Alpha Protector Read online

  The tallest one, the one in front, cracked his neck abruptly, keeping flashing yellow eyes on her as he approached. “Oh yeah?” He advanced on her menacingly. “And what are you going to do about it if I don’t?”

  She took a step back but put her fists up defensively. This was going to be stupidly easy for them, but she would die knowing she’d done the right thing. She hoped the self-defense classes she’d taken at the community center helped her put up at least a token fight.

  A few men stepped out from behind the others. Damn, there were more than she’d thought. Cold fear spiraled down her spine in icy lines, but she held her ground. She heard more whimpering and held firm.

  “Don’t come any closer,” she said.

  The lead eyed her lazily, like he was deciding how best to dispatch her without anyone knowing. The sad truth was it would be all too easy. Melissa had practically made a career of not having any connections in this small town, and she had no family to speak of.

  No one would miss her. The thought was chilling.

  “You should just move along, ma’am. This ain’t none of your business,” a man with scraggly blond hair said, stepping into the light. “You should just go back into that library where you’ll be safe.”

  The dark-haired leader sent the blond man a silencing glance. “It’s too late for that now. She’s seen.”

  “She ain’t seen much. Just us helping taking this wolf cub back to the forest,” the blond man said, moving aside to give her a view of what they’d been threatening.

  Sure enough, a little wolf cub with pale fur was sitting in the circle, trembling. It looked up at her with baleful blue eyes, eyes that begged her not to leave. She felt puzzlement move through her.

  “I heard a girl… I was sure…”

  The blond man’s face tightened and he moved in front of the tiny cub, folding his arms. He was lankier than his leader, but all of them were obscenely tall, at least a few inches over six feet, and built as well. There was something animal in their gazes. Were they some kind of motorcycle gang or something?

  “Are you sure there’s not a girl back there? I was sure I heard a human voice…”

  “Shut up!” the leader said, making a slashing motion with his hand as he came closer. “This has nothing to do with you.” He closed the distance between them in a motion too fast to be human, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and hoisting her up so her toes were barely grazing the cement. Then he took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he scented her, and when his eyes opened, he was leering down at her.

  “We’ll take her as well,” he said.

  She struggled to break free. His eyes glowed with pure evil, the kind that made her insides twist into tight, painful coils.

  So maybe she’d made a miscalculation by putting her life on the line for a wolf rather than a human, but either way, nothing small and helpless deserved to be at the mercy of this horrible man.

  The man scented her once more and then tossed her to a subordinate, who caught her against his body and leered, his hands wrapping around her waist as she struggled. The leader approached her as she was held, helpless and still, forced to look at him.

  He grabbed her chin and looked into her eyes. “I’ll mate with you first. When we’re done, you’ll be screaming for mercy. Begging for someone to come save you, to be as stupid as you’ve just been tonight.”

  She gritted her teeth together, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was scared shitless.

  “I don’t know about the begging part, fucker, but if you don’t take your hands off her, in about three seconds, you’re going to be the one screaming for mercy,” a deep voice boomed toward them.

  Melissa tried to see her rescuer but couldn’t turn enough in her captor’s arms.

  “I happen to agree,” another deep voice said, cutting into the silence of the night.

  “Release the girl,” the first voice said, equally deep but with a different, smoother tone.

  Both voices had a rich, reassuring quality that resonated deep within her and bespoke strength and power. Just what she and the tiny wolf cub needed right at this moment.

  The man holding her loosened his grip slightly as his attention was turned toward his leader.

  The leader walked forward, scenting the air slowly. Then his eyes flew open and his whole body tensed up, ready for battle.

  “Dragons,” he growled. He waved at her captor. “Let the woman go. We’ll need all hands.”

  Thrown to the side, she landed painfully on the pavement as the whole group turned to the men who had spoken. She still couldn’t see them, so she crawled to the side, onto the grass, hoping to catch a glimpse of her rescuers.

  When she saw them, her heart simultaneously leapt and fell. Leapt because they were the most beautiful, intimidating men she’d ever seen. Fell because there were only two of them.

  They were taller than the men around them but with a clean, elegant refinement that set them apart from their brutish opponents.

  The one in front seemed to be in charge. He had tanned skin and golden hair that shone in the light from the streetlamps. He was the shorter of the two, though still tall at a few inches over six feet, and had a face that reminded her of a movie star, sharp and gorgeous and completely unique.

  But almost too beautiful. He seemed to almost glow. Still, his nearly feminine face was offset by the feral gleam in his green eyes and the muscles all over his tall, lean body.

  The man beside him stepped forward with folded arms. This one was the opposite of his partner, with dark hair, a forbidding height of around 6’5”, and a dark expression that bespoke ill for whoever crossed him. His face was classically handsome, with square jaw and chiseled features. But there was a calm coldness in his bearing that complimented the feline menace of his partner.

  Despite the horrible situation, she could feel her body respond to her perusal of them. The most gorgeous men she’d ever seen, and she had to meet them just before dying.

  Just her luck.

  Available now on Amazon

  Double Dragons .99

  Also by Terry Bolryder

  Bearstone Park Series (Standalone novels)

  A billionaire tech mogul, a movie star, and an Olympic snowboarder come back to Bearstone Park and find unexpected but wonderful mates.

  Bearllionaire

  Bearlebrity

  Bearthlete

  Polar Heat Series

  A matchmaking papa bear sets his three shifter sons up with women on a Caribbean island.

  Bear-ever Yours

  Some Bear to Love

  One in a Bear-llion

  Remem-bear Me (Dad’s book)

  The Alpha Series

  Alpha Games Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)

  An alpha female returns home to the pack mates she left and finds herself choosing between three alpha males in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder

  Alpha Games Boxed Set

  Or buy separately:

  Alpha Games 1

  Alpha Games 2

  Alpha Games 3

  Alpha Games 4

  Alpha Rogue Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)

  An MMA fighting shifter meets his match in his exciting paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.

  Alpha Rogue Boxed Set Sale

  Or buy separately:

  Alpha Rogue 1

  Alpha Rogue 2

  Alpha Rogue 3

  Alpha Contender Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)

  A average human woman finds out she’s a desirable female alpha and ends up in a mansion with ten possible suitors in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.

  Alpha Contender Boxed Set Sale

  Or buy separately:

  Alpha Contender 1

  Alpha Contender 2

  Alpha Contender 3

  Alpha Contender 4

  Thanks so much for reading!

  Terry
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