by Kym Grosso
Tristan felt all the blood in his body rush to his cock at her mention of wearing nothing. And seeing her sweet body in his shirt and underwear…Jesus, was she trying to kill him right there? He would have to make sure Julie got her proper clothes to wear.
He pulled up the covers to her neck, willing his erection to subside. If he couldn’t see what was under the fluffy mound of covers, he reasoned, he could get it together. Damn, he was losing it. Maybe he should send her down to stay with Logan? Staying in his condo, she would most certainly cloud his judgment when he needed to be at the top of his game. He was confident that his beta would guard her with his life and make sure no one got to her. But he knew his beta as well as he knew himself, and couldn’t stomach the idea of Kalli naked in Logan’s bed, at least not without him.
Tristan reached for her hand and slowly rubbed circles into the small of her palm. There was something about her that seemed extraordinarily supernatural. Bringing her satiny wrist up to his nose, he inhaled her delightfully feminine scent, detecting only human blood. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but as long as she was in his home and bed, he planned to fully explore the attraction.
Julie poked her head around the corner in time to see Tristan making his way down the long hallway. She quickly got back to work, annoyed that he’d gone so far with his investigation. Their voices had carried well into the kitchen during the heat of their argument. She’d been tempted to intervene, but knew better than to interfere with Alpha business.
Padding into the room, Tristan eyed Julie standing next to the stove, pouring the broth into Tupperware containers.
“She sleeping?” Julie asked, already aware of the answer. He’d been down in her room for well over an hour, sitting in total silence, watching Kalli sleep, and she found it curious that he was taking such an interest in the injured human woman.
“You didn’t bring the soup,” he commented.
“You were busy,” she curtly replied.
“What gives, Jules? Just say it.”
“I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you don’t take direction well, Alpha. Although I guess you’re more used to giving directions than taking them,” she huffed. “I could hear the ruckus all the way in here. No disrespect intended, but I did say not to upset her, didn’t I?”
“Yeah well, it’s not easy being king,” he remarked with a smart-assed inflection, grabbing a bowl of soup. He sat down at the counter and began eating while she finished working.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be so hard on you. I know you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. It’s just that seeing her like that….all those scrapes and bruises and bite marks. My God, she was a mess. I suppose I’m going a little mother hen on you. I’m not used to having to deal with such violence. You are good to us, here.”
“No worries. We worked it out. She’s a tough one, you know. Believe me; she’ll be right as rain, soon. My spidey sense tells me so,” he joked.
“All right then, I’m going to leave you some crackers and ginger ale to put next to her bed in case she wakes up in the middle of the night starving. I was able to get a little bit of the electrolyte fluid into her before she woke up all the way. I have to say that it’s unusual for a human not to be dehydrated. I guess she must have been really, really healthy before this happened to her. It’s almost as if…well, never mind.”
Tristan stopped eating and stared over at Julie, who looked deep in thought. “What is it?”
“Oh, I’m just being crazy. I was just going to say that it’s almost as if she had the constitution of a wolf. Silly, huh?”
“Yeah, silly.” Tristan bit into a cracker, considering her assessment. Silly? Or right on target? He felt it too. Something about that woman wasn’t exactly human, but then again, she wasn’t at all supernatural.
Julie gathered up her purse and gave Tristan a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Okay, hun, well, call me if you need anything. I’ll stop by tomorrow to check on our girl. Maybe bring up some clothes for her, too. Get some rest, okay? Love ya!” she chirped as she entered the elevator and the doors slid shut.
Tristan reveled in the quietness surrounding him. He needed to think about his next steps, his strategy. He planned to bring in a sketch artist, so they could put a face to the arsonists. The meeting with Jax Chandler was in another two days, and he needed to get his shit together before it all went down. Throwing his bowl in the sink, he went to take a hot shower. He needed to think, without his libido interfering. It was as if he’d just been given a few more pieces of a jigsaw puzzle for which he didn’t have the picture. But he was cunning, and that’s what he did best, work with the impossible to make the possible happen. He was Alpha.
Chapter Seven
Crimson droplets splashed her face. She tried smearing them off with her hand but they kept coming down harder until she was drenched in the sticky sanguine spray. She felt heavy, her clothes sodden with blood. Then she heard it; the voice. Whipping her head toward the ear-piercing scream, she winced, covering her ears. Then she saw it; the vampire, the fangs.
In a flash of a dream, she was shackled by iron cuffs to a wooden cross, teeth snapping in the distance. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it to go away. But the creature wanted all of her: her flesh, her blood, her mind. Metal cut into her wet wrists; she was almost loose. A little more and they’d fly open. Escape was imminent. Her eyes snapped open; she only caught a glimpse of the razor sharp fangs before they sliced into her neck, tearing the tender skin to shreds.
Kalli screamed bloody murder, jolting upright in bed, throwing the covers aside. Sweat misted over her entire body. Clammy, she shivered from the cool air conditioning that stung her skin. She surveyed her surroundings; the quiet hum of a noise cancellation fan rested on her nightstand. Used to the urban sounds of the city, she reached over and flipped off the switch. Noticing the food and drink that had been set out next to it, she grabbed a few crackers and some ginger ale, sighing in relief at how good it felt to put sustenance back into her body.
After using the bathroom, she sat back in bed, still so very tired from the blood loss. She hoped by morning she’d feel stronger, be able to leave. Uncomfortable, she yanked at the collar of her t-shirt, finding it dampened. She couldn’t sleep in the wet shirt, so she pulled it up over her head and turned to hang it on the corner of the headboard. Reacting to the cold, her nipples hardened instantly and goosebumps broke out all over her skin. As she twisted back around to grab the blanket, she saw the shiny eyes of a wolf standing in her doorway.
Deep in sleep, Tristan had heard the bloodcurdling scream emanate from down the hallway. Kalli. Immediately he shifted to wolf, readying for a fight. As he raced toward her room, he sensed that no one else was in his home. He poked his head into her room, careful not to scare her, and saw her consuming the snacks he’d left her. Thank God she was all right. She must have been dreaming.
He quickly fell back into the shadows, and stole off to check the rest of his condo. It would have been nearly impossible for someone to have gotten into his home without him knowing. Guards blocked the only elevators up to his home twenty-four by seven, and once inside, one needed a security code to ascend and then a separate code to open the door into the home. Both the private and public elevators had different combinations. The stairwell was the only other way in, and he’d installed a double set of steel security doors, again with sequencing codes and biometric security scans. He couldn’t be too careful, sensing a war was upon them.
One more check of Kalli, and he swore he’d go back to bed. His brain and body needed rest, so he’d be one hundred percent in the coming days. Coming up to the guest room, he padded slowly and quietly, trying not to alarm her. She hadn’t seen his wolf yet. Being that she was human and a veterinarian, she might not take too kindly to seeing a wild animal on the loose.
Within minutes, he returned to her and came upon the most fascinating and spectacular sight he’d ever seen in all his long life. Kalli. In the dim light, he observe
d intently as she grasped the hem of her shirt, exposing her creamy white breasts to the midnight light of the moon. Her perfect peaks protested the brisk temperature in response. As she moved to hang up her shirt, her hair swept over the tightened, pink areolae, hiding then revealing them, teasing him as he watched.
He knew he should leave, but was undeniably captivated by her beauty and the mere sight of her skin. She reached for the blanket, and froze. He was tempted to leave but instead he found himself slowly stalking her bed, as he had earlier in the evening as a man. Surprisingly, she sat still, letting him view her bare and defenseless.
Kalli knew it was him. Tristan. My God, he was magnificent. Lush black fur with the same amber eyes that had enthralled her earlier, he was the most stunning wolf she’d ever seen. She glanced down at her skin, well aware of her nudity, and realized that she wanted him to see her. Her wolf wanted it too, but unfortunately, she was well caged and could only admire how strong and dominant he truly was from afar.
Slowly she reached for the covers, and laid her head back on the pillow, never losing eye contact with her wolf. “Tristan,” she whispered and curled onto her side facing him. “Come lie next to me. I’m not afraid. You can stay how you are. Please come sleep and protect me,” she asked in a soft voice. There was no denying that she wanted the man, but tonight in the darkness, she felt safe with the wolf.
Tristan’s heart jumped at her words. Even if she were unsure of wanting him as her Alpha, she wanted his protection and accepted his wolf. He found it extraordinary that she was capable of knowing it was him and that she spoke to him, cognizant that he understood her as if he was man. He went to her, curling into her side.
Kalli laid motionless, wrapped in soft fabric, oddly relieved he’d come to her. Within minutes, she could feel his warmth radiating through the covers. She relaxed, certain he would not shift. The last time she had slept next to a wolf, she’d been a young girl, nuzzling with her friends as the adults ran without them. But as an adult, she’d feared both the males and females, well aware of the brutality they could inflict. But at the moment, she felt a sense of tranquility and closeness that she’d never experienced as a woman.
No words were spoken. And while she knew he’d seen her naked, there was nothing sexual about the experience. It was a demonstration of trust. He revealed himself to her, and she revealed herself to him. It may have appeared as a physical exchange to an outsider, but she recognized the importance of the interaction; a significant milestone that created a bond between them. With deliberation, she reached over and placed her hand upon him, silently thanking him for saving her.
Tristan eased into her touch, trying to ignore the message his wolf was sending him. But he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t felt such intimacy with a woman for as long as he could remember.
Chapter Eight
Light streaked through the window, waking Kalli. Although it had only been a day since she’d been rescued, she already felt better. She knew it was her lupine genes which supported the advanced healing. The pills stifled the shift and lessened other traits, but they could not completely change her underlying cellular structure. If someone tested her blood, it would present positive for wolf.
Stirring in bed, she became acutely aware of heat emanating under her hand. Slowly opening her eyes, she quietly gasped, recognizing the feel of skin. Warm, tanned, manly skin. Skin that belonged to one very naked, very muscular, Tristan Livingston. Without moving, she allowed herself the indulgence of taking in an eyeful of the powerful Alpha while he lightly snored. Riveted, she couldn’t take her eyes off his face; he was incredibly handsome. A straight nose, masculine jawline with smooth lips. She imagined he was very skilled with those lovely lips and shivered thinking about the things he could do to her with them.
Given that he was perfectly nude, lying atop her bed, she thanked goodness her own body was underneath the covers. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or upset that he’d fallen asleep on his stomach, but she couldn’t help appreciating the hard contours of his body, from his well-corded back to his firmly sculptured ass to his strong thighs and calves. Dear Lord, the man was sheer perfection. Michelangelo’s David paled in comparison.
She’d somehow fallen asleep with her hand on his shoulder and now let her fingers voluntarily wander down the length of his back. Curious, she couldn’t resist, indulging in the experience of touching such an amazing male. Gently, she pushed into a sitting position as she continued to slide her hand over the cheek of his bottom and onto his thigh. Squeezing her legs together, she forced herself to concentrate as her arousal peaked. No internal conflict plagued her as the impulse to touch him took over her thoughts. Neither wolf nor human, she simply was a female who very much wanted the desirable male in her bed.
Tristan flinched slightly, awakened by the touch of her hand on his back and the sweet smell of her excitement. Shifting back after she’d fallen deep into REM sleep, he had to force himself to calm down. He could have sworn he’d been hard all night. This morning, he feigned sleep, knowing that if he opened his eyes, she’d go tearing off his bed like a scared alley cat. But when she skimmed over his butt with her fingers, he swore his steel shaft threatened to catapult him off the bed.
The subtle flinch alerted her that he could be waking up, and she didn’t want to be in bed with him when it happened. So she snatched his shirt off the bed. Now dry, she slid it over her head and slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. After brushing her teeth and hair, she tugged again at the too large underwear that clearly had stretched out and no longer wished to stay on her hips. Losing the battle, she let them fall to the floor and decided to go without, resigning herself to a pantyless morning. Because his extra-large shirt fell down over her thighs, she felt relatively covered. Ready to face her Alpha, she cracked open the door.
She wasn’t sure where Tristan had gone when she exited the bathroom, but she was hungry and wasn’t waiting for him. Within a few minutes, she quickly found the kitchen and the ever-important coffee machine. She turned it on, popped in the coffee pod and started opening cabinets looking for mugs. Setting two cups on the counter, she opened the door to the refrigerator and pulled out creamer then continued looking through the clutter for the eggs. She felt ravenous, and needed protein. “Come on, where are you, little eggies? Tristan has to have eggs. Everyone has eggs,” she mumbled, talking to herself.
“Tristan does,” he told her with a grin, surprised to find Kalli rummaging around in search of food. Despite taking a cold shower, he was instantly hard again at the sight of her lovely bare ass which peeked at him from underneath his shirt. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her from behind and slide deep into her warm heat. The temptation was great, but he restrained his desires.
Kalli jumped at his voice, quickly turning around. “Hi, um, I was just going to make us something to eat,” she said nervously.
“By all means,” he agreed confidently, walking by her wearing only a towel around his hips. His erection tented the fabric, and he made no attempt to conceal it.
It was nearly impossible to ignore both the charisma and raw sexuality Tristan exuded. Slowly, Kalli’s eyes roamed up and down his lean torso, astonished at the audaciousness he exhibited while wearing practically nothing. His hair, dampened from the shower, fell shaggy over his eyes. Hardened abs rippled down toward his low slung towel. Struggling for the words that never came, she couldn’t help her natural reaction, which was to look him over one last time. Embarrassed, she just knew that he knew that she’d just looked at his groin area, which appeared to be growing. Oh God. She rubbed her hand over her eyes and smiled to herself. What was it about this man? Get it together, Kalli. Say something.
“Um, okay then, so the eggs.” She opened the refrigerator, careful to hold on to the shirt so it didn’t ride up again.
“Like what you see?” he asked seductively as he set a coffee mug next to her hand, proceeding to wait for the next cup to fill.
“What did you ju
st say?” Shocked, she grabbed the egg carton and quickly stood up, banging her head. She turned around holding the package in one hand, rubbing the sore spot on her head with the other.
He set his eyes on hers, taking the eggs and putting them on the ledge. She backed into the counter as he caged her, pushing her body flush against his. “I said…Do. You. Like. What. You. See?” he whispered into her ear, accentuating every word.
She sucked a breath as a million pithy responses filled her head. But the hard bulge pressed against her body and her dangerously hard nipples made it impossible for her to speak coherently.
“Um.” God, she felt like a complete idiot. Eight years of college and all she had was ‘um’?
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied playfully, kissing her ear softly. He reached over to grab his coffee cup, which made him press against her even harder.
She sucked a breath at the welcome intrusion. There was a part of her that thought he might kiss her. Immobilized against his hard torso, he had her exactly where he wanted her, or rather, where she wanted to be.
Instead of kissing her, however, he wrapped his fingers around the clay handle and walked away with a broad smile across his face, without saying another word. He proceeded to sit down at the island, and switched on his i-Pad, checking his email as he pretended to ignore her. When Kalli turned around again to make the eggs, he let his eyes drift to her soft supple cheeks that strained to stay covered by his shirt. The hem teased higher as she bent over slightly to turn on the stove. Damn, this woman was killing him.
Tristan could not remember the last time he’d slept naked with a woman. Sure he’d fucked many, but not truly just slept with one. He’d stayed wolf as long as he could, treasuring her trust, teaching her that he wouldn’t hurt her. But now that she was healing and walking around his home like she belonged here, he felt the pressure in his chest along with the ache between his legs.
