Nailing Neil [Alpha Wreckers 4] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  Alpha Wreckers 4

  Nailing Neil

  Thanks to his stolen childhood, werewolf Alpha Nash believes no one will accept a broken Alpha for a mate. He’s seen his brothers find their mates but knows the same happiness doesn’t apply to him...until a tempting and gorgeous intern, Neil, enters his life.

  Neil is an intern at Alpha Wrecker’s Inc. To get away from his negligent ex, Neil moves to a new town with his daughter. Neil wants a fresh start, but he’s having work problems from his abusive superior. An accident leads him to Nash, the company CEO, who becomes his unexpected savior. It’s not just a job Nash offers him. Neil can tell from the start that Nash is different, that their relationship has the potential to be something more.

  Both men are afraid to cross that line, but once they take the step forward, sparks are inevitable. Will Nash lower his shields to let one determined human into his heart?

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 23,268 words

  NAILING NEIL

  Alpha Wreckers 4

  Fel Fern

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  NAILING NEIL

  Copyright © 2017 by Fel Fern

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-532-4

  First Publication: August 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

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Felicia Fern works as a graphic designer during the day, and loves penning M/M paranormal erotic romance at night.

  A sadist who loves watching her heroes break their backs trying to earn their happy endings, Fel likes throwing in the occasional dash of the unknown to the usual romantic concoction.

  For all titles by Fel Fern, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/fel-fern

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Landmarks

  Cover

  NAILING NEIL

  Alpha Wreckers 4

  FEL FERN

  Copyright © 2017

  Prologue

  Twenty-five years ago

  Kept in the dark so long, Nash started growling under his breath when light filtered through the dark, damp room. The noises he made woke up the others. Animal snarls and whimpers followed. Not animal, Nash remembered, but like him. Shifters.

  It was so easy to forget part of him was human, too, because each day he remained in this dog cage, the more his wolf whispered it was easier to slip fully into the animal. Let the beast be in charge.

  Nash knew yielding full control to his wolf wasn’t the wisest decision. Murky memories surfaced. Not long ago, Nash had parents, a pack, until paranormal-hating humans descended on their territory, killed the adults, and took the kids to sell off. Did those events really happen?

  Sometimes, it felt like watching a really old movie when Nash recalled those memories. Living in a cage, it was hard to remember if these were his memories and not someone else’s.

  He bared his teeth at the scent of more humans entering the room. All the fur on his body rose. Nash could no longer distinguish the good guys from the bad, but he remembered something from his past, about the good guys wearing blue uniforms like this male did. The man in front of him kneeled and looked him in the eye. Nash’s hackles rose. This male was like him, had an animal living inside of his skin.

  “Hey there, kid. Are you still in there?” The voice was soothing, unexpectedly gentle even though Nash sensed this man had a dominant dangerous creature inside him, too.

  Nash fell silent, unsure how to react. His wolf had grown aggressive and wary of strangers, but this man’s animal reached out to him, soothed him. Still, Nash kept his guard up.

  “It’s going to be okay,” the man said. “We’re from the paranormal special police. We’re going to get you and the others out of here, then we’ll work on helping you guys adjust to normal life. This will all be nothing more than a memory someday.”

  Words meant nothing to Nash. Promises could be broken, and he knew deep down, his wolf was broken. It had torn the animal on the inside to be trapped within a confined space, with bars when it had been used to freedom. Nash shut his eyes, saw the woods in his head, the sheer joy of running with another pack mate. Home. That word was foreign to him now.

  Nash had no home to return to. His wolf felt lost, uncertain. Only rage was an emotion he understood.

  Another male joined the first. “How about this one, George? Has he gone feral?”

  George hesitated. “I don’t think so, but I’m still trying to get to him. This wolf’s strong, I know it, but even us adult shifters can break under this kind of environment. Give me more time.”

  The other man nodded, face grim. “The others aren’t so lucky. Most of the victims have gone rogue.”

  A chill crept down Nash’s spine at those words.

  George returned his attention to him. “I need you to work with me here, kid. I need to make sure you can turn back to human, so help me out here. I’m unlocking the cage now. Okay?”

  Nash snarled, baring his teeth, unsure of George’s intentions suddenly. What if George was like the hunters who’d placed him in the cage? It was so hard to think, to trust another soul. George shifted his hand partially to a claw. Nash’s wolf wondered at their chances of escape.

  His lungs constricted against his chest. It was so difficult to breathe in here. All the time, it felt like Nash was drowning for air, longing for the feel of the mountain breeze against his fur, his pack mates nearby. All gone now. He started banging at the bars, using his body.

  “Behave,” George chided. “Otherwise, they’ll think you’ve gone savage. I know you’re still in there, kid. I can see the pain in your eyes, the intelligence.”

  George stood, cut the silver lock, and the door sprung open. Nash sprinted out without a care, debating whether to tackle George. No, his wolf decided. A pup couldn’t take on a full adult. Nash narrowed his eyes, seeing guns drawn at his direction.

  “Damn it, don’t you dare shoot him. Guns down,” George yelled.

  With no threat standing in his way, Nash kept on running. Days, weeks confined in there made all the muscles in
his paws lax, but he kept pushing himself to the limits, eager to see the bright sky above him, not human-made ceiling. More uniformed people gasped. George shouted behind him, telling them to leave him alone, insisted he didn’t plan on hurting anyone.

  Nash ran past more boxes, no, containers—a warehouse, he realized. Another howl came from right behind him, another shifter who sought the same thing he did—freedom. Sensing claws on his flank, he spun, only to end up tangling with the other werewolf, much bigger than him, meaner, foam forming at the muzzle.

  He remembered this one. Their captors had broken him in the first few days. No humanity peeked back him from those feral yellow eyes, only the animal. The instinct to live triggered, Nash fought, while his wolf and soul wept inside of him. The boy in him was terrified of what came next, but his beast knew. Claws and teeth ripped through his fur, his throat.

  Howling, he let the wolf take over, for now anyway, although his control was so brittle, it could break any second. The rabid werewolf’s paws raked through his throat, barely missing his jugular. Nash hissed, reacted, unsure where his newfound strength came from.

  Eventually, he tossed the bigger animal away. It whimpered, miserable eyes staring at him. Nash glimpsed a uniformed police man on the side, holding a gun, hand shaking. His throat bled, but he kept on going, shutting his eyes when he heard the gunshot behind him.

  Even back in his old pack, it had been the duty of the Alpha to put down rabid shifters, because they always attacked those closest to them. His heart ached a little more, but he buried those memories, placed them in a box, not wanting to see them again, just like the night hunters who had slaughtered his pack.

  He could taste now, the air. So close. He pushed past more adults, squeezed past the opening of the door. Nash’s paws threatened to give out on him, but he kept going until he heard the sound of crashing waves.

  He looked up, seeing endless inky black. The night sky, he realized, was lit up with a dozen stars. It wasn’t the sky-blue he wanted, but it served. Better than the darkness cast by the room that held him. Finally, he looked around. More warehouses. He was at some kind of dock. Nearby, waves crashed against the pier.

  He panted, wanting to see trees, mountains, the scent of earth underneath him. Gone, he realized. He collapsed on the edge of a pier, paws tangling underneath him like he was a newly born pup. Nash’s soul, his wolf wept inside of him as the realization dawned on him. He’d never see his parents, his pack again. They were all dead, leaving him behind.

  So what use was freedom?

  It was hard, like remembering how to ride a bike, but Nash tugged at the human half buried inside of him. The wolf screamed, but eventually fur gave way to skin, bones and organs reformed and shifted. A skinny, bruised human boy replaced the wolf.

  Footsteps behind him. Only George, approaching him warily.

  He opened his mouth, but only a howl of pure torment came out. Nash couldn’t find the words he needed, because he hadn’t spoken in so long. He touched his neck, the drying blood there. His shifter healing began to kick in, but he gritted his teeth and forced it to a stop.

  Even a boy knew these wounds were important, a reminder that he’d lived, while others had perished, so he’d wear these marks as a badge of honor. No one would mourn for that gray rabid werewolf.

  “It’s going to be okay,” George repeated, stopping a few paces from him. George held out a hand, a peace offering, he realized. “I know a man who’s looking to adopt a kid. Isiah Mercer is a recent widower, a good friend of mine, and he’ll be able to give you the home you need.”

  Chapter One

  Present

  Nash stared at the gravestone in front of him. His brothers only visited their foster dad once a year, Isiah’s death still bringing painful memories. They’d lost a good man, one who had taken in four dominant, dangerous four broken shifters boys and made them into decent men. Only he swung by Isiah’s final resting place often. His throat itched, and absentmindedly, he scratched at the old scars there.

  Lately, the old wound had been doing that. An ominous omen perhaps?

  These past few weeks, his visits had become more frequent, the wolf inside him restless, full of pent-up energy. Nash knew the cause. Among his brothers, only he was the last one who remained unmated. Only months before, his beast had thought all four of them would never find mates, and now, only he was left.

  Nash was happy for Cole, Spencer, and Malik of course. He’d taken over Isiah’s role after Isiah had passed away. The others were still in college save for Malik, but Isiah’s death had shaken all of them. It was good to see his brothers taking strides, finding their mates, and settling down. Not for him of course. He didn’t think a mate could anchor the broken wolf inside of him, and as much as he taught his brothers to control their respective animals, he struggled with leashing his inner monster himself.

  He didn’t trust himself with someone else. Any attempt at a relationship would only hurt his lover in the long run. He sighed, hoping to find some measure of peace by coming here. In the end, his wolf was only riled up.

  Nash looked over to the next grave beside Isiah, of that of Isiah’s wife. They’d never met her, but there were pictures of her in the house. It had been her final death wish for Isiah to adopt children she never could have. Without her, none of them would be here right now.

  His phone rang, setting his nerves on edge. Glancing at the clock on the screen, he growled under his breath. He hadn’t realized lunch time was over. Nash and his brothers had a company to run, after all, and despite being equal shareholders, they still looked up to him as the big boss. The call was from an unknown number.

  “What?”

  “Um, Mr. Mercer?” A hesitant voice.

  Nash hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but his wolf was still on the surface of his skin, eager to shed human skin and be on all four paws. In his teens, he had spent more time in his animal half than all his brothers, but Isiah had taught him his human half was important, too. Lately, though, he’d had trouble containing both halves. It was like he had been transported to his uncertain and naive twelve-year-old self again, wondering if it had been better if he’d allowed his other half to take over, to go rogue.

  That couldn’t happen now though, because a rogue shifter who lost any trace of human consciousness would attack those closest to them first. That list now included his brothers’ mates. It would kill him on the inside, if any harm came to his new family.

  “Get it together,” he gritted.

  “Sorry, Mr. Mercer?” the voice on the other end asked again.

  “Who is this?”

  “I’m Chester’s assistant—”

  “Neil,” he said.

  Chester was their senior interior designer, and Neil was Chester’s new intern. Alpha Wreckers Inc. had started out purely as a construction business at first, but they soon branched out to renovation and furniture design. His brother Spencer made most of their customized furniture, a huge hit with locals and the surrounding towns. Malik and Cole were in charge of the renovation.

  Even though their company was growing, Nash made every effort to know his employees. Well, lately, he and his brothers had been sidetracked. As they’d found their mates, Nash had shouldered some of their duties, but now, they were back in full force. He didn’t mind. They might bicker most of the time and occasionally resorted to fists and even claws and teeth, but they always had each other’s back.

  Besides, he knew they’d return the favor when it was his turn. Not that Nash was about to find a mate anytime soon. Keeping things casual seemed like the best solution for now, enough to content his wolf. Because he was a healthy dominant shifter with basic needs, he worked off the need for sex with hook-ups.

  There was silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Neil?” he prodded.

  “I’m just surprised you know my name.”

  The image of a brown-haired, slender human with glasses came to mind. “Of course. Why did you call me?”


  A cough on the other end. “Malik wants me to remind you that you have a meeting five minutes ago.”

  He snarled, and Neil hadn’t been expecting that, because Neil yelped.

  What was wrong with Nash? He was scaring off their employees now?

  “Since when did you become my personal assistant?” he demanded.

  “Um, I’m sort of everyone’s intern.”

  “I see. Tell my annoying brother I’ll be there in”—Nash paused to look at his watch—“fifteen minutes.”

  A gulp on the other end. “Okay.”

  “Malik’s harmless,” he told the intern.

  Malik was the most playful out of all of them, always teasing the other employees, but despite Malik being as lethal as Spencer, Cole, and he, people let their guard down round a smiling, handsome face. Malik was also in charge of the company’s press.

  “Says the big bad wolf to the poor defenseless human who needs to relay said message to a big bad jaguar,” grumbled Neil, and he couldn’t help but smile. Neil must have thought he’d placed down the phone or something.

  “I heard that.”

  Neil squeaked. “Oh my God, sir. I’m so sorry. Don’t fire me.”

  Seriously, who the heck called him ‘sir’? Did Malik put this poor human up to the task? He was going to have some words with his brother.

  He frowned. “I don’t sack people for having an opinion.”

  This intern was proving to be an unexpected delight to his wolf for some reason.

  “Oh, I thought Chester said…never mind,” Neil said quickly. “I’m putting the phone down, sir.”