Alpha's Strength (Fallen Alpha) Read Online Free Page A

until it stopped abruptly when Nathan charged out the back door toward the street.
    Betsy knew she should be running after him, but she stood frozen to the floor. The wolf in front of her held her entire attention. He was beautiful, bigger than any wolf she’d ever seen in the wild. He had gray fur with black spots. His eyes were blue, which really stood out from the rest of his body. The creature focused on her, and she couldn’t help but stare right back.
    Where had she seen eyes like that before? The knowledge hid in the corner of her mind, like an itch she wanted to scratch, before it quickly faded away.
    She swallowed past her dry throat. Where had this tremendous creature come from, and why had he busted through their door?
    He growled at the back door, crouching low as though he intended to chase after Nathan.
    “I think he’s gone.”
    This must be how it feels to lose your mind . Why wasn’t she running for her life? Why was she talking to him? Why did she assume he could understand a word she said? A giant wolf stood in her kitchen—smack in the middle of Brooklyn.
    He huffed. Or at least she thought it was a male. How could she know for sure? Maybe it was a female wolf. The wolf narrowed his eyes at her, and she put her hand up to her throat. Was this some kind of punishment? Were her sins going to be handled by some old-fashioned, primal vengeance? Had the universe decided to let her be torn to pieces by a canine with huge teeth? Her mind refused to accept what she saw. My what big teeth you have …
    One second she stared at the wolf, and the next second he began to change. The face reshaped, elongating until it didn’t look the same. The body followed suit. In seconds, it had shed its fur and, in its place, was a human being.
    She’d been calm—maybe shocked—when she’d seen the wolf, but now all the fear she’d not felt seconds earlier rushed inside of her like a dam releasing its water. This was wrong —this didn’t happen—wolves didn’t suddenly become humans. That only happened in fairytales and horror movies.
    Except this was happening. She darted backward, hitting the table behind her. She banged her hip and knocked over a decorative lamp. Not that she cared. It was Nathan’s lamp. She hated the thing. Oh sheesh. Why was she thinking about the lamp when a wolf magically changed into something else right in front of her?
    “Relax, princess.” The wolf-man spoke from behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around to look. Nathan had the right idea. Back door. Running. Yeah, all of it sounded fantastic.
    “Betsy.” The man spoke again even as she rushed toward the door. “I can smell your fear. I get it, but you have no reason to be frightened of me.”
    She skidded to a stop—she recognized his voice. An image of the wolf’s eyes flitted to her mind. Along with the voice, it all suddenly made sense to her. She wasn’t crazed. She had seen those blue eyes—on the would-be-perfect-except-for-the-long-scar-on-the-side-of-his-face Cyrus Fennell.
    After pivoting, Betsy faced him. “ You .” Her world shifted off its axis. Dizzy, she gripped the wall next to her.
    “Yes. Me.” He was dressed exactly the same as he had been in the coffee shop. How was that possible? How was any of this possible?
    “Is this some kind of joke? Or have I fallen asleep?” She rubbed at her head, desperate for any conclusion except the one in front of her. Maybe Nathan had set the whole thing up to test her or something. If she wasn’t dreaming, then Nathan’s involvement seemed as likely as any.
    “No.” He shook his head, his voice lower than she remembered. “I realize this was handled very badly. I guess I lost my mind when I heard how he was talking to you and then I smelled your blood. I saw red.”
    There had to be sense somewhere in what he said, in this whole evening. Somewhere in the chaos there was always order.
    “What do you want with me?” The world didn’t revolve around her, but