Alpha's Mate - Special Anniversary Extended Edition

Chapter One

Alpha's Mate

Book One of the Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Series

Special Anniversary Extended Edition

Caryn Moya Block

Chapter One

Putting a Russian drug lord behind bars wasn't part of lycan Dmitry Volkov's to-do list on this trip to Moscow. But here he sat, with a concealed digital microphone hidden in his shirt, waiting for the drug lord Petrov and his men to show up. Ivan, a childhood friend of Dmitry and now a lieutenant with the Moscow Police Department, remained outside in an unmarked vehicle, hoping to catch Petrov in the act of selling drugs.

The night club was busy this evening. People laughed and glasses clinked, the loud music and noise, hard on Dmitry's sensitive ears. He glanced across the table at his brother, Anton, and his best friend, Kolya. Anton had similar coloring to Dmitry, except the younger man had inherited their mother's gray eyes. Kolya had lighter colored hair, having blond highlights, and his eyes were a usual amber-gold color. They each held a glass of vodka they wouldn't drink so they could blend in with the crowd. Alcohol had no effect on lycans, and most avoided drinking the foul-smelling stuff, though a few enjoyed its smoky flavor.

"So the trick is not to get shot tonight," Dmitry said, looking specifically at his younger brother. Anton was only eighteen, an adolescent in the eyes of the pack, and this was his first trip to the big city.

"Right, and why are we doing this?" Anton asked looking furtively around the room.

"You're the one who overheard the drug deal last week," Kolya pointed out, as he swirled ice in his glass."You're the one who wanted to make a difference."

"That was before you talked about us getting shot," Anton said as he raked his hand through his dark hair. "I know it's hard to kill us, but I don't want to come face-to-face with a bullet."

"Look, Ivan is waiting outside with his officers," Dmitry said. "I'm wired for sound. It's too late to back out now." Was it a good idea to have Anton with them? A nervous lycan was a dangerous lycan. Anton was young, but his wolf could tear through a human quicker than a knife through paper. They wanted to catch the drug lord, not kill him.

"Okay, I know you're right," Anton said, looking nervously at the front door. "Let's hope this works."

Dmitry checked again to see where the exits were located and the most direct route to each. Police officers were in position outside. Their sources assured them Petrov would put in an appearance tonight. Dmitry hoped to lure Petrov and his men out back before the police arrested them. He didn't want innocents getting hurt during the bust.

The air moved as the front door opened. The energy in the room shifted, became lighter. Dmitry glanced at the woman silhouetted against the door who entered the night club. She brought his primal senses screaming to life. His breath caught, and heart lurched. She was small, her body slim, breasts full and tempting in a pink camisole top and matching skirt. Long mahogany hair fell to her waist. He drank in the sight of her, wanting nothing more than to look forever.

His blood heated and body ached with arousal. He wanted her. Emotions-hunger, lust, joy,confusion-crashed over him like a giant wave. His wolf spirit surged to the surface and wanted to hunt, capture, mate.

A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his body. Pulling air into his lungs, he tried to catch the fragrance that belonged to her alone. Instead, the smell of cigarette smoke, alcohol, sweat and the cologne humans used to hide it filled his lungs. He coughed as his body began to tremble. With a flash of light, the pain of claws ripped through the tips of his fingers.Thank goodness his hands were hidden under the table. The strobe lights and noise of the crowd obscured his growl. It was crucial his wolf spirit stay hidden while humans surrounded him. The shift had never come over him before without his knowledge.