Alphas for the Holidays

by Mandy M. Roth

  He’d have to give himself up to the wolf for a little while, at least until the moon went down. Hopefully in a couple of hours he'd have enough self-control to think rationally again. Until then…

  He rubbed his nose up against her temple. Inhaling, he let her scent penetrate his body and fill his mind. Now that he had tasted her again, Zach wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go. Would she accept him as he was? He didn't think so. Chloe was a gentle woman, used to the finer things. She deserved the finer things. He couldn't ask her to be chained to a half man for the rest of her life. It wouldn't be fair to her. He’d only hurt her. When the moon was full, he became an animal. She'd never tolerate the repeated rounds of rough sex he would need to maintain control.

  He couldn't ask anyone to become a slave to the beast's desires, especially not Chloe.

  Zach ran a finger along her temple as he studied her face. It would be hell to leave her, but he would endure. He always had. Chloe could never know of the monster he had become.

  Just one more taste.

  Zach ran his tongue around the outer rim of her ear. The wolf inside howled with pleasure. So sweet, so soft. He eased down the blankets and unbuttoned her shirt. She wiggled, her skirt slipping up her soft thighs. He slipped his hand under her clothes and over her breast. She moaned and stretched, her nipple peaking under his touch. He rolled it in his fingers and watched her respond. With his free hand, he inched her skirt higher, revealing more of her creamy skin.

  He moistened his lips as he watched her slide closer to him. Even in sleep, she wanted him. He’d give everything he had to be able to bury his cock deep inside her, make her scream his name as she came beneath him again and again.

  No. He ran his fingers over the claw marks on her hip. Dried blood had gathered, forming a hard seal and taunting his inner wolf. Zach closed his eyes and fought for control. He had taken her like an animal. She deserved better.

  With a growl he rose up from the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. The dull thud of the lock echoed around him, and he shuffled to the window. Pain roared through his body, crippling his fingers.

  Not yet… Need more time.

  Finally the window opened. Fresh, cool air surrounded him, momentarily clearing his head. He threw himself over the windowsill.

  A lone wolf landed on the pavement outside in the back lot beside the hotel and raced away into the shadows of the night.

  Zach awoke to a loud bang above his head.

  “Is someone there?”

  He blinked. Once. Twice. Slowly the bathroom floor came into focus. He raised his head and winced as pain exploded across his skull.

  What happened?

  “Hello?”

  Chloe. Desire tightened his muscles at the sound of her voice. His eyes focused on the open window a few feet away as memories flashed back.

  The roof. The hotel…

  He had left her here to satisfy his wolf. Fortunately, he remembered much of these streets from his childhood and navigated through them to the city limits and beyond. Fully changed, he'd let his wolf form lead him. Zach the man had disappeared. Only the monster had remained.

  Yet somehow the man must have gotten through to the beast, for after it was satisfied, the wolf brought him back here, to her.

  Each month, while his brethren had gone out and sated themselves to keep their wolves at bay, Zach instead chose to lock himself away. Even knowing Chloe moved on with her life, he could never betray her love. But now that he had tasted of her…

  He eyed the lock about four feet up from his head.

  “Hello? Are you hurt? I heard moaning.”

  Slowly, Zach crawled onto his hands and knees. When had he changed back to his human form? He stood and was relieved the pain had eased in his head. Glancing out the window, he saw it was still night. The moon had started to set, then. This was good. Zach studied the round sphere as it headed toward the horizon. The worst had passed. He felt more himself now, although he knew it would be a long time before the sun rose and the wolf was fully under control. If he didn't calm his emotions soon, the monster would control him again before daybreak.

  The lock jiggled. “I know someone's in there.”

  Zach turned toward the door. Chloe. He wanted to touch her, taste her body. The wolf wanted to sink its teeth into her flesh while he drove himself deep inside her.

  No. He'd pushed his inner beast down before; he could do it again.

  He walked over to the mirror and blew out a sigh of relief. The figure staring back at him was fully human, not some half-breed. Cut, bruised, and battered, yes, but fully human.

  You can do this. He splashed some water over his face and thick black hair.

  Get a grip.

  “Look, if you could just tell me how I got here,” Chloe said through the door.

  It was no use. Every time she opened her mouth, his desire wound him tighter. Desire and the wolf were inseparable. Unleashing one was to unleash them both. He looked down at the result of his struggle. His cock throbbed, sending a pulsing ache through his body. There was no way he was going to be able to hold the beast at bay. One touch and he was going to explode.

  Zach shut off the water and stared at himself in the mirror. Even now he could see the wolf just below the surface, eager to be free. Damn, if just the sound of her voice did this to him, what would her touch do?

  He thought about their encounter on the roof. Desire surged through his body, and his fingers curled into the countertop. A low growl escaped his lips.

  Down, boy.

  “Look, I'm just going to go.” Zach heard her shuffle around the room.

  Maybe it was better like this.

  No. He needed to see her, just one more time.

  But what if she found out about his wolf?

  He cleared his throat. “Do you trust me?” His voice sounded rougher than usual. For once he was thankful his throat had never fully healed from the attack. He had learned much later that his immunity against disease and human weapons didn't translate to the supernatural world. When attacked by others of his kind, his skin would not regenerate, and his wounds would not heal. At least, not in the classical sense. Josh, the alpha of his pack, had done what he could to heal him, but parts of him would never heal.

  He ran his fingers down the long, horizontal scar on his neck. If she hadn't recognized his damaged voice on the roof, then she wouldn't recognize it now. Maybe there was a way to be with her after all…

  The steps stopped on the other side of the door. “What did you say?” Her soft voice burned through his body. He had ached before, needed before, but it had never been this powerful.

  He left the mirror and rested his forehead on the wood. Her voice sounded so sweet, so pure, so human. And her touch… Zach shivered as he remembered her fingers in his hair, her hands on his neck.

  God, how he missed her.

  Placing his hands flat against the door, he closed his eyes and struggled for control. “Do you trust me?”

  A pause. “Yes.”

  Foolish woman. “Turn out the light.”

  “What?”

  With effort, he controlled his temper. It was stupid to think a hunt would tame the wolf. Even now he felt the rage within beginning to grow. The wolf liked Chloe, more than was natural. It wanted to claim and mark her as its mate…

  No. He steeled his jaw. He needed sex to tame his beast. Sex or sunrise. Some wolves managed to find their mates and tame the moon-rages, but such a thing would be impossible for him. Mating only happened between wolves—never with a human. The thought of marking someone other than Chloe turned his stomach, yet he could never bring her into his world. Even if she survived the mating, he didn't know how his pack would react to his bringing a human into their midst. Marking her would be a mistake. A horrible, tragic mistake.

  Power and need rolled through his body in a giant wave. He dropped his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut.

  Fight it.

  Desire rose inside him, and Zach felt helpless
against it.

  “Turn out the light,” he ordered.

  He opened his eyes and watched the light underneath the door go out. Thank God. He needed more protection, though. What if he started to turn, as he had on the roof? She could never know the monster he had become. “Turn away from the door.”

  “Why?”

  “Do it.” He curled his fingers into the wood and winced as splinters stuck underneath his lengthening nails. “Please.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Silence.

  “Are you doing it?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  He wished the door had a peephole, but then again, who would need a peephole for their bathroom?

  Zach picked up the robe on the floor and covered his naked body. He fingered the long, thick sash around the middle. Whipping it out of the robe's loops, he mentally measured its length. It would do.

  “Close your eyes,” he said.

  “Who are you?”

  He opened the door. The sight made him painfully hard. She stood with her back to him, her long blonde hair cascading in curls down her back. She was curvier than he remembered, more woman than girl. He moistened his lips as his gaze trailed down her back, over her round hips and flowing skirt. He itched to grab hold of those hips and…

  With a ragged breath he composed himself and placed the sash-turned-blindfold over her eyes. He ground his teeth as he noticed the familiar wolf hair sprout from the back of his hands.

  Hang on.

  He could do this.

  “What are you doing?” She raised her hands toward her face.

  “You said you trusted me.”

  She lowered his hands. “I do. I just wish I knew who you were.”

  “You already know me.” God, she was so beautiful, even more beautiful than he remembered. He swallowed and forced his fangs to recede.

  “I do?”

  He brushed his fingers down her neck. Her pulse thudded against his fingers, and Zach felt his teeth elongate once again in response. “Did you like our encounter up on the housetop?”

  He watched her nipples tighten underneath her shirt. He could smell her arousal, saw her slide her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Would you like me to show you more?”

  “Yes.”

  Zach muffled a groan as desire shot straight to his cock. He concentrated on retracting his teeth and glanced in the mirror. Although it was dark, his inner wolf gave him heightened sight.

  He had only partially changed. His face had grown hair but still looked human. His arms and hands were the same. If he kept her blindfolded, there was a possibility he could satisfy both man and beast. Once they had sex, he could control the wolf enough to stay with her, if only for a little while.

  What was he thinking? He couldn't do this. It was too dangerous. He could hurt her.

  She reached out for him, searching for his face. He caught her wrist and placed a kiss on her palm. She shivered.

  To hell with the danger. He wanted her, now. “Then I will show you pleasures beyond your wildest dreams.” He slipped her finger into his mouth, letting his tongue roll over her tip. She groaned and reached out again to touch him. He grabbed her other wrist before she discovered any tufts of fur, and removed her finger from his mouth.

  “One rule, though,” he said.

  Chloe lifted her chin. “Yes?”

  “I’ll be the only one doing the touching tonight.” He picked up his shirt off the floor and used it to secure her hands behind her back.

  Chapter 4

  Chloe shivered as the bindings tightened around her wrists. She knew that she should've been afraid, but she wasn't. Instead her heart skittered in her chest, and excitement trickled through her body.

  He dropped his hands and leaned into her, his warm breath brushing over her skin. “I have thought of you every night since we've been apart, Chloe. I have thought of you, here like this, with me.”

  She swallowed as he pressed his lips against the curve of her neck. Tingles of awareness sprinkled over her body, running over her sensitive skin and tightening the muscles in her lower abdomen.

  She'd recognized the room; she was in one of her father's hotels downtown. She had visited this place many times, even stayed once or twice. There was something about the soft greens and yellows that calmed her nerves when she would have otherwise been afraid. And she knew the staff of this hotel very well. One scream and they’d come running.

  But she didn't cry out. Nor did she try to escape.

  “Have you thought about me?”

  “Thought about you?” Her voice hitched as he nibbled the outer lobe of her ear. “I don't even remember you.” She closed her eyes and focused on the feel of his tongue as it slid gently over her skin. But I want to.

  He pulled away from her skin but remained close. Chloe resisted the urge to stand on her tiptoes and reach for the warm, wet heat of his tongue.

  “You knew me once, a long time ago.” His voice sounded sad, perhaps a little lonely. Chloe's heart reached out to him. She knew what it was like to be all alone. For years she had suffered in silence, never really connecting with anyone. She didn't dare. Not after Zach. It hurt too much.

  “You can get to know me again,” the stranger said.

  “Yes.” She wanted to know this stranger, the one who made her body hum with excitement. The man who made her feel wanton and free.

  For a brief moment she felt his arms loop around her. Chloe gasped as she was tipped back and lifted into the air.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trust me.” He lowered her onto something soft—the bed. The pillow pressed against her head as his arms drew away. She should have felt awkward, lying on her back with her hands tied behind her. But the way he bound her hands allowed her to bend her arms into a more comfortable position, and the fluffy comforter beneath her also helped to prevent any discomfort.

  Part of her—the rational, logical part—knew that she should leave. This was ridiculous, if not a little dangerous. Sure, she was in a familiar place, but she was with a complete stranger. Good girls didn't do this. It was crazy.

  Why would the stranger bring her to her father's hotel? He said he knew her. If that was true, he knew this place was filled with people who knew her and would come running if she called.

  She shook her head, trying to dispel such thoughts. It didn't matter. She should just get up, go back home, and try to salvage the mess she made earlier tonight. Maybe, if she were lucky, her father would forgive her.

  But then, if she did that, she wouldn't get to have sex again.

  She gasped as something cool and soft brushed over her cheek. She strained against the bindings, eager to touch it, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

  “Relax, Chloe.”

  She calmed her mind but continued to work at the bindings behind her back. She needed to touch him…

  “That's it, just feel.”

  That voice. If she could just see, she knew she would be able to identify him. “You worked for my father, didn't you?”

  “Shh.”

  The cool, soft object returned, tracing down her temple and cheek. Chloe arched her back as desire warmed her body and clouded her mind.

  “No, I didn't work for your father,” he whispered.

  He didn't? “Then…”

  The object left, and the bed dipped as he leaned over her. “I won't hurt you.” His spicy scent surrounded her, making her limbs weak.

  “I know.”

  The object returned, circling her wrist, trailing up her arm, and twirling on her shoulder. Her skin tingled in its wake. The knot loosened in her fingers.

  “I used to love listening to you play piano. Why did you stop?”

  Desire warmed her skin, and she moistened her lips. “I had other obligations.”

  He made a low sound with his mouth. “Do you miss it?”

  Every day. “Sometimes.” She didn't have the he
art to tell him that her obligations to her father's company left room for little else.

  “You should play again.” His tone had a note of finality to it.

  Chloe opened her lips to respond but shut them again as the object lingered over her breast. The second knot came undone. Her hands were free, but she kept them behind her back. Blindfolded, she was able to focus on the sensations and her body's reaction. She shifted on the bed to hide her victory, the cool cotton sheets rubbing against her legs. He moved his free hand under her skirt and blazed a trail of fire up her thigh. She moaned as his hand inched higher, closer.

  The object left her breast and brushed against her other arm. When it reached her forearm, her hand sprung from its hiding place. Soft petals slipped through her fingers as the object was pulled away.

  “A flower?” she asked.

  He didn't reply. He didn't need to. Chloe remembered the vase of flowers by the door in the room. It was a signature of her family's luxury hotels. Fresh flowers added an inviting fragrance to the room, and the bright colors cheered weary travelers.

  When she had first proposed the idea to her father, she had never expected anyone—

  She gasped and arched her back as the flower traced the edge of her sleeveless blouse, lingering in the tip of the V between her breasts.

  She reached out. “I want to touch you.”

  He pulled away.

  Desire ran deep, tightening her muscles and eliciting a moan from her body. Never before had she felt so reckless.

  “Okay,” he said.

  Chloe reached for her mystery man and framed his face in her palms. Day-old stubble prickled her fingers, sending another wave of need surging through her body. Sliding her fingers back into his hair, she pulled his lips down to hers.

  Something shifted in him. She could feel it in the way he dropped the flower and settled his body over hers. Gone was the gentle, caring touch, in favor of something more rugged and wild. He slid his hands over her body, stoking her desire. Chloe felt his need and her body responded. She clung to him and was swept up in his urgency. She couldn't get enough of him. One moment she was running her fingers through his hair; the next she was clawing her nails down his back. The fire between her legs spread through her body, and she tugged him closer.