Page 1 of Cruel Alpha Beast (Roseville Alphas #1)

The water is cold and refreshing on my feet, perfect on a hot summer day. I stare at the expansive lake ahead of me and consider dipping more than just my toes within its depths.

I look down at my thighs, both thicker than most in all three of the packs that share this valley.

I’m uncomfortable about stripping my cutoff jean shorts and old T-shirt before jumping in.

I don’t want to give anyone more of an excuse to laugh at me, so I guess I’ll just stay here at the end of this long, wooden dock.

Before too long, I hear the thundering of paws behind me, coming closer with every breath.

I turn over my shoulder and find four wolves barreling down the green lawn until they land on the dock.

As their forms get closer, I realize just how much I recognize them.

One has fur that matches my long, black hair.

Another wears a chestnut coat. Then, there was a copper wolf and one with dark yellow fur.

I lean away as the wolves finally approach me.

The chestnut wolf is the first to leap from the edge of the dock, vaulting into the air.

In a matter of seconds, his fur turns to perfectly tanned skin.

He curls his body into a ball and flips through the air, followed swiftly by the three others.

They yip loudly, voices echoing off the surrounding trees until their bodies plunge into the lake.

My brother Greg is the last to break the surface. Two years older than me, I’ve always looked up to him. Though at certain points in my life, that admiration has turned into resentment.

He excelled in school without studying, while I spent night after night copying my notes until things stuck.

He was asked to prom so many times that he had to turn people down, while I leaned against the gymnasium walls, hoping maybe Sawyer would finally notice me.

He paraded around the house in his sleek wolf form, while I couldn’t shift to save my life.

Feeling this way about Greg made me feel icky inside, especially since he was the only shifter in the valley who treated me with any semblance of respect. Yes, he was my brother, but it was getting harder every day to compare myself to him.

I’m about to look away from the rippling water when a head pops out from the surface. Sawyer tosses his wet chestnut brown hair back, revealing a face molded by the gods. His lips curve into a smile, which glows under the sun’s powerful rays.

My breath catches in my throat. What I would give to have Sawyer smile at me like that someday. He’s been my brother’s best friend since I can remember, but I’m hardly a blip on his radar. Most days, he doesn’t even acknowledge my existence; when he does, he’s far from kind.

Being the lone woman unable to shift in this valley, I’m used to the looks of judgment. I’m used to the confusion and trepidation. And I’m very used to the scorn and derision.

Greg has often stood up for me, but he can’t always be where I am, and I certainly don’t want to cramp his style.

I mean, his best friend is Sawyer, who was first in line to be the alpha of our small town.

His other closest friends, Ellis and Jasper, will one day lead the neighboring towns in Roseville, too.

My brother is thick as thieves with his friends, but I wonder how he would feel if he knew how awful they were when he wasn’t paying attention to me.

Sawyer is the worst of the three. He knows exactly how to hit me where it hurts. He once whispered in my ear that I was an embarrassment to our pack, that when his father stepped down as alpha, he would exile me, even though there were several non-shifters living peacefully in the valley.

Still, I can’t help feeling that no matter what he thinks of me, at least he is thinking of me .

As the four young men in the water laugh and splash each other, I notice that Sawyer is staring at me in that way—the one that makes me feel like maybe I’m not crazy for thinking there could be a chance.

I’ve caught him staring at me like this many times before. Long, lingering gazes when he thinks no one is watching. His hazel eyes fix on me, tracing my curves from top to bottom. He licks his lips like he’s hungry, like tasting me is the only thing that will satisfy.

He could have his pick of any girl in the valley, but I’ve never seen him stare at the others the way he stares at me.

“Lacey!” Greg calls out to me. “Why don’t you join us?”

My lips part as I consider his offer. I could go back to our house and change into a proper bathing suit. Or I could just stay here, knowing my place.

“Oh, come on,” Sawyer protests. “You really want your sister to tag along? What are we, eight years old again?”

My heart sinks into my chest. I look down at my knees, chewing on my bottom lip.

“It’s a million degrees out here,” Greg retorts. “Why can’t she swim with us?”

“Because we’re hanging out.”

“Still not seeing a reason why she can’t hang out, too.”

Before Sawyer can figure out how to insult me without arousing my brother’s anger, I pull my feet from the water and clumsily stand up. “It’s fine. I was just going inside, anyway.”

“No, stay,” Greg calls after me.

“Have fun with your friends,” I tell him, waving a hand as I slip my feet back into my sandals.

I catch Sawyer casting me another lingering look before I turn on my heel, but it does nothing to quell the disappointment spreading throughout my body. No matter how much Sawyer might want me near, he’ll never admit it.

The lake disappears behind me as I walk deeper into the valley.

Our town is full of houses and shops meticulously built around the large meeting hall, which stands perfectly between the three towns.

Our ancestors would gather inside the hall to discuss things that could affect the three separate packs.

Nowadays, it’s mostly used by Sawyer, Ellis, and Jasper’s fathers to sit around and drink beer.

As I walk through town, I see a small group of girls near my age. They sit on a large granite bench outside of the enormous school building, each one wearing cute sundresses and flats on their feet.

When I come closer, I hear their voices lower. Their laughter turns more malicious, and I can tell they’re talking about me. I try to ignore it, a skill I’ve cultivated over my eighteen years, but I can’t force myself to tune out their voices.

“That’s Greg’s sister,” one of the girls says. “He’s so hot, but I’ve never mated with him because of her.”

Another girl scoffs. “Have you seen her when she zones out? So freaky.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s so weird,” the third adds. “She can’t shift, and she just stares like that? That’s got to be genetic. I don’t want to pass that off to my future cubs.”

I quicken my pace toward home, my chest heavy from their words. I’ve had these visions intermittently pop up throughout my life. Most of the time, I can’t even parse out what’s going on in them. But all of the time, they turn me into more of a spectacle than I already am.

***

I sit at one of the many tables set up on the expansive mess hall floor, alone, despite the people sitting with me. They turn their bodies away from me, as if trying to show the others that they’re only sitting at my table because they couldn’t find a spot elsewhere.

Across the hall, I see Greg sitting with Sawyer, Jasper, and Ellis.

My brother cranes his neck like he’s looking for me to join them, but I keep my head down.

I don’t want another repeat of earlier—another campaign against my presence.

After what I heard those girls say before, I can’t handle it tonight.

But while Greg is searching for me, it seems someone has already found me. Sawyer’s eyes pierce right through me as I finish my last bite. I look up and find him staring hungrily again.

While usually I just look away, wondering if or when Sawyer will make his move, I feel angry this time. I don’t usually feel this way, but tonight I am fired up.

I have questions I need answered.

Once I’ve finished my dinner, I stand outside the door to the mess hall. I glance up as more people exit, making sure not to miss Sawyer on his way out. Eventually, Greg leads Jasper and Ellis through the doors, the man I’m looking for trailing behind.

This is my best chance at pulling him aside. I step out between Ellis and Sawyer. The latter stops short of walking into me, scoffing dismissively once he realizes that the roadblock is me.

“We need to talk,” I say shakily, folding my arms across my chest.

“What could I possibly have to say to you?” he replies, quiet enough for it to slip past my brother’s ears.

I raise my voice just enough to serve as a viable threat. “I want to know why you’re always staring at me.”

Sawyer winces, looking around to see if anyone is paying attention. “Fine, let’s go somewhere private.”

I look ahead and see that his friends haven’t noticed Sawyer’s absence as they leave the hall. A strong hand grasps my elbow and pulls me across the floor. Sawyer leads me into a darkened room, then out through another door, one that leads to the outside.

The sky is dark, and the air is cool as he leads me down a long, quiet path lined by lush wildflowers. He doesn’t say a word, which only makes me more antsy about what’s to come. My heart has never pounded like this in my chest before.

Finally, Sawyer takes me to a hidden spot by the lake and releases my elbow. He puts his hands on his hips and looks at me expectantly, towering over me.

“Now, what do you want to talk about?” he asks.

“I want to know what your problem is,” I say.

Sawyer rolls his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a walking freakshow. That’s why you think I’m staring.”

Standing there, I beg my tears not to fall. His words sting, but it’s nothing I haven’t heard before.

“I’m embarrassed to be seen around you,” Sawyer continues, stepping closer to me. “The only reason I’ve put up with you this long is because you’re Greg’s sister.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, but I still can’t find any words. Instead, I nod and start backing away. The tears are falling freely now, unbridled.

“Wait.”

Sawyer takes my arm again, pulling me back towards him. His strong arms hold me close before he lowers his head and meets my lips with his. My heart pounds, though this time, it’s for a much different reason. My body is on fire, head to toe. This is what I’ve been waiting for my entire life.

Before I know it, Sawyer reaches down between us, his hands working quickly to undo the fly of my shorts. Years of torment and tension start slipping away as he touches my tender entrance. I stifle a moan against his jaw, struggling to keep my knees from giving out.

Though I always had an idea that Sawyer was fighting his feelings for me, I never thought I would find myself lying in the grass by the lake, feeling his body move so effortlessly with mine.

I never thought he would be the one to take my virginity, nor did I think I could make him howl with pleasure toward the moon.

And yet, moments later, I find myself breathlessly staring up at the sky, Sawyer’s naked form at my side. His body is still hot, despite the cold grass under our bodies. He rolls onto his side and throws an arm over my body.

“Wow,” I whisper, still coming down from the waves of pleasure. “I can’t believe you’re taking me as a mate.”

Sawyer’s body suddenly goes rigid against mine. “What?”

I look over at him, hoping he didn’t hear me. “You just mated with me. I’ve wanted this for years, but I never thought—”

“We’re not mates, Lacey,” he says forcefully. “What just happened was… Well, it was something that needed to happen, but we’re not together .”

“S-so, that was…?” I’m so upset, I can’t even string together a sentence. “You don’t…?”

“This was nothing ,” he says plainly.

Mouth running dry, I quickly reach for my discarded clothes. Hot tears fall yet again as I throw my shirt over my head.

“You’re such a dick!” I shout, not caring that my shirt is on inside-out.

I can hear his voice calling out after me as I start running. I don’t even know where I’m going, but I know I can’t stay here. I’ll never be able to face him again. Not after this.

And so, I make a break for the trees, stumbling over rocks and sticks. Low branches whip at my body, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.

Not until I heard the chanting. Shadows dance over the glow of a fire as I close in on the clearing.

A group of young women is gathered here.

Some hold hands as they chant, others swirl magical colors from their hands as they twirl before the fire.

A young woman with honey-colored hair sits off to the side, merely watching.

For a moment, I forget everything that’s happened. I’m entranced by the sights before me. These must be witches.

“Who are you?”

I turn and find another woman with honey-colored hair coming up to me, a bulb of blue fire in the palm of her hand.

“I-I’m sorry, I—”

But before I can find the words, the other woman, identical to the one with the flame, rises to her feet and walks over.

“Danielle, she’s special,” she says quietly.

Danielle lowers the flame and looks at her twin. “What do you mean, Monroe?”

“She’s a shifter,” Monroe says slowly. “But she’s different . I can feel it.”

I go to explain as best I can, but Danielle stares at me, taking in my face.

“You look distressed.” Her voice is softer now, the bulb of fire extinguished. “There must be something my coven can do to help…”

My whole life, I’ve been taught to stay away from witches. That they’re all evil. But Danielle and her sister have already been kinder to me than anyone else.

I nod my head and take Danielle’s hands, drifting deeper into the clearing.