by Grosso, Kym
Tristan studied him, tamping down his unreasonable possessiveness regarding Kalli. It continued to aggravate him that he cared at all. He kept coming back to the fact that he’d just met her. On top of that, it wasn’t as if he didn’t ever share women with Logan, so why was this any different? Logan was more than just a friend, given how many times they’d been intimate. They never were intimate with each other sexually during their trysts, but they did touch each other, share a caress; perhaps even direct each other’s play with the lucky woman. Whether it was Logan’s girlfriend or Tristan’s, it was always understood that neither man was with their mate. Therefore, jealousy never reared its ugly head. There were no limits.
But with Kalli, he’d felt the need to possess her, mind and body. And if he ever shared, he knew it would be on his terms only. No one would touch her without his permission, and she’d only be touched the way he commanded. It could be no other way. Tristan grew irritated as his territorial feelings grew stronger every hour he was around her. It felt uncomfortable to think about a woman in this manner, yet it seemed as natural as being born.
As Kalli caught a glimpse of Tristan observing her interaction, she pulled away from Logan’s touch. She was appreciative that he cared, but guilt ate her. She had to tell them about her formula. Dreading it, she’d have to confess sooner rather than later if the flash drive or pills were missing.
“Guess I’d better get my stuff,” she commented as she resigned herself to her task. Looking terribly defeated, she walked out of the kitchen. When Kalli reached her room, she locked the door. She knew that either wolf could easily break it down if they really wanted to, but they didn’t seem the type who’d go bursting in on a lady in a locked bedroom.
She ran into the master bathroom, trying to avoid the shards of glass scattered all over the room. They’d smashed the mirrored closet doors as well as the sink mirror. Opening up the vanity drawers, she searched for the small pill boxes where she kept the spares. One by one, she came up empty. Her stomach lurched at the thought. They’d stolen the CLI. Thinking she might vomit, she bent over at the sink and took deep breaths, willing the bile back into her stomach.
She prayed silently that they hadn’t taken the thumb drive. Without the data, they probably wouldn’t be able to replicate it. Even if they analyzed the chemical composition, its creation was a complicated process. And said process and all the underlying details were on that drive.
Opening the bottom of the vanity, she looked for her cosmetic bag, the one she used to hold her makeup. Cleaning supplies had been spilled inside the cabinet and the boxes of tissues had puffed up, smelling like pine and bleach. What she didn’t find was the drive. Bending her knees, she squatted, scanning the entire floor. Behind the toilet, her little pink bag peeked at her. She leaned over and scooped it up; even though it was open, most of the contents were still in it. Eyeshadow. Eyeliner. Foundation. Blush. Lipstick.
“Thank God,” she breathed. Her pink lipstick was still there. Gently screwing off the top, it popped open, revealing its secret compartment. The drive was safely nestled inside. She’d bought the little diversion safe on an online spy shop. Given a choice of soda cans, shaving cream and books, she’d decided on the lipstick. It was small enough that she could easily transport it, but easily concealed, especially among a collection of lipstick tubes.
Pressing it into her pocket, she exited the bathroom and went to her closet to pack a bag. After collecting some casual clothes, underwear and shoes, she unlocked the door. Luckily, she had a small bag she kept for traveling which was already stocked with toothbrush, baby powder, razor and other convenience items. With a sigh, she took once last glance at the mess that used to be her room and shut the door.
They rode in silence on the way back to Tristan’s condo. Tristan and Logan had both heard the lock click as she went to retrieve her things. Why did she feel the need to lock a door unless she was doing something in secret? Something she didn’t want them to know about? She hadn’t changed her clothes and was barely gone for ten minutes. What was she hiding? A nagging pull at Tristan’s gut reminded him that she hadn’t been entirely truthful. The feeling of distrust was confirmed when she refused to look him in the eyes after they left the building. It also didn’t help that he could not stop wondering about the way the wolves had torn apart her place. Sure, they could have done it out of spite, but more likely they’d been searching for something. And if that was true, then Kalli was involved up to her eyeballs in trouble.
As the elevator ascended, Tristan decided he needed a break from her. He was angry she wasn’t telling him everything. If he stayed with her, he was either going to force her to tell him what the hell was going on or take her up against the wall again. While both were feasible options, neither seemed like the right thing to do. He needed space. Time to think and get his head together. Tristan really didn’t want to leave her alone with another man, but even he had his limits.
When they got to his floor, he addressed Logan, ignoring Kalli completely. “I need you to stay here with Kalli for a few hours, okay? I’m goin’ up to my office to do some work and then may go for a ride or hit the gym. If you need me, text me.”
“No problem. Take your time,” Logan replied, sensing the tension. His Alpha looked like he was about to snap. And Kalli was running a close second.
Kalli said nothing as the elevator doors closed. She dropped her bag at the door, walked into the living room and fell back into an overstuffed lounge chair that faced the long wall of ceiling to floor windows. Throwing her head back, she put her hands over her eyes and blew out a big breath. She needed to tell them about CLI.
“Hey Doc. What’s going on? Wanna talk about it? I’m a good listener,” Logan offered, sitting on the sofa perpendicular from her.
Removing her hands, she stared out the windows. “I’ve gotta talk to Tristan about what happened today.”
“What happened with your boss or what happened to your apartment?”
“They were looking for something,” she stated flatly.
“Yeah, I assumed as much. Pretty sure Tristan already suspects that too.”
“They took something.” She bent over, placing her forearms on her knees and pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.
“You wanna tell me what it was?” he asked, biting his upper lip. He wished she’d just spill it.
“Yes. No. Okay, yes, but I have to tell Tristan first.” She sighed in frustration. “Tell me, Logan, did you ever have to tell somebody something? Something that was a really big secret? But by telling the secret, you’d be putting your own life at risk?”
He silently regarded her, well aware her life was already on the line. She was a smart woman and had to know how much danger she was in; she had agreed to stay with Tristan after all. What the hell did she know that would put her in even more danger? Whatever it was, he could tell it wasn’t going to be good.
“Here’s the thing, Kalli. In Lyceum Wolves, we’re pack. Lies don’t fly too well here. And yes, I’ve kept things to myself on occasion.” He didn’t want to mention his visions to her yet. “But I can’t say it put my life in danger. If my life were in danger, my pack would be behind me, so I wouldn’t keep the secret.”
“How well do you know Tristan?”
“Like a brother. Hell, I know him as well as I know myself.”
“So what’s he really like?”
“He’s badass,” he boasted smiling. “Has more confidence than I’ve ever seen in a wolf, but it’s well deserved. He’s extraordinarily powerful, both physically and mentally. Fierce in battle and loyal as the day is long. And here’s something you’d do well to remember; at the end of the day, he’s fair. I’d even go as far as to say that he’s caring.”
“You love him, don’t you?” she blurted out.
“Well now, aren’t you the inquisitive one? Come on, Doc. Of course I love him. I’m his second. We’re best friends and do almost everything together. It’s our way,” he revealed thoughtfully.
“Yeah. I mean, sure, there’re fights within the pack every now and then, but we live to support each other. It’s how it’s meant to be. The communal love and devotion, it’s in our nature and whatnot. Kind of hard to explain to someone who’s human, but I’m sure you feel it a little. Right?” He wanted to tell her she was Tristan’s mate, but it wasn’t his place. They needed to find their way to each other via their own journey.
“Yeah, but what about the brutality? You know, the forced breedings and matings? The fights for dominance? That’s not so loving,” she remarked directly, remembering her life in South Carolina.
“Hold on there, Doc. That’s old school shit and I can assure you that it doesn’t happen around here. Now, it could be part of the reason we’re about to have a territory war, who knows? I can tell you that Tristan and Marcel don’t schlep out our females like prostitutes. They make their own decisions about mating when they’re damn ready. As for the violence, put a group of human men together and you’ll see what happens isn’t too much different than around here. But I’ll guarantee you won’t see any ‘brutality’ as you so delicately put it.” Logan narrowed his eyes on Kalli. Where the hell was she coming up with these things? Sure, brutality was common long ago, but things had changed, in most packs anyway.
“I’m sorry, Logan. I didn’t mean to insult you or the pack. I…I just have a different experience is all. I spent some time around wolves before…not here…it wasn’t pleasant,” she admitted.
“No offense taken. Doc, I like you. I’d like for you to stick around a little and not just because you have to. Can I give you a bit of advice?”
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, sure. Why not? I sure as hell could use some.”
“Whatever is going on with you, we’ll deal with it, okay? But you’ve got to tell Tristan. Like soon. I’m gonna be honest with you. Your life is already in danger. So whatever little nugget you’ve got stowed up your sleeve, it’s not going to put you more at risk. But by not showing all the cards, you could very well be putting others in danger. I know you’re not pack, but you should consider joining our team so to speak,” he said with a grin. “And hey, it’s a pretty good team. The only requirement for membership is honesty. Other than that there’s all kinds of great benefits; not only do you get the protection of a tough Alpha wolf, you get his beta. It’s a twofer. Also, there are lots of great friends here, runs in the wilderness, although you might need a horse for that,” he joked.
Kalli laughed softly. “I’ll talk to him tonight.”
He cocked his head to the side, as if not quite believing her.
“I swear,” she promised, standing. “Okay, I think I’m going to go take a long hot shower and try to relax before he gets back. Thanks. I really appreciate the talk.”
As he watched her walk down the hallway, Logan found himself wanting Kalli to be Tristan’s mate. She was intelligent, beautiful and full of life. The more time he spent with her the more it confirmed his visions. But he worried about her reasons for lying, sensing something very, very bad had happened to her. If he had to guess, he’d say she’d been abused. Something drove her fear of wolves, yet she exhibited a knowledge of wolves that could only be learned by spending a lot of time with a pack. The subtle way she lowered her gaze around Tristan told him she’d been with an Alpha.
But up until just now, she wouldn’t readily admit she’d been around a pack. Why? Was she afraid of the ‘brutality’ she’d referred to in their conversation? Had a wolf done something horrible to her or her family? Now that he thought of it, she hadn’t mentioned her family. Her entire being was wrapped up in her work. None of it made sense. But he prayed she’d come clean soon. She was wrapped tight. And Tristan. Shit. He’d been coming unglued since the minute he’d met her. Things were getting out of hand. The pack, including Kalli, needed to be strong if they were going to prevail.
A text came across the screen of his phone, slamming him back into reality. As he read the words, he shook his head. Knowing that Tristan was receiving the information at the same time, he took a deep breath and blew it out. Things were about to get real serious but quickly, and Kalli had better get ready to provide his Alpha with the truth as soon as he got home.
Tristan slammed down the weights. The text from Logan’s investigator was the last damn straw. No past on a Dr. Kalli Williams since college. Everyone who was a real person had a past; good or bad, exciting or boring, rough or easy, it existed. On the contrary, people who didn’t leave a paper trail of their past, were hiding something, possibly using another person’s identity. They were liars. He’d like to pretend it wasn’t a significant finding, but he just couldn’t.
There was no doubt that the beautiful woman he knew, the one who’d gone to school for eight years in New York, who’d been working at UVH, was Dr. Williams. But before that, there was nothing. No birth certificate. No driver’s license. Not a high school diploma. And then poof, one day Kalli Williams is a freshman at NYU. It was if she materialized out of the freakin’ air.
Goddammit. Kalli was driving him crazy. He wanted to scream at her. Make her tell him the truth. At the same time, he wanted to fuck her senseless. The situation was maddening. What the hell was she lying about and why the hell wouldn’t she tell him? Her apartment was totally trashed, and she was as cool as a cucumber. ‘Things can be replaced’ his ass. Who says that anyway? She’d had to leave her job. Her shit was destroyed. You’d need a fucking jackhammer to get the eggshells off the cabinets. Hell, the entire apartment would need to be gutted.
And what was her reaction? She calmly went to her bedroom and packed a bag. Seriously? Oh, and she’d locked the door while doing it. The million dollar question was why and what was she doing in there? When she’d returned, she’d refused to look him in the eye. Like a cat on a hot tin roof, she’d scampered out of the building. During the torturous car ride home, she’d said nothing, pensively staring out the window.
He was so damn mad that he could have thrown the hundred pound barbell through the window. Instead, he grabbed his towel, wiped it across his face and headed toward the locker-room. Fuck. He needed to get laid. Blow off some steam. He knew Mira would be down for anything he asked for sexually; she’d do whatever he wanted. If not Mira, others were willing and ready to service him. With a text, there was nothing he couldn’t have. A one on one. Threesomes. The women were plenty. Wolves, humans and even vamps, as longs as they didn’t bite, there’d been a time when he’d have been up for it. The women were available and willing twenty-four seven. And he was an equal opportunity lover…used to be, anyway.
Therein lay the rub; he wasn’t that person anymore. For the past couple of years, he’d quietly made love to Sydney on the side; sometimes indulging with Logan and Mira. Was it a release? Yes. But was it fulfilling? Was his wolf at peace? Unequivocally no. But what was he supposed to do? Go in search of a mate? So not happening. He was happy with the freedom of knowing he could do what he wanted, when he wanted, and wasn’t about to give that up. He wouldn’t submit to a forced pairing, something that was done in the old days. It’d never feel natural. He’d be trapped like a zoo animal, never again allowed to run in the wild.
But meeting the good Doc had flipped his world upside down, and he wasn’t sure it was in a good way. Within twenty-four hours, he’d gone from cool and confident to hot and horny, unable to think straight. He wanted to strip her, flip her and fuck her and not necessarily in that order. But then there was that damn thing that was stopping him, his conscience. How could he make love with her, knowing she was lying to him? He was pretty sure that she wasn’t even Kalli Williams. Not that he needed to know the name of every woman he’d been with but when he had the Doc, he was going to make love to her hard and long. And he’d be damned if he’d do it not being able to call her by her real name when he sank deep inside her.
That settled it. There was no other option; he had to find out what she’d been keeping secr
et. No matter what it took, he needed to find out, deal with it and then get it together, so he could concentrate on finding the asshole who’d burnt down the club. And at this point, it wasn’t just about the club. One of Marcel’s wolves was dead, and they had no idea if it was even related. Kat was in hiding. There were too many loose ends. Unanswered questions and lies in the air.
Stomping into the bathroom, he flipped on a spigot. Tristan tried to shake off the feeling of foreboding that blanketed him as the hot spray of the shower danced on his skin. He planned to go back to his apartment and interrogate Kalli. He didn’t want to hurt her but the responsibility of the pack settled on his shoulders. The truth was coming, and he’d see it realized.
Chapter Twelve
As Tristan strode through the elevator, ready to tear into her, demanding an explanation, he stopped short. Candlelight? Garlic? Tomatoes? Shit. What did she do? And where the hell was Logan? The anger he’d spent the last three hours building was melted away within seconds as it dawned on him that she’d cooked him dinner. No one, aside from his mother, had cooked him dinner. Sure, many a woman had tried, but he’d always managed to avoid the experience, knowing full well what it represented: commitment, love, marriage. His jaw fell open as he walked toward the heavenly scent. No way. He rubbed his hand across his face in disbelief.
Shock would be the best word Tristan could use to describe the surreal situation he’d walked into. Fully anticipating questioning her until she spilled the truth, he found his mind going haywire, like he’d stuck his finger in an electrical socket. Logically, he knew he should tell her they needed to talk now, force the argument to happen. But the food…the wine…and where did all the candles come from? He owned candles? And what was she dressed in? Boy shorts and a camisole, covered with an apron? What kind of woman cooked in underwear? He smiled, shaking his head at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Kalli was bent over his stove languidly stirring a boiling pot. And yet again, the globes of her creamy ass beamed at him as the back of her apron rode up her back. The length of him immediately reacted at the sight of her. Of all the things he’d expected tonight, this was the very last thing he’d envisioned.