Cutthroat City Wolves Volume 1: BBW Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance

by Lyra Valentine

  “Come for me again, little mouse. Let me hear your squeaks,” he rasped.

  He cracked what little remained of her control. She closed her eyes, and the tension broke with the next swipe of his thumb. Pleasure poured over and through her, working outward from the shattered explosion of her pussy.

  Alfred groaned at the feeling of her clamping hard around his cock. Pushing past it with grit teeth, he sought out her silky feel of her. Her spasms threatened to dip him into his own release.

  Her legs quavered around him. His teeth ground together as he dropped forward. His hands rested on either side of her face, and he slammed his hips against hers. Wild and unleashed in that moment, his wolf howled.

  The waves of her climax rhythmically tightened against his cock, and he knew he didn’t have long. Heat raced down his spine and settled into his core. Snarling, he slammed into her one last time and threw his head back. He howled, his wolf speaking over the poison in his veins, and his cock jerked deep inside her as he came.

  Panting, Alfred circled her in his arms. Andrea rested her head on his chest, and was surprised when she felt Alfred pressing his lips to her temple. She glanced up, to see his face relaxed and peaceful for the first time. She smiled, wanting to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

  Chapter Five

  Andrea needed to complete her weekly errands the next day. She encouraged Alfred to follow her after giving him a physical. He hadn’t coughed in hours, and his strength was impressive. She wanted him to follow so he could get a taste of life on the base, and so the AmWo members would see that he wasn’t a threat. Alfred followed on her heels. It was comforting more than anything. It felt nice to know someone appreciated her for her, not just because she was some mystery eye candy. It was nice to have someone carry her laundry bag, too.

  He studied the plain houses erected down a rough street. She, Joel, and a handful of others had private homes. The grunts of the organization were housed in the dorm building. The maintenance facility and mess hall were to one side of the dorms, and the armory, her lab, and Alfred’s former residence were on the other. A thick, block fence ringed with wire on the top surrounded the base. Guard posts were placed evenly around the perimeter, and there was only one entrance. It all seemed like overkill to her, but she wasn’t about to question AmWo’s methods.

  After dropping off her laundry at the maintenance facility, she led him to the small outpost sandwiched between the mess and dorms for a grocery run. She noticed the looks that Alfred received, but didn’t make any comment. She felt almost like unruly teenagers caught stealing communion wine, the way everyone gave her disapproving glares. Anger and fear jerked at the expressions when Alfred was singled out. His shoulders stiffened with each sidelong glance. She couldn’t hear the comments, but she was certain he still could.

  After putting her groceries away back in her home, she wasn’t surprised when Alfred elected to follow her to the lab. She didn’t know if she’d be brave enough to wade into the hostile base without someone with her, either.

  “So this is where the magic happens, is it?” He asked when they arrived.

  “It’s not magic, though I suppose the argument can be made that magic is science we don’t yet understand. I’m still in the process of refining the compound. With any luck, it can reverse the changes the infection makes on the genetic level. Then no one will ever need to worry about hurting their family with a violent transformation again.” She knew she blabbered on, but she was worried he would have an angry reaction as he had the night before. Her work was important to her.

  “It’s not like that. Not usually, anyways. There’s usually a reason for a fight, or for biting someone to let them shift.”

  She pulled out a notepad and clicked open a pen. She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “Tell me more.”

  He sat down across from her with an irritated expulsion of air. “I shouldn’t be so surprised they didn’t tell you anything. They’re more concerned with killing us than they are about learning. Stupid hick rednecks.” His nose crinkled in disgust.

  “Well, here’s your opportunity to teach me something.” She smiled to urge him on.

  “We are the wolves inside us. We’re the humans, too, but we’re also wolves. So we live in packs. It’s...comforting, I guess. You know you’re surrounded by others like you. Like a wolf pack, there are alphas. Usually a mated pair, though most packs allow everyone to take a mate if they want.” He eyed her face briefly.

  “Are you an alpha?” She asked, chewing on the cap of her pen.

  “Oh, no. I would have been, I guess. But my pack was dying and I was never very interested in women.” He paused, and cleared his throat. Something painful flashed through his eyes, and he was quiet for a long moment. “Can we not talk about my family?”

  Andrea nodded. He mentioned betraying his sister and pack last night. She should have known to stay away from the subject. She felt flattered that she was one of the few women to catch his eye, though. “Of course. What else would you like to talk about?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “This is difficult, you know? It’s hard to judge what you would care about. What seems like an obvious fact of life to me might be completely different to you.”

  “I care about it all, Alfred. Tell me whatever you want. I’ll listen.” She put her hand gently over his.

  His lips twitched with a small smile before he grew serious again. “We’re born, or bitten. Being bitten, that’s generally when a werewolf chooses to make a human companion into a mate. I think a lot of these hunters mistake a threat from us as a rejection from some love interest.”

  She jotted down a few notes. She could see how his theory could be correct. Spurned lovers sometimes took rejection hard. Throw in humanity’s fear of the different, and the potential for violence increased. The psychology behind the group didn’t interest her as much as the spread of the infection. “That’s the only time the lycanthropy is spread?”

  “Well, no.” He hesitated. “Sometimes there are rogues. They’re feral werewolves, usually have been cast out of their packs for one reason or another. We’re human, after all. We’re not perfect. The wolf slowly takes over, and leaves little of the man behind. They are dangerous.”

  She sat back and crossed her arms. She caught her lower lip between her teeth while she considered. “So, even if werewolves and humans can live peacefully, wouldn’t it be a good thing to have the serum available? If a rogue is a threat, it could be contained. If it hurt someone who didn’t want to be a werewolf, then that problem could also be solved.”

  Alfred was quiet for a long moment. She almost thought he had given up on the conversation and was ignoring her when he answered. “I guess so. But I don’t think a group devoted to killing my kind should be the one in charge of deciding who gets the dose. I think the packs should be in control of that.”

  She sighed. “Alfred, I honestly don’t think they’re trying to wipe out werewolves. They just want to help.”

  He stood in one swift motion, sending the chair toppling behind him. She held her hands to her heart and her eyes went wide. She knew she should expect something to happen. He had a wild wolf inside him.

  He began to pace the lab, and gestured with his hands. “Open your eyes, Andrea! These are not the peaceful people you think they are. They won’t join hands and sing kumbaya once you have your poison to where it needs to be. You saw how they looked at me. They’re not going to let me out of here alive, and you’re putting yourself in danger by being friendly towards me.” He stopped and turned to face her. His eyes closed for one deep breath, and his face looked pained when he looked at her again. “You need to leave.”

  She shook her head. “I won’t abandon my research like that. I can help others, even if it’s not the way AmWo wants me to help.” She chewed on her lip again. “If you want to leave, I’ll discontinue the dose and try to help you get out of here.”

  Her heart ached suddenly at the thought of losing his
company. She shook her head and tried to clear away the feeling. There was no use being a wretched little girl about it. He was a grown adult, and she didn’t think he’d be a threat to anyone. They had only spent a night together. She just wished her feelings weren’t so tied up in him.

  He grunted as if she’d sucker punched him. He looked hurt, but she steeled herself against it. If he wanted to leave, she wouldn’t stop him. She silently gathered her notes and turned to her workstation. She saw Alfred out of the corner of her eye right the upset chair, and settle into it.

  ***

  By the time the day was over, and she flicked her monitor off, Andrea was ready to go home. Her shoulders were stiff, and she looked forward to a glass of the wine she picked up at the outpost. Perhaps Alfred would speak with her again. A warmth grew in her belly, and she was surprised to find herself hoping they would do more than speak.

  She frowned when she heard the heavy thud of combat boots coming down the hall. She’d been blissfully undisturbed all day, why did Joel need to interrupt her now? She heard Alfred make a low growl.

  “Doc!” Joel cried out jovially as he barged into the lab.

  She’d told him again and again that she startled easily, and didn’t want anything to spill or break. She didn’t want him jumping into her lab. Practicalities aside, she just wanted to limit her time with the man. “Hello, Joel,” she said curtly.

  She wasn’t sure he could hear the reproach. She could smell the liquor on him from halfway across the room. His face was lit red with drunkenness.

  “We were just about to leave for the day. Perhaps you can walk with us and ask whatever you needed?” She slipped her notebook into a bag, and pushed her glasses nervously up her nose.

  Joel looked around for the other person constituting “we” and frowned when he spotted Alfred sitting alone. His eyes narrowed, but his face was back to normal so quick she thought she imagined it when he turned back to her. “Just wanted to check how things were going in here. You keep yourself locked away so much, most of the men don’t get a chance to see you!”

  She furrowed her brow. Alarm bells were going off in her head, and all she wanted to do was run. She didn’t appreciate the allusion that she was something to be gawked at. She jerked her head for Alfred to join her.

  “Let me by, please.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to pass.

  “Just send your dog outside, toots. We can go have dinner in the mess, and I can take you back to my bunk after.”

  “I don’t mingle work and relationships.”

  He laughed harshly. The smell of liquor was strong in the air. “Who said anything about a relationship? You did it, Doc. You made sure we won’t have to worry about these beasties even during the full moon. Let’s celebrate, just you and me.”

  “She said no.” Alfred’s voice had a dangerous chill to it.

  “Alfred, please.” She placed a hand on his chest. The last thing they needed was someone to suspect the werewolf was out of control. He’d be sent back to his solitary cell, despite her objections. “Joel, let us by.”

  Instead of letting them pass, Joel put his arm around her shoulders. She shrank under him.

  “She said no,” Alfred said again. He struck out with his fist.

  Blood oozed from Joel’s split lip. He wiped red away, and looked at his hand in surprise. His eyes glinted like steel when he looked at them slowly. “I see how it is. Doc got a little dog in her, didn’t she?”

  Andre drew herself straight. “Your comment is rude and unnecessary, Joel. We’ll be leaving now. Maybe you should go cool off.”

  Joel spoke over her as if she didn’t exist. “With all the humans around here willing to do anything for you, you had to choose the monster? What is it with you women choosing these beasts over real men?”

  The statement made her blood run cold. It was too similar to what Alfred had speculated. Now she was in the same dreaded area.

  “You’re no longer needed, Doc.” Joel advanced into the lab and snagged Alfred by the neck. Alfred was tall and fit, but Joel still had inches on him, and was bulkier to boot.

  Andrea found herself desperately wishing Alfred was able to transform at that moment. She didn’t think Joel would be so intimidating with a wolf at his throat. She stuttered on her words. “You can’t dismiss me like that. The serum is still incomplete.”

  He snorted. “Do you think you’re the only one we got working on this? All of our bases have sweet little things like you working on weapons for us.”

  “I’m not leaving without Alfred.”

  “No can do, Doc. He’s one of them. We can’t let that monster out running wild.” He leaned in threateningly. “Believe me, you’re lucky to get out now. We wouldn’t want to run the risk of your beastie infecting you, would we? Why, you’d have to be locked up with him!”

  “Andrea. Go. Now.” Alfred said tightly, his eyes narrowing.

  Andrea wasn’t proud of herself. She turned and fled.

  Chapter Six

  Alfred felt Joel snap something around his neck. He felt he was going to pass out from the stench of him—tobacco and liquor and sweat.

  Joel grumbled in his ear. “Don’t you think about running after her. She’s got a tracker on her. We can find her wherever she goes, so it’s in your best interest to cooperate.”

  Alfred’s hope sank. He didn’t doubt it was true. If the organization recruited scientists to mix elixirs for keeping wolves in their human skins, then a tracker wasn’t remotely far fetched.

  Joel roughly pushed him to a chair. He kept his eyes and body facing Alfred, and a new smell entered the air. Fear. The man was scared of him, even in such a helpless state.

  Joel turned a chair backwards and took a seat. He dug around in a pocket of his vest, and pulled out a small device. He flashed it at Alfred. “You know what this is?”

  Alfred tried to study the box, but Joel toyed with it. There were a couple buttons the he could see, and an antenna that looked like it could be stretched out. He remained quiet. Quiet was more intimidating than answers. Maybe he could keep Joel occupied long enough for Andrea to slip out of the base before anyone knew she was being kicked out.

  “This little thing was cooked up at one of our other camps. It’s like your regular shock collar, but boosted in strength. Better range, too. Perfect for your supernatural werebeasts, you know?

  “Now, the Doc wanted to solve the problem of you beasts shifting. I wanted her to keep you human. It makes gathering you up so much easier. Too bad your cousin Claude didn’t keep up with regular doses. We’d have loved to have more of your pack as our guests.”

  Alfred knew of the accusations against Claude. He hadn’t wanted to believe them, but a month and more of sitting in a cell had changed his mind. When there was little else to do, the mind found ways to torment. He had analyzed the months leading up to Claude’s special mission for him and his sister Marie, and no good came of it. Mysterious deaths and the promise of a good mate for his sister led to a final, disastrous showdown with another pack. Alfred had been captured when many of them fled back to their mountain home. Claude was the leader of a rebellion, and Alfred’s pack took the brunt of the casualties.

  What the hunters got out of Claude’s bargain had eluded Alfred. Sure, it was easier to catch werewolves who were dosed up with their poison. But hunters weren’t far thinking. They would take the instant gratification. Claude must have convinced them of a huge payoff to gain access to their drugs to challenge another pack. They must have been sorely disappointed to have received only Alfred. But did the hunters want dead wolves, or just more to experiment on?

  A sharp buzz began in the back of his brain, and jolted down his spine. He slipped from the chair. The floor felt too cold against the fire raging through his nerves. He clawed at the collar. The jolt stopped, and he gasped for air.

  Joel leaned forward. “You’re working for me now, you understand? You do anything I don’t like, and I’ll shock the shit out of you agai
n. Then we’ll track down the Doc and see what we can do to her. We’re going to ruin you werewolves.”

  Alfred prayed Andrea didn’t stop running.

  ***

  Alfred looked to his handler. The man was rough. Rough hands from hard labor all his life. Rough angles to his face documenting every wrong he’d seen. Roughly cut hair showed he couldn’t be bothered with decent human contact for even the duration of a proper hair cut.

  He scratched at his own beard. They had him on Andrea’s serum when he wasn’t in use, and collared at all times. But they still didn’t trust him enough to let him groom his face regularly. Showers were quick rinses. Razors weren’t allowed near him.

  The man never shared his name. He never gave him more conversation than quick commands, and never answered any questions. Alfred was expected to know exactly what was wanted of him. After the first few times off the base, he understood what he needed to do.

  The hunters were exposing the secret of werewolves. They were on a campaign of public hatred and fear of the unknown. The first time, Alfred had been forced to shift in front of a group of campers. The hunters shocked him into submission when he tried to explain his situation, and they campers were given a story of how he’d taken too much LSD and wandered from his campsite.

  Alfred had been confined for days after that with no food or water. Just when he thought life was leaving him, they threw him into the showers and hosed him down. He was given a meal, then left alone again. The beating came later, when Joel deemed him strong enough to take it. They didn’t want to kill their werewolf unless absolutely necessary.

  Campsites were raided, wallets stolen, campers howled and nipped at. They didn’t want him to actually bite anyone, just scare them into spreading the rumors of rabid beasts that could turn from wolf to man and back. He grew to dread the times when he was allowed to shift.

  Someone deemed him ready for a big reveal. He was blindfolded and taken in a van, and then put into a small plane. It bounced him around until he thought he’d have bruises all over his body. They landed in a place where the air was dry. Voices that he didn’t recognize met them. He assumed it was another AmWo base, but couldn’t be sure.