Beta’s Challenge Read online

  Beta’s Challenge

  Seeeley Creek Werewolves

  Book One

  By

  Mildred Trent

  &

  Sandra Mitchell

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Beta’s Challenge by Mildred Trent and Sandra Mitchell

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  Publishing with a touch of Class! ™

  The symbol of the Red Rose and Red Rose is a trademark of Red Rose™ Publishing

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  Copyright© 2011 Mildred Trent and Sandra Mitchell

  ISBN: 978-1-4543-0091-5

  Cover Artist: Nika Dixon

  Editor: Zena Gainer

  Line Editor: Bernadette Smith

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away.

  This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  Red Rose™ Publishing

  www.redrosepublishing.com

  Forestport, NY 13338

  Thank you for purchasing a book from Red Rose™ Publishing where publishing

  comes with a touch of Class!

  Beta’s Challenge

  By

  Mildred Trent

  &

  Sandra Mitchell

  Chapter One

  “What will it be ladies,” Kyle, their oh-so-gorgeous bartender, asked as he glided to where they sat at the bar.

  “I’ll have a Sex on the Beach,” Tia Monroe breathed, looking Kyle over from head-to-toe.

  “I’ll have a Screaming Orgasm,” Toya Brown said while wiping the saliva that slipped from the corners of her mouth when she turned and saw Kyle heading in their direction.

  “I’ll have an All Men Are Dogs,” muttered Tara Bennett as she looked at her friends as if they were the most pathetic things on earth.

  “I’ve never heard of an ‘All Men Are Dogs’, Tara. Are you sure that’s an actual drink?”

  “Oh, my bad, I guess I was thinking out loud again. Sorry, I’ll have a Screw You.”

  Laughing and shaking his head, Kyle said, “Coming right up, ladies.”

  Waiting for Kyle to leave, Tia turned to Tara. “Why do you always have to be such a bitch about everything? That man hasn’t done a thing to you and you’re ready to chop his head off just because he had the misfortune of being born with a dick. Which, I might add, if you got one, you might lose some of that bitchiness and be a little more pleasant to be around.”

  “First of all, you don’t know what—”

  Toya cut her off. “Stop it you two. Every time we go out it’s the same thing. Tia, you’re the biggest flirt this side of the Mississippi and Tara, you are a little uptight. I came out to have a good time and I refuse to let either of you fuck up my night. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to the ladies room before my drink arrives.”

  With that, Toya jumped down from the barstool she’d been sitting on, adjusted her skirt to make sure all of her “business” was where it should be, then headed to the ladies room.

  “I’m sorry, Tia. I guess I have been acting a little bitchy lately. You know I love you like a sister and would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship. It’s just this case and the shit that dumb ass man did to his wife that has me riled. Even worse is the fact that she took it for so long before she decided enough was enough.”

  “Yeah girl, I know. Just try to loosen up a little and let’s have some fun tonight.”

  Loosening up and having some fun is what Tara planned for tonight. Associates of the law firm Three T –Triple Threat or The Terrible T’s as they are know in the legal world—and longtime friends, Tia, Toya, and Tara, being family law attorneys, dealt with spousal abuse cases in particular, and those would take a toll on anyone’s psyche. Having seen the things men, and women, will do to have their way was something none of these independent women would ever get used to.

  Toya made her way back to her barstool just as Kyle delivered their drinks. Tia picked up her drink immediately and placing the stirring straw in her mouth, took a long lick of the straw. Kyle smiled then walked away to assist other customers.

  Tara and Toya looked at each other then both turned to Tia.

  Toya said with a knowing, sheepish smile, “I guess that means you two are hooking up again tonight.”

  Tia looked at them aghast. “What are…?”

  “Save it, bitch, we’ve known about the two of you since the start,” Tara said before Tia could put into words her protest.

  Tia, giving in, just smiled at her two friends and said, “Ya’ll are some nosy bitches.”

  The night was going along well. Tia, Toya and Tara had downed three drinks a piece and had literally, let their hair down, when Tara spotted the finest, no that does not quite describe the man correctly, the “FINEST” man she had ever seen in her life.

  He was six-five with the smoothest looking golden brown skin. Silver-gray eyes like you would see on a Siberian husky, accented by the bluest-black, waviest, most brilliant hair ever to grace a man’s head and face. His broad shoulders tapered down to a slim waist with thick muscular tree-trunk thighs. And that butt? Oh-my-gawd. The man had an ass that made you want to sit there all night bouncing quarters off it. Tara sat mesmerized, trying not to stare while fidgeting in her seat to stop the flow of juices from her sopping wet pussy from leaking down the barstool and pooling in a puddle on the floor beneath her.

  “Damn, do you see that pristine specimen standing across the room?” Tara asked Toya and Tia as she salivated in her drink.

  Taking an overly exaggerated interest, Tia sat straighter in her seat and looked around. “Where? Where? In what direction are you looking, girl? Point him out,” Tia said reaching over to grab Tara’s upper arm and give it a little shake.

  “There,” Tara stated, as she pointed in the man’s direction.

  “Stop pointing you fool. That is so rude,” Toya remarked as she, too, looked in the direction Tara pointed.

  He stood on the other side of the dance floor, talking to two other equally attractive men. He looked around nonchalantly, and all of a sudden lifted his nose in the air as if scenting something. He looked around the crowded club then turned to her, those piercing eyes boring a hole right through her.

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Tara stated as she caught his gaze. Another flood of fluids rushed to her already sopping wet slit and she, not able to sit still any longer, jumped off the bar stool and made a beeline to the ladies room, literally pushing everyone in her path out of the way.

  Tia and Toya looked at Tara as if she had lost her mind.

  “What the hell is wrong with her?” Tia asked Toya as they watched Tara practically bowl over anyone in her way as she made her way to the bathroom.

  “The hell if I know but if they don’t get out of her way, we are going to have a riot in here because she ain’t taking no prisoners,” Toya said chuckling at the sight of her friend bulldozing her way to the bathroom.

  As soon as Tara hit the bathroom door, she rushed to the sink and turned the cold water on high. She splashed her face several times, but the
water didn’t seem to cool her heated flesh so she wet several paper towels then went into a stall.

  Tara removed her panties and used the cool paper towels to cool her overheated pussy. She sat on the toilet with the cool paper towels for what seemed like forever until her body temperature regulated to her satisfaction. Looking at her panties, her mind went back to the reason she was in this stall with, now hot, paper towels still held against her pussy and her drenched panties lying on the floor.

  “What the hell got into me?” Laughing to herself, she dropped the paper towels in the toilet, flushed, grabbed the panties off the floor and exited the stall. Going to the trash receptacle, she tossed the panties then returned to the sink. She washed her hands and splashed more cool water on her face, staring at herself in the mirror and wondering what she would do if she saw the man up close.

  If seeing him from afar had this much of an effect on her, seeing him up close would cause spontaneous combustion. Chuckling to herself, she dried her hands, threw the paper towels in the trash, then she headed back to the door. She opened the door and took one step out. When she looked up, it was into silver-gray eyes and a beautiful, perfect white set of teeth showing through the most sensually lush lips.

  “Hi beautiful. My name is Gabriel, Gabriel Young.” Holding out his hand to Tara, he waited for her to take it and introduce herself. After a minute or so of her standing there shell-shocked, he dropped his hand back to his side and said, “Are you going to tell me your name? You know it is the polite thing to do.”

  Tara felt so stupid. She knew her neck and face had turned two shades lighter. Her mocha complexion didn’t really allow for a blush but she could feel the heat radiate up her spine and neck to pool at her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. My name is Tara,” she said, holding her hand out to him.

  Taking her hand and bringing it toward his mouth, Gabriel said, “Well, beautiful Tara, would you care to dance with me?”

  “I’m not sure that would be such a good idea. I don’t really dance and I’m here with my friends. I think I should go back and—”

  “Just one dance and I will lead. Please don’t hurt my feelings by turning me down.”

  “Okay, just one dance.”

  As they walked back into the main area of the bar, Gabriel raised his hand as if acknowledging his companions and when they stepped onto the dance floor, the tempo suddenly became a sultry slow number that would cause them to get intimately close while they danced.

  “Did you have anything to do with that? I’ve been coming here for a while and I have never remembered the DJ playing any slow songs.”

  Gabriel laughed, a low, sultry guttural sound that made her toes curl in her shoes, and another gush of fluid threatened to leak from her still throbbing slit. “My beautiful Tara, I don’t think I have ‘that’ kind of pull. Nevertheless, I am glad he has seen fit to make my one and only dance with you a memorable one.” With that, Gabriel grabbed her hand in one of his and the other snaked around her waist, just above the curve of her ass. He pulled her so close she thought she would go through him. She melted into him and simply enjoyed the feel of his hard body pressed against hers and his strong arms wrapped around her.

  They talked a little about nothing in particular as one slow song ran into another and then another. By the end of the third song, Tara was ready to leave the dance floor and get a drink. Gabriel thanked her for the dance and conversation by again taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. He then headed to the table where his companions awaited.

  Tara knew she had the look of a college student infatuated with her professor in her eyes when she finally reached the bar and her friends.

  “Girl, what the hell? You were so close to that man you couldn’t tell where he ended and you started.”

  “Who, Gabriel? He is nice, isn’t he?”

  “Nice! Tara,” Tia said, snapping her fingers in front of Tara’s face.

  They continued to talk and drink for the rest of the evening and every now and then, Tara would glance over to where Gabriel was sitting, catching him watching her. The night was coming to an end and the bartender announced last call.

  “Ladies, it has been another fun evening ending with the same result. Going home alone,” Tara remarked as she picked up her bag.

  “It doesn’t have to end that way. You have the hottest man in this place practically drooling all over you. Do your thang, girl,” Tia said, grabbing her bag and slipping her feet back into her pumps.

  “I am NOT like you and you know it. I can’t just drop my drawers at the drop of a dime. I need to get to know someone before I let them put their hands in the cookie jar,” Tara quipped.

  “At the rate you’re going, the cookies in that jar will be old, stale and brittle as hell before anyone gets close enough to think about putting their hands in it,” Tia replied.

  “Fuck you, too, Tia,” Tara threw back over her shoulder as all three reached the door.

  “You guys be careful going home and don’t call me until in the morning. I think I had too much to drink and I’m going home to crash,” Tara told Toya and Tia as she headed in the direction of her vehicle.

  “You be careful, too, Tara,” Tia said heading toward her own vehicle.

  “Are you sure you are okay to drive, Tara? It would be pretty shitty for one of the top lawyers in this town to get a DUI on her way home from the club,” Toya, always the levelheaded one, asked.

  “I’m fine, Toya. Go home and dream about the dick you won’t be getting tonight. I know I am,” Tara shot back. The both laughed and walked on.

  As Tara crossed the lot to her car, a familiar scent hit her nose as a strong gust of wind rose out of nowhere. She felt light-headed and started to sway. Strong hands caught her waist, steadying her.

  “Thank you. I don’t know what…”

  “I think maybe you’ve had too much to drink. Are you sure you are okay to drive home?” Gabriel said as he slowly turned her toward him. He stared at her as if he could eat her alive, right there in the parking lot.

  “Yes, Gabriel. I am fine. Just a strong wind and a smell… Wait! Are you following me?”

  “Yes. I wanted to make sure you go to your car safely,” Gabriel said as he slowly released Tara’s waist, making sure she was steady on her feet as he did.

  “Right! Or did you just want to see what kind of car I drive?” Tara inquired.

  “Okay, there is that, too,” Gabriel chuckled.

  Shaking her head chuckling to herself, Tara placed her key in the lock then looked back up at Gabriel. “Thank you again for catching me. Don’t want to think about what my face would have looked like if it had met the gravel in this parking lot.”

  “Goodnight, beautiful Tara. I will see you again.”

  Tara didn’t know what to make of that comment so she got in her car, closed the door, started the ignition and headed home.

  Gabriel stood there and watched as Tara pulled out onto the road. He could feel his two companions walking up behind him, but never took his eyes off Tara’s car until the taillights were no longer visible.

  “Did you tell her Gabriel?” Tomas, Gabriel’s second-in-command, asked as he walked up to Gabriel’s right side.

  “No, Tomas, I didn’t. However, she is my Prima. She verified that when she scented me on the breeze. I think it’s best for me to take my time. I will go to her tomorrow and let her get to know me a little better before I tell her anything. It won’t matter much. She is my Prima and now that I have found her, I won’t let her get away.”

  Adrian said, “We better get out of here. We don’t know if Mikal or any of his flunkies have figured out where we are so we still can’t afford to be out in the open.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Gabriel said as he, Tomas and Adrian walked toward Gabriel’s Audi Q7, got in and drove off.

  On the way back to their temporary residence, Gabriel began thinking about the day he left the pack. The events of that devastating day still weighed heavily on h
is mind. Gabriel realized Mikal, the alpha of his former pack, had lost most of the packs respect due to their altercation. He could not believe the mandates Mikal put into place to “preserve the pack” as he called it. More members of the pack had tried to leave, only a few of them making it out—Tomas and Adrian being two of the ones successful.

  Reaching ‘home’, Gabriel, Tomas, and Adrian walked into their house after carefully scenting the surrounding area for any potential threats. Noting nothing out of the ordinary, they went in.

  Gabriel’s mind continued to replay that fateful day and the events he’d heard about since then. He’d heard the females were being raped on a daily basis and beaten if they fought back. The men who would not take part in the rapings and beatings were raped and beaten themselves. The young were witnesses to all this and were threatened with the knowledge they would receive the same if they refused when their time came.

  Gabriel also heard that because of the escalating violence, Mikal had placed the blame on Gabriel’s head and had issued a bounty for his capture. He was to be brought back to the pack’s grand meeting room where he would be ‘dominated’ by Mikal before the entire pack. Domination was Mikal’s only form of power. He felt that if he could dominate, in any way possible but especially sexually, he had the power to rule. Gabriel had not known this about his longtime friend until he became alpha.

  Gabriel removed his clothes and took a long shower. The heat of the water cascading off his toned body did little to soothe him. He should have been elated that he had found his Prima, the one person fated for him, his perfect match, and his soul mate. Instead, Gabriel lay in bed, ‘seeing’ the same scene over and over.

  He had been so proud of Mikal for becoming alpha and choosing him to be his beta. They had been friends since they were five-year-old cubs wrestling in the fields and chasing their parents’ tails. They were inseparable. Wherever you saw one, the other was not far behind. However, he could not believe his childhood friend would rationalize the treatment of their females in such a way. Mikal had always been one to run around and fuck any female that would spread her legs for him, be it in human or wolf form, but to make it mandatory was beyond all rational and humane thought.