Damaged Alpha

  Damaged Alpha

  Samantha Leal

  Copyright ©2018 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.

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  And if you want to check out some of my other stories…

  Standalone Contemporary Novellas

  Mountain Daddy’s Nanny

  The Baby Offer

  The Forsaken Riders

  The Forsaken Riders series is a collection of novelette and novella length standalone Bad boy romances that fit together to tell the longer tale of the Forsaken Riders – and the woman they love - as they fight to dominate the town of Slate Springs.

  Tanner (Book 0 Prequel)

  Available HERE

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  King (Book 1)

  Lynx (Book 2)

  Steel (Book 3)

  Gunner (Book 4)

  Hawk (Book 5)

  Bull (Book 6)

  Stag (Book 7)

  Stick (Book 8)

  Decker (Book 9)

  Ax (Book 10)

  Hunter (Book 11)

  Rocket (Book 12)

  Diesel (Book 13)

  Breaker (Book 14)

  Flash (Book 15)

  Hammer (Book 16)

  Brick (Book 17)

  Chains (Book 18)

  Ranger (Book 19)

  Snake (Book 20)

  Tank (Book 21)

  The Lost Creek Shifters

  The Lost Creek Shifters series is a collection of novelette length standalone Bad boy romances that fit together to tell the longer story of the ancient tale of the bear and wolf shifters in a small mountain town. Enjoy!

  ARLO (Book 1)

  SCAR (Book 2)

  BLU (Book 3)

  BODHI (Book 4)

  KODHI (Book 5)

  ZEKE (Book 6)

  …and also from Totally Romance…

  STONYBROOKE SHIFTERS

  DADDY SHIFTER’S VIRGIN

  A SECRET BABY FOR THE SHIFTER

  THE SHIFTER’S MAIL ORDER VIRGIN

  DADDY SHIFTER’S FAKE FIANCE

  THE SEAL SHIFTER’S SECRET BABY

  CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA DADDY

  NANNY TO THE SHIFTER

  THE SHIFTER PROTECTOR’S VIRGIN

  SECOND CHANCE WITH THE SHIFTER

  OAK MOUNTAIN SHIFTERS

  HER BILLIONAIRE SHIFTER BOSS

  HER SECRET PROTECTOR BEAR

  A SECRET BABY FOR DADDY BEAR

  THE ALPHA’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE

  THE ALPHA DADDY’S NANNY

  BANISHED DRAGONS

  CAPTIVE TO THE DRAGON

  DESTINED FOR THE DRAGON

  DRAGONS OF KALDERNON

  THE DRAGONS OF KALDERNON COMPLETE SERIES

  And we would also love it if you would

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  Table of Contents

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  The Baby Offer Preview

  1.

  Melissa took a deep breath and kept her eyes clamped shut. Behind her, she could still feel Carly’s fingers running through her hair, and although it was soothing and somewhat relaxing, she knew she was about to view the results she wasn’t sure she actually wanted.

  “Am I going to hate this?” she asked as she reached up and covered her eyes with her palms.

  She had managed to keep them closed ever since she had sat back down in the chair and in front of the mirror, but now, she was having trouble fighting the urge to peak.

  “Are you questioning my hairdressing skills?” Carly asked with a wistful playfulness that always made Melissa laugh.

  “Never,” Melissa smirked. “I think it’s more along the lines of I am questioning my own sanity.”

  “Relax,” Carly whispered in her ear. “You’re an absolute fox, and this is only highlighting that fact… Go on, why don’t you take a look?”

  “Is it finished?” Melissa slowly lowered her hands, but kept her eyes clamped tightly shut.

  “Just about,” Carly said. “Hang on, let me fetch a hand mirror.”

  Melissa heard her rummaging around in the workstation next to them and then she cleared her throat.

  “Okay,” Carly said with excitement. “One, two…”

  “Three,” Melissa finished for her, and she opened her eyes and stared back at the new her.

  She felt her jaw sag, but her lips curled into a smile.

  “Wow,” she said as she leaned forward and took it all in. “I look…”

  “Incredible?” Carly offered warily.

  Melissa looked up into the reflection of her eyes through the mirror and put her hands over her mouth. She was grinning so wide she didn’t feel as if she would ever be able to shake it. She was so happy with the results.

  “I can’t believe it!” she said as she got to her feet.

  Behind her, Carly moved the mirror around so that Melissa could see the extent of her new look.

  Her hair had been taken from way down at her waist to up to her shoulders in a long, sweeping bob cut. It had gone from a boring, mousy brown, to a flat out electric red, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, Melissa looked alive. Her blue eyes shone out against her pale white skin and complimented the fierceness of the hair perfectly.

  “You look like a china doll,” Carly said as she ran her fingers through her hair again. “A sexy, grown-up, china doll.”

  “I look brand new,” she smiled and nodded her head. “Thank you so much.”

  Carly wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her tight.

  “It’s my pleasure,” she grinned as she held her back and looked her up and down. “I’m just glad I could help.”

  Melissa nodded her head and smiled at her warmly. She honestly had no idea what she would do without Carly, especially after the few months she had had. She bent down to pick up her purse and she walked with Carly over to the register.

  “You know, this is going to do you the world of good,” Carly said. “Forget all about that jackass, and about her, and move on with your life.”

  Melissa nodded.

  “Yes, I know, and this is just the first step to reclaiming my power,” Melissa grinned as she flexed her muscles. “Next week, I’ll be back at the gym, no more slobbing around and crying into my tub of ice cream every night, and then the week after that… who knows… maybe world domination?”

  She winked, and Carly smiled.

  “I like your style, girl,” Carly said as she reached up and the two girls did a high-five.

  “Anyway, put your money away,” Carly said as she waved the stack of notes Melissa was trying to press into her palm. “I was free this afternoon and it’s always good to have a model to practice on. It’s on the house.”

  “Shut up,” Melissa said as she reached forward and placed the money down on the counter.

  “No, Mel,” Carly insisted. “Honestly, buy me a drink the next time we hit the town.”

  Melissa reluctantly agreed and took the cash back.

  “Okay,” she said. “But that means it has to be this weekend, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Carly raised her eyebrows and wiggled them playfully.

  “You
don’t need to ask me twice.”

  The girls said goodbye to each other at the door and Melissa slipped out of the salon and back onto the street. She waved to Carly as she turned and began her walk home, with a spring in her step for the first time in a long time.

  She felt good.

  She felt empowered.

  And she felt ready for anything.

  Dylan who? She smiled to herself as she threw her shoulders back and made her way down Main Street.

  He may have dominated her thoughts for the past six months, but now, she was ready to forget him and his cheating ways.

  This was the first day of the rest of her life, and she couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

  She slid the key into the lock, turned it, and opened her front door onto her bright and airy front room. As she stepped inside, she bent down and picked up the mail that was scattered around her feet and had to try her best not to trip over the ball of black fur that was busy trying to wind herself around Melissa’s legs.

  “Cleo,” she smiled as she looked down and nudged her adorable cat away very gently with the tip of her shoe. “Come on, let me in.”

  Cleo looked up at her with bright green eyes and meowed and then cocked her head to the side and brushed up against her once more.

  Melissa closed the door behind her and put on the chain before she flicked on the light and stretched up high.

  “Are you looking at me funny because of my new style?” Melissa laughed as she ran her hands through her hair and looked down at the puzzled expression on Cleo’s face. “I know it’s a change, but it was essential,” she smiled as she bent down and stroked Cleo softly. “New me and all that…”

  She walked toward the kitchen and knew instinctively that her beloved pet was following close behind. When she opened the door and stepped into the dining area, she made her way quickly to the counter and searched around for some kibble.

  “Here you go, gorgeous,” she smiled as she tipped some into Cleo’s bowl and then scratched her affectionately on the head.

  She turned and set the mail down on the side next to her and then she cast her eyes up to the clock. It was only just approaching five, and she had a whole night ahead of her to try and keep herself occupied, so she got to work straight away on cooking herself a nutritious meal and writing down a to-do list.

  As she opened the refrigerator and pulled out some tofu, veggies and coconut oil, she mentally started to write down everything she wanted to do.

  “Number one,” she said out loud as she looked down at Cleo. “Go through the closet and throw out every item of clothing that Dylan ever bought for me… In fact, every item of clothing I can remember even wearing when I was on any kind of date with him at all.”

  She shuddered and felt herself fight the urge not to gag.

  “Number two, finally look through the drawers in the bathroom and throw away all the shit he’s left here.”

  She nodded her head approvingly and then reached up to stroke her chin.

  “And then, number three, go online and do some much-needed retail therapy. A new me needs a new wardrobe, after all.”

  She grinned down at Cleo who momentarily looked up from her bowl and meowed at her again, and Melissa felt so very grateful that her doting pet was there by her side.

  The past few weeks had been horrific, to say the least, and at one point, she hadn’t known how she was going to make it through. When she had learned of Dylan’s philandering ways, she had been in denial at first, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. But the more the story had started to come out, the more she knew every word of it to be true.

  Her boyfriend… the man she had spent the past six months with… was a lying, cheating scumbag, and it just so happened that he had another girl elsewhere in town. Melissa had fallen for him and been taken in by all his charm and lies, but it had all turned out to be false.

  He was a serial womanizer, and now her guard was well and truly up.

  “Thank god we never got overly serious,” she whispered to herself, or to Cleo, she wasn’t even sure which, but Cleo meowed back to her with wide eyes.

  She smiled down at her and then she let out a sigh of relief.

  Yes, things had been tough for her, but they hadn’t been disastrous. It hadn’t been life or death, and she was determined it wasn’t going to make or break her. Her time with Dylan would just have to be filed under ‘Lost Property’ in the hope that it would never, ever be found again. The memories, the gifts, the experiences and the lingering nag of doubt that she had let someone get the better of her, all of it was being firmly put away and to bed.

  She sat down at the table and dug her fork into her vegan stir fry. She had spent the past six months eating nothing but meat, all at Dylan’s request, and even this felt like a small act of rebellion. It was her own little way of saying fuck you.

  “I am in control now, and the fact you came into my life and turned it upside down isn’t going to define me,” she said aloud but in a whisper.

  Cleo jumped up onto the table and nuzzled into Melissa’s shoulder.

  She had everything she needed right there.

  Her own place, a great set of family and friends, her adorable cat, and she had kept her pride.

  Yes, breakups were tough, but she would come out the other side better than she had been when she went in.

  She had new hair and a new outlook on life. And because of that, nothing was going to hold her back.

  2.

  “I dread to think how much you’ve gone and bought,” Carly said through gritted teeth and from the other end of the line. “Were you like a woman possessed?”

  “Completely,” Melissa giggled. “I may have to cut up my credit card, it was pretty bad.”

  Carly breathed out and it sounded like she was giving a little whistle through her teeth.

  “Well, at least you have a good excuse,” she reassured her.

  “I know,” Melissa smiled. “And I promise I’m done now. No more changes, I’m just going to carry on being me and seeing where the world takes me.”

  “And I am glad to hear it,” Carly smiled. “So when are all of your orders arriving?”

  “Today, at some point,” Melissa said as she tapped at her laptop and opened her emails. She had several notifications, all from different online stores, emailing her receipts and delivery dates for the bundles of clothes she had added to basket in a bid to keep a hold of her positive streak.

  “Well, enjoy,” Carly said. “And have a good day at work too. I’ll be around later if you need me for anything.”

  “Sure,” Melissa said as she looked in her vanity mirror and started to apply some red lipstick to match her hair. “Speaking of which, we need to arrange this night out.”

  “Hell yes we do!” Carly grinned. “Let’s chat about it later. I’ve got to run now, the salon is supposed to be open in ten minutes and I’m still sitting here with wet hair.”

  “Yikes, yes, get to it,” Melissa said. “Bye, doll.”

  The two girls hung up at exactly the same time, and Melissa turned to look at her bedroom and smiled. She had made the bed but Cleo was already curled up in the blankets and sunning herself in a stream of light that was coming into the room from the crack in the curtains. She wandered over to them and opened them fully and Cleo gave an appreciative stretch.

  “Well, have a good day, Miss Cleo,” she smiled as she headed for the door and reached down to pick up the two sacks of trash that contained pretty much any item of clothing that reminded her of Dylan, or anything that he had left at her home.

  As she went out onto the driveway, she opened up the trash can and threw them inside, letting the lid crash down with a clatter and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  One more task was done.

  She hitched her purse up onto her shoulder and turned to begin her walk to work. The day had never felt brighter or more full of possibility.

  Melissa had worked at the bookstore and café for over a year, an
d she loved it more than she had ever thought possible. It was small and independently owned, but it was a big and popular spot in town. The book part of the store was incredible to wander around, and she loved the fact that it had a café attached with plenty of space for the locals and visitors to socialize. They did book signings if they ever managed to secure authors who were off on tours, and they ran regular poetry slams and reading and writing groups on an evening.

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key before she began to open up, and she turned the little sign on the door to say that they were open for business. She flicked on the light switch and watched the place come alive before her very eyes. The children’s corner was covered in novelty night lamps and fairy lights and it shone like the pretty little den that it was. The main sections of the bookstore were illuminated from the very top of the shelves, as old-fashioned spotlights shone down on them and made the spines gleam in all of their different colors.

  She left the door open slightly and reached for the sandwich board with a novelty quote that she had painted on at the beginning of the week with blackboard paint. It was one of the things her and the owner’s liked to do on a Monday morning. It was a part of the ritual of a new week and a new start. The one she had chosen for this particular week was short and sweet, but one she loved all the same…

  There is no friend as loyal and wise as a book…

  Ernest Hemingway

  She smiled as she placed it outside on the sidewalk and then turned back to the center of the store and put her hands on her hips.

  She was going to be the only person working amongst the books for the next hour or so, but the girls from the café would be in within the next ten minutes. She looked down at the watch on her wrist and then she took her purse to the main checkout and put it safe and hidden away in one of the staff drawers.

  She yawned and stretched as she cast her eyes toward the left hand side of the room. The café was separated by partitions and was half inside and half outside the building, but she knew the coffee machine was in there and it was suddenly all she could think about. One of the many perks of working in such an awesome place was the free coffee on tap and the first picks of the freshly baked muffins in the morning. She rubbed her hands together in delight and grinned in the knowledge that as soon as the people from the kitchen came in, she would be lining up and waiting for her much-needed hit of caffeine.