Bonded (5 page)

For the most
part, packs are allowed to function with a high degree of autonomy.
However, Lycan Link does insist that certain norms be followed. It
goes without saying that following The Keeping is of primary
importance as is following the Rights and Freedom Act (revised
Lycan Council annual meeting, 1956).

If Lycan Link
has reasonable suspicion that essential elements of the Book of the
Law are being violated, it is within its rights to send Enforcers
to investigate. Investigations shall be pursued in a
non-confrontational manner with due respect to an Alpha’s
authority. At all times, Enforcers will conduct themselves in a
seemly manner that upholds the high standards of Lycan Link and
will strive to find equitable solutions that allow the pack to
remain intact.

Only if all
reasonable solutions have failed will Lycan Link move to takeover a
pack. The Alpha will be given due notice of this process and can
choose to have his case heard before High Council. The decision of
High Council is binding. Lycans who flaunt a High Council decision
may find themselves facing charges and could be placed in a
detention facility for an undetermined amount of time. Appeals are
dealt with on a per case basis in conjunction with recommendations
made by the attending Damage Control officer.

She let the book
drop on her chest and stared across the room. Tomorrow she wrote
the final test that would either make or break her chance of being
licensed as a certified Damage Control officer. Now twenty-two,
she’d spent the last three years preparing for the position and
knew in her gut she could do the job. Proving it on paper was the
final, yet hardest, step.

Butterflies danced
in her stomach at the thought of what passing or failing could
mean. If her marks weren’t high enough, she’d have to head back to
the pack with her tail between her legs and accept a mediocre
position within the ranks. A scout if she was lucky, though it was
more likely she’d be pushed into a mating.

The very thought
made her clench her fists. Not that there was anything wrong with
being a mate and raising pups. Someday she even hoped to do that
herself, but first she wanted to do something with her life, to
help Lycan society as a whole rather than just her own pack.

She knew she was
seen as an oddity within her very traditional pack, the female that
didn’t know her place, yet she couldn’t help it. It was who she
was, who her wolf was. And she wasn’t so odd. There were other
females at the Academy. Not as many as the males, but some.

Finger combing her
hair, she drew her knees up and turned to the next topic in the
book.
The evolution of the roles of Enforcers and Damage Control
officers...

24 hours
later...

Inside the Academy
pub, music pounded from speakers mounted on all sides of the tiny
dance floor. Lights flashed in time with the beat while Lycans,
both male and female writhed to a popular song. Over the din of the
music people laughed and tried to carry on conversations with their
friends, the mood in the building celebratory. Patrons filled
almost every square foot of floor space, the heat of many bodies
packed together contributing to the already rapid consumption of
cold drinks. Waitresses skilfully wove their way through the
crowds, trays laden with glasses and pitchers balanced over their
heads.

One such tray
landed on the table in front of Brandi, the contents of the glasses
sloshing from side to side. Those sitting with her tossed a few
bills into the kitty in the middle of the table and the waitress
swept it up with a nod and a grin, pleased by their generous
spirits. Exams were done and everyone was feeling carefree for the
first time in months.

Tabitha grabbed a
glass and stood up to make a loud enthusiastic toast. “To the end
of exams, text books, and boring instructors!”

“Woo hoo!”
Everyone cheered and banged the table top before chugging back
their beer. Since they were in strictly Lycan territory, the drinks
were considerably stronger than what would be found in a human bar.
As a result, a pleasant buzz was affecting most of those present
and the group was getting more boisterous by the minute.

Brandi tipped her
glass too far back and some of the liquid dribbled down her chin.
She set her glass down with a bang while simultaneously laughing
and grabbing for napkins. Tabitha observed her predicament and
teased her good naturedly.

“Forget how to
drink, Brandi?”

“Yep! I lost the
skill. Too busy studying.” Brandi leaned her head back against the
leather cushions that covered the booth and ran her fingers through
her hair, feeling pleasantly relaxed. God, she’d had more to drink
tonight than she’d had in ages and yet it felt good to cut loose
for a change. For three years she’d kept her mind focussed on her
career goals and tonight was her night to put all that aside and
just enjoy being young. Tomorrow, she’d return to her disciplined
ways but for now...

Picking up her
drink, she pressed the cold mug to her heated cheek, closing her
eyes for a minute and relishing the cool bits of condensation
trickling down her neck. God, she hoped she made it through the
evening and didn’t have to bail. She was so hot and overtired,
solid sleep having eluded her for a number of days in a row. Maybe
the alcohol would help calm the voices in her head and she’d be
able to get her thinking straight again!

“Were you busy
studying books or studying instructors?” Tabitha jabbed her with an
elbow and Brandi opened her eyes to frown at her friend.

“What are you
talking about?”

“You know. Reno
Smith. The guy you have the hots for? You’ve watched him every
second you could from the moment he arrived on campus.”

“So?” She sat up,
folded her arm, and jutted her chin. “I was never in one of his
classes and there’s no harm in looking!”

“Looking isn’t as
much fun as touching though.” Tabi’s sing-song voice should have
warned Brandi something was up, but too much alcohol and a lack of
sleep had dulled her normally keen senses.

She shook her head
and made a slashing motion with her hand. “Tabi, he’s an
instructor. Definitely off limits. And you already tried to set
something up when you shoved me into his class last week.” While
the bruises on her butt hadn’t lasted long, the ones to her ego
still stung from the encounter.

Tabi waved her
hand negligently. “So it didn’t work. It was just a one time
setback. That doesn’t mean you can’t try again. And the whole
instructor-student taboo is just in your head. It doesn’t stop Brad
and me.”

“Yeah, right.”
Brandi rolled her eyes. “Nothing stops you, but it’s a moot point.
Reno doesn’t even know I exist.”

“I wouldn’t say
that.” Tabitha slid her eyes sideways and Brandi followed the
direction of her gaze. Reno was across the room, leaning against
the bar and... Oh God, he was looking her way!

“Oh my gosh, I
wonder if he saw me spill my beer!” Brandi slunk down in the booth
and tried to disappear.

Tabitha grabbed
her arm and pulled her back up. “Why are you hiding?”

“Because... I
don’t know... Because he’s Reno!” Brandi sputtered not quite sure
herself. She was focussed on a career, though lately just the
thought of the man made her lightheaded and it was more than the
fact that Reno was a legend. As one of the up and coming Enforcers,
rumour had it he could be in charge of the whole unit one day if
he’d only toe the line a bit more. His methods were effective but
unorthodox and Lycan Link reportedly reprimanded him as often as
they praised him.

No, his infamy
wasn’t what was causing her heart to flutter. It was something
else, though she couldn’t quite figure out what. She’d always been
attracted to the man, but now there was an actual pull that made
her want to plaster herself against him. An obsession seemed to
have overtaken her with thoughts of Reno filling her mind both
night and day. Was it all her wolf’s fault, she wondered? The beast
wouldn’t stop talking about him—

“Well, pull
yourself together because he’s coming this way.”

Brandi peeked over
Tabitha’s shoulder and nearly died. Reno
was
coming her way,
threading a path between the various tables and groups of Lycans.
Oh hell! She watched him cross the room, his stride as smooth as
that of any predator. His low-riding faded jeans emphasized his
trim hips, powerful thighs, and long legs while his t-shirt
stretched over his chest outlining the well-toned muscles beneath.
His hair wasn’t too short or too long and had the slightly messy
look about it that she found especially appealing. Clenching her
fists, she could imagine how it would feel to comb her fingers
through the brown locks, to clutch them in her hands while guiding
his oh-so-kissable mouth towards her own. Warmth swept over her
body and a whimper threatened to escape her lips as her imagination
took an erotic flight of fancy. How could one man look so amazingly
hot and not appear to be even slightly aware of it?

“He’s probably
looking at someone else.” She nibbled her lip, afraid that it was
true while at the same time afraid that it wasn’t.

“Uh-uh. It’s you.
You know how I know?”

“How?” Brandi
forced her gaze from Reno’s approaching form to her friend. She
dreaded hearing the answer; her sluggish instincts were trying to
warn her of something but...

Tabitha leaned
closer and whispered in her ear. “I told him you were
interested.”

“You didn’t!” She
stared at the other girl in horror.

Tabitha grinned
looking extremely pleased with herself. “Sure I did. Well, actually
I had Brad tell him since they’re friends and that’s what friends
are for. You’re probably leaving tomorrow and I can’t let you go
without having a chance to get it on with the guy you’ve been ga-ga
about for ages. What kind of friend would I be if I let that
happen?”

Brandi grabbed
Tabitha’s arm. “What did you have Brad say to him?” Knowing Tabi,
it was probably something mortifying.

Shaking free of
Brandi’s grip, Tabitha laughed. “Nothing bad, just that you’d like
to meet him. Now come on, up you get!” With that Tabitha stood up
and, with the help of a few others at the table, pulled Brandi out
of the booth and to her feet. “Go get him, girl!” Tabitha shoved
Brandi forward with a laugh and the rest of the group whistled and
called encouraging words.

Brandi took a few
stumbling forward steps while still glaring back at her supposed
friends and then ran into something very, very hard. Her whole body
hummed with awareness and even before she looked she knew who it
had to be.

Chapter 4

“Hey!” Reno put
out his hands to steady the young woman who had literally bumped
into him. His fingers encircled her upper arms, lightly gripping
the soft flesh. She turned to stare up at him, her long hair
swinging around her shoulders and brushing over his hands. In the
muted illumination, with coloured lights flashing all around, it
had been hard to make out the girl’s features from a distance. Brad
had pointed her out to him, but he’d only had a general impression
of a female tucked in the back corner of a booth.

Now that they were
face to face, his attention was immediately caught by her hair.
Long, red, and a mass of curls. He had a brief impulse to run his
fingers through the flowing tresses but managed to control himself,
despite the tingling of his palms. Instinctively, he inhaled taking
in her scent. And that’s when it hit him with all the subtle impact
of a mule kick. It was the same girl!

His muscles
tightened, his body hardened, and his skin seemed to prickle in
anticipation. It was only when she gave a squeak of pain that he
belatedly realized he’d clenched his hands while still holding her
arms. Loosening his grip, but not quite letting go—his hands
refused to obey him—he stepped back so they weren’t touching,
hoping she hadn’t felt his erection. Nothing like being overly
eager, he scorned himself mentally. “You’re Brandi, right?”

“Um...” Her
expression was a strange mixture of shock, horror, and interest.
She glanced back at the booth she’d just exited and then turned
back to him.

Reno was aware
that several pairs of eyes were trained upon him, however, he
ignored them in favour of watching the way the tip of the girl’s
tongue slipped out of her mouth to wet her lush lips. He imagined
how they’d feel against his mouth; the way he’d gently suck on the
lower one, then nibble and soothe, the way they’d taste... When she
spoke, he had to force himself to lift his gaze.

“Yeah. I’m Brandi.
Brandi Johansson.”

He frowned.
Johansson? Hadn’t the girl been named Jones?

“You...er...beat
me up last week.”

“I beat you up?”
Reno felt his eyebrows shoot upwards at her description of the
encounter. Yep, if he’d had any doubts, they were gone now. She was
definitely the same girl. Damn, he didn’t know if he was pleased or
not. He’d been trying unsuccessfully to forget her, yet here she
was standing right in front of him as tantalizing in real life as
in his lust-filled memories.

For some
reason—perhaps self-preservation—he felt the need to downplay the
impact the encounter had had on him so he faked a frown as if
searching his memory. “Ah... That’s right. You were the last minute
stand-in for my self-defence class.”

Her head bobbed up
and down and she gave a tentative smile. “That was me.”

His fingers
tightened around her arms again as he recalled the encounter he’d
been trying to push to the back of his mind. As a random last
minute opponent, she’d been less than effective and he’d evaded her
attempts to fell him with little effort. It had been all he could
do not to roll his eyes in derision. She’d relied on basic moves
anyone with a modicum of skill could counter. He remembered
thinking he’d have to speak to whoever had run the course
previously about the need to upgrade expectations when she’d
charged at him. The impact had barely made him step back, but it
had brought their bodies into direct contact and that was when he’d
felt it, when his wolf had surged forward. Desire, lust, sexual
attraction—whatever name you wanted to give it—had flared to life,
dazing him with its strength and bringing his wolf dangerously
close to the surface.