by Desiree Holt
The pack had begun to stir, readying itself for its evening activities, when she stopped at the edge of a row of dead trees.
They saw her at once, each of them freezing in place, watchful. Waiting.
The largest of the males, probably the alpha, took a step forward. He lifted his snout, catching her scent. Analyzing it. Could he tell the difference from their own members? Would he reject her, or, worse, signal the pack to turn on her? Heart racing, Alexa forced herself to stand completely still.
After what seemed like an eternity, the alpha moved forward slowly. None of the others followed him, waiting for his signal to move one way or another. When he was within five feet of her, he stopped, lifted his snout again, and a low growl rumbled up from his chest. Again, Alexa forced herself not to move, although the urge to bolt and run was enormous.
Finally, the alpha dipped his head, fixed her with his gaze, and rumbled at her again.
Who are you? Why have you come here to our home? Whose pack do you belong to?
No pack. I am alone.
Wolves do not exist in solitude except as outcasts. Have you shamed your pack?
I…had a disagreement with our alpha.
His nostrils flared. You scent is not pure. Are you a hybrid? Is that why you were cast out?
Alexa swallowed. Here it was.
I am a shifter. Part human. Our entire pack is shifters.
The alpha stared at her. Show us.
Okay, Alexa. Now or never.
She closed her eyes, focused in on herself, and concentrated on the shifting of her molecules and cells. She felt the hair on her skin disappear, her bones adjust, her facial features change. In less than a minute, she stood quietly before them in her human form, waiting while the alpha’s eyes raked her naked body and the others in the pack studied her in minute detail.
Hold out your hand.
Tamping down the fear that bubbled up, Alexa lifted her arm and reached a hand out to the wolf. He moved closer until his snout touched her fingers. She nearly jumped when, unexpectedly, his rough tongue lapped the skin of her palm.
He backed away a few steps, turned to the others behind him, and nodded his head. What happened then was the last thing Alexa expected. Each wolf, centering in on itself, began the process of change, until she was surrounded by a small group of naked humans, the alpha included.
“I am Derek,” he told her and held out his hand, totally unselfconscious in his nudity. This despite a cock that rivaled Jesse’s in thickness and length. Alexa was sure his mate appreciated it.
“Alexa Morgan,” she told him. “How long have you lived in this place?”
A look of pain flashed across his face. “The woods that were our home were destroyed to make way for new development. Many of our pack were killed by hunters. We have been trying to find a new place where we can live in peace in both our human and wolf forms. Are you in such a place?”
She shook her head. “No. I had to leave my pack, and I’m alone here. No one knows my true nature.”
“Then why are you here looking for our help?” one of the women asked. She moved forward to stand beside Derek, giving notice of her claim.
“I have a…relationship with a human. He doesn’t know I’m a shifter, but he’s in trouble.”
She proceeded to tell them about Jesse and the gang situation, about the terrible beating he’d taken and the rumors that the gang violence was ramping up. And her attack on Bang Bang.
“I’ve been following them every night,” she explained. “But if things get out of hand, I can’t manage this by myself.”
A tall blond man stepped forward to Derek’s other side. “I am Rand,” he told her. “Why should we bother to help you? What’s in it for us?”
Well, you knew this would come up, kiddo. “What do you want?”
“A place where we can live in peace. A place to rebuild our little community.”
Alexa chewed her lip. “If you do this for me, I will help you find such a place. You have no reason to trust me, but I give you my word. I have a client who might be able to help. We’ll see. In any event, you wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now.” She looked at each of them in turn then back to Derek. “So, what’s the answer?”
Derek and Rand exchanged looks. “We need to discuss this. Come back at the same time tomorrow night and we’ll give you our answer.”
“But—”
“Tomorrow night.” His voice was firm.
In an instant, they all resumed their wolf forms and disappeared into the protection of the devastated orange trees.
Fighting back her frustration, Alexa also resumed her wolf form and took off at a run along the highway. From the angle of the moon above the horizon, she calculated she’d barely have time to catch Jesse as he and Charlie made their first stop of the night.
Chapter Eight
Alexa felt the tension everywhere as she trailed the cop car. Rather than hang back in the shadows as she’d been doing, she made sure to show herself to the gang members. Anyone even considering raising a gun to her when they heard her menacing growl remembered the swiftness with which she’d attacked Bang Bang, whose hand was still an unsightly mess.
But the gang leader’s need to reassert his dominance was as thick as smoke in the air. The stops at the gathering places of the other two gangs didn’t help much, either. They were like hounds scenting blood, ready to strike at a weakening leader.
And Jesse and Charlie were square in the middle.
She barely made it home before Jesse was at her door.
“This is stupid,” he told her after kissing her with such intensity she was sure the soles of her feet were scorched.
She blinked. “Kissing me is stupid?”
“No. My having to bang on the door every night. Or morning. Or whatever. I should just use the key you gave me.” He studied her face. “Or maybe we should think about combining our living arrangements.”
Oh, Jesse, not yet. Not until you know my secret. Then you’ll probably be gone so fast it won’t matter.
“Okay. We can definitely discuss it.” She kept her voice as steady as possible, putting every bit of heat into it she could. “Meanwhile, the key thing is fine.” As long as I can be sure to get home before you do. “How was the meeting?”
His mouth set in a grim line. “Everyone’s got the same feeling. Trouble’s going to blow any second. And the natives were definitely restless tonight. We did a lot of talking to keep things from exploding, but that will only last for so long. Maybe not more than a day.”
He looked so weary, Alexa wanted to cry for him. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. “I worry so much about you.”
“I’ll be okay. Be glad when we can finally put a lid on this situation.” Jesse cupped her face in his hands. “You look tired. Did you work on your project all night?”
“Yes, you could say that. I was about to take a shower.” She saw the smoldering look come into his eyes and gave him a slow, sexy grin. “Want to take one with me?”
He brushed his lips against hers. “The only thing that got me through my shift tonight was thinking about the things we do together. Every night you take away the grime of the day. Make me whole again. When I feel your soft fingers inside me and your hand stroking my cock, the rest of the world disappears under the intense pleasure.”
“I love doing that,” she told him in a soft voice.
“And I love to have you do it. But, tonight, I have a greater need. To give that pleasure back to you.”
“But—”
“No arguments.” He swooped her up in his arms and carried her through the house to her bathroom. He leaned into the shower stall to turn on the water before setting her on her feet.
“Slow tonight, darlin’. I want to make you shatter in a million tiny pieces. Watching you come apart in my arms is better than any medicine.”
Alexa shivered with anticipation.
Jesse undressed her slowly, running his
hands over each part of her body as he exposed it, kissing and licking her bare skin.
He took her hands and placed them under her breasts. “Hold these out for me, darlin’,” he whispered. “Let me see you offer them to me. They are such a precious treat.”
Alexa cupped her breasts in her hands and lifted them. She felt the wet heat of Jesse’s mouth as he bent his head and captured each nipple in turn with his lips. He grazed them with his teeth and swirled his tongue around them so gently it drove her crazy. He teased and tormented them, stopping finally to remove her jeans and panties. In seconds, he had his own clothing off and discarded and lifted her into the shower.
With the warm water beating down on him, he knelt before her, moving her legs apart. Lifting one to place it over his shoulder, he positioned her so she was wide open to him. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.
“Better than any perfume,” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. His fingers parted her labia, so pink and flushed with arousal. With unerring accuracy he placed his lips over the hard knot of her clit.
“Oh, God,” she moaned.
Grasping her hips with his hands, he held that hard erogenous bundle of nerves firmly in his mouth while he lashed it with his tongue. The rapid strokes set up a quaking in her cunt and made her so weak she had to clutch the top of his head to steady herself.
She was nearing the peak of an orgasm, cresting, reaching for it, when suddenly he moved away, easing her leg to the floor. She wanted to cry in frustration.
“Jesse!”
“Hold on, darlin’. Tonight, I’m going to show you exactly how good you make me feel every night.”
He opened the shower door, reached for something on the counter then was back holding a silver cylinder in his hand. Her waterproof vibrator.
Alexa leaned against the shower wall and closed her eyes, breathing accelerated.
Jesse chuckled. “Tonight, we’re doing it a little differently.”
She watched with hooded eyes while he slicked soap over the little cylinder then soaped his hand and lathered first her slit, then the crevice between the cheeks of her ass. When he was finished, he turned her to face the wall, tilted her forward and used his foot to separate her legs.
His breath brushed against her cheek like a warm breeze. “Lean right there, darlin’, and hang on for the ride.”
The tip of the vibrator pressed against her anus then popped in as the soap eased its way. She had a sudden sense of fullness, of being stretched, that set every nerve in her rectum snapping and crackling. It was the same feeling she had when Jesse’s cock was inside her, a feeling of burning heat. Deep inside, her womb reacted.
Jesse held the little toy in place with one hand while the other crept around to her front. He probed her swollen pussy lips and placed two fingers on either side of her throbbing clit. He put his lips right next to her ear.
“Here we go, sweet thing.”
He pressed the button that kicked on the vibrator. In a moment, jolts of power shot through Alexa’s rectum and into her body, shaking her from head to toe. She had barely had time to absorb the erotic sensations rushing through that dark tunnel when Jesse began to massage her clit with a steady rhythm. The double assault on her body nearly lifted her off her feet. Every muscle clenched, and she rocked back and forth, trying to draw his hand into her body even as she pushed against the vibrator.
The warm water cascading around them was like a steamy cocoon, and all that she was aware of was the intense need building inside her. And Jesse’s warm, strong body anchoring her as she rocketed to the top of the roller coaster.
When the orgasm hit, it was with such force she was sure she’d been catapulted into space. And in the middle of it, as her pussy was clenching and convulsing, Jesse turned her. Lifting her, he lowered her onto his rock-hard erection. The little vibrator hummed and buzzed in her ass, her vaginal muscles squeezed his penis, and Jesse pumped into her. She shot to the peak again and off into space.
She had no idea how long they stood like that, Jesse leaning against the shower wall holding her, his penis still filling her cunt. He’d turned off the vibrator at some point, but its length still filled her ass. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to breathe again, or get her heart rate under control.
Finally, he lowered her feet to the floor, reached around to slide the vibrator out of her body, and turned off the shower. She was so limp as he dried her off she had to hold onto him for support. Finished, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed.
He crawled in beside her, spooning her against his body. Then he smoothed her hair back from her face and placed soft kisses on her temple.
“Mine,” he whispered softly. “All mine.”
Her last coherent thought was, Oh, Jesse, if you only knew.
***
“That was the captain.” Jesse clicked his cell phone shut and clipped it to his belt. “He wants everyone in early for tonight’s shift, and he’s holding the afternoon guys over.”
Alexa felt a knot form in her stomach. “More trouble?”
“Same trouble. He got an anonymous tip that tonight’s the night everyone plans to mix it up.” He picked up his gun and his keys from the table.
Alexa threw her arms around him. Maybe if she held on tightly enough, she could keep him safe at home.
He tilted her face down to hers. “Hey, darlin’. It’ll be all right. I promise. Besides, we have Kevlar vests and riot shields. We know what we’re doing.”
“I have a bad feeling about this, Jesse.”
“Yeah, well, gang wars don’t give anyone a good feeling, that’s for sure.” He kissed her hard then set her away from him. “But I’ll be careful. I know what’s waiting for me at home.” He grinned. “And maybe my wolf will show up to protect me.”
Damn straight about that. Maybe a lot of wolves.
As soon as Jesse was out the door, Alexa picked up her phone and called her real estate developer client. He had a small block of bungalow-style homes he’d picked up that needed a great deal of work. With most of his capital committed elsewhere at the moment, he was offering the use of the homes to whoever would agree to do the renovations. Maybe he’d even work out a plan for them to buy the places because he had to get rid of them. So far, he hadn’t had any takers. Alexa told him she might have some people interested and she’d get back to him.
Then, giving Jesse plenty of time to be gone from the neighborhood, Alexa repeated her process of the previous day and, thirty minutes later, stood at the edge of the old orange grove, waiting for the wolves to notice her.
Derek rose from the place where he’d been resting and padded forward, still in his wolf form.
You’re back.
Did you think I wouldn’t be? I need your help.
Your human, will he allow it, or will he try to destroy us as other humans have?
You have nothing to fear from him. I give you my word.
The air was thick with silence as she waited for him to digest her statement. To determine the truth of it. At last he took one step closer to her.
I’ll ask you again. What do you have to offer in return?
She told him about her client and described what would be required.
If you are clever with your hands and willing to work hard, you can create new homes for yourselves. The rest is up to you. I need an answer from you right now. Tonight, there will be big trouble, and I must protect my…mate.
Was that what Jesse was? She’d find out soon enough when he learned the truth about her.
We have talked. Tell us what you want. We’re ready to help.
Aware that there was still lingering hostility among these strange wolves who didn’t know her from a rock, she told them carefully and clearly exactly what they all needed to do.
Chapter Nine
Alexa led the pack along the same dusty two-lane highway she had been taking every night. By now, she knew every twist and bump and turn and where to swerve to avoid the tr
affic. Led by Derek, the wolves followed her, silent predators in the fading light.
The crowd noise signaled activity at the convenience store as they approached it. Alexa stopped and signaled the others to move behind the trees while she scoped things out.
Cars were scattered everywhere, several of them pulled into a circle surrounding at least fifty young men armed and ready for battle. Behind the circle were both unmarked police cars like Jesse’s and cruisers with their roof lights flashing. Police were dressed in protective vests, helmets and holding riot shields. From behind the barricade of vehicles, someone was using a bullhorn to address the crowd.
“I am once again ordering you to disperse. Get in your cars and leave, and we will not bother you.”
“Fuck that shit,” someone shouted, and Alexa saw it was Bang Bang. “Stay outta our faces while we take care of these guys. Then we’ll leave.”
“Yeah, Bang Bang,” someone shouted. “We need to teach these assholes some respect. Stay out of our business.”
“Now, Bang Bang, you know we can’t do that.” Jesse’s voice.
Alexa’s heart clenched. She padded forward, keeping the cars between herself and the crowd. She spotted both Jesse and Charlie inside the ring, leaning against one of the cars. The poses they affected were casual, but she knew they were anything but relaxed. Once again, Charlie cradled the riot gun.
Get out of the way, Jesse. Don’t challenge them.
“I don’t see your big dog tonight, cop boy,” Bang Bang sneered. “Tonight, I get rid of the rest of this trash and then it’s just you and me.”
“I will give you one minute to disperse,” the bullhorn voice said again, “or we’ll break this up for you.”
Bang Bang moved forward, chin jutted out, his body in a “bring it on” attitude despite the heavy bandage on his hand and arm. Behind him, his gang surged like a slow-moving wave. Opposite them, the other gang also moved forward, the leader drawing his gun.
