Free The Alpha's Surrogate: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance by Angela Foxxe Page A

contempt.
    "I'm the alpha now," he barked, "I took the old man to his grave months ago."
     
     
    That explained a lot, thought Richard as he casually pulled the dart from his arm and cast it aside. He could smell the fear on Edward, and something else – pride.
    “Edward," Richard put his hands to his side, palm out, "I recognize you as Alpha."
     
    He finished with a short bow, it was a custom, and a sign of respect, and if there was a small chance Richard could take Cara and go without violence, he would take it. Their numbers were too few to quarrel.
     
    For a moment, Richard thought it worked, but then Edward's face showed his answer.
     
    "I don't need, or want your token respect. I'm alpha by right of combat. And soon, your pack will be mine as well."
     
    "It doesn't have to be this way."
     
    Normally before a fight, Richard felt an unease, a tightening of his stomach, the flood of adrenaline, he felt none of this now. And then, he understood.
     
    "I couldn't get that whore to give up where you were hiding out with the pregnant cow, doesn't matter, though."
     
    That worried Richard, he was hours away from the lodge, even if he sent Indigo back now without him, whatever was going on would be long over.
     
    "Listen to me Edward, it doesn't have to be this way, give me Cara and we can call it even. In the next grand pack I'll even back your claim. There are so few of us left, we don't need to fight," Richard said.
     
    "Few of us? I don't care about you stupid werewolves, all I care about is me, what I can do. And I'm a god. These morons do whatever I say because of your traditions and beliefs. There's nothing magical about being an Alpha, yet they all line up to lick my boots. Pathetic."
     
    Richard understood at last, Edward should never have been given the gift of the wolf, he was the worst kind of human, and his personality didn't, couldn't, exist in the wolf world. How he survived the turning was beyond Richard.
     
    "You've made your decision then," Richard said, "let's see you enforce it."
     
     
                          ***
    "Do they know we’re here?" asked Skye.
     
    There were four of them out by the lodge. Two of them had large hunting rifles shouldered, ready to fire.
     
    Chuck grinned. “We’re downwind from them, they have no clue."
     
    Skye nodded and patted the old man on the back. All four of them were packed in the front of the cave, looking out the small window that provided a view of the parking area. The cave itself was slightly elevated and a few hundred feet back from the lodge.
     
    Reign had perfect vision according to her optometrist, but she could barely see anything. The moon was just a sliver in the sky.
     
    "How are you seeing anything?"
     
    Skye turned to Reign with a grin on her face, her eyes a brilliant yellow in the dim light.
     
    "Wolves," she said with a shrug.
     
    Abby spoke with such a quiet voice Reign thought it was a whisper.
     
    "Two of them are human."
     
    "You sure, girl," Chuck said, "all I smell is the wolf."
     
    She seemed unsure of herself, but she nodded.
     
    "Well, that makes things easier,” said Skye.
     
    "Abby," she continued, "take Reign to the back of the cave, if you hear this door open without a knock you get out the back and down to the trading post, there's a car there with the keys in it. Got it?"
     
    Abby nodded and reached for Reign’s hand.
     
    "Wait," Reign said, "I want to help."
     
    "You can, Richard wants you safe, and doing that helps us, okay?"
     
    "It's four against two, you need us," Reign said.
     
    "Nah," Chuck grinned, "they’re just pups."
     
    Skye nodded to Abby, "go, be safe."
     
    The two started down the cave toward the rear. Reign looked back one last time. Chuck had stripped his shirt off and was unbuckling his pants. Skye had already pulled her tank off revealing her amazing bust.
     
    "I love being a wolf," she heard Chuck say with a lecherous grin.
     
    "Keep it in your pants, it ain't