by Crystal Red
The gray-haired officer tipped his head in a small nod. “Good morning, ladies. Are you the owners of this bookshop?” His name tag read Tieman.
“Yes, we are. What’s going on?” Kelsey asked.
“Is there a place we can go and talk inside, maybe?” The second cop with black hair had asked. His read Strasser.
She looks really young to be running a bookshop. The redhead too.
Kelsey nodded and unlocked the door. The four of them walked into the backroom where she set out two tan metal chairs. The officers remained standing.
“I’m Officer George Tieman, and this is my partner, Nate Strasser. We came here today because we received a call about a dead body someone found behind your shop.”
Sometimes I really hate my job. No woman deserves this.
“Dead b-body?” Beth’s eyes widened as she stammered.
Nate cleared his throat. “Yes, the body was found in front of the Dumpster. One of the trash men reported it. He recognized her as the older woman who owned a flower shop a block from here, Ms. Wein. Did you know her?”
Kelsey shook her head. “Not really. I’ve seen her around, but we’ve only made small talk.”
George jotted something down on his notepad. “The victim’s body has already been taken to the morgue to determine the cause of death. From the report of how she was found, it seemed like an animal had attacked her.”
Kelsey swallowed hard at the word “animal.” What if a werewolf had killed Ms. Wein? How could she live with herself if there was a chance Brandon was behind it? Or he, at least, knew someone who could be behind the murder. Her heart fell to her feet. How could anyone be that cruel? She took a sharp breath.
She glanced over at Beth, whose rosy cheeks faded to white. Her poor friend. Beth had no clue what was going on. Kelsey hated secrets, but what else could she do? Kelsey picked up Beth’s hand and squeezed it, but the pounding in her heart continued. How could she make her friend feel better about the situation or herself?
“Why would an animal attack a human? Unless it was a bear,” Beth muttered, clinging tight to the metal chair.
“I know this is hard to believe.” Officer Strasser looked down at his notes and then up at the two of them. “The victim had scratches all over her body. It looked as if something ripped out her throat.” The cop’s voice shook.
It looked as if she could read cops minds too.
It’s the worst murder I’ve seen in years.
Officer Tieman rubbed his chin. “I haven’t seen anything this gruesome in a long time. I really hope nothing like this happens again.”
It turns my stomach just to think about it. I can’t throw up again, not in front of these women.
“Me either.” Kelsey continued to clutch on to her friend’s hand. Beth’s eyes were filled with tears.
“You ladies haven’t seen anyone who looked suspicious around here? Like maybe they were out of place?” Officer Strasser looked at Kelsey, then at Beth.
Beth shook her head. “We haven’t had that many people come to the shop. We’ve only been open for a week.”
“Yeah, we decided not to open on weekends either,” Kelsey informed the officers.
“That’s all the questions we have for now. We’ll be in touch.” Officer Tieman nodded.
Beth and Kelsey stood, then shook the officers’ hands.
“This is just great!” Beth kicked the wall and groaned, hopping on one foot. “Now some kind of animal is killing people? What next.”
“Beth.” Kelsey reached for her. “It’s not worth hurting yourself. We have to make sure everyone stays safe.”
Officer Tieman looked toward them. “We’ll keep a lookout on the shop. Have a good day, ladies.”
His partner followed him outside. Kelsey walked out of the shop with Beth. Her stomach twisted into a hard knot. Bile rose in her throat and barf flew onto the sidewalk.
Beth shrieked, jumping away. “Gross! Couldn’t you have waited until I was out of the way?”
“Sorry.” She fumbled in her purse for a tissue and wiped her mouth. “I couldn’t help it.”
“What are we going to do?” Beth threw up her hands. “We can’t have people being too scared to come to our shop because of a murder.”
“We’ll think of something.” She had to have hope for her friend and herself. If she didn’t, who would? A break from work might do them good.
Once they made it to their house, Beth went in, but Kelsey plopped down onto the front porch. Head in her hands, she cradled her face. In her mind, she pictured poor Ms. Wein fighting for her life while some werewolf clawed at her until the poor woman’s heart stopped. Fear killed her, but on the other hand, maybe she hadn’t died from that. Could there be more werewolves waiting to kill their next victim?
She jumped to her feet as a loud snarl filled her ears. What was that? Please, no werewolves. Her heart thumped louder as she came face-to-face with a hairy beast. It bared its sharp teeth, and drool dripped from its mouth. Panic shot through her gut. Would it try to hurt her? Maybe this same animal had attacked Ms. Wein. She thought back to the night when Brandon had turned into a werewolf and killed an evil one. Just by snapping the animal’s neck it turned into ashes. Could the same thing happen to this one?
She gasped and ducked as the wolf swung a paw full of sharp claws at her face. Her chest heaved in and out as the beast tried to claw her again.
“Leave me alone!”
Kelsey hopped over the black railing and then ran over to Brandon’s house. Please be home. I really need you now. God, I hope this animal isn’t Brandon. She furiously pounded on the door with her fist. She used the tip of her finger to hold down the doorbell. She glanced over to where the wolf had tried to attack her. It had remained in front of her house, but now ran toward her.
“Brandon!”
The door opened, and Brandon peeked his head out, his black hair dripping wet. Her breathing slowed for a second until she remembered what was behind her.
“Let me in quick!”
Brandon yanked her in and then slammed the door in the wolf’s face.
“I thought…” She panted, trying to catch her breath.
His eyes darkened as his face pinched. “How could you think I’d hurt you?”
Kelsey trembled, fear still swimming inside her. Would this nightmare never end? “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“Are you okay?” Brandon tightened the white towel wrapped around his waist.
“Yes,” she choked out.
She eyed him up and down. His long, sinewy legs and arms were covered in dark curly hair. As well as his chest, especially around his nipples. Her mouth watered as she gaped at him. Yeah, she still wanted him. So much.
Loud scratching reminded her of what waited on the other side. It was still out there. What was she going to do? A lump formed in her throat.
“We have to do something about the werewolf,” she whispered.
“It can’t break the door down. We can just stay here until it’s gone. I won’t let the werewolf hurt you.”
She stared at him as if he’d grown a second head. “This might be the same one who killed the older woman behind my shop.”
His mouth dropped. “What?”
“I came home because the police were at my bookstore. Ms. Wein, who owns a flower shop a block away from my work, was killed and dumped behind there.” She rubbed her temples. “The cops said it looked as if an animal had killed her. Now I’m afraid to work because of what happened. The werewolf came after me, and I almost thought…”
His lips tightened as he shook his head. “Don’t think for one second I’d come after you like that. This has to be Victoria’s doing. She might be sending wolf packs after us. Evil ones.”
“What am I supposed to do now?” Kelsey’s legs shook so much her knees were ready to give out.
“Stay here. Don’t leave without me. I know you were pissed at me, but I’ll keep you safe. Where’s Beth?”
; “Inside our house.”
Brandon paced the carpet. “Tell her to lock the doors and not to leave. If there’s even one werewolf out there that’s killing, we’re in trouble.”
She frowned. “Then why were you acting as if it was no big deal when I told you one was chasing me?”
“Because,” he latched on to her arms, “I didn’t realize someone had been already murdered. It’s a warning, you know. A war is starting.”
Kelsey’s throat tightened, making breathing difficult. He led her to the couch and then locked the front door. After that, he pulled down all the shades and joined her.
“Text Beth, and I’ll tell Chad what’s going on.”
Kelsey looked around the room. Her chest still was heavy with fear. “Where is he?”
“He went to the shop early.” Brandon grabbed his phone off the end table and then sent Chad a text.
Kelsey did the same with Beth. She peeked outside the living room window. No sign of the beast. Even though the werewolf had ran off, she continued to shake. Sitting beside one, having feelings for him, didn’t make her life any easier. She had a strong feeling things for them were about to go from bad to worse in a heartbeat.
Chapter Eight
Kelsey stared at everything in Brandon’s living room, except him. She didn’t want to face what had happened to him and her. Numbness spread through every inch of her body, as if someone had scraped all the feelings out of her and left nothing but emptiness. She really needed to be alone with her thoughts.
“Am I that bad to look at all of a sudden?” He nudged her knee.
She flinched at his touch.
He leaned in and kissed her neck. “You smell really good. I love the vanilla perfume you use.”
Her body hummed with pleasure. Okay, so maybe I’m wrong. If Brandon wanted to hurt her, he could have easily done it already. They were neighbors, after all. How could her attraction to him outweigh her fear of him? A shiver rippled through her as he nibbled his way across her shoulder.
“Brandon…”
He looked up at her. “You okay?”
“Should we really be doing this?” Her voice raised as she pulled away.
He cupped her trembling chin. “You can say no. I won’t get mad. I don’t want to rush you into having sex.”
“I want you, believe me I do, but you’re…” She exhaled a slow and shaky breath. “A werewolf.”
“And you’re telepathic. We all have our flaws. Neither of ours will get in the way if we make love.”
Oh no. He said the L-word. Guys only used that word when they really cared about someone or wanted them to think so. Otherwise, they use the F-word. Anything but the words making love. Did he really care about her after only knowing her for eight days?
Her heart fluttered as he pressed his lips to hers. Her shoulders loosened as she wrapped her arms around his lean waist. She rubbed her fingers against the curves and outline of his abs. The strong hardness of his lips pulled her in, and she was a goner. The taste of his mouth lingered even after he released her.
Brandon’s erection pressed against her thigh. “I forget about everything when I kiss you.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
“Want a tour of my bedroom?” A sly grin stretched across his face.
“Yes.”
He scooped Kelsey into his arms and then carried her into his bedroom. She didn’t even care when his towel landed onto the floor, now leaving him naked.
Only having been in his room once brought back memories of how she desired him even after she’d found out his secret. Brandon being a werewolf wasn’t something she could accept so easily, but the way he wanted to protect her gave her hope he didn’t want to hurt anyone.
He shut the door with the heel of his foot, then set her down onto the carpet and pressed her up against the back of it. His hands laced with hers and held them there as if he wanted to chain her to it. Hell, she’d let him do any damn thing he wanted as long as he kept touching her.
She drew his face to hers, stealing a long and slow kiss. Her knees weakened, but she didn’t care. Every time he touched her, he had an effect on her. Kelsey moaned as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He swirled it around with hers, letting her savor each tender touch.
He pulled away, smiling. “I don’t know why our kisses get better with every kiss, but they do.”
His eyes danced with amusement and lust. Somehow she managed to find her voice, even when she stared into his beautiful gray eyes.
“Are we going to have sex up against the door?” Her voice came out shakier than she would have liked.
He stared at her with a tender gaze. “Not yet. Besides, the condoms are in my dresser drawer.”
She frowned as he released her hands. “Do we even know enough about each other to go this far?”
“I think we do. I’ve only had a few partners. What about you?”
“A couple.”
“So,” he trailed a finger down her temple, “you don’t want to have sex yet?”
She was pretty sure she’d do anything he asked, let alone go anywhere. The man had a way of turning all her bones into goo.
“I do, but who is going to run the shop if you’re not there?”
He shrugged. “What about it? I’m the boss. I can do whatever I want.” An easy smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, showing his playful mood.
“You can do whatever you want to me. Strip me. Let your imagination go wild.” Her voice dropped to a warm and silky tone.
“I knew you liked kinky sex.” He chuckled.
She grinned, pulling him toward his bed. “I don’t have a skirt on like yesterday. Now it won’t be as easy for you to get into my panties.”
“If you’re wearing any,” he murmured.
Kelsey batted her eyelashes. “I always do.”
His hands slid under her black tank top. He lifted it over her head, trailing his fingertips in a slow, tingling motion across her belly. She shuddered, craving more. Needing another touch.
Brandon’s gaze raked over her. She shivered in her lacy black bra. He eased the cups aside. He found her pebbled nipple with his thumb and gave it a light stroke. Goose bumps broke out on her body. She moaned. The intimate way he touched her breasts sent a surge of joy through her. He slipped her rosy tip between his lips, sending tingles straight to her core. She sighed in ecstasy and ground her hips into his.
“I need more,” he said with a growl, his voice low and husky.
Damn, he could make anything sound and look sexy. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and ride him until they both drove themselves into a mind-blowing orgasm.
“I need you inside me,” she breathed. “Now!”
“Baby,” he unhooked her bra, taking it all the way off, “we’ll get there. I don’t want to rush this.”
She didn’t want to wait a second longer. His muscles flexed as she trailed her fingers up and down all the curves of his flat abs. She’d never seen such a sexy man in her whole life. He’d been worth waiting for. If his big, bad werewolf form and attitude didn’t scare her off, nothing would.
He kissed her long and hard. He reached for the button on her dark blue skinny jeans. He’d barely yanked them down before she stroked his length. Every part of him was long and hard, just the way a man should be built. Their bodies would fit together like peanut butter and jelly. Both were creamy and sweet, as if they were meant for each other.
He pulled away as he tried to catch his breath. As she slid off her lacy black thong, his eyes lit up. He eyed her up and down with a flash of lust. The way he licked his lips, it was as if he wanted to have her as a tasty snack.
Her pulse quickened as he pushed her onto the bed. He dropped to his knees, holding her legs open with broad shoulders. He slowly moved his hands downward, gliding along every inch of her thighs until he planted them onto the small of her back. As he leaned in, he placed a soft kiss on the middle of her belly. She gasped as he nibbled around her bellybutton.
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She lay down, closing her eyes, taking in every touch he made. His tongue darted in and out of her belly button, then slowly he made his way down to her center. Her pulsating core quivered as he ran the tip of his tongue down the middle of it. She shivered. It wouldn’t be long before she climaxed if he kept doing that.
She cried out for release as he slipped a finger into her hot flesh. The added pleasure nearly sent her to the edge. Brandon ran the pad of his thumb over the curve of her breast while he continued to glide his finger in and out of her slippery core. He didn’t stop using his tongue either. He flicked it against her wet center, not stopping until she panted his name. She curled her toes and held his wavy strands, tugging at them as she shattered against him.
Brandon rose to his feet and then lay next to her. As he grinned, his face gleamed with sweat and her arousal. She looked away as hers heated.
He nudged her shoulder. “Are you okay? You were fine a few minutes ago.”
“Yeah.” She turned back to face him. “Sorry. I haven’t had sex in a year, and I usually don’t rush into it this fast. I always wait at least two weeks. I know it’s silly, but…”
“No,” He put a finger to her lips as he traced the outline of them. “I understand. I feel the same way. It’s not easy to let your guard down.”
With her, it’s easy. I don’t know why, but it is.
A shiver snaked down her back. She wasn’t sure if it was from his thoughts or his touch. Either way, she wanted him no matter the cost.
“What should I do to you?” Her lips formed an easy smile, the glow of hot sex still swimming in her veins.
“You know what I want.”
He sat up and grabbed a condom out of his brown pine dresser drawer. He tore the package open and then slid the rubber onto his hard member. He parted her legs before he climbed on top her.
As he entered her tender flesh, she gasped. Ripples of joy soared through all her nerve endings. She bucked beneath him, panting as she held on to his back.