APPETITE

by Kathyrn, Lorraine

  "Telepathic party line?" he laughed, putting the broom and dustpan back in the pantry.

  "You know what I mean," she said, smiling as she dumped the chicken salad into the garbage.

  "I do, Charlie. But that's...well, that is going to change, isn't it?"

  She looked at him, noting the sudden tension in his stance and the almost scared expression on his face. "You mean I'm going to change?" She cocked her head, raising a brow at him and nearly laughed aloud at the way he seemed to thrum with agitation as he nodded. "Well, yeah, Damien. Of course it is going to change," she said quietly, squealing in delight as he rushed to her and picked her up in a hug, kissing her hard. "Let me go," she laughed squirming to get out of his arms.

  "Never," he growled, kissing her again before gently putting her back on her feet. She gave him a playful punch in the arm before grabbing the dishes off the counter and carrying them to the sink.

  "Are you going to get dressed?" she asked, leaning against the sink and looking at his cock – mostly flaccid but still so large – and blushing a bit.

  "Tomorrow."

  "Not till tomorrow?"

  "Why put on clothes? I'm only going to take them off again, take you upstairs and make you come until your eyes cross and your voice is hoarse from screaming my name in ecstasy." He caught the scent of her arousal and watched her eyes go wide as she turned back to the sink. He smiled to himself.

  "I see."

  He thought about teasing her more, arousing her to the point of distraction, but wasn't sure he could resist forgoing dinner and spending the night between her thighs. While the idea of that was alluring, he knew he needed to eat to complete his healing process, and placated his desire with the knowledge it was a temporary delay.

  "What'd you think of Lisa?" Damien asked, changing the subject and getting out a couple of glasses for iced tea.

  "She was great. Really...forthcoming." Charlie filled the sink with hot water and added some dish soap, stirring it with her hand to bring up the lather.

  "Oh?" he said, curious about her tone.

  "Yeah." She carefully put the lunch dishes in the water to soak before getting silverware and moving to the breakfast bar.

  "About anything in particular?" he asked, putting ice in the glasses and grabbing the pitcher of tea out of the fridge.

  "Scenting."

  "Scenting?" he asked as he poured. "Oh, right. The ceremony."

  "Damien," she began but paused, chewing her lip.

  "What is it?" he asked, putting the glasses on the counter before taking the seat beside her.

  "I just...I'm worried about my scars. What will they say?"

  "No one will say anything, my love," he said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

  "But they'll see them. And what will they think of me?" she asked, watching as Damien put a plate piled high with food in front of her.

  "Who?" She looked at him and opened her mouth to speak but changed her mind and just shook her head instead. "Talk to me, my love. We can face any fears, any trouble, any obstacle together, but you need to trust me, too, Charlie."

  "You're right," she said quietly, turning to her plate and picking at the ridiculous amount of food on it.

  "Is it Mira?" he asked gently, cutting into the steak on his own plate.

  "No," she said with a rueful laugh. "I could be perfect and someone like Mira would find fault with something about me."

  "You are perfect," he said, nudging her with her elbow. "Eat before you lose those perfect curves of yours."

  "Right," she snikcered, picking up her fork and taking a bite of roasted carrot.

  "Who are you worried about, Charlie?"

  "Your family."

  "Don't be."

  "What if they see me, see how damaged I am, and don't accept me? What if they want you to be with someone better?"

  "Better than what?"

  "Better than me."

  "No," he said, his voice firm. He turned to look at her and shook his head. "You are perfect. You would be perfect if you had three arms. You would be perfect if you were purple with big black spots. You would be perfect if you were nothing more than a head on a tray – because you are perfect for me, for us."

  "What if...what if you're wrong?" she asked, taking a bite of steak and avoiding his gaze. "What if your wolf is wrong?"

  "I'm not. We're not."

  "What if you are?"

  "Impossible," he said, putting down his fork and knife and pulling her into his lap. "My wolf found you and knew you instantly. You called to his soul as surely as you did to mine, and we're never wrong." He kissed her forehead.

  "Never?"

  "Never."

  "You're sure?" she put her hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes.

  "Aren't you?" he asked softly. "You know what I am thinking when I am my wolf. You felt it when I was hurt. You knew when I was sedated. You faced my ibrido unflinchingly." He watched her face as she thought over all he had said, her expressions moving from concern to disbelief to acceptance to happiness.

  "Does your family...will they support your decision?"

  "Absolutely and without hesitation." He kissed her softly before moving her back to her seat. "Eat. I don't want you getting any skinnier."

  "Right. About to waste away to nothing," she laughed, shaking her head. They ate in silence for a few moments before Damien spoke again.

  "Anything else?"

  Charlie laughed at that. "Um, yeah. Tons of questions."

  "Fire away." He carved off another hunk of steak and ate it, watching her.

  "Why did you sleep outside my door last night?"

  "I needed to be close to you."

  "Really?"

  "Mates rarely sleep apart. I couldn't sleep with you in my arms, so I did the next best thing."

  "Sleeping on the floor as a wolf?"

  "It was the only way I could sleep on the floor," he said, shrugging at her giggles. "What else?"

  "Lisa explained a bit about the pack. The way it's structured." He nodded for her to continue. "What does being 'Lead Beta' mean?"

  "It helps to think of the ranch as a business. Darian would be the president, and I would be the vice president. The other betas would be the executives and the omegas would be the work force."

  "And can you move up?" She turned her plate, picking at it. It was less than half eaten, but she was quickly becoming full.

  "Move up?"

  "You know, get promoted? Can the omegas become betas and the betas become alphas?"

  "Well, technically...yes, they can move up in ranks. But it's not as easy as getting a promotion."

  "A- you obviously never worked for someone else, because getting promoted isn't easy," she said, spearing a bite of steak. "And 2 – how do they move up?" She ate the steak off her fork and looked at Damien.

  "A wolf can challenge for the right to move up, but it doesn't often happen. Challenges are...brutal. Sometimes deadly." His tone was wary, and Charlie understood he was nervous about scaring her.

  "What happens?" She was careful to keep her eyes on her plate.

  "They fight. Usually as their wolves. Until one submits or dies." She looked at him, not wanting to believe him.

  "And that's acceptable to everyone?" He nodded, watching her expressions closely. "But – but what happens to the family of the wolf that submits or dies?"

  "They continue on," he said quietly.

  "As if nothing happened? Isn't that barbaric?"

  "No." He caressed her cheek and gave her a sad smile. "No one goes on as if nothing happened. The whole pack adjusts, the whole pack mourns. It is never a happy day."

  "You all feel it," she said quietly, watching as he nodded. "You're that connected to each other. Lisa talked about the familial life here, but...I guess I didn't really understand."

  "We are. As I said before, we all share in the successes and failures together." He turned back to his plate, pushing his veggies around with his fork.

  She l
ooked at him closely. "You're worried about me, aren't you."

  "Yes."

  "I can be challenged?"

  "Yes." He sighed as she watched him appraisingly. "When we mate, you would be put in a position of power in the pack. You would, essentially, be over all the females barring Eva. You could be challenged on that merit."

  "And you?"

  "Not likely. Unless the female challenging you is mated and her mate wants my position. Doesn't happen often – and it's never happened here – but it does happen."

  "No. I mean...would I be challenged for you?"

  "You're thinking of my family?" It was his turn to study her. She blushed but held his gaze steadily. "No. You can't be challenged for your mate – by anyone. Ever. And I promise you no one in my family will have any objections to you, dolcezza."

  "Alright," she said, spearing another hunk of steak and looking at it on her fork. She couldn't bring herself to eat anymore and dropped her fork on her plate. "But if I am challenged, I would have to fight." He nodded. "How likely is it?"

  "Like I said, not very." He smiled at her. "And it wouldn't be until after the ceremony and your first shift."

  "Why?"

  "We're a lot stronger than humans, my love. It would be unfair."

  "I see."

  "And I'll make sure you get some training."

  "Training?" she looked at him with a slight sneer on her face.

  "What is that look for?"

  "You think I can't fight?"

  "We're bigger than you, my love. And stronger."

  "Oh really? Did you never hear the story of David and Goliath?"

  "We fight rough, Charlie. Rough and dirty. You're no match for a wolf."

  "Wanna bet?"

  He turned to her, incredulous. "Excuse me?"

  "Come on. Show me what you got."

  "No."

  "Afraid of the poor widdle human wady?" she teased, pouting.

  "Very funny."

  "Then try me."

  "I don't want to hurt you."

  "You can't, right? Isn't that what you said? You could never hurt me because I'm your mate?"

  "I could do so accidentally."

  "I'm not afraid." She got off her stool and pushed her way between his legs, running her hands up and down his thighs.

  "You should be."

  "Should I be?" she asked, leaning into him and nuzzling his neck. "Should I be afraid of the big, bad wolf?" She planted humid kisses along his collarbone, her hands making circles on his hips.

  "Dolcezza," he sighed, running his hands down her back to her ass.

  "Damien," she said as she kissed her way up his neck to his mouth, her voice as sultry as she could manage. She kissed him deeply, using her tongue to play with his tongue and lips, rubbing herself against his thickening cock. "Do you want me, Damien?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

  "Yes," he said, squeezing her ass.

  "Now?"

  "Yes." Another squeeze.

  She cocked her head at him and grinned. "Well, if you want to fuck me, you have to fight me."

  "No."

  "Your choice, cowboy." She broke free of his arms and turned to walk away, pausing to look at the bottom of her right foot. "Wow. This is almost completely healed," she said, running a finger along the thick scab. "Thanks."

  "Where are you going?" he asked, getting off his stool and turning towards her. His cock hard again and jutting out from his body.

  "I dunno," she said, swaying her hips exaggeratedly as she walked away. "What's it to ya?"

  "Charlie," he growled, his wolf wanting to chase her down. "Don't do that."

  She turned to look back at him over her shoulder. "Or what?" She continued on towards the great room, aware of the tense man behind her. She heard his stool slide back and turned around quickly to see him stalking to her as she backed away. She smiled at him and he stopped at the threshold of the room.

  "It is never wise to walk away from an agitated wolf."

  "Oh?" She put her hands on her hips and batted her eyes at him, making him laugh in spite of himself. She took a giant step backwards.

  "Charlie..." he warned, taking a step towards her.

  "I triple-wolf dare you to try," she said, cocking her head and smirking.

  He came at her quickly, his intent to throw her over his shoulder and take her upstairs. Charlie planted her right foot, sticking out her left leg and twisting her upper body away from him, pushing him over her outstretched leg and twisting them around as he tripped. He fell flat on his back and Charlie gently dropped to her right knee on top of his abdomen, her right hand grabbing his balls and squeezing.

  "Well," he said, blinking up at her. "This is interesting."

  "I think so."

  "You know I could get up."

  "Yes, I do. You know I knelt on you instead of jumping on your solar plexus." She gave him a smug smile.

  "No, I didn't." He smiled at her broadly, and Charlie would have sworn she saw pride flashing in his expression. "Why are you holding my balls?"

  "It's an incentive for you to cooperate." She squeezed them again.

  "I see." He couldn't stop smiling at her, smiling at the skill she had just demonstrated. "I take it you've taken a class or two?"

  "8 years," she said, letting go of his balls and shifting to straddle his thighs.

  "What?"

  "Krav Maga."

  "You studied Krav Maga for 8 years?" He sat up, leaning back on his hands and eyeing her levelly.

  "I was afraid of everything for a bit, jumping at shadows and nearly having panic attacks when someone would knock on my door."

  "I can see that," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

  "I took the self-defense courses offered by the sheriff's office, but that seemed kind of lame," she shrugged, looking sheepish. "There was a class starting around the corner from my apartment. It was convenient so I enrolled, figured if it was garbage I'd just stop. But it wasn't. It was empowering. Liberating. I stuck with it." She smiled at him. "This was the first time I used it outside of the gym."

  "It seems I underestimated you." She smiled at him. "And while you still wouldn't likely be the victor against a wolf before you change, you would certainly make them work for their victory."

  "Why do I get the feeling this makes you proud?"

  "'er'. It makes me proud'er'."

  "Why?"

  "It just does. Everything about you makes me proud to call you mine."

  She looked down at her legs, embarrassed and pleased at the praise. "You shed all over me," she said, glancing back up at him.

  "Yes I did." He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "What if I make it up to you with a nice, warm bath?"

  "I think I could forgive a lot for a nice warm bath," she said, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss before standing up. He stood and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder again and carrying her upstairs as she laughed. He set her down on the bathroom counter and started filling the tub.

  "Get undressed," he said, sitting on the edge of the tub and watching her. His tone and his look – so full of desire – gave her goosebumps. She slid off the counter and took off her shorts and panties in one quick motion, stopping to look at him. "Completely."

  Charlie twisted her torso away from him and quickly took her tank top and bra off, dropping them on the floor and crossing her arms over her abdomen.

  "Don't cover yourself. Don't hide yourself from me," he admonished.

  "I can't help it," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

  "You weren't hiding yourself earlier,' he said, reaching out and pulling her to him.

  "That was different," she shrugged, not meeting his gaze.

  "I don't want you to ever hide yourself Charlie. Not from me." He scooped her up and stood, looking down at her seriously. "Every inch of you is precious to me. Every freckle. Every scar. Every inch. Don't ever forget that." He gently lowered her into the tub and climbed in b
ehind her, settling her between his knees and turning off the water before reaching for the washcloth and soaping it up.