by DJ Phoenix
Looking through the cupboard, she decided some clam chowder soup would go well with the sourdough bread she’d found at the grocery store that afternoon. She sat the small pot on the stove and poured herself a glass of chilled white wine while she waited. After preparing herself a sourdough bread bowl, she poured the chowder in and, with the yummy soup and wine glass in hand, headed to the living room.
Folding her legs under herself, she took a seat on the couch. With the bread bowl plate on her lap, she reached for the remote and settled on an old romance movie, feeling more and more relaxed as the sweet, crisp wine coursed through her system.
With dinner done, she quickly washed her plate and refilled her wine glass. Cynthia settled back on the couch, pulling a throw blanket over her legs to keep warm. Enjoying the sweet wine, she tried to keep up with the movie, but drifted off to sleep near the end.
Luke
Luke Andrews sat in a corner table eating his eggs and bacon. Being Alpha of the Clear Creek Pack, his days were always busy. This was the only time of day he ever had to himself, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. As he sat, deep in thought about the current pack investments, he was jostled out of his musing by a sweet scent that nearly knocked him off his chair. Never had he smelled something so alluring and exotic. Like a crisp fall day and candy apples. His whole body responded to the scent, and his wolf perked up on high alert.
Looking around the diner, he spotted a curvy redhead following Kristy to a table. She wasn’t from around here, and there wasn’t anyone else new in the diner, so the scent had to be hers. Her rounded hips swayed to her own rhythm, stirring his member to life. Wow, that hadn’t happened in a while. He had his share of beautiful women to fuck as he pleased, but the mere sight of them didn’t do this to his body. Not to mention her scent—it was like an aphrodisiac.
Shifting uncomfortably, he tried to adjust his pants.
Thick, vibrant red curls fell down her back from her ponytail, looking so soft it made him want to tug the hair tie off and run his hands through the silky strands. Her heart-shaped face looked smooth like porcelain, and the glow of her high rosy cheek bones gave her an ethereal look. Her perfectly arched eyebrows framed a set of electric green eyes, and she had the cutest upturned button nose. She was gorgeous, though she seemed oblivious to the fact.
Letting his wolf rise slightly to the surface, he used his heightened senses and listened to Kristy talk to her. Her name was Cynthia, and she was renting the cabin off Stone Creek Road for the next month or so. That cabin happened to be part of several properties he owned. Immediately, his brain registered the fact that Margaret Fairfax, his assistant, would have all her information on file.
He shook his wayward thoughts and, after careful consideration, concluded it would do better to ignore the woman and her enticing scent. He had a lot on his plate since he’d stepped up to Alpha, and anything more than the occasional hookup just didn’t fit in his busy life; it was too complicated to share with anyone. That was why he had Mindy and Layla; they knew and accepted that all he could offer was a good time in the sack with no strings attached. They even knew about each other and didn’t mind, that was just the nature of their association.
Yeah, he’d just make like he’d never smelled the crisp fall day and candy apple scent, or set eyes on those seductive curves. She would be gone soon enough anyway. With that thought, he finished breakfast and watched the woman walk out of the diner, hopeful that he wouldn’t see her again—or smell her. Minutes later, Kristy brought him the bill and he was out the door.
Matthew Bates, his beta, waited for him when he exited the diner. “Morning.”
“Hey Matt.” Luke nodded his greeting. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
“Well, we should finish with the repairs on the emergency shelter cabins on the Southeast perimeter today, there’s a pack council meeting at three, and we need to buy some supplies for the office.” He pulled out a folded paper from his shirt pocket. “Margaret sent a list.”
“Alright, let’s get the things on Margaret’s list first. We can drop them off on our way to the cabins and hopefully be done with the repairs before the council meeting. Are the boys at the cabins already?”
“They’re supposed to be at the first cabin in half an hour.”
Nodding, Luke led the way to the grocery store, eager to get on his way to the cabins and erase the cute redhead’s scent. Years back, the pack had decided to set emergency cabins every ten miles throughout the mountain for the safety of the human hikers and skiers that traveled the terrain every season. If, for any reason, they were stranded, they had a better chance of survival if there was somewhere to take shelter from the elements while help arrived. They saved more than one life every year, and that was enough reason to ensure they were indeed safe, and that the radios were in working order.
He stumbled to a stop at the entrance to the grocery store. So much for wishes coming true, the scent hit him like a ton of bricks, and he nearly fell to his knees. Matt looked at him with concern, sobering immediately as the curvy redhead stopped abruptly in front of them. A seductive smile spread across Matt’s face, and Luke immediately wanted to pound it off. His reaction to the woman was alarming, but he managed to hide the fact from Matt.
She stared at him, not even noticing Matt, and his wolf perked up. Keeping his face blank, he nodded slightly and stepped aside. She walked past them without even a second glance at either him or Matt. He wanted to run and introduce himself, but knew he had to avoid her at all costs. She certainly didn’t look like the type to acquiesce to a one night stand, and he sure as hell didn’t have more to offer.
At the check stand, Matt tested his control. “Do you know the foxy redhead? I wouldn’t mind a chance at all that sexiness.”
Luke’s wolf reacted to Matt’s brash comment, standing with his hackles raised. Luke fisted his hands and tried his best to contain the growl that climbed up his chest. “No, I’ve never seen her before.” Luke shook his head and tuned Matt out. He didn’t understand why his wolf was acting so on edge, but he had to get it under control before he beat his best friend to a pulp.
“She’s probably a tourist. I bet she’d be really fun to spend time with. I’ll have to ask Margaret if we have any hot tenants renting any of the cabins.”
Luke closed his eyes in frustration. Keep it together or you will beat up a friend for no reason. He opened his eyes and let out a calculated breath. “Let’s go, Margaret will be waiting for her supplies.”
By the time he and Matt made it to the first cabin, the guys were already unloading some building materials. Luke took a look at his top four dominant males. Aside from him, they were the most dominant in the pack, and his right hands. Matt was his beta, his second in command. Evan was next in pack hierarchy, then was Dan, and the fourth was James. They helped him keep the peace as the pack’s law enforcers. The town, of course, had local police, but their job was to deal with shifter issues humans could never learn about. They were appreciated and respected by the whole pack, yet they had no plight getting their hands dirty and working long hours for the good of the pack.
It wasn’t long before they were all hard at work, patching up the roof and clearing the surrounding area of overgrown vegetation. The cabins they were working on were really not used by anyone in particular. They were actually just a ten-foot square with a cot, a cupboard stocked with MRE meals and water, wood and a fireplace to keep warm, a first aid kit, emergency blankets, and a radio to call for help. There were no windows, only a door that would close, but could only be locked from the inside.
Luke concentrated and submerged himself on the task at hand, attempting to keep his mind from wandering to the petite redhead. Except, if he was being honest, he would admit that she had shaken him to his core. All he had to do was close his eyes and he could see her enticingly luscious curves swaying as she walked to take her seat at the diner. Her scent had branded his senses, making it hard to think about anything else.
By tw
o o’clock, Luke had sent the guys off to clean up and was dropping Matt off at his apartment. The pack council meeting was at three, and he had to be there on time or they would have his hide. The council insisted he needed a mate to bring him balance and help him lead the pack. If he was late, it would give them an excuse to point it out to him—again. He was a hundred years old, and so far, he hadn’t felt the mating pull toward anyone. He liked his life just the way it was.
Fifteen minutes to three, Luke sat in his truck waiting for Matt to walk out of his apartment. A few minutes later, a laughing Matt climbed in the truck, cell phone in hand—most likely texting with one of his many conquests. He had to hand it to Matt, he was good looking, and the women in town weren’t immune to his charm. He, on the other hand, preferred to stick to Mindy and Layla. They were both pack members and fully aware they weren’t his mates. But Matt constantly had to deal with jealous human females that wanted more but couldn’t get it because they weren’t true mates. Problems always arose when Matt wouldn’t commit. It wasn’t that humans couldn’t be true mates, it was just rare. Humans weren’t in tune with the magic of the world, and that prevented them from being able to bond their lives to a wolf. Humans didn’t even emit the pheromones wolves looked for to identify their mate; their scent was just plain unless they had some amount of supernatural blood in their lineage.
He pulled into the pack’s office parking lot and parked in his usual spot. To the town’s people, these were the city realtor offices, and they were, but the second floor was designated to pack headquarters. The pack owned most of the land in town and in the surrounding mountains, including the popular ski resort. The advantage of owning so much land allowed the pack to have monthly runs while staying hidden from humans.
Luke stepped into the conference room, made eye contact with his four betas, and shook hands with the four council members. Margaret had prepared their monthly finance reports and was just handing them out as he took his seat at the head of the conference table. In past times, any dangers or threats would’ve been discussed here, but nowadays monthly council meetings were just for finance reviews and overlooking any upcoming pack activities. Knowing everything had been running smoothly for the past year, Luke relaxed into his seat and began the meeting.
“As you can see our finance report shows that in the past month we’ve had a twenty percent increase in revenue from the rentals alone. This is good for our finances. However, it also means more humans are roaming around town and hiking in the woods. I will address the pack as a whole during our next pack run, in the meantime, let the cubs know that they are to behave and uphold every one of our laws. Failure to do so will warrant a talk with me, in which case I will decide their discipline accordingly. Does anyone have any questions?”
Luke waited a few seconds and then moved on to the next item on their report. “Booking for the ski resort opened July first. The month of November has been completely booked, and December is halfway there. Again, a busy season means financial gain for us, but it also means more effort on all of our parts to keep the humans that visit our territory safe.
Candace Owen’s hand rose, and Luke inwardly rolled his eyes. This woman was as annoying as they came. She was a money hungry wench that thought everyone else was out to get her piece of the pie. He gestured for her to proceed. “Alpha, with the increase in revenue, will the monthly allowance given to each adult pack member increase?”
Luke steepled his fingers and leaned in. He made eye contact with Jack who was working very hard to school his features and hold back a laugh. The old man thinks the same as I do. How on earth did we get stuck with Candace on the council?
He directed his attention back to Candace, “No, the financially wise thing to do is to invest it. It is currently in the pack savings account until we figure out where and how to invest. Pack allowances can be reevaluated when the new investment shows growth. Are there any other questions?”
When no one else had questions, Luke moved the meeting along. They went through this stuff on a monthly basis, and he wanted to be done with the meeting so he could go to Joe’s.
At a quarter to nine he walked into Joe’s. The place was full for a Thursday night. He spotted Matt sitting at their usual table in the far corner of the bar sipping beer, and smiled to himself. Matt was so predictable, working hard all day and always ending his day here. If he got lucky, which happened more often than not, Matt would be leaving with a girl hanging from his arm. He just never learned, no matter how many times he ended up in trouble due to his extracurricular activities.
Luke nodded his greeting at Joe as he passed the bar on his way to join his beta. Joe Edmonds was the owner and bartender. He was also one of the pack’s council members. Thankfully, he was far more laid back than the rest of the council, despite the fact that he was one of the oldest wolves in the pack at three hundred years old.
Joe had opted for this type of business back when the town was founded. He liked seeing people as they truly were, something he believed alcohol was very keen on inducing. He was wise and strong in both his human and wolf form. He was a man that Luke could trust with his life.
His pack and their territory were peaceful, but once in a while a younger wolf would rise and try to claim the Alpha position. He had his share of challenges throughout the years, and it was never easy. Pack law specified challenges were to the death, and he didn’t like killing off his own. Joe had kept the peace more than once here in the bar, and he was fully capable of dominating any wolf.
As he sat across from Matt, a beer appeared in front of him. He looked up to see Layla smiling at him. She had a slim build with long, toned legs that had wrapped around his waist countless times as he buried himself in her depths. She was pretty, with soft, long brown hair and wide brown eyes that sparkled with mischief. She knew how to show him a good time, and he thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated every minute of it.
Layla sauntered toward the back of the bar, swinging her hips. The sight brought back the fiery redhead and her luscious curves, how her rounded hips swayed as she walked, and immediately his need arose straining against his zipper.
Matt grinned at him. “Looks like your very efficient assistance is needed in the backroom.”
Luke raised his beer at Matt, took a long swig, and stood up, adjusting his jeans. “Be back in a bit.” He left the beer on the table and walked to the back, following the same path Layla had taken.
He could smell her arousal as he approached the breakroom in the back. He was so ready, he didn’t think he’d had such a hard-on in a long time. He never had any trouble performing, but right now it just felt like he was bigger than he had ever been before. His blood boiled and he wanted release in every way possible. Layla would be pleased. He was going to take Layla hard and fast, just like she liked it. She was a shifter, and unlike a human, she could take it rough without getting hurt. That was why he preferred his own kind and never slept with humans, they were too fragile.
His member throbbed when he opened the door. Layla lay naked on the worn couch sat against the wall. Her naturally tan skin glowed in the light as her full twin peaks allured his senses, and her nipples became taught and ready.
He squeezed his bulge through his jeans, momentarily relieving the ache.
Locking the door, he walked with long strides and knelt next to the couch, running his nose up Layla’s inner thigh, reaching her apex. He inhaled her arousal and then tasted it with his tongue.
She was wet and ready. She moaned as his tongue circled her clit a few times, then sunk into her wet core.
He snaked a hand up her belly to her taut nipple, and kneaded it between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing lightly. Layla’s hips began to move, meeting his tongue’s thrusts eagerly. He mirrored the rhythm his tongue had commenced with his fingers, assaulting her nipples.
Her moaning increased, and he knew she was almost there, but he didn’t want her to come yet, so he withdrew his tongue and stood to undress himself. His member w
as still erect, but the throbbing had stopped. As he unzipped his jeans, he felt his wolf stir.
What the hell was that all about? That had never happened before. His wolf usually sat back and allowed him to enjoy a good roll in the hay, understanding that he wasn’t claiming a mate, just relieving his need.
Layla sat up and began to tug on his jeans, helping him out of them. She was eager and worked her hands swiftly, but when his member was finally free it had softened.
What the hell?
Layla smiled and caressed his length slowly, running her hand up and down. She squeezed lightly and used her other hand to massage his balls. It felt good, but his member wasn’t responding. He tried to concentrate on Layla’s beautiful body, on her full breasts and the taste of her sweet juices. He closed his eyes and flexed his hips as she circled the head with her tongue, but nothing happened. The sensations were there, it felt good, but his member remained in its sleeping state.
Layla arched an eyebrow in question.
What the fuck was he supposed to tell her? This hadn’t happened before.
Frustrated, he threw her back on the couch and knelt between her legs. He circled her clit with his tongue and dipped two fingers into her awaiting heat. He thrust in and out while at the same time circling his tongue over her clit. He squeezed her nipple between his fingers and felt her muscles contract as they milked his fingers. She was close to climaxing, and he owed her at least that. Increasing his thrusts and the pressure on her clit, he felt her leap over the edge, screaming her release.
He continued to thrust as she descended from her climax. When he withdrew his fingers, he licked her juices off, savoring the sweet taste, and stood from his crouched position. His member hadn’t responded at all, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He quickly pulled his pants on, not wanting to think about it, and walked to the door, leaving Layla panting on the couch. He gave her an apologetic shrug for his lack of performance and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
