I smacked him playfully. “Do we have time for a shower?”
I looked out the window and saw that it was much later than I’d thought.
All of the sudden, Dorian’s expression changed and I thought he might cry.
“What is it?” I asked.
He sat up and leaned slightly forward over his bent legs. “Tonight I’ll have to say a few words about Ethan to the pack. It will be my first meeting as their alpha. His death hasn’t really sunk in yet. He was a lot of things to me. A friend and mentor. What do you say about a man like that?”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “What you just said sounded fine to me.”
He sighed heavily. “I should probably go and try to prepare myself. The pack gathering is not far from here. If it’s all right with you, I’ll meet you halfway in a few hours.”
I was actually a little afraid to be alone, but clearly Dorian needed some space to grieve and decide what to say about Ethan. I could understand that.
“How will I find you?” I asked.
He smiled gently as he took my hand. “You’ll know. It’s not something you should worry about. Here,” he said, moving closer. “Breathe in my scent. You can use it to find me.”
“Seriously?”
“You are a werewolf now. Don’t let that frighten you. The sooner you embrace this, the easier it will be to control your changes.”
I moved closer and as Dorian wrapped his arms around me, I pressed my face against the side of his throat. I breathed deeply, running my nose up to the side of his face and back down his throat again. I ran my tongue across the pulse in his neck before pulling back as I said, “I’ll find you.”
I’m not sure why I was so confident about this, but I was. I had no doubt.
He kissed me again before saying, “Thank you for being so understanding. I don’t normally sleep with women I just met, and I’m certainly not the kind of man who runs out the door afterward.”
“It’s okay,” I said softly. “I know what it feels like to lose someone. I’ll be fine. Besides, I feel more in control now. Are my eyes normal?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling slightly. “Everything is normal. Sex is one of the things that can bring out the beast and calm it.”
“So, I could wolf out if I get too horny, but having sex keeps me from losing control in the first place?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“This is a lot to learn.”
“You’re doing fine.” He patted my thigh as he stood up. “It’s not like you have to cram for a test or anything. Being a werewolf is a learn as you go type of thing.”
As I watched him get dressed something else crossed my mind. “Shit. This means I have to list myself on the Lycan Registry.”
Dorian looked sad as he replied, “Yes. You will need to register yourself. I’ll go with you, if you like.”
“I might lose my job. Damn. I really like that job. But, I’m rambling and you need to go. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re taking this all better than anyone else I’ve seen. Most people completely lose their minds when they first find out.”
“Did you?”
“I didn’t know what was happening to me at first. I woke up way out in the woods with a dead rabbit in my mouth.”
“Jesus.”
He laughed. “Yeah, that was about my reaction before I threw up.”
He pulled on his shirt then and I gasped when I saw all the claw marks. “Did I do that?”
“Don’t worry. They’ll be healed by tonight.”
“Really? That’s amazing.”
“There are very few injuries that we cannot recover from,” he said, putting on his boots.
I walked him to the door, not bothering to put on any clothes. For the record, I had never been this comfortable in my skin before. I wasn’t ashamed of my body or anything, but I didn’t parade it around like a fashion show either. I rested against the door frame, drinking in the sight of his long legs in those jeans.
Dorian took one step out the door, then turned back to me and kissed me for all he was worth.
“I want to see you later, and I don’t mean with the pack. Not just to answer questions either. I want to spend time with you.”
I smiled. “Are you saying you’d like to date me?”
“Yes.”
My smile widened. “I’ll see you later then, wolfman. Go take care of your business.”
As soon as I closed the door behind him, I went to pick up my clothes off of the kitchen floor. However, I didn’t make it past the fridge. I was hungry again. Dorian said that werewolves have a very fast metabolism. He said that eating regularly helped to control the beast. Maybe because tonight was the full moon, I was even hungrier than normal for a werewolf. Who knows?
I took a steak out of the fridge and started seasoning it. I can’t recall raw meat ever looking so tasty before. But, I still preferred to cook it at least a little bit. That was probably more for aesthetic reasons than my taste buds though. I simply was not ready to eat a big bloody pile of meat.
After I polished off my steak, I did everything I could to keep from worrying about tonight. I cleaned the house first, then started on the laundry. It was then I realized that I would need to decide what to wear to meet the pack. I had visions of old werewolf movies, where the wolf rips out of their clothing. If that’s how it was going to be, I didn’t want to wear anything nice.
I finally decided on a ratty old pair of sweat pants and an equally grungy t-shirt that I used as a rag to dry my car. I wasn’t wearing any underwear. It felt weird to walk around with a shirt and no bra. I’m a D-cup, so a bra is a necessary part of my life. But for real, do you know how much a good bra costs? No way was I going to wear one out to get shredded tonight. I also wasn’t about to wear any of my cute designer panties. I didn’t make a lot of money, but nice undies was my one splurge.
By the time I was finished with all of this, the sun was going down. It was time to look for Dorian. I can’t explain how I knew this, since he didn’t tell me an exact time. I simply felt it. I felt him somewhere nearby.
As I walked outside, I locked the door behind me, taking care to hide the key. Despite my elevated body temperature, my feet were a little cold. I had on a pair of old running shoes, but hadn’t worn any socks.
After a moment I started to walk farther out toward the woods. By the time I crossed my small back yard, I had his scent. I ran a few paces, stopped, and sniffed the air. Dorian wasn’t far away. Being able to track him like this was thrilling. I never imagined it was possible to feel this way, so wild and powerful.
My night vision was extraordinary, and after a few minutes, I found him. He was dressed similarly and when he saw me he nodded his approval.
“You really have read a lot about werewolves,” he said. “I’m sorry, I should have told you what to wear instead of leaving you to figure it out.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t expect you to give me fashion advice,” I teased. “Let’s do this thing, before I start to freak out.”
He smiled and said, “Follow me.”
We ran through the woods at a break-neck pace. I was surprised that I could keep up with him. I run for exercise, but I’ve never been very fast. I felt like a superhero or something! Dorian finally came to a stop in a small clearing and I nearly crashed into his back.
His mood instantly changed. I took a look around the clearing and understood why. There were about thirty or so other werewolves standing around. All of them were wearing old, torn up clothes of some kind, and none of them looked happy.
“It’s true then,” a tall, African America man said. His voice was already deepened with the oncoming change and it was really scary.
“Yes,” Dorian said sadly. “Ethan was murdered.”
“I suppose that makes you our new alpha then,” the man growled.
“Yes, it was Ethan’s wish. But there’s more to the story. When everyone is here, I’ll explain.”
“They’re coming,” a woman said. “I can feel them in the woods.”
As the others arrived I looked around the clearing, unable to control my shock. There were a few people here that I knew! My hairdresser was here, and John’s veterinarian! I saw other familiar faces in the crowd, some of them had been by the bookstore a few times.
The tall man with the deep voice looked around again and said, “By his absence, I suppose the rest of the rumors are true as well. About Hank?”
“Yes,” Dorian growled. “Hank murdered Ethan in his sleep.” He looked around as if to make sure the rest of his pack was present now.
“And you are certain it was Hank?” the man asked.
“His scent was all over the room, as if I had just missed him. Besides, he admitted it to me.”
“You spoke to him?!” another man yelled.
“As his second in command, I took it upon myself to track down Ethan’s murderer. But when I found him, he issued me an official challenge. As the new leader of the pack, I could not refuse.”
“And when is this challenge to take place?” someone asked.
“Right here, at the next full moon.”
“That’s only two weeks away,” another voice called out.
Wait a minute! I was still standing slightly behind Dorian and keeping my mouth shut. But at this news my heart raced. There were two full moons this month? This had to be a fucking joke. I know that didn’t happen very often. I believe it’s called a Blue Moon when it does occur. I called it rotten luck, like having two periods in the same month.
Another man stepped forward out of the crowd. “The only news report I heard about a murder was very vague. They didn’t say Ethan’s name, or how he was killed. Do you know how it was done? Ethan was strong. Not just anything could have killed him.”
Dorian nodded. “I saw him myself. I was supposed to meet Ethan at his house that night, we were going to go for a run. He said that until I got there he was going to take a nap. I don’t know how Hank got in the house undetected. If I had to guess, I’d say he was there for a while, hiding. His scent wouldn’t have been anything strange to Ethan, since he came by fairly often also.”
“So, how did he do it?” the man repeated.
“He cut his throat so deeply that Ethan was almost decapitated. The wound had not even begun to heal before he bled out, so I’m guessing Hank used a silver blade.”
Gasps and growls of outrage could be heard throughout the crowd.
“We should hunt him down tonight and tear him apart,” the black man roared.
Dorian’s eyes turned amber as he replied, “I’m all for that. But as alpha I have to accept every challenger. Whatever his reasons, Hank has bought himself some time.”
“And who is she?” a female voice called out.
The woman moved closer and I couldn’t help but notice how oddly proportioned she was. She was shorter than me, making her around five-foot-one with long blond hair. She had a slim upper body, including small breasts and a tiny waist. Her lower half looked as if a much larger woman had been pieced onto her body. She had the hips and butt of a woman four times her size. It wasn’t that she was unattractive, she just looked very strange at first glance. Maybe that’s because she was wearing really tight clothes that showed off her unusual curves.
“I’m Freya,” I said.
“I was asking him,” she snapped.
I don’t know what came over me, but I was about to jump her right there. Dorian put his hand on my chest to hold me back as he said, “She can speak for herself, and if you disrespect her again there will be consequences.”
Oh, I liked him better and better.
“Do you really think now is a good time to bring someone new into the pack?” she asked.
“While I was tracking Hank, he scratched Freya. Since you can’t contract lycanthropy from a scratch, he must have deliberately put his blood on his claws before attacking her.”
The rude blond looked me up and down. “So, he picked you on purpose then. He kills our leader and then hand picks his own bitch.”
“I will fuck you up,” I roared.
“Kasondra!” Dorian yelled. “That is enough of your snark. I said there would be consequences.”
“You expect me to believe her appearance is a coincidence? Hank turned her, and now she shows up with your smell all over her?! I am the strongest. I am the alpha female of this pack. I may not have been Ethan’s mate, but that’s just because he was gay. How dare you bring this bitch here, tonight of all nights?! This was supposed to be a night to honor Ethan’s memory.”
“Shut up,” Dorian growled. “I don’t give a fuck who you think you are. Ethan never acknowledged you as alpha female. That had nothing to do with his sexual preference and everything to do with the fact that you are fucking crazy. You don’t have any business in a position of authority. Look at the way you’re reacting to the simple introduction of a new pack member.”
“Fine,” she snorted. “What is my punishment then?”
I looked a question at Dorian and he asked, “What is it?”
“Is it okay if I offer a suggestion?”
Kasondra sputtered in disbelief and Dorian held up a hand to silence her.
“I know that I just showed up here and I don’t know the way things are supposed to work. But if you will let me kick her ass, I would consider it a favor.”
Laughter and howls rose up from the rest of the crowd while the tall black werewolf said, “I like her already.”
Dorian smiled. “Are you sure you want to do this? She has never held the title of alpha female officially, but Kasondra is the strongest.”
“Give me a chance. If I get my ass handed to me, then so be it. This isn’t an official challenge or anything, so it’s not as if we have to kill each other, right?”
Dorian nodded his agreement as Kasondra started laughing.
I’m not sure what made me think I could do it. I’ve never been a troublemaker, never gotten in many fights. But, I did take self-defense classes for several years and certainly didn’t consider myself a pussy. Maybe this was another part of that whole “taking on the beast” thing. I felt like I could tear her limb from limb. I wanted to feel her flesh pinched between my teeth. I wanted to rend her like a wild beast, and the very thought of doing so turned me on.
I could feel something rising up within me, pressing against the confines of my body, as if my muscles were growing. I felt my claws extending, but it didn’t hurt. It felt good, like scratching an itch that is almost painful, but more of a relief. I licked my lips and felt my canine teeth lengthen into fangs.
She was still laughing when I clawed the right side of her face.
“You bitch!” she growled.
In an instant she began to transform, but I was on her too quickly. Apparently, Kasondra was going for all out wolf. Her hair began to lengthen and I grabbed it with both hands, slinging her sideways by the scalp.
Other werewolves stepped out of the way as she fell to the ground, screaming.
She got up pretty quickly as her hands changed. She had long furry fingers, and even longer claws.
I waited until she swung at me again. I ducked underneath her arm, locking both my arms underneath hers and securing her head in place as I clasped my fingers together. She struggled, flinging me from side to side as I dug my teeth into the top of her head. When she threw me off, I took a chunk of her scalp with me and spat it on the ground.
I was covered in dirt now, but I was winning. I had never felt so powerful in all my life. If this is what it felt like to become a werewolf, I wished I’d done it years ago.
I was about to tear into her again when Dorian yelled, “Enough. Both of you.” He turned to Kasondra. “You should have learned your lesson.” Then to me he said, “And you’ve had your favor.”
There was a smile in his eyes when he addressed me, but he clearly fought to keep it from reaching his lips.
To my surprise, Kasondra walked to the far end o
f the clearing and didn’t say another word. I did not for one minute believe that she was done with her hissy fit, but I let it go. I was new to all of this and didn’t want to overstep my bounds.
Dorian looked grave as he addressed the crowd once more. “I’ve thought a lot about what to say tonight, to honor Ethan. The truth is there are no words that would do justice to what I felt for him, for what I still feel.” His voice shook with emotion. “So, I won’t waste time trying to honor him with words. I will honor him instead with my actions. At the next full moon, I will see his murderer again face to face, and I will feast on his corpse!”
A deafening roar went up from the pack and I felt torn between the desire to cry and shout. Instead, this surge of emotion expressed itself in a loud howl.
Dorian pulled me close as a beam of moonlight fell onto the clearing.
“It’s about to begin,” he said. “Are you ready?”
I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. Once again, I’m not sure what came over me. I had absolutely no inhibitions anymore. It was as if someone had taken all of my fears and just washed them away. Any doubts, any self-consciousness, it was all gone. All that remained in that moment was the certainty of what I wanted. I wanted Dorian, and I wanted this power I felt rushing through me.
I kissed him hungrily with Kasondra’s blood still on my lips and he growled. He pulled back slightly, but didn’t seem displeased in any way. I stood beside him once more as I waited to transform.
I’d read somewhere that everyone experiences the change differently. Meaning physically and emotionally. Some people had complete breakdowns because they couldn’t handle what they’d become. Others took it very well, like I appeared to be doing. Additionally, every wolf transformed differently. I looked around the clearing and saw this to be true. Some looked like wolves, tearing their way out of human shells. Others turned more fluidly. Despite how this all sounds, I wasn’t afraid anymore. My transformation was about to become a reality and I might as well accept it.
I turned to face Dorian and dark fur spread over his skin as if by magic. His face lengthened into that of a wolf as the bones in his hands began to break and reform into enormous claws. His legs grew longer as well, tearing through his clothes as his feet became massive paws.
Taming the Alpha Page 100