Leaving the Alpha Read online

  

  Wolf Souls 4

  Leaving the Alpha

  Davin Hart can't take it anymore. The life of an alpha's mate was everything he loved, and everything he feared.

  He adores his mate. Mark is an excellent lover, a fantastic detective, and the fact that he can shift into a wolf is awesome.

  But Davin is a wolf soul. Born with the ability to let shifters control their inner beasts and massive strength. He's been kidnapped three times.

  Davin wants out. Even if he has to break his own heart.

  Mark doesn't want to let his mate go, but how can he keep Davin when he has been unable to protect him?

  So Mark makes a deal.

  Seven days. If he can't convince his mate to stay after seven days and passionate nights, Mark will let his mate walk away and never bother him again.

  Though Mark may have his work cut out for him when a traitor within the pack wants to see Davin gone for good.

  Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 25,841

  LEAVING THE ALPHA

  Wolf Souls 4

  Marcy Jacks

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Leaving the Alpha

  Copyright © 2018 by Marcy Jacks

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-522-1

  First Publication: November 2018

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marcy Jacks lives and works in Ontario, Canada, she loves writing about hot guys in dangerous situations, plays videogames, crafts, and walks her dog. :) You can read more of her work at marcyjacks.com

  For all titles by Marcy Jacks, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/marcy-jacks

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  LEAVING THE ALPHA

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  LEAVING THE ALPHA

  Wolf Souls 4

  MARCY JACKS

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Davin Hart stared at his mate. He felt so small and insignificant standing before Mark. An alpha wolf. A creature that could destroy Davin in an instant if he really felt like it.

  They were in their kitchen, a kitchen they'd fucked in so many times Davin couldn't count them.

  Right now, the space felt cold. It felt like Davin didn't belong there, and he wished he were anywhere else other than right here.

  "I'm not doing this to hurt you."

  Empty words. Davin knew that, and he was a hundred percent sure that Mark knew it, too, because this was clearly hurting him.

  "I wish it didn't have to be this way."

  Mark's eyes glinted, a hint of anger coming forward, catching Davin off guard. "It'd be real easy to believe that if you weren't doing this to us."

  Davin flinched, the worst kind of shame and guilt eating away at him.

  Which was strange because he'd never had feelings like that in front of Mark before. Not once did Davin ever feel small or guilty or helpless when it came to his mate.

  He did whenever the hunters tried to get to him, but not ever in front of Mark.

  But he did so right now. Of course he did. He and Mark were finalizing their separation.

  A separation Davin had asked for.

  "I'm sorry," he said. Davin forced himself to look Mark in the eyes. It was the least he could do after everything Mark had done for him.

  Mark had been there for him so many times, had saved his life on occasion, but the times when he couldn't be there had slowly started to outweigh the times when he could.

  And after being kidnapped by hunters for a third time, it got to the point where Davin no longer cared who was coming to save him and why. He knew Mark would come to save him eventually, or that he would try.

  That didn't make the experience of having his life in danger any better. Davin knew that his mate cared for him, and Davin loved Mark so much in return.

  But Davin didn't want to be a victim anymore. He didn't want to be used against the man he loved or the people he respected and adored in Bodolf's pack.

  He wanted to go back to being normal.

  He didn't want to be a wolf soul, and while he knew that was something he could never entirely avoid, he could still try.

  "You don't have to do this."

  Mark stood in front of him, arms crossed, but it was a defensive position rather than an offensive one. Davin could see that from a mile away.

  "I know you still love me."

  Davin did, and that was the thing he struggled with the most.

  "I do."

  But he wasn't so sure that Mark loved him, not even because the man hardly ever said it. Davin knew words couldn't always convey what a person was feeling, but this seemed so much more important. This seemed like…

  Sometimes it seemed more like Mark was playing a part. Of course he would care for the man who was his mate, the man who might carry his children one day, but that was a mating instinct. The mating heat was what the wolves called it.

  Davin thought he could stick around long-term for a man who only cared for him, especially considering the life Mark offered him.

  It wasn't always dangerous to live here, but being kidnapped three times over the course of four years had taken its toll on Davin.

  He swallowed hard. "I just…I know you were trying, and you knew this was coming. We talked about this."

  "Right, and I was hoping you would come to your senses."

  Mark looked at him up and down, as though he'd never laid eyes on Davin before, as though he were a stranger.

  "Do you know what it will do to us if you try to break off a mating? Do you have any idea the pain you'll go through?"

  Davin flinched. "You're worried about the pain of breaking off a mating?"

  "Did I say anything about me?" Mark snorted, turning away from Davin. He paced a little and ran his hand through his hair before pushing his gray suit jacket back and letting his hands rest on his hips.

  "You're the one who will get hit the hardest. Not me. I'm an alpha. I can handle it."

  Davin pressed his lips together. "Then it should be fine for you to let me go."

  Mark turned back to look at him, his eyes a bright shade of gold. They looked anything but human, and in that moment, Davin was positive it was the wolf he was looking at and not the man.

  "I…I need to do this."

  And the only way to sever a mating was if both parties were on board. One couldn't do it
without the other. That was how this sort of thing worked.

  At least, that was how Mark had it explained to him. He wasn't a wolf, so everything he knew about werewolves came as a product of living here for a little over four years.

  "I don't want to do this—"

  "Then don't!"

  Davin jumped when Mark punched his fist through the wall. The alpha pulled his hand back, looked at the drywall crumbling to the floor, then looked at Davin before he turned and walked out.

  And Davin's heart went with him. He didn't want this. He didn't want to leave his mate any more than Mark wanted Davin to leave, but Davin wanted a normal life. He didn't want to have to fear for his life ever again.

  He didn't want someone to put a blade to his throat because he was the mate of a wolf shifter. He didn't want to have to keep secrets from friends outside of the pack.

  But as Mark walked away, all of those things seemed so utterly small and insignificant in comparison to having the man he loved back.

  Davin stood there in the kitchen he shared with Mark. This was Mark's house. Even if Mark couldn't give Davin the separation he wanted, then there was no way Davin could keep living here.

  He'd decided he didn't want his mate, and that meant he'd decided he wasn't going to live here either.

  But in that moment, looking around the house he'd shared with his mate, Davin couldn't get the memories out of his head.

  That stain on the ceiling…that happened when Mark snuck up behind him, stealthy and sneaky, before grabbing him and tickling Davin until he begged for mercy.

  He'd also thrown the thing he'd been holding in his hand up at the ceiling, which happened to be an open jam jar.

  The stain was going to stay there forever. Even long after Davin was gone.

  He walked over to the living room.

  The coffee table had two mismatched legs from when Markus had put Davin on his back on it, and even when it collapsed beneath their combined weight, it wasn't enough to make Mark stop fucking into him.

  That had been a good day. Mark had been promoted at work, and he'd been so proud of himself.

  Davin wasn't sure he wanted to go into the bedroom he shared with his mate. There would be about a thousand too many memories in there.

  Like the time he'd found out he was pregnant in the adjoining bathroom.

  And then, barely five weeks later, had miscarried because the male mates of the shifter weren't always able to carry to term.

  That had been one of the first real struggles between them as a couple, and it had nothing to do with the hunters.

  Davin could handle almost anything that came at him. He was positive of that. He didn't care that he, as a man, would be carrying shifter young for his mate. He didn't mind it that Mark got some sort of satisfaction from the mating that allowed him to increase his strength.

  Davin told himself that he could even handle it if he wasn't Mark's one true love.

  That was Mark's work that had that honor.

  No, Davin could handle almost anything. Even being kidnapped by hunters with some of the other wolf souls and omegas in the pack.

  He'd handled that fine the first time. He'd been gone for only a couple of hours.

  Terrifying, but the hunters hadn't taken him far before Bodolf, Seamus, and Mark came rushing onto the scent.

  They'd smelled the intruders, and they were pissed.

  The second time, Davin hadn't even known he'd been kidnapped. He'd been at the bakery, helping two clients.

  What he’d thought were a couple of clients, going over wedding cake decorations.

  He'd found out later that the man and woman in his bakery had been charged with killing Davin on sight if Bodolf didn't hand over some sort of information to his boss.

  Davin still shivered to think about that. How close he'd come to getting stabbed or shot, and he didn't even know it. The lady had smiled so sweetly at him. Davin still had trouble believing she could be in on something so heinous, but her job had likely been to throw Davin off the mark.

  Weird how he never would have suspected the couple of foul play just because a pretty girl happened to also be there.

  Mark had found that couple and taken his revenge on them after the fact. Davin never asked what he'd meant.

  The third time was what had done it for Davin.

  He and a few omegas had been taken by hunters, not to kill them but to sell them for their abilities to help alpha wolves.

  The omegas had been so pissed off at Davin. Angry enough to accuse him of it being his fault for their captivity.

  Omegas weren't necessarily wolf souls. They didn't necessarily have the power to give alphas any strength or enhanced healing, but because those omegas had been hanging out with Davin, other wolves picked up their scent and took them, too.

  Oh yeah, some wolves worked with hunters because they were traitorous pricks who seemed to think that raping wolf souls meant they would be healed of their diseases, that they would be stronger, more powerful, that their healing abilities would work faster, or any number of other things on their wish lists.

  Davin spent a few days with those terrible people. Two of the three omegas taken with him had been raped and killed in front of him, and he'd gotten away mostly untouched only because of stupid luck.

  The guards forgot to lock the door of the room where they threw him and another omega.

  They both ran. They both got away, saving themselves that time instead of waiting for the alphas.

  And Mark blamed himself for not being there, for not coming to him.

  That was a whole other thing Davin didn't want from his mate. He didn't want the other man to think this had anything to do with him. Davin didn't want Mark to think he was leaving because Mark hadn't saved him that last time.

  Davin didn't think he could say it enough to him. Mark felt guilty, and he'd buried himself in his work, more so than he already had. Then when Bodolf was taken…

  Everything just went to hell in a handbasket.

  Maybe he should start packing his things? He hadn't done that yet. He didn't want to deal with the pressure and the pain of packing up his things.

  Davin went to sit on the couch. His eyes burned, and his heart ached.

  He and Mark had talked about this for a couple of months, but now that it was here…

  Davin didn't want to go, but he wanted to be free of the terror that came with living like this.

  Davin's throat closed.

  He loved his mate. He didn't want to leave him, but if he was going to have a life…

  Davin rubbed the back of his neck. His throat hurt. He didn't want to go, and yet he did want to go.

  But why couldn't Mark fight for him a little harder? Did he want the other man to keep fighting for him? Or would it be easier if Mark just said nothing and walked out?

  The way he'd punched the wall though…

  If that didn't mean he wasn't all right with this, then nothing did, right?

  Maybe Davin was fucked up and hurting them both because he didn't know what he wanted.

  The door to the outside burst open. It slammed against the far wall so hard that Davin pushed himself to his feet, worried the door would fall right off the hinges.

  Mark marched into the room, his eyes still blazing, and Davin was caught up in their beautiful glow.

  And a strange fear of his own mate struck him hard.

  Davin couldn't move as Mark marched up to him, reaching his hands out.

  "Come here."

  He grabbed Davin by his shoulder and by the back of his head, yanking Davin to him, crushing their mouths together.

  Davin didn't fight it. Not because he feared what would happen. No, any fear he had of that look in Mark's eyes vanished the moment their mouths touched.

  This was almost like back when they were still getting used to each other, getting used to the mating heat.

  This was lust and love and everything Davin hoped for.

  It was an illusion of the mating,
but he didn't care.

  Davin reached his arms up, curling them around Mark's massive neck and shoulders.

  He let his mate pick him up off his feet and carry him to bed.

  Let it happen. Davin wanted it. He wanted one more time in bed with the man he loved before he had to give this up forever.

  At least once more.

  Then maybe it wouldn't hurt him so damned much to have to let him go.

  Chapter Two

  Mark brought Davin upstairs. Not just him. The wolf, too.

  It didn't want to let his mate go. It wanted the chance to prove at least one more time that he was capable, that he was worthy.

  He kissed Davin's mouth, licking against his tongue, making love to him even before they made it back to their bedroom.

  Don't go.

  Mark kicked the door open. He wasn't as gentle as he wanted to be when he threw Davin down onto the bed, but the speed with which his mate slid down to his knees on the floor and started working on the buckle of his belt, freeing his cock, was almost too much to bear.

  Mark groaned, his dick coming free, standing up on end, and then he damn near came when Davin pressed his tongue to the head.

  Mark knew it. Davin did want this. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay. He was just…

  He wanted to be with a mate who could keep him safe. Could keep him protected.

  Who wouldn't fail him.

  Mark just needed a chance to show his mate that he was never going to fail him again. That shit was done and over with. From now on, he would be here. He would keep his mate safe. He would be there to make sure no one ever came near Davin ever again.

  "Stop that." Mark reached down, grabbed Davin by his shoulders, and dragged him up. "If anyone's going to do that right now, it's going to be me."

  Mark pushed Davin down onto the bed. Davin sat, looking up at Mark with those wide, lust-filled eyes that did so much to him on so many levels it wasn't even funny.

  Davin wanted to strip the man naked and lick every inch of his body.