by Grosso, Kym
“Please Alpha; you must know that I was going to have my nurse call the owners of that club. I swear to you. I am so sorry. At first I wasn’t sure who to call, and then I decided to have her call Eden and leave a message. But then I forgot. I’ve been so busy. And then I got kidnapped, but you know that part. And oh, I guess I should have started with this first, but yes, I do treat snakes, and she’s very healthy despite the smoke inhalation. A beautiful specimen, really. I promise that I will have her returned to you as soon as possible.”
Shaking his head, he held up the palm of his hand to silence her. Resisting the urge to go to her and hold her in his arms, he opted to pace over to the end of her bed. Grabbing the end of the sleigh bed as tight as a vise with his two hands, a serious look washed over his face.
“Look, Dr. Williams, I am not sure why you took the snake but I need to know everything, and I mean everything, about the day of the fire. Did you set the fire?”
Oh my God. He thought she set the fire. She cringed. If she told him about the wolves she had seen that day, he might ask her to identify them. If she identified them, it might somehow get back to her pack that she was alive. Or worse, they’d come after her and kill her. What a damn fine mess. She should have just kept walking that warm September day, but it wasn’t in her nature to stand by and do nothing. She was a doctor. A healer. And a fighter; she was no coward. She didn’t think twice about running into a burning building to make sure others made it to safety.
“Kalli,” Tristan said firmly, shaking her from her thoughts. He let go of the bed and circled around, stalking her like the wolf that he was.
“I was there the day of the fire,” she began quietly. Determined to keep her dignity, she stiffened, and stared at him. “There was smoke. Two men exited the building. No one was there. No sirens. Nothing. I had to go in, because I knew that animal was in there. I mean, I did call in before I entered, you know. But no one answered. And then I saw the snake. What was I supposed to do? Let it die? I couldn’t. So I ran in behind the bar and broke the glass, cutting myself in the process. But I managed to get her. I got the snake and left.”
He sensed honesty in her words and mannerisms but had to know the extent of her involvement. “Did you set the fire?”
“God no,” she gasped. “How could you think I’d do that?” It dawned on her that he didn’t know her, not to mention that she’d admitted taking the snake.
He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed, mere inches from her feet. “Tell me about the men. Can you describe them? Were they human?” His voice was like steel, every bit the cold tone she remembered from her pack days.
“Yes, but…”
“Yes, you can describe them, or yes they were human?” He interrupted.
She swallowed her fear, refusing to be intimidated by a wolf again. “Yes, I can describe them. But no, they were not human. They were wolf,” she said in the most even voice she could muster.
“Describe them,” he ordered.
“Oh God, please don’t make me do this. It was just a fire. A building. No one was hurt. If I tell you, I know what will happen. You might find the wolves and begin some kind of a territory war, but I’ll end up dead. You and I both know they will find me,” she countered. Kalli inwardly shuddered, realizing how frankly she’d just told the Alpha to basically fuck off; also she’d revealed to him yet again her inner knowledge of pack society.
“Look, Dr. Williams, as a courtesy, I will overlook your insolence given that you are not wolf, but let me be perfectly clear. You will describe the men you saw. And pack business is none of your concern. Now tell me why you think these men were wolf,” he demanded.
“Fine, Alpha,” she drawled out the word, hoping he’d feel the anger in her words. “First off, I told you that I am a vet, which means I also understand human physiology. So unless a new trait for humans is to sprout claws, they were wolves.” She refused to tell him that even though she didn’t know their names, she recognized the two men as pack members from her old pack. But even if she couldn’t name names, Tristan would know that she was in danger.
“Secondly, if they were vampires, they’d be moving more like a flash rather than running.” She could feel emotion bubbling up like a fountain she couldn’t control. As grateful as she was to him for rescuing her, she was also scared of him questioning her like he was.
Tristan could see she was on the edge of bolting out the door, before she even knew what she was thinking. He decided to press on; he had to get answers.
“Did you know the men?”
“No, I did not know them,” she lied. She pulled her legs up to her chest and put her arms around them protectively. What if she was wrong about this Alpha? What if he was prone to violence like all the others she’d known? She needed to escape.
“Are you sure you didn’t know them? Did you speak with them? Did you see them set the fire? Did they see you leave?” Tristan relentlessly fired questions at her, testing her honesty. Everything she’d said rang true, but it felt like there was something she wasn’t telling him.
“I told you that I didn’t know them. And no, I didn’t speak with them or see them set the fire. I told you, I saw them leave and then I saw smoke. There was no one else around. I don’t know anything else!” she yelled, her eyes darting to the exit. What was that last question he’d asked her? Did the wolves see her leave? The realization that the wolves could have identified her felt like a punch to her gut. She’d worked so hard to build her life as a human. A life that she treasured.
“Oh my God, I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to get back to my life. My job. Please let me go,” she begged, as she threw her legs out of the bed onto the floor. After being held captive by Alexandra, she couldn’t take any more of his inquest. Her stomach rolled at the thought of being forced back into her old pack. She refused to let that happen. In a foolish attempt to run, nausea and vertigo overcame her; she was pulled toward the floor as if she had an anchor around her waist.
Tristan cursed, realizing that he’d gone too far. His desire for the truth had pushed Kalli into hysterics. Goddammit. He should have assured her of his protection. After surviving being a human pincushion over the past forty-eight hours, no human would have been this strong. He could tell she’d been thinking of running, but couldn’t believe she’d actually tried. Not only was she sick, she should have known there’d be no way she’d be faster than him. What sane person ran from an Alpha wolf? What was she thinking? She was thinking he was a total dick, and she was right, he thought to himself.
As she fell, he effortlessly caught her before she hit the carpet. Holding her in his arms, he backed onto the bed and sat, just staring at her. Who are you, Kalli Williams? There was something about her fiery spirit that called to him; something he couldn’t quite identify. Her sweet warm body fit so nicely into his arms, and he suspected that cuddling her in his bed would feel nothing short of heavenly. He shouldn’t be thinking about her this way given her condition, but damn, his wolf didn’t care. It was so wrong. Brushing back the hair from her forehead, he watched as her soft pink, very kissable lips parted.
“Tristan,” she whispered.
He stiffened, hearing his name on her lips like a lover’s breathy call. “Kalli, you’re okay, I’ve got you,” he assured her.
“Doctor,” she replied softly with a small smile on her lips.
He laughed. Fainting and unable to stand, she was joking with him.
“My fault,” she croaked with a weak voice. “I shouldn’t have tried to stand. What was I thinking?”
“You were thinking that I was giving you the Spanish Inquisition, and like any good prisoner, you tried to run. Granted, I’ve never seen someone in your condition try to outrun me, but you get points for trying,” he added, hoping to make her smile.
“I’m scared,” Kalli admitted. Her head had finally stopped spinning.
“Please don’t fret, chèr t'bébé. No one can get to you here. It’s safe.” He sighed, pis
sed that he had purposely pushed her to the edge. “I’m sorry for all the questions, but I have to know what happened. It’s not just the fire. I can’t go into it all right now, but please know, that I had to ask. And I’ll need your help finding them. But right now, you need rest. Come, get in bed. Please stay, I promise not to hurt you.”
She wriggled away from him as he stood to place her gently back in the bed. In the process her shirt rode upward, scrunching up near her breasts. Her taut stomach exposed to the cool air, she glanced down to see her bare skin and caught Tristan’s eyes as they roamed slowly down to her underwear. He raised an eyebrow at the discovery and smiled coyly.
“What? Julie said they belonged to you but were new. Would you rather have me wear no panties at all?” she quipped, tugging the shirt down. Flirting with the Alpha? She was playing with fire.
“Now that you ask, the thought did occur to me,” he replied, not missing a beat. “Clothes are highly overrated, you know. But I might not get much work done if I knew you were sleeping nude in my guest room, not to mention that we’ve only just met. But don’t you worry, we’ll have plenty of time to get better acquainted tomorrow,” he promised.
Kalli smiled, and closed her eyes, pretending he had not just said what she thought she’d heard. Naked? With Tristan? Together. She breathed in a deep breath and released it, trying to tamp down her arousal. Within minutes, a wall of exhaustion crashed into her, ushering her into a much-needed sleep. Her last thoughts were that she’d worry about her feelings for the sexy wolf tomorrow. Right now, she had to heal.
Tristan felt all the blood in his body rush to his cock at her mention of wearing nothing. And seeing her sweet body in his shirt and underwear…Jesus, was she trying to kill him right there? He would have to make sure Julie got her proper clothes to wear.
He pulled up the covers to her neck, willing his erection to subside. If he couldn’t see what was under the fluffy mound of covers, he reasoned, he could get it together. Damn, he was losing it. Maybe he should send her down to stay with Logan? Staying in his condo, she would most certainly cloud his judgment when he needed to be at the top of his game. He was confident that his beta would guard her with his life and make sure no one got to her. But he knew his beta as well as he knew himself, and couldn’t stomach the idea of Kalli naked in Logan’s bed, at least not without him.
Tristan reached for her hand and slowly rubbed circles into the small of her palm. There was something about her that seemed extraordinarily supernatural. Bringing her satiny wrist up to his nose, he inhaled her delightfully feminine scent, detecting only human blood. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but as long as she was in his home and bed, he planned to fully explore the attraction.
Julie poked her head around the corner in time to see Tristan making his way down the long hallway. She quickly got back to work, annoyed that he’d gone so far with his investigation. Their voices had carried well into the kitchen during the heat of their argument. She’d been tempted to intervene, but knew better than to interfere with Alpha business.
Padding into the room, Tristan eyed Julie standing next to the stove, pouring the broth into Tupperware containers.
“She sleeping?” Julie asked, already aware of the answer. He’d been down in her room for well over an hour, sitting in total silence, watching Kalli sleep, and she found it curious that he was taking such an interest in the injured human woman.
“You didn’t bring the soup,” he commented.
“You were busy,” she curtly replied.
“What gives, Jules? Just say it.”
“I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you don’t take direction well, Alpha. Although I guess you’re more used to giving directions than taking them,” she huffed. “I could hear the ruckus all the way in here. No disrespect intended, but I did say not to upset her, didn’t I?”
“Yeah well, it’s not easy being king,” he remarked with a smart-assed inflection, grabbing a bowl of soup. He sat down at the counter and began eating while she finished working.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be so hard on you. I know you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. It’s just that seeing her like that….all those scrapes and bruises and bite marks. My God, she was a mess. I suppose I’m going a little mother hen on you. I’m not used to having to deal with such violence. You are good to us, here.”
“No worries. We worked it out. She’s a tough one, you know. Believe me; she’ll be right as rain, soon. My spidey sense tells me so,” he joked.
“All right then, I’m going to leave you some crackers and ginger ale to put next to her bed in case she wakes up in the middle of the night starving. I was able to get a little bit of the electrolyte fluid into her before she woke up all the way. I have to say that it’s unusual for a human not to be dehydrated. I guess she must have been really, really healthy before this happened to her. It’s almost as if…well, never mind.”
Tristan stopped eating and stared over at Julie, who looked deep in thought. “What is it?”
“Oh, I’m just being crazy. I was just going to say that it’s almost as if she had the constitution of a wolf. Silly, huh?”
“Yeah, silly.” Tristan bit into a cracker, considering her assessment. Silly? Or right on target? He felt it too. Something about that woman wasn’t exactly human, but then again, she wasn’t at all supernatural.
Julie gathered up her purse and gave Tristan a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Okay, hun, well, call me if you need anything. I’ll stop by tomorrow to check on our girl. Maybe bring up some clothes for her, too. Get some rest, okay? Love ya!” she chirped as she entered the elevator and the doors slid shut.
Tristan reveled in the quietness surrounding him. He needed to think about his next steps, his strategy. He planned to bring in a sketch artist, so they could put a face to the arsonists. The meeting with Jax Chandler was in another two days, and he needed to get his shit together before it all went down. Throwing his bowl in the sink, he went to take a hot shower. He needed to think, without his libido interfering. It was as if he’d just been given a few more pieces of a jigsaw puzzle for which he didn’t have the picture. But he was cunning, and that’s what he did best, work with the impossible to make the possible happen. He was Alpha.
Chapter Seven
Crimson droplets splashed her face. She tried smearing them off with her hand but they kept coming down harder until she was drenched in the sticky sanguine spray. She felt heavy, her clothes sodden with blood. Then she heard it; the voice. Whipping her head toward the ear-piercing scream, she winced, covering her ears. Then she saw it; the vampire, the fangs.
In a flash of a dream, she was shackled by iron cuffs to a wooden cross, teeth snapping in the distance. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it to go away. But the creature wanted all of her: her flesh, her blood, her mind. Metal cut into her wet wrists; she was almost loose. A little more and they’d fly open. Escape was imminent. Her eyes snapped open; she only caught a glimpse of the razor sharp fangs before they sliced into her neck, tearing the tender skin to shreds.
Kalli screamed bloody murder, jolting upright in bed, throwing the covers aside. Sweat misted over her entire body. Clammy, she shivered from the cool air conditioning that stung her skin. She surveyed her surroundings; the quiet hum of a noise cancellation fan rested on her nightstand. Used to the urban sounds of the city, she reached over and flipped off the switch. Noticing the food and drink that had been set out next to it, she grabbed a few crackers and some ginger ale, sighing in relief at how good it felt to put sustenance back into her body.
After using the bathroom, she sat back in bed, still so very tired from the blood loss. She hoped by morning she’d feel stronger, be able to leave. Uncomfortable, she yanked at the collar of her t-shirt, finding it dampened. She couldn’t sleep in the wet shirt, so she pulled it up over her head and turned to hang it on the corner of the headboard. Reacting to the cold, her nipples hardened instantly and goosebumps broke out all over her skin. As sh
e twisted back around to grab the blanket, she saw the shiny eyes of a wolf standing in her doorway.
Deep in sleep, Tristan had heard the bloodcurdling scream emanate from down the hallway. Kalli. Immediately he shifted to wolf, readying for a fight. As he raced toward her room, he sensed that no one else was in his home. He poked his head into her room, careful not to scare her, and saw her consuming the snacks he’d left her. Thank God she was all right. She must have been dreaming.
He quickly fell back into the shadows, and stole off to check the rest of his condo. It would have been nearly impossible for someone to have gotten into his home without him knowing. Guards blocked the only elevators up to his home twenty-four by seven, and once inside, one needed a security code to ascend and then a separate code to open the door into the home. Both the private and public elevators had different combinations. The stairwell was the only other way in, and he’d installed a double set of steel security doors, again with sequencing codes and biometric security scans. He couldn’t be too careful, sensing a war was upon them.
One more check of Kalli, and he swore he’d go back to bed. His brain and body needed rest, so he’d be one hundred percent in the coming days. Coming up to the guest room, he padded slowly and quietly, trying not to alarm her. She hadn’t seen his wolf yet. Being that she was human and a veterinarian, she might not take too kindly to seeing a wild animal on the loose.
Within minutes, he returned to her and came upon the most fascinating and spectacular sight he’d ever seen in all his long life. Kalli. In the dim light, he observed intently as she grasped the hem of her shirt, exposing her creamy white breasts to the midnight light of the moon. Her perfect peaks protested the brisk temperature in response. As she moved to hang up her shirt, her hair swept over the tightened, pink areolae, hiding then revealing them, teasing him as he watched.