The Alpha's Mate Read Free

for her in his life. That was crazy.
    Andy dropped his eyes, his breathing deepening, but he stayed still as Max took him in. Max circled his thumb slowly on Andy's wrist, feeling his pulse speed up. Oh yes, those days had been fun. But even this close, the scent of Andy's budding arousal seeping into the room, Max felt hollow. He dropped the hand and pulled away. Whatever this was, it was too much for him. He couldn't think straight.
    "Did you get her information?" He asked.
    Andy continued as if he hadn't felt the moment between them. "Kelly Shaw, her papers belonged to a Silver Sky Research facility in town." He set down a driver's license on the table. "I lifted it while she was out."
    Max tamped down the growing rage within him. Had Andy touched her? No, that way lay even more madness. "What kind of research?"
    Andy shrugged, "Looked like something about wildlife, I didn't have much time to glance through between you storming out and, well..." He trailed off. "She said she felt fine, but maybe we have someone drive by her place in a few days? Make sure nothing is wrong."
    Max should have been the one to suggest that. He picked up the license and studied it. It was a Montana license, so she was probably new in town. He hoped she wasn't here on business. That would be unfortunate. Twenty-nine years old, blond hair, blue eyes, everything he had seen earlier, though with none of the punch her presence brought. Even from her license picture he saw that she was beautiful, but he felt no compulsion. Perhaps it had just been something in the air, some strange smell that caused him to go temporarily insane.
    "Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" Andy's voice broke in, his hand waving in front of Max's face.
    "Yes," Max said, "Someone will check up on her, everything will be fine."
    Andy looked at him for a long moment and Max wondered if he had missed something. Instead, Andy stood and bid him farewell as Max continued studying Kelly Shaw's license photo.
    Someone would check up on her.
    He was sure it would be him.
    Max stood and calmly disrobed, folding his clothes and setting them on the couch as he walked out the door to his backyard. There were no neighbors for miles to see his nude form, and he would not be nude long enough for anyone to get a good look.
    Slowly he breathed in, clearing his head of all thought and focusing on the wolf that lived within him. He felt for the fur of that beast, running his hands over it, felt it lap at his hand. He could hear wolves howl in the distance. The change took him quickly once he caught the feel of the wolf. And where once stood a man stood a huge beast covered in gray fur.
    He padded away from the house, gaining speed as he entered the forest. An owl hooted in the distance and he ran towards the sound, the joy of the run surging through him. Small game fled, but he gave no chase. This night was simply for the speed.
    He couldn't wait to show this to Kelly.
    His pace stuttered and his wolf shivered with that thought. There was no room for anything besides the wolf right now. But with a shudder he collapsed into his human form, unable to hold to the concentration he needed. He lay shivering on the ground, a naked human exposed to the harsh night air.
    Max stood. That was unacceptable. One by one he cleared his thoughts once more and focused on the wolf. His form shifted and he ran. Flying down the path as naturally as if he was born to it. He was fine now, no outside thoughts intruded into this wolf's head. He circled back to run from where he came. With a calm sort of defiance he padded to the edge of the woods and deliberately thought of Kelly. For one second, Max's wolf was fine. He held his concentration and remained that gray beast.
    But with a whine and a whimper he convulsed, falling to the dirt on all fours and once more transformed into his human shape. Max had no energy to stand after that, and lay there, feeling the damp earth all around him. Kelly was a