Alpha Defenders: Heat (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Alpha Defenders: Heat

  Millionaire undercover agents Mark Wolfson and Tom Packson are shapeshifters who work for a secret organization pledged to protect those who need help. Haunted by the loss of an agent, a woman who was injured on the job, they're determined to bring down those responsible in the red rock area of Wolf's Crossing, Texas. But beautiful Brenda Macrae has been threatened by a local gang and has landed in harm's way.

  Brenda has sworn to never fall in love again after leaving her college boyfriend. But when Mark and Tom are threatened, she stands by them, determined to protect them if she can—as she loses her heart to Mark and Tom when they prove they'll never leave her.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 36,008 words

  ALPHA DEFENDERS: HEAT

  Lyzie Carlisle

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  ALPHA DEFENDERS: HEAT

  Copyright © 2017 by Lyzie Carlisle

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-212-5

  First Publication: March 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 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

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  Thanks to my wonderful daughter for the great inspiration and for encouraging me in all I want to do.

  Thanks to everyone at Siren-BookStrand for your endless patience. There’s no place I’d rather be publishing my stories.

  Thanks to my editor, Devin, for such wonderful support, great editing, and generous encouragement.

  To my readers, your support for my characters and their stories keeps me writing. Thank you!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  The characters I write about come to me at all hours of the day to inspire me to write their stories. I’ve been an avid romance reader since high school. I’ve always wanted to write stories about a tough guy winning the love of a woman irresistibly drawn to him. A member of Romance Writers of America, I’ve been a finalist in romance writing contests, including the Romantic Times contest. I live and write in the foothills of the mountains in Texas.

  For all titles by Lyzie Carlisle, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lyzie-carlisle

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Landmarks

  Cover

  ALPHA DEFENDERS: HEAT

  LYZIE CARLISLE

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Mark Wolfson had held his fury bottled up inside him until finally Mike Adams regained consciousness. Wra’s attack on Mike and Luke was outrageous. Wra was a predatory shifter who must be arrested. It was all Mark could do to control his seething rage and not shift to his wolf form.

  He drove straight to Arik’s place. Mark vowed to catch Wra and bring him to justice, no matter what he had to do to accomplish it.

  Once in the privacy of Arik’s house, Mark called the headquarters of the Citizen Protection Organization. “This is Mark Wolfson. Wra slipped out of our grasp again.”

  Mary being caught and terrorized by Wra had been bad enough. But threatening her after Wra had beaten Mike and Luke was more cruelty than Mary or any woman should be subjected to. He would never forget how frightened Lacy had been when that bastard, Wra, held her captive after Mark infiltrated Wra’s gang. Thanks to fellow undercover agents, Tom Packson and Sam Hunter, and the Alpha Protectors, he’d been able to keep Lacy safe and return her to her loved ones.

  The memory of Wra insisting Mark have sex with Lacy fueled his fury even more. Mark had protected Lacy by faking sex with her, but she’d been frightened by being held captive by Wra. Mark and his fellow undercover agents had blown their secret identities, but that didn’t matter to Mark.

  Men preying on women or children went against everything he’d learned over the years. Mark intended to put an end to Wra’s reign of terror. All Mark needed from headquarters was permission, and then he’d find and arrest Wra and put him in jail for the remainder of his life.

  When Wra got away, Mark couldn’t believe he’d failed to catch the evil bastard. Wra had gone beyond what Mark’s limits would tolerate. He was determined to stop him. Making war on women was the last evil that Wra would do.

  “I need permission from headquarters to find Wra and take care of him. Thanks.” Mark ended the call. He now had the permission he needed.

  Mark was still haunted by what had happened years ago when, he believed, it had been his fault for the loss of a woman, an agent who got into a tight spot and couldn’t protect herself. He was still hiding the pain he continued to feel from failing the woman. He’d vowed then to never fail to protect women, children, or any of his fellow agents ever again, no matter what it took for him to do it. He had been raised in a loving family who all respected each other. In turn, that love and respect was important for him to extend to others.

  “Whatever I have to do, Tom, I intend to bring down Wra.” He met the gaze of his best friend and fellow agent, Tom Packson. “We’ve searched for days for Wra in the areas surrounding the town of Heat Springs. We haven’t found him or any sign of him anywhere. As members of the Texas branch of the Citizen Protection Organization, we take this job seriously.”

  “Yeah, we do, absolutely. But he’s not the only guy we need to catch and put away.”

  “Believe me, I know.” With his best friend, Tom, and other government agents, they must not only catch Wra but other lawbreakers. “We also have to stop the underground law breakers from providing help to the marauders and their crazed leaders.” Many of those outlaw leaders were enemy shape-shifters bent on ruling the country.

  “This has been one more frustrating day of searching,” Tom said. “I’m looking forward to some good food now.”

  Mark and Tom headed to Austin and Rex’s bar and dance hall. “I hope we hear something from someone that will help put us on the path to finding Wra and putting him behind bars.”

  Lacy’s brother, Austin Blue, and her two guys, Trey and Derek, had sworn to help Mark catch Wra. Austin and his business partner, Rex, owned and worked in the perfect business for overhearing important information.

&
nbsp; Mark and Tom reached the bar, and Tom parked the truck in the crowded parking area. “I have a distinct feeling that everything is about to change in a big way,” Mark said.

  Mark and Tom walked inside the expansive room where people sat at tables eating dinner and enjoying drinks while couples danced to the music of a good country band. Mark noticed Austin across the room and nodded to him. Austin quickly strode toward them.

  “How are things going?” Austin asked.

  “No luck, yet,” Mark said. “You’ve got a big crowd tonight.”

  “Yeah,” Austin agreed, giving him and Tom a big grin. “We have a new group of guys enjoying our food and beverages this evening. Some of them are up at the bar ordering up another drink.”

  “We should go meet them,” Tom said. “You never know who might have information that would help our search.”

  “Go right ahead,” Austin said. “I’ll set up a table for you over there on the side of the dance floor. What would you like to order?”

  “Nachos for a start,” Tom said as Mark took a good look at the men at the bar.

  “I’ll bring that out when you’re ready to sit down,” Austin said.

  “Thanks,” Mark said. “Let’s go introduce ourselves to the new guys,” he said to Tom. There was room at the bar for both of them next to the men Mark thought they should meet. After they ordered their drinks, Mark turned to the man beside him. “Hi, I’m Mark Wolfson, and this is my friend, Tom Packson.”

  The dark-haired man next to him at the bar nodded to Mark. “Glad to meet you. My buddy and I are new to this area and thought we’d check out the nightlife.”

  “We’re new to town, as well,” Mark said. “We’ve found the people here to be friendly. We’re staying in a house on the local lake owned by the Adams family.”

  The new guys grinned and gave each other a look. “It just so happens that we’re also renting a house owned by the Adams family. It’s on the west side of that big, red rock formation.” He held out his hand to shake hands with Mark and Tom. “I’m Jeff Yates, and this is my good friend, Ryan Garrett.”

  “Ry, for short,” the man said as he gave them a friendly smile.

  “Glad to meet you both,” Mark replied as he and Tom shook hands with them. Ry tipped his western-style hat, revealing sandy-colored hair trimmed neatly. The two of them gave the appearance of being well-groomed cowboys who had plenty of money.

  “We’ve enjoyed some of the restaurants and nightlife here in Heat Springs as well as in the town of Wolf’s Crossing since we’ve been in the area,” Jeff said. “We’re putting the word out that we’re having a masquerade party at our place this weekend. We’d be happy for you to come. Nothing fancy, and the masquerade is just for fun.”

  “Sounds like a good time,” Mark said and gave them a friendly smile. He glanced at Tom, who nodded his agreement.

  “Looking forward to it,” Tom said. “All we need are directions to your place.”

  “Great,” Jeff said. “I’ll make a quick map for you.” He took out a piece of notepaper and a pen and drew directions to their place. “Bring dates if you want.” He handed Mark the slip of paper.

  “Will there be a problem if we don’t bring dates?” Mark asked.

  “Not at all. We’ve invited lots of gals to come, and we’ll have a good country band, as well,” Jeff said.

  “How did you happen to come to this area?” Mark asked.

  “We’re prospecting and hope to buy some land nearby. We heard a legend about precious minerals found in this area a long time ago. We both found that intriguing and decided to look into it.”

  “Have you done any prospecting in other places?” Tom asked them.

  “As a matter of fact we have, in New Mexico, near the town where we lived previously,” Jeff said. “We’re looking for a bigger find, though, and this sounds promising. What’s your line of work, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Don’t mind at all,” Mark said. “We’re private investigators and currently we’re searching for a bad dude seen in this area.”

  “Good luck finding him,” Ry offered.

  “Thanks, we need it in this part of Texas,” Tom said.

  The four of them parted company, and Mark and Tom headed back to their table and the good food Austin had put there for them.

  “Are you going to the masquerade party this weekend?” Austin asked them as they sat down at their table.

  “Probably,” Mark said. “It sounds interesting.”

  “We may get a lead on Wra from someone there,” Tom added. “You never know.”

  “Lacy will be there,” Austin said. “She has a friend from college visiting her for a while. She’s going to the party with her guys.”

  “Great,” Mark said. “Sounds like we’ll have plenty of friends there to have fun with. Are you going?”

  “Nope,” Austin said. “I’ll be busy here as usual.” He grinned at them. “The weekend is our busiest time. Enjoy your food.”

  Austin headed back to the bar area, and Mark and Tom delved into their delicious snacks.

  Chapter Two

  Saturday night at the masquerade party, masks were given to the people attending as they came inside the front entrance to the sprawling house.

  “Looks like they’ve got a big crowd,” Tom remarked. “I’ll go check out the bar.”

  It wasn’t long before Mark and Tom recognized Lacy and her new husbands, Trey Farley and Derek Adams, local sons of long lines of shape-shifters. She had a friend with her who was sexy looking even though they couldn’t see her face behind the mask. The masks didn’t keep Lacy from recognizing Mark either. She waved and started across the room toward him with her friend just as Tom rejoined him, holding a couple of beers in his hands. He handed one to Mark.

  “There’s Lacy,” Tom said. “Who’s her friend? From what I can see she’s a knockout.”

  “I think we’re going to meet her right now,” Mark said with satisfaction.

  “Hey, guys.” Lacy removed her mask and gave them both a big smile.

  “Hi, Lacy,” Mark said as he and Tom removed their masks and both gave her big smiles, happy to see her. Mark couldn’t keep from glancing quickly to her friend, who had also removed her mask. He watched her intently. She looked interested in him and Tom as her gaze made contact with his first and then Tom’s. That was promising, Mark thought, already anxious to get to know her.

  “I want to introduce my good friend, Brenda MacRae,” Lacy said. “Brenda, meet Mark Wolfson and Tom Packson. They’re the amazing guys who helped rescue me from that dangerous old man named Wra.”

  “Glad to meet you,” Mark said.

  “How are you?” Tom said.

  She smiled quickly first at Mark and then at Tom. “I’m fine, thank you. It’s good to meet you. Lacy has told me a little about how she met you and how much she appreciates your friendship. Thank you for keeping her safe. I wouldn’t want to ever lose Lacy. She’s my best friend.”

  “We met at college, and we’ve been best buddies ever since,” Lacy said.

  Mark noticed that Lacy was holding hands with Brenda, who didn’t look as much at ease as Lacy did. He figured Brenda must be a little shy, although he didn’t know why since she was gorgeous. Her wavy blond hair rested on her shoulders and spilled forward, nestling above her high, shapely breasts. He couldn’t help staring at her striking blue eyes that sparkled when she smiled at him and Tom. She was taller than Lacy, probably around five feet eight inches, and looked trim in her blue slacks and white knit top.

  “Would you like to join us at our table over there?” Lacy asked Mark and Tom. She indicated a table at the side of the spacious room. Mark could see her two guys sitting there with someone he hadn’t met yet. Their friend looked like a bruiser.

  “Love to,” Tom said.

  “How do you like the band?” Mark asked Lacy and her friend.

  “They sound great,” Brenda said.

  The band started into a slow song. “
Would you like to dance? Mark asked Brenda.

  “Sure,” she said, smiling at him.

  “We’ll join you after this dance,” Mark told Lacy. She smiled at him with a knowing glint in her eyes as she stood with Tom at the edge of the dance floor.

  Mark smiled at Brenda as he held out his hand to take hers. He felt the warmth in her hand as her long slender fingers curled around his much larger hand. He led her into the edge of the dance crowd. When he turned her into his embrace, he was immediately aroused by her sexy, graceful body. She fit perfectly against him and was easy to dance with. Telling himself to be careful not to squeeze her hand too hard in his excitement, he turned her around the dance floor as they moved to the music.

  The song ended too soon. With his hand at her waist, he continued to enjoy the seductive motion of her body as he walked with her back to where Tom and Lacy waited for them.

  Tom asked her to dance with him next, and Mark could easily tell that he was aroused, as well, by Brenda’s nearness. She was one sexy woman with a sweet, enchanting smile and beautiful eyes.

  “How are you doing these days?” Mark kept his voice low enough that only Lacy could hear him. “Are you getting past being a captive of Wra’s?” Mark worried all the time about Lacy after what she’d been through at the hands of Wra.

  “I’m doing real good,” she said softly. “Trey and Derek have been wonderful and so supportive. Their strength and love have been exactly what I’ve needed.”

  “Does Brenda know what Wra put you through when he held you captive at his place?” Mark quietly asked Lacy. He felt embarrassed to ask Lacy since he’d been forced, for her protection, to take part in Wra’s scheme while he’d worked undercover to infiltrate Wra’s gang. Mark was relieved when he and the other men working with him were able to free Lacy from the crazy bastard.