All Chapters of Alpha‘s Unhunted Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

AFGHANISTANJill walked out of the barracks shaking his head as he approached the others sitting around the imaginary bonfire. The camp was hot in the desert, and there was no need for a fire. Plus, bonfires had been banned on base, especially after their group had flames nearly ten feet high.He sat down on the camp chair and accepted the water bottle from Gunny. The bottle had a piece of silver tape on it with BEER written across it. He took a deep drink and then leaned his head back to look up at the clouds. Jill was six feet eight with a linebacker build, his dark skin covered with black ink tattoos. His face and head were clean shaven, and his dark brown eyes glistened with tears.“Is she okay?” Doc asked.Jill lifted his head and looked at the newest member of their group. Doc had been an Army medic who wanted a change. He found it with the Marines as a K9 handler. He stood right at six feet and had traditional middle eastern features. His hair was a little longer than usual and

AFGHANISTANHydrate.It had started on their first deployment to Iraq in the heat of summer. They had a sergeant that you could set a watch on. Every thirty minutes he would give the reminder – Hydrate.By the end of the deployment, it had become a running joke. No matter what the question was, the answer was hydrate.What time is it?Hydrate.What’s for dinner?Hydrate.Why did the chicken cross the road?To hydrate.At some point in time the word became a mantra for them. And then slowly, it meant so much more than just hydrate. It was the one word that they all said the most. Over the years, it has taken on a different meaning.It was the way that they told each other that they were safe. That they needed a break or needed help. A way of telling each other that they loved one another. It became their safe word. Their celebratory word. A curse word when they could not use one.Somewhere along the line, it became them.Today, they were packed into the heavily armored troop transport,

CRYSTAL RIVER PACKCeleste pulled up to the cute little cream-colored house. It was just as Perseus had described. 1940s style craftsman with lots of green and blue accents. She got out of the pickup just as Teuf lifted his big German shepherd head, and then curled back up in the passenger seat. She walked up the cobblestone walk to the wrap around porch. Seeing the rocking chairs on one side and porch swing on the other, she shook her head. Though he was four years younger than her, his soul was old.She knocked on the wood and glass door. Viviane quickly appeared at the door wearing jeans, a Grateful Dead T-shirt, and no shoes. Her blonde hair had a pink peekaboo that showed clearly through her messy bun. Bright blue eyes held the same smile as her pink lips.“Celeste?” she said with a sweet voice as the door opened.“Viviane?” Celeste replied.“If not, I’m in the wrong house,” she said with a little laugh. “Come on in.”“Before I do, I have a question,” Celeste said with a nervous

CRYSTAL RIVER PACKWyatt walked into his office and found his Beta sitting in front of his desk reading through some papers. He walked over to the coffee bar and made himself a cup before sitting behind the large desk. He studied his Beta for a moment taking in the relaxed look of the gray polo and jeans. His hair was disheveled from running his hand through it, which he did again absently.Before it had been Wyatt’s office, it had been his father’s and his father’s before him. Their family had ruled over this pack since before the revolutionary war. The original pack house had been a major meeting house for the revolutionaries. It had been an ale house for the community, just far enough outside Philadelphia not to draw attention but close enough to reach on horseback in just a few hours.Three other buildings had served as the Crystal River pack house since that very first one. The original one was destroyed in the Revolutionary War. The second during the War of 1812. The third burne

CRYSTAL RIVER PACKWhen Perseus got up the next morning, intending to take his sister to the weekly training, he did not find them in the guest room. Thinking that maybe she had gone for a run, he headed for the front door and found his sister and her dog sitting on the porch. Teuf, already in his vest, was curled up on the porch while his mistress rocked, her duffel bag for training lay next to her.“It’s about time.”With a little laugh, he kissed the top of her head. “Come on. We got to go find you a big, bad mother fucker to beat up.”“Finally.” She stood and grabbed her bag and Teuf followed them. She opened the passenger door, and the dog effortlessly jumped into his spot. “I told you, that’s where the diva rides,” she told her crestfallen brother. “I can follow you.”“There’s no point in taking two vehicles to the same place,.” He said, opening the door to get into the back seat. “I’ll give way to the beast.”“You can either give directions, or you can drive,” Celeste conceded,