Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) by Brenda Sparks

watch his female feed. “Did you now? I know just the human. Her blood smells particularly sweet.”
    Andrea rubbed her stomach, gracing him with a smile. “The baby will like that.”
    Gage rose and offered his hand to Andrea. He escorted her up the stairs to their bedroom. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
    When Gage appeared back in the doorway holding a woman with a mass of fiery red hair by her arm, he found Andrea waiting patiently on the bed. She leaned back on her hands, crossing her legs at the ankles, and gave the woman a perusal with her heated stare.
    “My dear, I’d like to introduce Red. Red, this is the mistress of the house. You will please her or you will die.”
    ****
    Stephan and Marcus sat facing each other in the living room. With a punch of a button, Stephan hung up the phone and turned toward his friend.
    “What did Nicholai want?” Marcus asked.
    “He wanted to tell me about some rumors he had heard. Apparently, the word overseas is that there is a hunt club in town.”
    Marcus shook the shocked look from his face. “Here in Vegas? No way! I’d have known about something like that.”
    “As I said, it’s just a rumor. But that is why Nicholai is bringing his ballet company here. He wanted a cover so he could come into town and poke around.”
    “I can’t believe he’ll find anything. I think I’d have noticed if a bunch of humans disappeared.”
    “I haven’t noticed anything unusual since I’ve been here either, but Nicholai seems concerned.”
    “Is that why you bought tickets to his show?”
    “No.” Stephan shook his head. “I got them because I knew Katrina would like to go to the ballet. But now I’m glad I bought them. I will see Nicholai after the show and invite him back here to discuss the rumors. It will give us a chance to talk to him together.”
    “I just can’t believe there would be a hunt club here in Vegas.” Marcus raked his hand down his face.
    Stephan rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. “I know. It is hard to believe that one of our kind could put something like that together right under your nose.”
    “I can only hope he is wrong…Please let him be wrong,” Marcus said quietly as Kat strolled into the living room with her purse on her shoulder.
    “I’m going out,” she announced. “ I’ll see you boys later.”
    Over his dead body. Not if there was a hunt club in the city. Stephan stood and crossed the room to meet her. “Where are you going?”
    “I need to get a dress for tomorrow night. I’ll be back in a little while.”
    “I’ll go with you, Kitten.” It was a demand, not a suggestion.
    “You can’t. I want it to be a surprise. You know what they say. It’s bad luck for a boyfriend to see his girlfriend in her dress before the ballet,” Kat bantered, smiling up at him with a wry grin.
    Stephan sighed his frustration, and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be silly. There is no such saying.”
    “I’m serious, Stephan.” Kat lifted her chin defiantly. “I don’t want you to see the dress before tomorrow.”
    An idea struck him. Brilliant . “Then let me bring the store here to you. I’ll arrange for a variety of garments to be brought here.”
    “No,” she said between clenched teeth, putting her fisted hands on her hips in pique. “You’ll still get to see the dress.”
    Stephan balled his fists by his side, his temper rising. If there was even the slightest possibility someone was running a hunt club in the city, he had no intention of allowing Kat out on the streets of Vegas alone. She was being unreasonable. There was no reason he should not escort her or see the dress.
    Marcus, obviously reading Stephan’s concern, stood. “Come on, Kat. I’ll take you shopping. I know just the place.”
    He could always count on Marcus. He shot him a grateful grin.
    Kat looked suspiciously between the two males. “Something is up.”
    Putting on his best poker face, Marcus looked innocently at Kat. “Can’t a