Wolf in Waiting

by Colt , Shyla

  PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY of his parents' home, he took a deep breath and prepared to take his life back.

  "I don't know what you did, but Dad's on the war path," Chase said from his seat on the porch.

  "What I'm about to say won't make him any happier," Kalyx admitted. "If I was you, I'd go hide out."

  "Are you sure about this?"

  "This has been a long time coming."

  Kalyx's wolf delivered a growl of approval. For two alphas to comfortably occupy the same space one had to submit. For years he had been the submissive. Happy to be a source of pride instead of shame he allowed his father to arrange things as he saw fit. But now Luc was at stake, and he would not yield. Firm in his decision, he made his way inside the front door and down the hall to his father's office. After a brief knock, he entered and took a seat across the desk from his father wrapping up his phone call.

  "Son, you are just the man I wanted to see," his father said. His thick fingers laced as he leaned forward over the desk. "People have begun to talk about your, dalliances with the imut."

  "Her name is Luc." His shoulders tensed as a growl rumbled in his chest.

  "You openly admit you've seen her?" he scoffed, nose wrinkling in disgust. "And recently from the stench of it."

  "I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

  "Not if that's the company you want to keep. I taught you better than that."

  "I think it's time we get something straight. My life is my own to live. I bent over backward for the past five years to make you proud, and no matter what I do, it's never been enough, so now I'm done."

  "'Done'? There is no being done when you're a Hunter. This is who you are. You have a duty to this family and your pack!" He roared. His father’s heavy fists slammed down on the oak desk hard enough to make the wood groan in protest.

  "My duty is to serve them not play Simon Says with you."

  "It's my choice who succeeds me, boy!" he threatened, face flushed as a vein in his neck bulged.

  "I never wanted the title," he said as he stood. "We both know Chase was always your first choice anyway." He walked away regret free for the first time since his change.

  "Feral wolves get put down, Kalyx!"

  "You'd never risk the embarrassment," he said over his shoulder, leaving the office.

  Kalyx needed to leave before he changed and attempted to assert his dominance against his own father. His clothes were strewn as he ran out the back and shifted.

  INFURIATED BY HIS SON's outburst Randall placed a call to Violet.

  "Hello, Mr. Hunter."

  "Cut the chit chat you twit, this isn't a social call," he spat. "I am paying you handsomely to do a job, and you're failing miserably."

  "I-I'm trying sir, but your son is being stubborn."

  "I don't want to hear excuses. I want results. So shake that tight little ass of yours in his face and make him forget about this damn imut he's sniffing around!"

  "Y-yes sir!" she stuttered.

  "Good, I'm glad we understand each other."

  Disconnecting the call, he leaned back in his chair. Luc Dryden had become a big problem.

  LUC RIFFLED THROUGH clothes in search of an outfit for the bachelorette party at the Tavern.

  "I've held this in since Mom, and I got back from our breakfast run to Panera. Why did the house reek of Kalyx Hunter?" Ivy asked.

  "Because he was here."

  Luc's lips twisted into a frown directed at the selection she had to choose from. Everything she owed was khaki, black, or a pale pink. When had she fallen into a rut?

  When you started trying to be perfect to make up for things you couldn't change. A little voice chimed.

  "And?" Ivy waved her arms like a wild woman, and Luc shook her head.

  "And nothing; he was only here for about ten minutes. We're having a difference of opinion on a few things, but I think he got the picture."

  "Do you really believe that?"

  "I'm only here for the next week and a half, Iv. Soon enough it won't matter," she said unsure if it was Ivy or herself she meant to convince. Luc wanted to change the subject "Do you have anything I can wear?"

  "Actually, I have the perfect top!" Ivy squealed. She was up and out of the room before Luc could take back her request. The gleam in her sister's amber eyes made her nervous.

  The three-quarter length white shirt with a black triangular pattern hugged her curves like a second skin, showcasing her ample chest and tiny waist when paired with black pencil skirt and peep-toe black heels.

  "Now you're ready for a bachelorette party." Ivy beamed as they took in their reflection.

  With their high cheekbones, matching smiles, and similarly shaped eyes, it was easy to see they were sisters. For the first time in a long time, Luc was happy.

  THE TAVERN WAS A LOCAL bar and grill with a dance floor, and a decent DJ playing every Thursday night, making it the perfect choice for celebrating Ivy's last days of freedom. The pink boas paired with tiny pink tiaras dubbed the four girls members of a bachelorette party. The minute they sat at the bar, free drinks began to arrive from well-wishers.

  "You're not drinking?" Heather asked. Her eyebrow lifted when Luc shook her head and watched Ivy and Jacinth down another shot.

  "No, I'm here to make sure this one gets home safe and sound, so Asher doesn't kill me," she joked. Luc had always liked Ivy's best friend, Heather, and the newest addition to the duo, Jacinth, had proved to be a lot of fun.

  "Good idea," she said giggling as Ivy jumped up, swaying her hips to the strains of My Chick Bad by Ludacris.

  "Come on, Luc! Don't act like you forgot how to dance!" Ivy shouted before she grabbed her arm, pulling her up from the stool and out onto the dance floor.

  Within minutes their rocking hips, boisterous comments, and jovial mood had the dance floor full. Content in the middle of the bridal party Luc let loose and enjoyed the break from the drama.

  THE MOMENT THE BLONDE walked into the VIP section of the Pulse in a skimpy black dress barely restraining her double D chest, Kalyx knew there was going to be trouble.

  "What's she doing here?" Asher asked as Chase and Kalyx shook their heads in response.

  "Who knows what goes on in that vapid little head of hers," Kalyx said his anger rising. Before her appearance, the night had been a success. After a long run and a heart-to-heart conversation with Asher, he had been able to leave the Luc situation alone for the night.

  "Kalyx. Just the man I wanted to see," Violet purred slinking her way over to perch on his seat.

  "Come on, Vi. It's Asher's bachelor party," Chase said.

  '"That's okay. It's not him I'm here to see," Violet cooed. Her slim fingers ran through Kalyx's hair blatantly ignoring the tense set of his muscles and the growls resonating in his throat.

  "Come on now, Kalyx. There's no need to play hard to get. We both know I'm your father's choice, and you could do a lot worse."

  "You need to leave," he ground out. Each word a careful enunciation as the urge to shift struck. The pheromones leaking from her pores were a threat to his mate. An insult his wolf would not stand for.

  "I'm sure your bark is worse than your bite," she drawled. Her bold challenge to make her stop was visible in her narrowed eyes.

  The snap of her wrist echoed through the corner as he shoved her to the floor and stood. His nostrils flared as his eyes bled from green to yellow and his canines lengthened.

  "Learn your place, bitch," Kalyx said pinning her to the floor with his power.

  "Look at you, barely able to keep from ripping out my throat. I can handle it rough. It's why dear old daddy chose me. But what about Luc?" She asked holding her wrist to her side as she kept her eyes lowered.

  "I will rip your throat out if you say one more word." Lowering into a crouch and leaning in to inhale the scent of fear pouring off her in waves, his wolf wanted to bath in her blood for the insults she spewed. The human in him was terrified.

  "Get her out of here," he managed
, barely keeping himself in check as his body trembled.

  "I got it," Chase said, moving in to lift her body from the floor and rush off.

  Kalyx turned to whisper, "Asher, I'm a fucking monster." Both hands clenched into fists as his heart swelled with sorrow.

  How could he come to Luc like this? He was just as likely to hurt her as he was to make her happy.

  "Kalyx, you need to calm down."

  "I think you mean I need to be put down," he said, the wolf inside him howled for his mate.

  He registered the words, "Are you okay?" from Chase before the wolf attempted to claw his way out and bring on darkness.

  "DID YOU DO WHAT I ASKED you to do?" Randall asked, recognizing the number.

  "I did everything you told me to.I had the bartender slip the Mickey in Luc's drink while she looked after itty bitty drunken Ivy. The stupid wench made it so easy. She left her drink right there on the bar." Her dark laughter made Randall smile. "Then I reminded Kalyx of why the imut was a poor choice."

  "Good girl," he praised.

  He knew the situation had grown out of hand when the son he had groomed for the throne for the past five years came to challenge him. There was no way he would let all that hard work go down the toilet for one useless piece of ass.

  "All will be as it should be by tomorrow night, my love, and you will be Mrs. Kalyx Hunter before the year is out."

  "Thank you, Randall."

  "No, my dear, thank you," he said. The call ended with a smile.

  The chemical compound he had ordered the pack doctor to make would assure Luc Dryden was never a problem again. The mixture was a play off the one predominantly used to help ease young wolves through, particularly painful transitions. In its original form, it was harmless, but the reworked version was something different altogether.

  Chapter Five

  Their night of fun ground to a halt when an emergency phone call from Asher sent the girls from the Tavern to Pulse in five minutes flat. As much as Luc wanted to keep away from Kalyx, the thought of him losing control in a crowded club made her heart race. Despite his lineage, a wolf that could not be controlled was a risk too great to take.

  "Where is he?" she asked Asher upon entering the club.

  "We have him contained in the private room off of VIP, but I'll be honest with you, it's not looking good."

  "How far gone is he?"

  "He's in between. The older members of the pack never fully embraced Kalyx post change, so this is just the slip up they've been waiting for," he said. His dark head lowered as she rushed for the door.

  Luc was shrouded in darkness the moment she closed the door behind her. The harsh breaths expelled from Kalyx were the only sound to penetrate the eerie atmosphere. She should be terrified of being left alone in such a small space with a feral wolf, but the raw power filling the room with tension made her wet.

  "I can smell you," he said breaking the silence. His voice was low and gravelly. He prowled the room. His steps echoed along the floor as his nails clipped the tile lightly.

  The band of desire tightened as he approached her swiftly, coming close enough to brush the exposed skin of her arm before he moved away. She found the tease erotic in the intimate space the darkness created.

  "Then you know I'm not afraid. Where's the light? My vision isn't as good as yours," she said, eager to place some distance between them when the delicious weight of his body pressed the length of her own. The dark spice of his scent combined with the heat radiating from him made her knees weaken, and she was grateful for the support of the wall they leaned against.

  "I don't want you to turn on the light."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I don't want you to see me," he said. The breath on her ear a tickle and a tease. The tone of his voice was soft and defeated as he leaned over her.

  "Why?" she whispered not able to let it go.

  "Because I couldn't stand to have you see the monster I've become."

  Her heart bled for the boy she had once known still living inside the man before her.

  "Oh, Kaly." She sighed. She opened her arms and held him the way she had been dying to since she walked into the room. No amount of denial or avoidance would change the potent bond still existing between them.

  "You could never be a monster." She nuzzled his neck as she stroked his elongated nose. Pleased to find the fur was even softer than she had imagined.

  "You didn't see me tonight. I wanted to rip out Violet's throat."

  "We all have at one point or another," she teased. Her fingers stroked down the pelt on his back in a mindless gesture soothing them both.

  "How can you joke about this?"

  The fury in his voice was palpable. Jerking from her arms, he crossed the room.

  "Because I know you, Kaly," she said using her senses to track him to the opposite side of the room, her arms protesting his loss.

  "No, Luc, you knew me," he corrected.

  "If either of us believed that, I wouldn't be here now," she countered, moving to stand in front of where he stood. Unable to resist the lure his pelt held, she leaned into stroke a path over his chest marveling at the muscles flexed beneath her palm.

  "Luc..." he warned.

  "You want me to stop?"

  "No. That's the problem." He groaned. Her fingers slid up to rub the sensitive points of his ears.

  "Stop!" His hands wrapped around her wrists as he pushed her back roughly. "I refuse to be some pity fuck."

  "Do I smell like I pity you?" she snapped, a dominant instinct inside her woke and bristled at his false accusation. She had creamed her panties the moment she shut the door behind her, and her breasts were heavy with an ache only he could assuage.

  "No."

  "What do I smell like?" she asked with a growl. Her hands wrapped around his thick wrists, placing his hands over the taut nipples straining against the shirt.

  "No bra." He moaned leaning in to lick her pulse point. The claws extending from his fingers issued a light form of torture as they trailed a gentle path across the top of her cleavage.

  "What do I smell like?" she asked, her voice husky and filled with grit. She spoke to his wolf.

  "My mate," he answered.

  "Yes, Kalyx. Your mate," she echoed as he released a howl of triumphant she found herself replicating.

  "Damn, Luc. You never did that before."

  "I never knew I could."

  She moaned as he pressed the smooth skin of his hard body against her. The danger of a shift had faded now that he was no longer at odds with himself.

  "Let's see what else we can discover." His nimble fingers made quick work of her clothes.

  Each touch of his hand to her bare skin set her on fire as his tongue moved between her full lips and the darkness of the room heightened her senses. Dark chocolate and berries explode along her taste buds as their tongues entered into a familiar dance of twirling and exploring as they made love with their mouths. Hands roami the planes of each other's bodies discovering new curves and hardened muscles.

  "You feel so good, baby," he said, his large hands kneading her hips.

  "Mhmm, so do you. A-are you really my mate?" her voice filled with wonder, afraid to believe what her senses told her.

  "My wolf and I agree, and unless my nose fails me, yours feels the same."

  "I don't have a wolf."

  "You do, maybe you don't feel her as strongly as others, but she's in there."

  "Doing what?"

  "Accepting me as her mate."

  His sharp nips at her neck woke something primal as a sensation unlike any she had ever known unfurled in her belly. Sweat beaded on her skin and she strained to receive more of his touch. "That's just her saying hello, baby."

  Playful nips became bites, and she rocked her hips against his hardness as the pain sent pleasure racing through her body. She curled her fingers and dug her nails into his back. The sharpened points drew blood, and she whimpered her pleasure.

  “Shit,
Luc,” Kalyx muttered, nuzzling her neck as he rubbed his scent onto her skin. Her legs lifted from the ground to wrap around his waist. The feel of his rigid cock teasing her moist heat made them both moan aloud.

  Panting she rotated her hips in a circle, seeking relief from the throbbing of her swollen clit. Each brush of the sensitive bundle of nerves against his leaking tip made her purr.

  “You like that, Lucy?”

  “You know I do.” Whimpering when he leaned back, she gasped a moment later when he sucked her breast into the heated cavern of his mouth. She arched her back to shove the round melon as far as it would go. The hard draws as he suckled her breasts were almost enough to make her climax.

  "Oh God!" Shaky fingers twined in his hair as she ground her slippery slit over his engorged cock. "I can't wait! Kaly, I can't!" Her pleading accompanying sharp tugs of his hair brought him from his feast.

  "Then I won't make you." He eased the broad mushroom-shaped head inside her taut passageway and paused as they both gasped at the tight fit. She gripped his shoulders hard as he stretched the unused muscle.

  “You feel so fucking good, Luc.” Moving back, he angled her body against the wall, pushing her legs higher to spread her wide. A fresh gush of cream helped his journey to the heart of her, and with a final thrust, he was buried to the hilt. Her quivering pussy locked onto him like a clamp, and she fell headlong into a climax screaming his name.

  "That's it, baby," he coaxed, pounding his way through her orgasm. Her head knocked against the wall behind her as drove inside her. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. The glove-like fit continued to constrict, and he leaned down to bite her neck before shooting her full of his warm seed.

  "I WANT TO SEE YOU," Kalyx whined suddenly making her laugh as they came down from the after glow.

  "I guess we did things backward, huh?" she asked.

  A squeal filled the air a moment later when he scooped her into his arms and padded across the floor.