Craving the Alpha: Part One: BBW Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (Lycan Lovers) (2 page)

Wow, I reflected. You never really know what someone’s life is like. Here, Todd looked like Mr. Never a Care in the World, and Beverly acted like a spoiled hot snot who got everything she wanted. Yet, both Beverly and Todd obviously had a less than even close to perfect life. They seemed to have the same ache inside that I had from losing my parents in a freak car accident when I was eleven.

Even though it had been almost eleven years, it was still painful thinking about it. My parents had saved and planned for a special dinner at a fine restaurant to celebrate their fifteenth anniversary. A neighbor came over to be with me for the few hours they would be away. It was getting dark and close to the time when they would be returning when there was a noisy commotion at the door. I rushed over, flinging the door open. I was excited to talk to my parents and find out how their special evening went. But it wasn’t them. It was the police.

Instinctively, I knew something was wrong by the look one of the officer’s gave me. When the policemen came in, one gently shared that my parents had been in an accident. A trucker who’d had too much beer and too little sleep had broadsided their sedan. I twisted the necklace I was wearing as I remembered the night. Dangling from the long chain was a stars and moon pendant. It was the necklace my dad had bought my mom to give her that evening. I know she would have loved it but she never saw it. It was still in the wrapping paper when my aunt, who I went to live with, gave it to me later. The necklace represented so much love between them. The kind of love I hoped I would find one day. I had put it on my neck and I never took it off.

“Hey! Kristen!” Todd yelled, interrupting my thoughts, “think you’ll be back next year?”

It was getting dark so I was not sure if he caught the dirty look I gave him. “Hell to the no,” I sneered. “Besides, I will be a senior and graduating. I’d like to try to get into grad school if I can get some scholarships,” I said, forking a bite of potato. “What about you?” I asked, biting into the spud and savoring the taste on my tongue. After two weeks of eating camp food, this meal was amazing. But, though the pile of food was disappearing quickly, the moonshine seemed bottomless. I noticed a big thermos next to Todd and realized he had been refilling the jar with the potent brew.

“Oh, I thought camp was pretty cool. I love the outdoors and working with the kids. Growing up, my neighbor was a survivalist and I was over at his house every chance I could get—picked up a lot of skills. It’s neat to finally get a chance to tie a rope and start a fire,” Todd flashed a toothy grin. “Besides, I am hoping this will help me land a job as a gym teacher with the county when I graduate next year. What are your plans for grad school, Kristen?”

Before I had a chance to answer, Beverly, her mouth full of slaw, jumped in, “Yeah, I want to get a job teaching in the county too. But that shouldn’t be hard with my biology major,” she added smugly.

Good old Beverly and her biology major. Unlike most of us who would have to fight and push to find work after graduation, she would probably be able to get a teaching job pretty fast with her bio degree. It was just like her to grind it in. She was always bragging that she could track animals and swore she could talk to them.

“You are an animal whisperer, right Bev,” I giggled. Ok, maybe I sounded mean, but the girl had made my life miserable the past couple of weeks. Besides, she probably didn’t know a rabbit from a fox.

Brushing her interruption aside, I looked directly at Todd. He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, and I liked talking to him. I’d be damned if I let Beverly try to shut me out. “I am thinking of getting my Master’s in business,” I told him, “I want to start and grow a company; not sure exactly what though—possibly public relations or marketing.” As I talked I could see Todd edging in closer to me, his back almost to Beverly.

“My cousin runs a PR agency near Inner Harbor in Baltimore,” he said, “maybe we could go down there to visit and after go to Little Italy for some pasta and vino?” he cocked his eyebrow at me, grinning.

God he was such a hottie. Was he asking me on a date? I felt my face flush. It’s not like I had never gone on a date before, but the guys I went out with were usually not oh so hot beach bums like Todd.

“Well, I ah …” before I could get a reply out, Beverly shot me a dirty look, scooched in next to Todd and started playing with his hair. It was obvious the booze was getting to her as she woozily patted his face and tugged on his locks, vying for his attention. Todd started to swat her off but Beverly was having none of it.

Even though I was getting full, the food did nothing to stop the moonshine from making my head spin. But though my eyes were blurring, I could still think fairly straight. It was pretty clear Beverly was trying to edge me out of the picture.

“Ohhh Toddddddd,” Beverly trilled. She was swaying a little as she started to rise up from the picnic table. She knocked over a fork, banging her knee against the table as she stood up. “I seee you lookin at meee,” Beverly grinned sloppily at Todd as she stumbled over to the grass, “jusss come and get ‘em!”

To my shock, Beverly pulled off her tank top and yanked the clasp apart on her bra, exposing her small, perky breasts. She cupped them in her hands, playing with them. Trying to focus on Todd’s eyes she added, “You know you want themmm.”

Todd gave me a sheepish little shrug. He was like a puppy invited to play. He couldn’t resist reaching for her cream colored globes. But, as he stood up to follow her, it was obvious the liquor started to hit him, too. He stumbled towards Beverly, his eyes losing focus. Reaching out, he pulled her towards him and they both tumbled to the grass.

Any thoughts of me, Todd, red wine, and Little Italy were fading fast. We were all drunk but this was ridiculous. “Geez, get a room,” I said, “or, are you planning to have sex right here in front of me?’ Any minute and I expected them to go at it like bunnies. Though, I doubted they were sober enough to do it.

“Enough!” a loud male voice shouted. Startled, I turned my head to see Mr. McGreevy. What the hell was he doing here? I tried to stand up from the picnic bench to look at him. I hadn’t heard his car drive up the dirt road, nor had I noticed him when he walked over to us.

Obviously, neither Todd nor Beverly had heard McGreevy either. I looked at Beverly. She was staring at Mr. McGreevy, her mouth hanging open and her breasts fully exposed as she struggled to get up from the grass. Todd was trying to grab on to her wobbly body to stay steady. I could see his face coloring as he stuttered some gibberish in an attempt to say something.

Mr. McGreevy’s eyes narrowed as he looked from one of us to the other, his eyes widening as he took in Beverly’s naked breasts and Todd’s fumbling efforts to cover them up. “Why are you here Todd?” he demanded to know, his voice low and growling. “What exactly is going on?”

CHAPTER TWO

The acrid smell coming from the campfire filled my nose and lungs. Coughing, I pulled the edge of the sleeping bag over my shoulders. God, my head was hurting. I could see Beverly passed out near the picnic table and hear Todd moaning in the blue-checked sleeping bag next to mine. I squeezed my eyes tightly closed. My brain was in a daze. What just happened? One minute McGreevy was shouting at us, and the next minute I am in my sleeping bag. I could just vaguely remember stumbling into my bag—trying  to focus my thoughts seemed nearly impossible. I could feel my body starting to shut down…

I hear twigs snapping, leaves crunching, angry growls, yaps and snarls, a noisy patter, like hooves against the ground. I smell the overwhelming scent of moist fur. Then, suddenly the pain begins—a sharp, piercing pain in my neck like a fork digging through steak. I scream. Several loud, high-pitched cries echo my own agony nearby. There are flashes of movement and fur—roars of rage. Am I sleeping? I can’t wake up. Everything is a blur. Drifting…

The feel of a sandpaper tongue licking my neck and chin pulled me from a deep sleep. Groggily, I tried to wake up fully, wondering what last minute trick Beverly was pulling on me. I groaned, feeling throbbing pain in my head and body. Then I remembered Mr. McGreevy showing up and the crazy nightmare I’d had. Oh my God, that was the last moonshine I would ever drink, and after last night, was I even going to get paid for these past two weeks?

As I opened my eyes, I was no longer wondering about if I would get paid, but instead wondering where the heck I was. It sure wasn’t Camp Rocky. I was lying in bed in a huge room with a lot of medical equipment. I could see Todd, Beverly and several other girls in beds near me. From their moans I could tell they felt the same way I did. Maybe we were all sick with food poisoning. There were a number of people milling around the room and to my shock I realized many of them were half naked.

“Geez,” I gasped, feeling a sharp twinge in my neck. I rubbed my hand along the skin, feeling something sticky. I looked at my fingers and saw a tiny bit of blood on the tips, along with some whitish gunk that looked like spittle. “Eww, gross!” I muttered. Then, I noticed the woman on a stool near me. Before I had a chance to react, she quickly leaned in and gave a long slurp to my neck. Startled, I pushed her away. What was this, some kind of witch doctor medicine? She sat back on the stool. Keeping an eye on her, I warily turned my attention to the rest of the room. What was this place? Most of the women were topless, revealing tanned breasts and taunt stomachs. The men wore thin white cotton tanks or were shirtless, with bronzed skin and muscular physiques. Though it was jolting to take in the sight of so many half naked people at once, my eyes couldn’t help but focus on two men who had stopped in front of my bed. They were smoking hot. Two of the sexiest men I had ever seen in my life.

“Markus, she is awake,” the reedy woman who had been slurping my neck earlier said, gesturing to the hot looking man on the left.

“Thank you for helping her Kara.” The man she called Markus appraised me carefully, his eyes slowly moving up and down and around my curves. Instinctively, I reached for the blanket to cover myself. A tingle oozed thru my body as I felt his gaze. He was gorgeous, with dark hair that matched the long lashes that fringed his rich, chocolate brown eyes. They were the same color as mine, only his were streaked with flecks of gold. An aquiline nose and full lips gave him the look of a Roman soldier. Only a small, jagged scar on his brow took away from his perfection.

“Kristen,” he said, leaning towards me so close I could smell his grassy breath. He reached over and touched my neck, his warm hand stroking the area. Though his hand was large and rough, it was gentle. His touch, combined with his steady gaze, sent a little thrill through my tummy and down my spine. I could just imagine his soft lips caressing my body with kisses. Geez, he was hot. I shook my head. What was I thinking? I needed to focus on what I was doing here—not be thinking about making out with some guy, no matter how hot he was.

Removing his hand, he gestured towards the people walking around the room. “We are the Lycan pack and this is our home, Camp Vickers.” He pointed to the other man near him. “I am Markus, and this is my brother Dorian.” If Markus was darkness, Dorian was light. He had a thatch of white blonde hair, much lighter than Todd’s sandy shade, and an aquiline nose like Markus. It looked like he had just been in a fight as his face was flecked with a few superficial scratches; scratches that would soon fade, revealing the pale, smooth skin beneath. But despite his handsome features, it was his yellow eyes that grabbed my attention. They were very unusual. I had never seen any shade that color. They had to be contacts. I wanted a pair. I would have to talk to my optician when I got back home. Like Markus, he too was coolly appraising me behind his catlike eyes.

Both men had chiseled bodies, with Markus more muscular and Dorian more of a sinewy, wiry body type. Their rippled chests glistened lightly and tapered to muscular legs encased in well-worn denims.

Feeling uncomfortable under their steady gaze, I glanced over at Beverly. She was lying on a bed in a corner of the room making loud snoring sounds and totally passed out. They had put a blanket on her but it looked like she had kicked it off at some point and her boobs were on full display for anyone looking. I flushed, thinking how embarrassed I would feel being exposed half naked in a room full of people—though obviously the people around here were used to it.

There were three other girls in the beds near Beverly. They looked familiar and I realized they were camp counselors from Camp Minniehawk. Though I didn’t know their names, I recognized them from the joint bonfire Camp Rocky had held with Camp Minniehawk just two nights before to celebrate the camp experience. Camp Minniehawk was a sister camp a few miles away from Camp Rocky; both camps were run by Mr. McGreevy. The main difference between them was Camp Minniehawk started earlier than Camp Rocky. It was a three-week program, whereas Camp Rocky was only two. I grimaced as the thought of an extra week at camp flashed through my mind.

Todd was grunting in the bed next to mine. I looked over to see him holding his head while shifting his shoulders back and forth, trying to work the cramps out. He caught my eye as I gazed at him. “I feel like I’ve been run over with a Mack Truck,” he whined.

“We all do,” I groaned, “what’s going on here?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Todd responded, “but I told them your name was Kristen. I think it best we cooperate.”

“Cooperate—are we in prison or something?” Todd sounded pretty dramatic. I mean, whatever these half nude, neck-slurping people had in store for us, how bad could it be? I was pretty sure if they wanted us dead we would have been dead by now. And weren’t most nudists’ peace-loving types anyway? But, the dream of the night before flashed through my mind.

“What happened last night Todd?” I asked.

Todd looked over at me from the cotton blanket he was lying on and pulled himself up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, dangling them there as he rubbed his forehead. Despite the puzzled expression on his face and all the alcohol he’d drunk last night, he still managed to look like he was modeling for a surf swimwear catalog.

“Well, McGreevy had come to tell us we could leave early. Chip had spot checked the cabins and said they were clean. McGreevy thought he would let us go home and hand in the paperwork later,” Todd shook his head. “But, when he saw how drunk we were, he changed his mind; told us to go sleep it off. Then he left and I
think
we all went to bed, but I just don’t remember. I heard all kinds of noises. Ugh, man, I have felt bad after drinking before, but never like this…” Todd scratched his head as his voice trailed off.

I looked closer at the group of people watching us. There were about twelve people, including Markus and Dorian. It was so weird. I could feel my palms get sweaty as I tried to find my voice.

Noticing my anxiety, the woman they called Kara who had been licking my neck earlier spoke up. “We are not here to hurt you. We want and need you to join us.”

“Join you for what? And what if we don’t care to join you?” Todd asked quietly.

“We will explain everything soon and we hope you will come to love living here,” Markus replied firmly, his jaw set. “At this point you really have no choice.” He shot Dorian an angry look and motioned dismissively to the others. “See that they are taken care of and bring them to the meeting lodge shortly. Come on brother, we have work to do.” He waved Dorian towards the door and together they left the room.

No choice? What is this? My mind raced as I ran through the possibilities. Slave trade, drugs … maybe they planned to turn us into sex slaves. Maybe it was a religious cult and they needed to shore up their membership. I shivered. It was hot in the room but chills were running through my body. With the situation we were in and the after effects of too much alcohol, I could feel my panic building. Ever since I was small and my mom and dad had died in a car crash, I had been prone to panic attacks. I hated the feelings that washed over me when I panicked—that clammy, sweaty feeling in my hands, my mind racing—feeling so out of control like I would puke or faint. “Stay calm Kristen, just stay calm,” I thought to myself, trying to talk myself down from the rising fear in the pit of my gut. Nervously, I played with the stars and moon charm on my necklace. Just touching it reminded me of my parents and helped lessen my anxiety.

I could hear Beverly whimpering as she woke up. I don’t know how much of the conversation she’d heard but her face was pale, and she looked like she was going to throw up at any minute.

As Beverly struggled to gain full consciousness, a salt and pepper haired man who looked to be in his early fifties noisily entered the room. As he strolled in I could see him sniffing the air, relishing it. “Ladies,” he said, nodding towards the other women and then towards me, “I can smell your womanliness and it is so delicious. And, you are welcome also,” he added, looking at Todd.

Womanliness … delicious? My eyes widened as I parted my lips. Did he say what I thought he had? That was a weird choice of words.

“What is going on here?” one of the Camp Minnehawk counselors, a dirty blonde haired woman in a bed next to Beverly, demanded to know. I tried to ignore the knots forming in my stomach.

The man waved his hand dismissively at us. “I am Caleb, leader of the Lycans, and you are here because of the lust and greed of the Vlodik tribe. Let us be very clear, this was not our doing. But, now that you are here, we welcome you as our new family. I will ask you all to come with me to the meeting lodge now,” he said firmly but insistently, “and I will explain more when we are there.

“Just please tell us what’s going on,” the Camp Minnehawk counselor begged. But looking at the man’s determined face, I knew he was not going to be answering any questions. Beverly whimpered and I looked over to see her trembling as she pulled the blanket over her naked breasts. One of the women in the room walked over to her with a hot purple and pink duffel bag. I recognized it as the bag Beverly had brought to camp. The woman opened the bag, gently rooted through the clothes, and pulled out a bra and a skimpy white top and handed it to her. That meant my things were probably here also. I gazed around the room and saw my bag was next to Todd’s army green camouflage duffel.

My head was throbbing as I gingerly walked over to it and pulled out my favorite long sleeved blue hoodie. Despite the heat, chills were racing through my body.

Still a little tanked and uncoordinated, Beverly was struggling to close the clasp on her bra. After fighting with the closure for a minute or so, she shook her head in exasperation. “Forget it,” she said. Tossing it aside, she yanked on her sheer white tank that barely concealed her breasts, and stumbled towards Caleb.

He smiled approvingly towards her and gestured impatiently for us to follow him.

Out in the warm night air, we followed Caleb as he briskly led us through the woods. As we walked, I could feel nervous energy emanating from the others. My mind was playing twenty questions and I was sure their brains were working overtime also.

“Were you all counselors at Camp Rocky?” a thin, pretty, red headed girl, one of the Camp Minnehawk counselors asked. “I remember seeing you at the campfire,” she added looking at Todd.

Todd nodded. “Yeah, I’m Todd. This is Beverly and Kristen.” He waved his hands in our direction.

“I’m Kaitlyn,” the red head responded.

“My names Shelby,” the girl who had questioned Caleb said. “And this is Lisa.” She gestured towards a frail looking dark haired girl who was fighting back tears.

Todd moved over towards Lisa and gave her a gentle pat on the back.

“Hey I know this totally sucks, but we’re going to get things figured out. You’ll be fine.”

Lisa wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave Todd a forced smile. “I’m so scared.”

“We all are, Lisa. This whole thing is insane,” Kaitlyn said.

“Enough chatter,” Caleb interrupted, “We’re here now.” Caleb stopped in front of a large cabin. “Here you go. This is our meeting lodge,” Caleb said, swinging open the door. Though the exterior of the building looked a lot like the main cabin at Camp Rocky, it was a totally different story once inside the door.

I could hear some of the girls and Todd gasping as we walked into the massive open spaced area and headed towards the center of the room. Though the exterior looked normal, the interior was unexpected for a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It was gorgeous in a rustic way. The room was decorated in dark wood tones accented with touches of maroon, green, and tan. Several tall, dark, antique cupboards skirted the wall. A massive deer antler chandelier hung in the center of the room, flanked by several smaller ones. Beautifully designed Navajo rugs provided a plush backdrop for the comfortable, brass studded leather chairs that were grouped throughout the area, along with several oversized grey and tan couches. Plump pillows in rich burgundy and gold tones punched up the color of the couches. In the corner was a fireplace with a long western style bar next to it. A sign above it read “Timber Tavern”. I ran my hand across an inlaid maple table near one of the chairs. There was a lot of money in this room. This was definitely a step up from Camp Rocky—a whole ladder up.