Free Alpha Wolf Rising by Eliza Gayle

By telling you who she is, she’s put us all in danger.”
    “I don’t give a shit about you or her.”
    “Well, if you value your life, you’d better start thinking twice about everything you do from here on out. Her secret gets out, not only will you have me to contend with, but the rest of her family. And trust me, Cole, when I say you’ll be a lot better off if I’m the only one you ever meet.”
    “I really don’t care what kind of watchdog you are. You’re both a couple of freaks.” Cole rubbed mindlessly where Sierra had bitten him.
    There hadn’t been much blood, so even with his limited pack knowledge, he doubted there was any physical danger. Had he not acted like a complete asshole, they’d have stuck around for a while and made sure.
    He’d tried to warn him. Let him know his life depended on his ability to keep their secret, but Cole only saw the blood red rage of betrayal.
    * * *
    Nolan scrubbed over his face and turned away from the disaster lying on the cot.
    God, why hadn’t Sierra followed the rules? And what did this recent change mean? Supposedly, a human couldn’t be changed. He’d heard the few stories about feral changelings being hunted and put down.
    The basement stairs creaked above him, and Nolan moved to a defensive position. He shifted his hand to the butt of his gun resting on his hip, and he waited. For now, Cole was his responsibility, and he’d make sure no one hurt him. For now…
    “Nolan, it’s me,” Sierra called out.
    His tense shoulders loosened a fraction. Finally.
    Sierra swept into the room with Marek right behind her. Her signature scent filled the space, and the man on the cot stirred restlessly. Whatever part of the wolf resided in Cole had awakened and wanted who he thought was his mate. Great . Nolan ground his teeth and turned tired eyes to his woman. He’d eventually seen the wisdom in sharing her with Marek. Politics not only required it, but Marek helped soothe the wolf inside her. He was no psychologist or even a medical doctor, for that matter. But for a long time after she walked away from Cole, Sierra had been overly aggressive, and to say that spilled over into her sex life was putting it mildly. Sharing her with the likes of Cole, on the other hand, made him ill.
    “What’s happened? Any change? Is he awake?” She rushed over to the corner and placed her fingers on Cole’s neck.
    “No. Every time he’s awakened, he’s come up fighting. I’ve had to keep putting him under.”
    Her gaze shifted to Nolan. “Guess that explains your worse-for-wear expression.” She smiled.
    He didn’t want a smile from her. He needed a hot fucking shower and his equally hot woman underneath him. That’s what it would take to work through some of his issues and the mind-numbing aggression.
    “He’s on his third dose of tranqs, and he’s already stirring after only an hour. He’s either adapting or his wolf has grown stronger and scented you when you walked in the room.”
    “He’s feral?”
    Nolan didn’t love the hopeful tone in Marek’s question. He had enough guilt tearing him apart and wasn’t about to make the call that led to Cole’s certain death.
    “Now hold on. Let’s not jump to any conclusions. We’re going to wait until he wakes up, and I’m going to try and talk to him.”
    “Sierra, honey, I’m not liking this one bit. I don’t think the alpha should be down here in case something goes wrong. Why isn’t he in a more secure location?”
    Nolan’s sharp gaze turned to the newcomer, and Sierra growled low at her father, startling him. The former alpha, being a smart man, took a couple of steps back. His gaze darted between Nolan and Marek.
    Nolan shrugged and feigned innocence. He’d known her feelings for the college boy ran deep, and now seeing him like this probably tore her to pieces. Not that she’d ever admit it, though.
    “Sierra, he’s right—”
    Without thought, he stepped between Marek and Sierra, protecting her