by Kate Douglas
Wearing it, she felt sexy, strong, and very much in control.
You ain’t seen nuttin’ yet, Lucien Stone.
Drop a bomb like that on her and then clam up, would he? Well, maybe it was time Luc figured out just which one of them was really alpha.
With a knowing smile on her face, Tia opened the bathroom door and marched out to confront Luc.
Luc tried to think of something witty to say and almost swallowed his tongue instead. Tia stood in the bathroom doorway wearing a tight red dress that clung to her full breasts and perfectly rounded ass as if it had been painted on her. His bite mark showed dark purple, almost black on the tender skin beneath her left ear.
She hadn’t attempted to cover it with makeup. Did that mean she accepted his claim, recognized his status? Smiling, hoping for the best, Luc stepped forward to take her arm.
Tia raised her hand. He stopped in midstride.
“Not one more step, Lucien Stone. I’m not going anywhere with you until you explain all the little non sequiturs you just dropped in my lap.”
He shook his head. “Your dad really hates it if people are late. We can talk in the car.”
“Too fucking bad. We talk here or I don’t go. My father can wait. This can’t.”
So much for accepting my claim….
“We can talk on the way.” He reached for her once again. She backed away, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.
Obviously, she wasn’t willing to wait any longer.
“Ah, hell, Tia. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Try the most obvious point. What do you mean the stories aren’t make-believe?”
Luc raked his fingers through his hair. “Your father should be the one to tell you this, not me.”
“You’re here. He’s not. Besides, he’s had twenty-six fucking years to tell me and hasn’t. You brought it up. Now talk.”
She was utterly magnificent. As Luc watched, her hair slowly unwound and fell out of its twist, cascading over her shoulders in thick, blond ringlets. The chopstick clattered to the floor. Tia shook her head and swept her hand through the mass of hair, pushing it back over her shoulder. The action brought her breasts up high, gave a regal tilt to the long column of her throat. She looked like an avenging angel.
A dark angel, all fire and passion, her amber eyes flashing, jaw clenched.
He couldn’t not tell her, but he didn’t have to like it.
But he did, damnit. He liked it very much. Luc wanted to be the one, the only one she turned to. For knowledge, for friendship. For sex.
Luc jammed his hands in his pockets, took a deep breath, and planted his feet. “Okay. You want the truth? Here’s the abbreviated version. Chanku are real. They’re a separate species from human, but the differences are hidden until they add certain nutritional supplements to their diet. Once you ingest the proper nutrients, a combination of grasses from Tibet where the Chanku originated, the body goes through physiological changes that render it other than human, changes that allow the body to shift form from human to wolf. There are a lot of genetically perfect Chanku walking among us who have no idea who or what they are because they’ve never eaten the supplement that implements the shift. They know they’re a little different, but they don’t know why. Maybe they dream of wolves or maybe they just feel like they have to fuck everything in sight, only they never feel as though they’ve screwed the right one. They feel different, apart from the rest of society, yet they’re always searching for something, searching for their pack. Recognize anything so far?”
Tia stepped back, as though his clipped tirade frightened her. Her stance went from aggressive to vulnerable in a heartbeat.
Luc took a deep breath and softened his tone. “Tia, I am Chanku. I have the ability to shift from human to wolf at will. So does your father. So did your mother.”
Tia’s eyes went wide. She clapped a hand over her mouth and then dragged her fingers slowly down the curve of her throat to rest over her heart. “My mother? She was Chanku and I didn’t know it? The stories really were true?”
Luc nodded. “The gene is passed through the mother. We know it’s a sex-linked gene, carried on the X chromosome. It doesn’t matter whether or not the father is Chanku, though I imagine it makes the bloodline even stronger if, as in your case, he is. There’s a lot we don’t know, a lot your father is trying to find out. We have a couple of scientists studying it, but it’s not like we can turn this project over to a large group and still retain anonymity. What we do know is, if the mother is Chanku, whether she ever activates the genetics or not, her children will carry the genes as well. However, unless they get the right combination of Tibetan grasses, the Chanku physiology doesn’t manifest itself. We used to add the grasses to our meals but your father has managed to synthesize the supplement down to a pill form we take once a day.”
“You’re kidding, right? A little one-a-day vitamin turns you into a wolf? I find that hard to believe.” Tia threw her hands in the air. Luc hoped it was a safe alternative to taking a swing at him. “I find this entire story unbelievable. It’s a fairy tale, right? Besides, you left me out of the equation, Luc. What about me?” Tia planted her hands on her hips and thrust her chin forward.
She might look tough, but Luc realized Tia trembled from head to toe, no matter how hard she seemed to fight it. Her bravado was all for show. Her bravery in the face of so much touched him more than anything else about her. Luc’s voice softened. He remembered that night so clearly when Ulrich first shifted in front of him, how terrified he’d been. How relieved.
Tia had no idea how her life was about to change. “You, too, Tia. You are Chanku. Not yet awakened, not yet able to shift, but still not entirely human. The fact you were able to link with me proves that. I imagine it’s because both your parents were Chanku instead of just one. There’s so much more you need to know. C’mon. Ulrich will fill you in on the details.”
Tia bent over at the waist and picked her chopstick off the floor, grabbed her mussed hair, and twisted it back into a knot at the base of her neck. As she fastened it in place, she glared at Luc. “Well? Aren’t you going to show me first?”
“Show you what?” He knew, of course. Knew she had to see to believe, had to watch the shift before it finally made sense. Just as he’d watched Ulrich that first time, scared silly and wanting so hard to believe it was true.
He couldn’t do it, not right now, not when his cock was hard and his need for her escalating with each move she made, each defiant word she uttered. Control as a man was so much easier. The beast didn’t always understand the need for restraint.
For that matter, his human side wasn’t doing all that well.
Tia blinked. Obviously, she didn’t believe he could be so obtuse, but there was no way Luc could tell her the whole truth, that if he shifted now, it wouldn’t be sex. It would be bestial rape, pure and simple.
“The wolf, damn you. You expect me to believe you, to merely accept your word that you can shift from human to wolf, but you’re not willing to prove it?”
He stared at Tia, using his eyes to intimidate her. From the set of her jaw, it wasn’t working. His cock grew harder and he clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her. She was everything he wanted in a mate. Powerful, strong-willed, a true alpha bitch in every sense of the word. When he shifted, Luc wanted time to show Tia everything. Time to make love to her the way he needed.
“Later. We don’t have time right now. I promise you’ll see the wolf tonight.” He stepped forward and gently took her arm. She didn’t fight him this time, but she glared at Luc as if he were the foulest being on the face of the earth.
He caught her message, loud and clear. She felt as if he’d betrayed her, as if he’d ripped apart her known universe and dropped her into something dark and frightening and then left her without answers.
In many ways, he had. He’d also shown her the first steps to something glorious, but now was not the time. Both of them needed patience.<
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Grabbing Tia’s handbag off a small table near the front door, Luc handed it to her. Tia took it without comment. Her body radiated anger and fear in equal parts. Luc paused just outside the door as he carefully checked the locks and then turned to face her.
“Believe what you want,” he said, his sense of injustice fading, “but I would advise you not to blame the messenger. Please don’t blame your father either. He did what he thought was right. It wasn’t easy for him either when your mother died. He did his best.”
Luc took both Tia’s hands in his, leaned close, and kissed her cold, unresponsive lips. “Sweetie, what you’re about to discover is nothing short of miraculous. C’mon. Your father’s waiting.”
Traffic through the city was heavy. Tia sat quietly beside Luc, but her mind raced through everything that had happened tonight. They’d not even discussed the sex, the amazing, mind-blowing orgasm she’d experienced. Nothing she and Shannon had done had ever come close. No other partner had left her feeling the way Luc had tonight.
She’d never imagined what it would feel like from the man’s point of view. Her body still hummed with arousal, her pussy clenched in a slow, constant rhythm, and her heart had yet to settle down, either because of or in spite of everything Luc had told her.
Tia knew he thought she was mad at him. That wasn’t it at all, but he didn’t need to know that right now. He deserved a little bit of confusion after what he’d dumped on her. She stared out the window, resting her chin on her closed knuckles, and thought of her father, of all the years she’d lived away from him.
His choice as well as hers.
Ulrich hadn’t wanted her close. She’d always thought it was her developing sexuality that made him nervous. That wasn’t it at all. Obviously, he didn’t want her to know about her heritage, the fact that she might have the amazing abilities Luc described so matter-of-factly.
Why had he kept it a secret?
Tia had always loved her father. Looked on him with total hero worship, yet at the same time, felt as if he never quite knew what to do with her.
Now, to learn what they had in common, to learn there was an entire world he’d kept hidden from her, hurt as deeply as losing her mother had so many years ago. Why hadn’t he told her? Had he left it up to Luc out of cowardice, or was her discovery tonight a terrible mistake?
Who was Ulrich Mason? Obviously, he wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. Pack Dynamics wasn’t merely a detective agency either. She still needed to question Luc about that, unless her father finally chose to be honest with her.
Feeling as if her heart had been ripped from her chest, Tia watched the blocks pass slowly and wondered exactly what she would say when she faced Ulrich Mason tonight.
A car cut in front of them and Luc hit the brakes. Tia turned and noticed that, while he was still paying attention to his driving, Luc had that same, faraway look she’d seen earlier at the airport, when she was almost sure he and her father had somehow been communicating.
“What are you telling my father?”
“Huh?” Luc swung his head in her direction. “What do you mean?”
“I know you can communicate telepathically. I noticed it earlier but didn’t realize what was going on until I experienced the link with you. You’re doing the same thing now. What did you tell him?”
Luc was at least honest enough to look ashamed, and he didn’t deny her accusation. “We call it mindtalking. I told him to be ready to answer a lot of questions. I also wanted to know who would be at the house. I was hoping just the three of us. It’s not. He’s invited the rest of the pack to meet you.”
“Some of them are your lovers, aren’t they?” Tia wasn’t sure where that question came from, but suddenly his answer seemed terribly important. She folded her arms over her chest, afraid Luc would notice her hands shaking if she didn’t.
Luc’s jaw tensed, but he kept his eyes on the road ahead. “All of them are my lovers. Except Ulrich. He finds his sex outside the pack. It’s his way of remaining loyal to your mother’s memory and maintaining authority within the pack. He doesn’t fuck other Chanku.” Luc swung his head in Tia’s direction. “There. Is that what you wanted to know? Are you happy now?”
Tia threw her hands in the air. “Hey. Don’t get mad at me. The only way I’m going to learn a damned thing is if I ask questions. You’re sure not volunteering much.”
“Ask away, sweetheart.”
The surprising venom in Luc’s words left Tia feeling hollow inside. They rode the rest of the way to Ulrich’s house in silence.
Chapter 6
Luc found a parking space about half a block from Ulrich’s house in the Marina District, got out, and opened the door for Tia. She pointedly ignored his outstretched hand and climbed out without his aid. He raised an eyebrow in a mocking salute. She gritted her teeth and looked away. When she walked beside Luc, Tia was careful not to touch him.
Her anger simmered just below the surface, held in check by sheer willpower. How the hell did he expect her to react? The first time she sees Luc in ten years and he proceeds to tell her he can shift from human to wolf, that she’ll be able to do the same damned thing after taking some stupid pill every day. Even worse, he’d gone down on her with the most talented tongue she’d ever experienced, had given her the orgasm of her life, and it obviously meant nothing to him.
Why did it mean so much to her?
Tia flushed hot and cold, arousal outweighing anger in a heartbeat. Her nipples beaded against the silky fabric of her dress and her pussy clenched in reaction. Luc glanced sharply in her direction. With his damned wolf senses he probably smelled the cream between her thighs. She knew he could see her tits.
She thrust her aching breasts forward and picked up her pace. Luc rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, hurrying her along the sidewalk. The sharp tap tap tap of her high heels seemed to echo in her head. She wanted to tug her arm loose, but they were already at her father’s house. The same house she’d grown up in. Where her mother had lived and they’d all been the perfect family, together.
A perfect family, divided by secrets.
Ulrich waited on the front porch.
He met Tia and Luc at the top of the stairs. Light spilled out around him and Tia thought he looked like a Norse god with his thick, white hair and commanding stance. She tamped down her anger and smiled, but instead of the welcoming hug Tia expected, her father motioned them to a dark alcove on the left side of the porch.
“Thank you, Luc.” He reached out and shook Luc’s hand, but his gaze was fixed on Tia. “First of all, before we go in, sweetie, I have to apologize. This is all my fault, so, please, don’t blame Luc. It was cowardly of me to ask Luc to tell you about Chanku, but…”
“Why?” Tia swallowed back an unwelcome lump in her throat. “All these years, so many occasions. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Her father grabbed both her hands and squeezed them tightly. “A lot of reasons. Mostly I was lost without your mother. I had no idea how to relate to a little girl, much less a young woman. A father hates to acknowledge his daughter’s sexuality. I knew, once you became fully Chanku, there would be no stopping you if you were anything like Camille.”
His eyes lit up at the mention of her mother’s name. Tia bit back tears when Ulrich smiled a very private little smile, and continued. “At least when you and Shannon went off to school, you had each other for sex. I figured that relationship would keep you out of trouble until I managed enough courage to tell you about your true nature.”
“You knew about me and Shannon?” Shocked and embarrassed, Tia tried to free her hands from her father’s grasp, but he held them firmly.
“Of course. I may be fairly obtuse about a lot of things, but I’m not stupid. You and Shannon are both sensual creatures and your mutual attraction was obvious. I’m not sure, but I believe Shannon’s mother was Chanku, which would explain why you were so good together. Tess Murphy and your mother were close, though she died before I had a
chance to meet her.”
Ulrich relaxed his grip and Tia’s hands slipped free. Rattled by his admission, she stepped back, putting distance between herself and both men. A girl, no matter how old she was, did not discuss her sex life with her father. That was way high on the too much information scale.
Tia took a deep, steadying breath, clenching and unclenching both fists. She realized she was looking to Luc for the answers her father should have given her. “Okay. Where do we go from here?”
“That’s up to your father.” Luc obviously turned to Ulrich for guidance. Tia was struck with how much Luc appeared to admire her father. How much her father obviously loved and trusted Luc. The shaft of jealousy that speared through her came as an unwelcome surprise.
“We start her on the supplement tonight. It should take about two weeks, though since she’s full-blooded Chanku, it’ll probably happen a lot sooner.”
Luc nodded in agreement. “She’ll need to have someone with her, in case the supplement works faster than we expect. I’d hate to see her attempt a change on her own.”
Ulrich glanced at Tia and then turned back to Luc. “Is there room in her place where you can stay? If not, I know your apartment is large enough.”
Anger swirling like a live thing inside, Tia glared first at Luc and then at her father. “I’m standing right here, gentlemen. Please don’t talk about me as if I’m not.”
Her father stopped in the midst of opening his mouth and sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve known this day would come. Instead of preparing for it, I’ve pretended it wouldn’t happen. Denial is truly the coward’s way.”
“Dad, don’t you think I should have been given a choice?”
Tia felt Luc’s arm slide around her waist. He gave her a slight squeeze. She glanced at him and realized he sided with her on this issue. His approval felt like a warm wrap against a cool night. Any anger she’d held against him dissipated on the cool evening breeze.