Touch of the Alpha by K Matthew Page A

who had
more wolf in them and who had less. This surprised Karen, because
she was so familiar with the lacking scent of her own family. To
have her nostrils so full of the wolf smell was almost
overwhelming, and it took her a while to get used to it.
    At Sky High Ranch, there were no
counseling sessions, no meetings. Karen was allowed to do whatever
she pleased during the daytime, as long as she stayed on the
premises. At night, however, she was required to attend a group
bonfire. It seemed like the oddest form of therapy to reform her,
but who was she to complain. It wasn't like she planned for her
time here to alter her behavior. She would go along with their
kumbaya session and come out none the better for it.
    When the sun dipped over the horizon
and the moon arose in the sky, the wolves of Sky High Ranch headed
out into the forest for their nightly bonfire. Karen went along,
completely expecting a marshmallow roast and singalong. Instead of
a guy with a guitar case slung over his shoulder though, there were
several lycans carrying ice chests full of beer. Now this was
something that Karen could get into.
    As soon as the fire was started, the
gathering turned into more of a party, with lycans walking around
with beers in their hands sharing conversation. It would have been
a dream come true to Karen, being around so many of her own kind,
except for the fact that no one seemed to want to talk to her.
Social anxiety the likes of which Karen had never felt before came
rolling over her full force, crushing her with what ifs and
feelings of being insufficient. Was she being shunned because there
wasn't enough wolf in her? Or was it because of her hefty
size?
    One great thing about being part wolf
is that it works wonders for the metabolism. Not so much when there
are only a few drops of wolf left in your blood. Karen was by far
the biggest girl at the party, and there wasn't a single male
looking her way. If she ever felt more self-conscious, she couldn't
remember a time. Surrounded by her own kind, but completely
alone.
    Trying not to be too much of a bummer,
Karen grabbed a beer from the ice chest and found a secluded spot
to sit and watch the festivities from afar. The night was chilly,
so she hugged herself to keep warm. For as excited as she had been
when she realized this was going to be a party instead of a stuffy
social gathering focused on bonding, she was completely miserable
now. All she wanted was to go home.
    The party continued on into the night,
and no one gave Karen a second glance. There was a stick a few
inches away from her foot, and she figured that drawing pictures in
the dirt with it would be far more fun than watching everyone else
have a good time. The scent of wolf was so strong in the air, a
melting pot of the collective group, that she didn't even notice
when someone approached her.
    “ You look lonely.” A deep
male voice said, causing Karen to jump. Was her wolf so weak that
she couldn't smell the guy walking up on her? It was a reminder of
how pathetic she was.
    “ I'm fine,” she sighed.
That reaction alone made it obvious that she wasn't fine. Her
expression spoke of depression, the way her lips hadn't curled into
a smile since realizing she was being shunned by the rest of the
lycans.
    “ You're new here, aren't
you?” He quirked a perfect eyebrow, holding a beer in his hand and
standing casually before her. When their eyes met, it took
everything in Karen to keep a blush from her cheeks.
    He was handsome, as most of the men at
the party were. Once you had even a drop of wolf blood in you, it
heightened your attraction for your own kind. Sometimes, it even
made the lines blur between primal nature and real attraction. This
man would be attractive to any woman though. He was tall and broad
with dark features. Chocolate eyes that were almost black, and
mussy hair to match. His scent though. My God, was his scent
strong. Even with all the other lycans around, Karen could smell
it. He had a