Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic

by SM Reine

  Before I think through my actions, the doorknob to Kotsana’s room is in my hand and I tear the door off the frame. The sound of splintering wood rips through the air and freezes them both on the bed. Lori’s mouth opens in a silent O of shock.

  I surge into the room and loom over their naked, sweating bodies. “Two-timing bitch!”

  Lori grabs a sheet to cover herself as Kotsana looks at me with cool, calm eyes.

  The Were hoists himself off her pliant body to lean against the headboard. “Careful, Jon.” His deep voice rumbles across the space between us as he raises his hands in a placating gesture. “She’s not your mate and she wanted this.”

  I look at the silky dark hair framing Lori’s elfin face. Her huge cornflower blue eyes shimmer with excitement. My heart hardens when she reaches a hand to fondle her own nipple.

  “Want to join us, Jon?” Her other hand snakes to stroke Kotsana’s still erect cock. “I bet the three of us could have some fun.” Her head tilts to the side and she looks at her lover, perhaps trying to judge if he’s game.

  I knew she was a randy bitch, and she’s certainly been pouring off sexual pheromones every waking hour of the day, but I honestly thought I satisfied her and we were building something.

  Kotsana looks my way, recognizes my slow burn of barely controlled rage, and moves her hand from his body.

  The second she’s no longer touching him, I lunge across the bed, lugging her off the mattress by her arms. “You think it’s funny to play more than one guy, don’t you?” I grasp her shoulders and shake her hard, hoping her brain rattles in that pretty little head. “Just because you can fuck every unattached wolf you meet, doesn’t mean you should.”

  I toss her unresisting form in the direction of the door and advance on Kotsana. “You knew she was with me.”

  His dark brown eyes flit to the floor, not meeting mine. “She smelled so damn good.”

  My hands curl over the bigger man’s biceps and, in a move I’m sure I’ll regret in a few minutes, I haul his naked ass from the bed and drag him toward the closed window. “Next time you bed a horny werewolf, make sure she’s not sleeping with someone higher than you in your own freakin’ pack.” Kotsana’s face changes to fear as he looks over his shoulder, working out what I plan to do. Panic pours off his larger frame, goading me to savagery at his show of weakness. “You’ll have time to think about the wisdom of bed-hopping while you heal.”

  And with that, muscles bunch in my thighs and across my back as I throw the heavier man through the glass window. I turn back to Lori as she’s scrambling into her discarded clothing. The tinkle of falling glass and a dull thud reach my ears, followed by screams of pain. The big man lies shrieking on the asphalt driveway below, and I couldn’t care less.

  “Jon, please.” Fear etches the delicate lines of her face. “Let me explain.”

  I push by her, resisting the urge to pick her up and toss out her cheating ass with Kotsana. “What is left to explain? That the sex we had this morning wasn’t enough for you? That the three orgasms I gave you while you screamed your love for me left you wanting?” I storm away, past two bedrooms, to the one we shared.

  “Wait, Jon. Please!”

  My fists clench at my side, anger boiling within me as I spin around to face her. “We’re through! I’m done with this pack and the sex free-for-all you take as the status quo.” Moisture gathers in my eyes, blurring my vision. “And to think, I came here hoping to take you with me. What a fucking joke.”

  Lori’s face collapses and she starts to bawl. “Jon, no, don’t go like this. We can work it out.”

  I slam my fist into the wall near her head, destroying the dry wall and the two-by-four behind it. “How can we possibly move beyond this when I still envision you reaching for his dick and inviting me to join?” I pull my hand from the hole, staring at the dry wall dust while ragged breaths steal past my lips. “Who the hell does that?” I whisper while looking into her clear blue eyes. “Who would twist what we had the way you did?”

  She turns her face away, unable to meet my gaze any longer. Not having her with me is for the best. I can’t imagine how in the hell I thought she was a good choice, in any sense of the word.

  Lori hugs her arms around her curvy torso and sinks to the floor in the hall. I leave her to wallow in tears and quickly pack my bags, grabbing anything of personal value and all the clothes I can cram into the two large duffels.

  The whole encounter, from tossing Kotsana out the window to making my way to the driveway, took less than five minutes. One of the other female Weres, Deneishia, crouches over the injured man on the asphalt.

  Uncaring, I ignore his moans of pain and her calls for assistance. I stalk past them, climb inside my jeep, start it, and peel out of the Manitoba pack compound as fast as I can.

  Romeo will get his wish.

  I’ll never come back—no matter what.

  Chapter Two

  I drive for hours that stretch into days. No clear destination in mind besides crossing the Canadian border into the States. The idea of heading to my hometown in Williamsburg, Virginia occurs to me, but I dismiss it realizing the unanswerable questions I’d be faced with.

  My folks think I died over a year ago in the hospital due to complications during the night I was attacked. Romeo and Elsa advised that my family was unsafe with me near them, and helped to feign my death.

  Slowing to a stop for the red light ahead, a burn bubbles from my stomach at the thought of Romeo. Damn stubborn man. We’re in the twenty first century, for Christ’s sake. Who the hell wouldn’t think organizing fellow supernaturals might be a smart idea? Oh, that’s right, every damn alpha stuck in the nineteenth century.

  My fingers tighten around the steering wheel, frustration and Were strength threatening to break the plastic. I loosen my grip when a horn honks behind me. The traffic light is green and I’m not sure how long I’ve been sitting here ignoring it. Maybe it’s time for a break. A glance at the dashboard clock reveals it’s way past noon and I haven’t eaten since the last refill for gas around dawn.

  Awareness of my surroundings leaks back into perspective, diminishing the dull anger and some of the resentment I left in Canada. The clear May day shines on the green-shrouded highway, lush trees crowding the two-lane stretch. A road sign comes into view proclaiming I’m ten miles from Lovettsville.

  Holy shit, I’m in northern Virginia. Huh. Guess I did unconsciously drive to where I’m most comfortable.

  Lovettesville is several hours from my folks, so I’m unlikely to run into anyone here who knows me. Sounds like a good place to stop for a meal.

  After a few minutes I angle my dust-covered jeep into a parking spot outside an old-fashioned diner. I cut the engine and ease open the truck door. Humidity hits me like a wet glove and the air seems heavier in my lungs. The sweet smell of new growth and distant tilled earth greet my sensitive nose. The warmth of the sun heats my skin while I stretch the miles from my aching muscles.

  The parking lot contains eight cars, not bad for after two o’clock. Maybe the food here will be decent. Anything’s better than the gas station food I’ve had for two days straight. Last night I stayed in a cheap motel after a cop told me I couldn’t sleep in the cab of my jeep, even if he did agree it was silly law. The shower did me good and the change of clothes was well needed after days of hard driving.

  A quaint bell jangles above the glass door at my entrance. Vacant stools line the counter, but I make my way to a booth. Hours of concentrated focus on the road have left me jittery and wired, yet physically weary and exhausted. I’m not used to feeling anything other than extreme mellowness within the pack.

  Maybe coming back to Virginia was not a good idea. Being here feels familiar and yet awkward all at once.

  A plastic coated menu slides across the table into view, pulling me out of the déjà vu moment. A throat clears nearby and draws my gaze up the pink dress of the waitress who brought the menu.

  A slim woman, wit
h a becoming smile, a blush to her cheeks, and a cap of shiny dark hair waits patiently with an order pad at the ready. “What can I get for you, hon?” She smiles again, revealing a dimple near one corner of her upturned mouth.

  I smile in response, the reaction automatic. “Coffee first, please. Black.” She dips her chin in acknowledgment. I gesture toward the menu. “Do you have any recommendations?”

  “For today’s lunch special we’ve got marinated chicken—grilled and served over fresh greens.” She smiles again. “But anything you get will be good. The cook does a great job.”

  I nod, careful to squash the frown I instinctively feel forming at the thought of ordering only a salad, and open the menu to see what else they offer.

  “I’ll get your coffee and come back for your order.” She bustles away, trailing a faint whiff of werewolf pheromones in her wake. I sit up straighter and turn in the booth, following her retreat behind the counter.

  Holy crap. She’s like me. What are the chances my first real meal since Canada is served by a werewolf? Was I pulled here subconsciously? Like pheromones in the air or something?

  Or fate. Maybe this is where you were meant to be.

  I tense, worried I’ll be discovered by my scent and that I might be infringing on another pack’s territory. I’ve got to get her alone to question her.

  Yeah, like that’s going to be easy. What young waitress wouldn’t welcome a private talk with a stranger?

  A casual examination of the restaurant reveals it isn’t as full as the parking lot would indicate. The closest diner to me sits three booths down.

  Maybe I could ask about the local pack situation out here in the open? Or should I push my own scent into the air and see if she responds?

  She’s returning with my coffee and I make a split decision. I reach inside and mentally call up an image of my old pack. Cool dark woods zip by as I race in my wolf form, surrounded by the well-known bodies that my inner beast naturally trusts.

  She sets the coffee on the table, and stares. Her nostrils flare and pupils dilate. “Well, what do we have here?” Interest leaps into her eyes. “You don’t look familiar. New in town?”

  I nod, reaching for my cup of coffee. The warmth from the ceramic seeps into my grasp, spreading up my hands. “Just stopping for a meal.” I keep my tone neutral, hoping to not alarm her. “Not poaching land.”

  Sadness sweeps across her face, quickly replaced by good humor. “You don’t need to worry about that. There’s no claim here.”

  My eyebrows jump up my forehead. “Really?” She nods and a stillness steals over me. How could she be a lone wolf on her own? Or are there others but no alpha?

  Innate instinct creeps up, startling me with the depth of desire coiling in my gut. The need to rule and dominate other wolves washes through me, surprising me with its ferocity. She will bow to my wolf.

  Where the hell did that come from? I’m not eager to lead a pack, nor do I know enough to keep one safe.

  After a slight hesitation, a warm invitation crosses her face. “Sure you don’t want to stay in town a while? Get to know the area? There’s lots of open ground to run.”

  A feeling of home, so long suppressed under Romeo’s lead, warms my heart. “Maybe I will.” Impulsively, I extend a hand in greeting. “Hi, I’m Jon.”

  That adorable blush I noticed earlier comes back, spreading up her neck as she reaches for my hand. Hers eyes dart toward the floor before briefly returning to me and flitting away. “Raine.”

  Oh, she’s familiar with a pack, all right. That was definitely a submissive wolf reaction. “Pretty name for an even prettier lady.”

  She smiles, a flirtatious look lighting her eyes. “Thanks. Now, what can I get you to eat?”

  My stomach grumbles right on cue. I laugh, the stress from Manitoba rolling off my shoulders like it never existed. “I’ll start with two steaks. Medium rare, please.”

  She winks and nods, sashaying her hips as she walks away to place my order.

  About fifteen minutes later, Raine returns with my meal. I clear my throat as the full platter slides across the table. “You wouldn’t know of any place hiring, would you?”

  “Are you okay with manual labor?” Her dark blue eyes linger on my torso as I nod. “There’s a huge construction boom in the county. Good money. If you don’t own tools you could hire on to an existing crew or find landscaping work pretty easy.”

  I studied botany at James Madison University, the campus farther south, where the werewolf attack changed my life forever. My dream at school was to someday own a nursery and landscaping company. Hope for a new life blossoms in me for the first time since leaving Canada. Maybe it was fate that brought me back to Virginia. “Does the diner keep a recent newspaper behind the counter?”

  Chapter Three

  I start work immediately with a local landscaper and am quickly promoted to leading a crew—my knowledge of plants and ability to speak Spanish the driving forces behind the advancement. Today is Friday and I plan to ask out the cute waitress for dinner. I had breakfast at the diner this morning, when she first arrived at work, so I know she’s got the evening shift off.

  The bell over the door jingles when I enter, sending my nerves into overdrive. A warm smile lights Raine’s face when she sees me.

  “Nice to see you again, Jon.” She glances at her watch. “My shift is almost over.” A faint flash of disappoint flashes over her features. “Damn. Looks like someone else will serve you.”

  “I was hoping you might join me for dinner.” I clear my throat, nervous for the first time in months. “You know—someplace else—not here. Like a date.”

  Raine glances down my body, noting my freshly changed clothes. “I’d like that, Jon.” The gleam in her eye turns predatory, triggering an answering heat low in my middle. “I’ve only got a casual sundress with me, is that okay?”

  “You could be dressed in rags and I’d still be happy to take you out.”

  “Aren’t you sweet.” She smiles, the humor only halfway reaching her eyes. “Give me ten minutes.”

  The young Were retreats to the back hall where the employee lockers stand near the manager’s office. There was a lurking sadness in her eyes when she agreed to dinner. I hope over our meal I can coax out of her whatever brought it on. My wolf wants to make her mine, and the human part of me doesn’t quite know what to do with the new urges.

  The noise of the Blue Ridge Grill fades into the background as I watch Raine polish off her second burger. “For a tiny little thing, you sure can keep up.” My face freezes in horror as I realize I just told the attractive woman I brought to dinner that she eats a lot.

  Raine’s laughter trips from her lips in the first show of genuine humor I’ve seen from her all night. “Oh my God—you should see your face right now, Jon. Classic!” She wipes the tears from her eyes with the end of her napkin. “No one would accuse you of being a silver-tongued devil, that’s for sure.” She smiles to show she’s teasing then shrugs a slim shoulder under her pale blue sundress. “What can I say? I work so much it’s hard to keep the pounds on.” Her face sobers, the humor draining as fast as it came, and she looks away. “We do have an excellent metabolism.”

  Something doesn’t add up. Waitressing might be hard work and a lot of hours on your feet, but a healthy werewolf who eats like she just did shouldn’t be waif-like thin. Maybe she has a second job. Trying to make ends meet on tips can’t be easy. Especially without a pack for support or a werewolf roomie to share the rent.

  I want to ask how she’s doing financially, curious if she does indeed have a second job and why, but something holds me back. We don’t know each other well enough for me to start prying, and asking might scare her off. If I want to start over here in Virginia, I’ll need to slowly bring wolves to me, and that won’t happen if I come on too strong.

  Slowly bring wolves to me? Where the hell are these thoughts coming from? That sounds a lot like alpha tendencies rearing an ugly head. Am I ready fo
r my own pack? After Manitoba, I sure as hell don’t want to join another one. Could I become a true alpha and protect others of my kind?

  The memories of Romeo—breaking up fights, mentoring others unhappy with their dual nature, and financially supporting ones who needed it—flare bright across my mind. We may have clashed, but he took good care of his wolves.

  No, I’m not ready for another pack, even one of my own. Maybe that will change in the coming months, who knows.

  After a moment, Raine’s tinge of sadness disappears and a slow seductive smile crosses her face. The sexual pheromones I’ve suppressed all week seep out little by little. There’s no denying that even sad, she’s delectable to my raging libido. Raine’s bare foot rubs my calf toward my knee. Instantly, the room narrows to the beguiling young woman and her seductive smile. Her arousal taints the air, calling me to act.

  I reach across the distance between us and pull her slim fingers to my lips. “I could just eat you up.”

  Her brows rise. “Really, now?” A saucy superiority burns from her eyes. “You sound suspiciously like the Big Bad Wolf hitting on Red Riding Hood.”

  A sharp bark of laughter erupts from me, breaking the tension. I really suck at flirting. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” Resigned to the fact we may not have any fun tonight if based on my flirting skills, and her wandering foot could be her way of teasing, I rise from the table and offer my hand. “Want to go out for a night cap or should you take me back to my jeep at the diner?”

  “I know of a nice bar in downtown Leesburg.” She winks and takes my hand. “It’s not far.”

  Hope stirs in my heart as we exit the restaurant. Maybe things are picking up.

  An hour later in a dimly lit bar, there’s no way I’m mistaking Raine’s intentions. She’s been stroking my growing erection through my jeans for the last ten minutes. Randy bitch—and I say that with the utmost respect for the fascinating werewolf—just nibbled on my ear and told me to kiss her.