I held onto his shoulders for leverage as I said, “Faster.” Only I didn’t wait for him to comply. I began to grind myself against him. I moved in small circles, slowly increasing my pace. I ran my hand up through the back of his hair and pulled it tight enough to make him howl playfully.
Orgasm washed over me and I pulled his hair harder as I wrapped myself around him. Dorian’s shoulders tensed as he cried out with a mixture of pleasure and pain.
He lay back against the fuzzy rug and I rolled to his side, resting my head against his chest.
“Did you feel any magic?” I asked.
“I definitely felt something,” he said softly.
I knew what he meant, because I felt it too. Eventually, we did make it to the bed. I fell asleep knowing there was nowhere else I’d rather be. I was sleeping soundly when I felt Dorian slide out of bed.
“What’s up?” I asked. The clock seemed to glow too brightly thanks to my new night vision. “It’s three in the morning.”
“Sorry to wake you,” Dorian said. “I’ve got to work today. But I still need to go home, change clothes, shower.” He rubbed his chin. “And shave.”
I scooted closer and rubbed my face against his. “I like the scruffy look.”
He kissed my forehead and started getting dressed.
“What is it?” I asked. “You look like you want to say something.”
“Would you be okay with staying with me for a little while? Or I could stay with you, if you prefer.”
“That depends. Will you be wearing less clothes?”
He flashed me a wolfish grin. “Possibly. It would only be until after the full moon, once everything is settled.”
Neither of us said it, but we both knew there was a possibility that he might be killed. Whether he was stronger with me or not, I couldn’t say.
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable of defending yourself,” he said. “But if Hank shows up again, I really should be here.”
“Since he came to my house before, maybe you should stay here, rather than me going with you. Besides, with all this stress, I kind of want to be in my own house. Even with crazy werewolves showing up, I still feel safest in a familiar environment.”
He nodded. “That makes sense. I’ll go by and get a few things after work, then meet you here tonight. Is that all right?”
I smiled. “It’s fine. You don’t have to keep asking me that. I feel like you’re afraid of overstepping some imaginary line with me.”
“I just don’t want to assume anything.”
“You can safely assume that I want to be with you, wherever you are.”
Chapter Seven
I was forming a stronger connection with Dorian than I ever had with anyone, even John.
“I can’t believe how good I feel about everything,” I said to John.
I was sitting on the deck, enjoying some hot chocolate and talking to him on the phone while he took a break.
“Maybe that’s because this was meant to be, all of it. The werewolf business and all.”
I paused to take a sip of hot chocolate. “But is it weird? I’ve read so many accounts of people who were turned and then went nuts from the stress. It is a big deal. If you get too horny, or hungry, or angry, you could just BAM wolf out in public somewhere. It’s a lot to deal with.”
“Oh, no doubt.”
I smiled. “So, why do I feel so damn good about it?”
“How about when something happens to you to make you feel this good, you don’t question it so much?”
“Hmm. That’s good advice.”
“Thanks, I live to serve,” he joked. “Hey, I’ve got to go, but call me later if you need me. Or, if you just want to gossip.” He paused. “Or, if you want to tell me about your fabulous sex life, because I have none and live vicariously through you.”
I burst out laughing. “I get it. I’ll call you later.”
I was just about to take the last sip of my chocolate when I heard a loud noise and felt a burning sharp pain in my shoulder. Instinctively, I grabbed the wounded area and pulled back my hand to see blood.
Someone had shot me! I looked around, unsure if I should run for the back door, or just take cover where I was.
Kasondra stepped out from behind one of the large trees in my back yard.
She didn’t have to say a word; the look on her face told me everything I needed to know.
“You fucking bitch!” I roared.
“That’s for my bangs!” she yelled. “The damn things still haven’t grown back where you tore them off!”
“It was an improvement. I should charge you a fee.”
She fired another shot, but I ducked this time and she hit the side of my house.
“Stop chipping my bricks,” I growled.
“Is that some kind of metaphor?”
“No, dumbass, you just shot the side of my fucking brick house.”
She sneered. “If you think you can just show up here, out of nowhere and take the top spot from me, you are out of your mind. I am alpha female of this pack. Got it? These are my people, not yours.”
“Are you mentally ill or what? I’m not challenging you! You are the one who insulted me, remember? You’re the one who couldn’t stop running your mouth and pissed off the alpha so much that he let me have a go at you.”
Without waiting for her response, I leapt over the railing on the deck. I did a rolling dive, came up right in front of her, and smashed my favorite coffee cup into the side of her face. I hit her with everything I had and she howled as she fell to the ground.
I stomped her hand until she released the gun, then I fell on her, ripping and tearing whatever I could.
She managed to throw me off, and when she stood up I gasped. Sometime during this fight my claws had come out and I didn’t even realize it. She had a huge gash along the left side of her cheek, where I’d smashed the coffee mug, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Her entire upper body was covered in cuts and claw marks, and her shirt was nearly torn completely off.
Her fangs and claws came out as she roared and took a flying leap toward me. I grabbed her in mid-air, put my foot on her chest, and rolled backward, flinging her into a large oak tree. When she hit I heard something crack, but she still got back up.
“Stay down,” I said.
Kasondra spit blood on the leaves in front of me. “Fuck you. Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not. Stay down. I don’t want to kill you.”
That seemed to piss her off even more. It wasn’t that she lacked strength, she simply had no idea how to fight. She swung wild and managed to slash my arm, but I caught her with a hard uppercut that sent her sprawling.
I leapt on her again, straddling her waist. My shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch, but I didn’t let that stop me from punching her as hard as I could. A moment later, I realized she was unconscious. I stood up, gasping for breath. Most people don’t understand how much an actual fight takes out of you. It’s not like a workout. It’s intense from minute one and if you slack up, you might get your ass kicked, or even killed.
I took a few shaky steps away from her and pulled off my shirt, trying to get a better look at my bullet wound. I sighed with relief when I saw the bullet had gone right through the meaty part on the outside of my shoulder and was already beginning to heal. At least I didn’t have to worry about having a bullet removed.
I looked around in the leaves, trying to find her weapon. My hand had just closed around the slim 9mm handgun when I heard her shriek behind me. I turned as she came flying at me, fully transformed, and I emptied the remainder of the clip in her chest. It was a reflex. I didn’t know what else to do.
Kasondra fell to the ground beside me and immediately began to regain her human form. How I hadn’t heard her change before was beyond me. Maybe the sound of the leaves beneath my feet, and the strong breeze had covered the sound.
She was still breathing! I knelt beside her, trying to assess the damage.
> “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t want this to happen.”
When I tried to touch her she lunged for me, tearing a hole in my jeans as I fell back.
“I’ll kill you,” she rasped.
A moment later, she stopped breathing.
I sat there for several minutes, trying not to hyperventilate and wondering what I should do next. Finally, I decided to call Dorian. But first, I couldn’t leave things the way they were. When Kasondra turned, she lost her clothes. So, not only was there a dead woman in my yard, she was also naked. I took a large tarp out of the shed and covered her. Then, I picked up my shirt and her gun, and went inside.
I sat the gun down on the table beside the back door. I didn’t know what else to do with it.
I picked up my cell phone and Dorian answered on the first ring.
“Kasondra attacked me,” I said, rushing to tell him everything. “She shot me and I fought her. She wouldn’t stay down. I had no choice.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I shot her. I emptied the rest of the clip in her chest. She wolfed out and tried to attack me from behind. I didn’t know what else to do.”
I could hear him take a deep breath. “All right. Stay calm. I’m going to call Steven. He’s a police officer who also happens to be a werewolf. I would say to call the police yourself, but I imagine your wound has already healed.”
“Yes, that’s one reason I called you first. I don’t have proof that she hurt me because I’m almost completely healed.”
“Steven will understand. I’ll be there as soon as I can, and I’ll call him right now.”
“Thank you, Dorian.”
“It’ll be all right,” he said softly.
Steven was there within ten minutes, and much to my relief, said that everything was a clear case of self-defense.
Dorian was there within the hour.
After the police had gone and I was as calm as I could be after killing someone, he said, “You know what this means?”
“Huh?”
“You killed the only alpha female in our pack. That makes you our alpha female now.”
“Great,” I said, but not as if I was really excited. “All we’ve got to do now is make it through the full moon.”
Chapter Eight
The full moon arrived with no further incidences and I was so nervous that I could hardly stand still. The pack gathered as before, only this time there was a difference in their demeanor. You could almost feel the tension in the air as everyone waited for Hank to arrive.
Dorian looked nervous. I wanted to offer him some words of comfort, but I didn’t want to look like I was undermining his authority in front of the pack. I’d learned a lot more from him in the past weeks about how things worked.
It wasn’t long before Hank emerged from the trees on the other side of the clearing. He looked surprisingly confident. The pack stood aside to allow him to enter the circle they had formed in the middle of the clearing.
“Let’s make it official then,” Hank said, speaking loudly for all to hear. “I, Hank Richardson, challenge you, Dorian Scott, for leadership of this pack.”
Dorian growled and Hank held up a hand for silence.
“But if I win, I don’t just want the pack.” His eyes turned amber as he looked at me. “I want her too.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Dorian said before snapping his teeth at Hank.
“If you manage to win, you can fight me too,” I said to Hank. “Don’t suffer any delusions. You won’t put your hands on me without a fight.”
“I accept your challenge,” Dorian growled. “But you’ll never get close to Freya.”
With those words Dorian began to turn and I took a step back to watch. His hands started to lengthen first. You could hear the bones breaking and reforming as his skin became covered with dark fur. I found the whole process even more fascinating than the first time I watched. He turned so easily, so fluidly. His hair became longer, as he threw back his head and howled. When he did this, his jeans began to tear as the bones of his lower legs lengthened, and his feet became gigantic paws. His face lengthened as well, becoming the long snout of the wolf. Despite how all this sounds, it wasn’t scary. It was amazing.
During this time, Hank had also changed, but I hadn’t been watching him. His fur was the same shade of blond his hair had been and he was every bit as big and badass looking as Dorian.
They circled each other, growling and snarling as if they were exchanging insults. Dorian smiled at Hank and my blood ran cold. A smiling werewolf can be a very frightening thing, especially if it’s the first time you’ve seen one and you had no idea that a werewolf could smile.
***
I looked up at the moon, wondering when the change would take me over. In the short time that I looked away, someone finally made a move.
I heard a yelp and looked back as Hank leapt toward Dorian. He stepped out of the way, but Hank tore a gash along his arm, drawing first blood.
Dorian jumped forward and grabbed him. He bit down hard on his shoulder and Hank yelped like an injured dog. The gathered pack members stepped back farther to allow them room.
Hank lashed out again and scratched Dorian’s leg. Without hesitation Dorian punched him hard, sending him flying. Somehow I never expected to see a fully transformed wolfman punch someone. It was pretty awesome.
Hank regained his footing and dove at Dorian. But he missed and got slashed across the chest for his effort.
The fight continued for several more minutes. Hank was bleeding badly at this point from multiple injuries, but he continued to fight. Watching the fight didn’t upset me as much as I’d thought it would. Maybe it was the wolf in me that allowed me to watch the man I was quickly falling for participate in a fight to the death.
I had just let my guard down slightly when Dorian bit into Hank’s throat and tore it out. I was standing close, and when blood sprayed across my face I screamed. The rest of the pack howled their approval at this gory display and as Hank fell to his knees, defeated, they ran forward to finish him off.
I didn’t know what to feel as Dorian walked toward me. I was shocked and impressed, horrified and relieved.
When he reached for me he was still fully transformed, and there was blood on his hand. I didn’t hesitate to put my still human hand in his. Regardless of what was going on around us, I knew in that moment that this was where I belonged. And this was the man I belonged with. I felt the magic then just as strongly as when we’d first slept together.
“You’re all right,” I said, trying not to cry with relief.
“Did you ever have any doubts?” His voice was deepened by the change, but still obviously Dorian. It was actually kind of sexy.
“Maybe just a little,” I admitted.
“How about a run in the moonlight?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Epilogue
Ethan’s murder was avenged and leadership of the pack secured. John was, of course, thrilled to hear about all of it. He’s asked Dorian so many questions that I’m beginning to wonder if he’s writing a book.
He was over just last night and as I walked into the room he asked Dorian, “So, are silver bullets for real?”
Maybe it is research for a book. Or maybe John is working up his nerve to ask to become one of us.
My life has changed so much in only a month. I start my new job at the library next week. I’m not sure what the job will entail yet. But Dorian will be there and there will be books. It’s going to be great.
I have a handsome werewolf who is crazy about me, and I’m destined to be his mate. Believe it or not, I’ve never been happier. Maybe I should have ridden a dune buggy on a full moon sooner.
The End
About the Author
This multi-published author has been writing stories for her own entertainment since she was a child. Tracey has always been drawn to the macabre, with a fondness for anything with fangs. She w
rites what she enjoys reading in the hopes that others will enjoy her stories as well. Her main goal as a writer is to put emotions into words. She wants people to feel something when they read her work.
www.traceyhkitts.com
Performance Criteria
by Reagan Hawk
What do you get when you have an IQ that is off the charts, the inability to let go of someone you love and a lot of spare parts? The man of your dreams, of course.
Dr. Aeron Braxton is on the verge of unveiling her newest creation—a droid who can pass as either human or Vanos.
An alien race took the man she loved away from her, but her revenge is at hand. Aeron has rebuilt Brad into a living, breathing killing machine she hopes will save the outer quadrants from a mass Vanos invasion.
Too bad the brilliant scientist didn’t calculate the probabilities of love getting in the way.
Prologue
Planet Athena in the Epimetheus Quadrant of the A-QET73 System…
Brad pried the bay doors open, his heart feeling as if it were lodged in his throat as thoughts of something happening to Aeron troubled him. He should have never agreed to leave her side. The idea of the higher-ups sending pact members to opposite corners of the galaxy to avoid capture by the Vanos hadn’t sat well with him but he’d listened, to a point, respecting the others’ wishes. Instead of completely leaving the planet, Brad declined a promotion and stayed on as a captain to assure he would be in the vicinity of Aeron’s lab.
It wasn’t until he intercepted a transmission leaking Aeron’s whereabouts that Brad knew he should have trusted his gut and never left her side. He’d wanted to take her with him and confess all he felt about her. Only one thing had prevented him from doing just that—Conell, her on-again, off-again boyfriend.
None of it mattered now. Aeron’s safety was his only concern.
“Aeron,” he called, rushing down the corridor towards her lab. The sound of his voice echoed off the walls and was the only response he received. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he continued full force into Aeron’s lab.
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