Let Sleeping Wolves Lie
by Tielle St. Clare
Let Sleeping Wolves Lie
Ebook Edition
Copyright © 2011 T. L. Green
All rights are reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or redistributed in any format.
To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at www.tiellestclare.com
Author’s Note
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Prologue
Dex ground his heels into the peanut-shell strewn floor, hoping to slow his progress to the back alley, but the slick heels on his shoes—so freakin' cute in the store—were worthless. Maybe once he got outside he could kick Chuck or Tony in the shin and make a run for it. That was going to be his only chance to escape.
Powerful fingers gripped his upper arms, cutting off the circulation to his hands, but there was little he could do. The two guys were huge. And strong. And pissy.
All he'd wanted was a few drinks and to dance until Chuck and Tony decided he needed to pay more than the standard cover charge if he wanted to stay.
That’s what you get for hanging out in a redneck bar in the middle of Hicksville. Reese had warned him to be careful, but after a month in this dinky town waiting for the car to magically heal itself, Dex had needed to get out. Have some fun. Move a little.
He looked helplessly at the bouncer standing near the back door. The guy just smirked. Great, he’s going to want a turn.
Dex pressed his lips together, swallowing the growl that tickled the back of his throat. He knew from experience he didn’t have the power to pull it off. The noise would come out as whimper and he’d sound like a puppy whining.
He took a breath in through his nose, calming his fluttering tummy and focusing on his plan. Once they got outside he could—
The scent of a wolf nearby caught his attention. Dex tensed and scanned the nearby patrons trying to find him. A wolf made for a whole different set of complications.
A wolf pack wouldn't like a couple non-affiliated wolves moving into the area. Alphas tended to be a bit fussy about who moved into their territory. His spine tingled. A wolf without a pack was considered fair game. Dex had been in that situation before, and knew it was no fun.
But they'd been there for almost a month and hadn't been contacted by any packs. Typically, a pack would make an initial greeting before actually beating the crap out of someone.
Unless it’s a lone wolf just moving through town. That made more sense because he'd only smelled one wolf scent, and pack wolves usually traveled in pairs.
If he managed to get away from the idiot twins, he would check the guy out. Maybe he'd fit into their little group. Two wolves and a witch didn't quite make a “pack,” but it was at least some support and comfort on those lonely nights.
The presence of the other wolf distracted him long enough that his captors managed to drag him out the door and into the back alley.
“Now, guys, I don't—”
“What? You going to say you don't like to suck cock? Cuz we know that's not true.”
“Okay—”
Dex sighed and let his shoulders droop, hopefully giving the impression he wasn’t going to fight them. The hold on his arms relaxed a little. He hesitated for one heartbeat, then bolted, heading for the street. Dex made it two steps before they grabbed him. Material ripped and he snarled. Damn, he liked that shirt.
Chuck yanked him upright and into the path of Tony's backhand.
Pain exploded through his left cheek. His cry echoed against the bricks but the sound was drowned out by the noise of the wolf in his head. The tips of his fingers ached and he knew his claws were poking through.
The wolf wanted free, but Dex couldn't let that happen. Tony and Chuck weren't the type to find a werewolf “fascinating.” They'd kill him before he'd finished making the change.
He did the only thing he could do.
He took a breath to calm the animal and tried to convince himself it wouldn't be too bad. It wasn't like he hadn't sucked a lot of cocks in his life. What was two more?
Even if the thought made him gag.
He'd just get it over with and go throw up.
Luckily, they didn't seem to want to fuck him. That was probably a bit too “gay” for them. He wasn’t sure he could keep his wolf contained if they tried that.
Not that he didn't like getting fucked—he did—but he was damn picky about who he let have his ass.
Resigned to get this done as fast as possible, he didn't fight when Chuck pushed him to his knees. Tony laughed and unzipped his pants, reaching in to find his dick—please God, let that mean he's got a small cock. Dex wasn't in the mood to try to deep-throat a huge prick.
The door burst open beside him. Dex flinched, almost afraid to see who might be joining them.
“What the fuck are you doing out here?” Tony demanded. “Employees only in this area.”
Dex ignored Tony and stared at the big man who'd just appeared. The wolf's scent flooded the alley, competing with the stench of the garbage. Dex's wolf vibrated inside him—curious, cautious. A wee bit terrified. The guy was big and obviously powerful.
Dangerous.
Still Dex had to believe he was safer with the wolf than with these two.
“Just checking on my friend there,” the big wolf drawled.
Chuck laughed. “Well, he’s our friend tonight.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s feeling too friendly.” The big guy took a step forward. “Now why don’t you let him up.”
The command in the guy's voice made Dex shiver.
“I don’t think so. He likes to suck cock and if you want him to do you, you’ll just have to wait your turn.”
Dex lifted his gaze to the big wolf, hoping he didn't look too pitiful. Pure Alpha power poured off the man and Dex's instincts took over. He bowed his head.
The wolf didn't acknowledge the sign of respect. He grimaced and rolled his shoulders back as if he knew the fight was inevitable. Tony seemed to reach the same conclusion. He did up his pants and faced the big wolf.
Looking supremely bored and more than a little irritated, the Alpha wolf waited. Finally, Tony gathered enough courage and threw a punch.
The wolf stepped out of the way of Tony’s awkward lunge, coming up with solid fist to Tony’s gut.
Chuck’s hands dropped from Dex’s shoulders as he danced closer to the other men, obviously preparing to join the fight.
Dex stumbled to his feet, his wolf in full flight mode, but he couldn’t abandon the guy who’d rescued him. Not that Dex was going to be that much help.
Then Chuck pulled back his fist and Dex saw his opening.
He jumped. And landed his full weight on Chuck's back. He wrapped his arms around the bouncer’s neck and squeezed. He didn’t need to hold on long—just while the big wolf took care of Tony.
Chuck lurched forward but didn't fall. He grunted and tried to reach around, swatting at Dex. Dex tightened his grip and pulled. The motion overbalanced them and Chuck stumbled backward, slamming Dex's spine against the brick wall. His skull cracked against the wall. That time he couldn't stop the whimper. His head spinning, he ground his teeth together and concentrated on not letting go.
Chuck straightened and thumped Dex against the wall again. The rough bricks scraped his back like dozens of tiny claws. His muscles trembled. He held on but he couldn't keep this up for long.
A growl roared through the alley. Ch
uck froze, then looked up, searching for the source of the sound. Feeling like he was being rescued a second time, Dex blinked as the big wolf stepped forward. Though still in human form, there was something decidedly not human about him.
He grabbed the front of Chuck's shirt and jerked him away from the wall, carrying Dex along for the ride. The big guy glowered at Dex, silently blaming him for this mess.
Dex yelped as the wolf snatched him off Chuck's back and dropped him on the ground. Dex landed on his feet but his knees wobbled and he grabbed the wall for support.
“Stay there,” the wolf growled. Dex didn't move, both human and animal responding to the command in the big guy's voice.
Chuck came up swinging and landed one punch on the wolf's jaw.
Dex winced. Not for the wolf. He would recover, but oh, Chuck was going to hurt. One did not strike an Alpha wolf without expecting some serious pain in return.
Even if Chuck didn't know the guy was an Alpha wolf, he had to see how big he was.
The wolf backhanded Chuck, swatting him like a bug. The bouncer crumpled, hitting the pavement face first. And hard.
Dex stared as his rescuer shook out his hand.
His breath caught in his chest as he watched the guy. Not only was he huge, he had that power, the very essence of an Alpha wolf.
Maybe he would take Dex and his friends into his pack. The wolf shook his hand a couple of times and swore.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I fucking broke my finger on his fucking head.” He glared at Dex. “Why didn’t you just stay out of it?”
Dex shrugged. “I was helping.”
“Right, helping.”
The big guy didn’t seem to believe it. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The sleeve of his shirt slid up, revealing a red dragon tattoo on his forearm.
Dex’s eyes locked on the design. Breath caught in his throat. He had the same dragon tattooed on his shoulder.
He opened his mouth to ask about the design but blinked when he saw the man he was fast deciding would be the perfect Alpha toss six twenties on Tony’s chest and walk away.
“You’re paying him to try and beat you up?” Dex blurted out. He should have kept his mouth shut, but really, who gives money to a guy who just tried to kill you? Not that they’d had much luck.
“No, I’m paying him my bar tab because I doubt I’ll be welcomed back inside after that.”
“A hundred and twenty bucks? Damn, how much did you drink?” Dex squished his lips together and tried to stop his wayward mouth. His parents had always warned him about filtering his thoughts. He chased after the other wolf, falling into step behind him.
“Obviously not enough. Listen, kid—“
“Dexter.”
“What?”
“My name is Dexter.”
“Well, Dexter—“
“What’s your name?”
“What? Uh, Micah.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Micah.”
The corners of Micah’s eyes tightened down. Dex took a step back. Yeah, he was obviously pissing the guy off.
“Thanks,” Micah snapped. “Listen, kid, unless you’ve got your pack backing you up, I would suggest you stay out of that bar for a while.”
“Oh, I don’t have a pack.”
The big guy stopped in his tracks and looked down at Dex. The edges of his mouth crinkled into a disappointed line.
“Listen, kid—“
“I’m not a kid and my name is Dex.” He was small but he’d reached his majority and he’d survived for a year as a lone wolf. That took strength.
“Fine, Dex, don’t go telling other wolves you don’t have a pack. For whatever reason.”
Dex took a step back, waiting to see if the guy would turn on him now that he knew he didn’t have a pack to back him up.
Instead, the guy said, “Why don’t you have a pack?”
Dex rolled his eyes. “My dad said it was because the pack had too many Omegas, but really it’s because I’m gay.” He cocked his thumb toward the back of the building. “Those guys were right. I do like to suck cock…just not like that.”
“Great. More things that you shouldn’t go blurting out to a strange wolf. Didn’t your parents teach you self-survival?”
“No.” Dex shook his head. “They kind of expected me to stay with the pack my whole life.” A lone wolf was dangerous—to himself and to others—but Dex hadn’t been able to find a pack that would take him.
“Well, listen, wise up and I’d suggest getting out of town. Those boys aren’t going to be happy with you.”
“Are you leaving?” Dex called after him.
“In the morning. Take my advice.”
Dex followed him from a distance, watching as the wolf turned into the only hotel in town, before taking off the other direction. He didn’t know how much time he had. He ran to the boarding house, slipped up the back stairs so he didn’t wake the owner, and tapped on Rhian’s door.
It was early enough in the evening that she wouldn’t be asleep. “Come to Reese’s room,” he called. He ran to the end of the hall and knocked on his friend’s door, unable to contain his excitement before he burst in.
“Reese—“
“Dex.” Reese was sitting on the bed, his fingers moving across a page. A cross between irritation and curiosity moved over his face. Reese didn’t like to be disturbed when he was reading. “What?” His blind stare tracked Dex into the room.
“I found him.”
“Found who?”
“Our Alpha.”
Rhian stepped into the doorway. “You found a pack that will take us? All of us?” She placed her hand protectively on her still-flat stomach.
“Not a pack, an Alpha.” He spun around and gave her a hug. “We’ll form our own pack, then no one can kick us out.”
Reese scoffed. “You just happened to find an Alpha werewolf wandering around looking for a pack.”
“Well, he doesn’t exactly know we’re his pack, but we are. I can feel it.” His friends looked at him like he was insane, but his “feelings” had all come true in the past. The dragon tattoo had confirmed it.
Besides, they needed to do something. After tonight, staying in town wasn’t an option.
“Come on. We’ve got to pack. He’s leaving town in a few hours.”
“And we’re just going to hijack him?” Reese asked even as he climbed off the bed. After almost a month, Reese knew his way around his room and didn’t need assistance as he walked to the closet, fumbling for a second to find his suitcase.
“Why not?” Dex asked. “He’s an Alpha without a pack. We’re a pack without an Alpha. It will be perfect.”
Dex made the announcement then went across the hall to his room and began throwing stuff in his bag. There wasn’t much. They’d been traveling so long they’d gotten it down to a science. Within minutes, he was ready to go. Ready to find their Alpha and give them a place to be a proper pack.
Chapter One
Maddock stared at the worn building. The red dragon on the sign looked new, but the rest of the paint was peeling. The whole place needed work.
His hands itched to grab a sander and strip the paint off the wood. He couldn't stop himself from doing an estimate. It wouldn't take long. About two weeks from top to bottom. Of course that meant fifteen-, sixteen-hour days. Doing all the work himself.
He rolled his shoulders to silence the urge. Those days were behind him. Now, he told others to do the hard work. It wasn't as interesting, but it made a hell of a lot more money.
“He's running late. Said he’ll be there in an hour or so,” Monica announced as she lowered her phone. She sighed, the sound infused with annoyance. “I could just call him back and say forget it. It's not like we actually need to see the place.”
“I never buy anything sight unseen.”
“We don't care how it looks. We just need the right of way.”
He shrugged off her answer. She didn't understand. He
wasn't going to trust anyone else's opinion or a set of documents. He needed to see the land. His instincts would guide him from there.
He shoved the stick into neutral and killed the engine.
Monica’s head snapped up. “What are you doing?”
He tipped his head toward the bar. “We've got an hour. Might as well go in and have a drink.”
“In there?”
Her lips tilted down in slight disapproval. Whether because he'd suggested going into a dive bar in the middle of butt fuck nowhere or because he wanted a drink at four in the afternoon, he didn't know. Didn't care.
They'd pulled into the parking lot for “The Red Dragon” so Monica could make her call. The cell service in this area sucked. But the little bar seemed to be a hot spot.
“This isn't really my kind of place,” she said.
Maddock nodded his head, catching the meaning behind Monica's words. It wasn't her kind of place, but it was his. Or it had been for years. A dive bar in the middle of nowhere where he could drink and find a hot piece of ass to fuck.
But he didn't do that any more.
Now, he hung out in wine bars and posh lounges. Went on dates. Actually learned a woman's name before he pounded into her.
Sometimes he missed the old days, but the benefits clearly outweighed the missing sex. Back then, he'd fucked partially out of boredom. Now he wasn't bored. He was busy.
But something about the bar called to him, teased his senses. Those instincts that told him a good business deal when he saw it drove him to check out the inside.
“We'll go in, have a drink and maybe they have snacks.”
“Snacks?” She exhaled again. This time it was definitely more of a huff than a sigh. “Oh goody. I can't remember the last time I had chicken wings.”
Maddock ignored the snotty comment. Monica was a good sort most of the time. But when she found the situation out of her control, she turned bitchy.
Too bad that didn't translate into sex. He'd tried holding her down one night while they were fucking. She'd just turned cold and demanded to know what he was doing. The chill in her voice had killed his hard-on and he'd headed home with instructions to visit a doctor if he was starting to have those problems at his age.
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