Obsessions Read online

  OBSESSIONS

  Alpha City, Book #1

  Bryce Evans

  Copyright © June 2014 Bryce Evans

  Art and Logo Copyright © Bryce Evans

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by: Dreamer’s Web Editing

  & Pamela Snyder

  Artwork by: Jess Buffett

  Published by: Bryce Evans

  EBooks are not transferrable.

  This book is intended for the purchaser’s sole use. Sharing, or downloading to other individuals or devices is illegal.

  This work is fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Coming Soon to Alpha City

  Also by Bryce Evans

  About the Author

  Blurb

  A city, run by shifters? In Alpha city, wolves, bears, tigers, panthers, and jaguars live together in peace, centered and led by the Council of Alpha’s. Ryder Malone is the Alpha of his werewolf pack. He carefully balances his responsibilities as the official head of the Council, and older brother to his sister Zoey, but when she decides to leave for college, he finds himself drawn to her roommate.

  Like an obsession, London Grey is under Ryder’s skin. To his shock, the young witch orphan, and her best friend decide to move back to Alpha City with Zoey to create a new business. But someone in Alpha City doesn’t want them to succeed.

  Like a bad itch, mysterious happenings haunt the newcomers and the town’s Alpha. Can they figure out the mystery before tragedy happens? Or will Ryder and London’s own chemistry cause them to miss the obvious?

  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to my amazing husband and beautiful children. I love you all very much.

  A special thank you to my sister, who tells me that she thinks I’m the greatest, and gives me hope to continue with pursuing my passion.

  Several other people I would like to recognize and say thank you to: Jess Buffett for creating a beautiful cover for me, Bobbi Kinion and Deb Thomas for all of your hard work and dedication to correcting my terrible mistakes, and the Rebels you’re the greatest and I appreciate all the help you have given me.

  Most of all, I would like to tell all my friends in the Bryce Evans Paranormal Society and Bryce Evans Nite Stalkers that I love you guys. You’re the best!

  Take care and keep reading!

  Bryce Evans

  Chapter 1

  Milton College

  London walked over to stand in the long line for orientation. It was her first day on campus, and she was excited to start a new chapter in her life. She was reading a pamphlet when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she looked down as the small, petite girl introduced herself. The innocent looking girl had a sweet vibe about her, like she didn’t have a care in the world.

  “Hey, I’m Zoey Malone.”

  The girl was about five feet four inches tall with long blond hair and blue eyes, but what really got London’s attention was her smile. It was honest and heartfelt. She could tell that the girl was so full of excitement and personality she was about to burst.

  “Hi.” London cleared her throat, “I’m London Grey.”

  Just a simple hello was the beginning of their friendship. Everyone seemed to like Zoey Malone. London was shy and kept to herself, while Zoey was the complete opposite and never shut up. Standing there in line, she made London laugh about everything they were going to experience at college. She was full of fun ideas.

  However, when London questioned her about having a boyfriend she said she had little to no experience because of a protective older brother. They immediately clicked. She couldn’t help but like the girl.

  Zoey seemed ready to experience everything college life had to offer. She joked about having pizza parties in her room. It was as if she had been in jail for most her life, and she wanted to see everything she missed out on.

  When London finally got to the head of the check in line, she learned that her roommate pulled out of college at the last minute. A loner by nature, London relished the fact that she would be without a roommate for the first semester.

  “Next.” London said, moving to the side so Zoey could get her room information.

  “What is your name please?” The young girl asked.

  “Zoey Malone.”

  “Okay, here you are. Room 215 and your roommate is…Penny Sanders.” Zoey turned pale as a sheet, while London watched thinking the girl might pass out.

  “Thanks.” Zoey took her information and walked over to where London was standing.

  “What’s wrong? Do you know that girl?” London asked, concerned.

  “Yeah, she moved to my hometown about six months ago with her pa…I mean family and she is a Class-A bitch, but I’m not going to think about it. I want to make this a memorable moment and hopefully she will be gone a lot.” Nothing seemed to make Zoey feel bad about anything for long. She acted like she erased it from her memory and nothing would ruin this moment. Not even a roommate named Penny Sanders.

  They helped each other bring their boxes up from their cars and then parted ways as they went to unpack. Agreeing to meet back up later and check out the campus, London went to her room and started unpacking. A few minutes later, she realized that she left her pocketbook in the car, but she found Zoey and another girl blocking the hallway.

  “Find another room, Princess, if you know what’s good for you.” London looked around at Zoey’s stuff lying on the floor.

  “But…but…I—” Zoey tried to argue, but Penny was almost twice her size and clearly a bully. Other girls began filling the hallway as the argument grew louder.

  “But, but, what?” Penny whined then backed Zoey into the wall. She hadn’t touched her but she looked like she was going to. London could see some girls coming out of Zoey’s assigned room. They were laughing as they watched Penny and Zoey. Living with someone like that was not an option. London would have lost her temper by now and beat the shit out of this Penny Sanders. At least she hoped she would.

  Doors were opening everywhere, before Penny backed off, laughing as she walked back into her room and slammed her door behind her. Why wasn’t Zoey taking up for herself? Apparently, Zoey and Penny Sanders had more of a history than Zoey let on, and London would have to ask about it when the time was right. Right now she needed to help Zoey.

  Her clothing and bedding were haphazardly thrown on the floor. The cruelty of it disgusted London. This was college not high school for goodness sake. Who was this Penny Sanders and why in the hell would she kick Zoey out of her own dorm room? How could she be so mean to someone l
ike Zoey? Zoey was the sweetest girl.

  London remembered how the girls back home would treat her. Some of the same feelings came back to her as Zoey stood looking at her things on the floor. She already hated this Penny Sanders.

  Without asking any questions, London picked up Zoey’s things and carried them down to her room. Zoey quietly followed, watching from the door as London made the vacant bed with her bedding then hung her clothes in the closet. She neatly stacked all her knick-knacks on the spare dresser.

  London looked back at Zoey and asked, “How does it look?” The girl’s smile said everything and that was when London knew for sure that Zoey was right. They would be best friends forever.

  Thick as thieves they were. When Zoey experienced something so did London. She felt comfortable around Zoey and that said a lot. There were no best friends in her past, because she never allowed anyone to get that close to her. After her parents died, a part of her died too, until the day she met Zoey.

  That night, London and Zoey sat on their dorm floor eating pizza laughing about music they liked and movies they had seen.

  “I didn’t see your parents. Did they leave when you got here?” London could tell Zoey was trying to find out more about her. For the first time in a very long time, she felt comfortable telling Zoey about her parents.

  London put the pizza down on her plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “My parents are dead.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, London.” She could see the truth in Zoey’s apology. Compassion was evident in her eyes.

  “I was at school when the police came to tell me that someone ran them off the road. Their car hit an embankment, and…” London blew out her breath trying not to break down. “It exploded.” Her voice broke, and a gasp of shock slipped out of Zoey’s mouth.

  Tears began to fall from London’s eyes, and she turned her head trying to hide her pain. She spoke fast wishing it didn’t hurt so much still. She’d never told anyone what happened to her parents. Kids at school teased her when she didn’t have a parent at events, but not once had she spoken up.

  Her voice shook as she continued, “Th-they… they never caught the people who did it.” Zoey crawled over to her and hugged her tight. When she saw tears on her friends face, London couldn’t hold it any longer breaking down and sobbing. She had suffered for months without crying or really grieving.

  Rocking London in her arms, Zoey patiently waited for her to continue. It was clear that London felt free for the first time. The woman had to be a saint. She had just met her and then her roommate had a real life break down. Well sort of, but close enough.

  Taking a deep breath she recounted the events after her parent’s funeral and going to live with a grandmother she had never met.

  London leaned up so she could talk better. “You never met your grandmother before your parent’s funeral?” Zoey asked, confused.

  “Nope. Never. The day I met Me-Len was the day before the funeral. She came be-bopping in the front door with long gray hair and a bohemian skirt. I had no clue what to think or if I should even go to the funeral with this woman, much less go live with her. But…” London went still for a moment, “But she helped me sort out everything with the will, and she got me packed, and then got a realtor to sell the house. She turned out to be someone I never knew I needed.”

  “Me-Len is an odd name. I mean is she foreign?” London laughed at Zoey’s question.

  “No. She is as American as one can be. When my mother was little she tried saying momma, but she couldn’t and Me-Len’s middle name is Lenny so when she heard some people calling her Lenny she started saying Me-Len and it just stuck. Most people call her Me-Len now. My mother and Me-Len never got along, so I’m sure when she got older she continued to call her Me-Len just to piss her off. Well, I should say that’s the story Me-Len tells. My mother told me that Me-Len wanted her to be something she couldn’t be. I didn’t ask her any more questions. I was young, and she said she didn’t want to talk about it, because it was over and in the past and she wanted to live in the now. But I have a good relationship with her and she is just my Me-Len. Maybe we can meet her somewhere one day so you can meet her.”

  “That would be great and I want you to come home with me, too.” Zoey smiled, and London could tell she wanted to ask her more questions.

  “What is it, Zoey?”

  Zoey blushed. “I was wondering if there was a witness that saw what happened to your mom and dad. You don’t have to tell me anymore. I was just wondering.”

  “It’s alright. I can’t believe how much better I feel actually telling someone. A witness saw the accident and pulled over. The woman who saw it said a dark colored SUV forced them off the road, and when the vehicle hit the bottom of the bridge, it blew up.

  London was a private person, but for some reason she trusted Zoey. Call it a gut feeling, but she knew Zoey wouldn’t tell anyone about her personal life. London blew out her breath and grunted, “Nobody was ever found and charged with their death.”

  “How did you finally meet your grandmother?” Zoey asked lying down on her side while she listened to London’s story.

  “My parents will designated me as the beneficiary if something happened to them, and it said that I would travel to my grandmother’s to live with her. It was just strange that they would want me to live with someone I had never met. They hardly ever spoke about her.”

  “She sounds great,” Zoey commented.

  “Yeah, she is but we didn’t always get along in the beginning. I was still grieving and I’ve been mad at everyone for a long time. Before I left to come to college, I made myself a promise that I would open up more and enjoy life.”

  “And you will, London. Together we are going to enjoy all that life has to offer us. College is just the beginning. Now, let’s get this cleaned up and go to bed,” Zoey replied. London smiled knowing that life would never be dull with Zoey and she couldn’t wait for the next chapter in her life to start.

  Chapter 2

  Living with Zoey helped her to open up, and live her life to the fullest. Zoey brought London out of her shyness around others, and London tried to help Zoey build up her confidence and take up for herself.

  Freshman year was a blast for them. They didn’t go to any parties on campus, but they experienced life together by going to the movies, weekend trips, and concerts in the park. There were bad times, when Penny and her friends started bullying Zoey. London wanted to choke Penny, but Zoey begged her not to say anything, insisting that Penny would get tired and leave her alone if she just ignored her. By the end of the year, Zoey refused to talk about it anymore, so London tried to follow her friend between classes to make sure nobody bothered her.

  Trying to do her own work and keep up with Zoey became taxing, but she needed help and she wouldn’t ask for it.

  Sophomore year’s classes were harder for them, but they were both so smart they advanced in their classes, and were asked to help other students with their work. Both of them met a few other girls who went to concerts with them but no lifelong friendships. During their junior year, they went out more and even went to a few parties on campus. It wasn’t until their senior year that Zoey finally started listening to London’s advice and fighting back against Penny’s bullying.

  Throughout their four years of college, Penny would find her alone then torment her until she cried. Zoey was really scared of Penny and her gang of bitches. It seemed Penny thrived on making the girl break down and cry. She hadn’t hurt Zoey physically yet, but London figured eventually she would.

  * * * *

  London walked to the gym to meet Zoey. Tonight they were going to celebrate at their favorite pizza joint. London had made an A on her computer-programming test that counted fifty percent of her grade. She was nervous about it and worried that she wouldn’t make a good grade, but Zoey had studied with her every night. No matter how small of an achievement it was, Zoey wanted to do something special. London liked that idea, because before she met
Zoey, she didn’t have much to celebrate.

  London was at the top of the stairs when she heard Penny Sanders voice. She stopped and looked down at the gym floor where Penny and her gang of bitches had surrounded Zoey. They seemed to always find her, as if they had a tracking device hidden on her. They acted like a bunch of modern day gang members except these girls were students at Milton College. This was one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. How girls like Penny Sanders got into the school was beyond her, but here she was bullying her best friend.

  London hadn’t got involved before because they hadn’t gotten physical. She was hoping Zoey would take up for herself, but she watched as they made her life a living hell. This sweet woman was her best friend. She was her only friend actually. London growled as Zoey was slung to the ground by Robyn Marshall. Robyn was the heaviest one of the gang. She had to have at least sixty pounds on Zoey, and they all laughed as Zoey hit the floor hard. Why Zoey didn’t at least try to hit one of them was beyond London’s comprehension, and it was pissing her off so much she couldn’t see straight.

  They didn’t have a clue she was watching, as the big fat cows picked on her friend. There were five of them against Zoey, and it didn’t seem like fair odds, so London planned on evening out the odds. Marching their way, she figured she might get her ass whipped, but Penny was going to know she’d been there.

  Penny and her gang moved in closer to her friend as she tried to get up, like a pack of wolves, surrounding her, waiting to go in for the kill.

  London stomped down the bleachers, slamming her feet hard against the wood in order to gain their attention. The sound was deafening, and once she reached the bottom, London jumped down hard onto the floor continuing to stare at Penny. She knew if she was going to get them out of this she would need to show Penny that she wasn’t intimidated by her.

  Pushing the minions aside, London walked right into the middle of the circle, and reached down to help Zoey to her feet. Penny Sanders wasn’t a bad looking girl, but the scowl on her face made her look nasty and vicious almost like a wild animal. She had long brown hair and brown eyes, and she had to be at least five feet ten inches tall. She wasn’t a fat girl, but she had bulk muscle on her making her bigger. The other girls didn’t know what to do now that London was there. They looked at Penny waiting for their leader’s instructions. She must have shocked them when she pushed them aside so she could get to Zoey.