s no better way of making Hillary see that, than giving her himself—body, mind, and soul.
Alpha Turned
Chapter One
Hillary was not a happy camper.
Meeting new people always made her nervous, but here she was on her way to meet her boyfriend’s family. Being in a relationship with Jeff for the past four months had helped her get over her aversion to strangers, somewhat. He not only boosted her confidence but occasionally managed to drag her out to parties and other social occasions that she otherwise would have ignored. And sometimes, she had fun. If she didn’t, chances were he didn’t either, and they could leave to do something else. Somehow she didn’t think that would work quite so well when it came to a three-day spring break visit with his family.
Her lapse into silence must have signaled her worry to Jeff because he reached over and took her hand. “Don’t be nervous, hon. They’ll love you.”
She flashed him a smile, appreciating that he’d known what was wrong.
“I’m sure they’re great, I’m just not used to big families.” Massive understatement.
“I know when your parents died, you lived with guardians. Didn’t you have any other family to go to?” Sympathy and understanding didn’t quite drown out his obvious disbelief that such a thing was possible.
She shifted in her seat. It wasn’t something she liked to think about often, let alone talk about. But one of the reasons—actually, the main reason—that she’d agreed to the road trip was so that they could get to know each other better. The six hours of driving time between their college in Los Angeles and his family in Phoenix had seemed perfect.
“Well, my mom’s grandparents were in a nursing facility. My dad has a brother on the East Coast somewhere, but they weren’t in touch.”
He gave her hand a squeeze and changed the subject to tell her a funny story about the song playing on the radio. That was one of the things she liked about him. He was careful not to push her too much. She’d taken things very slowly, reluctant to let a relationship distract her from her studies. While she had some money from her parents’ estate, her scholarship was very important to her and she had made school her number one priority. She’d been very clear about that to Jeff when he’d first started asking her out.
Only once had he pushed for more than she was ready to give. When she’d suggested that they break up he’d immediately backed down, never again pushing when she said she didn’t have time for what he was suggesting. In return, she’d tried to be careful not to use that as an excuse to put off going out, when she really only wanted to stay in. She’d come to recognize that isolating herself from other people was a defense mechanism that she needed to get over.
When he’d asked her to join him for this trip, she’d known he was hoping that by its end she would feel comfortable enough to finally sleep with him. A big part of her hoped that he was right. She was nervous about it. He would be her first and she really hadn’t been ready to take that step before. But things had been getting hot and heavy between them and she was at the point that she wanted more.
“So your parents will be there, and your uncle, you said. Any cousins?”
“No cousins yet. Uncle Ken is single.” He sounded pleased that she was asking. “But there’s other extended family and they have kids, so there are always some rug rats running around.” He slanted her a quick look that she couldn’t read.
“Do you ever think about having kids?” he asked carefully.
Had she made it so hard for him to talk to her about real issues that he was afraid to ask her questions?
“Sure, in an indefinite, theoretical, far-in-the-future sort of way. I guess I just always assumed that I would, when the time was right. You’re an only child too. Would you want to have more than one?”
The fact that she answered and didn’t snap at him seemed to relax him. Wow, maybe she really had been way too hesitant to discuss personal matters. Sometimes she wondered why he’d put up with her for this long.
“I think I’d like a large family. You’re right, though, it seems so far in the future. Right now it’s hard to imagine what will happen after I graduate next year.”
They pulled off the freeway and headed away from the city. Jeff got her talking about a class she was looking forward to taking next semester with her favorite professor, distracting her enough that she was only a little bit nervous as they made their way down a long driveway.
She took a deep breath and looked around. Ahead of them and to the right was a large ranch-style house. There was a cluster of smaller homes past Jeff’s window. People began walking toward the main house as they drove past, seeming to have headed over at the arrival of their car.
“Oh good, looks like everyone is coming over, probably for a barbecue,” Jeff said, opening his door.
“Great,” Hillary muttered softly, plastering a smile on her face. She wouldn’t even get to meet the parents first before the rest of the family. She got out and moved to the back to get her things. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw three people rounding the corner of the house, Jeff heading toward them. She shouldered her backpack and made her way toward the group, pleased when Jeff stopped to take her hand before leading her to the others.
“Mom, Dad, Uncle Ken, this is Hillary Abbott. Honey, these are my parents John and Shannon Cage, and my uncle Ken Cage.” He smiled proudly and she blushed.
Hillary put her hand out but Shannon Cage grabbed her up in a hug.
“We are so glad to meet you! Jeff has told us how special you are and we can’t wait to get to know you,” the woman squealed.
Hillary glanced up at John and Ken Cage. John was smiling as broadly as his wife, and sending a satisfied look toward his son. Ken looked...condescending? Hillary wondered. Maybe calculating? Whatever was going on there, she didn’t care for it. She backed out of Shannon’s embrace and shrugged the backpack higher up on her shoulder. Shannon took the hint.
“Let’s get you and your things to your room. You’ll want to freshen up after that long drive. Dinner will be ready soon and then we’ll have the bonfire.”
Jeff seemed a little surprised by that. “We’re having a bonfire tonight, Mom? Shouldn’t we wait a couple of days?”
They began moving toward the front door.
“Nonsense. We want to be able to enjoy as many days as possible with both you kids before you have to drive back to school.”
Hillary didn’t really see what that had to do with anything, but decided she didn’t particularly care, either. She wasn’t too surprised that she didn’t immediately like Jeff’s family. Quite frankly she didn’t immediately like anyone, but she was a little bit worried about how uneasy she felt. Unlike the parties they attended together at school, she couldn’t expect Jeff to agree with her that it would be more fun to leave early and go off to do their own thing. This time she was just going to have to suck it up.
Besides, two minutes with three people didn’t mean that she couldn’t have a good time. There must be twenty people milling around, so chances were she’d like at least some of them. Jeff stopped in front of a door and opened it for her. She gave him a kiss and a smile.
“I’ll just freshen up a bit. Fifteen minutes?”
“I’m glad you came. I think, after the bonfire, we’ll be closer than ever.” He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss.
She willed her tension to drain away. “I’ll be right out.”
The look of excitement on his face made her smile as she closed the door. Making him happy would make her happy. She’d been awfully selfish in their relationship. It was time to make a little bit of effort for him.
It took only a few minutes to wash her face, brush her hair back into a neat ponytail and reapply a bit of makeup. She stared at her reflection and tried out a welcoming smile. Not exactly Miss Mary Sunshine, but not terrible, either. It wasn’t as though she had to become best friends with these people. The three days would fly by and then they would be home.
The sun was going down but it was still warm outside so she changed into a clean pair of shorts and a tank top. Practicing the smile once more, she headed for the door.
The next few hours were unsettling. She met many people and most of them were nice to her. A few were even too nice. She wasn’t sure what it was about them as a group that was making her so uncomfortable. Some of the family treated her as if she were Jeff’s fiancée, rather than a relatively new girlfriend. She’d swear many of them had been sniffing her, which made her especially uncomfortable since she’d been sitting in a car for six hours before meeting them.
There seemed to be a larger percentage of creepy guys and bitchy girls than she thought was normal for a group this size. Jeff’s mom insisted on dragging her around and cheerfully introducing her until she’d officially met every single person present.
It just couldn’t be normal to be that cheerful all the time, Hillary thought as she finally managed to escape the slightly mad woman. Jeff was sitting on a log near the fire pit. She sat down beside him and put her head on his shoulder, needing to feel as if someone there liked her for herself. She would sit with him for a few minutes, then tell him she was tired and excuse herself to bed.
Jeff put his arm around her and she closed her eyes, enjoying the familiar comfort. After a while she realized it had gone quiet. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. People were quietly coming to the fire pit area and sitting down, ending their conversations. Hillary realized the children were all gone now and figured that was a good sign that it was late enough for her to excuse herself. Ken, Jeff’s uncle, was the only one left standing, and everyone was looking at him expectantly.
“As you all know, Jeff has brought a guest today, his girlfriend Hillary, to introduce her to us. You’ve all had a chance to meet her, talk to her and form your own opinions. Jeff has asked permission to mate, and I’ve decided that the female is acceptable.”
There was a low murmur of approval, some sniffs of disapproval. Hillary wondered if she had fallen asleep. Otherwise this group was even more insane than she’d first thought. She tensed, and Jeff’s arm around her waist tightened. He straightened his spine, and she waited to hear what he had to say to this ridiculousness.
“Thank you, Alpha. I am honored that you have approved my first choice.” He bowed his head for a moment. Hillary, looking at him as if he were crazy, realized that the odd gleam in his eye might in fact mean that he was crazy. She rose, but he rose with her, squeezing her to his side.
Ken spoke again. “It will remain to be seen if she is your mate, as you believe. Once she’s taken the bite, you and I will know for sure. If so, we will all be pleased for you.”
Hillary looked around, expecting to see at least some of the people laughing at the show, but everyone was looking very seriously at either her or the freak speaking.
“However,” Ken continued, “as you know, if she is not your mate after all, you will allow the hierarchy their chance to discover if she is one of theirs before you marry, if that is still your wish.”
Jeff bowed his head again, “Of course, Alpha.”
The conversation was so bizarre that Hillary wasn’t sure how to react. She was sure that she didn’t want Jeff holding her anymore. She elbowed him in the ribs and stepped back when his arm jerked free. Some of the men laughed, and she distinctly heard “feisty”, “bitch” and “uppity” from the crowd. Hillary decided enough was enough and turned to leave.
Deep growls stopped her midstride. She turned back around just in time to see three of the men turn into wolves. Holy shit. Anger turned to terror in a heartbeat. Ken, who was staring right at her, held up his hand. All eyes were on him as Hillary began backing away. Ken’s arm dropped, the wolves howled and all hell broke loose. She turned and ran toward the house, knowing she had to get behind a locked door before the pack of wolves got to her.
She didn’t make it. What felt like a ton of bricks landed on her back. She hit the ground hard, barely getting her hands up in time to save her face from hitting first. There were growls and snarls, teeth and nails and slobber, as she fought, screamed, kicked and cursed. Finally, she found herself on her back, being held down, a man at her wrists, above her head, a woman on one leg, a wolf on the other. But it was the thing on top of her, clearly Jeff but part wolf, his face distorted into a muzzle baring sharp teeth, his very hairy arms ending in clawed hands, that convinced her that she was living a true nightmare.
“She’s all yours, Jeff,” the man holding her arms said to the creature snarling in her face. “At least for now.”
Hillary looked into the beast’s eyes and the fact that they were Jeff’s was almost more than she could comprehend. She didn’t believe in witches or fairies, vampires or werewolves. While her mind prayed that this was the most bizarre and vivid nightmare she’d ever had, her body struggled for freedom. Her eyes flicked right and left and she realized that she was surrounded by at least a dozen wolves. She bucked upward, trying desperately to free some part of her body, just as Jeff’s jaws opened and descended on her neck.
The pain was incredible for a long time as she swam in and out of consciousness. Her whole body was screaming. She tried to concentrate but it was too much and she was swallowed back down into the darkness. At some point she became aware of being on a bed and realized that Jeff had woken her up. He was trying to thrust his fingers into her dry passage as he began to kiss her.
Was it better, or worse, that he was back to his old self, the Jeff who she’d thought she was coming to love instead of the monster that had attacked her? She turned her head but the pain from her neck wound was incredible. She tried to hit him, but her arms were tied down. He bit her neck, hard, on the side that wasn’t already wounded. He grabbed her hair and forced her lips to his. She kept her mouth closed and he yanked until she gasped then plunged his tongue in deep. She bit him and he jerked back and slapped her face. She nearly passed out again, and wished that she had when he forced his cock into her.
It felt as if she was being ripped apart and she tried to struggle, but her legs were tied down as well as her arms. She didn’t cry until she realized what he was saying, over and over, as he thrust into her passage, now slick with blood. “I love you, I love you, I love you...” She gave up, letting the darkness take her.
Hillary woke up feeling as if she were dying of thirst. Instead of being tied to a bed, she was on a mattress lying on a concrete floor, in a windowless room. It smelled damp and contained the mattress, a toilet and a sink. There was a rough bandage taped to her neck.
Crawling to the sink, she hoisted herself up far enough to drink some water. She used the toilet then tested the door. Locked and probably even sturdier than it looked. She sat down on the floor next to the door, her back to the wall. The mattress smelled of her rape and she was dimly aware that she’d been in this room for a couple of days, long enough for at least three men that she could remember to come in and take their turn. She also remembered Jeff raping her again, enraged, screaming, “You were supposed to be my mate. Why aren’t you my mate?” She barely made it back to the toilet before she vomited.
On the fourth day, when they came to get her, she was so weak she could barely even think about escaping, let alone act on it. She hadn’t eaten since the barbecue, had only water from the sink. Two men, possibly Jeff and his father—she was simply too weak to notice—came to drag her from the room. She cried out faintly as the wound in her neck throbbed at the movement.
They brought her outside and dumped her on the ground. Hillary was vaguely aware that she was surrounded by many people. The moon was shining brightly enough for her to see that they weren’t really paying much attention to her. Everyone was stripping out of their clothes and holding their faces up to the moon. Her body began to tingle and her battered mind wondered if what had already happened wasn’t the worst to come.
It took only a moment before she was once again surrounded by wolves. Some of them came to her where she was lying on the ground trying desperately to figure out what she should be doing, how she could escape these monsters. They began to nip at her and nudge her—and not in a playful way. She ignored them and concentrated on the feeling that was filling her up inside. Somehow she knew it was the moonlight, that it was warming her up when she hadn’t even realized she was cold.
Part of her recognized that it felt good and powerful, but the other part of her was so exhausted and terrified and angry that she resisted its pull for as long as she could. The wolves grew tired of watching her and took off, yipping and howling.
In and out of consciousness, Hillary heard them, running and playing, grunting and fucking. The warmth and tingling were nearly overpowering her, making her body tremble. The wolves became human again, going past her into the house in small groups. Some of them stopped to kick at her.
“What a waste. Too weak to be one of the chosen,” a male voice said.
“She didn’t even turn. She won’t make it through the night.” The woman sounded young and pleased.
“Damn, I wish I could have had her again before we have to bury her.”
She was sweating with the effort of holding back whatever it was that was happening to her when she heard Jeff’s voice.
“I guess all that toughness was just an act. Stupid bitch.”
Hillary used the disgust and anger his words caused to hold on, to be stronger. Finally, when she hadn’t heard anyone for more than an hour, Hillary at last gave in to the feeling, let the power of the moon wash through her. She realized that she hurt less at about the same time she realized she was seeing in black and white. She stumbled to her feet—all four of them.
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