Alpha at Home (Brothers of the Heart Book 1) Read online

  Alpha at Home

  Brothers of the Heart, book 1

  DJ Bryce

  Contents

  1. Maximus

  2. Gillian

  3. Maximus

  4. Gillian

  5. Maximus

  6. Gillian

  7. Maximus

  8. Gillian

  9. Maximus

  10. Gillian

  11. Maximus

  12. Gillian

  13. Maximus

  14. Gillian

  15. Maximus

  16. Gillian

  17. Maximus

  18. Gillian

  19. Maximus

  What’s Next

  About the Author

  Also by DJ Bryce

  Copyright © 2017 by DJ Bryce

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter 1

  Maximus

  “Max, we need to set up a meet with the Threehorn Pack. I met with Josiah, their Alpha, and he said everyone has arrived and they’re getting settled in. Let’s see if we can get Gillian and Natasha to send out an all call for the welcome wagon,” Mateo, the Alpha of our pack, and my best friend since birth, said from his spot at the head of the table.

  We were in our weekly council meeting. As the Bravo, Mateo’s second in command, I was at his left, with the rest of the pack council, Bryan, Calin, Gregory, and Kevin, filling in the rest of the seats.

  We had about three hundred members in our pack, including the women and children, and they all looked to us to keep them safe and cared for. It was a lot of responsibility, but just as Mateo had always known he would one day be Alpha, I’d known that I would happily serve at his side.

  I nodded, mentally scheduling a stop at Howlers, the bar where Gillian and Natasha worked, before heading out to the Threehorn land to set up the meet.

  “Next up, we need to talk about the harvest,” Mateo continued, talking about the crops we grew to keep our pack afloat. Howlers, the bar in town, had been run by our pack since our grandparents were young, but when Mateo took over and saw the financial state of the pack, he’d had the idea to start growing and harvesting corn on our land.

  The first two years had been difficult, but in the third year we’d turned a profit, and now it looked like his brainchild was actually going to give our pack some financial stability again. We still owned and ran Howlers, but it was Mateo’s crops that were keeping our pack’s bellies full.

  “Bryan, you check the combine, make sure everything’s working properly. Calin, check the dryer. And, Gregory, do a walk around the silos, checking for cracks, holes, etcetera. Just like last year. We have a good looking crop this year, I don’t want anything overlooked.”

  “What about me boss?” Kevin, our youngest and newest member asked. He was young, but he was hardworking and eager to please.

  Mateo looked down the long table at him, considering, then replied, “Go with Bryan. He can teach you how to run the combine. Show you how it works.”

  Kevin and Bryan nodded their agreement, then Mateo’s eyes swept the table and he asked, “Anyone have anything for me?” Everyone shook their head in response, so he added, “All right then. Have a good evening, brothers.”

  I stayed behind while the others filed out of the room, standing after Mateo did the same, stretching as he reached his full height.

  Mateo had always been tall growing up, but when he’d answered the call and became Alpha of our pack, he’d grown even larger. Now, he towered a good three inches over my 6’4” frame. With his dark auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and massive size, Mateo looked intimidating, but I knew him to be the most kind and loyal of friends.

  “I figured I’d grab dinner at Howlers while I’m there, you have plans for tonight?” I asked.

  “I have to run home to grab some paperwork, but that sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”

  After saying I’d grab us a couple stools at the bar, I headed out of the clubhouse and drove into town. We lived in a two-stoplight town, and on the thousands of acres that surrounded it. In the past, there’d been a mixture of residents, but now, everyone who resided here was in the pack in one way or another.

  If they weren’t wolves, they were either married to them, or born from them. There were a few families left that were strictly human, but most of them were raised knowing they were going to mate with someone from the pack. Very few people left town, and those who did, usually came back.

  This meant everyone knew one another. Their pasts, hopes for the future, and everything in between. It could get annoying, having everyone think they knew you inside and out, but I enjoyed the predictability of it, even if there was one secret about me that nobody knew.

  I was in love with Gillian Matthews.

  I’d known it from the second I’d pulled her pigtails on a dare from Mateo in the second grade.

  Raven haired, mouthy, and beautiful in a way that made my breath catch in my throat, Gillian was everything I’d ever wanted in a woman.

  When I walked into Howlers, my eyes immediately sought her out, flicking over the packed seats signalling that it was dinner time. And, there she was, laughing as she served a family in the back-corner booth.

  Wearing the Howlers uniform of a short black skirt, black tank top with a howling wolf on the front, and black boots, she was gorgeous. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her lips were painted a fire engine red.

  My dick hardened just looking at her. My body always reacted at the sight of her. As did my heart, my pulse, shit, even my nerve endings seemed to vibrate anytime she was near.

  Pulling my gaze from her, I crossed to the bar and took one of the two stools at the end that were always reserved for Mateo and myself. Being the Alpha and Bravo of our pack came with some perks…

  “Hey, Max, what can I get you?” Natasha, Gillian’s younger sister, asked as she walked down the bar toward me. She was just as striking as her sister, but while Gillian was like walking sex, Natasha had always reminded me of a pixie. She wore her black hair cropped short, and rather than her sister’s blue eyes, Natasha had the coolest grey eyes I’d ever seen.

  “Hey, Tash, how goes it?” I asked with a smile. She’d always been like a little sister to me.

  “Can’t complain,” she replied, returning my smile with one of her own.

  “I’ll have a Stella and a couple of menus. Mateo’s on his way.”

  With a sharp nod, Natasha pulled two menus from behind the bar, then went to go pull my beer.

  The door opened behind me, and I turned slightly to see Mateo walk in. I watched as Gillian caught his eye. He gave her a small grin as she sauntered toward him, laughing as his arms came down to lift her and those red lips locked on my best friends’ mouth.

  I turned back quickly as Natasha set the beer down in front of me, but it was too late, the picture of them kissing was burned in my brain, and a painful bolt was running up my veins straight for my heart.

  Gillian was, and always had been, promised to Mateo.

  Chapter 2

  Gillian

  When you were raised to marry the Alpha, there were always certain expectations, and I did my best to ensure I met them. Not just to keep myself safe, but to preserve Mateo’s reputation.

  Since I was old enough to speak, my mother had told me that I was the chosen one. The lucky girl who would go to be the Alpha’s mate. It had something to do with lin
eage and heredity. Our family line was always groomed to be the Alpha’s mate.

  Legend had it that the women in our family were raised to be the woman behind the wolf, to have his back and bear his cubs. It was the highest honor that could be bestowed on any family. Still, not all women in the family actually became the Alpha’s mate. Obviously, there was only one Alpha per pack, so there were instances where the women in our family were mated with packs other than our own.

  I’d always worried that would happen to me. That Mateo wouldn’t imprint on me, and I’d eventually have to leave my home and the people I love, to marry another Alpha. Luckily, when I was fourteen years old, Mateo assured me he’d never allow that to happen.

  So, even though I’d always considered Mateo my best friend, and I’d never felt the stirrings for him that I’d always imagined mates would feel for each other, I always played the part of the happy, and satisfied, future mate to the Alpha.

  My lips were warm, but tingle-free, when I pulled back from kissing Mateo hello. It was expected that I’d greet him properly every time we’d been apart, which included lots of smiles, hot looks, and the illusion that we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.

  In reality, the only time we kissed was in public. We’d never had sex, imprinted, or performed the mating ritual. And the last time we’d made out, was the first time we’d attempted to see if we were truly meant, when we were seventeen years old, fumbling around in the back of his truck.

  We’d realized immediately that we lacked chemistry, weren’t actually mates, and would probably never imprint with each other. We’d also agreed to keep our secret safe, to ensure that I wasn’t sent away and married off to someone else, and Mateo wouldn’t have to go admit that I wasn’t the one.

  “How’s your day?” I asked softly when he set me back on my feet.

  “Better now,” he replied, and even though he said it loud enough for the people around us to hear, I knew he was telling the truth. As one of his best friends, Mateo often used me as a sounding board, just like he would if I were actually his mate.

  “Can I put an order in for you?” I asked, stepping back a step, indicating that I needed to get back to work.

  “That’s okay,” Mateo replied with a shake of his head, then lifted his chin toward the bar. “I’m meeting Max.”

  I turned my head automatically, and like it always did when I saw Maximus, my heart took off at a gallop. Just as my eyes found him, Max turned his head and caught my gaze. His lips lifted in greeting, and I raised my hand in response, willing the sparks igniting in my chest to go away.

  “Great, I’ll check my tables then stop over,” I said, tearing my gaze from the dark-haired, brown-eyed man who always caused a riot of confusion within me, to smile at my intended.

  “Sounds good,” Mateo replied, pausing to drop a quick kiss on my forehead before moving his large body toward the bar.

  I sighed as I watched Mateo and Max laugh at something Natasha said as Mateo sat, then shook my head, hoping to clear it as I went about my business.

  I often wondered if I didn’t feel crazy, hot, and excited for Mateo, because those feelings had been reserved for Maximus since I’d hit puberty. Everything I imagined I’d feel for my future mate, hit me anytime I was in close proximity to our pack’s Bravo.

  I’d never acted on those feelings, or spoken about them with anyone. Not Tasha, not Mateo, and certainly not Max.

  As I’d grown older, I kept expecting them to shift. I was, after all, born to mate with an Alpha, so it was impossible for me to want, to need, anyone other than the leader of the pack, wasn’t it?

  I was in the back corner, punching a new order into the ordering system, when Natasha saddled up beside me.

  “How’s it going, Gilly? Seems to be a pretty good night.”

  Turning my head, I grinned at my younger sister. “Tips have been pretty great so far, how about you?”

  “The same,” she replied, and I was struck by how pretty she was. Small and sweet, with delicate features that only seemed more so by her pixie haircut, Natasha was everything I wasn’t.

  Maybe it was the hum of awareness still running through me at the sight of Max, or the thoughts I’d just been having about Mateo, that had me impulsively asking, “Hey, Tash, you don’t feel anything when you’re with Mateo, do you?”

  It was a question I’d never been brave enough to ask, but had always wondered. I wasn’t, after all, the only woman in our family, so I often worried Natasha was actually Mateo’s mate, but hadn’t wanted to hurt me by saying anything about it.

  The expression on her face was comical, and I knew instantly that my worries were unfounded. Natasha wasn’t an actress, her poker face was nonexistent, and she looked absolutely appalled by my question.

  “What? No,” she cried, then remembered where we were and lowered her voice to ask, “Why would you ask me that. Is there something wrong between you two?”

  Nerves skittered across my skin, and I immediately regretted my question. The last thing I needed to do was raise suspicion about Mateo and my relationship. Even though she was my sister and I knew she’d never intentionally do anything to hurt me, I couldn’t allow my lack of feelings for Mateo to get out.

  “No, of course not, I was just curious is all,” I replied quickly, then said honestly, “I just want you to be happy.”

  Natasha seemed to accept my explanation, but I felt her eyes on me all night.

  Chapter 3

  Maximus

  After dinner, I’d gone to the Threehorn Pack’s property and met with Josiah. He’d agreed to a meet with our pack the next Monday, so I’d said my farewells and left their land, thinking it was a nice night to shift and get some running in.

  On my way back to my house, I called Mateo to let him know that everything was scheduled.

  “Perfect, thanks, Max,” Mateo was saying as I turned down the long dirt road toward my cabin. I lived the furthest away, right on the outskirts of our property, and I liked it that way.

  Whereas some of our pack needed to constantly be surrounded by each other, and seemed to thrive off of the social interaction, I enjoyed the solidarity, and the peace and quiet. I loved my family, and I loved my pack, but sometimes, I needed to lie beneath the stars and just be. Plus, being out here gave me more space to run, and my wolf loved to run.

  I parked in front of my place and was about to say goodbye to Mateo. Now that I was home, I could feel my wolf’s impatience.

  “Oh, hey, did you remember to talk with Gillian about getting dishes prepared and taken out to the Threehorn Pack?” he asked, causing me to stop in my tracks and swear under my breath.

  “No, I didn’t,” I admitted, cursing under my breath. I’d been so busy trying to ignore Gillian and my feelings for her, that I’d completely forgotten to mention it to Natasha, whom I’d planned to have pass the information along to her sister. But I didn’t tell Mateo that, instead saying, “It slipped my mind, but I’ll give her a call.”

  “Why don’t you stop by Howlers? They should be closing up now, and Gilly seemed a little off tonight. Maybe you can check on her, make sure everything’s okay?”

  I sighed even as I turned to get back into my truck. When my Alpha asked me to do something, I did it, no matter what my plans or the time of day.

  “On it,” I promised as I turned back down my dirt road.

  “You can run after,” Mateo said with a chuckle.

  “I’ll let you know if I find anything out.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “Sure thing, Mateo. Good night.”

  It was late enough that most of the lights were off in the houses that I passed, and I could hear the howls of my pack mates filling the night. My wolf was restless inside of me, frustrated that he couldn’t run when the others obviously were.

  About twenty minutes later, I was pulling into the parking lot of Howlers, which was empty, signaling that Natasha had already gone home.

  Gillian lived above How
lers, so even if she was no longer inside, I knew she was still on the premises. Tapping down all of my feelings and putting on my best I don’t give a fuck face, I tried the door of Howlers before finding it locked and walking around back and up the stairs to Gillian’s door.

  I waited a few seconds after knocking, then steeled myself when the door opened. She was still wearing the skirt and tank top, but had let her hair down, and it spilled around her shoulders like black ink.

  She looked momentarily startled, then recovered and asked, “Is everything okay?”

  Wanting to assure her that no one was hurt or anything, I softened a little and assured her, “Yeah, nothing’s wrong. Mateo asked me to stop by.”

  “Oh, all right,” Gillian said, then after a few seconds, stepped back and to the side to let me in.

  As I walked inside Gillian’s apartment, I looked around, trying to take in everything at once. I hadn’t been inside since the day we’d helped her move, and I was greedy for anything about her personal space that would give me more of a glimpse into who she was when Mateo wasn’t around.

  As Alpha, he lived in the center of town, in the house that he’d been raised in, which had been passed down for generations. Once they were mated, Gillian would move in there with him. Oftentimes, the Alpha’s mate would move directly in with her Alpha from her parents’ house, regardless of whether they’d performed the mating ritual or not.

  I’d always found it curious that Gilly had decided to move into the apartment above Howlers, rather than in with Mateo.

  “Sorry to bother you so late,” I began, taking in the bright prints that adorned the walls, the large, comfortable sofa, and the large Grandfather Clock against the wall. The decorations shouldn’t go well together, but somehow, they did. And the space fit Gillian perfectly.