Alpha at Home

By DJ Bryce

Maximus has always known two things: He was destined to be the Bravo of his Pack and he's in love with Gillian Matthews. The problem is, Gillian was raised knowing she was destined to be mated to the Alpha, who is Maximus's best friend.

Although they've kept each other at arms length, you can't escape fate. When it becomes clear that Gilly is Max's mate, and not Mateo's, they will all have to come to terms with the way this will impact, not just their lives, but the pack's future.

Alpha at Home is the first in an all new series about men who may not be brothers by blood, but are brothers of the heart. And the realization that, regardless of how the Matthews siblings have been raised, sometimes you have to follow your heart, even if it's leading you down the hardest path.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bethany Lopez
• Release date: Mar 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463880449

DJ Bryce

Author DJ Bryce loves her men tall, dark, and Alpha. She can often be found relaxing with a cup of coffee, a handful of RedVines, and a good book, with her two dogs snoozing happily at her feet.She's a lover of The Walking Dead, Romantic Comedies, and writing sexy shifters.DJ Bryce is a pen name for USA Today Bestselling author, Bethany Lopez.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Maximus

"Max, we need to set up a meet with the Threehorn Pack. I met with Josiah, their Alpha, and he said everyone has arrived and they’re getting settled in. Let’s see if we can get Gillian and Natasha to send out an all call for the welcome wagon," Mateo, the Alpha of our pack, and my best friend since birth, said from his spot at the head of the table.

We were in our weekly council meeting. As the Bravo, Mateo’s second in command, I was at his left, with the rest of the pack council, Bryan, Calin, Gregory, and Kevin, filling in the rest of the seats.

We had about three hundred members in our pack, including the women and children, and they all looked to us to keep them safe and cared for. It was a lot of responsibility, but just as Mateo had always known he would one day be Alpha, I’d known that I would happily serve at his side.

I nodded, mentally scheduling a stop at Howlers, the bar where Gillian and Natasha worked, before heading out to the Threehorn land to set up the meet.

Next up, we need to talk about the harvest, Mateo continued, talking about the crops we grew to keep our pack afloat. Howlers, the bar in town, had been run by our pack since our grandparents were young, but when Mateo took over and saw the financial state of the pack, he’d had the idea to start growing and harvesting corn on our land.

The first two years had been difficult, but in the third year we’d turned a profit, and now it looked like his brainchild was actually going to give our pack some financial stability again. We still owned and ran Howlers, but it was Mateo’s crops that were keeping our pack’s bellies full.

Bryan, you check the combine, make sure everything’s working properly. Calin, check the dryer. And, Gregory, do a walk around the silos, checking for cracks, holes, etcetera. Just like last year. We have a good looking crop this year, I don’t want anything overlooked.

What about me boss? Kevin, our youngest and newest member asked. He was young, but he was hardworking and eager to please.

Mateo looked down the long table at him, considering, then replied, Go with Bryan. He can teach you how to run the combine. Show you how it works.

Kevin and Bryan nodded their agreement, then Mateo’s eyes swept the table and he asked, Anyone have anything for me? Everyone shook their head in response, so he added, All right then. Have a good evening, brothers.

I stayed behind while the others filed out of the room, standing after Mateo did the same, stretching as he reached his full height.

Mateo had always been tall growing up, but when he’d answered the call and became Alpha of our pack, he’d grown even larger. Now, he towered a good three inches over my 6’4" frame. With his dark auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and massive size, Mateo looked intimidating, but I knew him to be the most kind and loyal of friends.

I figured I’d grab dinner at Howlers while I’m there, you have plans for tonight? I asked.

I have to run home to grab some paperwork, but that sounds good. I’ll meet you there.

After saying I’d grab us a couple stools at the bar, I headed out of the clubhouse and drove into town. We lived in a two-stoplight town, and on the thousands of acres that surrounded it. In the past, there’d been a mixture of residents, but now, everyone who resided here was in the pack in one way or another.

If they weren’t wolves, they were either married to them, or born from them. There were a few families left that were strictly human, but most of them were raised knowing they were going to mate with someone from the pack. Very few people left town, and those who did, usually came back.

This meant everyone knew one another. Their pasts, hopes for the future, and everything in between. It could get annoying, having everyone think they knew you inside and out, but I enjoyed the predictability of it, even if there was one secret about me that nobody knew.

I was in love with Gillian Matthews.

I’d known it from the second I’d pulled her pigtails on a dare from Mateo in the second grade.

Raven haired, mouthy, and beautiful in a way that made my breath catch in my throat, Gillian was everything I’d ever wanted in a woman.

When I walked into Howlers, my eyes immediately sought her out, flicking over the packed seats signalling that it was dinner time. And, there she was, laughing as she served a family in the back-corner booth.

Wearing the Howlers uniform of a short black skirt, black tank top with a howling wolf on the front, and black boots, she was gorgeous. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her lips were painted a fire engine red.

My dick hardened just looking at her. My body always reacted at the sight of her. As did my heart, my pulse, shit, even my nerve endings seemed to vibrate anytime she was near.

Pulling my gaze from her, I crossed to the bar and took one of the two stools at the end that were always reserved for Mateo and myself. Being the Alpha and Bravo of our pack came with some perks…

Hey, Max, what can I get you? Natasha, Gillian’s younger sister, asked as she walked down the bar toward me. She was just as striking as her sister, but while Gillian was like walking sex, Natasha had always reminded me of a pixie. She wore her black hair cropped short, and rather than her sister’s blue eyes, Natasha had the coolest grey eyes I’d ever seen.

Hey, Tash, how goes it? I asked with a smile. She’d always been like a little sister to me.

Can’t complain, she replied, returning my smile with one of her own.

I’ll have a Stella and a couple of menus. Mateo’s on his way.

With a sharp nod, Natasha pulled two menus from behind the bar, then went to go pull my beer.

The door opened behind me, and I turned slightly to see Mateo walk in. I watched as Gillian caught his eye. He gave her a small grin