BETA: Her Alpha(11)

I don’t get five feet away before the room starts to spin, and I collapse on the floor.



“Babe, what are you doing to yourself?”



“Erik!”



I’m in his arms, but I know it’s just a dream. We’re not in the hospital anymore, but in the café where we had a big fight. He looks normal and strong, but there’s something different. His eyes have changed—they’re empty. There’s no life in his honey-colored eyes. This can’t be real because even when upset his eyes were bright.



“What’s going on? Are we dead?” I ask, looking at the empty café.



“No, Chloe, but we will be if we’re not strong.” The lights on the street outside start to darken. It’s now pitch black out and the only light in the room hangs from the ceiling. I’m so scared and I cling to my Erik. He’s got a tight grip on me, but my eyes refuse to stop looking around. I see the walls crumbling around us.



“I don’t understand, Erik.” Panic is setting in.



“You need to be strong for us. You’re my mate, and your pain is mine. Our love and strength will save us, but only if you stay strong for me.” He bends down and kisses my lips. When I open my eyes, the light brightens slightly.



It’s then I feel a jolt, and I’m awake. My eyes are wide and frantic. “Where’s Erik? What happened?”



“Nothing’s changed, Chloe. It’s only been two minutes since you fainted.” I push myself out of Gage’s arms.



If my dream about what happened to him was true, then I have to believe the newest dream. He’ll be okay if I stay strong. “Get me something to eat, and some Tylenol. I have a terrible headache.”



They bring me some food in a hurry. I’m eating a roast with mashed potatoes and drinking water, the whole time believing that Erik and I will survive this. He has to make it, and I have to be his anchor.





Chapter 9


My head is throbbing like a son of a bitch. I can’t really open my eyes, but I know Chloe’s in my arms. Her scent is so strong to me, and inhale her in. My heart starts to beat faster. My eyelids begin to flicker, the light of the full moon visible through my stunted sight.

I can feel my body come to life, slowly, but the movement is painful. I lift my arm and put it where I need it to be, wrapped around my wife. She moans into my embrace, cuddling deeper, so I give her a tighter hold. Suddenly, she’s sitting up, looking at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“Erik!” she sobs loudly. “You’re alive,” she cries before leaning down and kissing my face wherever she can reach.

“Chloe,” I croak, my voice raw and unused.

“Let me get the doctor,” she says, trying to pull away.

“No…not yet,” I growl.

“Okay. Whatever you want.” Chloe leans over me and kisses my lips. The feel of her lips on mine is the best. It’s just a tiny kiss, but it sets my wolf in motion for more. My body doesn’t ache as bad as it did a moment ago, so I use both my arms and pull her to me. I’m hornier than I should be. Growling, I press my hips up into hers.

“Erik, oh Erik,” she sighs, and her desires take over. She’s grinding on my pelvis and lets out a howl, tossing her head back as she comes.

We’re grinding and kissing with no regard to my injuries or where we are, which I assume is a hospital. The door opens with doctors and my brother-in-laws. Chloe blushes and I growl, wrapping her in my arms, trying to protect her from them.

“Calm down, Erik. You’re going to hurt yourself and Chloe. We’re not going to harm Chloe.” Hunter understands my need to protect her.

“Erik. Hunter’s right. They’re here to make sure you survive.”

Gage adds, “Yeah, ass. If you die, so does she. We’re not ready to lose her yet.”

“That’s fair.”

Hunter approaches with a doctor, who’s one of us. “This is Dr. Mark McCormick. He just needs to evaluate you.” He looks at Chloe, who I’ve still got attached to my chest. “Chloe, come on. I know you’re thrilled he’s alive, but you could let the man heal.”

“Fuck off, Hunter. I think she made me better,” I admit angrily. I don’t want her to be more than an inch from me right now.

“Well, it’s been known that our mates are our other halves. It also helps that the full moon is high. Our strength increases, and your strength rivals the Alpha.”

“I’m going to let him look you over now. I’m not going anywhere, though.” I look at her like I’m not ready for her to leave me, but she raises her brow. “You’ve got to be examined. If you have something wrong, they need to see it now. I want you around for the long haul.

“Okay, babe.” She climbs off the bed with Gage’s help, and the doctor starts his checkup.

“Do you remember what happened to you?” the doc asks, while checking my vitals.

“A little. I’d gone to Evansville, but the trouble that was there had been cleared up, so I started to head back to the office, then I was T-boned. I was on the phone with the dispatcher letting her know I was returning when I got smashed. I had just lifted my head when I saw the masked man shoot me. That’s about it.”

“Did you recognize the shooter?” Hunter asks me. Something about the way he’s asking makes me think that he has an idea of who the cowardly bastard is. It’s scary to think we’ve got someone else after us still.

“The scent was familiar, but it’s hazy,” I admit. I was dazed and thinking I’d never see Chloe again.

Hunter lets out a growl of frustration and mutters, “That means it’s probably someone in our pack.”

“I don’t want Chloe away from me. So Hunter, you’re going to have to figure something out. She can do whatever you need via the computer and phone, but unless I’m by her side, she isn’t leaving the house.”

“I’m sure you’re going to be in your home for a while, right, Doc?” Gage asks.

“Yes. Light duty around the house is all I recommend. You were shot in the head. It’s a miracle you survived at all. I want to do a CAT scan, but I think you’ll be able to leave tomorrow if I know anything about our kind.”

“Who’s going to do my job, then? Ryan can’t be running the show by himself. I had new candidates coming today.” It’s my responsibility to keep the order and peace. I’ve done a bang up job this past month.

“I took care of that for you. As the Alpha, it’s up to me if you’re unable, so I hired all six including the human female.”

“Ryan’s against hiring a regular human.” I hope he doesn’t give the woman hell.

“I know, but I don’t give a fuck what he has to say. He’s lucky I don’t fire his ass myself. He’s insubordinate and a fucking punk.”

“Hell, yeah, but I don’t have anyone else.”

“No, you don’t, but I’m going to go around and talk to the new employees and give them training schedules that revolve around my own time.”

“I don’t think Cat’s going to like that very much,” Chloe says as she continues stroking my hand.

“No, she’s not, but she understands. Our priority is keeping the pack strong and secret, so she’s going to be staying at the hotel until we get you back on your feet,” Hunter replies. I know it’s not something that’s up for debate. I’m not in the position to argue at this point.

“Do you think we should stay there, too?” Chloe asks Hunter. I know she’s deferring to her brother because it’s his hotel and he’s the Alpha, but my jealous heart doesn’t like her relying on him instead of me.

“It’s up to your mate. He’s got to be resting as much as possible, but I understand where your concern is. The hotel is very secure, and there’s the staff to wait on you.”

“I’m just worried about Cat. If we stay at home, she’s going to be busy and stressed and all by herself.”

“Babe, if you want to stay there, it’s fine.”

“How about you stay at your house for the first week, then move to the hotel the next week, when you’re healed a little more. I’m planning on staying in town until we get to the bottom of this,” Gage suggests.

“That’s a much better plan,” I agree. “Now that we’ve done that…can you all get the fuck out of my room? I want to spend some time alone with my wife.”

Chuckling and shaking their heads, they leave the room.

“Now, where were we?” I ask, winking to my mate.





Chapter 10


This has been an amazing week with my Erik. I thought I’d never see him again, but he survived. After spending a few days in the hospital, we got to go back to our house. Tomorrow we move to the hotel. Erik’s going to be meeting his new staff once we settle in. Tonight Erik has something planned for me. Since our little orgasm at the hospital, we haven’t been together. He’s trying to recover, and so I’ve been letting him. I want him, but I know his health is the most important thing. It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do, but I’ve been fighting all my desire for him by working and tending to his health.