The Alpha's Choice Read online

  The warm earth and cool night air had merged to form a mist that settled low across the field stretching beyond the back of the house to the edge of the woods. The waning moon was almost full and brighter than Kat's urban eyes had ever seen. It rose above the trees, a bright, slightly misshapen opalescent ball that illuminated the swirling vapor and gave ghostly form to the shadows that played within.

  She watched those shadows in the same way she used to watch white fluffy clouds flit across a bright blue sky. Her mind would form them into images only she could see and when they disappeared with the motion of the wind, she had only to reform them into something else from her imagination.

  These shadows did the same, but without her mental manipulation. They formed and reformed, vague dark images engulfed and released by the mists to finally coalesce into darkened and undefined animal shapes travelling through the brown and gold of the tall, dry grass.

  Kat blinked her incredulity and squinted into the haze, only half believing the reality of a line of animals trotting along in single file. They were too small to be horses and yet too large to be dogs. She dropped her feet to either side of the lounge and leaned forward to get a better look. The lead animal stopped and turned toward her as if it heard the faint thump of her feet touching ground. The others passed behind it in a steady line into the woods while their leader stood guard.

  Like a curtain being parted for a stage performance, the mist gave way, giving her a clear vision of a great beast watching her as intently as she watched him. Moonlight glinted off his head and massive chest as he raised his snout to the heavens and Kat held her breath waiting for the long, mournful howl that never came. It didn't matter. Just the sight of the animal sent a fingernail running along the blackboard of her spine.

  When he lowered his head, he looked across the field again and Kat knew he was staring at her. She nodded slowly in acknowledgement of the warning, blinked and the animal was gone.

  They were wolves, she was sure of it, though what wolves were doing here, she couldn't fathom. She'd read about the reintroduction of elk in the higher elevations to the east, but nothing of the predators that might endanger the new herds. On the other hand, it wasn't the kind of thing she kept up to date on though she had read articles about deer populations growing out of control. This place was close to Federal lands. Maybe they were introducing the predators through some program there.

  Not that it mattered. Except for the leader, the animals showed no interest in her and stayed at the far edge of the field and watching them, she felt no fear. Once there was more activity around the place, she expected the wolves to give the place even wider berth.

  A look at her watch told her it was late and she rubbed her arms against the night air. Spring was already giving way to summer, but the nights were still cool. Too lazy to retire upstairs, she replenished the fire from the stack of wood beside it and shifted her body this way and that until she was comfortable again and closed her eyes.

  She'd just released that final sigh of breath that passes into sleep when a scream echoed through the night. Kat bolted upright, the hair at the back of her neck rising with the chill that ran the length of her spine. Another shadow rose out of the mist, rising into the night sky, great wings flapping silently as it rose.

  As the huge owl flew across the field with its rabbit dinner dangling from its talons, Kat tried and failed to laugh away her city girl squeamishness. She pulled her terry cloth cover more tightly about her shoulders and scrunched down into her chair. As soon as she closed her eyes, visions of cute little bunnies danced through her mind.

  "Poor baby bunnies," she pouted.

  Something snorted behind her and her breath froze. Whatever it was, it was at the back of her right shoulder and it was larger than a bunny. Much, much larger. The sound was coming from behind her ear.

  She glanced down at the fire wondering if the creature behind her could sense the movement of her eyes. A piece of branch, a couple of inches in diameter, stuck out from the fire and ended about two feet from the lounge. The tip was glowing brightly with flame. Kat was calculating how quickly she could grab the branch and turn, when the creature behind her snarled. It was a low, barely heard growl, but it was enough to cause Kat to change her mind.

  "Sorry," she squeaked. Her heart was pumping so hard her sweatshirt moved to the pounding rhythm. Or maybe that was just her body shaking uncontrollably. The animal snorted again, a chuffing sound that almost sounded like a laugh.

  "I think I should warn you," she whispered in the same squeaky voice. "I'm human. I read somewhere that we don't taste very good and you don't strike me as a Red Riding Hood kind of guy."

  She heard the animal chuff again and this time she got the distinct impression of laughter. Did animals laugh? She had a hamster named Bernie once when she was seven, but he wasn't very personable. He bit her every chance he got. That was the only up close experience Kat had with animals and it only lasted about a month before Bernie ran away to live and die in the living room sofa.

  She pointed to the field, lifting only her finger from the arm of the lounge. "There are bunnies out there. Big, fat juicy bunnies. I saw one earlier. I'm sure they taste much better than me and they'd be a lot more fun to catch."

  The animal laughter sounded again.

  Slowly, ever so slowly, Kat turned her head until she was looking directly at the beast behind her. As she suspected, it was a wolf, a different wolf from the one that watched her earlier and under any other circumstances she might have admired this one's strength and magnificence.

  He was a beautiful animal. At first, with only the moonlight to cast away the darkness, his coat appeared as a solid gold mane, but when she shifted her shoulder and the firelight flickered over his velvety fur, she could see a variety of reds and golds and browns with a soft, silky sheen that made her want to reach out and touch it. He was a golden god of the wild.

  She didn't realize she'd swung her legs over the side with her hand stretched toward the tawny head until the animal curled his lip at her approach.

  "Why Grandma, what big teeth you have," she whispered while she withdrew her outstretched hand.

  As if the animal understood, he showed her more of them, a wolfish grin that almost made her laugh.

  "Uh, I hope that's not an all-the-better-to-eat-you smile," she said nervously.

  The wolf cocked his head, first to one side and then the other as if considering the idea. He licked his jowls before giving her another wolfish grin. With a sharp shake of his head and another chuff of canine mirth, the wolf sat, completely relaxed and comfortable.

  "You're making fun of me."

  The great beast closed his eyes and bowed his head.

  Kat took the opportunity to make a move toward the safety of the house. The wolf was immediately on his feet, taking a step to block her retreat. Kat stamped her foot.

  "Fine," she snapped, "Have it your way." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave the wolf her coldest stare, one that usually stopped teenagers in their tracks.

  It hit her then that she was no longer afraid. Her initial terror had receded into simple cautiousness and it was only a residual distrust that kept her from walking into the house. This animal wasn't going to hurt her. She was sure of it. Well... pretty sure.

  "I'm not sitting here all night. The fire is dying and I'm cold. Some of us," she sniffed, "Don't have fur coats." As if to emphasize her point, the towel slipped. She snapped it back in place.

  The wolf snorted and Kat huffed right back while recognizing how bizarre this situation was. Anyone with half a brain would not be standing here talking to a dog, okay a wolf, she corrected when the animal's head snapped up as if he'd heard her thoughts. Anyone with an ounce of brains would be peeing their pants.

  The wolf slowly closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them again, he turned toward the house. His haunches collapsed and he laid down with his legs folded in such a way that he could easily leap into motion should the need ari
se. The eyes slid from the house to Kat.

  OMG, she thought in the texting shorthand she'd picked up from the kids. The wolf's eyes were green!

  Dark, thick lashes surrounded eyes like glowing emeralds. She'd never seen a dog, a canine, she corrected, with green eyes. How strange. Weren't wolf eyes yellow? If you crossed a yellow-eyed wolf with a blue-eyed husky, would you get a green-eyed wolf-dog? Kat found herself melting into those mesmerizing eyes. Suddenly she reared back and snapped her eyes shut. Holy shit!

  She forced herself to look away from the beautiful beast. She'd never heard of wolves mesmerizing their prey, but then again, she didn't know they had green eyes, either. Was this a mutation? Or was this handsome fellow a throwback to his mystical forbearers? Was that a bit of fairytale magic in the wind? Of course not, but bright stars and firelight had probably given birth to such myths.

  Wolves chased down their prey, ran it to ground. Running was what triggered the instinct to chase. Was that why this wolf showed no aggression toward her? Or was it simply because he had already hunted and his belly was full.

  Eyes shuttered with half closed lids, the wolf cocked his head to the side again, this time not contemplating, but listening. He gave a slight downward shake of his head as if a decision was made and opened his eyes. Lip curled in a snarl, his head snapped up as he rose and took a step toward Kat, swinging his head and clearly herding her toward the back door of the house. His chest seemed to broaden as he brought himself up to his full and majestic height.

  The wolf might not be King of the Jungle, but this one was definitely Lord of His Domain. The change in the wolf's demeanor was striking and a little frightening. Kat had forgotten for a moment just how powerful this animal was.

  Not needing a second invitation, Kat threw herself off the lounge and headed for the door, pulling it closed behind her and bracing her back against it. In her mad dash to safety, she'd lost her towel.

  As if to emphasize how ludicrous her precautions were, the wolf butted his head against the door, knocking her back. His nose jiggled the handle.

  Whatever the wolf's mission, it was aborted when his head rose again, scenting the night. His howl broke the stillness, the final note of it echoing eerily through the darkness. When the last faint echo died away, the wolf outside her door snarled and then there was silence.

  Kat pushed the door closed once more, this time listening for the solid click of the latch and driving the locking bolt into its seat. Standing motionless with her ear to the door, she listened closely, but all she heard in the quiet of the night were the small chirps of tiny creatures and clicks of insects who found safety in the dark. There were no more screams from nature's small victims, no more howls and nothing to indicate the great golden beast was still outside her door.

  Shivering with the full import of what could have happened to her, she ran for the stairs, threw herself into the bed and had all she could do not to pull the downy comforter over her head. What was she thinking, trying to converse with a wolf?

  She had no intention to sleep, didn't think she could, but the long day, the warmth of the covers and the stillness of the night conspired against her. Twice she awoke, startled by dreams of the green eyes staring at her through the darkness. In the dreams, those green eyes belonged to a man and not a wolf. They were only dreams, but they left her shaken and a little breathless and they frightened her more than the wolf.

  Chapter 3

  In the morning, there was no sign of the wolf, if it was, in fact, a wolf. She wouldn't pretend that the creature was a figment of her dreams. It wasn't, but in the bright morning light it was easy for Kat to believe the animal could not have been what she thought. It was dark and hearing it breathing behind her had been disconcerting. Oh hell, who was she kidding? Seeing that great beast behind her had scared her shitless!

  First, it was much too large. She knew grey wolves were big, but that animal had to weigh close to two hundred pounds. Secondly, it was much too tame. Unless it was raised in captivity, no wolf would be that comfortable around a human. And those eyes! It had to be a cross breed of some kind, a wolf mix perhaps. Either it lived nearby or some cruel and thoughtless person had abandoned their pet, probably when it grew from an adorable puppy sized ball of fluff into something that would cost a small fortune to feed.

  And the pack she saw along the edge of the trees? Swirling mists and moonlight could easily distort one's perception of size and it wasn't unheard of for stray dogs to revert to their primal ancestry and form a pack. That was certainly a more likely explanation than wolves.

  Still, Kat was cautious as she peeked out the back door. She was determined to have her early morning swim, but not at the risk of another canine confrontation.

  Her towel was on the lounge where it had fallen the night before. The fire had burned away to ash. There was no sign of her furry friend, not even a paw print in the newly seeded soil around the perimeter of the patio.

  Kat hummed the theme from the Twilight Zone on her way back to the pool. What happened last night was a tale to tell, nothing more and she wasn't about to spend precious vacation time worrying about it.

  The air was chilly, but the water was warm and Kat wasted no time stripping off her short, thigh length silky robe and tiptoeing down the steps. She ducked her shoulders beneath the surface and made her way out to the middle of the pool where the water reached just below her breasts.

  The mists that hovered over the fields the night before now gathered above the water's surface obscuring the reality of the world beyond the pool. It was easy to imagine herself alone in a fairy world of clouds and shimmering water, her nakedness a water nymph's natural attire. She raised her arms, threw back her head and closed her eyes in bliss.

  "Thank you, Mr. Begley, for finding me this job and thank you, Mr. Goodman, for providing me with this beautiful heated pool. I don't know who you are, but I think I love you."

  This was the perfect way to start the day and she made up her mind to make it a regular part of her routine, after she bought a bathing suit, of course. It wouldn't do to skinny dip in front of the children. And then she laughed, the sound of it echoing in the soft stillness of the dawn.

  She turned onto her back and waved her arms and legs and came sputtering back to real life when she sank, butt first, beneath the surface. A poor kid from the wrong end of town didn't have much chance of learning how to swim, at least not well.

  Kat shook the water from her short, tight curls and made her way over to the side of the pool where she could hang on to the side while she kicked her feet and made plans for the arrival of her small charges.

  On her way to the pool, she'd taken a quick detour into one of the rooms off the foyer, the one that would receive the morning sun once those godawful drapes were gone and decided it would make the perfect schoolroom. Peeking under the drop cloths she uncovered a very comfortable looking overstuffed chair covered in bright red cotton duck; a good, sturdy, child friendly fabric if there ever was one.

  A sofa, another chair and a wonderful wood rocker started the wheels turning in her head and once she passed the exercise portion of her morning swim, she rolled onto her back, this time hanging onto the edge with one hand, and began to knit the bits and pieces of ideas into a plan for a classroom that would make Mary Poppins proud.

  With a more relaxed reading and study area at one end of the long room and a table for lessons at the other, all bathed in glorious morning light from the tall windows, the room would be perfect. She could almost see her young charges reading before a cozy fire on a chilly winter morning. She could picture them perusing the books of their new library in the bookcases to either side of that glowing fireplace.

  "How's this one, Miss?" a sweet little girl in pigtails and a pretty pink dress would ask.

  "Oh, that's a lovely choice," Kat would answer sweetly, patting the seat beside her for the little girl to sit and share her newfound treasure.

  A chilling breeze interrupted the fantasy. Kat sho
ok her head and sighed in disgust. She was doing it again; daydreaming about the way she wanted things to be instead of the way they were. Her little girl could be a tomboy in overalls and sneakers.

  She rubbed her forehead and frowned. Was there a girl in the group? She didn't know. She didn't know their ages either. If someone had asked her right after her interview with Mr. Begley, she was sure she could have answered those questions. She was excited about this job. Mr. Begley had made it all sound so perfect. But now? She couldn't remember how many were coming. How many were boys? How many were girls?

  Frustrated, Kat thumped the side of her head with the heel of her hand. The information wasn't there. It worried her. She'd never been a forgetful person, certainly not about something as important as this.

  Of course, the interview followed the most disastrous week of her life. That was what she remembered and wished she could forget; The Bastard tearing her life apart and then expecting her to wish him well.

  Damn! Vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes and the anger twisted her insides into knots. This was what came from too much time to hang around and think.

  She swiped at her eyes with the back of her wrist, exchanging the salt water of tears for the chlorinated stuff in the pool. Her morning swim was ruined. It was time to get on with her day. Her stomach growled in agreement. Breakfast would be the first item on her agenda.

  Hunkering down in the water's warmth, she made her way to the end of the pool. Goosebumps rose along her arms and torso as she emerged and she shivered in the cold morning air. She reached for the hand rail, looked up, shrieked and went windmilling back into the pool.

  Once again she came up sputtering only this time to face the wolf. And there was no denying it. He was definitely a wolf and seemingly a playful wolf at that.