“He’ll kill me no matter what. If he can catch me.”
He grinned, and she kissed him hard again. He had a point.
She paused the kiss to gulp in a breath. “Do you know why your being a Beta is so important?” When he shook his head, she continued. “An Alpha is only as strong as their pack. Sure, some are naturally more powerful than others, but a strong pack makes for a stronger Alpha.”
“Makes sense.” James rid himself of his shirt, and Stefanie forgot whatever else she wanted to say as she tackled him back onto the couch. The rest of their clothes came off quicker, and for a little while, she had no pain in her leg. No bruises or aches. The only bites were the ones she gave him.
The bitter emptiness in her was filled and overflowed. With him. All him.
A perfect moment. She wasn’t a romantic. There’d be no paintings of his pretty eyes and smile with hearts. It was sizzling passion, all sweat and grunts, groping and thrusting. Such force that knocked over several paintings. Tangled bodies and joyous cries as she reached her peak not once or twice, but three times.
Stefanie lay on top of him afterward. Her head on his chest and his hands lightly caressing.
She felt good. Better than good. James made her feel like a goddess. An Alpha goddess. She had to protect him. Whatever it took, she’d make sure he would live.
“You’re thinking about fighting, aren’t you?”
His voice startled her. She propped herself up on her folded arms and peered at him.
“With you, I’m stronger. None of them would expect it. I can use that to my advantage. And you’re really powerful. More so than Matt, I think. Scott is no threat, and June is easily beat. Maybe she’ll leave to go home now that Colin is dead. Starr wouldn’t fight. That leaves just Wyatt and Matt to worry about.” She gnawed at her lower lip. “That’s why they killed off my other pack members. I didn’t have a Beta, and Starr was mated to Matt by that point.”
He shook his head. “No way. You’re wounded, and there’re more of them. They’d beat you and take you away. I won’t let that happen.”
“Wyatt has to kill me now. There are no other alternatives for him.”
“And you say it so calmly!” James hit the couch with a fist. “This is life or death. You can’t be playing around with it. There’re too many of them. Why can’t you just hide? You’d be alive. There’s no shame in that.”
This coming from a lone wolf who had to keep his wolf life a secret. It was his life, but it wasn’t hers. The guilt and shame from running away in the first place weighed heavily on her. More so, the fact that some might see her as a coward ate her every minute of every day. She was a fighter, a leader, a free spirit. Wyatt had taken that all away from her.
“James—”
“No, don’t tell me you’re going to fight.” Desperation painted his gorgeous features. Her chest constricted. “It’s stupid. I know you’re not stupid. Hiding makes sense. Tell me it doesn’t.”
Stefanie stood, putting her weight on her good leg. She wound one arm around his neck and lifted, grabbing the back of it with a handful of hair to hold him in sitting position. “Hiding makes sense. But I can’t do it.” She gripped tighter when he opened his mouth to protest. “I would hate myself if I did that. I need to be free. If I don’t have my freedom, life isn’t worth living.”
“But you’d be alive.” His voice was soft and trembling.
“There’s more to life than just simply living.” Her fingers relaxed and trailed down his neck to his shoulder. His arms slithered around her and pulled her to him. There were no more protests, and she was thankful for it, but she could almost hear his mind ticking.
“Come on. Sleep with me.” When his eyes lit up, she grinned and shook her head. She slipped from him and limped away from the couch. “As wolves. Just sleeping. A pack bonds and is stronger for doing things like this.”
She was going to have to do something before he did. Even if she forbade him to leave the apartment, he wouldn’t listen. James was the knight in shining armor type. She liked that about him, but she wasn’t a helpless princess. She was the queen, and she was going to regain her throne herself.
Or die trying.
CHAPTER 7
An explosion shook the building some time just before sunrise. Stefanie sat up, sniffing and listening. It wasn’t her building, but somewhere else in town. How bad had it gotten out there? Maybe the military had finally arrived. Or was Carmine in ruins around them?
James shifted, peeking sleepily up at her. She licked his muzzle and made a reassuring noise. She stood with little pain, stepped off the wooden futon bed, and peered out the full-length window. It was still dark, but quieter than the night before. Smoke came from the city’s center, but most of Carmine was still standing.
Stefanie’s leg felt stiff, but better. The wound had closed to leave a nasty scar. Her fur might eventually grow to cover it, but it’d be much more noticeable in her human form.
Slipping out of the room, she went to the bathroom and transformed back. Stretching, she then sat down on the toilet and relieved herself. Her stomach grumbled. Healing took a lot of energy, but she wasn’t feeling as drained as she’d have thought. James presence truly did help. In more ways than just that. She was calmer than she might’ve been alone. Stronger for having bonded with him.
If she won against Wyatt, she could make James her Beta and take him back with the pack to Wisconsin. She smiled for a second before realizing the ridiculousness of that thought.
She wasn’t sure she could beat Wyatt, and she hated that she doubted herself. That was another thing the bastard had taken from her. She couldn’t go through life second-guessing herself and wondering if she was good enough.
Her reason said to run, but it was tainted by her self-doubt. Her instincts demanded she fight. She wasn’t going to ignore them any longer.
It was her turn to hunt.
How she managed to grab some clothes and food without waking James, she didn’t know, but she was thankful he was a heavy sleeper. The previous day had exhausted him, and if she were lucky, he’d sleep the morning away.
The door creaked loudly as she exited her apartment. Frowning, she cringed, and took off down the stairs without waiting to see if it woke James. Never had her door made a sound. It was as if it wanted to wake him.
There was no time to wonder about it. Stefanie had to focus her mind on the hunt. Best to start at the hotel. Even if they weren’t there, she could try to catch their scents.
The sun was up by the time she got outside and started to jog toward the west. The quiet was eerie, even more unsettling than the chaos the night before. The blare of a siren broke the silence toward the north, and she relaxed a fraction hearing it.
The people of Carmine would pick up the pieces and rebuild. It was time Stefanie attempted to rebuild herself too.
By the time she got to the hotel, her heart was hammering. Not from the run, but from what might await her. She imagined the worst. It was better that way. Hope could be distracting.
The pack would’ve taken ground level rooms to have the sliding doors open to the woods. The place was busy compared to the other night. Since the hotel was untouched and still had power, she guessed people had hurried to claim rooms.
The pack’s scent was easy to pick up. They had marked the whole place over several times. There would be no picking up a specific trail, but they’d been there recently or possibly were still there. Most rooms had the curtains drawn, but there was usually a slit between them that she could peek through.
Near the north side of the hotel, Stefanie lucked out. Her breath hitched as she saw the woman lying on the bed. She sucked in her lower lip as it started to tremble.
Starr was curled up in the center of the king size bed on top of the covers. Her long red hair streamed over one pillow as if her head were a comet. She was paler than Stefanie remembered, but Starr was also very pregnant.
Her little sister was going to be a mother.
<
br /> She was going to be an aunt.
Stefanie wanted to howl with joy, but the initial rush quickly vanished as Matt came into view. He lowered himself onto the bed and crawled to spoon Starr. His hand rested on her belly. Her eyes fluttered open, and he said something next to her ear. They laughed and kissed.
Choking on a growl, Stefanie turned away from the tender scene. She wanted to kill Matt. It wasn’t right.
No, that wouldn’t be fair to her sister. Starr deserved a family and happiness. But why did it have to be with Matt? The bastard had come into their pack, drew Starr away from her, and paved the way for Wyatt’s terror.
Here Stefanie was fighting for her life, and they were enjoying a happy little family moment. Green and red flashed through her simultaneously. She darted into the woods and ran until she could no longer see the hotel. Finding the biggest tree, she pounded a fist against it.
Though Starr had refused to run away with her, Stefanie had always imagined her a victim too. That little scene told her that her sister was not with Matt against her will. More so, she had turned her back on Stefanie without coercion. They were family. Even more so, they were pack. The knife in her back twisted deeper.
“Coming to beg for mercy?”
At the sound of Scott’s voice, Stefanie whipped around and launched herself at him. Her aim was perfect, and he hadn’t time to dodge. She rammed a forearm up under his chin and pinned him on a bed of dewy fallen leaves.
“Wyatt’s going to kill you.” He bared his teeth, more in a grin than a threat.
Breathing him in, Scott smelled of sour rot. Stefanie could feel his bones were lacking any meat. Even his muscles were stringy. His teeth had taken on a yellow tinge and his eyes were sunken in. She had known him since he was a toddler. He’d always been skinny, but not like this.
Removing her forearm, she gave his throat a squeeze with her hand. “Don’t move.”
Being an Omega, he couldn’t ignore her command. Stefanie then snatched one of his arms and pushed back his sleeve. Not even his accelerated healing abilities could erase the track marks. He’d made himself into a hideous pincushion. One still dribbled a little blood.
“Scott.”
“Don’t you fucking say anything.” Scott tugged on his arm, but her grip was stronger. “You have no right to say anything to me.” His struggles were weak like a child’s.
“You’re going to kill yourself doing that shit.” She wanted to protect him, to comfort him. To wash that junk right out of his body and see the happy kid she once knew.
“You don’t know what it’s like. You never knew what it was like to be me. And, oh, how the mighty have fallen.” He sneered. “I’m better this way.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Stefanie let go of his arm and stood up. He wasn’t a threat to her, but he was most certainly one to himself. “You’re not healing. You look like you haven’t eaten or slept in weeks. I can smell you dying. I can help you.”
“Fuck off.” Scott sat and scooted back until he bumped up against a tree. “You don’t know anything.”
“Then tell me!” She snapped. “I saw Starr. I bet she’s ready to have the baby any day now. She should be back home, resting. That pup is going to need a healthy pack.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter. Matt won’t let any of us near Starr. He’ll be ten times worse when the baby comes.” Scott snorted.
Stefanie felt a small wave of relief wash through her at that. At least Matt had the sense to protect his mate from what he knew to be unhealthy. But he’d never be able to protect Starr or the pup from Wyatt. And he was by far the bigger threat.
What sort of pack was that for her niece or nephew to grow up in? Anger and fear trampled her relief. In just the short time Wyatt had been Alpha, the pack had weakened. One glance at Scott was all the proof she needed.
She crouched down, looking him in the eyes. “I know life has been hell for you since the others came. Rough before then too, but your dad and I, we wouldn’t have let you get this far gone. You’re pack. We take care of our own.”
“Shut up! Don’t you fucking mention my dad!” Scott’s scream broke into a hoarse cry. He kicked at the ground and tossed leaves around.
One of the two males who had been killed by Wyatt and the others was Scott’s father. He’d been part of the Nicolet pack for years. He’d been like an uncle to her. A little rougher around the edges than her father, but not like Wyatt or Colin. Scott and his dad had been going through a difficult time before the pack was torn apart. Like many teens, Scott had been out to assert his independence and prove he was tougher than his old man.
When the others came, they encouraged Scott and it got worse. Stefanie wasn’t there when his dad was killed, but she wanted to believe that Scott had nothing to do with it. He loved his dad no matter the friction between them.
“I can help you.” Stefanie inched closer to him. Maybe she couldn’t help Starr, but she could do something for Scott. She ached to do something, anything, her protective Alpha instincts kicking in. “Let me help you.”
Scott was silent, staring at his shoes. A light breeze ruffled his hair. Her nose twitched, and she immediately stood. Body tense, she turned to the right.
A few seconds later, Wyatt walked out from behind the trees and grinned.
Damn him. Damn them all. She’d been too caught up in Scott’s troubles and her own emotions to notice any others in the area.
“I never thought you’d come to me, babe.” Wyatt still smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes. “Sweet of you trying to help this worthless little bastard, but he dug his own grave. And I’m sorry to say that you did too.”
“Yes, I see you’re terribly disappointed that you have to kill me.” Stefanie’s body thrummed with the tension in the air. “I’m not going to make it easy for you.”
“I hope not.” Wyatt chuckled, walking closer to her.
Scott crawled back, half behind the tree. Stefanie smelled the others before they revealed themselves. June, face raw and red with her grief and anger, glared at her from the left. Matt silent and unreadable just to Stefanie’s right behind her.
“I’m not going to run,” Stefanie said stiffly.
“Oh, I know you say it, but your past record has proved otherwise.” Wyatt slowly circled her and stopped when he was nearest to Matt. “Where’s your bitch? I told you to bring her.”
“Starr’s not feeling well.” Matt folded his arms. “Besides, she doesn’t need to see this. The stress is hard enough on her already.”
“You’ll do what I say.” Wyatt snapped and grabbed the front of his brother’s shirt. “The bitch needs to see who’s in charge here. She needs to see what happens when someone doesn’t do what I want. I should make an example of you first. Ever since you knocked her up, you’ve been acting like you’re too good for the rest of us.”
Matt didn’t fight back. When Wyatt shook him, he took it with a hardening of his jaw. The brothers looked a lot alike in the face, but whereas Wyatt was broad with bulky muscles, Matt was taller and leaner.
“Do what you need to do, Wyatt. I never questioned who was in charge. I’m just looking out for my mate.”
Stefanie noted that Matt didn’t lower his eyes. When a wolf submitted to another, they always dropped their gaze. She wondered if Matt had the strength if he would’ve challenged Wyatt himself. Wyatt’s hold on the pack was faltering. Colin was dead, Scott was a junkie, and June was nowhere near as big of a threat as her mate had been. If Matt was pulling away along with Starr, Wyatt wouldn’t have the power of the pack behind him.
Her stomach quivered. A flare of hope tickling it. Maybe her odds weren’t so bad after all.
Wyatt released his brother and spun around to face Stefanie. He stalked toward her with teeth bared and murder in his eyes.
Then again, maybe she was screwed.
CHAPTER 8
Stefanie wanted to stand tall, hold her chin up, and meet him head on. Two things happened to shatter th
e proud image she wanted to portray.
As Wyatt came at her, she flashed back to when he had defeated her the first time. She had stood proud before that fight, but as she lay bleeding and near death at the end of it in her human form, he’d bent over her with his hand in a fist. She’d been certain he was going to finish her off, but he snatched her hair instead and dragged her into the house. He locked her in the cellar and left her for two days.
She healed, but every time she felt some strength returning, Wyatt would come down and beat her again. That wasn’t the worst of it, but she only relived the other bits in nightmares. That was horrible enough itself.
Anguish enveloped her. She could barely catch her breath, and her heart felt like it was beating too fast. The world grew hazy around the edges. Focus. She needed to focus, but her mind and body weren’t listening.
Stefanie drew into a defensive stance, making herself smaller rather than more intimidating. Wyatt towered over her, skin flushed with anger.
A black blur raced out from between the trees and pounced on Wyatt. They rolled to the ground, and Wyatt transformed, tangling in his clothes, but still the more powerful of the two. He pinned James to the ground with his jaws locked around his neck.
“James!” Stefanie didn’t bother with her clothes either. What was the fool thinking? A dumb question because she knew the answer. But it was a stupid thing to do. James was going to get himself killed.
As a wolf, her lower half easily slid out of her jeans and panties. Her shoes were left on the ground. The shirt was still caught on her, but no matter how ridiculous it must’ve look, she jumped on Wyatt and pulled him off James.
They growled and bit and smashed into each other. Teeth and claws drawing blood and matting their fur. Their remaining clothes ripped to shreds. Stefanie wasn’t fighting for herself now. Why couldn’t James have slept through the morning? Damn creaking door. He was too good to die.
1302 The Alpha (The 13th Floor) Page 5
