by BA Tortuga
This was like no one he’d ever met before.
Her lips moved, her needy sounds dropping between them, guttural cries. His own noises were rough growls, human words completely gone. All he could do was thrust and pull back, over and over.
His orgasm clawed its way up his body and she arched above him, howling, her nails scoring his chest.
Brett panted, feeling utterly wrung out and exhausted. There hadn’t been a two-for in a long while.
He drew her down, her head pillowed on his chest as he held on, rocking her and keeping her close. God, she smelled good. When she finally relaxed her head on his shoulder and sighed, the sound happy and replete, he felt an enormous tenderness deep in his belly for her. He was so fucked.
Chapter Four
Wendy actually dozed off on the warm mattress that Brett’s chest made, the sound of his heartbeat reminding her of the one time she was at the beach, listening to the rhythm that the water made against the shore, the waves greeting the moonlight. Not that she’d heard the waves in years. She hadn’t been to the beach since she was a child, with her folks, in those early years before a rainy night, a slick road and a blind curve had stolen them from her. Since they passed, she’d only been in the mountains.
Brett made this sound, a bass rumble, and pulled her up a little, turning so they were more side by side. It was almost as if they were a cocoon.
“I should go.” She nuzzled his chest, lips brushing one of his tight little nipples.
His skin jumped a little, as if shocks were traveling down his spine. “Why go now?”
“Uh.” She wasn’t sure she knew, after all, this was her house, but his nipple was right there and she bit it gently, playful.
“Now, now. Don’t get me going again, huh?”
“Mmhmm.” The tiny bit of flesh went tight and dark and she blew a stream of air across it.
He shifted for her, grunting. He was so hot, it wasn’t fair at all.
“This is a terrible idea.” She dropped an open-mouthed kiss on his chest.
“Uh-huh. You’re stubborn.” He stroked her hair, his hand sliding through the heavy mass.
“Yep.” Headstrong. Not girlfriend material. All that good stuff.
“You’re also beautiful, hot as fire and utterly fascinating.” He pushed back to grin at her, looking almost boyish. Playful.
“Flatterer.” Good thing she didn’t play with wolves. Often.
Look what it had gotten her last time. Reality sucked when it intruded.
She sighed and leaned back. She needed to get up, get dressed.
“Don’t run off, honey.” He kissed her throat, his lips warm and his beard tickly.
“I probably need to…” Oh, right there. Damn.
“Shh.” There was something about him. Something that drugged her good sense.
He found the hot spot on her throat and Wendy keened softly, her entire body shivering. It felt as if he was hovering right on the verge of biting her again and she wanted it, wanted him to mark her.
She shook her head. That was a dangerous thought. Really dangerous. He could become addictive.
“Mmhmm.” His hand dragged down along her belly, petting her.
She was just about to get stupid and kiss him again when his phone rang. Saved by the bell.
He sat up and scrambled for his jeans and she slipped out of the bed, padding toward the bathroom to clean up. Crazy. This was insane. No way she could…not with one of their own. She washed her face and wrapped herself in a huge, fuzzy robe.
He was grumbling when she came out. “No. I told you, I want— No shit? Okay. I’ll come out and have a look.”
She grabbed a pair of panties, yoga pants and pulled her hair back.
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. Later.” He hung up, sighing. “I was hoping to stay.”
“I’ve got work to do.” She turned her back to him, grabbed a t-shirt and heard his gasp. She winced—Jack had left his mark, a set of huge gashes from underneath her left shoulder to right above her right hip. He’d been going for her belly.
“Jesus. Did he do this?” He touched the scars, which made her jump.
“Yeah.” She knew how bad they were. Their kind only scarred when the wounds came from their own.
“Well, one of my boys thinks he has a line on this guy.” Brent growled. “I might just kill him.”
“Not if I get to him first.” He was hers to deal with.
“No.” Oh, he was definitely growling now, the words rolling like thunder. “You stay out of the way.”
“It’s not your call.” She tugged her shirt on, meeting him, head-on. “I’m not pack. I don’t take orders, Fuzzy.”
“You’re pack now.” Wendy thought for sure he’d chest bump her.
“Not even close.” She bared her teeth, growling right back. Jack was her fault, her problem and she would deal with it.
“Goddamn it, woman. He’s clearly deranged. About you.” He bared his teeth, as if she’d be impressed.
“Exactly. My problem, not yours. Get it?”
“No.” He grabbed her, reeling her in to kiss her so hard she almost blacked out. “But you’re a stubborn little bitch, so I’ll just have to convince you I’m right.”
She swayed back, almost falling over. “Asshole.”
His brilliant grin made her blink. “Yeah, but I’m your asshole.” He patted her butt, grabbed his shirt and boots and he was gone before she could open her mouth again.
Fucking alphas.
Fucking males.
Fucking asshole.
Wendy rolled her eyes and went to get a beer and a box of Oreos from the kitchen. She’d figure out what to do about both of those asshole males after she had some sugar.
Then she had to figure out what to do about her EMT buddy Mike, who was about to have his first full moon as a werewolf.
Not to mention the whole situation at work, Steph with her two weres and…
Right. Beer.
Chapter Five
Brett pulled his truck up next to Kayla’s Bronco, rolling the window down so they could stare at each other from their driver’s side windows. He waited to see which one of them would crack first.
Kayla pulled a face. wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue, and Brett burst out laughing. “Hey, Sis.”
“Brother.” His tiny sister was the fiercest female, tough and toothy, with her bright eyes and surprising strength. “He’s been quiet. He doesn’t know.”
“Well, he will soon. How much containment do you think he’ll need, when he changes?”
She shrugged. “He’s a big guy. He’ll be a good-sized wolf.”
“Is he playing nice?” Sometimes the newbies instinctively understood why someone they didn’t know was hanging around. Sometimes they fought it.
“He’s confused, hurting. I’m bringing him up to the Packlands.” She sighed, shook her head, heavy mane of dark hair hiding her face. “Sam says they’ll run with him that first change.”
“They?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sam and Mitch.”
“Not you and Sam?”
“No.” The single word was a snarl, full of hurt and a hint of pure rage.
Oh, ow. He’d always sort of imagined that Sam and Kayla would head off, take some of the others and head higher into the mountains. Sam wasn’t suited to human rules. “Well, good. You don’t need to worry about a virgin.”
“I told him we had a healer.”
“A healer?”
The look on Kayla’s face was pure evil. “Uh-huh. You know, a witch doctor?”
“A witch doctor? Seriously? Are you telling the man fairy stories?”
“You mean like Red Riding Hood?”
“Not funny.” He stared her down this time, watching her eyes flick to the side.
“What? I had to tell him something. That man is huge and…shit, Brother, we don’t know how he’ll change. I need him to be away from the city.”
“Oh, Sis. I know. I do. You’re doing a
great job, just don’t get stupid.” That could get his sister dead and then he’d have to bust heads.
“No. No, I won’t. I’m not the stupid one.” Her lips pursed. “So, have you caught the rogue wolf yet?”
“No. There was supposedly a sighting last night, but it didn’t pan out. Ruined my afterglow too.” Surely she wasn’t calling him stupid.
“Afterglow? Horndog.”
“What? That is one hot cop.” He waggled an eyebrow and Kayla made gagging sounds.
“Is it true? She’s one of us?”
“She is. I intend to make her pack too.” He watched Kayla’s face carefully. His sister was always his sounding board.
“She’s… You’re going to keep her? A police officer?”
“What’s wrong with that?” He’d always liked an independent woman. Okay, so Wendy bordered on psychotically capable. Maybe OCD and a bit of a ballbuster.
But hot. Oh yeah, and wild in bed. And his. To the bone.
She just didn’t know it yet.
“Well, if you can, stick close to him until the moon, huh? If he doesn’t mind.”
“He won’t. He thinks I’m magical.” Oh, ho. That was a smug look.
“Oh good.” She was such a little butthead. He loved her dearly. “You need anything from the grocery store?”
“Can you pick me up some hamburger meat and parmesan? I want spaghetti sauce.”
Oh God. Sauce.
Sauce.
The entire pack would be panting at Kayla’s door. There had to be crack in her sauce. Sam was an idiot not to want her.
“Are you seducing the new boy?”
“What? Dork! Shut up. Go hunt something. Get the good beef too. I’m worth it.”
“Only if you make a double batch and save me some.” He winked, turning the engine over. “I’ll be back around five.”
“You have my word. Love you, Brother.”
“Love you too.” He winked before pulling out. He’d check on a few things before he hit the store.
Maybe he’d drive by Wendy’s house. See if that big German shepherd was out and needed a scritch. Mongo was a good boy; it would suck for him to be all alone all day, right?
Absolutely right.
And if Mongo’s lady happened to be home and needing a scratch of her own…
Well, Brett was an expert at scratching that particular itch. Yes, he was.
He drove through town, up toward the outskirts, the little house squeezed in tight between two others.
Brett didn’t know how one of theirs could live so close to all the humans, not without the scents making her crazy. It would make him howl. A lot.
Mongo was out and wagging like a fool when Brett made it to the gate.
The front door was open, wide open, swinging in the breeze.
Brett went on high alert, which made Mongo’s ears rise, the wagging tail straight up in the air. Jumping the fence, Brett padded up the front walk, his nose going into overdrive.
Piss.
Another male.
God damn it.
“Wendy!” He raced into her house, hoping to hell she was there. Or not there, but only if she was at work.
Mongo headed in with him, but he didn’t get an answer. The place had been trashed, furniture clawed, bookshelves overturned. Brett looked for a phone, a purse. A gun. None of those were present, so he pulled out his phone and called the police.
“9-1-1, can I help you?”
His girl was going to shit a brick.
Brett guessed he was just lucky he could get right to her by calling the police. “I want to report a break-in.”
Chapter Six
Wendy hit her road going fifty, sirens and lights going.
She swore by the moon and her tail, if anyone hurt her dog, she’d tear them limb from limb. Mongo was a good baby. Friendly. Soft.
She squealed to a stop and hit the fence, hand on her holster. “Mongo! Mongo, you okay?”
She heard a bark but it didn’t come from her house. It came from the big truck parked out by the curb.
She spun around, that familiar face in the window. “Oh, my boy. My baby boy.”
He panted at her, barked happily, tail wagging as he pushed into her hands. So, not hurt.
“Thank God.”
“He’s fine. They told me to wait outside.” Brett was there, big and solid and looking mad as hell.
“Good.” She touched Mongo’s ear, the softness trailing through her fingers. “Silly boy. You scared me.”
Now, though. Now she could go kill something. She turned back, headed toward her place.
“Wends? Shit, what the fuck?” Shane was running up the sidewalk, the sound of those sensible shoes a distant comfort. “You cleared the house?”
She shook her head, glad as hell that her partner was here, had been having a quick lunch a mile off. “I’m heading in.”
“I’ll take the back.”
She heard a low growl and it wasn’t Mongo. “Who’s this?”
Shane looked over, lips twisting, nose wrinkling. It was damn near impossible to intimidate Shane Fiorelli. The crazy bastard had a Mafia don father and a retired nun for a mom. He was stunning. “Thanks for calling it in. Sit tight, man.”
Brett vibrated, but stayed where he was. She almost smiled. The alpha bastard had to hate bowing to human law.
Wendy trusted Shane implicitly and she headed up the porch stairs, nose wrinkling. Jack. God, he’d… Stop. Stop, focus. Check it out.
Her nose knew Jack was gone.
She headed upstairs, the scent intensifying as her heart sank. Her bed. Her clothes. The mattress was torn and fouled, her closet destroyed.
Shane’s hand landed on her back. “Fuck, Wends.”
Fighting not to stiffen up, she nodded. “Yeah. A real mad-on, huh?”
“You know who it is?”
“Got an idea, yeah.”
“Ex, huh? Fucking fabulous. Men suck.” Shane nodded. “You want Forensics out here?”
“No. No, call it in as okay. We’ll deal with this privately.” If we meant her, at any rate.
“You sure?” Shane nodded, though, more than willing to do this. “Who’s the lumberjack outside? He has your dog.”
“He’s from outside of town. My friend, Steph? The witchy one with the shop and the cats? She hooked up with his family.” In a manner of speaking.
“Huh. He’s…big. You be careful.” Shane had a funny penchant for understatement. “You want me to kneecap him? I have rage and it would be fun.”
“He’s no threat.” She wasn’t going to let him be. She had hunting to do.
“Well, I worry about you. So keep me posted.” He patted her back awkwardly.
“You know it. I need…” She looked at the mess, shuddered. “I’ll need some time. Couple days.”
“I’ll cover you.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Look, if you got this, I have to get back on that convenience store thing.”
“Go for it. Can you put Mongo inside and send the big guy off?”
“Sure. See you later.” Shane headed out, leaving with her tattered stuff.
Okay. Okay, what to do first. Wendy surprised herself by tearing up, her arms wrapping around her middle. She turned in a slow circle, the tears giving way to anger. Damn it, she was making herself a place here. Why did that asshole keep following her?
She threw a window open; she had to get his scent out. Crazy fucker. How had he found her?
“You okay?” Brett was there, somehow without making a noise, Mongo padding along behind him.
“Yeah. Shane was supposed to tell you to go.” She couldn’t do this.
Mongo whined softly, came to her and pushed into her legs for comfort and she reached down, scratched his ears.
“He did. I ignored him. You don’t need to deal with this alone.”
Every time she opened her mouth to say something, nothing came out. She was so angry, she was shaking but not at him, not really
. Brett held out his arms and she went right into them, cursing her body for a traitor.
He wrapped around her, his scent helping to cut the stench of Jack. The tremors got worse, everything aching.
“Come on, honey.” He took her downstairs, where the place smelled more like her and Mongo, and sat on the couch. “I got you.”
“I have to…” She had to clean this. Buy new furniture. Clothes. His hand brushed through her hair, fingers gentle, the slow petting easy.
“You can take a few minutes, okay? You don’t have to do it all at once.” He sounded so reasonable.
“Why were you here? Did you follow him?”
“No, I stopped by to see you.” He never even paused, the words ringing with truth.
The petting kept on and on, distracting her from the chaos, making her eyes cross. “You need to be careful. He’ll hunt you next. He’ll have gotten your scent.”
She hadn’t changed the sheets yet.
Brett chuckled. “Oh. I bet that pissed him off, huh? Smelling me here?”
The laugh had her pushing away, up off the couch. “Yeah. Apparently. With piss being the effective word. All over all my clothes and my bed, then he came down here and destroyed all my good furniture and broke my computer and television. It’s a hoot.”
She headed to the kitchen for trash bags and bleach.
“Hey.” He followed her, hands reaching for her. “I’m sorry. I am. I didn’t mean to sound so pleased.” He took her arm. “We should take Mongo and go. We’ll get a couple of my guys out to scent him and get on the hunt.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s my issue. Not yours. You handle your pack. I’ll deal with what used to be mine.”
After she cleaned.
“He’s in my territory. And you’re under my protection.” He pulled her around to face him, shaking her a little. “The moon is almost here.”
“I didn’t ask for your protection.” She knew. Hell, she wasn’t sure where she could run. Her current hidey-hole wouldn’t work for sure.
“I know you didn’t.” He blew his cheeks at her, a sharp exhalation. “That doesn’t change the fact that you’re coming with me.”