Her Alphas Read Free

werewolf who wanted to get into that
cell? I’ve seen the kind of speed and strength you all have!”
    Alex had shaken his head. “No. You’re right. You could never
stop us—physically. But as a human consort you have two things that make you
invincible. One, you wear the amulet in the cave and—two, your bloodline makes
you untouchable. One doesn’t work without the other, but in combination those
things keep you—and the fledglings—safe.”
    She had searched her memory for the first time Alex had told
her that her bloodline protected her. “But you told me before that my lineage
made me off-limits to attack. You never said anything about the amulet.”
    “You misunderstood,” Alex had said. “I told you that the
pack members are not allowed to touch you because you’re a legacy
consort. It’s the law, but laws can be broken and if they are, the penalties
are severe. However, if you’re in the confines of the sacred space—the cave— and you’re wearing the necklace, nothing can harm you. It’s physically impossible—like
you’re in a force field.”
    Gwen had thought back to the way he’d taken her in the cave
while Jenny slept in the cell just a few yards away. “Well I seem to remember
my ‘force field’ didn’t stop you the night Jenny was changed and I’m pretty
sure I was wearing the amulet.”
    “I didn’t harm you, did I?”
    Alex had brought her from one orgasm to another and left her
spent and satisfied, but no, he hadn’t harmed her.
    * * * * *
    Present
    With the memory of that night still fresh in her mind, Gwen
rose from the couch and walked to the little side table near the front door.
She opened the drawer and pulled out the thick silver chain. She ran her
fingers over the heavy pendant, tracing each line and curve of the werewolf
symbol.
    Alex’s explanation had answered her questions but raised
new—and devastating—problems. It would be easy enough to hand off the amulet to
another person—if the pack could find someone willing to take on the
responsibility. It would be another thing entirely to find someone who shared
her DNA. Following her grandfather’s death, Gwen had become the last of the
Chaney line.
    As soon as Gwen walked toward the front door, her golden
retriever, Jezebel, struggled to her feet with a groan and waddled across the
room, tail wagging. Alex’s black Lab, Bob, was right behind her.
    Gwen dropped the amulet back into the drawer and slid it
shut. “Feel like a walk, you two furry idiots? I think we could all use some
fresh air.”
    Jezebel’s long, fringed tail—and Bob’s sleek one—thumped
against Gwen’s knees. She reached down and scratched both dogs’ heads. “I’ll
take that as a yes .”
    The three stepped off the front porch and headed toward the
trailhead between the tall pines at the edge of the side yard. Bob ran ahead,
pausing occasionally to sniff and pee. She lost sight of him a couple of times
and wished she had Alex’s powers. The star of the hit TV show The Dog Talker had a secret to his success. He could solve canine behavior problems not
because of his background in veterinary medicine and animal behavior, but
because he could literally talk to the animals. He could hear their thoughts
and they could comprehend his.
    Alex had explained that it wasn’t so much a conversation as
an understanding. Dogs, he’d told her, thought in emotions and their primary
motivations were food, sex and safety. Alex was able to “fix” them by
deciphering what it was that was upsetting that balance. It was all a mystery
to Gwen. As far as she could tell, Bob’s only current motivation was
identifying the ideal spot to urinate.
    Jezebel stayed close to her mistress. It had been a year
since the cougar attack that had nearly killed Jez and she still seemed
skittish when they ventured into the forest. The encounter had shaken Gwen too.
Since then, she never ventured out after dark and always stayed on the trail. Knowing
that she lived