Alpha’s Challenge Read online

  Alpha’s Challenge

  By Lauren Dane

  Previously published by another publisher under a different title

  “Mark me and make me yours.”

  As an unmated alpha, Cade was beginning to believe his entire life would be dedicated to the pack. He’d do anything for his pack family, but his life isn’t complete without someone to share it with. He didn’t expect to finally find his reason for being in the heart and soul of his greatest enemy’s sister.

  Dr. Grace Pellini has never felt so isolated and afraid. Ever since her rogue brother threatened the existence of wolf and human alike with a viral weapon, she had no choice but to cut all ties with her pack. But now Grace has something new: Cade Warden, whose body and exhilarating scent make her come undone. In him, she’s not only found her destined mate, she’s also rediscovered herself, and her place in a world at war.

  But the Cascadia wolves are not so unquestioning as Cade is of Grace’s loyalty, and their suspicions are posing a dangerous threat. Now, to defeat a madman and end the war, Cade and Grace have only each other to trust—by finding their ultimate strength in the power of desire...

  Watch for more Cascadia Wolves stories coming soon from Lauren Dane and Carina Press!

  This book is approximately 60,000 words

  One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

  Dear Reader,

  Happy March! This month marks Carina Press’s return to publishing anthologies. This is something that I’ve always loved to do—put out a call for submissions for a certain theme and see what rolls in. This month, we’re starting with erotic romances and, specifically, taboos. In the coming months you’ll see anthologies for shifters, capers & heists, and a holiday-themed anthology. Then, in 2018, we have even more coming your way. Anthologies are a great way for readers to test new authors while getting a complete, satisfying romance, and I hope you love what we’ve got in store as much as I do.

  But first, let me tell you about a book that’s incredibly near to my heart. What It Takes: A Kowalski Reunion Novel is Shannon Stacey’s return to the contemporary world of the fabulous Kowalski family. This is a project I begged Shannon to do, because I wasn’t quite ready to let the Kowalskis go. To say I was thrilled she agreed would be a huge understatement. In this book, we get a new romance, along with cameos from all of our previous favorite heroes and heroines, including a secondary plot with Sean and Emma! Loved the Kowalskis since we first started publishing them in 2010? You are going to adore this book. Never read the Kowalskis before? No worries, this book was written to allow you to jump right in. What It Takes is available in print, in audio and in ebook format at your favorite online retailer.

  Josh Lanyon is back with another male/male romantic suspense, Fair Chance. Elliot Mills thought he was done with the most brutal case of his career, having finally put the serial killer in jail, but when the lead agent on the case goes missing, Elliot has to play this killer’s twisted game to save the love of his life. Find out more about Elliot and Tucker in Fair Game and Fair Play, both now available.

  Together, Maya Clery and Dean Sova have entered a decadent world of passion, pleasure and possibility—but while their love has grown stronger, and their play more intense, the intersection of fantasy and past will challenge their dynamic in the face of deeper, wilder desires. The Discipline by Jade A. Waters will get your senses steaming!

  If you love a good paranormal shifter romance, I hope you’ve been following along with Kerry Adrienne’s fantastic series Shifter Wars. In Taming the Lion, the battle between the lions and bears decimates Deep Creek, and one of the heirs to the lions’ throne is saved from death by a beautiful bear medic who’s torn between her allegiance to her den and her attraction and obligation to the wounded lion. Want more? Waking the Bear and Pursuing the Bear can be on your reading device in minutes!

  We’re pleased to welcome debut author Jules Court to the Carina Press team with a sultry new trilogy of contemporary romance novellas. Kicking off her trilogy is Hot in the City. Brian MacGregor busted his ass to make detective by age thirty. He doesn’t have time for a social life, not even for the pretty ER doc who sewed him up post run-in with a knife-wielding perp. He never expected that when he went looking for the witness to a gangland murder, the doc would be the best lead to his missing witness. Now if he can only keep his hands off her. Look for Enticing the Enemy and Tease Me Tonight coming this year!

  Layla had only wanted to give Sid one hot, sweaty night of her well-planned life, but when these werewolves realize that they’re mates, Layla must accept that she’ll be giving Sid a lot more than she planned in Alpha’s Challenge, the next in Lauren Dane’s Cascadia Wolves series!

  Too Taboo: An Erotic Romance Anthology contains three scorching-hot novellas. Purchase them together in the anthology or as individual ebooks:

  Debut author Morgaine Cameron bangs out of the gate with an indescribably hot story in Absolve Me. A handsome, celibate man wants a licensed sex surrogate to help him exorcise the wicked desires he’s struggling to overcome—because as a priest he needs to play out his immoral thoughts or forever be a holy sinner.

  Returning author Amber Bardan indulges us in some wicked ménage fantasies when an innocent trespassing turns into a lesson in obedience as the two property owners show their trespasser just how right punishment can feel. Twice as Hard is not to be missed.

  When the most skilled operative in the secret organization known as the Seduction Squad is captured, her only hope of escape is to use her body to drive her sexy abductor wild...but, having unleashed his darkest fantasies, does Inge really want to get away from Jake? Amanda Stewart’s Seduction Squad: Captured teases us with the dark taboos of forced seduction and capture fantasies.

  That’s all for this month, but whew, I think that’s more than enough. This is such a powerful lineup, I’m jealous of all of you getting to read these books for the first time. They are unputdownable (that’s totally a word only avid readers understand)!

  Coming next month we have another full-length novel from the amazing author duo Alexa Riley; Rhenna Morgan is back with another to-die-for hero; and two male/male authors give us two amazing romances.

  As always, until next month, my fellow book lovers, here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  This one goes out to all my Cascadia Wolves readers who pushed to make sure Cade got his HEA.

  Author’s Note

  These Cascadia Wolves novel/novella reissues enable me to bring back a series I’ve loved since day one. Some of the earlier books had been unavailable for a few years, so I’m thrilled to be able to bring them back with some neatening, tightening and updated covers.

  The story has not changed from the original edition. The editing and revision I’ve done was to hopefully make the story easier to read and stronger overall, but the core of the story remains the same.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

&nb
sp; Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Bonded Pair by Lauren Dane

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Lauren Dane

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “What is this?”

  The low-level Pack member tried to shut his laptop but Grace reached out and held it open, reading the screen. Her skin crawled as she saw the data there.

  “I thought I said this wasn’t to be tested.”

  The wolf had the good sense to look down. “Warren told me to pass the reports on to the lab down in Nashville.”

  Her jaw locked and she took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to lose it or call attention to herself.

  “Fine. But you need to cc me on everything. How can I do effective research if I don’t know everything going on? This sort of thing, people doing all this around me and messing with the stream of data could set us back. I hardly think that’s what your Alpha wants.” Alpha, ha, that was laughable.

  “Of course, Grace. I apologize.”

  Still, she knew none of them would do anything Warren didn’t authorize. She pulled a phone from the pocket of her lab coat and called Warren Pellini’s personal number.

  “Warren, it’s Grace. Look you need to be sure that when you’re having the data sent elsewhere, I’m alerted.”

  “I thought you didn’t want that data used. I wanted it to be sent where it might be seen with different eyes.” His voice was cold.

  She sighed her impatience. She didn’t need to fake that. “Look, you brought me back to do this research. If you go around me and all sorts of data gets mixed from the different formulas and I don’t know it, how can I make any accurate predictions of efficacy? All this stuff just floating out there from Pack to Pack. It’s not secure, you don’t know who’s doing it under what control situations. I’m the doctor here, Warren, and I have the expertise you need. Let me do my damned job or don’t waste my time.”

  He paused and she wondered for a bit if she hadn’t overplayed her hand but after a time he cleared his throat. “Very well. You’ll be alerted. I want the Nashville lab to have that data. We have some subjects down there I’m told are perfect for trials. You have full access, Grace, don’t disappoint me.” Nausea threatened at what she knew would happen to the homeless humans the Pack would use.

  The call ended and within moments the wolf at the terminal got a message. A second after that he turned to her and nodded.

  She needed to move and soon. Just another few days until she got more information and she’d get out. She couldn’t risk it much longer without actively helping them or really exposing herself.

  Warren’s spies were everywhere, she trusted absolutely no one, not even her own parents. She just had to hold it together, every day, until she got home. Then she could turn on the shower and weep. Let the terror sweep through her until she had nothing left to cry with and managed to stumble into bed where fitful nightmares kept her awake.

  So she could come back the next day, mask firmly in place, to play his fucked-up game and take him down. It had to happen and she would do what she had to. When she’d seen that first body come through her emergency room seven months earlier, she’d known Warren was responsible for it. Even if no one else in her Pack or her family knew right from wrong, Grace did. She hadn’t left the Group and headed to medical school to pledge her life to helping people so Warren Pellini could unleash biological warfare on wolf and human alike. He had to be stopped.

  It hadn’t been easy to get back in touch. She’d had to earn his trust again but his ridiculous ego had been her best weapon in the end. He couldn’t believe anyone would truly ever want to leave him, so within three months she’d gotten back into his good graces enough to get access to his labs. At least at one level. Since he’d killed several of his people in a fit of anger after the whole debacle with the Great Lakes Enforcer and the Cascadia people, she’d been far more important to him. Which put her a lot closer to the information she needed. Now she had access to the information, which would eventually, or hopefully, bring him down. She just had to take it little by little in dribs and drabs. And hope no one caught her because if they did, who she was wouldn’t save her.

  * * *

  “I don’t need your permission, Lex. If you recall, I’m the Alpha here. So, well, that means what I say goes. It’s pretty cool when you think about it.” Cade Warden crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his brother, who crossed his arms and glared back.

  “I’m aware of that, Cade. I’m your Enforcer. Your Second, which means I’m your advisor. Especially on issues of safety. You going to Chicago right now isn’t safe. It’s not advisable at all. There’s a war, remember?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact I do. If you recall, I’m the one who declared it.”

  “Oh. My. God.” Nina Reyes-Warden, Lex’s mate, stepped into the fray. “Cade, Lex is just watching out for your well-being.”

  “Nina, this doesn’t concern you. I’m not having this discussion any further. It has to happen. Not only is Tegan tied up in knots over Ben taking this position in Great Lakes, but this new FBI task force needs to be sorted out. I’m not just going to let all this go on around me while I stay here.”

  “This does so concern me!”

  Cade turned to where his sister-in-law lay propped in bed. “Nina, I love you so I usually let you have a lot of leeway in most things. Add to that, you’re often right. But right now, you’re supposed to be on your back in bed so you don’t lose your damned pregnancy and Lex is needed here. I’m needed in Chicago.”

  “I am in bed. It’s just as easy to needle you from here. Cade, it’s so dangerous right now. Just do a conference call.” He heard the anxiety in her voice.

  “Are you saying my sister isn’t worth a hug and some reassurance after she’s given her entire life to this Pack?”

  She winced and Cade felt bad for a moment but it needed to be said.

  “You know I don’t think that.”

  “Then let me go and stop making me feel guilty about it. Tegan needs me. She’s my sister and one of my wolves. And my people need me to be active right now. The humans are pissed off and Ben can’t handle it all. He’s only been a wolf for less than a month.”

  “Cade.” Lex paused and heaved a sigh. “Don’t do this. I don’t want to leave Nina right now.”

  Cade relaxed and squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t leave her. That’s an order. I’m Alpha, Lex. I may not have been an army ranger or be used as a cautionary tale to scare young wolves into staying out of trouble, but I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. Assign me a detail, include Dave or Megan but keep the others here with you. I’m leaving in three hours.” He turned to Nina. “And you. You stay your ass in bed. Your doctor says you’ll be okay in a week or so if you’re as still as possible so shut up and be still.”

  Without another word, he left the room.

  He phoned his parents, who supported his travel to Chicago, both as their son and as their Alpha. Megan had packed him a bag while he’d been in the shower and he made his goodbyes quick. Lex still glowered but his place was with Nina. The first week of pregnancy for a human transformed into a wolf was a dangerous time and it was necessary she be on bed rest. So it was necessary for Lex to be there to keep her in line. No one else could.

  Cade was fuckin
g sick of safety. He was a fucking Alpha. He’d been stuck there while Tegan had been kidnapped and tortured. It was Lex who went. Damn it, his family needed him. His freaking people needed him and he was going.

  Megan brought two other wolves from the Enforcer corps, including Dave upon Lex’s insistence. Cade trusted her, and them, with his life. They drove to the airport in silence and loaded onto their private jet. It was quiet, near midnight, and most everyone settled in to sleep for the flight.

  Cade stretched in the seat and looked out the window.

  Megan came and snuggled into his side. “Hi,” she whispered. “You okay?”

  He smiled. It was just the two of them now. Alone and unmated. He knew she’d started to get a bit restless but he’d been waiting the longest. At forty-two, he was more than ready to find his woman and start a family. He wanted what Lex and Nina had. Wanted what Tracy had with her mates. He wanted a woman to look at him the way Tegan looked at Ben. For two years he’d been anchored to Nina and felt deeply for her. She was like his mate, except they didn’t share the most important thing, the utter intimacy she shared with Lex. She wasn’t his. He wanted someone who was. Wanted to stop living off the echoes of someone else’s relationship and have one of his own.

  “I’m good. Tired. Worried about Tee. Are you okay with her moving?” Tegan was Megan’s twin. The two were both on his guard detail. For many years after Tegan lost her first mate, she’d been a shadow and they’d just gotten her back only to lose her again to the distance between Seattle and Chicago.

  “What else does she have? What other options does Ben have? He was put on leave after he was changed. He can’t be a cop here anymore. His mother has disowned him. He’s such a powerful wolf now, where would he fit in Cascadia?”

  Ben Stoner, a cop and former human, had been transformed into a werewolf by a bite from the Alpha of the National Pack. The strongest wolf in the country. As wolves carried the traits of their sire if they were made, he was formidable. And there wasn’t a place for him in Cascadia unless he challenged Lex, or Cade himself. And Ben wouldn’t do that because he loved Tegan and he respected his brothers-in-law and the Cascadia wolves too much.