by Kym Grosso
They’d forged a bond last night, and he didn’t want to rush forward and scare her off. At the same time, he knew she was withholding information. Something small, perhaps, but it was there. Bringing his full attention back to his tablet, he tapped out a quick email to Logan asking him to run a full security clearance on one “Kalli Williams”. He wasn’t a fool. The woman may have been a brilliant vet, but he found it coincidental that she just happened to be at the fire.
She could have gone any direction that day when she decided to take her break, but she’d passed his club. Why not just call right away after she’d rescued the snake? And then there was her hesitation to tell him about the wolves and what they looked like. He understood that she was in serious danger, but she had to have known the minute she saw them that they could find her based on scent alone. She said she didn’t know them personally but her eyes held a terrifying trepidation, a foreboding of sorts, as if she knew exactly what they were capable of doing to her.
And then there was the odd way about her mannerisms, which suggested she’d spent time around a pack. He could tell that she was aware of protocol from the way she’d bowed her head submissively to him when she’d first caught a glance of him in the bedroom. Sure, she’d snapped out of the spell, dragging her eyes to his, but it had been forced. It was as if she was trying to hide the fact that she’d been around an Alpha in the past. Her ‘tell’ gave her away. She’d acted on instinct when she’d averted her gaze. But the confident posture she’d then adopted had been rehearsed. Like an actor playing the role of a prizefighter, it might have been believable to most audiences, but not to a champion. Others might not notice, but he knew. It was the little things that always gave people away, no matter how much they believed the lie.
Kalli breathed deeply while making the omelets, never turning around, afraid that he’d see right through her soul. Read her mind. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she’d just met the man. The intimacy they had shared the previous night spoke volumes to the type of man he was but she wasn’t ready to trust him with her secret. He’d never understand what it was like being a hybrid in pack, not even omega; she’d been the lowest of the low.
He was a beautiful, strong Alpha, who’d most likely been like that since birth. How could he possibly fathom the terrifying childhood she’d experienced? He might be able to empathize, but he was neither hybrid nor female, both of which were insubstantial, undesirable and often, irrelevant within pack life. Alpha females were utilized to mate and breed, but even that life wouldn’t have been hers. She wasn’t Alpha; she wasn’t even full wolf; she was seen as nothing more than a tainted half-breed.
As such, the Alpha would have sent her to work for the pack in whatever capacity the others deemed necessary. Come the full moon, when the wolves were most sexually active, they had planned on pimping her out like a prostitute to any lower ranking males who hadn’t earned the right to breed. And if by chance she’d become pregnant, it was made clear they’d abort the child, by force if necessary. No one wanted her to propagate the human genes within the pack. From puberty, the Alpha had made sure she learned pack protocol. He had no intention of letting her leave, but wanted her groomed for her new ‘role’ when she turned of age. Her life had already been a living hell growing up, and she refused to accept the brutal, misogynistic future he’d planned. Running was the only way, and she could trust no one but herself.
Yet Tristan seemed so different than the others she’d known. There was no mistaking his dominant spirit, but he’d saved her, asking for nothing in return but information about that night. She needed time to think, time to assess whether or not she could implicitly trust him with not just her secret, but her life.
“Hey, here you go. Hope you like lots of cheese,” she said, placing a plate in front of him.
He raised his eyes from his work. “Thanks. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone make me breakfast.” He started eating, only to be stunned by her next comment.
“I find that hard to believe. You’re Alpha. Bet you have lots of women lined up to serve you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back. Oh my God. What the hell did I just say?
“What makes you say that? Have you spent a lot of time around an Alpha before? Do you have personal knowledge about how Alphas behave and who cooks their meals?” he countered, wanting to know exactly where she’d learned about packs.
She nearly choked on her eggs.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just so nervous. You know, open mouth, insert foot.” Glossing over her faux pas, unwilling to answer him, she forcefully swallowed her food and pressed onto her next agenda item. “So, Tristan, I really need to get back to work today,” she stated flatly, changing the subject. She knew he was too keen not to notice, but she wasn’t about to start discussing her knowledge of wolves.
“Yeah, about that. No.” Nice try, he thought to himself. She may not want to talk about how she knew what she did, but damn if he was letting her out of his sight. “Great eggs by the way.”
Did he just tell me no? “But I have to go. I’ve been missing for days. How am I supposed to explain this to my boss? I have patients; they need me.”
“Again, that would be a no. You will not be returning to work until my pack business is resolved. I have a sketch artist coming over this morning. You can work with him, and we’ll see what we get.”
Frustrated, Kalli accidentally slammed her coffee mug on the counter a little too forcefully, spilling coffee. “Did you hear what I said? I have patients. A job. I don’t want to get fired.”
“Oh I heard you, but you need to remember who you are talking to, Doctor.” He used her professional title hoping it would alert her that he meant nothing but business when it came to the topic of her returning to work. He stood, towering over her petite frame.
“But I need…” she stammered, immediately feeling small in his shadow. She was tempted to cower in his presence, but stiffened her spine and raised her chin at him. Thankfully, he moved around her to put his plate in the sink.
“But nothing. You’re in danger. You’re not returning until this is over. End of story. After we’ve done the sketches, we’ll take you over to the hospital, so you can wrap up whatever you need for your ‘leave of absence’. You can talk to your boss and explain that you need a medical leave due to the attack in the garage. I’ll make a call over to Tony at PPD, and report it for you, if the hospital hasn’t reported you missing already. If they give you any trouble, I’ll put in a call to the president of UVH. I donate enough money to that place that they can go without you for a few weeks.”
Kalli stood in awe that he had already worked it all out in his mind. She knew he was right. Where would she go? Her apartment? The vampires had easily found her at her work; it would be even easier to attack her at home. If the wolves decided to come for her, there would be nothing she could do to stop them. She reached up to her neck, feeling the freshly healed scars, and shivered. What if the spawn of the devil, Alexandra, came for her again? She conceded that she needed Tristan’s help. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he needed hers as well.
“You’re right. I’ll stay,” she acquiesced. Going over to the sink, she began washing dishes in defeat. She tried to think of what she was going to tell her boss.
“Did I just hear you say I was right?” He laughed in triumph. She really had no choice. It almost was comical that she actually thought she did. He’d overlook her insolence, considering she wasn’t in his pack. But in truth, he simply didn’t want to argue with her. With the ladies, he’d much rather be a lover than a fighter.
“Yes I did. And I’m quite sure that you hear it all the time.” He was Alpha. Deciding not to give him any more ammunition, she tried another request. “But I need to go by my apartment and get some things. Are you sure it’s okay that I stay here with you? I could go to a hotel if you…”
“No,” he interrupted coming up against her from behind. “You�
��ll stay with me…in my home…in my bed. I am not letting you go, Dr. Williams.” His firm tone left no room for misunderstanding. Standing close enough to her, he could feel the warmth of her skin. He wanted to rip off his towel, bend her over the sink, and slam his cock into her sweet pussy until she screamed his name over and over. But he wouldn’t even consider talking her into it. No, when they made love, she would willingly submit to him, begging him for release. He wasn’t sure why it was so important to him that she behave like pack; she was human, after all. Maybe it was his wolf warning him, but he just couldn’t have her any other way. Until then, he’d tease and seduce her every second she was with him.
She wasn’t sure if it was his commanding tone that set her on edge. Or perhaps it was the knowledge that his bare arousal lay directly underneath the towel around his waist, but Kalli’s entire body hummed in excitement when he grazed the back of her shirt with his strong body. There was no imagining the sexual tension; it threatened to set the room ablaze. Tristan was incredibly magnetic, and she felt like a box of paperclips that was about to explode; she’d be stuck to him all over. She’d spent so many years hiding her true identity, never getting close to anyone. The men at work had asked her on dates, but she’d conveniently thrown up her “professional morals” speech. She couldn’t let anyone into her bed, let alone her heart. But Tristan was larger than life in every way. Overnight, she’d become unraveled, and it was all because of him.
The alluring Alpha threatened to break down her carefully, hermetically sealed, stronger than steel emotional walls. The heat was just too much. And like any metal, given a high enough temperature, it would melt. She tried to concentrate. How was she going to collect herself? Needing to cool down, she looked for an escape. Setting the last clean dish in the rack, she turned off the water and slipped away past him.
Even as she squeezed by him, she knew it was because he’d let her go. She was practically shaking with arousal by the time she reached the corner to the hallway. She swore silently at the dampness between her legs. Tristan eyed her from the kitchen with a sly grin on his face. He knew. There was nothing she would get past him, except for maybe the secret that lay in her pill bottle.
“Ma lapin, I thought you were done running last night. You faced the wolf. Welcomed him.” He stalked toward her then stopped and placed his hand on the end of the island.
Kalli’s eyes caught his. Looking relaxed and confident, he was deliciously cool, like an ice cream cone on a warm summer day. Ready to be licked all over. She parted her lips, unconsciously moistening them in response. She knew that if he hadn’t smelled her wet arousal that he’d surely seen her nipples, which pressed through the thin fabric of his shirt.
“Last night.” She stopped midsentence as the memory flashed. Bared to him physically, emotionally. Welcoming him into her bed. He’d proved that he was trustworthy, revealing himself to her. Maybe it was time she gave him more of herself, as much as she was capable of, anyway. It might not be enough for him, but it was all she had.
He slowly moved toward her, sensing her internal struggle; the scent of her flooding his olfactory system, the sound of her quickening heartbeat assaulting his ears. But his little rabbit wasn’t afraid; she was sexually excited, wanting him, even if she couldn’t yet act on her feelings.
“Tristan,” she began as he came nearer. “Last night, I needed you. I guess I didn’t really know how much,” she confessed. “Your wolf was…he was…you were magnificent, so beautiful. But you need to know that I’ve never…I’ve never done anything like that before. It was so intimate. I’m…I’m trying to make this work. You saved me,” she whispered, hoping he could understand what she was trying to tell him. Intimacy had always seemed formidable for Kalli, if not unattainable….until last night. She shook her head in disappointment over her lack of articulation.
Her admission floored him. He’d felt it too, but he didn’t understand how hard it was for her to talk about how she felt until now. Granted, he barely knew her, but he wanted to know her. He wanted to know every single thing about her, inside and out.
It was all too much, her arousal, her words. He couldn’t hold back. In two strides, he had her backed against the wall. The wolf had the rabbit cornered yet again, except this time, she wasn’t running. This time, she looked up at him with sad dreamy eyes. Her mouth parted slightly and he struck.
Raking his fingers into her hair, he pulled her mouth to his, sucking, tasting. Kalli felt relieved when he made the first move, kissing her, allowing her to finally act on her passion. As he pushed his tongue into her mouth, she teased hers into his, reveling in the power of his kiss. She moaned, but refused to release him as her hands wrapped around his neck.
Tristan was drowning in her sweet mouth. Needing more, he reached under her knee, grinding his body into hers. His towel came undone, and his flesh met hers.
Kalli felt his rock-hard cock press against her bare belly as his towel fell and her shirt bunched up around her breasts. Lost in his embrace, her lips broke free of his for a mere second, enough time for her to moan his name: “Tristan.”
“Kalli,” he groaned in response, finding her mouth yet again. He planned to thoroughly kiss her until she knew what he wanted from her; everything.
She slid a hand down his strong chest, fingering each ab and then reached down to cup his firm ass. At her touch, he shoved her harder against the wall, letting his own hands wander until he found her soft breast. He pinched a pointed nipple, making her cry out in pleasure, and then bent his knees so that the tip of his shaft ran up and over her mound. As much as he’d like to fuck her up against the wall, and he was about a minute from doing so, he wanted her in his bed with her neck bared to him in submission. The first time he took her, it had to be. She needed to give all of herself to him, no secrets.
A ding from his private elevator alerted him that Logan was about to come into his home. He tore himself away from her lips, peppering her neck with small kisses. “Kalli,” he panted, trying to get her attention.
She was lost in ecstasy when she heard him call her name. Breathlessly, she dropped her leg as he released it from the crook of his arm. She instinctively pulled down the rim of the shirt which had been pushed clear up to her neck. She sighed, “Tristan.”
They each had an arm wrapped around each other, reluctant to let go. Gazing into each other’s eyes, registering the fireworks between them, a voice jarred them out of their erotic trance.
“Doesn’t take you long, Alpha,” Logan remarked. He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, but was naturally skeptical about Dr. Williams. He’d seen her in his dreams, but still, he was unsure of her intentions.
Tristan growled. “Enough, Logan. Living room, now. Leave us,” he ordered over his shoulder, shielding Kalli from his beta’s view and never taking his eyes off hers. “The sketch artist will be here soon, as will Julie with some clothes. Why don’t you go relax in your room?”
Snapping out of it, Kalli realized what had almost just happened. It terrified her; making love to the Alpha, he’d tear her apart. But like a moth to a flame, she couldn’t resist.
“Yeah, okay,” was all she managed to say, slipping from his arms. She scurried down the hallway toward her room, needing to collect herself.
“Oh, and Kalli,” he called.
She stopped dead in her tracks but didn’t turn around. “Yes.”
“This isn’t over, not by a long shot. We’ll finish this later. I promise.”
Kalli didn’t respond, choosing to flee to the safety of her room. What was she going to say anyway? She had practically thrown herself at him in the hallway. And she knew as Alpha, he could have whatever he wanted, at least that is how it worked in the pack. But she wasn’t pack.
Chapter Nine
Tristan adjourned to his room and got dressed before talking to Logan, who was sitting on the couch reading the news on his tablet.
“Hey,” he greeted him as he went into his kitchen to get another cup of joe. Th
e open layout of his condo was such that the kitchen, living room and family rooms were essentially one large, shared space. “Coffee?”
“No thanks,” Logan replied, not looking up.
“So, did you get my email? Give me the rundown.”
“Yeah, I’m running her clearances right now. Should have some info by this afternoon. Tony’s sending someone over to do the sketches within the hour. Meeting with Chandler is set up; two days from now. Neutral territory. Jersey. It’s all been arranged. And don’t forget the mayor’s charity ball is tomorrow night.”
“Anything else?” Tristan walked over and stared out the sliding glass doors.
Logan set his tablet down on the coffee table and looked up. “Uh, yeah. Are we going to talk about what I just walked in on?”
“What’s to talk about?”
“Really? Okay, maybe the fact that we don’t know her story yet. Or that you just met her yesterday. Come on, Tris; tell me that you didn’t sleep with her.” Logan had to ask, considering the strong scent of arousal that had hit him when the elevator doors opened.
“Seriously, bro?” Tristan shrugged. “Okay, let’s go there. I questioned her, and yes, she’s concealing something. But I can also sense that she’s not dangerous nor did she set the fire. And no, I didn’t sleep with her. Well, technically, I did sleep with her, but if you are asking if we had sex, then no.” He wouldn’t lie to Logan, but Tristan knew it was just a matter of time before he’d make love to her. And he planned on doing it all night long.
“Good to be the Alpha, huh?” Logan joked.
“Yeah, something like that. What about it?”
“So let me get this straight. You, my friend, just slept with her last night as in lying in a bed, eyes closed, no hanky panky?”