An Alpha's Fate (Ashwood World #1) Read online

  An Alpha’s Fate

  An Ashwood World Novella

  By

  Lia Davis

  An Alpha’s Fate

  By: Lia Davis

  Published by Fated Desires Publishing, LLC.

  © 2014 Lia Davis

  ISBN: 978-1-62322-218-5

  Cover Art by Lia Davis

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

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  Dedication

  To my fans who love Ashwood Falls as much as I do

  Acknowledgements

  I want to thank my readers and the fan club for all of your love and support. Without you, Ashwood Falls and now Ashwood World wouldn’t be what it is today. You guys truly are my inspiration and I feel blessed to be taking this journey with you.

  To my publicists, Dani and Nicole, I love working with you and look forward to what the future brings.

  To Charity for being there for my craziness and for the amazing graphics and support.

  Finally, to my husband. It’s been a trying year, but your love and support always lifts me up and pushes me to be the best I am.

  An Alpha’s Fate

  Greenridge Pack princess, Reagan Summers, will protect her wolves at all cost. After finding out about his illegal activities that harmed so many innocents, she kills the Alpha Wolf her father arranged for her to marry. Afraid and on the run, she turns to the only person she trusts, her true mate, Logan.

  Birchwood Pack Alpha, Logan Webb, watched Reagan walk out of his life over ten years ago. When she contacts him needing help, something in her voice puts his wolf in full protection mode. But seeing her in the flesh wakes a raw, primal desire long buried.

  Chapter One

  No. No. Bile rose, threatening to force Reagan’s lunch to make a gruesome return. The snow-white walls of her home closed in around her, and the air seemed colder. How had she not known?

  Because they weren’t true mates. Even though they were bound together, their emotions and thoughts weren’t, not like they would have been if she’d mated with her fated mate.

  She stared at the open journal as fury built inside her, putting her wolf further on edge. The names neatly handwritten in black ink blurred. For ten years, she’d done all she could to protect the wolves of Greenhedge; the least she could do after being forced to mate the male who’d become Alpha—a title rightfully hers. All her efforts were wasted. The bastard had sold packmates to a rogue Pack to be made into monster assassins in exchange for what? She didn’t know. She sure as hell didn’t see any extra money go into the run-down den.

  Fucking power-hungry bastard.

  The front door swung open, slamming into the wall. A low growl cut through her as she met the poor excuse of an Alpha’s stare. Lifting the journal, she shook it at him. “You lied to me.”

  He stalked toward her, his eyes glowing with his wolf. “You are out of line, Mate.”

  Was she? She thought not.

  “My place is protecting my Pack from monsters like you.” Anger had all but consumed her. It was one thing to blackmail her into a loveless mating and slap her around, but to hurt her Pack?

  Mason stopped before her, then gripped a handful of her hair, jerking her to him. Pain shot through her skull. She gritted her teeth and focused on his energy, his Alpha power. As his mate, she had the ability to use his strengths. Something he hadn’t realized she could do. Or maybe he thought she didn’t know how.

  “You have crossed the line for the last time, asshole.”

  He bared his teeth and flipped her so he could shove her torso against the desk. Her vision blinked out as her head hit the wood. When he started to tug her pants down, she roared and jerked her head up, slamming it into his nose.

  Crying out, he released her and stumbled away a few steps. Not wasting time, she shifted into her wolf faster than she ever had before and lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. Her wolf had taken over, and for once the woman relished in it.

  The thought that it was unfair to fight another while they were in human form was a whisper. One her wolf ignored. Mason Doyle had fucked over his last victim.

  She struck, fast and hard, sinking her teeth into his neck. He bucked under her, but he was unable to shake her off. Adrenaline raced through her veins, fueling the rage. The animal wanted blood for all the innocents lost over the years. With a growl, she shook her head, tightening her hold until his body went limp and the mating bond broke.

  Her breaths came in and out in deep waves as she slowly backed away. The taste of his blood coated her tongue. The wolf wanted to finish him, to revel in the kill, but there was no time. Someone was coming, and without the bond to the Pack she couldn’t tell who.

  A moment later, the scent of the Pack Marshal drifted into the house. She swirled around, crouched, and snarled.

  His attention flicked from her to Mason’s body, then back to her. A shimmer went through his irises as his upper lip curled. In a flash of white, he shifted into a large, black wolf. Fear uncurled within Reagan, merging with the rage still twisting inside of her. She snapped her teeth and eased back.

  He followed her movement and growled, long and deep.

  She would not be a victim. Not anymore. Darting to the left, she tried to rush past him, only to have him ram her in the side. Pain exploded in her ribs as she slid across the room and hit the far wall.

  Shaking off the pinching in her side, she lifted herself up on all fours. Then she noticed she’d landed next to the kitchen island, right where Mason had left his gun after cleaning it that morning.

  After a split-second decision, she shifted back to human and grabbed the gun. Relieved it was loaded, she fired at the Marshal. He let out a yelp before dropping to the floor. Blood pooled under him.

  Fuck. She shook all over. The reality of what she’d done came on full-force. Her vision blurred. She had to leave. The Pack would hunt her down as a rogue and kill her.

  Rushing to the bedroom, she grabbed a backpack and threw in several articles of clothing and some money Mason—the stupid bastard—kept under the mattress.

  Taking a deep, shaky breath, then releasing it, she dialed the only person she could trust. At least she hoped she could trust him. Logan Webb, the Alpha of Birchwood was her true mate. But he most likely hated her.

  He answered on the second ring and she almost chickened out. “Hello.”

  “Logan.”

  Silence filled the line for far too long. “Reagan? Are you okay?”

  Tears poured from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “No. I…I need your help.”

  He whispered a soft curse before he gritted out. “Meet me at Beary Sweets in Blue Ridge.”

  The call ended and she tossed the phone into the bag. Thank God he hadn’t refused her. Then again, could anyone really refuse their mate? I made a mistake. A huge-ass, unforgivable mistake.

  She hoped Logan wouldn’t feed her to the wolves once he found out that she’d killed the Alpha and Marshal of Greenhedge.

  With a heavy ache in her
chest, she shifted, slipped her head through one strap of the backpack, tossed it on her back, and took off toward Blue Ridge, Georgia.

  Chapter Two

  She had a lot of nerve calling him to help bail her ass out of whatever trouble she’d found. It’d been ten long, painful years since Logan had watched her car drive away, out of his life and away from his bed.

  Part of him wanted to be angry with her, the other part wanted to believe the rumors and whispers among the Pack. Even his own Marshal, Connor, had told him she’d been forced into mating the new Alpha of Greenhedge. Yet none of it made sense to him. He and Reagan were best friends, fated mates. She would have come to him if she were in trouble, but she hadn’t. So, why now?

  Like a lovesick puppy, he’d caved. He still loved her and clung to the hope of her coming home one day. He was fucking pathetic. Weak.

  The soft, scared plea in her voice had tightened his chest and made his wolf pace. Apparently, yanking his heart out didn’t cure him of wanting to make yet another mistake.

  He’d known Reagan since they were kids and loved her immediately. As fucked up as it was, he’d still do anything for her. Broken heart be damned. Hence why he sat in a booth at Beary Sweets—a bakery and café owned by a local bear shifter. Checking the time on his phone, he let out a soft curse. She was later than he’d expected. Her den was only a twenty-minute drive from the bakery. Surprise, surprise.

  Tiffany, the café owner, stopped at his table. “Anything I can get you, Wolf?”

  Leaning back in the seat, Logan raised a brow at her teasing tone. The Bears of Blackrock were neutral when it came to Pack disputes and wars. When outsiders entered their territory, they were required to follow one rule: respect one another, or deal with the Black clan, which included Tiffany’s three older brothers and Alpha father.

  “Water. Thanks.”

  Tiffany hesitated for a brief moment before saying, “The female is outside the back door. She smells of fear and blood.”

  “Cancel the water, then.” His heart heavy with dread, he slid out of the booth and headed to the door. The Reagan he knew never cowered from anyone. She was so full of life and curiosity. What had that bastard done to her? And why the hell was she bleeding? Logan’s wolf growled and began to pace.

  The thought of her mated always turned his mood lethal. He reined in his temper as he rounded the corner of the building. The sight of her lying on the ground in a tight ball made his heart stop for a brief moment. She wore a pink cotton t-shirt and blue jeans, both of which were inside out, telling him she must have traveled in wolf form then changed once she arrived.

  “Reagan?”

  She didn’t respond. Crouching, he brushed the hair from her face. Her skin was cool, and she had a bruise across her cheek. A low growl escaped him, making her whimper and shrink back from him. Fuck.

  “What did he do to you?” He scooped her up in his arms, tightening his hold when she struggled against him. “Shh. It’s Logan. I’ve got you.”

  Instantly, she relaxed and buried her cold nose into his neck. He closed his eyes for a few moments and inhaled her caramel apple scent mixed with dirt and blood. She doesn’t belong to you, idiot.

  Once he had her buckled in the cab of his truck, he raced around and climbed into the driver’s seat. She stared out the windshield like she really wasn’t seeing anything. He reached over and cupped her hand, only to have her pull away and turn her head to peer out the window.

  His heart pounded, and his wolf pawed at him. The beast wanted to know what the hell was going on. So did the man.

  Pulling onto the highway, he headed toward the North Carolina/Georgia border where he had a cabin. With the truck’s Bluetooth, he called his Marshal.

  “Where the hell are you?” Conner growled over the connection.

  Logan growled back. “Taking care of something. I need you to hold down the fort for a few days. I’ll be at the cabin if you need me.”

  “It’s not like you to take off without telling me.”

  “I’m telling you now, but I’m not sure what’s going on.” Logan glanced to Reagan before adding, “I’ll call you later.”

  After he ended the call, she let out a sigh. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

  “I told him the truth, I don’t know what’s going on.”

  She shrugged. “Is your cabin secure?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded and resumed staring out the window. “Can you turn the heat on?”

  After doing as she asked, he gripped the wheel tighter. Her scent filled the cab of his truck, as alluring as when they were in the mating dance. That was a long time ago, seemed like two lifetimes ago—before she’d left him for another.

  Damn her. He should have left her in Blue Ridge, turned his back and walked away. No. Something in her crumbled, saddened state pulled at him. She needed him. He could feel it. The draw to mate with her was still there. His wolf’s sensitivity to her was even stronger than he remembered.

  Turning on the radio, he pushed his jacket to her. She pulled it over her arms and sank further into the seat. He’d made a promise to her - she could always come to him if she were in trouble. As the Alpha of Birchwood, he kept his promises.

  Even if it meant he’d get his heart ripped out, again.

  ***

  The truck pulling to a stop drew Reagan out of her dark thoughts. Her side still ached from where the Marshal had plowed into her. Her cheek hurt from the faceplant on the desk thanks to Mason. The longing for a hot shower made her itch. If Logan smelled the blood on her, he didn’t say. He was most likely waiting to her get alone at his cabin.

  Her chest tightened, and a different type of ache formed. His cabin had been their place to escape from both of their Packs. Her eyes stung, then her vision blurred. Why hadn’t she gone to him?

  “Reagan?”

  She blinked and followed the sound of his voice. He stood at the open passenger door. Damn, she hadn’t heard him leave the truck, much less circle round and open her door. When she moved to slide out, she hissed in a breath, which hurt more than the movement.

  With a low growl, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the cabin. Once inside, he set her on the sofa and draped a thick fleece throw over her. It smelled of him, earthy and pure male. Damn, she wanted to curl up and cry.

  The rush of adrenaline had left her when she reached the café. Too weak and tired, she only had enough energy to shift back to human and change into her clothes before collapsing outside the back door. Besides, she’d ached all over from the fight and the run to Blue Ridge.

  Logan sat in the armchair across from her, studying her without a flicker of expression. After a few long moments of silence, Reagan had had enough. “I killed him.”

  He went still, and she lifted her lashes to watch him. Hard lines etched into his forehead and his jaw worked. “Mason? Why?”

  Slowly, she pushed herself to sit, then removed her shirt. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see Logan’s expression when he saw the scars from Mason’s beatings. Gifts from her Alpha mate. A mate her father had arranged for her.

  A low, feral growl rumbled through the cabin, making her wince. “He did that to you?”

  She nodded and put her shirt back on. “They’ll be looking for me.”

  He stood then paced the small living room. His hands fisted at his sides, and his shoulders tensed with each step. “Tell me everything.”

  Drawing her knees to her chest, she did as he asked. “Mason petitioned my father to mate with me, feeding him bullshit about bringing wealth and strength to the Pack. I didn’t know any of this until I returned home from our…”

  Heartache filled her as she locked gazes with Logan, unable to finish her sentence. The day replayed in her mind every time she closed her eyes. She’d spent the summers at Birchwood, learning from Logan’s mother and father—the Alpha mated pair—about Pack politics and the struggles they went through with the war surrounding the larger Packs. Greenhedge had alway
s been small, with less than a hundred members. As the only child of the Alpha, and with her father’s health failing due to an unknown illness, it was her responsibility to take over the Pack.

  Logan’s dark green depths held a raw power much stronger than she remembered him possessing. Then again, he was Alpha. And she was supposed to be his mate. They’d made plans to merge the Packs. She’d gone home to tell her father, then a cruel reality smacked her in the face.

  Shaking, she squeezed her legs closer to her chest. “I got home and the papers were already signed. I pleaded, begged my father to take it back, told him that I was in love.”

  The chill returned, seeping into her bones. Her whole body shook, and tears fell in fat drops. Too many emotions. Fear, anger, raw hunger, and happiness at finally being free from the monster crashed into her all at once, consuming her.

  Logan’s rosemary scent enveloped her as he sat beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her to his chest. “You’re safe now.”

  She shook head. “They are looking for me. I killed their Alpha…and the Marshal.”

  “How many were truly loyal to him?”

  “The stronger ones.” She really wasn’t sure how many that was. She hadn’t stayed behind long enough to find out.

  Logan pulled her onto his lap and rubbed circles on her back. “Did you challenge him in front of the Pack?”

  She knew what he was asking. An official Alpha challenge would have given her the right to claim the Pack upon Mason’s death. “No. We were in our home, alone. I’d stumbled upon a journal with names of packmates who’d left. At least I thought they’d left. As I read through his notes, I concluded that Mason sold them to Felix for his twisted mutant army. Mason came home and was furious. He slammed me down over the desk and attempted to rape me. That was when I snapped. I’ve never felt my wolf lose her shit like that.” Meeting Logan’s gaze, she snarled, “I’d put up with the physical abuse as long as my Pack was safe, but I refuse to be raped. It was like the woman shut down and the wolf took over…and I killed him.”