Alpha Lover Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Praise for Brenda Sparks

  Alpha Lover

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Epilogue

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  She had only a second to realize Nicholai stood

  in the doorway before Desmond’s powerful thighs brought him to the door in a single bound.

  He grabbed Nicholai’s shirt with one hand, his other made a fist that landed squarely on Nicholai’s jaw.

  Nicholai’s head snapped back. Shock took his face. With a mighty push, Nicholai threw Desmond backward across the room into one of the flowery couches. It moved under his weight, crashed into the end table, and the Tiffany lamp tumbled to the floor.

  Julie’s eyes went wide. The two men became a blur of motion, bodies flying apart, then back together. She had to concentrate to make out the shapes of hard forms in the powerful whirlwind.

  Connor pulled, lunging at the whirling mass. His deep growls and barks added to the chaos as the two males swirled around the living room. They spun around the room like a tornado, moving so fast Juliette’s eyes did not register their kicks and punches. However, she heard bones crunch and the slap of skin while the two exchanged blows.

  The furniture that exploded when the blurry mass neared evidenced the fierceness of their battle. Julie watched one piece of furniture after the next burst into pieces. First her delicate coffee table, next the end table where the Tiffany lamp had been, then the rocking chair. When the mass moved toward the antique credenza, Juliette screamed.

  Her beautiful roses sprayed about the room. Red petals floated slowly to the floor in surreal contrast.

  Praise for Brenda Sparks

  “Ms. Sparks takes you on a journey that’ll have you turning pages just to find out what happens.”

  ~Rhea Regale

  ~*~

  “Brenda Sparks shines…In all, it was a great book and has me wanting more from the Alpha Council Chronicles!”

  ~DW Adler

  Alpha Lover

  by

  Brenda Sparks

  The Alpha Council Chronicles

  Book 3

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Alpha Lover

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Brenda Sparks

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Rae Monet, Inc. Design

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-1243-9

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1244-6

  The Alpha Council Chronicles, Book 3

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my beloved heartmate, Don,

  who is Nicholai personified.

  Your quiet strength keeps me grounded.

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, my deep appreciation goes out to my readers, who mean so much to me!

  Much gratitude to Lisa Rayns and DW whose insights and feedback were invaluable to me while writing this story.

  And last, but most certainly not least, I owe my sincere gratitude to my fabulous editor, Callie Lynn Wolfe, cover artist Rae Monet, and the wonderful staff at The Wild Rose Press for helping me share the Alphas with the world.

  Chapter 1

  Ba-dum. Ba-DUM! BA-DUM!

  The steady beating of the hearts around him called to the beast deep within. Anticipation of thick blood sliding down his throat sent his hunger into overdrive, created a need so great it would not be ignored. Nicholai Peterhof’s fangs lengthened.

  It had been too long since he’d partaken of the life-sustaining substance. Tonight the craving gripped him with its painful talons and demanded fresh, warm blood.

  Nicholai sat as still as the empty chair across from him. The clank of dishes in the kitchen, the conversations of the patrons, the clinking of ice in the glass when the bartender poured a gentleman another round, all assaulted his sensitive hearing. Banging. Clattering. Yakking. Never ending noise that grated on his nerves. But it was the steady drumming sound that drew his attention.

  Ba-dum! BA-DUM! BA-DUM!

  An image of the local blood bank teased his mind.

  Nicholai shook the image from his head. No, I can’t. There is a shortage as it is.

  I need a distraction, he thought.

  The Alpha’s gaze skimmed over the newly redecorated restaurant décor. The rich burnt-orange paint on the walls complemented the fine tablecloths. Dark mahogany chairs, padded with burgundy velvet, matched the linen on the tables. The lighting set the dining area in a soft, angelic glow, but even the romantic ambiance didn’t provide enough distraction.

  Nicholai sat at his private table in a dark corner of the restaurant, forked another bite of food, and wished like hell it was another kind of sustenance. His body cried out in protest when the food hit his stomach. He needed blood, not food.

  An attractive waitress sauntered up to the table, pad and pencil in hand. “Is there anything else you desire, Mr. Peterhof?” she asked in Russian.

  Her eyes indicated the type of “else” she intended. Oh, there was something else, but he had a rule against feeding from locals. Most of the villagers in this small town were his friends or business associates, and he experienced guilt when he fed from them, then erased their memory.

  Nicholai forced down the last morsel off his plate and patted his lips with the cloth napkin from his lap before placing it on the table. “I think you’ve given me enough for tonight,” he replied coyly in their native language.

  “Was it good?” she asked. “Did you like it?”

  As much as I could. “Tell Chef he outdid himself.”

  The server nodded and walked away. Desperate for a diversion from the pounding hunger, Nicholai’s eyes traveled down her back to her hips. They swa
yed seductively back and forth as she maneuvered expertly between the chairs, then stopped in front of two giggling women.

  His gaze rested on the pulsing vein beneath the skin on the neck of the woman his waitress addressed. He tuned his hearing to their conversation. Their Russian sounded child-like when they tried to explain to the waitress they wanted a refill on their drinks.

  Once the waitress left, the women reverted back to English. Curiosity made him listen unabashedly as the women discussed their vacation.

  “I can’t believe we are in Yaroslavia,” the beautiful brunette commented with a big smile. “I’m so glad Moscow and Saint Petersburg are close enough it only takes a few hours by car to get from one to the next. We’ll be able to see a lot if we hop from city to city.”

  “That’s why they are called the Golden Ring.” Her skinny, blonde companion chuckled. “I want to bring lots of souvenirs back from our vacation to show my students and make my history class come alive for them.”

  So they are here on holiday. Based on their accents, Nicholai presumed the blonde to be British and the brunette to be American. Perfect!

  Their animated voices grew louder when their discussion continued.

  The blonde leaned forward. “I’m just glad my husband agreed it was safe to go as long as I went with someone.”

  The brunette grabbed her friend’s hand. “I don’t mind tagging along. After all, there’s no reason for me not to go.”

  “You’re such a good friend.” Blondie embraced her in a hug. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough!”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I’m sure this trip will be fun…For both of us,” she added as an afterthought.

  Nicholai noticed the disingenuous grin on the brunette’s face.

  “I know this trip is taking you from all the important things you could be doing over the holiday. How will you live without watching TV, grading papers, and going to bed early?” Sarcasm dripped from Blondie’s voice, but her friend took it in stride.

  “Don’t be snarky,” the brunette teased. “I sometimes go shopping or rent a movie to shake things up.”

  “Oh my. Forgive me. Here I thought I had an exciting life. I didn’t realize you were living large.” The pair chuckled at the good-natured ribbing.

  “I realize, compared to trotting off around the world, my life might seem boring.”

  “Boring, no—Safe. Predictable. Mundane—”

  The brunette’s gaze left her friend and landed on the family of four sitting beside them. A young mother fed a baby its bottle while the father assisted their older child by cutting his sandwich.

  The brunette’s eyes clouded, and a sad smile tugged at the side of her mouth as if the scene triggered an unhappy memory.

  The blonde pulled her from the melancholy moment by saying, “I can’t wait to visit the Kremlin and St. Petersburg Square.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing the sights too, but the only sight I need to see right now is the bathroom.”

  With a giggle, the women stood together and went into the darkened hallway that led to the bathrooms and his office. Exactly the opportunity Nicholai needed, as if the Fates themselves were giving the cosmic okay to sate his hunger.

  His muscular body rose in one graceful, fluid movement, and he headed through the hallway behind them. His office, located at the end of the long corridor, provided the perfect place to wait for the ladies to emerge from the restroom. He smoothed his black cashmere sweater and crossed his arms over his wide chest. Nicholai leaned against the doorjamb and waited for the right moment to pounce.

  Turning his preternatural senses toward the bathroom, he sensed only the two women within. The fragrance from the fresh flower arrangement on the marble vanity inside mingled with the scents of the women in the air.

  One of them commented on the romantic blue and white paisley wallpaper and then the water turned on.

  They should be coming out any time now. Nicholai’s muscles tightened in expectation. He closed his eyes and imagined the two women primping in front of the mirror. The brunette combing her fingers through her shoulder-length hair as her blonde friend cleaned her hands.

  “Oh Penny, I’m so happy you talked me into coming with you.”

  The flowing water became silent.

  “I’m so glad you agreed to come with me. When Frank refused to come to Russia, I didn’t believe I’d get to go,” the one woman commented.

  “I realize how much the trip means to you,” her friend replied.

  Paper towels shuffled, and Nicholai’s stomach growled in anticipation.

  “I love this little restaurant. The food is to die for,” one of the women cooed, pulling the door open to hold it for her friend.

  As the pair stepped into the hallway, Nicholai swooped in.

  “Hello, ladies,” he greeted in English. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nicholai Peterhof. I am the owner of this fine establishment.” His thick, Russian accent rolled his R’s. Nicholai flashed his sexiest grin, the one that could melt a woman’s heart. “I hope you enjoyed the cuisine. I searched the world over to find the right chef.”

  The blonde looked up and smiled into his eyes. “You own this place?”

  “Yes. I do.”

  “We love it. It is so charming, and the food is absolutely delicious.”

  “Yeah, to die for,” her friend reiterated.

  Nicholai pursed his lips in a smirk at the brunette’s choice of words. “I am glad you find the food so tempting. When I hired the chef, I discovered his specialties were all served cold. That is what inspired the name for this restaurant.”

  “Kholodnaya Plecha,” the British blonde supplied the name, “which I believe translates to The Cold Shoulder.”

  “You are correct.” Tired of the cat-and-mouse game, Nicholai looked deeply into the blonde’s eyes, caught her in his hypnotic gaze.

  “Come,” he commanded. “I have something I’d like to show you.”

  “Of course,” she agreed amicably.

  The brunette’s body tensed. “Where are we going?”

  He turned the strength of his stare on her, capturing her honey-colored eyes. “It’s all right,” he soothed. “You can trust me, come with me.”

  She nodded her head in acquiescense. Nicholai gently guided the women down the hall and through the open door to his office. He followed behind, closing and locking the door with a thought.

  “Sit down, ladies.” He gestured toward the yellow tapestry, upholstered couch against one wall.

  They obeyed, unable to resist. Nicholai sat between the two, his knees falling open so his thighs touched theirs.

  He took the blonde into his arms, looked deep into her eyes, and made sure she was completely under his mental compulsion. The pounding of her pulse rumbled in his ears. The steady rhythm beat under her flesh. His hunger begged him to take a few tiny sips. Not too much, he reminded himself. Only enough to sustain him until the blood bank replenished his supply.

  His lips rested reverently on her neck, and his fangs sank just deep enough to allow the flow of her blood into his mouth. He mentally fed her the pleasure he experienced as he drank in her life force. A low moan escaped her red lips. She lay pliant in his arms, her head rolled back to one side.

  The other woman remained motionless beside him, completely in his thrall. His gaze flitted between the two as he worked to control them simultaneously. It was difficult to influence both, but centuries of practice had honed his mental skills.

  A rapid beat pulled his attention. He quickly recognized the sound. Like galloping horses, a tiny heartbeat came from the woman in his arms. The distraction of keeping them both under control must have been why he initially missed the extra heartbeat in the room.

  Nicholai berated himself for not realizing she was pregnant and immediately stopped drawing from her neck. After licking the small wounds closed, he let out a string of curses in his native language, and returned the blonde to an upright position, reverently l
aying her head against the back of the couch. He placed an ear on her stomach. The baby’s heartbeat sounded strong and reassured him he had not done any harm to the unborn child or the mother. Both were alive and well.

  His hunger still burned in his stomach, gnawed at him like a bear eating its prey. Nicholai wiped the memory of himself from the pregnant woman’s mind and commanded her to sleep before he turned to the woman on his left.

  He gathered her in his arms and gently pushed deeper into her mind. He cupped the back of her head in one large hand and pulled it to the side to expose the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  You will feel nothing but pleasure, he sent into her mind, then sank his fangs into her neck. Nicholai remained in her mind to assure himself she experienced only bliss.

  A tidal wave of pleasure coursed through her body. She convulsed slightly as the power of the bite took her soaring. He tightened his grip, drawing her life blood into him.

  When the first swallow flowed down his throat, it tasted unlike anything he experienced before. Like lilac and honey, it warmed him to the core, making his body come alive in a way no blood had ever done. His vision swam. His body reacted like an adolescent, becoming hard and achy with desire.

  Mine! The thought came unbridled. He’d never experienced anything so sweet. Holding her in his arms felt right. His body quaked. Realization smacked him in the face and snapped his head back.

  She’s my heartmate! The idea came to him on a wave of passion that coursed through his body. He became completely lost in the sensation.

  Nicholai smiled, and a little red liquid escaped from his mouth. The ticklish sensation on his lips brought him back to the here and now. The blood trail from the two small bite marks he’d made drew his gaze. He quickly licked the wounds closed and adjusted her, bringing her onto his lap so he cradled her fully in his arms.

  My heartmate. After hundreds of years, I finally found her. The person who is the other half of my soul. The one person who can make me complete.

  She’d been chosen by fate as his beloved long, long ago. He looked at the enticing brunette, and an overwhelming urge to protect her overtook him.

  The realization he held his heartmate shattered his concentration. Both women blinked as they surfaced from the depths of his thrall.