The Alpha Shifter

Chapter 1

LOGAN

The sun was setting over the city, falling from the sky and bringing with it the darkness that signalled rest, but I was not going to be able to sleep tonight.

My shifters were restless. I could feel the heat rising up my back, making my spine tingle and burn.

I need a drink. It’s the only thing that quiets them down.

Work had finished and I was standing on the street, watching the guys pack up. Going home to their families, their kids, their pets.

Not me.

I raised my hand and waved goodbye to the crew on the building site, all of whom had pulled at least three hours overtime tonight.

Again.

Night, guys. I called out.

They chorused back and continued to pack up their pick-ups and cars. Their transport to get home.  

I, however didn’t have a vehicle standing by to take me home. I didn’t drive unless I had to, and since my place wasn’t too far away from the current building site, I’d made my own way this morning. And I was walking home again.

Not far, was relative of course. It was at least twenty blocks to my run-down shack, and after a full day of building houses, the guys on site thought I was crazy to want the extra exercise. They were all going home to put their feet up and probably fall asleep in front of the TV.

But for me, the walk was nothing. My shifter genes gave me an unending supply of energy and strength. In fact, I preferred to walk. Running would have been better, but that would have attracted too much un-necessary attention since I was still in my work clothes.

I also didn’t want to take a risk and shift in a populated area. I never knew who was out and who was watching. If someone saw me...I didn’t know what would happen.

And yet, the prospect of running in my animal form was too much to resist. The bite of the night air against my fur, the scents that tickled my snout. Everything I saw became clearer while I was in wolf form. It made me feel alive and helped me to see the world around me differently, more deeply.

I turned the corner of the first city block and headed home. The city was quiet and somewhat empty. Parked cars littered the street, and small businesses were turning off the lights and locking the doors. Streetlights above flickered, causing shadows on the concrete to dance and twitch. There was a sense of peace in this city, something that made me feel comfortable and safe.

Out of nowhere, a tingle of awareness shot up my spine. I knew that feeling all too well. That sense of peace that had just washed over me vanished, replaced with trepidation.

No...It can’t be. Who would be following me?

Being what I was left room for threats against me – if someone discovered my true self. I had always been extra careful, and I didn’t trust anyone with that information. The real question I should be asking myself was: Who found out about me and had the balls to follow me?

I crossed the road and glanced ahead, the dirty city streets stretching out for miles.

I lived on the outskirts of the city, past the skyrise apartment blocks and busy streets. It wasn’t exactly paradise, but it worked. The fact that it was close to work and gave me the freedom to walk to and from the construction site was enough for me. I never cared about fancy things or a big, spacious place to live. Since it was only me, I didn’t see the need. Anything bigger than a single bedroom house was frivolous.

There was land around the house, which was the most important thing to me. Space to move. Air to breathe. Privacy from nosy neighbors who might see a wolf running around the yard on the days I couldn’t control my shifter any longer. I couldn’t think of anything worse than living in a small apartment, jammed into a building with a thousand other people. Like a large sardine can.

For a man like me, a loner, a shifter, someone with a touch of claustrophobia, the space around my home was more of a necessity than the house itself. I could sleep in the dirt for all I cared. As long as I was safe. As long as I had my freedom, I would put up with anything.

I kept walking, fighting the urge to look over my shoulder again. I still had that niggling feeling I was being followed. The skin on the back of my neck crawled with tightness and cold.

My senses became heightened as my shifter senses stepped up to deal with the situation. The sounds became louder, and the smells of the city intensified as I searched for more clues to this feeling. I homed in on anything I might be able to pick up that would help me figure this out.

Loud, dirty cars flew past me as people went about their business. To work, home. This city was always crazy busy, it didn’t matter what time of the day or night it was. Sleep was for the weak.

I felt that tingle on my neck, the feeling I got when someone was following me, but stronger this time. I was forced to stop moving, and I tilted my head up, searching. My skin shivered with nervous energy. I hadn’t gotten this far by not following my instincts. They’d kept me alive more times that I could count.

I turned my head and glanced over my shoulder. I had to.

There was someone there, I was sure of it. So, I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn’t see anyone suspicious. I flared my nostrils, trying to pick up a scent.

Again, nothing.

A normal looking guy in a suit sat in his car talking on his cell. Businessman, probably. A woman pushing a stroller who looked like she was pregnant again, a gentle smile on her face as though she didn’t have a care in the world.

Neither of them looked capable of taking me down, nor would they want to. When I gazed at them, I didn’t get any sense of urgency.

Why do still I get the feeling I’m being followed?

I pushed my legs to walk a little faster. I didn’t want to give myself away, I didn’t want whoever my pursuer was to know I was on to them.

Perhaps they were something other than human? There were a lot of paranormals that could easily disguise themselves in a busy street like this, but normally my acute senses would be able detect them.

Normally.

My heart began to pound harder, adrenaline streaking through my veins.

I wasn’t afraid of confrontation, quite the opposite. I could take on any guy my size, two of them if I needed to. There weren’t many guys weighing two-eighty that were as fit as I was. However, the possibility was always there, hanging on my shoulder like a shadow that wouldn’t disappear, even in the light.

The problem wasn’t the fight, it was the fact that I didn’t want anyone to see me taking out whoever was following me.

I didn’t like drawing attention to myself. And I’d managed to stay hidden in this town for years now. I’d enjoyed having some sort of permanent home, and that was rare for a shifter like me.

The tingles increased, the hairs on my arms standing on end. I was right. Someone was following me.

Damn it.

There was someone on my tail. Hunting me, in fact. Like I was some kind of prey. And they were closing in fast. I could feel it in all my advanced senses.

I almost laughed. The thought that anyone could mistake me as prey was hilarious. They didn’t know what was coming to them—when I figured out who they were and where they were hiding.

The sound of someone running hit my hearing, the heat of attack in the air.

Good. Let them come. Let’s get this over with.

Hopefully, we could take care of business somewhere in private so there wouldn’t be any witnesses.

I glanced around. I still couldn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone there. Quite the opposite. The sun was down and the night was full of the paranormal.

Unfortunately, I knew by past experience that vampires loved my shifter blood. I had the scars to prove it.

My fingers curled into fists as I slid sideways into an alley and tensed to take on whoever was on the street, hunting me. I clenched my teeth to keep my growl to myself.

I shook my head of the thoughts and kept my eyes on the entrance of the alley. A couple of college girls laughed as they walked by on the sidewalk, attacking the silence with their chatter and guile. They didn’t even look my way, too distracted by whatever topic of conversation they were both engaged in.

Hopefully nobody sees me do this.

The scent of a shifter filled my nose, though I couldn’t tell which sort.

I furrowed my brow. Picking up a hint of another shifter was unusual... but not something I had time to dwell on now. My vision changed to night mode. I could see better now that the sun had dropped, but thanks to my wolf eyes, I could only see in black and white.

Doesn’t matter. I didn’t need to see in color to strike when I need to.

I sensed my stalker approach. The tingling grew more intense, like a car alarm going off in my mind. Without warning, I leapt onto the sidewalk and grabbed the guy by the back of the neck.

I threw him to the concrete. He rolled onto his back with the speed of a big cat. I jumped on the guy’s stomach and straddled him, lifting my fist to smash him in the face if they said the wrong thing. I did plan to hurt him—but I wanted information first.

Why are you following me? I yelled down at him before I realised what I was looking at.

Or, who I was looking at. Beneath me wasn’t a guy at all.

It’s a woman.

I blinked. I should not have been surprised. I had met many women – human and paranormal – that were all strong, mentally and physically. But none had decided to follow me, to hunt me. I relaxed my arms, my eyes shifting back to human. My gaze focused on her face and colour came back into my world. The woman beneath