The girl paused for long enough to extend her arm and flip Dakota off, then hurried off into the forest.
Her escape was blocked by a man who quickly stepped out from behind a tree and grabbed her by the collar. He was a wolf shifter – another Alpha Prime.
That was unusual; she’d already met one, and they didn’t generally live in close proximity to one another. Their energy clashed and they ended up fighting.
This guy was good-looking, with his muscular arms and curly, dirty-blond hair, but she didn’t feel that zing of attraction she’d felt with the other Alpha Prime. His face was scarred, which meant he’d had a fight with a wolf shifter and taken some serious damage
As she approached him, she felt the angry energy rolling off him. Here was a guy who didn’t bother dampening his emotions; he didn’t care what anyone thought or felt about him.
“Don’t kill her,” she said quickly.
“Let me go!” the skinny girl wailed, flailing in panic.
“I told you what I’d do if I caught you stealing around here again,” he growled at the girl. “I don’t like thieves.”
“Don’t eat me!” The girl’s voice rose in terror. “I don’t have any meat on my bones! I’d taste terrible!”
Eat her? Surely he’d just said that to scare the girl?
“Look, she was just stealing food,” Dakota pleaded. “Look how skinny she is! She’s hungry!”
“So? A thief’s a thief.”
“And an asshole’s an asshole,” Dakota snapped at him.
She hurled herself against the guy and knocked the kid from his hands, and the skinny teenager landed on the ground. For once, Dakota was happy to be big and bulky; it had taken every ounce of her strength to jar the girl loose.
The girl quickly shifted into wolf form, dropping down to all fours. Her tattered clothes fell off her lean, furry frame, and she ran for her life, ears flattened on her skull and tail between her legs. Her canvas bag and the bag of cookies lay there in the dirt. Dakota picked them up and unzipped her suitcase, stuffing them in. She’d try to find the girl later.
The man turned and glared at her with anger sparking in his eyes. “I don’t usually kill women, but I might be willing to make an exception in your case,” he said coldly.
Dakota met his gaze boldly. “So you bully children and you threaten women. Ever pick on someone your own size?”
His lips quirked in a cruel grin. “On the rare occasion that I run into someone my own size, yes. Then they die.”
He looked her up and down, then said, “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Who knows, you may be a good fit for Greenlands. But if you cross me again, I won’t be as nice. Yes, this is me being nice. My name is Creel. Stay out of the eastern territory.”
“Since you’re there, it will be my pleasure,” she snapped at him as he walked off, strolling into the woods.
She pushed her way through the thick, scratchy underbrush, headed back towards the town square. As she strolled down the street, she felt a sizzling in the air, and her inner wolf quivered with anticipation.
The handsome guy she’d shot down earlier walked up and thrust his hand out in greeting. She felt that same zing of attraction, and made a mental note that she should stay as far away from this guy as possible; he was way too tempting. That grin, the musky, masculine smell, the gleam in his eyes…
He was accompanied by two other male shifters, who hung back behind him and watched. One of them looked so much like him that they had to be related, and he was stifling an amused grin.
“Oh goody, I was wondering where you went,” she said to him with exasperation.
“Well, this is your lucky day, because here I am,” he said, her sarcasm completely sailing over his very handsome head. “So you may not have picked up on this before, but I’m the Alpha Prime. Now, around here, the Alpha Prime gets what he wants, but if they do things differently where you’re from, I can move a little slower. How about we start off with dinner?”
She reluctantly shook his hand. She’d probably made enough enemies for one day. She might as well at least try to be civil.
“Hello again. Sure are lots of Alphas around here,” she said.
His eyes narrowed. “Only one that counts,” he said. He sniffed at the air. “Oh, I scent that Creel stopped by for a visit. He has the eastern half of the territory.” He raised an eyebrow. “Did he give you a hard time? Or hit on you?”
“Neither one,” she lied. No sense stirring up even more trouble.
“Good.” The sexy grin returned. “I didn’t catch your name. Or what time we’ll be having dinner.”
