His to Play With (The Alpha Shifter Collection)

The grass was high around them. If he made any movement, if the hunter saw him, he’d shoot at the grass.

Fuck. Shit. Fuck.

These men were not pack. They were trained hunters and knew what they were doing.

“Can you turn without the full moon?” Damon asked, mouthing the words.

Holly shook her head.

He looked at Christopher. “Can you?”

“Of course.”

They were both alphas.

Damn it. Holly couldn’t. “When I say, you start running.” Damon put his hands to the ground, and they morphed into that of his wolf.

The wolf wanted to hurt the hunter. The bodies. The destruction. The pain in Holly’s eyes. The fear oozing from her angered him. They would all suffer.

Mate.

The word echoed around his mind once more.

With his hands turned, his feet were next, his body slowly changing that it wouldn’t be hard for the Hunter to spot him.

“Run.”

He changed his hand and pounced to the left, spotting the hunter who drew the weapon.

Damon heard Holly’s footfalls as she took off. He didn’t give it a second thought as the hunter lifted the gun ready to strike. He wrapped his teeth around the man’s neck, snapping it.

In the distance, he heard more men, and in between his teeth, he took the walkie-talkie from the ground, taking off.

He found Christopher running behind Holly. She was fast, but outside of wolf form, she struggled to keep up.

Damon took the lead, keeping an eye with all his senses as they ran.

After an hour of running, Holly needed to rest. She was in human form, and she collapsed to her back, panting.

He turned back into human form. All of his clothes had been shredded, and he went to Holly, putting his hand on her chest. She panted, wheezing a little.

Panic took over.

“Holly, look at me,” Damon said.

“She hasn’t had a panic attack in years,” her father said.

“I’ve got you.”

Holly covered his hand with hers.

“In and out. No one is going to hurt you. I’ve got you.”

She wasn’t slowing down.

“Does she have any history of this? Does she need medication?” Damon asked. He’d never seen her in a panic attack. When wolves turned, they didn’t need medicine. They healed naturally and with time, faster.

“She suffered panic attacks and night terrors as a kid. Ever since she became a teenager, they stopped. Even during her first change, she never experienced one. This is bad, Damon.”

“I’ve got her,” he said.

Nothing he did helped. Perspiration dotted her brow and her lips turned blue.

He lifted her up, sat down, and placed her with her back against him. He put his hand on her chest and began to breathe deeply.

“I’m with you, Holly. You’re safe now. I’m here. Breathe with me. That’s it. In and out. Slowly. Take your time. In and out.”

He didn’t stop, talking slowly, giving her a chance to find the pace with him.

A few seconds passed, and he felt the change in her. She picked up his pace, breathing deeply.

The panic that consumed her began to lessen. Her hands gripped his legs, her nails sinking into the flesh.

He kissed her head and then he felt her collapse against him.

“Thank you,” she said.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

Christopher breathed a sigh of relief.

Damon struggled to accept what just happened. He looked toward her father and shook his head. “That shit isn’t quite right.”

“I didn’t smell them,” Christopher said.

“They did it on purpose,” Damon said. “They knew you’d come back.”

“I had no intention of coming back,” Christopher said. “We’d settled down in a new town. I knew we’d lost people, but I couldn’t go and retrieve them and risk the lives of my pack.”

Damon looked at Christopher. “They’ve got someone on the inside.”

Holly gasped. “No.”

“Yes. Someone within your pack is working with the hunters. They had no way of knowing we’d be there. That kind of damage was done with multiple men. The one I killed, he was on his own.” He looked toward the radio. Damon rubbed at his temple. “Do you have any … new members?”

“None.”

“Our pack doesn’t work that way,” Holly said, sounding breathless. “We do accept new members, but … it’s so very rare.”

“Who was your last new member?” Damon asked.

“Daniel was, and his wife,” Holly said. “The man I told you about.”

“Then we’re looking at someone who knows you.”

Chapter Seven

Three days later

Holly lay in Damon’s bed, waiting for him to return. They had decided not to say anything to the pack about what they had discovered. Nerves filled Holly. All she wanted to do was advise everyone to leave, especially the ones with kids.

She rubbed at her temple just thinking about the death she’d seen. They were men and women she’d known.

“You’re thinking,” Damon said.

“Am I not allowed to think anymore?”

“You can think all you want. You know I won’t stop you.” Damon had already taken a shower.

“How is everyone?”

“They’re fine. Your dad is going to be stopping by with your mom tomorrow. We’ve got to figure out how to narrow down the person responsible for outing you all.”