An Alpha's Trust Read Free

young woman a chance to abort the fetus if that’s an option. To be honest, Shana, you’re way past the point of getting an abortion and you’re going to have to tell your parents.”
    “How is it possible I didn’t realize I’d become pregnant? No, I would have known.” Holy Hell, five months . Shana started to panic. What will my parents say? Haven’t they all been through enough?
    The truth was…it was only just beginning.

 
    Chapter 1
     
    “How was the conference ?” Jake, the pack Alpha, spoke with his Second and best friend, Conner Matthews.
    “Fine. I understand why we have to travel so often, but it does get a little…exhausting.”
    Their pack traveled frequently in an attempt to search for their one true mate. Once a month, one of the pack would travel for about two weeks under the guise of going to a conference. They would travel to a different town or even state to fine their fated mate, the only person who could complete them.
    “I thought I caught her scent in Petaluma, but it faded. I tried to track it, but lost it in the local police station. Too many sweaty bodies covered up her scent. All I could smell was fear and anger. It is so frustrating to be so close and yet fail.”
    “Be patient. At least you know where to focus your search and I’m delighted you’re so close. When’s your next trip?” Delighted might be stretching it, more like jealous. Jake was ready to settle down and start a family, a wife and cubs.
    “I don’t have any plans yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks I’ll go back and try again. After all, I have responsibilities here.”
    “I think the pack can spare you for a couple of weeks if you change your mind. I wouldn’t want to give up either. How was it? I’ve never caught my mate's scent?”
    Conner could smell Jake's sadness. Conner was frequently with Jake when he came home from his many trips, but he’d never had a positive outcome like Conner. The world was so large and it’s not like a mate just fell into your lap.
    “Tell you what. Buy me breakfast and I’ll tell you all about it. That way you can catch me up on pack business.” Conner smiled and winked making Jake roll his eyes.
    The pack lived in a small town, population 12,000. There was one of everything. One post office, one fire station, one police station and one diner. It was a mix of shifters and humans, and they got along pretty well. Mostly because no one knew about the shifters. It was all kept hush, hush.
    The diner was named Bright Day Café’ and had the best food in town. It was a shifter-run business so they served larger than normal portions for the shifters who had significantly higher metabolisms. The hostess was pack and sat them quickly after a slight bow to the Alpha and Beta of the pack.
    Shifters were magical beings that were born, not made. If a shifter bit a human it would hurt, but they wouldn’t then turn into a shifter. Also, shifters could turn whenever they wanted to, not based only on the full moon like werewolf myths. Pack hated to be referred to as werewolves; it was insulting.
    Upon entering the cafe Jake took a big sniff of the familiar scents that he'd grown up with; his eyes closed in pleasure. He had lived in this town all his life and remembered when his parents used to bring him in on Saturday mornings. It was a haven for him.
    Today, however, there was something new in the air. Jake smelled the food and coffee, but also a lingering scent that smelled divine. Vanilla ice cream? It was such a wonderful smell that he got lost in it for a while.
    Jake was startled to hear Conner yell from the table, “You plan on eating, or you just gonna stand there?”
    Jake turned to the hostess, Betty, asking, “When did you guys start serving ice cream for breakfast?”
    Jake simply stood there and breathed, feeling refreshed and alive. He was lost in that scent and barely heard her response.
    “Uh, you feeling okay, Jake? The menu hasn’t changed in years. The special