Cruel mate the alpha shi.., p.1
Cruel Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection Book 18), page 1
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Copyright© 2023 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0750-1
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
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This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CRUEL MATE
The Alpha Shifter Collection, 18
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2023
Prologue
Ashley Simpkin raised the beer along with most of her peers. Not only had they all graduated from high school, but they just had their first turning. Even as her arms shook from the transition of human into wolf, she wanted to take the time to celebrate. Her entire body was on fire.
She felt sick and hungry at the same time. Her head felt like it had spent the past couple of hours banging against a brick wall. None of that was going to stop her from enjoying this very moment.
She was finally a wolf.
For a whole year she’d been afraid that she wouldn’t be able to turn, that her parents would be pissed, and the pack would turn her away. Admittedly, for them to do that, their alpha, Phoenix Marshall, would have to be present, which he never was.
It was kind of weird for them to have a nomad biker as their alpha. She rarely saw him, but she always knew when he was in town because the pack just went nuts. He’d stop by from time to time. The truth was, he wasn’t their true alpha, well, he was and he wasn’t. Confusing, but the pack had been in trouble several years back. She was ten at the time, and hadn’t been part of the drama that unfolded when it came to the pack. What she knew was from listening in to her parents’ conversations. Nothing more.
Their previous alpha had been weak. He’d gained power by attempting to claim how strong he was and how he’d protect them all, but the truth was, he didn’t have the first clue what he was doing. He’d used their obscure location as a way to keep his place at the top for years. He assumed his role of being a dickhead, until eight years ago when they had some wandering wolves stumble onto their private little town.
It hadn’t taken long for the traveling wolves to realize they were powerless. For three days and nights, the pack had lived in fear while the alpha cowered and gave into their every demand. Men had been killed, and some women had been … raped.
Then one man, a nomad biker, rode in on his motorcycle, looking for a place to crash, and stumbled onto the men.
Ashley wasn’t exactly sure on the details, but it sounded like Phoenix passed through town a few times. He’d take the time to stay for a beer and a couple of nights’ rest before moving on. This time, he’d stayed, seen what had happened, and then her parents described him as going “full rabid mode.” She’d never seen a wolf be uncontrollable before, but it had been him against possibly ten men. When she heard the story, which came around when he visited, it sounded a little far-fetched.
Until you saw him.
Phoenix was not an approachable man. He was tall, muscular, heavily inked, had a few scars that probably could tell a gazillion stories, and he wasn’t very nice. But—and this was a big but—he kept the town freaking safe. Now he stopped by multiple times a year, and the women went crazy for him.
Ashley couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen him. It had been a couple of years, but being a minor, unchanged, none of the pack allowed him to deal with the youngest. The truth was, Ashley had often wondered why the pack didn’t appoint a deputy alpha, someone to take charge while Phoenix was riding off into the sunset.
Taking a large gulp of the beer, Ashley shook off the weird feeling that worked its way down her spine. The beer was disgusting and turned her stomach. The sick feeling wasn’t going away. She put her beer down, and Daniel, one of her friends, gave her a quizzical look.
“I’m just heading outside,” she said.
“Do you want me to come?”
“No, no, it’s okay. You stay here. I’ll be back in a moment.” She forced a smile to her lips, even though it was the last thing she felt.
She moved around the bar, heading toward the side door. There were not as many from the pack. The pack didn’t like weakness. Since their attack, they had focused on nothing but strength. No one could show a sign of weakness, which at times was so hard to do.
Ashley stepped outside, leaned against the side of the building, and took several deep breaths of the warm night air. She stared up at the moon, which wasn’t quite as high in the sky. Time didn’t matter tonight. Her parents had told her to go and have fun. It was up to her when she returned home. This was a night of celebration. She should be in there with her friends.
That strange feeling swept over her body. Ashley didn’t know what it was but as she went to turn, someone suddenly wrapped their fingers around her neck and pressed her up against the wall.
“What is the fucking meaning of this?” he asked.
She went to the hands around her neck and lifted her head in time to see that it was none other than the alpha, Phoenix Marshall. He was there, at the bar, with his fingers wrapped around her neck. There was no pressure to his hold. She wasn’t uncomfortable. There was power to his grip, and she couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.
“Alpha,” she said.
His blue eyes turned to a dark amber, and then back again as he glared at her. “You’re a fucking newbie.”
Ashley had never been with a man. She’d never shared a kiss with any of the pack. Even when some of them were fucking tonight after their transition, she had been more interested in exploring this new body. The feelings of her wolf, which were foreign to her—she wanted to understand that side of her life.
“What’s happening?” Ashley said.
She wanted to touch him, to run her hands all over his body, to breathe him in. The scent of him was intoxicating. Her mouth watered. Her nipples tightened. Her pussy grew slick with need.
She couldn’t control the feelings that swept over her. Part of her wanted to get on her knees and beg him to fuck her, and another part wanted him to get on his knees and press that face between her thighs.
Phoenix wrapped his fingers around her neck, pulled her close, and then she shared her first kiss. The moment their lips touched, all of it became clear to her. This man, her alpha, was her mate.
“One day, when you meet your mate, you will just know, sweetheart. We can’t tell you exactly how we know this, but you have to trust us. It’s this feeling, it is more powerful than anything you’ve ever felt. It is more exciting than Christmas, more enjoyable than chocolate ice cream, and so much more intense than any exam you’ve ever studied for.”
Holy shit! Ashley couldn’t believe it. This was impossible. Phoenix Marshall, the pack alpha, the wandering nomad biker, was her … mate. This couldn’t be happening.
She had never felt this way. It was shockingly overwhelming, almost terrifying, and she didn’t know what to do. This man—it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be her mate and yet, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body close to hers. She loved the feeling of him against her. The wolf inside her seemed to come to life at the scent of him, and Ashley felt that need to mate.
She’d never wanted to have sex. Living with her parents, she had to get over the constant sounds of them … doing it, all the freaking time. They’d been mated young and still loved each other. That was the power of the mating.
All too soon, the kiss stopped.
Staring into Phoenix’s eyes, it was like her wolf instantly withdrew. She saw the threat, the anger, the hatred. Ashley didn’t know how it was possible for this man to hate her when they had never even met, but it was there, clear to see by anyone willing to take notice. He despised her.
Phoenix leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear. “You better have enjoyed that because that’s all you’re getting. I don’t want a fucking mate, and especially not someone like you. You keep this to yourself. You tell anyone and I’ll fucking kill you and your whole family, do you hear me?”
The threat was real.
Ashley couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but at the same time, she … knew. For the longest time, she had always been bigger than the rest of the pack. She’d tried dieting and even starving herself so that she would meet the goal weight she had set herself. Nothing she did ever worked. Her parents hated her extreme dieting.
“Especially not someone like you.” That could only mean one thing—he found her unattractive. He didn’t want to fuck the fat girl. That was it, wasn’t it?
Ashley stared at her mate and watched as he stepped back into the bar. Tears filled her eyes, and pain slashed right through her chest. She couldn’t think. This had to be the most mortifying feeling in the world.
“What happens if mates don’t ever want to be together? If they can’t stand each other?” It was a question she had asked her parents over dinner a few years ago.
Both of them had laughed. “Oh, honey, that kind of thing doesn’t happen. Once you find your mate, you don’t ever want to leave them. All you
want is to be with them. There is no denying the pull of your mate. It just isn’t possible.”
Her mate had rejected her. He hated her. He was disgusted by her.
No one could ever find out.
From the high of the transition, Ashley hit the low of this intense secret. She could never tell anyone she had found her mate, or that her mate didn’t want her.
Chapter One
Five Years Later
Ashley sat at the edge of the forest, high on a cliff. One fall would cause her problems for several weeks afterward. Her wolf could withstand a great deal of pain and injury but there came a point where even she would die. Not that she had a wish to jump off the cliff. None at all. She just loved to sit at the edge, looking over the forest.
In the distance, she saw the glinting lights of the few towns that were spread out. From this vantage point, they didn’t look too far apart, but in true distance, they were a few hours away. This was how she spent a lot of her time during the full moon. It was all she could do.
Her wolf had to stay away from the pack. Ever since Phoenix had rejected them, it had been hard for her wolf to even want to join in with the monthly moon run. Her parents didn’t like her withdrawal. They also didn’t like that whenever the alpha came to town, she made sure to stay the fuck away from him. The past three times he’d been in town, she’d taken a tent and gone hiking for over a week.
Living in the woods, far away from the pack, had been an interesting experience. Daniel, her friend, often came to get her. He also didn’t like her withdrawal. She knew he was upset that they were not mates. Ashley hadn’t known the truth but in high school, he had a huge crush on her. Once he told her how he felt, which happened twenty-four hours after the ultimate rejection. She had no choice but to let him down. There was no way they could have been together. Daniel had understood. They remained friends, but she made the effort to try and find him a mate. She never allowed him to get too close to her either.
In fact, there was a lot of things she did now that kept her separate from the pack.
It had taken her a year to figure out that when Phoenix Marshall came to town, the only place he didn’t visit was the DIY store. She had quit her job at the library, then the café, followed by the diner and the bar, until she settled on the DIY store, and she had so far worked there for the past four years. She was pretty good at it as well. Ashley absolutely hated it, but she helped the pack whenever they came into the store, and when needed, filled some online orders. John, the owner, was a nice guy. He was fair as well.
She hadn’t been able to move out of her parents’ home yet, but she was close to saving for an apartment of her own. Actually, she had enough money, but what stopped her was a decision. A choice. To leave the pack for good and to start fresh, or to stay.
Nibbling her lip, she looked toward the two towns. Some wolves, like Phoenix, survived without a pack. There was nothing bad about being alone. Of course, the battle would be in being lonely. That was the only part she wasn’t looking forward to. In fact, it did kind of worry her.
Tucking some hair behind her ears, she took a deep breath, trying to convince herself she was fine and happy. She hadn’t told a single soul what happened that night. Staring up at the full moon, she closed her eyes as she felt the tears welling up. Crying never helped but each full moon came with the stark memory. She was alone and her own mate didn’t want anything to do with her.
Ashley had tried to starve herself. She had tried to do whatever she could to change herself, but the weight didn’t budge. She swiped at her eyes, swatting away the tears.
“Stupid,” she said.
“What’s stupid?”
She turned to see Daniel walking toward her. He was dressed in a pair of shorts. Ashley was no longer naked either. She kept a crop top and shorts close by, after spending an entire week figuring out the sites of the woods where she often stopped during the full moon.
“Nothing is stupid,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Figured you were here. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine.”
Daniel dropped down beside her. “Damn, that’s a pretty sight.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go on a date?” she asked.
“Nah, no date for me. I decided to change it.”
“Daniel, you can’t keep doing that to a girl.”
“And with the full moon and the run, I’m not going to ruin the moment with emotions already running high. If she doesn’t want to see me, then it wasn’t meant to be. End of story.”
She tutted. “How do you expect to find your mate without dating?”
“Why aren’t you dating?”
“I don’t want to find my mate,” she said. The lie formed easily on her lips.
“Come on, Ashley. Everyone wants to find their mate. None of us wants to end up sad and lonely.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go out and find my mate when the time is right. I have a little faith.”
He chuckled. “Is that why you won’t move out of your parents’ house?”
“There are more people out there, Daniel. More to life than the pack, and it’s been five years.” It was technically a lie.
No one knew that Phoenix was her soulmate … her fated mate. How cruel could the fates be?
“Maybe I should go with you,” he said. “Let’s face it, the past five years have been a bit of a bust. None of the women here are my mate.”
She shrugged. “They might not have turned yet.”
“True, but that means my woman is going to be so damn young.” He groaned. “I’ll feel like a freaking pervert.”
She chuckled. “Is that your problem? Feeling like a pervert?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
She thought about it. “I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“If my mate isn’t of age yet, that could mean yours isn’t either.”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “We do not need to have this conversation about mates right now, do we.”
All she could see was Phoenix. Her true mate.
“Aren’t you interested in finding out where your mate is?”
“No, not really.” She got to her feet. “I’m heading back. Are you coming?”
“Of course. Heights scare the fucking shit out of me. I don’t know how you do it.”
The moment he got to his feet, he rushed toward her and wrapped his arms across her shoulders. “Maybe we should make some kind of pact.”
“Stop it, Daniel.”
“Come on. You’re unmated. I’m unmated. We’re both lonely. If we’re still without a mate when we’re like forty, we should agree to mating.”
“And then have to deal with that kind of rejection as well when your true mate suddenly makes an appearance? No, thanks.”
“As well?” Daniel asked. “What other rejection have you had to deal with?”
“Huh?”
“You just said you’d have to deal with that kind of rejection as well. I’m just curious who else has rejected you? Or what you’ve been rejected for?”
She licked her lips, trying to find a good enough lie that would make him leave her alone. She couldn’t think. Her mind was all over the place.
“It’s been a long night, Daniel. I misspoke. It’s nothing. Trust me.” She forced a smile to her lips. She shoved his arm off her shoulder. “Come on. I’ll race you.”
Before she gave him time to question her further, she started running, heading back toward town. She didn’t turn back into her wolf. Ashley wanted the distraction of running, of feeling her body pulsing with the energy she was spending. Each crash down on the ground sent the pulsing heat rushing through her body. Her feet sunk into the earth with each step she took. She sped up, feeling the earth, the wind, the freedom of just running. That was all she wanted—to be free.
For five years she’d been trapped, locked up with this horrible secret. The humiliation of knowing he didn’t want her. The alpha of the pack didn’t want her.
It’s time to move on.
