by Kym Grosso
Closing her eyes, she flipped onto her side, hoping this new position would help her find the rest she desperately needed. As her body started to drift toward dreams, she heard the rustling of fabric. Frightened, she sealed her eyelids tight, feigning sleep.
“Hello, Kalli,” a deep sexy voice said, startling her. Her heart began beating quickly. She didn’t want to answer him. Please go away, she silently prayed.
Tristan had talked to Julie in the kitchen as she was preparing soup. She’d sternly warned him not to upset Kalli, updating him on her condition. She was afraid the little bird would try to fly, and was confident that if she tried, Kalli would fall flat on her face.
But Tristan was anxious to see the intriguing woman who had found herself in Alexandra’s nest. He needed to see her face, smell her skin, touch her. Rolling his eyes, he cursed himself. His wolf had to be influencing his thinking. Struggling not to go to her, he took off his jacket, unbuttoned his sleeves and fell back into a large velvet lounge chair that sat diagonal to the bed. Her enticing hair sprawled over the white bed linens, begging to be touched. When he listened to her heartbeat, he knew she was awake.
“Kalli,” he repeated, louder this time. “I know you’re awake. Come on, now, ma chère. Let’s have a chat, shall we?” His voice had a barely detectible southern Cajun accent to it.
Kalli gritted her teeth. She hated that wolves had such good hearing. Her heartbeat gave her away. Running her hand through her untamed locks, she pushed the unruly hair aside and turned over in bed. She pushed up so that she was laying more at a forty-five degree angle, not quite sitting, but clearly aware of his command. Averting her gaze, she played with her hands, hoping they could do this quickly. Determined to get the upper hand of the situation, she struggled to raise her eyes and direct the conversation.
“Dr. Williams. My name is Dr. Williams,” she corrected, trying to separate herself from the wolf ranking that she knew all too well made her opinions less than important. She was human now, she reminded herself. She purposefully shielded herself in her title, embracing the professional decorum that always managed to seal off unwanted feelings.
“What?” Tristan asked, surprised at her pretentious tone. Was she for real?
“I said my name is Dr. Williams.” She nervously forced herself to sit a little taller, but her breath caught as she made eye contact with the charismatic Alpha. He was ruggedly handsome, with those striking amber eyes she remembered. Except now, she felt as if he was seeing straight through to her soul. His slicked-back dark blonde hair framed his tanned face; a sexy five o’clock shadow broke the surface of his skin. A sensuous smile revealed perfectly white teeth. Why was he smiling? Better to bite you with my dear.
Her stomach dropped in anticipation. What was happening to her? Involuntarily, her nipples strained against the fabric of the shirt as her body recognized the incredibly virile male addressing her. Her wolf howled, begging to run to and jump on him. She took a deep cleansing breath, trying to force her body to relax. This could not be happening. I am human now.
Tristan laughed. So this was how she was going to play it. He could sense her arousal and damn if it didn’t make him want to actually enjoy this little interrogation. Her heart was beating like a hummingbird, yet she played it cool. He licked his lips, and raised an eyebrow, shooting her a wolfish grin.
“Okay, Doc. Personally I think we’d both be a little more comfortable if we’d go informal, but by all means, suit yourself. I’m Tristan Livingston, Alpha of Lyceum Wolves. Welcome to my home.”
Chapter Six
Kalli immediately lowered her head, gazing downward. “Thank you, Alpha,” she said softly, taken aback by his commanding presence. Within seconds of doing so, she became conscious that she’d reverted to pack protocol. Confused by her own behavior, she quickly looked up, adjusting her posture. How could this have happened? She’d been away from wolves for nearly seven years, yet the man before her sent her reeling. His smooth voice registered deep within her as if she’d known him long ago. But he wasn’t the Alpha from her childhood.
His manner was cool and dignified with a hint of humor that could be seen in his smile that reached his eyes. Instead of physically attacking her, he’d sent a healer to her side. He’d rescued her from the vampire, and ensured she was clean, warm and fed. Yet she knew deep down not to be fooled by his kind exterior. A dominant wolf lurked inside him; remarkable good looks and a compelling personality were only one side of the man before her.
She glanced down, noticing the gooseflesh on her arms. What was he doing to her? Bunching the silky sheet, she pulled it up over her pebbled breasts and held it under her chin.
“I, um, I really appreciate you saving me from the vampires. I didn’t think I’d survive,” she stammered, struggling to sound coherent.
Tristan considered her initial response, ‘Thank you, Alpha’. It wasn’t so much what she said but how she said it. Her submissive positioning came so naturally that he would have sworn she was wolf. Knowing that she was human was a paradox, given the gesture. The only explanation could be that she’d spent a lot of time with wolves. And then just as quickly, as if a light switch had been clicked, she easily transposed back into an underlying confident tone of voice.
He could detect her internal struggle as to how to appropriately interact with him. Watching her defensively bring the cotton material to her chest told him she knew she was teetering on the edge of arousal, fighting to gain control of her own body. While he was very much used to young adult wolves displaying erratic behavior in the presence of their Alpha, going from servile to aggressive, he could not reconcile why she, a human, would display a conflicting demeanor.
Her paled olive skin tone had not regained its healthy color as yet, but her beautiful blue eyes were bright with excitement as she studied him. She smelled of clean soap and lilacs, which pleased his wolf. Shiny raven curls spilled down over the sheets, teasing her elbows. The sight of her drove Tristan to imagine how he’d like to run his fingers through her hair, bury his face into it, wrap his fist around the tendrils while he slammed into her from behind. His breath caught, and he quickly looked away, averting his gaze while attempting to hide his feral thoughts. What was he thinking? He was here to get information about the fire, not to figure out how he could get into her pants. But the more time he spent near her, the more he wanted her.
He needed to get control, and fast. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to get the conversation moving in the right direction. “Well, I too, am quite happy that you are alive. Alexandra can be quite deadly.” He ground his teeth just thinking of what she’d done to Kalli. “But we were lucky. Jules said you’ll recover quickly.”
“Yes, thank you again for your kindness,” she replied formally.
“Would you like to tell me why you think the vampires took you?” He was toying with her a bit, but he found people were more likely to talk when the discussion wasn’t centered on the real topic.
“Well, I really don’t know. You see, I’m a veterinarian at UVH. I got called in for an emergency consult. When I got back to the car, there were two men…waiting for me. I don’t know why. I tried to fight, got in a few hits, but I couldn’t get away,” she explained through the tears that ran down her cheeks. Determined to stuff every horrible thing that had ever happened to her deep inside where she could compartmentalize the hurt, she swore she would not cry about this. Wiping the eyes with the back of her hands, she raised her gaze to Tristan’s. Please let me go home. I can’t do this. Silently she willed it to be, but knew it wouldn’t happen.
“You’re a vet?” Tristan asked, intrigued by her profession. Initially when she’d said she was a doctor, he thought she healed humans.
“Yes, I work in the ER.”
“Interesting. So you wouldn’t happen to treat reptiles at UVH?”
Her eyes widened. “Reptiles? Um, well, yes, I am more of a generalist, but I do treat reptiles now and then.” Her heart began to race. The boa. Please don
’t let it be his…please don’t let it be his…please don’t let it be his.
He smiled, pinning her with his mesmerizing eyes. He could hear her pulse rate increase, smell her fear. Leaning forward, he placed his forearms on his knees and tilted his head.
“So you wouldn’t happen to treat snakes on a regular basis, then? You know, like a fifteen foot yellow boa constrictor, for example?”
Like a dam bursting, she couldn’t hold it in any longer, and the words began to spill forth. She wasn’t sure whether to beg for forgiveness or simply tell her story. And before she knew it, she’d done both.
“Please Alpha; you must know that I was going to have my nurse call the owners of that club. I swear to you. I am so sorry. At first I wasn’t sure who to call, and then I decided to have her call Eden and leave a message. But then I forgot. I’ve been so busy. And then I got kidnapped, but you know that part. And oh, I guess I should have started with this first, but yes, I do treat snakes, and she’s very healthy despite the smoke inhalation. A beautiful specimen, really. I promise that I will have her returned to you as soon as possible.”
Shaking his head, he held up the palm of his hand to silence her. Resisting the urge to go to her and hold her in his arms, he opted to pace over to the end of her bed. Grabbing the end of the sleigh bed as tight as a vise with his two hands, a serious look washed over his face.
“Look, Dr. Williams, I am not sure why you took the snake but I need to know everything, and I mean everything, about the day of the fire. Did you set the fire?”
Oh my God. He thought she set the fire. She cringed. If she told him about the wolves she had seen that day, he might ask her to identify them. If she identified them, it might somehow get back to her pack that she was alive. Or worse, they’d come after her and kill her. What a damn fine mess. She should have just kept walking that warm September day, but it wasn’t in her nature to stand by and do nothing. She was a doctor. A healer. And a fighter; she was no coward. She didn’t think twice about running into a burning building to make sure others made it to safety.
“Kalli,” Tristan said firmly, shaking her from her thoughts. He let go of the bed and circled around, stalking her like the wolf that he was.
“I was there the day of the fire,” she began quietly. Determined to keep her dignity, she stiffened, and stared at him. “There was smoke. Two men exited the building. No one was there. No sirens. Nothing. I had to go in, because I knew that animal was in there. I mean, I did call in before I entered, you know. But no one answered. And then I saw the snake. What was I supposed to do? Let it die? I couldn’t. So I ran in behind the bar and broke the glass, cutting myself in the process. But I managed to get her. I got the snake and left.”
He sensed honesty in her words and mannerisms but had to know the extent of her involvement. “Did you set the fire?”
“God no,” she gasped. “How could you think I’d do that?” It dawned on her that he didn’t know her, not to mention that she’d admitted taking the snake.
He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed, mere inches from her feet. “Tell me about the men. Can you describe them? Were they human?” His voice was like steel, every bit the cold tone she remembered from her pack days.
“Yes, but…”
“Yes, you can describe them, or yes they were human?” He interrupted.
She swallowed her fear, refusing to be intimidated by a wolf again. “Yes, I can describe them. But no, they were not human. They were wolf,” she said in the most even voice she could muster.
“Describe them,” he ordered.
“Oh God, please don’t make me do this. It was just a fire. A building. No one was hurt. If I tell you, I know what will happen. You might find the wolves and begin some kind of a territory war, but I’ll end up dead. You and I both know they will find me,” she countered. Kalli inwardly shuddered, realizing how frankly she’d just told the Alpha to basically fuck off; also she’d revealed to him yet again her inner knowledge of pack society.
“Look, Dr. Williams, as a courtesy, I will overlook your insolence given that you are not wolf, but let me be perfectly clear. You will describe the men you saw. And pack business is none of your concern. Now tell me why you think these men were wolf,” he demanded.
“Fine, Alpha,” she drawled out the word, hoping he’d feel the anger in her words. “First off, I told you that I am a vet, which means I also understand human physiology. So unless a new trait for humans is to sprout claws, they were wolves.” She refused to tell him that even though she didn’t know their names, she recognized the two men as pack members from her old pack. But even if she couldn’t name names, Tristan would know that she was in danger.
“Secondly, if they were vampires, they’d be moving more like a flash rather than running.” She could feel emotion bubbling up like a fountain she couldn’t control. As grateful as she was to him for rescuing her, she was also scared of him questioning her like he was.
Tristan could see she was on the edge of bolting out the door, before she even knew what she was thinking. He decided to press on; he had to get answers.
“Did you know the men?”
“No, I did not know them,” she lied. She pulled her legs up to her chest and put her arms around them protectively. What if she was wrong about this Alpha? What if he was prone to violence like all the others she’d known? She needed to escape.
“Are you sure you didn’t know them? Did you speak with them? Did you see them set the fire? Did they see you leave?” Tristan relentlessly fired questions at her, testing her honesty. Everything she’d said rang true, but it felt like there was something she wasn’t telling him.
“I told you that I didn’t know them. And no, I didn’t speak with them or see them set the fire. I told you, I saw them leave and then I saw smoke. There was no one else around. I don’t know anything else!” she yelled, her eyes darting to the exit. What was that last question he’d asked her? Did the wolves see her leave? The realization that the wolves could have identified her felt like a punch to her gut. She’d worked so hard to build her life as a human. A life that she treasured.
“Oh my God, I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to get back to my life. My job. Please let me go,” she begged, as she threw her legs out of the bed onto the floor. After being held captive by Alexandra, she couldn’t take any more of his inquest. Her stomach rolled at the thought of being forced back into her old pack. She refused to let that happen. In a foolish attempt to run, nausea and vertigo overcame her; she was pulled toward the floor as if she had an anchor around her waist.
Tristan cursed, realizing that he’d gone too far. His desire for the truth had pushed Kalli into hysterics. Goddammit. He should have assured her of his protection. After surviving being a human pincushion over the past forty-eight hours, no human would have been this strong. He could tell she’d been thinking of running, but couldn’t believe she’d actually tried. Not only was she sick, she should have known there’d be no way she’d be faster than him. What sane person ran from an Alpha wolf? What was she thinking? She was thinking he was a total dick, and she was right, he thought to himself.
As she fell, he effortlessly caught her before she hit the carpet. Holding her in his arms, he backed onto the bed and sat, just staring at her. Who are you, Kalli Williams? There was something about her fiery spirit that called to him; something he couldn’t quite identify. Her sweet warm body fit so nicely into his arms, and he suspected that cuddling her in his bed would feel nothing short of heavenly. He shouldn’t be thinking about her this way given her condition, but damn, his wolf didn’t care. It was so wrong. Brushing back the hair from her forehead, he watched as her soft pink, very kissable lips parted.
“Tristan,” she whispered.
He stiffened, hearing his name on her lips like a lover’s breathy call. “Kalli, you’re okay, I’ve got you,” he assured her.
“Doctor,” she replied softly with a small smile on her lips.
He laughed
. Fainting and unable to stand, she was joking with him.
“My fault,” she croaked with a weak voice. “I shouldn’t have tried to stand. What was I thinking?”
“You were thinking that I was giving you the Spanish Inquisition, and like any good prisoner, you tried to run. Granted, I’ve never seen someone in your condition try to outrun me, but you get points for trying,” he added, hoping to make her smile.
“I’m scared,” Kalli admitted. Her head had finally stopped spinning.
“Please don’t fret, chèr t'bébé. No one can get to you here. It’s safe.” He sighed, pissed that he had purposely pushed her to the edge. “I’m sorry for all the questions, but I have to know what happened. It’s not just the fire. I can’t go into it all right now, but please know, that I had to ask. And I’ll need your help finding them. But right now, you need rest. Come, get in bed. Please stay, I promise not to hurt you.”
She wriggled away from him as he stood to place her gently back in the bed. In the process her shirt rode upward, scrunching up near her breasts. Her taut stomach exposed to the cool air, she glanced down to see her bare skin and caught Tristan’s eyes as they roamed slowly down to her underwear. He raised an eyebrow at the discovery and smiled coyly.
“What? Julie said they belonged to you but were new. Would you rather have me wear no panties at all?” she quipped, tugging the shirt down. Flirting with the Alpha? She was playing with fire.
“Now that you ask, the thought did occur to me,” he replied, not missing a beat. “Clothes are highly overrated, you know. But I might not get much work done if I knew you were sleeping nude in my guest room, not to mention that we’ve only just met. But don’t you worry, we’ll have plenty of time to get better acquainted tomorrow,” he promised.
Kalli smiled, and closed her eyes, pretending he had not just said what she thought she’d heard. Naked? With Tristan? Together. She breathed in a deep breath and released it, trying to tamp down her arousal. Within minutes, a wall of exhaustion crashed into her, ushering her into a much-needed sleep. Her last thoughts were that she’d worry about her feelings for the sexy wolf tomorrow. Right now, she had to heal.