First Beginnings (3 page)

Chapter Seven

Colt heard the crash well before
he reached his father’s office. He didn’t even bother to knock, knowing it
pissed his father off more when he just walked in and sat down.

‘Something wrong, Pop?’ He
watched Marcus take another swipe at a bookcase, clearing the shelf of books in
seconds, making them crash to the floor.

‘If you hadn’t been such a
fucking mother’s boy, I wouldn’t have been on my own last night trying to get
you a new plaything.’ The anger in his father’s eyes made Colt feel
uncomfortable.

‘I don't want a new plaything,’
he retorted. ‘In fact, I don't even
want
a plaything. You keep bringing
me these human girls, who just scream and mostly pass out before you return
them home.’ The grin on Marcus’s face sent shivers up Colt’s spine.

Marcus had never told his sons
what he actually did to the girls he had turned down. Fuck, he almost had a new
one to play with and she was sexy as hell, but that fat she-wolf had knocked
him out. Him, a thousand-year-old wolf, beaten by a female wolf! He felt his
hand grow to claws and he swiped another row of books off the shelf.

‘Sandra! Sandra!’ he shouted at
the top of his voice. ‘I swear one day I'm going to slit that bitch’s throat if
I have to shout again for her.’

Colt smiled and shook his head.
He guessed something had upset his father, but didn’t even want to know what.

‘She was in the garden last I
saw,’ he replied. ‘Might take her a few minutes to get here.’ Colt watched as
his father’s eyes turned amber.

‘She’s as useless as the last one
I killed. She may have outgrown her time here.’

Colt heard the door open and in
walked a frail-looking old woman. He felt sorry for these women. His father
worked them to the point of death and, if they didn’t die from old age or
exhaustion, then one of his father’s moods ended their small, human lives. He
tried not to give it much thought, as it wasn’t wise to confront his father at
the best of times; he also knew better than to offer his help to Sandra when he
was seething mad.

‘Clean this room up,’ barked
Marcus. ‘I want every last book put right on the shelves. If it’s not done
right, I'm going to make a visit to that daughter of yours and show her how a
real man fucks!’ He sneered at her and walked out of the room. Colt followed
him out, feeling his anger coming off him like a mist.

‘I came across two girls last
night,’ continued Marcus, coming to a halt. ‘One human, who looked like she
wanted to be held down and fucked hard, and the other some fat whore wolf. I
want you to find out all you can about them and I want them both downstairs in
my dungeon in less than a week. Do you understand me?’ He stared angrily at
Colt. ‘Don't let me down, or I might decide to throw you out like your mother,
you weak pup!’ He gave the address to Colt. He had followed the scent there,
waiting all night for the girls to return.

Turning around, he stormed off,
looking for someone to take his frustration out on. Someone in his staff would
prove useful. He remembered Sandra’s 30-year-old daughter, who was currently
locked in a room upstairs and being looked after by Sandra.
Yes, she would
work out nicely
, he thought.

Colt simply watched his father’s
back retreating down the hall. He glanced down at the paper and wandered to his
office. He picked up his phone and rang his friend, who was also helping to
look for his mother, and gave the details to him, telling him he needed a
report by the end of the night.

God, he hated his father. But, at
440 years old, he needed to hang in there for a while longer, hoping his father
would stand down from the pack as alpha and Colt could take over.

Chapter Eight

Sarah woke up and stretched out
in the huge bed, taking in a sharp intake of breath as the pain in her arm shot
through her. She sat up in the bed and looked round the room, wondering how
long she had slept, remembering when Brandon had brought her and Callie to the
two-storey house. They had crossed the lake and she could vaguely recall being
introduced to a few people, including the man who drove the ferry to the
island. Well, she would be damned if she could remember any of them. She had
been so exhausted that all she could think about was the promise of food, drink
and a bath. After Brandon’s sister, Hope, had filled their stomachs with pasta
and a thick tomato sauce, she had been shown the biggest bathroom she’d ever
seen.

Thinking now of that bathroom,
she hoped she wouldn’t be disturbed for a while longer as she wanted to jump
back in the shower and try and wash away the grime and memory of all that had
happened during the last 24 hours. Although Callie had come with her, she
hadn’t spoken to her since they were in the hotel room. Callie had tried to
speak to her, but she just couldn’t look at her friend for fear she would say
something she would regret.

Rummaging through the drawers in
the room, Sarah took out a shirt, which fell to mid-calf. She didn’t care whose
it was, because there was no way she was getting back into those ripped
clothes, having already spent two nights and a day in them.

Her stomached growled loudly and
she realised she was hungry. Her head felt dizzy and her limbs ached as she
made her way to the bathroom. Before she got halfway across the room, she
glanced at the photos on top of the chest of drawers. Walking over and picking
one up, she saw Seth and, she assumed, all his brothers and sister, Hope,
sitting together. They looked so happy. Her stomached clenched as she looked at
the bright smile on Seth’s face. Man, she needed to take a shower instead of
thinking about the hot man who’d insisted they come here. Werewolf, she
reminded herself, not hot man. Off limits!

Once she was finished, she wrapped
a thick, fluffy towel around her body and grabbed a smaller one to dry her
hair. She walked back into the bedroom and looked around, seeing it with fresh
eyes. It was decorated in light browns and cream, but felt masculine with the
dark wood furniture. She instinctively knew it wasn’t Hope’s home, but prayed
it wasn’t Seth’s, either. Surely Brandon would have taken her to his house?

She looked in the top of the
dresser for some underwear and, although she wasn’t keen on the idea of
borrowing secondhand undies, there was no way she was going to walk around a
bunch of sniffing wolves with her lady bits exposed
. Yep, definitely a man’s
room
,’ she thought, as she stared at a pile of boxer shorts and sport
socks. Grabbing a pair of socks and boxers, she pulled them on, then ran her
fingers through her damp hair as she couldn't find a brush anywhere. Again, her
stomach let out a loud protest at not having been fed for a while. Just as she
was about to go and find something to eat, there was a knock at the door.
Before she could ask who it was, the door suddenly flung open. Seth, taking up
most of the doorway with his huge frame, just stared at her.

‘Normally it’s polite to wait for
an invitation before you enter a room,’ she snapped, putting her hands on her
hips. She narrowed her eyes at him as he just continued to stare at her. His
eyes moved from her face to her chest, down her body, all the way to her toes
and back up again. Sarah hoped he couldn’t tell how hot it made her feel to be
checked out by him. Broad-shouldered, Seth was dressed in a white T-shirt that
stretched across his chest, his jeans fit snug to his thick thighs and he wore,
what she assumed, were his work boots.

‘I’m never going to wash those
shorts again. I hope you know that,’ he smirked. Sarah cocked her head to the
side.

‘What do you want?’ she asked,
not meaning to sound quite so hostile, but she couldn’t help it.

‘Well, this is my bedroom and,
seeing as you kind of took it over last night, I couldn’t come in here whilst
you were sleeping and get my stuff. Thought you might think it creepy.’ He
pulled off his T-shirt and threw it in the hamper beside the dresser.

Sarah's mouth went dry as she
stared at the honest-to-god best body she had ever seen. It was as if he had
been airbrushed with that six pack, while Adonis himself had crafted his strong
shoulders. She licked her lips as her eyes moved up and were met with two
bright amber ones.

‘If you keep looking at me like
that whilst wearing my shorts and shirt I might have to go against my brother’s
wishes and ravish you, right now.’ He was trying so hard to keep control of his
wolf, not wanting to scare her.

Her eyes narrowed again. ‘You're
the one who walked in here and started stripping your clothes off. If you don't
want me to look, then you should have kept them on.’ She raised an eyebrow at
him, ready for a challenge.

‘Oh, sweet darlin’,’ he said
softly, ‘you are so going to be in trouble when I finally catch you.’ He
started walking closer to her, stalking his prey. ‘You smell so fresh and
delicious that I could feast on you for hours.’

He saw the blush creeping up her
neck and onto her face as he stood in front of her, the top of her head
reaching his shoulders. Her hands came up and pushed gently against his chest,
the burning hot sensation of her touch sending his already hard cock to
granite. Sarah's eyes shut as a shudder went through her body. Seth cupped her
cheek in his hand and bent slowly down for his lips to meet hers. As if someone
had snapped their fingers, her eyes opened and she jumped back.

‘Stop it,’ she said crossly.
‘You’re just trying to throw me with your hot body and get me to join your
werewolf cult.’

As she folded her arms across her
breast, Seth suddenly realised she probably wasn’t wearing a bra. Fuck, he needed
to calm his body down and not think about her in his shirt and shorts.

‘I can’t help it when you’re
standing there like that,’ he said, ‘all beautiful and perfect. The mating urge
is strong in me, sweetness. I can control it, but not for long if you continue
to saunter around in my clothes.’ He stepped back, giving her some space. He
wanted to show her that, if she wanted him to stop, he would – although not for
long, as he wanted her. No, he
needed
her, writhing under him, screaming
his name. His wolf wasn’t helping. He could hear it panting, shouting, ‘
mate,
mate’
over and over at him.
‘I know, just give it time,’
he told his
wolf.

‘Well, control your urge and
don't call me sweetness,’ replied Sarah. ‘I have nothing else to wear and it
was all I could find in your room. As much as
you
don't seem to care,
I'm not one for walking round wearing next to nothing.’ 

‘I don't mind at all.’ His smile
made his already handsome face gorgeous.

‘Urgh, you’re just so
frustrating!’ She stomped off out of the room, leaving him chuckling to himself
as he walked into the shower.

Her scent was everywhere; it was
all he could do not to climb into his bed and roll himself up in the sheets she
had slept in. His mate was not afraid of him anymore and that pleased him. Now,
he just had to work on the trust and get her to fall in love with him enough to
mate. He looked in the mirror at himself. Dark, shaggy hair framed a strong
face that desperately needed to be shaved free of stubble. He knew he was a
handsome guy and worked hard to keep fit, which was easy for a wolf; plus, she
had called his body hot, so he knew she liked what she saw. He could smell the
start of her arousal and just the thought of it had his cock hard once more.
Looking down, he knew he was going to have to take care of himself if he was
going to get through the first day with his mate.

Going downstairs, Sarah walked in
the direction of what she hoped would be the kitchen. Callie was already
sitting at the island on a stall, looking down at a plate of toast.

‘I heard you coming down,’ she
said. Actually, Callie had heard the whole conversation with Seth, but she
didn’t want to freak Sarah out anymore than she had to. ‘Sarah, will you let me
explain everything to you? Will you please talk to me?’ Sarah saw the tears in
Callie’s eyes and heard the pain in her voice.

‘I'm starving,’ she replied. ‘Let
me get some toast and coffee. I really need coffee.’ She turned and started
opening doors to find what she needed.

‘Here, let me help.’ Callie
jumped off the stool and helped Sarah find the bits to get started. Sarah
noticed that Callie had on a bath robe that hugged her closely. Callie hated
the fact she was bigger than most girls, but Sarah constantly told her guys
like something to hold on to and not sell herself short. As Callie reached up
to grab the coffee from the top shelf, Sarah moved behind her and wrapped her
arms around her and squeezed.

‘I love you so much,’ she said.
‘You’re a sister I never had but always wanted. I'm sorry I was such a bitch to
you. I'm just scared and confused and I still don't understand it all. I hated
that you kept a huge part of your life from me.’ 

Callie spun round, tears
streaming down her face. She hugged Sarah back. ‘Sarah, I love you too...’

Just then, the back door swung
open.

‘Fuck me, I'm pretty sure I had a
dream like this once. Two sexy girls wrapped in each other’s arms, wearing next
to nothing. Although it wasn’t in my brother’s kitchen…’ Brandon stood in the
doorway, watching as the girls laughed at his comment.

‘Pervert,’ Sarah laughed and
wiped her eyes on the shirt sleeve. She smiled childishly to herself, knowing
it was Seth’s shirt she was wiping her tears and snot all over.

Brandon laughed and sat down on
one of the stools. ‘You girls ok? Dad’s going to call a meeting at his house
and he’ll be expecting an explanation as to what happened.’ Looking at Sarah,
he smiled. ‘And just to warn you, Mum knows you’re Seth’s mate and she’s
gunning for grandkids by Christmas.’ He winked at her.

‘I don't care what he says, I'm
not
his mate,’ said Sarah indignantly. ‘I don't even know what that means, but I
know he is the most frustrating man I have ever met.’ She poured herself a
coffee and started buttering her toast. Callie sat down next to Brandon and
smiled at him. He placed a hand over hers, which made Sarah smile, wondering if
they could be mates too.

‘It’ll be ok,’ he continued.
‘We’re here to help you. We’ll give any support you need. Callie, I know you
don’t belong to any pack, but I’m pretty sure if you feel safe and happy here
then Seth wouldn’t mind swearing you into our pack.’ He noticed her stiffen up.
‘Or not,’ he went on. ‘The choice is yours, okay?’ He gave her hand another
squeeze and caught Sarah eyeing him suspiciously.

‘As for
you
, Sarah, we are
going to take to the pack altar and sacrifice you to the wolf gods.’ He winked
at Callie, who snorted into her coffee cup.

‘Nice to see you think my dilemma
is joke-worthy,’ Sarah replied haughtily. ‘Unless you’re serious, then I will haunt
you all!’ Secretly, she hoped she wasn’t really going to be sacrificed. Callie
looked at her and smiled a warm smile, assuring her she wouldn’t let any harm
come to her.

‘Well, Brandon, looks like you've
made yourself at home as usual.’ Seth spoke as he walked through the kitchen.
His eyes instantly connected with Sarah's. She looked down into her coffee cup
and took a sip.

‘Just warming up the girls for
you!’ Brandon winked at his brother, who let out a deep growl. Brandon held his
hand up. ‘Calm down, brother, I know better than to get between two mates. Just
wanted to let you know Dad has called a meeting at his to find out what
happened. Logan has gone to the girls’ house to collect some clothes and bits,
and see if he can get a scent of a wolf being there.’ He looked over at Sarah.
‘Callie gave him a list of what you would need. If you want anything else, we
can run out again once we know it’s safe, alright?’

‘Dammit!’ snapped Seth. ‘I'm the
alpha and I’m more than capable of calling a pack meeting.’

‘Oh my god, can you get any more
childish, brother?’ laughed Brandon. ‘Dad thought you might want to spend time
with your mate and took over pack duties last night.’

Seth had the good grace to look
embarrassed, which resulted in Brandon looking down at his hands. Sarah looked
at Callie and wondered what had happened. Callie looked between the two men.

 ‘Sarah,’ she explained, ‘Seth is
alpha of this pack, which means he rules over everyone here. They, in return,
should show him the respect he earnt.’ Sarah, shocked at this statement coming
from her friend, looked at Seth, then at Brandon.

Seth snorted. ‘Yes, Brandon is
also pack omega, and it is good for my ego that he puts me in my place. I would
never harm family. Ever.’ He walked over to where Sarah was standing and rubbed
his hands up her arms. She flinched at his touch. ‘I'm sorry,’ he said, pulling
away. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you.’

‘No, I'm sorry,’ she replied.
‘It’s just that my arm still hurts from the attack, and you just touched…’
Before she could say anything else, Seth had her in his arms and was walking
out the back door. ‘Put me down!’ she shouted indignantly. ‘What in the world
do you think you’re doing? Put me down
now
!’

Seth kept on walking. ‘I'm taking
you straight to our healer. Why didn’t you tell me your arm was giving you so
much pain? I'm sorry, my sweetness, I should have taken you last night.’

‘Stop calling me your sweetness
and put me down
now,
you great lug! I didn’t tell you because I was
asleep and forgot how much it hurt till you touched it.’ Sarah looked over his
shoulder and saw Callie and Brandon following them and she couldn't help but
chuckle at the sight of Callie in the bath robe. Seth looked down at her
smiling face, but as soon as her eyes met his it changed to a scornful look. It
was his turn to chuckle.