“So, his blood got into my wound?”
He nodded.
“Great. What’s the other thing?”
“He definitely chose you for a reason.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know that reason?”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
I sat down at the kitchen table and said, “What else do I need to know?”
“The most important thing is this, the full moon is tonight, and you will fully turn.”
“The full moon was last night,” I insisted.
“No. The full moon actually lasts for three nights, but it will be at its peak tonight. You should find somewhere safe to transform.”
I looked down at the table and put my head in my hands. “How am I supposed to deal with this?”
When I felt Dorian’s hand on my shoulder I jumped. I looked up to find his dark eyes full of kindness and concern.
“You don’t have to do it alone,” he said softly. “I have a place you can stay for tonight. You’re not going to be thrown to the wolves, so to speak.” At this the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
“I’m going to turn into a monster tonight and you’re making jokes?”
He looked as if my words stung, and I felt guilty for my tone.
“Monster is a relative term,” he said.
“Why were you chasing Hank last night?”
He pulled up a chair beside me and began to explain. “We are part of the same pack. Our alpha was like a father to me. Last night, Hank killed him in his sleep.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Without thinking, I reached over and took his hand. He felt warm and strong. He looked up at me and smiled as he squeezed my hand in return.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“Why did Hank kill your alpha?”
“It was Ethan’s wish, that was our alpha’s name, for me to take over the pack upon his death. Hank resented that decision. He has been a werewolf longer than I have, and thought he should have been next in line.”
“How long have you been a werewolf?” I asked.
“Four years. Hank has been a part of the pack for six years. At any time another wolf could have challenged Ethan for leadership. A challenge of this nature means a fight to the death. If the challenger won, they would become the alpha. But, if he died by some kind of accident, or natural causes, he had the right to name his successor. I believe Hank killed Ethan because he didn’t believe he could take him in a fair fight.”
“Who is in charge now?”
“I am,” he growled.
When I jumped he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so forceful. I was tracking Hank last night to avenge Ethan’s murder. However, when I found him, he issued me an official challenge.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that until the next full moon, I am the pack alpha. On the full moon, the pack will gather to watch Hank and I fight for leadership. I suppose he thought it would be easier to fight me than to keep running.”
“Why not fight you tonight, on this full moon?”
“I have no idea what his reasoning is. The challenger gets to name the time and the place.”
“So, you are the pack alpha now?”
“Yes.” He moved his chair closer to me and I realized I had been holding his hand this whole time. “Technically, that makes me your alpha, though I would never force anyone to join the pack.”
“If I don’t, will Hank come looking for me?”
Dorian sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. Even under the circumstances, I couldn’t help noticing how sexy he was. He was one of the handsomest men I’d ever seen, including men in magazines.
“Hank will likely come looking for you regardless. But if you join the pack, that makes you mine to protect.”
My heart fluttered. “Yours?”
“I’m not saying you can’t defend yourself, but if you are a part of my pack, protecting you becomes my business. You are new to this, and you might need help.”
“Do I have to do anything special to join?”
“No, just show up at the pack gathering tonight and let me introduce you.”
“But you said I should be somewhere safe tonight.”
He turned more toward me and the scent of his cologne seemed stronger. My heart fluttered again and I became almost painfully aroused.
“You will always be safe with me,” he said.
My hand moved as if it had a mind of its own as I reached to touch his face. He’d shaved since last night and his skin was smooth and warm. He had the most amazing set of full lips, and I wondered what they would feel like against mine. Suddenly, my mind was filled with lustful images. I normally didn’t sleep with a man I’d just met, let alone a werewolf. But I wanted Dorian so badly that I was in physical pain. There were so many things I wanted to do to him, and here he was, right at my fingertips.
“Why can’t I keep my hands off you?” I asked, my voice husky with desire.
“It’s the pheromones. I am an alpha werewolf, and tonight is the full moon. I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long without jumping me.”
“My, aren’t we confident,” I joked.
His laughter was a deep, sensual sound. “It has nothing to do with confidence. It’s a fact. You are more susceptible to my charms than a human woman would be.”
That hit hard enough to cool my libido and I withdrew my hand. “Holy shit. I’m not human anymore.”
“I remember what it’s like to hear that news,” he said, putting his hand on my back.
“What do I do now?”
Chapter Three
An hour and half later, Dorian had told me everything he could think of about werewolves that I might need to know. And I had done a bang up job of keeping my hands to myself. No joke, I was sitting on my hands to keep from reaching for him. The only time I’d used my hands was to reach for a sip of coffee. What I thought was a really great cologne was actually werewolf pheromones. Apparently, I also had these pheromones now and that was partly how Dorian was able to track me down.
“I didn’t realize there were other wolf packs besides the two really big ones. I know there’s one near Florida that has like a thousand members and a smaller one somewhere out in Texas.”
Dorian nodded. “Those are just the two that have made national headlines. My pack is much smaller, only about fifty wolves. But yes, I am acquainted with both of the alphas who run those packs.”
We’d nearly drank an entire pot of coffee when I got up to put my cup in the sink. My hands were a little tingly where I’d been sitting on them so long. Dorian laughed when I rubbed my hands to restore circulation.
“Is that really necessary?” he teased.
“If you keep looking at me with that come-on smile, you’ll find out.” Wow. Did I really just say that?
He looked both surprised and impressed. For some reason, at that very moment the fact that my “dream” last night was really real, finally sunk in.
“Oh my God, you’ve seen me naked,” I blurted out.
Dorian threw back his head and laughed.
“I’m sorry. This is a lot of information to take in at once. I guess my brain is working on it in stages or something.”
Before he could comment, I asked another question, “What should I tell John?”
During the course of our conversation, I’d told Dorian all about my best friend, and my promise to see a doctor.
“One of the members of the pack is a nurse practitioner. I’m sure he would cover for you, if you like. Or, you could always tell him the truth.” I raised an eyebrow and he continued, “You said this man is like a brother to you. Do you think he would understand?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. To be honest, I don’t think I understand fully. But what choice do I have? It’s not like I have a month to get used to the idea. The full moon is tonight. I’m terrified. Is this going to hurt?”
The look he gave me was full of sympathy. “Yes. I’m sorry.
The first transformation is always the most painful. After that, you will begin to shift more quickly. In my case, the change is still uncomfortable, but not painful.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. I just stood by the sink for a minute before saying, “I’ve got to go back to work in a few days and pretend that everything is normal. I can’t even keep my eyes from turning colors.”
Dorian rose from the table and to my surprise, he embraced me. His body was warm and hard against mine. When I rested my face against his chest, I had the urge to cry. The fact that this man, who was barely more than a stranger, cared enough to comfort me was very touching. I wrapped my arms around him, and hugged him back.
“I’m sorry this has happened to you,” he said softly. “I was turned at college. I never knew who bit me. One minute I was on my way to my dorm after a late night biology class, the next, I was bitten by a werewolf.”
“That’s awful. Did you ever finish your degree?”
“Yes. I’m a librarian.”
I pulled back and gave him an astonished look. “You’re kidding.”
He laughed. “You don’t believe me?”
“Honey, you don’t look like any librarian I’ve ever met. Aren’t you supposed to wear tweed sweaters and corduroy pants?”
He laughed harder. “Well, I do occasionally wear tweed sweaters.”
Before I could respond my cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID. “It’s John. I should answer.”
“Go ahead,” Dorian said.
“Did you see Dr. Wilson?” John asked.
“No. I didn’t go to the doctor.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s a lot to explain, but I’m fine. I promise.”
“You are so full of shit,” John said. “I’m coming over after my shift and you’re going to tell me what is going on with you.”
“John, that might not be such a good idea tonight. But, I promise I will explain everything.”
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Because it’s not the kind of thing I want to say to you over the phone. Just trust me, okay?”
He sighed. “You swear that you aren’t running fever or anything?”
“No.” Well, I was actually, but Dorian had explained that was normal for a werewolf this close to the full moon.
“What about Sunday? I’m off then,” he said.
“I’ll call you. Just don’t be angry with me about this. It’s something out of my control.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me. How bad is this news? You know I hate waiting for anything. What were you scratched by a werewolf or something?”
When I didn’t respond he yelled, “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything, just not tonight.”
“Because tonight is the height of the full moon,” he said. “I fucking knew it was a creature. What are you going to do about tonight? You can’t just go running around eating people.”
I couldn’t believe that I actually laughed. “I’m not going to go running around eating people. I’ve got someone here to help me.” I glanced at Dorian. “He knows what he’s doing.”
It took me a few more minutes, but I finally got John off the phone.
“That’s a relief,” I said when I hung up. “At least I don’t have to hide anything from him.”
“He’s a big part of your life,” Dorian said.
“Yes, he is, and has been for a long time.”
The wolfman moved closer to me again and his eyes turned amber once more. “Anything serious?” he asked.
I smiled. “Why? Are you interested, librarian?”
He laughed. “I might be. A beautiful young woman who seems to share my love of books shouldn’t be ignored.”
By this time he had backed me against the counter. Not that I was complaining, but I had nowhere else to go. Dorian is just over six feet tall, so when I reached up to put my arms around his neck, I had to stand on my tip toes.
“Why did you let me go to the trouble of sitting on my hands to keep from touching you if you planned to make a move anyway?” I asked.
The barest of smiles curled his sensuous mouth. “Because I wanted to finish our conversation, and as an alpha, I could control myself for at least that long.”
“Oh, really?” I teased.
“There are a lot of things you need to know, and I feel it is my responsibility to inform you as well as I can.” As he spoke he leaned in and rubbed his face against mine. The contact made me ache with desire.
“However, you’ve had a hard day.” He pulled back, smiling down at me again. “No pun intended. As much as I would like to know what you taste like, I’m leaving that all up to you. We could wait until the effects of my pheromones are not as strong, if that concerns you. Or, you could turn me down flat and I’ll see you tonight at the pack gathering. It’s your choice.”
“I wanted you from the moment I first saw you standing in the road. I hadn’t been scratched yet, and I wasn’t close enough to be influenced by your pheromones.”
Without another word, I kissed him. His lips were so warm, they seemed to burn against mine. With a growl he pulled me tighter against him and I was lost in a world of sensations. I had kissed men before, but it had never felt like this. All of my senses were heightened. I was so much more aware of everything. It was as if I was asleep before and something in his touch awakened me.
Our kiss became a mixture of lips, teeth and tongues as I ran my hands up underneath his shirt. I hungered for the feel of his body against mine. I wanted to touch as much of his bare skin as possible. All thoughts of the full moon were far away as I pulled his shirt over his head.
My God, what a body. Dark hair formed a “V” shape on his chest and trailed in a thin line down his sculpted abs.
I snatched off my shirt as well and tossed it on the floor.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Will you stop being so damn considerate?”
I looped my fingers in the top of his jeans and pulled him back against me. To say I needed this would be an understatement. I hadn’t had a romantic relationship in over a year. Take that into account along with my recent high level of stress, and you can understand why I needed to get laid.
With speed I did not know I possessed, I finished tearing off the rest of my clothes. That’s not a figure of speech, I shredded my jeans. Dorian watched me with hungry amber eyes and it turned me on something fierce.
I let out a wicked laugh and ran down the hallway to my bedroom. He caught me faster than I would have guessed, and we both crashed onto the bed.
“In the top drawer,” I gasped. “I’ve got condoms.”
When he looked down at me this time, I noticed he had grown fangs. That probably should have frightened me, but it didn’t. Actually, I thought it was pretty hot.
“Are you using any other form of birth control?” he asked.
“Yes.”
His grin widened. “Werewolves cannot carry or contract diseases of any kind.”
“Then fuck the condoms,” I growled.
I rolled Dorian to his back, still gripping him with my thighs. “Take off your pants,” I commanded.
He moved from beneath me to do as I asked. He unzipped his jeans slowly, revealing more of his sculpted hips as he began to slide them down. His legs were long, lean, and well-defined. He was very muscular, but not like a bodybuilder. He was slim and chiseled, and he had a nice, thick cock.
As he crawled back onto the bed, the smile he offered me was positively sinful.
I moved slowly as I straddled his waist. “I have to know,” I said, wrapping my fingers around his cock. “Is this an offer you extend to the other females in your pack?”
“Absolutely not.”
Without further hesitation, I guided him inside me. He was so big and hard that I had to pause a moment before I could move.
Dorian moved his hands to my hips as he growled, “Ride me.”
I
put my hands against his chest for better leverage and saw that my claws had come out. I must have looked concerned because he said, “It’s all right. You can hurt me if you need to. I like the pain.”
I moved slowly at first, still letting my body become accustomed to his length. As I did this, a low growl escaped my lips and he smiled. Something in his expression seemed to bring out more of the animal in me.
I moved faster, grinding against him as I pressed my claws into his flesh. If anyone had told me a week ago that I’d be having sex with a hot werewolf while digging my nails into his skin, I never would have believed it. I was never into pain before, either inflicting it or receiving it. But I was different now. Everything was different.
I held back enough to keep from scratching him too badly. In what felt like only minutes, our bodies were slick with sweat as I continued to ride him hard and fast.
With a growl he rolled me to my back, pressing me into the mattress. Dorian took my face in his hands as he kissed me deeply. He pulled back slightly, cradling my head in his hands as he moved slowly, grinding against me just right.
“More,” I gasped. “Harder.”
It was then that I looked up into his amber eyes and felt as if some kind of magic washed over me. Whatever I felt was like a rush, sweeping over and through my body.
He thrust into me hard and fast and I howled as I came. A moment later, his shoulders tensed as he found his own release and softly kissed my lips.
Chapter Four
We lay on my bed, side by side, gasping for breath.
“I can’t believe I did that,” I said, still panting.
Dorian rolled to face me, a look of concern on his face. “You don’t regret it, do you?”
I laughed softly. “Not the sex. I mean I can’t believe I howled. Is that normal?”
“To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.”
I sat up suddenly. “What do you mean you have no idea? You’re the alpha.”
“I don’t have all the answers, only a little more experience. Plus, I’m stronger than most. But speaking for myself, it works for me.”
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