by Sierra Wolf
“Uh … um …” I said, tripping over my words. “I didn’t come here to invade your privacy at all. I really wanted to do a piece about your company and the amazing things you’re doing here. It doesn’t matter if you’re a shifter, or not. It seems like your company is doing beautifully, and we really want to know more about that.” Curtis chuckled. I’d turned red, a flush blending with my auburn freckles.
“Ms. Luna — may I call you Cassandra?” I nodded. “Well, Ms. Luna, I am indeed a shifter. And I can smell that you’re interested in my life as a shifter. At the very least, I can smell that you’re aroused or have been at some point recently. Is that true?” I nodded, the blush deepening. My excitement also deepened — my sex was becoming wetter by the second, and I hoped he couldn’t smell the quick change in my body. Hell, he probably could. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the mere presence of him undoing me even though I was a seasoned journalist. I felt my body thrumming with anxiety and excitement. How was a man activating these parts of my body that had been asleep for months? And … wasn’t this man supposed to be reserved? Maybe he’d gotten over that bit recently.
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” I said, trying to regain my composure. “But really, that’s not what I’m after.”
“But what if I said I did want you here, to get to know me and my pack, to get some good publicity out there for the shifter community? Would you be interested? Of course, I’d have to ask you to stay here for the day, perhaps even the weekend. What do you think about that?” He leaned forward in his chair, his presence seeming to loom over me, to surround me. My sensations heightened even being close to him in this office setting.
“Well, of course. It would be the story of my career so far. But are you sure that you want to do this? It will give you a lot of exposure, and not everyone loves shifters. We’d have to be very careful about how we presented it.” A new tingle started to take me over as well — professional excitement. This would be a story that might change my career. And he’d let me do it. I had to say yes. “I do think I’d like to do the story. Should we set a time for it?”
“How about right now? If you don’t have plans for the weekend, we can host you here.”
“But … but … my clothes. And my laptop … my work equipment.”
“You can borrow clothes an a laptop from Lupus Corp. For right now, I quite like you in that green dress. It’s professional and … if you don’t mind my saying … quite sexy. I have a thing for human women, which my pack gives me a hard time for.” I couldn’t understand why he was being so forward — and to me! I normally didn’t get this type of attention from men, and when I did, it wasn’t gorgeous, wealthy men like this. This was nuts! I blushed deep red.
“Well, yes, I guess I can accept that. I would like to do the story, Mr. Beauregard.”
“Curtis, please.” He was emphatic this time.
“Curtis, yes, I’d like to stay this weekend.” I’d work on my story and I’d not let my attraction to this man get in the way of the story. I knew this was important — for me, for the paper, for my career.
“Excellent,” he said. “We’ll get started with a tour of the grounds, then.” He stood up and whisked me out of his office. I officially went into reporter mode. If I was going to learn about shifters and about this man, I had to be efficient … and I couldn’t be lost in my attraction to my interview subject. I steeled myself as we walked out into the hallway and he led me to a door that faced one of the glass walkways.
“So, Curtis, were you born a wolf, or were you made into a wolf?” He looked at me with his otherworldly eyes, causing my heart to pound. This was a formidable man, and I could tell that his inner wolf was formidable as well. I heard a throaty rumble that sounded almost like a growl. Was it a growl? He turned to me as we entered the glass walkway and smiled. I daresay I would call that smile “wolfish.” Wolfish indeed.
“I suppose I should be better prepared for questions like this, Cassandra. I was born a wolf, but wolves can also be created in the process of claiming a mate. My father, the leader of his pack, claimed my mother long ago, and then I was born. I was the only one born of their union, so I am the alpha of this pack.” I found myself almost not processing his words. Instead, I was contemplating his face — its strong jaw line and the strange eyes that seemed neither animal nor human.
“Ahem,” I stuttered. “So I’ve heard. I would love to hear more about that process.”
“Oh would you?” He chuckled. “I’m not sure if you could handle it …” He quickly changed the topic before I could ask him yet another question. “This is the main grounds, out of this window. During lunch, the company usually eats together in the outdoor kitchen.” There was a beautifully kept outdoor area, complete with picnic tables. It looked like the perfect area for the company to gather … but did they really all live here?
“Are the members of the company in your pack? Are they also … shifters?” I almost stuttered over the word, feeling heat rise between my legs. Just thinking of this man shifting into a fine golden wolf made me wet and slick with desire.
“Why yes, Cassandra. They are in my pack. I keep my pack members close to me. Not all of those who live and work at Lupus Corporation are shifters, and not all of them are wolves. Harry in accounting is a bear, but he’s one of the good ones.” Curtis turned toward me and winked. I was recording the information on my phone as we walked. I think the article I was going to write would have to be longer than two thousand words. After all, very few people had had exclusive interviews with shifters — let alone the alpha of a pack. I was also too distracted by his good looks to take notes while we were walking around.
“Here we have the main office.” We stepped into the office — it was rustic like the rest of his estate, with an open floor plan and comfortable looking couches set against each wall. There were five or so beautiful people, casually dressed, working at computers and managing the apps that Lupus Corporation had created. One looked up briefly from her work and smiled. She looked back down again. So it was all business around here at least during the day. As if he were reading my mind, Curtis added, “It’s normally pretty quiet around here. Everyone works very hard. These guys are all in development. Let’s continue, and I’ll show you the main dining hall.” I followed him down another glass corridor to a large dining area, as beautiful as any of the halls we’d already been through. It was lined with reclaimed wood, and had smooth farm tables that must have been there to foster a communal working environment. Very interesting.
“We eat all three meals here, which keeps our work environment —” Curtis was cut off by a commotion coming through the dining hall. Sheila was walking into the hall, leading what looked to be a very large injured wolf.
CHAPTER THREE
The dark gray wolf ambled up to us, showing a bleeding wound on its right haunch, while Sheila stood back. Before my eyes, Curtis ripped off his clothing and kicked his shoes aside, revealing his muscular body. I then saw the golden chestnut hair begin to grow on his body, and his face beginning to lengthen. He had transformed into a powerful wolf. It wasn’t like I’d seen on television before, where the wolf goes through a painful transition of breaking bones and transforming through a process of great pain. Come to think of it, it wasn’t something that you saw on TV since shifters had come out to the world. There was little known about their elegant shifting biology, but it was known that it was swift and graceful. My jaw drop and I felt woozy as my brain tried to realize what it was seeing. As the wolf, Curtis was powerful and moved with a graceful beauty.
The handsome man who had been showing me around his property today had just transitioned into an incredibly powerful beast. And I’d never seen anything like it before. The golden wolf — just as I imagined Curtis would be — was far bigger in size than the injured wolf. Curtis walked to the wolf and nudged it so that it would lie down. He began tending the wolf’s injured leg, licking at it and smelling it.
“He’s checking for i
nfection,” Sheila said, her voice coming from behind me. “And the healing ability of our saliva can help other shifters.”
“Wow.” I nodded absently, my eyes glued to the scene before me. The gray wolf let out a mournful half-howl as Curtis licked his haunch, the wound still bleeding. Just then, the gray wolf began to transition to a man, his fur receding and his face changing quickly. Sheila let out a gasp and ran over to the man.
“Stay in your wolf, form, Sydney,” she said, putting an arm around the man’s shoulder. The man let out a groan as his hair faded away, clutching at his leg.
“It’s too painful Sheila.” His voice sounded like it still had some of the wolf in it, his words coming out in a near-growl. Tears began to run down Sheila’s face.
“Change, change back, Sydney …” Sheila was crying in earnest. The wound was still bleeding, and it wasn’t a clean cut. It was jagged, almost like a bite. I gasped and my body responded with action. I grabbed a steak knife from one of the tables in the hall and made a cut in the bottom of my dress. I ripped off the fabric and stepped over to the man.
“May I?” I looked to Sheila, who was still very distraught, holding Sydney by his shoulders and sobbing. She nodded. Curtis moved away. I started wrapping the man’s wound, knowing it would have to be sanitized. But pressure was most important now. I heard a whooshing sound next to me and heard Curtis pulling his clothing back on as I wrapped the man’s leg.
“Thank you for trying, Alpha,” the man mumbled, his voice racked with pain. I knotted the bottom of the dress around his leg.
“Get towels,” I said, “Whatever you have. And antiseptic. Alcohol. Do you have anyone on site who can do basic first aid? I can only do so much … I have no idea how to give him stitches, and that’s what he needs right now. Can we get him to the hospital?” Sheila sobbed, and I continued pressing on Sydney’s leg. The hospital was a good twenty miles away, but maybe paramedics would come.
“It’s not safe for us to leave,” Sydney said, wiping her tears on her sleeve. Curtis walked off, presumably to get the things I’d requested. “We’ve been attacked by a rebel pack that lives north of here, and they slashed the tires on every car here. Yours too. Sorry, Cassandra. It’s also not really safe to call the police. At nightfall, the rebels are likely to attack any police who come to our aid. Sydney’s already talked to the police — and look where that got him.” Sydney moaned. She looked at me, her face desperate. “It’s also the full moon tonight, which means that the shifter pack will be more powerful. So will we — but even human policemen wouldn’t stand a chance. We need to stay indoors, starting now.” I looked out the window. The sun was setting over the hills, and the moon would soon be on the rise. I hadn’t even thought about the phase of the moon and what it might mean for a shifter colony. Hell, until a few minutes ago, I didn’t know that the people here were shifters.
“I know it hurts, Sydney,” I said. “Just take my hand and squeeze it. Curtis is going to get help.” Sydney squeezed my hand, and I pressed against his leg. I didn’t know such tensions really existed in the shifter community — and certainly not to such a violent extent. Even though the situation was dire, I was calm. I knew plenty of first aid as a reporter in the field, and I knew that he would be just fine if we could get the wound cleaned and dressed properly. The problem was that there might not be anyone who would know how.
Just then, Curtis returned to the scene, bringing with him a young man with glasses. The young man carried a kit with him — though the kit itself was dusty, it was a red medical kit. And it probably had the things we needed to put a cursory dressing on Sydney’s leg.
“I’m a trained EMT,” said the young man, and Curtis pushed him forward. The young man’s voice was mild, but he knelt down by Sydney and opened the box he held. He pulled out antiseptic and fresh bandages like he knew what he was doing. This was as close as we were going to get to medical care today.
“This is Harry, the bear. I thought I’d heard he had some medical training. Thank goodness he knows more than just bookkeeping.” I pulled my hand away from Sydney’s leg, and I let Harry do his work. I sighed, my heart starting to pump fast, realizing the anxiety I felt about the danger of the rival pack.
Curtis took my arm and lifted me. I looked down and saw that my legs were mostly exposed from ripping my dress. I gulped, and I noticed Curtis taking in my ample thighs and the curve of my breasts. He grinned appreciatively. I felt week with his hand on my arm. He wore only his pants, and I had a good view of his hard muscles. I could smell his faintly musky scent, a mix of sandalwood and something else that I couldn’t put my finger on. I felt like I might pass out in his arms.
“Let’s get you cleaned up. We’re safe for now. Don’t worry.” He brushed my hair behind my ear. I blushed deeply. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll show you to your room while you’re here. There’s a bathroom, and I’ll have some clothes ready for you after your shower.” He walked me into another corridor. The stars were coming up over the mountains, and I wondered what changes awaited this pack on the full moon. It probably wasn’t severe, or Curtis never would have invited me here. My heart fluttered nonetheless. Curtis still held my arm, his touch sending signals through my nervous system.
“Here’s your room,” Curtis said as we stepped to the first door in a long hallway. His eyes flashed. “Don’t worry about the moon tonight. We werewolves are able to shift at any time, but our instincts are heightened on the full moon. You’ll be perfectly safe here.” He brought his hand to my face and brushed my cheek with his thumb. I melted into him, my body activating with the feeling of his presence. “Unless of course,” he said, bringing his face closer to mine and barely grazing my lips with his, “You’re the one that the alpha desires.” He kissed me then, pulling me to him and taking me into his strong arms.
“What about the rival pack?” I mumbled, lost in the sensation of his body pressed against mine.
“They won’t attack. We’re too strong. They’re trying to intimidate us, and we’re too strong.” He lowered his hands to my ass and squeezed it roughly. I moaned. No man had touched me in so long — let alone one so strong and powerful. “We shifters are not shy about who we want to mate with on the full moon, Cassandra. When you walked into my office, I knew I had to have you. You smelled like you were in heat, and I can tell that you are.” He growled against my neck and moved one of his hands up my ravaged dress, gently grazing my pussy and touching the tip of my clit. Shivers ran up and down my spine. I was already putty in his hands, but I tried to pull away. Curtis just held me tighter. “When I saw you tending to Sydney, I had to have you for my own. You’re a smart, resourceful woman.” He slipped my panties aside and slid two of his fingers into my slick pussy. I sighed. “And you’d bear me beautiful pups.” He bit my neck gently, sliding his fingers back in forth in my pussy. The danger of being here with the wolves and facing a rival pack had my adrenaline already fired up, and I was pliant in Curtis’s hands, feeling the pure sensations of pleasure as he brought me closer and closer to climax.
“Pups … like … babies?” I moaned. He nodded against me and nibbled at my neck again.
“I want to fill you with my seed and make you beg for more.” I wanted to pull away but couldn’t. The desire to come on his hand was too much for me to take. And hell, getting filled with his seed was starting to sound pretty good. “You gorgeous, curvy thing.” His cock was rock hard through his pants. He shoved it against my leg. Clearly, the adrenaline of the situation had gotten to him too. “I’ll let you come on my hand, and you can decide if you want me to come to your room later.” He pumped his hand inside of me rhythmically, and I let the climax rise inside of me. The orgasm reverberated through my body, centered on the place where Curtis held his hand. I thought I heard him growl as I cried out against him, the feeling of his fingers exquisite inside my silken pussy. After the waves of pleasure receded from my body, Curtis pulled his hand away, leaving me empty. He kissed me deeply one more time and opened the do
or to my room for me.
“I’ll come by later tonight to see if you will accept my offer. Right now, I must make contact with the rebel pack, whether I want to or not. Later, I will need release, and I will come to find you. If you are unwilling, one of the bitches in my pack will tend to me.” He kissed me gently once again, and he left me.
That certainly was the strangest proposition I’d ever had, but … there was something about him that made me want him. Desperately.
CHAPTER FOUR
I ate one of the snacks I’d brought in my purse, and I took a shower, tending to the dried blood on my legs. I couldn’t stop thinking of Curtis. I walked out of the shower and sat on my bed, naked, looking through news clippings about shifters on my phone. Apparently there were many rivalries in the shifter world. I had never known …
I still couldn’t believe he was really that magnetically attracted to me. It just didn’t happen in my world. I heard a rustle at my door. My heart started beating faster, and the anxiety mixed with arousal and desire overtook me again. The day had been so strange, I barely knew what to expect.
“I’m naked … no clothes … remember!” I shouted at the door, and pulled my towel over my curvy body. Curtis opened the door and walked in, still wearing only his pants and sporting bear feet. I guessed that shifters didn’t really care that much about clothing.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t have any clothes to put on.” I stood up, covering my body, and Curtis walked over to me.
“Curtis, I don’t think we should do anything else … You’ve been through a lot today, and sleeping with interviewees isn’t something I should do.” My body betrayed my mind. I wanted him — badly. I was still slick from before, and a new wave of desire washed through my body. Curtis walked to me and pulled me into his arms again, pulling the towel away from my body. I was stark naked, and I knew if he touched me, there would be no hiding my desire.