Alpha's Claim

by 10 Author Anthology

  Chapter Five

  Arika followed Duke through the hallway of his apartment building with a budding sense of curiosity. The man who strode stiffly in front of her was a mystery. He’d said he didn’t fit into her world, but what sort of world did he fit into?

  She would admit it had been a bit of a surprise waking next to the massive wolf that dominated her bed even more than his human counterpart. Duke had shifted form in the middle of the night, curling up against her side. It had been nice snuggling against his warm fur in the early morning as she let sleep take her once more. The sense of security had felt so … right. He felt as if he belonged there, in her bed, in her home, in her life.

  But when he’d woken up, Duke had jumped away from her as if burnt. He’d practically knocked her over in his race to get to the shower. Intimacy obviously only went as far as sex with him.

  With a shake of her head, she moved forward as he inserted his key and eased the door open. She was about to take a step inside the apartment when he stuck an arm out to block her.

  “That’s far enough.”

  She reared back to look at him in surprise. “You’re making me wait in the hallway?”

  “I don’t like people in my personal space, okay?”

  Arika glared. “No. That’s not okay. Not at all.” She shoved his arm out of the way and forced past him. “You’ve seen every inch of my home. You’ve put your mouth on every inch of my body. I think I’m entitled to see where you live.”

  She was proud of her confidence. Yet at the same time, she glanced nervously over her shoulder at Duke. Power and dominance rolled off of him in angry waves, but he held his tongue.

  With a warning glare, he stomped off in the direction of a bedroom. “Don’t touch anything. Do you hear me?”

  She stuck her tongue out at his back. Then squaring her shoulders, she trailed him into the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she couldn’t help but observe that the messiness suited him. As did the edgy décor. Everything was hardwood and sleek. The only item atop his dresser was a black motorcycle helmet. Everything about the room screamed cool, screamed intimidation.

  She cocked her head curiously as something caught her eye. Everything but the picture of a smiling girl of around eight. The girl had long brown hair done in pigtails, and she wore a pink flowered dress. Her smile was bright, and her arms were wrapped around a much happier version of Duke. Stepping closer to the nightstand that held the framed photo, Arika ran her finger along the glass. “Who is this?”

  Duke whirled on her with a snarl. “What happened to minding your own business? I told you not to touch anything!” Storming over, he slammed the picture face down on the wooden surface.

  His shoulders rose and fell with his frustrated intakes of air. His dark eyes were wild as he snapped out, “She’s my sister. And I haven’t seen her in nearly a year and a half. Happy?”

  “Why haven’t you seen her?”

  Duke gave an angry laugh, his hand balling into a fist. “My pack had more alphas than it knew what to do with. I had the choice of stepping down or fighting my way to the top. I chose option number three. I left.”

  “You left your family?” She was unable to keep the horror from her voice.

  “My old man’s the reason I left.” Duke spoke with a cold and angry tremor to his voice. “Everything always had to be his way or no way. I got out of there. Haven’t looked back since.”

  She couldn’t imagine never seeing her family. They were so supportive of her career; they were her rock. Duke had to be lonely. Glancing about his apartment, she granted that he at least seemed to be surviving well on his own. His apartment was small, but it didn’t look like he was going without.

  She frowned, wondering why she cared so much. It wasn’t like he was some young kid out on his own trying to survive. She’d place him in his late twenties. He was a grown man. If he wanted to ostracize himself from his family, that was his decision. “So you’re like a lone wolf?”

  He gave a derisive snort. “Yeah. Something like that.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  At those words, his eyes flashed with fury. Despite being comically jammed into a pair of her sweatpants and an old t-shirt, he looked downright intimidating. “Don’t you ever feel sorry for me.” Grabbing the waistband of her jeans, he yanked her toward him. “Do you hear me?”

  Arika flinched at the severe tone of his voice. “I—”

  “We’re fucking,” he said harshly. “Nothing more. If you’re going to start…” He waved his free hand vaguely in her direction. “This, the emotional crap? I’m gone.”

  She stared up at him almost fearfully, her heart in her throat. She didn’t think he would hurt her. She had felt safe around him almost instantly. It wasn’t fear of him doing her physical harm that had her heart clenching with dread. It was something else.

  Realization had her eyes widening. She was afraid to scare him off! Despite his claim that their relationship was strictly sex, Arika knew he was lying. She could see it in the panicked look in his eyes. She’d felt something between them, something more than an easy means of physical release. And so had he. He was using his tough guy act as a means of defense.

  Last night, once orgasms were had, they’d lounged in the darkness of her room and talked. It hadn’t been about anything too intimate. They’d started by debating the best follow up to amazing sex. He’d said a cigarette, but she didn’t smoke. She’d said a bubble bath, but he’d snorted his disagreement. Finally, they agreed on chocolate.

  Arika had brought out her fondue pot and melted an entire bag of chocolate in the pot. They’d sat in the center of her bed, dipping pretzels into the gooey chocolate and talking. They’d discussed favorite foods, television shows, and hobbies. It had been almost like a date … a date succeeding sex. They’d connected so easily despite their different backgrounds and interests. He liked her, and that terrified him for some reason.

  If she had to play this game until he was able to come to terms with his feelings, she would. That gave her a couple days to really and truly seduce him. Giving a little nod, she tilted her face up to look at him. “You’re right. We’re just fucking. It’s none of my business.”

  “It isn’t.” In spite of his tough words, his tone had gentled. He loosened his grip on her jeans and slipped his arms around her waist. “Just enjoy the week, all right? Don’t put any more into it than simply enjoying one another’s company. Think of me as a vacation.” He lowered his head over hers, kissing her. The kiss was slow and sensual. He pulled her in against him, nudging her lips apart. His tongue traced along her bottom lip before he bit it lightly with his teeth.

  When he pulled back, she was breathless. The man sure knew how to kiss.

  “I’ll just call the shop and let my employees know I won’t be in this week. Even the boss deserves a break every once in a while.”

  “You own a shop?” she asked in surprise.

  He grinned almost bashfully. “Yeah, I own a bike shop.” He shrugged, trying to make it appear as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I do upgrades and alterations to bikes, a few cars. I take your everyday ride and turn it into something amazing.”

  “Like Pimp My Ride?” she asked.

  He chuckled with a roll of his eyes. “Yeah, something like that.” As if unable to help himself, he kissed her again, his lips firm against hers. “The place can survive without me for a week. For the first time in a long time, something interests me more than custom bikes. I intend to indulge myself for a little.”

  “I’ll make it worth your time.” Standing on her tiptoes, Arika brushed her lips against his. She fought to hide her smile as he deepened the kiss. He liked her. Now all she needed to do was get him to realize it.

  Chapter Six

  A few days later, Arika sat across the kitchen table from Duke, watching him devour a bowl of cereal that had more sugar in it than anything else. The day before, the two of them had gone grocery shopping together, as he’d complained all the food in her
home was healthy. He couldn’t bear the thought of eating an apple for breakfast.

  The trip had been slow going, as he’d limped his way along on his sore leg, but it had been more fun than shopping should be permitted. Every carefully selected item to make it into the buggy that Duke was using almost like a crutch had been entertainingly debated. They’d laughed and teased, and they’d kissed and playfully hollered at each other. They’d behaved so intimately, almost like a couple in love. It was moments like these that gave her hope Duke wasn’t just hanging around for the sex. He seemed to truly enjoy her company.

  In the end, they’d come home with an assortment they were both happy with. Duke agreed to eat a healthy dinner if she cut him some slack with breakfast. The cereal accompanied with an energy drink helped him get a jump start on his mornings.

  He glanced up from his breakfast and grinned when he caught her staring. “Enjoying your breakfast?”

  She made a show of lifting a spoonful of cereal to her lips. “Mmm, yummy.” Regardless of her teasing, she actually was enjoying the cereal. She hadn’t had any since she was a little girl, and it brought back fond memories. Plus, the sugar high was nothing to turn her nose up at. Why exactly had she been keeping this from her diet?

  Grinning, Duke slid his chair across the floor to rest next to hers. “I think you like it more than you let on. I noticed you eyeing the box. You’re debating having a second bowl.”

  Called out, Arika reared back with mock horror. “I was not!”

  “Were too!”

  “Was not.”

  Instead of arguing, Duke placed his hand on the back of her neck and drew her in for a slow, sugary kiss. “Tell me that doesn’t make your morning.”

  “Five hundred calories and stinky morning breath. You got me. I love it.”

  He pulled her closer, kissing her again. His free hand slid up her inner thigh. “Keep running that mouth and I’ll have to bend you over this table and fuck you, sweetheart.”

  “Oh really?” She tried to sound shocked, but her breath quickened at the idea of being taken while bent over her kitchen table. The idea was so very primitive.

  “Being a werewolf, my position of choice is doggy style,” he said with a snorting laugh. “We fuck from behind. Like animals.”

  “Wouldn’t want that,” she said with sarcasm, a grin spreading across her lips. She placed a hand on his thigh, feeling the muscles tighten under her touch. A thought occurred to her and she spoke before she could restrain herself. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you bend me over this table and do whatever you want to me. All you have to do is give your father a call.”

  His expression darkened, and all arousal drained from his face. Pushing her hand away, he climbed rigidly to his feet.

  “I’m sure he misses you.”

  “I thought I made myself clear a couple days ago. We don’t discuss my family.”

  “Duke—”

  “End of discussion!” He yanked his shorts down to his ankles in an annoyed jerk. Then his body was changing, shifting. Within thirty seconds, the man was gone, and in his place was a wolf. The animal gave a huff, and with narrowed, infuriated eyes, it trotted out of the room.

  Arika watched him hop up onto the couch and curl up in a ball, his back to her. She let out a weary sigh and shook her head. There was no more effective way to end a discussion one didn’t want to participate in than to turn into a werewolf and stalk out of the room. “Fine,” she called out to the living room. “You win.” For now. She was not giving up on Duke.

  Chapter Seven

  Arika’s week with Duke was up. In fact, it had been two days ago. His leg had stopped aching a day or two before that. He was still staying with her, though. He was still a constant in her life despite his vow to leave as soon as he was completely healed.

  Every night, they seemed to grow closer and closer. Though his family was still off limits, they’d begun discussing other personal topics. Both had confessed professional goals and private hopes in life. Sex was still a part of each night, but intimacy had started to leak into their encounters, too. A gentle touch here. A lingering look there.

  She’d been allowing her understudy to take the stage this past week, but it was time she seriously considered a return to work. As she pirouetted to a complicated classical music piece in the spare bedroom she’d converted into a dance studio, Arika admitted to herself it was a decision that frightened her. What if Duke left when she went back to work? Would it break the happy bubble they’d been living in this past week? She’d grown accustomed to his presence in her home, and she did not wish for him to go.

  Moving on her tiptoes across the floor, she transitioned into a turning switch leap. She’d started off simple, working a routine she knew like the back of her hand. Closing her eyes, she danced her way around the room, not needing the sense of sight to complete the complicated steps.

  “Wow.”

  She was just landing a jeté followed by a cabriole when Duke’s voice broke her concentration. She landed awkwardly on her leading foot and wobbled. Nothing like the voice of a sexy male werewolf to throw a girl off her game. Her eyes popped open, and she gave a breathless laugh. “You scared me.”

  He was leaning against the doorframe, watching her in silence.

  When the quiet stretched, she dropped her arms awkwardly to her sides. The look in his eyes had her feeling uncertain. She stared back at him, her mind full of questions she was too afraid to voice.

  Finally, he pushed away from the wall and crossed the room to her. He cupped her face in his hands and stared down into her eyes. “I never got the whole ballet thing. Not until now.” His voice was thick and husky, his eyes full of emotion. “You’re beautiful.”

  Arika didn’t even have a chance to reply before his mouth lowered to hers. She inhaled sharply as she instantly comprehended that this kiss was different from any other they’d shared. His mouth was soft and tender. It was gentle.

  He pulled her closer with a soft, intimate mumble. His mouth found her throat, and he began kissing a tender path along her jawline. His hands slid down her back, and after a moment, he laughed. “I’m having a hell of a time finding a way to get you out of this. Is it painted on?”

  She laughed in return. “I don’t think leotards were meant to be ripped off in the spur of the moment.”

  “Help me?” he asked, his fingers running down an exposed patch of flesh on her upper back.

  She did not want to leave his arms, but being naked in them would be so much better. Taking a reluctant step back, she slowly stripped out of her practice uniform. She didn’t bother to remove her slippers, permitting their white laces to stay wrapped almost seductively up her calves.

  Duke’s eyes roamed appreciatively over her, and he once again mumbled appreciation for her beauty. Bending slightly, he lifted up her black, tulle tutu and held it in front of him on one finger. Surprising her with his next comment, he asked, “Can you put this frilly thing back on?”

  She grinned and took it from him. “It’s called a tutu.”

  He nodded, his eyes eagerly tracking her movements as she slipped back into the requested item. “Well, I want to have sex with you while you wear a tutu.” As he spoke, he glided his belt from his jeans and tossed it to the side. His jeans and boxers followed.

  Before she could even process what was happening, they were all but naked on the floor with her straddling his lap. His stiff erection was deep inside of her, and she was moving ever so gently on his lap.

  Duke’s fingers ran along her bare back and through the hair that hung freely behind her. His mouth moved against her own, his kisses slow and full of passion the two of them had never shared before.

  Arika realized with a swelling heart that he was making love to her. What they were doing now was worlds away from the rough, almost detached sex they usually shared. His touch was tender, his softly mumbled words loving. This was not fucking. This was love.

  With a whimper of arousal, Arika arch
ed her body against his. Her nipples grazed the smattering of dark hair along his chest, and she shivered at the intimate contact. She rode him ever so slowly, their bodies rising and falling together as one. “Duke. Duke…” Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she feared she might cry. She had never loved a man like she loved him. Their differences didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the way he made her feel.

  “Arika…” Her name whispered past his lips as he tugged gently at her hair, tangling his fingers in it. “So … amazingly … beautiful.”

  His teeth bit lightly into her bottom lip, and she produced a shuddering groan. She was so close to orgasm. She was going to come around him while he made love to her. It was an entirely new experience that she never wanted to end.

  As much as she wished for the encounter to continue, the orgasm that tore through her was worth its conclusion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him, his name a tortured whimper on her lips.

  She felt him come as well, felt his hips arch off the floor to bury himself snugly inside of her warmth. As he rode out his own orgasm, she brushed her lips against his. “I love you, Duke.”

  He instantly stiffened, and his mouth wrenched away from hers. “What did you say?” he asked in horror.

  Arika stared helplessly at him. She didn’t repeat her comment, but she refused to take the words back. She’d meant them. With everything in her, she’d meant them.

  His eyes widened at her silence and the implication of its meaning. Almost frantically, he untangled his body from hers and took a few staggering steps backwards. Placing a hand against the bar that stretched along the room, he gaped at her. “We promised,” he said in a strangled voice. “You promised.”

  “Things change,” she said in a meek tone.

  “No. No, things don’t change. Not between us they don’t.” Aggravated, he ran his hands through his hair. “We agreed we would keep this simple. Just sex. Until I healed.”