Alpha's Mate A Rough Shifter Romance - Piper Stone Page 0,4

The teleconference had been called by the king of all kings, the lion who’d appointed himself as the master of the Breeds a couple of years before. Perhaps given Luca’s bloodline, the lion should be placed on some kind of throne. After all, he’d given the Breeds hope.

At least that’s what I’d heard more than once.

Granted, the fact he’d mated with a human, allowing the first cub to be born into their Pride in decades had been significant. The cub’s blood and DNA had started the frantic work involving almost every human scientist across the world to find a cure for a crippling disease.

But not for the survival of the Breeds even if we’d been granted our freedom. For the filthy humans.

Freedom. The word held no actual meaning for the various Breeds from Streaks, Prides, Claws, and Dens who continued to live in squalor. While they’d fled the tyranny of factions of dissident humans who were hell bent on wiping out every Breed, we all remained prisoners.

My world was no different. We were almost crippled by a disease of our own as well as constant hunger, still forbidden to hunt the way our kind had known for centuries. While I heard the grumbling of the various alphas in the background, I’d grown bored with the teleconference. What the hell did it matter if we were sharing information? If the humans wanted us dead, that’s what would happen.

The incredible creatures of the forests and jungles had forever been transformed, forced to live a portion of their lives as human beings. I was no different, except I was considered one of the lucky ones, able to shift from my beast to a human at will. Lucky. That was bullshit. In my mind, we’d been cursed, the damn chemical warfare destroying our destiny. I hated the term Breeds, as if we were second class instead of rulers of the various kingdoms.

“The actions of the dissidents are increasing, their numbers growing,” Luca said into the Netscape lens.

As others of my Streak crowded around me, their scattered breaths a reminder of how intolerable the situation had gotten, I held my tongue. There was no sense in riling the illustrious king. We all despised the rogue factions of humans who’d taken it upon themselves to be judge and jury in their efforts to exterminate our kind. Even I had noticed their activity was becoming more violent in nature, as well as becoming far better organized than just a few months before.

They were growing in numbers, making them even more dangerous.

“They must be stopped at all costs,” he continued.

“What the hell are they afraid of, Luca? The great serum that was developed last year enabling our different species to produce offspring hasn’t taken priority for any human leaders. There’s no established date for release, at least that I’ve heard of,” Braxton barked. The Bear Clan alpha was one of the most vocal of the group, his arrogance barely tolerated by other Breeds.

“That is in itself one reason, Braxton. The dissidents fear every Breed will rise up and take their place as rulers, slaughtering innocent human women and children.” While Luca’s eyes shimmered from limited amusement, I could tell he was agitated at Braxton’s outburst.

However, the bear was right. Their numbers were increasing while ours were decreasing. All because there’d been only a few dozen births in two years and only where the alpha male had found his mate. As if by some kind of sick magic, that allowed the rest of their particular species to procreate. Our Streak hadn’t been so lucky.

While I was now the alpha, I’d yet to find a suitable mate. Then again, I hadn’t been actively seeking one either. I certainly wasn’t ready to settle down. I sat back, folding my arms in front of me as several on the teleconference grumbled their displeasure. I found the politics of it all to be amusing, something my father had tried to warn me of.

“Listen and observe, my son. That is vital to ensure clarity.”

My father had been a great man, but he had remained rooted in the past.

What I did know is that we’d been attacked more than once by small groups of dissidents, every single group easily crushed. Except for the last time. I sucked in my breath as I thought about what had happened, anger almost blinding me. I had to shake it off. I couldn’t go back in time and save my father. Since then, the assholes had gained momentum and