The Guardian Alpha: A Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Nameless Sentinels Book 3) by Evelyn Glass

working out the kink along his back and shoulders. This wasn't the regular muscle strain, thanks to sleeping awkwardly. This was the soreness that followed a night full of sexual satisfaction.
     
    And, my, what satisfaction he garnered. His lips twitched into a smile, retracing the memories from dream walking. Despite the energetic night, he felt positively energized. Faintly, Jay wondered if Kristi felt the same. He didn't have time to ponder, though. Judging from the way the sun blasted through the blinds, it was late morning.
     
    While it wasn't unnatural for Goldbridge to allow the Sentinels to sleep late, a jolt of surprise rattled Jay's thoughts. What if that had been why Kristi wanted to see him? What if the pack wanted him out of the way, and she had been just the distraction?
     
    He swallowed heavily as he stumbled from his living room. Narrowing his eyes, he peered through the door's window. A set of knuckles rapped loudly on his door, making him stumble backward in surprise.
     
    “Mr. Ward?” A hesitant voice called through the door. “We're waiting to go over the final battle plans.”
     
    Relief flooded through Jay's head. At least the visit in the dreamscape wasn't a ploy. He lied through both his teeth and the door, “Sorry, zonked out in my chair. I'll shower and be right out.”
     
    Jay darted away from the door before the messenger could answer. His relief didn't last long as the messenger's words sunk into his head. Battle plans swirled around his head, souring his dreamscape afterglow as he made his way to his bathroom.
     

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
     
    Tension fizzled through the air, vibrating savagely as the sun inched closer to the horizon. The forest became eerily silent as the day progressed, as if the animals had fled with knowledge of what was to come. The Sentinels prepared their plans and positions. Around the perimeter of Goldbridge, medical tents were erected, though Jay wasn't sure how long they'd stay up. The pack would tear them down, sending the nurses and doctors running for cover.
     
    As the sun slid closer and closer to the edge of the earth, Jay found it harder to remove Kristi from his thoughts. Their time together, last night, squatted at the back of his head like a visitor who had overstayed their welcome. Though, frankly, Jay didn't want to see the visitor leave. Battle plans, last-minute training sessions, and tactical discussions with the mayor left him little time to dwell on Kristi. Yet, thoughts of her still peppered his consciousness.
     
    For what seemed like the eight-hundredth time that day, Jay shook the thoughts loose. As much as he loved thinking about Kristi, the Nameless Sentinels needed his full attention. And memories of her would simply distract him.
     
    “ Sunset in t-minus one minute, fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight seconds… ” The countdown blared across Goldbridge. Citizens – those who had stayed – headed for the safety of their bunkers. Jay watched from the top of Thorn Hill as people ran to and fro. Doctors and nurses made last minute checks of their inventory. The Nameless Sentinels took their positions and readied their weapons.
     
    “What are your feelings about this skirmish, Mr. Ward?” Mayor Stone stepped forward from behind Jay.
     
    He listed his head to the side, peering at the woman from the corner of his gaze. The formal attire was gone. In its place, denim and long sleeves and boots. She didn't look like the same woman who could hold her own among the politicians of the world. Her gaze remained on the horizon, glaring into the distance.
     
    Jay sighed and shook his head, waves of minor anxiety emanating from Mayor Stone. “I'd hardly call it a skirmish, Mayor Stone.”
     
    “ Forty seconds, thirty-nine seconds, thirty-eight… ”
     
    “A battle, a turf war, a blood feud, a mindless loss of life,” he shrugged, letting his dissent solidify in his voice. “Take your pick, Mayor.”
     
    Still, Mayor Stone refused to look at