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  Alpha Unhinged

  The Dixon Brothers Book Four

  Olivia T. Turner

  Copyright© 2021 by Olivia T. Turner.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including emailing, photocopying, printing, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. For permission requests, email [email protected]

  Please respect the author’s hard work and purchase a copy. Thanks!

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, businesses, companies, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  www.OliviaTTurner.com

  Edited by Karen Collins Editing

  Cover Design by Olivia T. Turner

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

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  To Piña Coladas,

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  Chapter One

  Jacob

  I have two beasts growling at me at the same time.

  Although, our Great Dane’s vicious growls turn to pathetic whimpers when I yank the soggy tennis ball out of his mouth. Moose looks up at me with wide eyes as I raise my arm. I launch it across the valley and he takes off running, kicking up dusty dirt with his four huge paws.

  I sigh as the second beast growls at me.

  He’s not as easy to placate. This beast requires something I can’t provide. Only fate can give him what he’s looking for and so far, fate has been a no-show.

  My inner Kodiak bear snarls as I watch our white dog with the black spots clear half of the valley in no time. He’s livid that I’m standing here, playing with Moose. Outraged that I would dare do anything except search for our mate every second of my life.

  Believe me, if I knew where she was, I would go to her.

  But I don’t. And that painful fact is eating me alive.

  Stop it, I warn my bully of a bear as he starts to pace more violently now. He responds with a savage roar and then starts trying to claw his way out.

  His intentions are clear: If you’re not going to look for her, then I will.

  I flex my muscles and grit my teeth, struggling to hold him in. He wrenches and twists my insides as he tries to wrestle and force his way out. My own growl rumbles out of my throat as I push him back down.

  He’s feisty today, which is a nice way of saying he’s being a nasty feral fucker. My Kodiak has always longed for our mate, we both have, but lately, it’s been something else.

  He’s desperate for her and he’s taking it out on me. As if I’m not every bit as desperate to find her as he is. As if I don’t lay awake every night wondering where she is, what she looks like, when I’ll finally be able to hold her in my hands and touch her sweet soft lips. As if my insides don’t twist and clench every time I think about her out in this dangerous world without her mate by her side.

  I need her so badly it’s killing me. It always has. I’m thirty-four, the oldest of the four Dixon boys, and I’m the only one who’s still alone. Where is she?

  I squeeze my body with a grunt as my cruel bear tries to claw his way out. I fall to my knees as I try to shove him back in. With eyes squeezed shut and jaw clenched, I feel a wetness on my hand. Moose is back with the ball.

  I yank it out of his mouth and throw it with all of the frustration and rage I’m feeling. The poor dog watches helplessly as the tennis ball soars across the ranch and lands in the forest on the far side.

  He lowers his head with a whimper.

  “Sorry, boy,” I say as I drop a shaking hand on his head. “I’ll buy you a new one. I promise.”

  He licks my cheeks and saunters off without a care in the world. Oh, what I would give to change places with him. To not be burdened with the bitter pain of longing.

  My bear gives up with a growl and slips back down deep, hunkering inside with all of the softness of broken glass.

  I punch the dirt and curse under my breath as I stare at the deep knuckle marks. It wasn’t always like this.

  The yearning for my mate was always there, but it was never this crippling.

  What changed?

  I squeeze my eyes shut as I hear the carefree laughter of three happily mated couples leave the house.

  All three of my brothers have found their mates. I’m the only one still flying solo. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for them. Thrilled. It’s just hard to see everyone around you happily soaring up to the clouds with all of their dreams coming true when you’re stuck in the mud, helpless, hopeless, and trapped with an angry, frustrated bear who is too stupid or too heartless to realize that you have nothing to do with the depressing situation.

  “Jacob!” Cameron shouts from behind me.

  “Fuck,” I whisper. Why can’t they just leave me alone?

  I hear his footsteps approaching when I don’t answer.

  “You okay, bro?”

  I glance at him over my shoulder as tears sting the back of my eyes. “Yeah. Fine.”

  He exhales loudly. “We’re heading out for ice cream, why don’t you come with us?”

  I turn back around and stare at the knuckle prints in the dirt.

  “It would be good for you to get out.”

  I shake my head. I love my brothers and we’ve been through a lot, but how can I explain to him how painful this is? He was the first of us to get his mate, a spunky girl named Mary who spilled a full pint of beer all over me when she came crashing into our lives. He doesn’t know what it feels like to be surrounded by love and be the only one rejected. The one lonesome, companionless recluse stuck on love island. It fucking sucks.

  “I’m just going to hang out here, but thanks.”

  He sighs as he drops a hand on my shoulder. Those tears that were stinging the back of my eyes threaten to spill out. One fat drop gets past my defenses and slides down my cheek. I keep my face away from him so he doesn’t see.

  It’s pathetic, really. I was a military ranger once and then a hired mercenary. Tough as they come and here I am blubbering and crying over a girl I’ve never met.

  “She’ll come, brother,” he says in a soft voice. “You’ll see.”

  I nod, but I don’t believe it. Not anymore.

  I’ve looked everywhere for her, waiting to feel her essence fill me up with that magical light, but it’s been nothing but cold dark loneliness. All of my hope has dried up like the bottom of a drained lake cracking in the hot sun.

  I got nothing left.

  Cameron leaves without another word. I stay on my knees, trying to block out the sounds of their happy voices as they pile into Roman’s truck.

  “He’s not coming?” Ivy asks.

  “Is it because of his mate?” Bailey says. “When is he going to find her?”

  “Hopefully soon,” Easton whispers. “He’s been such a buzzkill lately.”

  “He’s having a hard time,” Cameron snaps at him. “Just like you would be if you were the last one.”

  “Thank God for that,” Easton answers and I hear Ivy squeal. He’s probably grabbing her hip and pulling her against him. I hope he realizes how fucking lucky he is…

  I don’t move until the truck rumbles out of the ranch and down
the road. With a heavy sigh, I get up to my feet and head back to the house. I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in weeks. I spend the nights staring at the ceiling in my big lonely bed, or roaming the forest in my bear form when I can’t stand laying there without my mate for another minute.

  I shuffle my feet through the dirt like a zombie, feeling half dead. My bear is ignoring me, which is a nice change.

  How is it possible to have a two thousand pound Kodiak bear inside me and still feel so… empty?

  I call out to Moose before I step inside the house. He doesn’t come. They must have taken him too. I sigh.

  The house phone rings when I’m heading up to my room. I consider not answering it then I remember about Burton and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight.

  Dylan Burton is still alive. He was the one who hired us as mercenaries back in the day. He was also the one who crossed us, killed my father and uncle, and got his ass thrown off a cliff by Easton when we got him back.

  We thought the tough old polar bear shifter was dead, but apparently, he’s still alive and wanting to settle the score. We’ve even had a few encounters with his team of wolf shifters, The Lone Wolf Mercenaries, since we’ve settled down on this Montana ranch.

  I rush over to the phone as my heart pounds a little harder.

  I love my brothers, but their mates are making them soft. Going for ice cream? Are you fucking kidding me? We should be tracking down this bastard and not stopping until he’s dead for real this time.

  They think the wolves were lying and Burton is dead. I think they’re delusional. Blinded by love. Just because they’re done with our past, doesn’t mean our past is done with them.

  “Hello,” I grunt into the phone.

  “Is Easton there?”

  I recognize the voice. It’s Bailey’s brother Enzo.

  Just when my bear needs to get into a good fight to blow off steam, my brothers make friends with the firecunts and deny me a punching bag.

  Easton mated with Bailey and she brokered a shaky peace between us and the town firefighters. Before that we were brawling every time we crossed paths.

  “No,” I grunt into the phone. Not all of us are so thrilled about the new friendship.

  “Who is this?”

  I grit my teeth before I spit out an answer. “Jacob.”

  He sighs. “I got word that there’s two Lone Wolf Mercenaries drinking it up in a dive bar outside of town.”

  I perk up. So does my bear.

  “Where?”

  “The Tipsy Cobra. Do you know it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’d meet you there, but I’m on a shift with a new firefighter. A human.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  I slam the phone down, feeling happier than I have in a long time. I need this.

  A good fight will help chill out my bear. I might finally get a good night’s sleep.

  With a grin on my face, I grab my keys and race out of the house, straight into my truck. My adrenaline is racing as I peel out of the ranch, finally about to have some fun.

  Chapter Two

  Jacob

  As I’m driving to The Tipsy Cobra, my adrenaline rush dissipates and I’m back to thinking about my mate.

  For the millionth time, I go over what I’m going to do to her when I find her. I can’t wait to put my lips on her, to run my hand up her naked spine, to sink into her tight warmth. But more than anything, I can’t wait to love her. To give her everything she needs, to provide for her, protect her, possess her.

  I get shivers just from thinking about it.

  My bear comes roaring back. He’s pacing around inside, huffing and puffing like the nasty brute he is.

  “Just a few more minutes,” I tell him when I spot the mangy bar in the distance. “You’ll have your turn, but I’m first.”

  He growls in disagreement. He can growl all he wants, but I’m throwing the first punch on those pathetic wolves.

  I pull into the parking lot and sneer when I see a few shiny bikes parked in front.

  My heart is pumping with excitement as I park and head inside. The wooden steps that lead to the dilapidated porch creak as I walk up to them with my hands squeezed into fists.

  It’s dark and dreary inside the bar. A couple of drunks are commiserating at the tables, complaining as if the whole world has been conspiring to fuck up their lives when in reality it was all them and they don’t need any help from the universe.

  The bartender looks over at me, a weathered woman who probably goes to bed every night wondering where her life went wrong.

  My eyes lock on the two men sitting at the bar. Lone Wolf Mercenaries is proudly displayed on the backs of their leather cuts. I grit my teeth as my blood boils.

  I’m glad I’m the only one here. I don’t want any backup. I want these two punks all to myself.

  I crack my knuckles as I head over, trying not to smile.

  Fuck, I’m going to enjoy this.

  The one on the right, a lanky fucker with long greasy black hair looks at me over his shoulder as I approach.

  “Tats,” he says as he slaps his friend’s arm. Tats turns around and I jerk my head back in surprise when I see his face. Every inch of this guy is covered in tattoos. Even his eyelids are covered in ink.

  “What the fuck are you looking at?” Tats spits as he looks me up and down.

  “You smell that?” the lanky fucker asks as he sniffs the air. “Bear.”

  “Kodiak bear,” Tats sneers. “Wasn’t the boss looking for Kodiak bears?”

  “Who’s your boss?” I growl.

  They don’t answer. They just glare at me.

  “Dylan Burton?”

  They glance at each other after hearing their boss’ name on my lips and then stand up, staring me down as their hands squeeze into fists.

  “So, he is alive?”

  “He’s alive,” Tats says. He turns to his friend and grins. “How about we lay this fucker out and bring him to Mr. Burton as a gift?”

  “Good idea,” the lanky one answers with a sneer. “Mr. Burton can flay him alive and have a nice comfy bearskin rug for his office.”

  “Boys,” the bartender says as she backs up with wide eyes. “Take it outside please.”

  The guys step forward, ignoring her.

  My bear thrashes around inside, desperate to get out.

  I squeeze my body, holding him back. They lunge at me.

  I leap out of the way with a grunt and throw a punch that grazes the lanky guy’s cheek. It barely hits, but it gets his attention.

  “Fur or skin?” Tats asks his friend.

  “What’s it been since our last fight?” he answers, never taking his eyes off me. “Three days?”

  “Has it been that long?”

  Lanky fucker nods. “Yeah, it’s been that long. I say skin.”

  Tats rolls his head. “Sounds good to me.”

  They both leap on me at the same time. I jump back, hitting a table that screeches across the floor. I eat three punches, but it feels good. It also gets my bear frothing at the mouth to come out.

  I grab the lanky guy’s long black hair and crack him in the face with a hard uppercut. Tats jumps on me and wraps his arm around my neck. He’s stronger than I thought, but a wolf can’t match a bear’s strength. Especially mine.

  I pry his arm off and throw him over my shoulder, slamming him into the table. He rips through it, slicing the thick wood in half.

  “No!” the bartender shouts. “Outside. Please!”

  I start heading toward the door so we don’t bust up her whole place, but the wolves regroup and lunge at me again.

  Tats gets my knuckles in his face, but the lanky fuck manages to land a few shots on me. I take three in the ribs and a hard roundhouse to my temples which has me seeing stars for half a second.

  I grab him and launch him across the room. He sails over the sticky bar, taking several empty beer bottles out with him.

  I turn my attentio
n onto Tats, landing hard bombs all over his body, relishing it, loving it. This was just what I needed. If I can’t get any action with my mate, then this kind of action is the next best thing.

  A blaze of light catches my eye and I gasp when I see the lanky fuck behind the bar holding a Molotov cocktail. A flaming rag is hanging out of the open bottle of Vodka. He grins before he launches it at me.

  I grab the closest table and hold it up like a shield. The glass bottle shatters on the wood and engulfs it in flames.

  I try to stamp out the fire, but the flaming Vodka landed everywhere, burning all of the old wood in its path. My shoe catches on fire just as Tats jumps on me.

  We wrestle on the ground, dipping in and out of the flames. He screams when his jeans catch.

  The bartender rushes out of the place, screaming into her phone for someone to come quickly.

  When the lanky guy comes back, he’s in his wolf form. A large gray wolf who’s snarling at me. He snaps his vicious jaws and then leaps. I catch his neck in the air and slam him into a couple of wooden chairs.

  Oh, shit.

  The place is really burning up now. This is not what I wanted. Flames lick up the walls and the sticky bar looks like an inferno.

  I’d try to put it out, but these two dogs are keeping me busy.

  Tats smacks the flames off his jeans and stands up next to his friend. A large beam crashes to the floor behind them. The air is thick with smoke. Flames everywhere.

  We all realize it’s time to go and the three of us hurry outside where the bartender is smoking a cigarette while watching her business burn down. She has a happy grin on her face. What’s that about?

  Not ten seconds pass before it’s back on. I kick the wolf in the ribs as he pounces on me and then I grab Tats by the arm. I slam him into my truck and then unload a vicious combination on him, slamming my fists into his stomach, ribs, chin, and temples at a furious pace.