Free Her Alphas by Gabrielle Holly Page A

pepper.
    “The secret is in the triple-dip,” he said without turning
to face her. “First dry, then wet, then dry again.”
    He dredged the fillets through the dry mixture, then dipped
them in the wet before coating them with the dry again. The instant the
battered fish hit the oil, the cabin was filled with a mouth-watering aroma.
    Jezebel and Bob padded across the worn plank floor and sat
near Tommy’s feet. He glanced at the dogs, then focused on the golden
retriever. “Are you looking for a peace offering, yellow dog?” he asked.
    Tommy chuckled as he scooped the first batch of fillets from
the oil, then gingerly laid them on the paper towels to drain. Bob whined.
    “Give it a second, doggy. They’ll burn your mouth.” When the
black lab barked, Tommy lifted a battered piece of meat to his lips and blew on
it before ripping it in half. “Ladies first, dude,” he said, then flipped a
chunk to each dog. Jez and Bob snapped the treats out of the air.
    “Now, go lie down, you mangy curs,” Tommy said.
    Bob loped easily across the cabin, but Jezebel waddled over
to the braided rug in front of the fireplace. Tommy laughed. “Yeah, that
definitely wasn’t the one your grandfather warned me about.”
    “Excuse me?” Gwen said.
    “The old man came to me in a dream. He said you were in
trouble and I should, ‘beware the yellow dog’. But these visions aren’t
literal. He might have been talking about something else entirely, or it might
have been just a random dream. Who knows?”
    He shrugged, then turned back to the stove. Before plunging
the next batch into the oil, the chef plucked another piece from the plate and
turned. “Now, usually the rule is one for the chef first then one for the
hostess, but I kinda felt like I owed old Jezebel…you know, on account of how I
almost ripped off her head.”
    Tommy took a bite of the fillet, then held out the remains
for Gwen. When she reached out to accept it, he shook his head then locked her
in his stare. “No, just open wide, gorgeous.”
    Almost involuntarily, Gwen’s mouth dropped open. Something
about the seduction in his voice and her willingness to bend to it was
incredibly erotic. Her panties dampened and she hoped Cat People didn’t have
the acute sense of smell that werewolves had.
    He didn’t give her the food right away and as the seconds
ticked by, Gwen studied his eyes. For an instant they morphed from the deepest
brown to yellow. When she blinked, the illusion disappeared and she wondered if
the wine was making her see things.
    Finally, Tommy laid the morsel on her tongue as if he were
offering her communion. The contrast of the crisp, seasoned coating and the
tender, sweet fish was wonderful and Gwen moaned her appreciation.
    Tommy’s eyes flashed golden again and when he stood straight,
her gaze dropped to the front of his jeans. A very obvious—and very large—erection
was outlined beneath the faded denim.
    Boxers or briefs? she wondered.
    He chuckled and then turned back to the stove. After frying
up the rest of his catch, Tommy called Alex and Sergei back to the table. Fresh
bottles of wine and beer were opened and the four dug into the impromptu feast.
    Gwen’s attention kept getting pulled across the table to
Tommy. He was beautiful, but the attraction wasn’t just to his looks. There was
something indescribable drawing her to him. Alex sat beside her and she was
conscious of him frequently glancing at her. He claimed he couldn’t read her
thoughts, but her lover clearly was aware of her interest in their guest.
    “So, what were you and Sergei talking about earlier?” Gwen
asked, trying to deflect Alex’s examination of her.
    Alex glanced at the bedroom door then leaned in toward Gwen.
    “He told me about your run-in with Jenny this morning,” he
answered quietly.
    Gwen sipped her wine. “Oh, that. Yeah, it was pretty
strange. I thought you guys didn’t allow hunting in broad daylight.”
    She glanced across the table at