GIFTED TO THE RUTHLESS ALPHA

Jamie remarked, "Finding a woman for him can't be that difficult."

"Really? Jordan remarked, "The guy would rather cut logs all day than look for a woman."

"We need to take action. A man cannot be healthy if he is single. How, after all, could he not want a woman with whom he may fuck and have children? "I'm sure I want it," Jesse remarked.

When Kai heard his guys, he realized how anxious they were for him to find a partner. Only the alpha could find a mate first due to the wolf's curse. The pack had to wait till then to discover their right partners and lead a happy life. They were likewise unable to conceive. An heir meant everything to a wolf. His guys were all desperate to mate and have children. He didn't hold them responsible. He truly did understand.

Once upon a time, having a lady was very important to him; today, all he wanted was to keep cutting wood and not live in a fantasy world. He had recently reached his fortieth birthday. By now, wouldn't he have found his mate? Kai had had enough of wolf mythology and the notion that there was only one ideal woman waiting for him.

He raised his axe and struck the wood, causing it to shatter. The axe wasn't necessary for him. He could tear chunks in half with his special strength alone, but he wouldn't be able to feel normal thereafter.

Although he was a powerful wolf, the destiny had chosen to give him an even greater load for some strange reason. The rumors said that because of his size and strength, he was an abomination and a monster.

Even when there was no need to, he was feared among his former pack. Even before his change, he had been a big, strong kid. Everything had altered when he first became a wolf.

His alpha threw him out after two months. He had thought he was too dangerous. He wouldn't know how to effectively lead a big pack for a young leader. He had, of course, been scared. Lost in the world, alone, and eighteen years old. Nobody had been there to take care of him or to explain all of his hunger cravings. from sex to food and all points in between. He had finally been allowed to live freely after two years of moving from town to town, working odd jobs, and attempting to control all of his cravings. However, this didn't always seem liberating.

Sometimes he found it hard to accept that had occurred two decades prior.

He turned to the three men behind him and finished the wood. The perimeter should be paroled. There were rumors that all wolf groups were being attacked by bears. He had not yet seen a bear in the area. Even though he was a bit weird and always talking to himself, the coyote he had dealt with lived a few miles downstream and was a quite nice chap. He was fond of him.

"Have you ladies completed watching?"

Jamie remarked, "We've heard that a storm is on its way, Alpha." "We have to go get supplies in town."

No storm was present. "So you go to town, where all the women are?" You want me to take a chance on one of them.

"What could go wrong?" Jordan enquired.

"I've visited the town a lot. No woman is destined to be mine, I assure you. This is becoming stale. Additionally, he didn't want to discuss all the difficulty that women may cause. Today he wasn't feeling it. Was he getting sour with age? He was unconcerned.

Jesse remarked, "New women are coming in every day." "The historic town is expanding."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Come on, we'll assist you."

They needed to find a woman of their own, and he couldn't criticize that. They desired children as well. He was holding them back all the while. They believed that by not mating, he was punishing the entire pack. But finding his destined mate was more important than picking any old woman.

"All right," he said. Giving his soldiers what they wanted wouldn't hurt anything.

He took off his gloves and set the axe by the tree stump.

"Are you planning to alter?"

"No chance," Kai uttered.

"But you're filthy."

The woman I'm going to date then needs to get used to me being unclean. I'm not going to change for anyone.

It was more than just a house when he entered it. There were eleven distinct rooms here. While his pack had their own rooms, he chose the top-floor master bedroom with the breathtaking view. Despite their diminutive size, they were aggressive. Although he believed their flock would have expanded by now, he was content with four.

They were all foreigners in one way or another. To create a new pack, all of the outcasts were brought together.

He picked up his keys and went to his pickup. His pride and joy was his truck, but he rarely enjoyed being in metal cans. She was a rust bucket before he transformed her into a machine that purred to life.

The dream was this. This fucking truck was his favorite. He knew it was foolish, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating a good automobile.

As Jamie, Jordan, and Jesse hurried to the truck, he buckled up and waited. Since he could only accommodate two, he allowed them to battle it out. Jordan didn't mind that he had to go in the rear.

The outdoors was the ideal place to be a wolf, that's for sure. Nobody stopped them. Nobody gave them instructions.

It was a heady pleasure to feel the clean air and enjoy the sensations Mother Earth had to offer. They enjoyed being a part of the world, even in the absence of the full moon.

It took him twenty minutes by automobile to get into town. He rarely went near people in his fur unless absolutely necessary, although it was quicker to get there in wolf form. Hunting parties enjoyed exploring the forests and woods in certain towns in search of large animals. He had no idea whether people knew about werewolves or even suspected that men changed into animals at the full moon.

In any case, he took the appropriate precautions to protect his pack. He never dared to be seen.

Not even the coyotes took the chance. Humans hunting them for fun was the last thing their world needed. People were always afraid of the unknown, so it wouldn't exactly sit well with them to learn that men could change into animals once a month.

Kai stopped as he got out of the car after parking close to the diner. In an attempt to conceal what he had already noticed, he ran his fingers through his hair.

Jesse drew in his breath. He remarked, "She's close."

It appears that his pack was able to identify his partner, which is another little issue.

They could be so damned annoying. That's why anytime he went out, at least one of them demanded to accompany him. They thought he would deliberately stay away from his partner. He would never consider doing it. For him, it had just never happened.

But this smell...

Everything was delicious, including sugar and cinnamon. In addition to his dick's reaction, his mouth wet. Even though he had no idea who she was or how she looked, he desired her right away. It made no difference.

It might have been a delicious cinnamon roll.

He told his guys to stop.

The diner drew him in. He entered the door without waiting for his troops and discovered a table in the very back.

Why people constantly wanted to be the center of attention was beyond him. He had always made an effort to conceal his stature and strength. It had not helped him at all. He was unable to alter who he was, and he had no desire to do so now that he had his pack.

He was joined at the booth by his soldiers. According to what he had heard, they all had larger dicks than most males. He didn't care; he had never seen a human man to pass judgment. His pack appeared to be well-versed on a lot of pointless information about the species that coexisted with them.

Jamie declared, "She's here."

The smell intensified. Nearly unstoppable. This was the strongest pull Kai had ever experienced.

He looked around the diner, hoping to locate this particular woman. His cock, which was becoming thicker every second, was protected by the table.

Hold on tight. The power is with you.

He disliked having authority taken away from him. He was not dependent on the full moon like his group was. He was subject to change at any time. He had spent years honing this particular struggle.

Always in charge.

He never surrendered himself to anyone.

He had made several vows when he was by himself that he would always be in command and that no one else would ever take that kind of authority away from him. He was an alpha by birth.

His mate's fragrance intensified even more.

He knew it was her when the kitchen door opened. He acted quickly even as she stumbled over her shoelace and almost dropped the food order. Using his other arm to catch her, he grabbed the tray and held it for her.

It was instinct. More important than everything else is the urge to protect.

A heated face gazed back at him through green eyes. He could see she was kind. She had her black hair in a ponytail. He wanted to brush his fingers through his long hair.

"Excellent reflexes," she remarked.

Even her voice.

With this mate, his wolf was overjoyed.

mine.

****

No one had ever made her feel so tiny, so frail, in her twenty-five years of life. Sage grinned at the guy who had discovered her with the food tray. Without a doubt, her supervisor Joe would have deducted it from her paycheck at the end of the week.

She had been unwillingly employed by Joe. Naturally, he was also furious that she refused to have sex with him. He didn't seem to get that she wasn't interested, even though he was incredibly attractive and all the other women fell in love with him. Sage felt there was more to a relationship than sex and large muscles, and she couldn't be purchased.

However, something about this man's disheveled brown hair and gray eyes caught my attention.

He assisted her in standing up.

She held out her hand and murmured, "Sage."

"Kai."

His size was enormous in every way. also muscular. His body was gripped by the clothing, which highlighted the definition of his chest and thick arms. It was obvious that the man had been at work before arriving to the diner.

"Maybe I could fetch you some coffee? What's my thank-you treat? He handed the tray to her. She felt compelled to feed him for some strange reason.

That would be wonderful. One of his pals inquired, "Sage, how long have you been in town?"

She smiled at the table as she looked over his shoulder. A few weeks. Not too lengthy. Again, thank you. I had best serve this meal. But I'll get your order and have coffee when I return.

She returned to the booth after carrying the meal to table six. Joe took her arm as she passed the counter.

He declared, "I want those men out of my diner."

"Which men?"

"Those dudes. the people you're showing such kindness to. I witnessed your awkwardness.

"Well, I'd like to get them coffee."

"What you want to do doesn't matter to me. It isn't taking place. Remove them.

She said, "Oh."

Something flashed in Joe's eyes as he gazed at her, making her uneasy. She was afraid of her employer. He studied her in a way that always seemed to be expecting her to do something.

Confusion is constant.

He made her feel bad for simply carrying out her duties. For the most part, this town was beautiful, and this was the only job she could find quickly.

Hayden, a true darling of a man, was preparing more burgers when she came into the kitchen.

"What's wrong, darling?" he inquired.

Joe wants me to eject a few patrons. Do I have to do that myself?

Hayden let out a sigh. "You know Joe, but probably not. Until he achieves his goals, he will make your life miserable.

"How could I have forgotten?" In any case, she prepared four travel mugs, filled them with coffee, and even packed a muffin for each of them. She had prepared them. She had a gift, according to Hayden. She enjoyed to cook, even though she didn't consider herself very skilled in the kitchen. She had been passionate about it for as long as she could remember.

She wrapped them all up and put them in a box. She walked out of the kitchen with trembling hands. Kai remained waiting with his companions.

"Hi, I hate to do this but my boss says he doesn't want you in here. I want to thank you for rescuing me. I'm really, really sorry about this. I don't know why he acts the way he does." She shrugged.

Guilt clawed up her body. Why did Joe have to be such an absolute asshole?

She wanted to hug the man in front of her. And damn, he was huge.

Kai.

Such a nice name.

Sexy.

Dangerous.

He smiled at her, and she felt it radiate through her entire body like sunshine.

It seemed like he didn't smile enough in his life and needed to learn to do so. I could help him. The thought struck her so hard and so fast, she nearly stumbled. Keeping her smile in place, she tried to ignore her rioting feelings.

She felt odd. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you, Sage," Kai said. "How long will you be staying in town?"

"Awhile, I'm hoping to settle down here. That's the goal, anyway."

"What about family?" one of his friends asked.

"Nope, it's just me." Where was her filter? She didn't have anyone in the world, but telling a complete stranger who could be an axe murderer wasn't going to help. She returned her attention to Kai.

He was so handsome, crazy sexy, and for some reason, he made her feel safe.

"It was nice to meet you," she said, repeating herself to prolong their encounter.

She held her hand out and he took it. She didn't want to let go but forcing a man to hold her hand wasn't exactly the politest thing to do.

"I hope I see you again soon," she said.

Kai made no move to pull away. "You can count on seeing me very soon. Of that, have no doubt."

His friends got up out of the booth, complete with the order of goodies she'd given them. Kai finally let go of her hand and it looked like he wanted to say more.

He didn't.

She watched him go.

He didn't say anything. Sage had hoped he'd slip her his number, but no. It was over. She sighed her disappointment.

She wanted to go with them. Screw the job and follow her instincts.

Don't. Don't ever set yourself up for disappointment.

Sage squashed whatever hope she had building inside her. Unlike the people in the diner, she didn't have anyone. She'd come to learn it didn't matter how nice or amenable she was, people didn't like her. They used her for what they could get and then dumped her.

That was what she was. A dumped baby. Abandoned only a few days after she was born, starved and neglected. She didn't even have any clothes on. Only a blanket and a cardboard box.

She'd been put in the system. Babies were supposed to be easily adopted. Not her. She stayed in the system until she was eighteen years old. Then she was on her own.

She could still remember the hope each time a new set of potentials came. How she'd look her best, always be nice. The foster homes only ever said nice things about her, but she was invisible, and no one had wanted to adopt her.

Not once did she step out of line, even as her smile dimmed and she stopped hoping. Some of the foster families she'd been with were nice. A couple weren't, but at least being invisible meant no one had touched her.

She knew of the horror stories. She didn't have any to tell. Her life had been a whole bunch of nothing.

Pulling herself out of her depressing thoughts, she grabbed the coffee carafe, forced a smile to her lips, and served customers. She was a pro at pasting on a fake smile.

Some of the men thanked her.

She made some good tips, but her life was invisible even as an adult. Only a few people took notice of her. She was plain and forgettable, and she certainly didn't have a Barbie doll figure. Basically, she had nothing going for her. Being nice had only invited people to take advantage of her.

Had Kai already forgotten her?

Did he even care who he'd saved? He probably would have helped anyone.

She had to wonder if she was ugly. Ugly would be worse than being plain. Maybe she didn't see something others did. She tried to stop her rambling thoughts and focused on work.

The day wore on and her feet hurt from being on them all day.

Checking the time, she saw it was a little after seven. Even though customers begged for Joe to stay open, he never did. He only ever worked until seven, sharp. Most of the time, he was hunched over some numbers and paperwork. The man was paranoid and jumpy, always wanting to know what was going on in and around the diner.

She wanted to be out of the diner, along with the other waitresses.

Rushing toward the staffroom, she quickly untied her shoes, grabbing her bag where her clothes were kept. Joe didn't like it when his waitresses took his property, meaning his uniforms. They had to stay on the premises and on a Saturday evening, he always took them, washed them, and they were neatly presented to them the next shift.

She hated handing her clothes over to him. Even though he wasn't a creep, well, not too much of one.

Just as she'd pulled her sneakers on and was about to head out, Joe cleared his throat. "I want a word with you, Sage," he said.

The waitresses gave her a sympathetic smile. Joe didn't pay them any attention.

All she wished to do was work, earn her pay, and leave. No drama.

"What is it, Joe?" she asked.

"Come back to my office. I want to talk to you about something."

Her heart raced.

He stared down the length of her body. There was no revulsion in his eyes. She'd filled out with large hips, big tits, a small waist, and thick thighs that rubbed together if she wore a skirt without some shorts beneath it. She didn't mind her body, content with how she looked, even if she wasn't cover model material.

Grabbing her bag, she hoped whatever Joe had to say wouldn't make her uncomfortable. This job had grown on her and she wanted to start a new life where maybe she'd meet a man who didn't want to give her up.

She tried not to dream but there was still a smidge of fairy tales inside her.