Alpha Beast (Southern Shifters Book 8) Read online

  In an almost slow motion like move, she slid her hand into Bhric's much larger one. The immediate warmth of his touch surprised her. But when he closed his fingers around hers, the immediate feeling of fear dissipated and was replaced with something else. Something really really good.

  This big, dark stranger who had turned out to be stalking her felt like— she paused to soak in the new emotion. He felt like safety.

  5

  Bhric's inner beast nearly purred with pleasure the moment his mate's hand slid into his. Relief that in some small part she trusted him enough to take his hand made his chest puff out and a sense of certainty take over the turmoil that had split him in half for as long as he could remember.

  He could see now that he should not have waited to claim this woman. Of course hindsight is always much clearer than the path in front of you. Not that he would waste time with regrets. They had more pressing matters to deal with. Namely her headaches and the fact that she didn't remember who or what he was.

  They'd have to start from the beginning and go from there. He started to pull her down the hall and she followed for a few steps before coming to a stop.

  "Wait. I can't leave right now. I'm on duty."

  He looked down at her. "I think the fact we need to get you somewhere safe is a little more important than a job." The words were no sooner out of his mouth and he knew they were a mistake.

  She jerked her hand from his and took a couple of steps back. "Maybe what you do for a living is not critical or considered the difference between life and death, but mine is. I will not leave until my shift ends and my replacement has arrived and that's that."

  She stomped away from him and after he and Gage exchanged glances, they followed her. She had no idea how much he understood her job or how much he respected her for standing up for it just then.

  When his animal had instinctively forced him to check up on her, part of that became a way to learn about her too. As it turned out Marcy Dobbs wasn't just some nine to fiver at a hospital. She was a nurse who took her job in the neonatal intensive care unit very seriously. Her dedication to the helpless newborns that struggled to stay in this world impressed him.

  As a shifter, family and cubs were held above all else. Until her, he hadn't believed humans were the same way. There were far too many stories of abandoned and murdered children in this world to ever make him believe that humans were capable of the same dedication to their young as shifters.

  Not that he hated all humans or anything. But when a being lives as long as they do, they have a long time to study other people and races. Most shifters feared humans. Namely because they outnumbered shifters by a large margin. Which is why they believed that a wide spread knowledge of paranormals would never work.

  Some humans found out, and some suspected, but the general population did not know or believe that men and women could magically shift into animals.

  Marcy had taken the information in stride though. Or had seemed to. She'd been cautious and a little nervous at Dark Moon the day she had driven out there to help deliver Niki's baby, but it was to be expected. They'd thrown a lot of information at her in a short amount of time.

  When they arrived at the doors for the unit, she stopped and turned around. "Sorry guys, but you can't come in here. Restricted hospital staff only. There's a waiting room around the corner if you want to go there." She twisted her wrist and studied her watch. There's only four more hours to go before my shift ends. Until then. I'm in here."

  Gage groaned and Bhric silently agreed with him. Four hours was a long time in which anything could happen. The Blackwood Pack worried him. A change in leadership always came with headaches, but a fight for leadership was downright dangerous.

  Maybe if he called Rafe, the Comyn Clan wolf leader, the man could get in touch with Simon, his Omega. There had to be some information he could share that would help him diffuse this situation.

  "We'll wait," he said. "But do not leave this area without one of us. I'm serious about that. I can tell you're skeptical about the danger, but trust me. It's no joke and we are not overreacting." To solidify his order, he wrapped his arm around Marcy's waist and pulled her against his front, reveling against the sweet sensation of soft curves against hard planes. His body stiffened, including his cock.

  He'd definitely waited too long.

  With his free hand he brushed the hair out of her eyes and trailed his fingers down the side of her face. All while she opened and closed her mouth in complete shock like a guppy gasping for air.

  "In a perfect world where we had plenty of time to do this, I'd ask you out on a date and we'd sit down and get to know each other in a way that I know makes your kind more comfortable. Unfortunately, nothing about this situation is perfect, except this moment right here with your body pressed to mine."

  "But--"

  He pressed his fingers to her lips to stop the questions they didn't yet have time for. "I know. We have much to discuss, most of which is far too personal to get into in your hospital. Keep that in mind if you have it in your head that you can sneak out later. If we have to hunt you, I will have to punish you."

  He slid his lips across hers in a sizzling but chaste kiss before releasing her and giving her a slight push towards to the door. She drew her eyebrows together and started to say something again. Lucky for them both, she changed her mind and disappeared into the NICU.

  Gage shook his head at him. "You'll be lucky if she doesn't bite something off later that you'll really wish she hadn't. That woman is not a pushover. Nor is she going to allow you to just railroad her into a mating if that's what you're thinking."

  He shrugged. "We'll see." He fished out his phone and looked through his contacts until he found what he was looking for. He pressed the call icon and placed the phone at his ear. "In the meantime, we need information."

  6

  Marcy glanced up at the clock and cursed how slow time moved tonight. Four hours was beginning to feel like fourteen.

  "What's up with you, Marcy?" Her colleague and second closest friend Colleen asked. "Does it have to do with those two smoking hot guys out in the waiting room?"

  The twinkle in her friend's eye set off alarm bells. "You saw them?" she whispered, looking around the room to see if anyone could have overheard her. She half expected to see the one named Bhric suddenly show up behind her any moment now. He hardly seemed like the type to wait outside like a good little boy.

  "Yeah," she said. "Kind of hard to miss. Although I have to admit they look a lot more my type than yours. What's up with that? Have you decided you like the bad boy types now?"

  "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. One of them is Sienna's fiancée. Something's going on with her and they might need my help." Marcy turned toward the beeping bank of computers in front of her and resumed her monitoring of the babies entrusted in her care. Plus, she really didn't want to look at Colleen right now. She didn't trust what her friend might see.

  Ever since that stupid little kiss against Bhric's big, hard body her mind had been going a mile a minute. Not to mention, her lips still sizzled from the contact. Which of course was a ridiculous thought in of itself. Kisses were nice. Hell, they were often really enjoyable. But they didn't make lips tingle for hours.

  Or other body parts...

  "What's wrong with Sienna?"

  Colleen didn't know Sienna personally, since Colleen moved to Tennessee after her best friend left. But she probably thought she knew her from all the talking Marcy did.

  She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. "I haven't had time to get the nitty gritty details yet. But something about someone from her past is threatening her."

  Colleen took the seat next to her. "You think it's that ex-boyfriend that stole all of her money? That sounds like something a douche like him would do."

  Marcy wanted to slap her head with the duh moment. Of course. That had to be it. "You know, I hadn't thought of him, but I hope you're right. I'm pretty sure those guys will wipe
the floor with that asshole before they let him near Sienna. Hell, I'd be tempted to castrate the jerk."

  Except in a way she had the ex to thank for Gage and as far as she could tell that was something to be really thankful for. If Sienna hadn't been stone cold broke from that prick charging up her credit cards, she wouldn't have taken that job at the biker bar, and well, she may have never met her hottie soon to be husband.

  Marcy sighed. Thank goodness that tirade had stayed in her head. She didn't need her green-eyed monster showing for the whole world and Colleen to see. She loved Colleen, but Colleen loved to gossip, so she had to be careful what she told her.

  "I'd be right there with you. For all woman kind. You know, girl power."

  Marcy barked out a laugh. No way could she contain herself when a plump, red-head with a thick Scottish accent started pumping her fist in the air shouting girl power.

  "You're a nut, Colleen." Although her friend's silliness lightened some of her worry by releasing some of the gravity of her thoughts. Almost four hours with nothing to do but think about what might be going on with Sienna or the fact that there were two burly men potentially still waiting for her in the waiting area had kept her unnerved.

  Yes, the kiss was on her mind. But it was more about what he said than what he did. What had he been talking about asking her on a date for? Is that why he'd been following her? Because he was interested in her romantically? If she didn't still feel that zing from his kiss, she'd probably be calling security to escort him out of the building. Following her around as a precursor to asking her out said stalker loud and clear.

  "Marcy, are you listening?"

  At the sound of Colleen calling her name, she jerked from her wayward thoughts and back to the woman sitting next to her. "No, sorry. I was distracted."

  "I would be too if I had those two waiting for me. Do you know what I could do with them?"

  "It's not like that. I just explained it to you."

  "Why isn't it like that? That's Prime A quality beef out there. I bet you wouldn't even have to ask and they'd be ready to take you for a ride or ten. You certainly could use a bit of loosening up, you know."

  She did know. That was the problem. Ever since Sienna had left and she lost those days of memory, her life had changed. And as far as she could tell most certainly not for the better. Maybe she was dying from some horrible disease and needed to go get checked out.

  "Not everyone is controlled by their libido you know." Now she was getting irritated and wanted to be left alone.

  "That's not what I hear."

  Marcy's head snapped to the right to find Colleen flashing a mile wide grin across her face.

  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she whispered.

  "It means, this is a hospital full of people who like to gossip. I've been hearing about your escapades since I got here. Made you sound like my kind of girl. But now I'm beginning to wonder. How long has it really been since you got laid? Cause the other nurses around here seem to think you are a nympho. Which as far as I can tell is so not true."

  "Ex-nympho," she blurted, sticking out her tongue. Now Marcy didn't know whether to laugh or get pissed. If people were going to talk about her, the least they could do was get their facts straight.

  "Is there really such a thing? Does that mean you aren't getting any?"

  She shook her head. Might as well own the fact it had been a while.

  Colleen shook her head. "That's not right, darlin'. It's probably not even healthy."

  That made Marcy roll her eyes. She was about to tell Colleen where she could stick her gossip and theories when their boss poked his head in the door with a stern look across his face.

  "Marcy, can I see you in my office for a minute? I know your shift is almost over so this won't take long."

  Sweat broke out along Marcy's spine. Getting called to the boss' office with that look on his face did not look good. She and Colleen exchanged worried glances before she answered, "Sure thing."

  She got up and followed Mr. Chestnut through the door to the end of the hall where his office was.

  "Come on in and take a seat."

  "Should I close the door?"

  "Nah," he shook his head. "It's the middle of the night. I don't expect much of anyone to be roaming at this time."

  Marcy nodded, glancing at her watch. At four o'clock in the morning, her boss shouldn't be here either.

  Antsy and unable to wait for him to get to the point, she started. "So, what's up?"

  "Well, first I'm sorry that I interrupted your shift. I know it's rather unorthodox to hold a meeting at nearly four in the morning. But once I got the approval to move forward with some new plans, I was anxious to get it over with."

  Oh. My. God. Was she about to get fired? No, this couldn't be happening and she had to do something. "I know these last couple of months have been--"

  Mr. Chestnut held up his hand and stopped her. "You should let me go first. Then you can tell me if you're interested or not."

  Marcy clamped her lips shut, suddenly confused. That did not sound like a firing and she'd been about to admit she'd not been at her best lately. Way to go, dumbass.

  She nodded, sitting back in the chair to wait for him to spit it out.

  "So, you know this department has been under strict review for quite some time now. I believe so they could find a way to cut out budget, which of course is ridiculous. We run a pretty lean ship here."

  "We really do," she agreed.

  "Well, surprise surprise, we apparently have impressed the hospital administration and I believe that's in no small part thanks to you, Marcy."

  She wrinkled her forehead unable to hide her confusion. "Me? How so?"

  He pulled out a thick folder and opened it in front of him. "They reviewed everything and everyone. Including the rotating nurses such as yourself. And what they found is that you have gone above and beyond to not only provide the best care possible, but to also cut expenses. You mind your time, use absolutely only supplies that are necessary, and apparently you've been finding alternative methods to help babies that don't require the uses of excessive medical supplies."

  For a second she couldn't understand what in the hell he was talking about. She used all kinds of hospital supplies to do her job. She sure didn't remember going out of her way to save anything. Her job was to watch and care for these infants as if her life depended on it and that meant she was prepared to use or do--

  "Do you mean the singing?"

  He grinned so big she leaned back from its beam. "Yes, Marcy. The singing. Parents have been raving about and requesting you for ages. But apparently one of the administrators assigned to our unit evaluation did her doctoral thesis on the affect music has on improving the weight gain of premature babies."

  "Wow. I had no idea. About the administrator I mean. Music and babies is well documented though. Although I didn't think of it that way. I sing to the babies because that's what my mother did to me and it always made me feel better."

  "Well, whatever the reason, you apparently have the voice of an angel and are being called to a higher purpose. I'm here this morning to ask you to take a full time position at St. Joseph's in Memphis as the director of their NICU unit."

  Her mouth dropped open. Was he kidding? He was grinning a little maniacally.

  "This is for real?"

  His smile faltered for a second. "Marcy, dear. When was the last time you saw me in here at this time of day? And when have I ever joked about anything?"

  A slight snort slipped out before she could stop it. A jokester Mr. Chestnut was not. "Sorry, I'm just so surprised."

  "Me too. Not that you don't deserve the promotion, because you do. But this kind of evaluation rarely brings back good news. Administrators are always looking for ways to cut our budgets no matter what."

  She nodded. "Indeed they are."

  He looked down at the thick folder again and flipped a few pages. "You'll receive a formal email later today with all of t
he offer details. But they are looking to get an answer fairly quickly. It seems the NICU at St. Joseph's has been understaffed for quite some time and they are ready to get a permanent director in there to get things straightened out."

  Marcy swallowed. This was a huge opportunity. But Memphis was hours away from Sweetwater. She'd have to pack up her apartment, likely break her lease and find a new place to live. Her mind swam with the list of things she'd have to do right away.

  "Oh and one other thing. I know this is going to seem a little strange, but we'd like to make sure the babies here in this unit still flourish. So we'd like you to record some tracks of you singing."

  She nearly choked on that information as an unnatural level of fear shot through her. "I'm not a singer. Why not get a professional?"

  "Why fix what ain't broke? Isn't that the saying? The babies have responded well to you specifically. Besides you have a beautiful voice. I've heard it a time or two and thought it was lovely."

  Her mind spun completely out of control with all of this information running through it at warp speed. It was a lot to take in.

  "Can I take some time to think about it?" Not that she didn't fully intend to accept and as quickly as possible. Who wouldn't? Other than the singing part, this promotion would change her life.

  "Of course. I don't need an answer right this minute. Soon though. By the end of the week?" he asked.

  She nodded. This was only Monday. Surely that gave her plenty of time to make plans and begin preparations.

  Holy shit she was moving to Memphis.

  She left Mr. Chestnut's office and nearly stumbled back to the nurse's station where Colleen was waiting for some news.

  "Oh my God, Marcy. What happened? You look like you're about to pass out," she whispered.

  "I'm--I'm moving to Memphis."

  "Whaaat!" her friend shrieked. "You got fired?"

  She shook her head. "No, I got a promotion. They want me to head the NICU at St. Josephs."