Growl (39 page)

After he'd taken a few steps without even a hint of letting her go or another comment to keep their argument going, she figured she'd better rethink what she'd managed to get herself into this time.

She knew the rules; just like he'd said, he could “take and claim” her, and there would be no one to stop him and not much she could do about the situation. Except kill the sorry bastard!

Only something told her that wouldn't be as easy as she thought, not with this one. His physical strength was obvious, the deep and commanding tone he spoke with another telltale sign that he was an alpha to his own pack. What she was having a hard time pinpointing was this aura that surrounded him. It had come quickly as she'd first glimpsed him, seconds before he'd grabbed her, holding her so tight against a very impressive arousal. In a flash it had been gone, or rather her attention had been focused elsewhere, but Kira knew she'd seen it and now she wondered at what it had actually meant.

“Look, why don't we try this,” she said, hating this vulnerable position she found herself in and not too keen on talking to his back either. “Put me down and we can talk like mature adults. Instead of resorting to these basic primal instincts that are bound to get us all killed one day.”

“I don't plan on getting killed, or letting you get yourself killed. We can talk when we get to the house” was his clipped response.

He had spoken to her like he was talking to a child or one of the betas in his pack. No, she thought with a huff, even they would receive more respect than he was currently showing her. That's simply how the packs worked and one of the big reasons she'd decided as she'd been traveling that she didn't want to belong to another one. She had never cared for the hierarchy of the packs—the alpha male as the all-knowing ruler; his alpha female just as strong and smart but relegated to staying in the house and offering strategic hunting plans, not going out to hunt or defend with her pack; and the betas, male and female, who simply did what they were told, when they were told, no questions asked. She was an alpha female, which meant she was smart enough and strong enough to do anything any alpha male could. Besides, her mother had told Kira there was more out there for her, more than simply being some alpha's mate. And she dreamed of more.

At least she'd thought it was a dream, because when it was over she'd been sitting on the wet ground, her back against a huge tree, head swimming in dizzying circles. She'd been standing on a deck or a porch of some kind, looking out into the night as the calls of an enemy pack had sounded their arrival. The battle plan was hers, spoken in her voice, a commandment to whoever was there with her. And then she'd run, wild and free, cool air ruffling over the thick layer of lycan skin that covered her face once she'd shifted. She was going into the battle, claws extended, teeth bared, the alpha female ready to strike.

That scene had made her believe all that her mother had said even more strongly. It had, in fact, inspired Kira to switch directions and to head to the Montana mountains instead of going farther south as she'd originally planned. Now she wondered if that had been a mistake after all.

“I didn't plan on getting dragged off into the night,” she reluctantly admitted. “But we know what they say about the best-laid plans.”

Her mouth was going to get her into trouble. Her mother used to tell her that and Kira had ignored her. It wasn't her mouth at all, but her too-round ass, too-big boobs, and the notion that she should be able to select whom she would give both to, that's what had gotten her into trouble. And now her mother was dead. Gone. Unable to help her only daughter in the time she'd needed her most.

Kira's fists balled once more, but she didn't slam them into the alpha's back. She didn't open her mouth to curse at him or about what he was doing to her again. Instead, she clenched her teeth, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall, the self-pity that had begun to stalk her daily.

With one carefully aimed bullet Kira had become the most wanted piece of ass in Seattle, and Penn, her father, still wrapped in his grief and thirst for revenge against those he thought responsible for Tora's death, had done nothing to protect her. At least this alpha with his stony gaze, deep, authoritative voice, and the sexiest butt she'd ever seen had thought about her safety first.

Then he'd smacked her ass and the thought of her safety had slipped, no, dripped away as her vagina had immediately clenched at the contact, desire wetting her plump folds instantaneously. It shouldn't have aroused her and she used the fact that in two weeks there would be a full moon to explain the reaction.

“You shouldn't take me. Just leave me alone and I will be fine. I'll steer clear of the forest,” she told him, knowing that was a lie. Even though she'd gone to human schools, done all the human teenager things—i.e., hanging out at the mall and going to boring as hell parties, then heading off to college, where she continued to do much of the same—the woods had always been home for Kira. They were her shelter, the only place where she'd ever felt any real connection.

“I'll do with you as I please,” he replied quickly, his tone clearly intending to leave no room for argument.

Again Kira's fists were clenching, so tightly her nails almost broke the skin of her palm. She struggled for calm, knowing it was necessary, especially in this situation. Because this was no ordinary lycan. Of that Kira was certain. Any other alpha would have claimed her. It wouldn't have been about keeping her safe, but more so about keeping her, period.

“I don't belong to you,” she told him finally. “As a species living in a human world we have to dislodge this notion of taking whatever we want, dominating whoever we can, just because we believe it's our right.”

Kira half-expected him to drop her to the ground at that moment, looking at her with a mixture of bafflement and disgust just as Penn used to whenever she'd say these types of things to him. Her father was the alpha of a Hunter pack—which meant his sole purpose was to hunt those from the Devoted packs, the ones who were inclined to live in peace among the humans, while being certain not to cohabitate with them the way Nyktimos had. The Hunters believed in something totally different, they believed and craved total dominance, but to gain that they had to be rid of the Devoteds who would undoubtedly continue to preach their simplistic coexistence with the humans.

Penn hated not only that Kira had wanted to study the lycans' minds more deeply but also that she thought she could change his and the minds of the other Hunter packs with what he called “ridiculous words from human books.”

“Our world lives by different rules,” Penn had told her on one occasion.

“Rules of jealousy, vengeance, senseless killing and basic bullying,” she'd replied. “Not so different from the human world at all.”

“I'm not taking what I want; I'm protecting what I can,” the deep rumble of his voice yanked Kira firmly from that memory.

“What if I don't need your protection? What if I'm as strong as you and can do just about all the things you can?” she countered.

As if saying in response that he didn't give a damn, his booted feet stomped upward. They were going up steps, although she could barely see them in the dark of night. She could scent, which worked better than vision for lycans anyway, to see if there were anything familiar about where he'd taken her. Instead, when she inhaled deeply her nipples tightened to painful peaks, her thighs clenching involuntarily, and confusion quickly set in.

“You are nothing like me. I can stake my life on that fact,” he said only seconds before dropping her to her feet.

Kira struggled momentarily to land upright and not flat on her back. The book bag she'd hastily stuffed all her belongings in threatened to pull her down anyway. Righting herself, she took a precautionary step back. But in seconds realized that precaution meant absolutely nothing.

A light had come on, probably sensor motivated, and she could see that she was standing on a wooden porch. She could also see that the alpha standing in front of her—more like towering over her—was unlike any lycan she'd ever seen before. He was more than six feet tall, she knew because she was five feet nine inches tall herself and she still had to crane her neck upward to see into his eyes.

His skin was the tone of melted butter, smooth and taut over the bulging muscles of his biceps, his neck, his legs. He stood with his legs parted, his arms at his sides, fingers opened wide, ready to release his deadly claws if need be. He had a strong, clean-shaven jaw, a light mustache, and a bald head. He wore Lycra, shorts that fit his thighs and that toned ass and a shirt that melded over what she knew would be a perfectly sculpted upper body. He looked equally fierce and drop-dead gorgeous and she gulped in an attempt to keep her composure.

“I'm going to take you inside,” he told her, taking another step toward her, closing the small space she'd managed to put between them.

“And you're going to sit down and tell me exactly why you were in my woods.”

Her breathing came in quick pants now, desire pooling in the pit of her stomach like molten lava. She licked her lips, saw his gaze dip lower, then quickly pulled her tongue back inside. He appeared too good to be true, tall, strong, an alpha bent on protecting his alpha female … only she wasn't his and this was the last place she wanted to be.

“And what if I don't?” she taunted, refusing to give in to the arousal that had already taken over her body and was now ready for her brain to join the party.

He took another step, pressing his body flush against hers, reaching his hands around to grip the globes of her ass, pulling her so that she went up on tiptoe with a sharp intake of breath.

She couldn't help it; a little gasp sounded with his motion. Kira wasn't sure if it was those damned pleasure spikes shooting through her body from the point where his hands again made contact with her ass or the quick flash of bright blue in his eyes. At any rate, she couldn't speak, could barely do anything more than stare and wonder.

“Then I'll have no choice but to punish you for being disobedient. Is that what you want,
lýkaina
?”

Again words were just lost. Her mother would never believe it, but Kira's mouth remained closed. Until he moved in closer. When she didn't immediately respond he leaned in even farther. “Do you want me to spank you until you come?” he asked, his lips brushing the lobe of her ear, her mound rubbing flush against the thick length of his erection. “How quickly would you come if I did?”

 

CHAPTER 2

The door had opened behind her and Kira quickly backed away, going into the house instead of running when it was so obvious that she needed to get away from this male. Also quite apparent was the needle-point hardening of her nipples that she knew were visible through the thin material of her tank top, not to mention the thick cream now covering her plump folds that she knew the evil alpha could definitely smell.

In that moment she hated the lycan species. Hated how their scenting capabilities was one of their strongest attributes and that it was so blatantly connected to the insatiable sexual desires that coursed through their bloodstream like an incurable disease.

“Well hello,” another male voice, this one measurably kinder than that of the alpha who was currently staring at her with a haze of simmering fury surrounding him.

She blinked at the sight as it reminded her of when they'd been in the woods and she'd thought there was some sort of light outlining his body. It hadn't been there just a few moments ago when they were on the porch, but she was just about certain she could see it now.

The alpha stepped inside as well, closing the double-wide door behind him with a quiet click. With every step she took back, he proceeded forward, taunting her with his dominating stature and steely glare, until finally she spun around. Kira's gaze immediately met the other male's in the room. He looked more relaxed, more approachable, than the alpha and she prayed he had more common sense.

“Hi,” she said for lack of anything clever to add to his prior greeting. He was tall, with gorgeous blue eyes, light brown hair, and a terrific athletic build. His shirt was white and fit with the same alluring second-skin-like feature that the alpha's did. Only his was short sleeved and displayed two big and very detailed tattoos stretching the length of his toned biceps. There was markedly less dominance here, as there could only be one alpha male in any pack. Nevertheless, this beta was strong, he was perceptive, and he appeared to be nice.

Gulping quickly at the sheer masculinity of this guy while the corner of his mouth tilted in what she thought was going to be an excellent smile, Kira figured a coherent comment was the best she could do.

Next came an undeniable growl, low and threatening. “Who is she and why does she smell like that?”

Her neck almost cracked she'd turned so fast to see who had just criticized her. Not that she wasn't used to criticism; the betas in Penn's pack had dished out their fair share. This comment, however, Kira sensed was directly related to the alpha who was no doubt still glowering behind her. Had he not been so devilishly attractive, even while basically kidnapping her, she wouldn't be as aroused as she currently was and this second beta would not be commenting on that scent. Standing across the massive room, with its beamed ceilings, warm golden light, and heavy dark leather furniture, was another lycan. Another astoundingly good-looking—albeit pissed-off, as evidenced by the already-extended nails and the peak of sharp canines biting into his lower lip—male lycan. His eyes were green and piercing, his jaw covered in a neat low-cut beard, hair dark as night, and his scowl both menacing and sexy.

“She's a Hunter,” the third beta said, coming from behind a wall, his sweatpants, tank top, and workout gloves giving away the fact that her arrival had interrupted his gym time.