by Grosso, Kym
He knew he should leave, but was undeniably captivated by her beauty and the mere sight of her skin. She reached for the blanket, and froze. He was tempted to leave but instead he found himself slowly stalking her bed, as he had earlier in the evening as a man. Surprisingly, she sat still, letting him view her bare and defenseless.
Kalli knew it was him. Tristan. My God, he was magnificent. Lush black fur with the same amber eyes that had enthralled her earlier, he was the most stunning wolf she’d ever seen. She glanced down at her skin, well aware of her nudity, and realized that she wanted him to see her. Her wolf wanted it too, but unfortunately, she was well caged and could only admire how strong and dominant he truly was from afar.
Slowly she reached for the covers, and laid her head back on the pillow, never losing eye contact with her wolf. “Tristan,” she whispered and curled onto her side facing him. “Come lie next to me. I’m not afraid. You can stay how you are. Please come sleep and protect me,” she asked in a soft voice. There was no denying that she wanted the man, but tonight in the darkness, she felt safe with the wolf.
Tristan’s heart jumped at her words. Even if she were unsure of wanting him as her Alpha, she wanted his protection and accepted his wolf. He found it extraordinary that she was capable of knowing it was him and that she spoke to him, cognizant that he understood her as if he was man. He went to her, curling into her side.
Kalli laid motionless, wrapped in soft fabric, oddly relieved he’d come to her. Within minutes, she could feel his warmth radiating through the covers. She relaxed, certain he would not shift. The last time she had slept next to a wolf, she’d been a young girl, nuzzling with her friends as the adults ran without them. But as an adult, she’d feared both the males and females, well aware of the brutality they could inflict. But at the moment, she felt a sense of tranquility and closeness that she’d never experienced as a woman.
No words were spoken. And while she knew he’d seen her naked, there was nothing sexual about the experience. It was a demonstration of trust. He revealed himself to her, and she revealed herself to him. It may have appeared as a physical exchange to an outsider, but she recognized the importance of the interaction; a significant milestone that created a bond between them. With deliberation, she reached over and placed her hand upon him, silently thanking him for saving her.
Tristan eased into her touch, trying to ignore the message his wolf was sending him. But he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t felt such intimacy with a woman for as long as he could remember.
Chapter Eight
Light streaked through the window, waking Kalli. Although it had only been a day since she’d been rescued, she already felt better. She knew it was her lupine genes which supported the advanced healing. The pills stifled the shift and lessoned other traits, but they could not completely change her underlying cellular structure. If someone tested her blood, it would present positive for wolf.
Stirring in bed, she became acutely aware of heat emanating under her hand. Slowly opening her eyes, she quietly gasped, recognizing the feel of skin. Warm, tanned, manly skin. Skin that belonged to one very naked, very muscular, Tristan Livingston. Without moving, she allowed herself the indulgence of taking in an eyeful of the powerful Alpha while he lightly snored. Riveted, she couldn’t take her eyes off his face; he was incredibly handsome. A straight nose, masculine jawline with smooth lips. She imagined he was very skilled with those lovely lips and shivered thinking about the things he could do to her with them.
Given that he was perfectly nude, lying atop her bed, she thanked goodness her own body was underneath the covers. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or upset that he’d fallen asleep on his stomach, but she couldn’t help appreciating the hard contours of his body, from his well-corded back to his firmly sculptured ass to his strong thighs and calves. Dear Lord, the man was sheer perfection. Michelangelo’s David paled in comparison.
She’d somehow fallen asleep with her hand on his shoulder and now let her fingers voluntarily wander down the length of his back. Curious, she couldn’t resist, indulging in the experience of touching such an amazing male. Gently, she pushed into a sitting position as she continued to slide her hand over the cheek of his bottom and onto his thigh. Squeezing her legs together, she forced herself to concentrate as her arousal peaked. No internal conflict plagued her as the impulse to touch him took over her thoughts. Neither wolf nor human, she simply was a female who very much wanted the desirable male in her bed.
Tristan flinched slightly, awakened by the touch of her hand on his back and the sweet smell of her excitement. Shifting back after she’d fallen deep into REM sleep, he had to force himself to calm down. He could have sworn he’d been hard all night. This morning, he feigned sleep, knowing that if he opened his eyes, she’d go tearing off his bed like a scared alley cat. But when she skimmed over his butt with her fingers, he swore his steel shaft threatened to catapult him off the bed.
The subtle flinch alerted her that he could be waking up, and she didn’t want to be in bed with him when it happened. So she snatched his shirt off the bed. Now dry, she slid it over her head and slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. After brushing her teeth and hair, she tugged again at the too large underwear that clearly had stretched out and no longer wished to stay on her hips. Losing the battle, she let them fall to the floor and decided to go without, resigning herself to a pantyless morning. Because his extra-large shirt fell down over her thighs, she felt relatively covered. Ready to face her Alpha, she cracked open the door.
She wasn’t sure where Tristan had gone when she exited the bathroom, but she was hungry and wasn’t waiting for him. Within a few minutes, she quickly found the kitchen and the ever-important coffee machine. She turned it on, popped in the coffee pod and started opening cabinets looking for mugs. Setting two cups on the counter, she opened the door to the refrigerator and pulled out creamer then continued looking through the clutter for the eggs. She felt ravenous, and needed protein. “Come on, where are you, little eggies? Tristan has to have eggs. Everyone has eggs,” she mumbled, talking to herself.
“Tristan does,” he told her with a grin, surprised to find Kalli rummaging around in search of food. Despite taking a cold shower, he was instantly hard again at the sight of her lovely bare ass which peeked at him from underneath his shirt. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her from behind and slide deep into her warm heat. The temptation was great, but he restrained his desires.
Kalli jumped at his voice, quickly turning around. “Hi, um, I was just going to make us something to eat,” she said nervously.
“By all means,” he agreed confidently, walking by her wearing only a towel around his hips. His erection tented the fabric, and he made no attempt to conceal it.
It was nearly impossible to ignore both the charisma and raw sexuality Tristan exuded. Slowly, Kalli’s eyes roamed up and down his lean torso, astonished at the audaciousness he exhibited while wearing practically nothing. His hair, dampened from the shower, fell shaggy over his eyes. Hardened abs rippled down toward his low slung towel. Struggling for the words that never came, she couldn’t help her natural reaction, which was to look him over one last time. Embarrassed, she just knew that he knew that she’d just looked at his groin area, which appeared to be growing. Oh God. She rubbed her hand over her eyes and smiled to herself. What was it about this man? Get it together, Kalli. Say something.
“Um, okay then, so the eggs.” She opened the refrigerator, careful to hold on to the shirt so it didn’t ride up again.
“Like what you see?” he asked seductively as he set a coffee mug next to her hand, proceeding to wait for the next cup to fill.
“What did you just say?” Shocked, she grabbed the egg carton and quickly stood up, banging her head. She turned around holding the package in one hand, rubbing the sore spot on her head with the other.
He set his eyes on hers, taking the eggs and putting them on the ledge. She backed into the counter as he caged
her, pushing her body flush against his. “I said…Do. You. Like. What. You. See?” he whispered into her ear, accentuating every word.
She sucked a breath as a million pithy responses filled her head. But the hard bulge pressed against her body and her dangerously hard nipples made it impossible for her to speak coherently.
“Um.” God, she felt like a complete idiot. Eight years of college and all she had was ‘um’?
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied playfully, kissing her ear softly. He reached over to grab his coffee cup, which made him press against her even harder.
She sucked a breath at the welcome intrusion. There was a part of her that thought he might kiss her. Immobilized against his hard torso, he had her exactly where he wanted her, or rather, where she wanted to be.
Instead of kissing her, however, he wrapped his fingers around the clay handle and walked away with a broad smile across his face, without saying another word. He proceeded to sit down at the island, and switched on his i-Pad, checking his email as he pretended to ignore her. When Kalli turned around again to make the eggs, he let his eyes drift to her soft supple cheeks that strained to stay covered by his shirt. The hem teased higher as she bent over slightly to turn on the stove. Damn, this woman was killing him.
Tristan could not remember the last time he’d slept naked with a woman. Sure he’d fucked many, but not truly just slept with one. He’d stayed wolf as long as he could, treasuring her trust, teaching her that he wouldn’t hurt her. But now that she was healing and walking around his home like she belonged here, he felt the pressure in his chest along with the ache between his legs.
They’d forged a bond last night, and he didn’t want to rush forward and scare her off. At the same time, he knew she was withholding information. Something small, perhaps, but it was there. Bringing his full attention back to his tablet, he tapped out a quick email to Logan asking him to run a full security clearance on one “Kalli Williams”. He wasn’t a fool. The woman may have been a brilliant vet, but he found it coincidental that she just happened to be at the fire.
She could have gone any direction that day when she decided to take her break, but she’d passed his club. Why not just call right away after she’d rescued the snake? And then there was her hesitation to tell him about the wolves and what they looked like. He understood that she was in serious danger, but she had to have known the minute she saw them that they could find her based on scent alone. She said she didn’t know them personally but her eyes held a terrifying trepidation, a foreboding of sorts, as if she knew exactly what they were capable of doing to her.
And then there was the odd way about her mannerisms, which suggested she’d spent time around a pack. He could tell that she was aware of protocol from the way she’d bowed her head submissively to him when she’d first caught a glance of him in the bedroom. Sure, she’d snapped out of the spell, dragging her eyes to his, but it had been forced. It was as if she was trying to hide the fact that she’d been around an Alpha in the past. Her ‘tell’ gave her away. She’d acted on instinct when she’d averted her gaze. But the confident posture she’d then adopted had been rehearsed. Like an actor playing the role of a prizefighter, it might have been believable to most audiences, but not to a champion. Others might not notice, but he knew. It was the little things that always gave people away, no matter how much they believed the lie.
Kalli breathed deeply while making the omelets, never turning around, afraid that he’d see right through her soul. Read her mind. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she’d just met the man. The intimacy they had shared the previous night spoke volumes to the type of man he was but she wasn’t ready to trust him with her secret. He’d never understand what it was like being a hybrid in pack, not even omega; she’d been the lowest of the low.
He was a beautiful, strong Alpha, who’d most likely been like that since birth. How could he possibly fathom the terrifying childhood she’d experienced? He might be able to empathize, but he was neither hybrid nor female, both of which were insubstantial, undesirable and often, irrelevant within pack life. Alpha females were utilized to mate and breed, but even that life wouldn’t have been hers. She wasn’t Alpha; she wasn’t even full wolf; she was seen as nothing more than a tainted half-breed.
As such, the Alpha would have sent her to work for the pack in whatever capacity the others deemed necessary. Come the full moon, when the wolves were most sexually active, they had planned on pimping her out like a prostitute to any lower ranking males who hadn’t earned the right to breed. And if by chance she’d become pregnant, it was made clear they’d abort the child, by force if necessary. No one wanted her to propagate the human genes within the pack. From puberty, the Alpha had made sure she learned pack protocol. He had no intention of letting her leave, but wanted her groomed for her new ‘role’ when she turned of age. Her life had already been a living hell growing up, and she refused to accept the brutal, misogynistic future he’d planned. Running was the only way, and she could trust no one but herself.
Yet Tristan seemed so different than the others she’d known. There was no mistaking his dominant spirit, but he’d saved her, asking for nothing in return but information about that night. She needed time to think, time to assess whether or not she could implicitly trust him with not just her secret, but her life.
“Hey, here you go. Hope you like lots of cheese,” she said, placing a plate in front of him.
He raised his eyes from his work. “Thanks. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone make me breakfast.” He started eating, only to be stunned by her next comment.
“I find that hard to believe. You’re Alpha. Bet you have lots of women lined up to serve you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back. Oh my God. What the hell did I just say?
“What makes you say that? Have you spent a lot of time around an Alpha before? Do you have personal knowledge about how Alphas behave and who cooks their meals?” he countered, wanting to know exactly where she’d learned about packs.
She nearly choked on her eggs.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just so nervous. You know, open mouth, insert foot.” Glossing over her faux pas, unwilling to answer him, she forcefully swallowed her food and pressed onto her next agenda item. “So, Tristan, I really need to get back to work today,” she stated flatly, changing the subject. She knew he was too keen not to notice, but she wasn’t about to start discussing her knowledge of wolves.
“Yeah, about that. No.” Nice try, he thought to himself. She may not want to talk about how she knew what she did, but damn if he was letting her out of his sight. “Great eggs by the way.”
Did he just tell me no? “But I have to go. I’ve been missing for days. How am I supposed to explain this to my boss? I have patients; they need me.”
“Again, that would be a no. You will not be returning to work until my pack business is resolved. I have a sketch artist coming over this morning. You can work with him, and we’ll see what we get.”
Frustrated, Kalli accidentally slammed her coffee mug on the counter a little too forcefully, spilling coffee. “Did you hear what I said? I have patients. A job. I don’t want to get fired.”
“Oh I heard you, but you need to remember who you are talking to, Doctor.” He used her professional title hoping it would alert her that he meant nothing but business when it came to the topic of her returning to work. He stood, towering over her petite frame.
“But I need…” she stammered, immediately feeling small in his shadow. She was tempted to cower in his presence, but stiffened her spine and raised her chin at him. Thankfully, he moved around her to put his plate in the sink.
“But nothing. You’re in danger. You’re not returning until this is over. End of story. After we’ve done the sketches, we’ll take you over to the hospital, so you can wrap up whatever you need for your ‘leave of absence’. You can talk to your boss and explain that you need a medical leave due to the att
ack in the garage. I’ll make a call over to Tony at PPD, and report it for you, if the hospital hasn’t reported you missing already. If they give you any trouble, I’ll put in a call to the president of UVH. I donate enough money to that place that they can go without you for a few weeks.”
Kalli stood in awe that he had already worked it all out in his mind. She knew he was right. Where would she go? Her apartment? The vampires had easily found her at her work; it would be even easier to attack her at home. If the wolves decided to come for her, there would be nothing she could do to stop them. She reached up to her neck, feeling the freshly healed scars, and shivered. What if the spawn of the devil, Alexandra, came for her again? She conceded that she needed Tristan’s help. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he needed hers as well.
“You’re right. I’ll stay,” she acquiesced. Going over to the sink, she began washing dishes in defeat. She tried to think of what she was going to tell her boss.
“Did I just hear you say I was right?” He laughed in triumph. She really had no choice. It almost was comical that she actually thought she did. He’d overlook her insolence, considering she wasn’t in his pack. But in truth, he simply didn’t want to argue with her. With the ladies, he’d much rather be a lover than a fighter.
“Yes I did. And I’m quite sure that you hear it all the time.” He was Alpha. Deciding not to give him any more ammunition, she tried another request. “But I need to go by my apartment and get some things. Are you sure it’s okay that I stay here with you? I could go to a hotel if you…”
“No,” he interrupted coming up against her from behind. “You’ll stay with me…in my home…in my bed. I am not letting you go, Dr. Williams.” His firm tone left no room for misunderstanding. Standing close enough to her, he could feel the warmth of her skin. He wanted to rip off his towel, bend her over the sink, and slam his cock into her sweet pussy until she screamed his name over and over. But he wouldn’t even consider talking her into it. No, when they made love, she would willingly submit to him, begging him for release. He wasn’t sure why it was so important to him that she behave like pack; she was human, after all. Maybe it was his wolf warning him, but he just couldn’t have her any other way. Until then, he’d tease and seduce her every second she was with him.