Free Ravaged By The Pack (The Alpha's Mate) by Ellen Waite

Ravaged By The Pack
     
    1
     
    She opened her eyes. Even before cognizance had fully settled in, she knew herself to be in an unfamiliar place. Studying the ceiling with her tired, unfocused eyes, it was some time before she recognized it. That's right , she thought. The motel . Peering about, she half-expected to see one of her roommates ambling about the room, but found only the foreign trappings of the cheap motel room. The chipped-up dresser drawer, the flimsy-looking door with the flimsier-looking chain lock, the dusty window.
    It took Jenna a few more minutes before she could find the energy to sit up in bed. Her sleep had neither been restful nor especially bad; she was somewhere in between, her mind standing in a hazy middle ground between wakefulness and grogginess. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, her fingers growing tangled as she did so, and eased her way to the edge of the bed. Her bare feet touched the cool carpet, sending a chill through her. It'd been a warm night when she'd settled to bed. Evidently things had cooled down some since then. The sun poured in through the window, the scene outside featuring dense trees and a blue, sunlit sky. She appraised the wilderness for a few moments, the leaves of the trees rustling in a chilly breeze.
    Today was the day her new life began, a decision months in the making. The college atmosphere hadn't suited her, too much partying and competition. And too much uncertainty. In her two years at school, she'd switched her major four times. At twenty years old, with a load of debt from a good school and nothing to show for it, she was ready to try something new. Until she could decide on what she wanted to do, she settled on finding an affordable place to live and a decent job. A quiet place and a quiet way of life till she could make up her mind about the future would be good enough. Removed from the University by almost a hundred miles, on the other side of the State entirely, Twinbrook, Pennsylvania had fit the bill.
    Twinbrook was a small town, partially surrounded by a densely forested hillside. The town itself, though far from any major city, was surprisingly modern. There were restaurants, a shopping mall, a movie theater and, perhaps most importantly, jobs. The cost of living was cheap when compared to the rest of the State as well. Taking all of this into consideration, Jenna would have been hard-pressed to find a place better suited to her needs. Upon arriving in town, she'd found the locals friendly enough. With an affordable room to stay in till she was ready to settle in, she decided to start exploring the town in the morning.
    She stood up and staggered to the bathroom, running down a mental list of the things she still had to do. There were only two that carried any real importance. Apartment hunting. Interview. She had an interview for a job with a local businessman, a contractor by the name of Todd Blackston. They were supposed to meet in an hour at his office, which was a mere ten-minute walk from her motel. Afterward, she'd have to go and look for a more permanent place to live. She'd saved up a fair bit of money waiting tables back at college, and had enough to last her until she could find a job. If things fell through with Blackston & Brothers, then she'd look elsewhere. Unlike so many other areas of the country, Twinbrook seemed teeming with jobs. Restaurants, shops and even the motel she was staying at were hiring.
    Tossing aside her pajamas, Jenna hopped into the shower. Giving the knob a turn, the shower head fired off a blast of sheer ice, which saw her shriek and fall back against the far wall. After a time, she nervously reached out and tested the water once more, finding it lukewarm even at its highest setting. With a grimace she took a lightning-fast shower, lathering up and rinsing off in record time. An apartment with a good water heater , she thought. Priority number one .
    Cold showers were a little piece of home, as far as she was