by Sara Kimball
“Ah well, it did me good, to be talked back to. I’ve had only Lincoln and you to argue with for far too long.” She chuckled and continued in a self-mocking tone. “And never say my reputation has fallen to such a degree that my subjects aren’t afraid of me, The Queen of Wolves.”
They both laughed.
///
Lincoln sat at the table in the bar with his friends, body relaxed in a casual pose, a smile on his face as he enjoyed their banter. The waitress, who had been attentive all night, came over eagerly when she saw his glass dip a hair below halfway full. “Can I get you another?” She ran a finger along the collar of her low cut shirt. “Or anything else?”
His wolf crinkled his nose in disgust and sneezed in annoyance. Lincoln shook his head, the smile falling off his face, and turned back to his friends. “No. I’m good.”
She blinked at his abrupt dismissal a couple times before turning and walking away, her heels—impractical shoes for a waitress to wear—tapping angrily on the floor. He didn’t even notice how the seductive footwear accentuated her calves and rear in the tight jeans she wore. Jax, Davin, Trent and Gareth all looked at him in various forms of amusement and shock.
Davin leaned to the side towards his twin Trent, and whispered sotto voice while still looking at Lincoln suspiciously, “Do we think he got abducted by aliens and this is really a robot construct of him?”
They all laughed as Lincoln wadded up a napkin and threw it across the table at his friends halfheartedly. Davin and Trent—who were twins—were both jocular, causing laughter and mayhem wherever they went, though Lincoln knew he could rely upon them in any circumstance. Jax, his best friend since he was a child, stopped laughing first and took a swallow of his drink. His face interested and curious, he voiced what all of them were thinking.. “Trent isn’t wrong though. To turn a woman down, especially one that looks like that, is rather unusual for you.”
Gareth was silent. He was nearly always silent, though when he did speak they all listened. Lincoln leaned his head back and breathed deeply through his nose. “Just my grandmother doing her normal dastardly deeds.” That reminds me. “And whichever one of you called her about that blonde the other night, thanks for that. Grandmother has installed her in the suite next to mine at the house.”
They all looked at each other suspiciously, but no one said anything.
Laughing, Lincoln finished his beer. “Ah hell, forget it.” He glanced at his now empty glass. “I should have asked for another.”
“So your grandmother tracked her down and brought her to the house? Why? Does she feel like you need help getting lucky?” This from Davin, who snickered along with Trent at his joke. Then his face changed. “Oi. Is that the hot piece we saw with Moira on the stairs earlier? She looked like the girl in the alley…smells better though.” The others all laughed.
Lincoln grunted, wishing he could laugh at the situation like his friends. “She wants great-grandchildren.” They knew that by she Lincoln was talking about Elizabeth.
All the chuckles and smiles stopped immediately, and they exhaled sharply, taking a drink in silence. “I don’t envy you getting out of that one. Your grandmother can be like a steamroller when she wants something.” Jax finished his beer and made an irreverent gesture. “Since you’re now taken, I’m calling dibs to console the waitress about your lack of interest.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and then hopped up, heading towards the bar with his empty glass.
Eventually, Jax disappeared into the back, following the waitress, who towed him along by his hand with a seductive smile on her face. Lincoln still felt disgust as he looked at her. The thought of sleeping with anyone besides Alex made his wolf shy away in revulsion. Cursing inwardly, Lincoln had a terrible thought. What if the old woman is right and Alex is my mate?
///
Later in the night, after Lincoln had left the bar, his four friends sat silently, looking guilty as they finished their drinks.
“I didn’t know Elizabeth was angling after great-grandchildren. But I would probably still have called her. Would you guys?” Trent looked up at the other men.
Jax, back from his tryst, was the first to answer. “Yes.” The others slowly nodded.
Davin finished his beer before speaking. “Who would’ve thought a little old lady could scare the shit out of me so badly. I thought for sure my man card was going to be revoked—at least until I found out she did the same thing to all of you.”
“She must want Lincoln to have children pretty badly to go to these lengths.” Jax spoke again, finished with his beer and stood, ready to leave.
Trent nodded, “Lincoln is the last of her line…Those old ones, they get a little weird when the years start getting to them.” There were silent nods of agreement around the table.
They made their way to the parking lot, headed towards their cars. They had just stepped outside when Gareth spoke. “Imagine what he’ll do when he finds out not just one of his friends is a snitch, but all of them are.”
“I’d rather face Lincoln mad any day over his grandmother.” Trent shuddered comically. They all agreed heartily, then went their separate ways—Jax and Gareth each getting into their vehicles, while Trent and Davin got into their shared ride for the night.
Jax chuckled to himself as he remembered the way the four of them had all pulled out their phones the instant Lincoln had run off after the pretty little she-wolf. They had realized what was happening at almost the exact same moment, and a quick game of rock, paper, and scissors made Trent the sacrificial lamb for the phone call to Elizabeth.
Jax looked at Gareth over the hood of his car, asking casually, “You going back to the Pack house?”
Gareth thought about it for a second, then shook his head. “I’ll go to my cabin.”
Jax got into his vehicle, more somber than he had been a moment ago. He knew that Lincoln and Elizabeth were aware of what was going on with Gareth, but he was worried for the bigger man all the same. There was something there, something that was eating away at him, causing Gareth to spend a lot of time alone.
And all Jax could think of was that it looked a lot like guilt.
///
Alex dressed and headed back to the house, feeling refreshed and energized. Her wolf had enjoyed her run, prancing about with her tail curled in the air. They had even found a rabbit at one point and chased it half-heartedly, still full from dinner. The house was quiet when she entered, and it was easy to slip towards the stairs on soft feet. In the darkness of the hallway Alex was startled by a shadow, a patch of black that seemed to blend in with the others.
“Who’s there?”
The shadow chuckled, and Alex could imagine the curl of Lincoln’s lips at the sound. “You should be careful in the dark. You never know what you’ll find. Or who.” He approached her and she saw that her imagination had been correct, for his lips were twisted sardonically.
Alex rolled her eyes at his bad pun. “If that’s all you’ve got, it’s no wonder you are coming home alone.” She wasn’t sure why she’d said it, other than her wolf was still feeling playful and frisky from their time running.
He stepped closer to her, looming above her. “I rarely spend a night alone.”
Alex felt laughter bubble up inside her. “Clearly I’ve pricked your inflated ego.” She patted his chest soothingly a couple of times, ignoring his firmness under her palm, and leaned in a little as if to whisper confidentially. “It’s okay to be a little sub-par in the bedroom department. I’m sure there are still women who will enjoy their time with you, even if they find you easy to walk away from.” Alex instantly regretted her words. Even though she was feeling a little wild and reckless, it didn’t mean that she could go around talking to others…especially not the way she just spoke to him. And she had resolved to stay away from Lincoln. Talking to him about his sexual escapades was not staying away from him.
He was speechless for a moment, and then growled, crowding her backwards. Alex gave a step instin
ctively, and bumped into the long table against the wall. “I am not sub-par.” Now that Alex had opened her big mouth, she felt compelled to stick to her guns. But I promised Tyler I would be good. That’s what she tried to do, but she couldn’t help another little dig, “I’ll take your word for it then.” She tried to leave, but her arm was grabbed roughly and she was pushed back against the table, Lincoln stepped into her so his hips held her in place, pressing against her front.
Alex felt heat flare in her core, as his large, muscular frame was pressed against her smaller form. She looked up at him and felt her determination to stay away from him crumble to dust. His hand lifted and cradled around her head, tilting her lips up and claiming her mouth in a kiss. His lips moved on hers, caressing and cajoling, until she opened for his seeking tongue.
Their bodies melded together, Alex’s arms rising to Lincoln’s shoulders, lifting herself onto her tip toes as she kissed him back ardently. His hands dropped to her back, pulling her hips to his and then slid to her sides and up to her breasts. As it had been so long since she had been touched intimately, the action shocked Alex into awareness. She pulled back roughly, and slid to the side so she stood several feet away from him.
Gaining control of herself, she wiped her mouth quickly with her fingers and took a breath. Exhaling softly, she managed to find her voice. “I’m sorry for provoking you. That wasn’t very professional of me, and I won’t do it in the future.”
Lincoln looked at her, his gaze lustful and confused.
“Right. Well, I’m off to bed. Goodnight.”
Alex left him standing in the hallway in the dark. It wasn’t until after she had sought refuge in her room that she realized she had unintentionally proven true her words about women being able to easily walk away from him. It hadn’t felt easy to walk away at the time, but she hoped he took it that way and stayed away from her. She had a feeling that if she let Lincoln Harcourt get too close she would be in for some heartbreak.
From the Journal of Elizabeth Harcourt, 1810
I had to bury another of my children today. He died during childbirth. Even for all of our marvelous strength and healing powers, we are still so weak when we are born. And he was, the poor boy. I named him Frederick, and we put him in a small box that Brendan had built, and I put him in the layette set I sewed for him while I was pregnant, and the little bone rattle that Henry carved for him.
My baby. My son.
Nine months of expectation only to hold him the once. I fear my heart will never be the same.
Chapter 8
Alex was dressed in her workout gear, refreshed and energized after her run as a wolf the night before. It had been hard to fall asleep, because all she could think about was her kiss with Lincoln and the feel of his body pressed against hers, but eventually she surrendered, to a better sleep than she had had in years. With the result that she now felt light-hearted and full of energy; she was looking forward to teaching class this morning.
Entering the ballroom, she found a tiny, thin female wolf placing pastries on a large serving platter. The platter was on a table that had been put to the side of the room draped with a crisp linen tablecloth. There was a glass beverage dispenser filled with ice water and lemon slices, and a coffee carafe with containers of sugar and cream next to it. Real coffee mugs and water glasses were positioned at the ready as well.
In addition to pastries, there was fresh fruit and even small cakes. Alex stood in the doorway watching the woman fussing with everything. “Hello.”
The woman looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows. “You must be the new girl. Alex, right?”
Alex nodded and took a step into the room. “Yes. Did you set all of this up?”
“Yes.” She finished fiddling with the food and wiped her hands on a towel. “I’m the chef, Jayce Wilson.” They shook hands. Alex saw Jayce glancing at the mats and other items in the room.
“Are you going to be coming to the class today? I’d be happy to have you there.”
Jayce took a hesitant step to the side, eyeing Alex suspiciously. She picked up the bakeware she had brought the food in. “We’ll see.” Then she left. Alex called a thank you after her for the food and drinks. Jayce didn’t acknowledge the words as she slipped through the doors.
Alex shrugged and looked at the clock, realizing she only had thirty minutes before the class started.
///
Alex finally called a halt to introductions and talking ten minutes after nine, asking everyone to spread out in lines on the mats. After everyone was situated and had stretched, Alex began to teach them a simple move to deflect a grab. Before long the women were working, following her instructions, and managing to deflect hits and hit their attackers without causing too much damage.
Satisfaction curled through Alex as the class began to wind down to a close and she led the women through a cool down routine. She could see herself enjoying teaching these women a couple times a week, and had to admit to a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving so quickly. She almost considered calling Tyler and telling him she’d stay the month, but she internally smacked herself and took a breath, putting a smile on her face as she brought the class to a close.
///
Oscar Guitierrez sat in a vehicle he had stolen earlier, cruising through the shadier streets of Richmond, looking for what he needed. It took him a few hours to avoid the police and witnesses, but finally he pulled over next to the scantily clad female walking on the sidewalk. She looked around briefly and then approached him as he rolled down his passenger window.
“Hey babe, you looking for something?”
Oscar turned on his charm, smiling at her and making sure to show her his sharp eyetooth. “Yeah, I might be.”
It wasn’t long before the woman opened the door and sat next to him. She smelled awful to his nose, like sweat and the semen of multiple men. He wished he could slit her throat and dump her in an alley somewhere, but that wasn’t the plan. Sighing, he put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, stroking his dick through his pants. “Frisky, huh?”
He laughed, pulling her closer, his hand sliding up from her shoulders to her throat. When she unzipped his pants and bent forward he gripped her neck, his palm pressing against her throat and pushing her head against his chest so she couldn’t struggle much. She fought him, gasping for air, until she suddenly stopped. He relaxed his hold and was reassured when she took a breath, unconscious. Quickly, he pulled over, tying her up and moving her to the backseat. Then he got in the car and drove on.
It was nearly dawn by the time he let her out of the car. She had needed a couple reminders to behave during the long wait, but he hadn’t minded doling out the punishment. Once she was standing, he pushed her back against the car and put his face close to hers. The woman was panting, her nostrils flaring above the duct tape he had put on her mouth.
“Listen, chica, and if you do what I tell you to do then you’ll be fine. Comprende?”
She nodded faintly, her nostrils still flaring and her eyes large. There were tracks of mascara from her tears smeared down her cheeks. “I’m going to take the duct tape off, and untie you. Be a good girl, or I’ll hurt you.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You remember how it felt to be hurt, right?” She nodded, and was patient, silent, and unmoving as he took the restraints and the gag off.
When Oscar was done he smiled at her, and she shuddered. “Good girl.” Sticking his fingers in his pocket, he pulled out a little baggie with a brown, waxy lump in it. Personally, he thought the black tar heroin looked like rotten ear wax, but he figured it would help convince her to do what he wanted.
“You want this?” She nodded slightly, hesitating. He figured she might need a hit, seeing as how she had started shuddering and shivering about an hour before. “I’ll give you this if you do something for me.” Pointing, he indicated the fenceline that stretched out in the distance, almost half a mile away. “I need you to walk along this fence, as far as
you can go. And when you are done, I’ll come for you, and I’ll take you home. Comprende?”
She nodded at him, a look of distrust on her face. “As a gesture of good faith, and to show you I’m not a bad guy, I’ll give you these too.” She watched him pull out another three baggies, and her eyes flared in interest.
“You aren’t gonna kill me?” He almost admired her spunk, but he was getting annoyed. He only had so long before the Gold Pack caught on there was someone sniffing around their borders, and he didn’t want to be around when they finally came.
Smiling, showing his eyetooth again, he answered her. “I promise you’ll be safe and sound when I’m done with you.”
He handed her the drugs, pulling out a spoon, a syringe, and a lighter. Before he handed them to her, however, he asked, “Do we have a deal? Walk along the fence as far as you can go? And I’ll be watching, so I’ll know.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He watched, dispassionate as she shot up and then stored everything in her purse. Then he sprayed a strong perfume along her body, especially in the areas he had touched her.
“This shit stinks,” she complained, waving a hand in front of her face.
He sprayed her throat one more time. “It’s part of the deal. Now get walking.”
“Fuck you too.” She moved off, her sandals making the walking a little rough for her, but he didn’t care. Turning, he sprayed doused the car, leaving the driver’s door open to make it look like she drove there. Then took himself off to watch her from the vantage point he had picked out yesterday. She made it to the fence before falling the first time, and he cursed.
The second time she fell, ten feet later, he was swearing continuously under his breath. “Fucking dose was too strong.” He wasn’t talking about the heroin, however, but the stuff he had cut it with to make her heart explode in her chest. After all, he had promised her she would be safe and sound when he was done with her. And death was the only way to be safe from this world, in Oscar’s opinion.