Free To Love an Alpha (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) by Joanna Wilson

 
    To Love an Alpha
     
    Chapter 1
     
     
    “We can’t Kenny.”
     
    “Clarissa, we have to. The pack is splitting. The only way we can ensure we can be together is if we mate.”
     
    Clarissa laid her head on Kenny’s shoulder. This was the wolf that she had loved since she was a child. Even now, twenty years after they first met, her feelings for him haven’t changed. He was her best friend, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
     
    He was right when he said the pack was splitting. Alpha DeMarcus had been killed. The pack hunted down the rogue wolves that had murdered him and dealt their own kind of justice.
     
    Unfortunately, that left the pack without an Alpha. Alpha DeMarcus had no heir. He had never had children, his mate being killed before there were any pups.
     
    What he had were two top betas, one of whom he was going to appoint as his successor. When he died before he could make a decision, the two betas went at each other, each trying to assert their dominance over each other, each trying to claim rights to the pack.
     
    As a result, the pack was starting to split. Some sided with Kenny’s father, the Beta Joseph, some with Clarissa’s, the Beta Kenneth.
     
    She knew it was only a matter of time before she was taken away from Kenny. They were to mate formally in one month, on the next full moon, but with all the anger in the pack, she didn’t know if they would make it until then.
     
    “I love you Clarissa. I want to be with you forever, have cubs with you. We don’t have much time. I don’t want our fathers to tear us apart. If we are mated, they can’t do it. They would have to let us stay together.”
     
    Clarissa knew Kenny was telling the truth. She didn’t want to be away from him either. She loved him. He was hers. She knew it and so did her wolf.
     
    She didn’t want to it to come down to her choosing her mate over her father, but she couldn’t lose him. She just couldn’t.
     
    She brought her head up and looked him in his eyes. She loved him, always have and always will. As she looked at him it was if everything in the world fell away. She saw him close his eyes. She knew then that he thought she would refuse him. She almost had.
     
    “My love?”
     
    Kenny opened his eyes.
     
    “Come.”
     
    She stood up and led Kenny into the room. Her parents had built a cottage for Clarissa just last year when they knew she was to be mated. They wanted her to have a place where she could go in privacy. It now served its purpose well.
     
    She led Kenny to the bed and sat down. Butterflies were in her stomach. She had never made love before. She knew what it was but looking into her mates eyes, she became nervous.
     
    It was uncommon for a female to still be untouched. Most werewolves were very sexual beings. But she had made up her mind that until she had mated Kenny she would remain a virgin. It was a great honor she could give him. Once, the entire pack would have been witness to this honor, but now there was no audience. Clarissa preferred it that way. It felt more… right.
     
    She lay back on the bed and waited. When many seconds passed, she sat up and looked at Kenny in confusion. He was just staring at her, heat in his eyes.
    “Did I do something wrong?”
    ****
     
     
    Kenny couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew his beloved was untouched but the way she acted now made him think she had never seen the act.
     
    He let his eyes roam over her, letting his gaze settle at her breast. She had perfect breast. It didn’t matter what she wore . They strained against the fabric, just asking to be let free.
     
    He took in her nervousness. How even though she didn’t know what lay ahead, she was still willing to give herself to him.
     
    He walked up to her and placed one forefinger beneath her chin and leaned down to kiss her briefly on the lips.
     
    “No my love, you have done nothing wrong. You are so beautiful,” he said. “Tonight will be perfect.”
     
    He saw