by K. R. Willis
“You! You’re the werewolf from out front.”
He smiled even brighter and tipped an imaginary hat to me. “In the flesh, ma’am.” Without rows of large canines muffling his voice, a Southern accent shined through.
“You…you changed. Why?” I must admit I liked this version of him much better than the hairy one, but most werewolves kept whatever form they started the evening in to conserve their energy. They tended to use that energy for dancing and general carousing instead of transforming back and forth.
“You piqued my interest outside,” he drawled. “I wanted to get to know you better, and my alternate form seemed to put you off.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand, so I continued, “Didn’t that drain too much of your energy, though?”
He shook his head. “I’m the Beta of my pack. The change flows through me almost as easily as it does my Alpha.” At my blank expression, he elaborated. “Alphas draw a great deal of their power from the members of the pack. Where most werewolves struggle with the change, the Alpha pulls enough energy to transform in an instant with very little pain involved. As Beta, or second-in-command, I’m allowed a share of that power.”
As a demonstration, Mr. Wolfman allowed a tiny bit of energy to escape through his fingers and slide along my skin as he caressed my arm—which allowed me to get a good look at his wolf paw charm attached to the leather cuff he wore. His energy zinged through me like static electricity. The sudden onslaught of power zipping along my skin made me shudder and my hair stand on end. It also did delicious things to my lower belly. He chuckled, then reined his power back in, locking it behind the barrier he must have perfected over the years.
Impressed by the sensations he flooded my body with, I started to say something, but before I could, he whipped us around the dance floor, expertly maneuvering us at what felt like breakneck speed in between other supernaturals and humans. He spun me, grinded against me, and worked me into a general tizzy until I called a time-out so I could catch my breath. He might be super-werewolf-man with the kind of energy that could power several homes, but I wasn’t. My ass dragged.
After regaining the ability to speak, I said, “So what do I call you, anyway? Mr. Wolfman no longer seems to fit.”
He smirked. “My name’s Brian, Brian Twofeathers. Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He bent and kissed the back of my hand the way someone from King Arthur’s court might have, then nibbled his way up my arm to my elbow, taking his time and sending shivers all the way to my toes.
My body tightened as I responded to his ministrations. It had been a long time since anyone showed me that kind of attention. I closed my eyes for a moment and reveled in the softness of his lips, the iron strength in his arms as he pulled me close. It was like eating ice cream with a hot brownie: a jolting contrast, but ooh so delicious.
Brian Twofeathers. I rolled his name around on my tongue like a fine wine. Wait a minute…. I opened my eyes. “Twofeathers?” I’d met very few Native Americans outside my own tribe; to find one here in the middle of Great Falls I wanted to get to know better surprised me.
“Yes,” he said. “I’m Cherokee, from Oklahoma. And what is your name, might I ask?”
Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten that part. “Keira Blackwater, Blackfoot. I grew up in Browning on the reservation. How did you end up here, and a werewolf of all things?”
He chuckled. “It’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you sometime over dinner.” He winked and gave me the kind of smile that left me weak in the knees.
I blushed.
The Flesh Eaters began playing a slower song, one where you could catch your breath and dance closer to your partner. I spent several minutes as we danced, reveling in the fact he had just asked me out on a date. How long had it been? Six months, a year…I couldn’t remember anymore. Guys always went gaga over Sally, not me. I took the opportunity to ask Brian the question that had nagged me ever since we started dancing.
“So Brian, umm…what’s it like being a werewolf?” The curiosity was killing me.
He smiled. “It’s not as bad as some make it out to be. You get to be part of a group, a family that looks out for you and takes care of you. That’s more than some people receive from their own parents.” Something passed through his eyes that gave me the feeling he spoke from experience. “And you get to run free, to be a part of nature like most people only dream about.”
I could see how that sort of life would be appealing under certain circumstances. To run wild and free, to never be alone, to be around others who could do the same amazing things you could.
But the other part of me, the part that loved being human, forced me to ask him my next question. “You know there’s an alternative, right? Have you ever considered becoming…you know, human again?” He hadn’t responded when I gave him my name, so I withheld the fact that I made that alternative possible, at least for the moment. I’m not sure why, but a lot of supernaturals became standoffish when they learned who I was.
“You mean the cure?” He laughed. “Nah, I chose this life. I came up here and searched out Jeremy and his Flathead Pack, and asked him to turn me himself. I’ll never go back to being just plain human again.”
Brian asked to be turned? I couldn’t imagine it. Things must have been terrible for him as a human if he came up here and requested to be turned into something a lot of people still considered a monster.
“Yeah, but…have you ever…I mean, aren’t you afraid you’ll attack someone while your wolf is dominant?” I regretted it the moment the words came out of my mouth. That invisible line most people take great care not to cross when they’re first getting to know someone shattered under the weight of my intrusive question.
The easy smile he wore all night faded into a sad, grim line, and his bright brown eyes clouded over with some unknown pain. He stopped dancing and pulled back, putting an arm’s length between us. I cursed my stupid, curious nature.
They say curiosity killed the cat? Well in this case, curiosity killed the romance.
“Yes,” he answered solemnly. “I have turned someone, but I didn’t attack her. She applied for the license and we waited the mandatory six months. She knew the risks, knew she might not survive the transition, but she insisted she loved me and was willing to take that chance. So when she asked me to turn her at the end of the waiting period, I didn’t hesitate.” He looked away, but not before I saw the shimmer of tears in his eyes. “Turns out, she just used me to get to one of my pack mates who didn’t return her affections. As for the wolf attacking someone while he’s dominant…that’s what the pack is for.” His words wavered.
“I…I’m sorry,” I spluttered. “I shouldn’t have pried. It’s none of my business.” Dammit! No wonder I couldn’t remember the last time I had a date.
He gave me a strained smile. “Don’t worry about it.” The way he said it told me he was just being nice. He looked over his shoulder. Anger and sadness ruled his features when he turned back to me. “I should probably go. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” He kissed the back of my hand one last time and then disappeared into the crowd.
***
Shit…shit…shit…I cursed the entire way through the mass of people, down the hallway at the back of the club, and through the swinging door of the women’s bathroom. The door banged against the wall and rattled a sconce. A short brunette squeaked as I almost waylaid her upon my entrance.
“Sorry,” I mumbled as she scurried away. The pungent smell of sweat, unwashed bodies, and other unpleasant aromas assaulted my nose as I searched the small, two-stall bathroom and sighed with relief. It was empty; I could sulk in peace.
Leaning over the stained sink, I banged my forehead on the mirror hard enough to make it creak and rattle, just shy of cracking. My breath fogged the glass as I exhaled with frustration. Brian asked me out on a date, the first guy in a long time, and I blew it.
If I’d kept my mouth shut about his
wolf half and not butted in to his personal business, we’d still be dancing and I’d be contemplating what to wear on our date, instead of how big of an idiot I was.
Completely disgusted with myself, I strode out of the bathroom, shoving the door open with as much fervor as I used upon entering. Only this time, the door seemed to hit a brick wall on the other side and it stopped mid swing, causing me to smash face-first into it.
“Ow!” I yelped.
Could things get any worse? I skirted the door, letting it swing back closed, only to bump into the “brick wall” and find out that yes, it could get worse.
“What the hell are you doing here, Mr. Trevelyan?” I huffed. “Are you following me?” I forced my hand away from my nose even though it throbbed. What little pride I still possessed refused to let me show him any sign of weakness.
He smirked as if I said something amusing.
The pain-in-the-ass vampire stood in the middle of the hallway in his black dress slacks and red silk shirt, looking like something that stepped off a Hollywood runway. Intense hazel eyes bored into mine.
I forced myself to stand up straight and meet him stare for stare, even though my eyes watered from the impact with the door.
“Well?” I snapped. Leo didn’t really deserve my anger this time, but I’d made an idiot of myself and he just happened to be there.
“My apologies, Miss Blackwater. I did not expect to be attacked by the ladies’ room door. It caught me off guard.” Leo’s mild tone irritated me, but the slow smile that crept across his face pissed me off.
“Well, if you hadn’t been prowling around out here in the first place, you wouldn’t have had to worry about it, now would you?” The smile on his face grew. Okay, maybe he deserved my anger now.
My fingernails dug into the palm of my hand, just shy of drawing blood, and I bit my cheek to keep from smacking him. What the hell was he smiling at?
“Fine,” I gritted out. “If you’re not going to answer me, get the hell out of my way.” I tried to push past him, but his left arm snaked across my path faster than I could blink, blocking my escape. Damn, he was fast. My anger and frustration with him trying to buy the shop gave me a loose tongue, something that would probably get me into a lot of trouble one of these days, blood or no blood. My throat tightened. He could kill me if he wanted to, though a quiet voice in my head assured me he wouldn’t.
“Your disrespect is unbecoming on a lady, Miss Blackwater, even by today’s standards,” Leo said. Warm breath tickled my ear as he leaned in close. “For your information,” he whispered, “I was not following you. This is my club now, one of my newest acquisitions.”
His club? Damn.
Leo inhaled, tickling the hairs on my neck with the movement of air. I stiffened. A low rumble escaped his throat, vibrating straight to my core.
“Such a shame,” Leo murmured.
My anger, which had started to dissipate, flared. Who the hell did he think he was? “Get your hands off me.” My voice trembled, but I managed to stand up straight and not pull away from him. No way would I give him the satisfaction.
Leo chuckled, then dropped the arm blocking my path. His infuriating smile made me curse as I stepped past him and headed back out into the club.
I’ll kill him…that’s what I’ll do. I’ll break a chunk of wood off a barstool and ram it through his cold, dead heart. I found myself veering toward the bar, debating which barstool would be sacrificed for the greater good, when I spotted Sally in a corner booth, snuggled up with Tom, another werewolf from the local pack. She smiled and waved me over. I paused for half a heartbeat, unsure which one I wanted to do more, but she waved again, causing me to redirect my path…which was probably for the best; I’d never killed a vampire before.
The urge to question Tom about Brian as I slid into the seat across from them beat at me like a sledgehammer, but I clamped my mouth shut and forced myself to keep quiet. My mouth had gotten me into enough trouble for one night.
“Hey, guys,” I said. I didn’t want my problems with Leo or Brian to ruin their evening, so I forced as much cheer into my voice as I could muster and pasted on a smile.
“Hey,” Tom said. Sally sat up straight, allowing a little space to open up between them. I smiled for real this time. Even a blind man could tell she had a huge crush on him.
Tom didn’t possess the same sex appeal as Brian did, at least not for me, but he was handsome. Coffee-colored hair, masculine features, five o’clock shadow. All things a girl could get into. Sally claimed they were just friends, but they always seemed to meet up and spend the majority of the night together at the Blu Moon.
“I see you met Brian,” Tom said, giving me a wolfish grin.
My cheeks heated as color crept into them. “Yeah. He seems really nice.” What I wanted to say was that I’d screwed up and I wanted to get to know him better and could I have his number? But I didn’t. I didn’t say any of that. I kept my mouth shut and smiled, which took a lot of teeth grinding to accomplish.
“I’m surprised,” Tom continued. “He hasn’t shown any interest in anyone since Lily.”
Lily? Was that her name? A hundred questions barreled through my head. I opened my mouth to ask him some of them, but managed to catch myself. “Oh?” I tried to sound as if the answer to that question meant nothing to me.
“What happened?” Sally asked. If it wouldn’t have made a scene, I would have jumped across the table and planted a huge kiss on her cheek. Since she asked it, I could get the answer without feeling guilty about opening my big mouth again. Hooray, Sally.
“She seduced him. I’ve never seen Brian like that before. He loved her so much he’d do anything for her.” Tom crumpled a napkin and then threw it halfway across the table. “Our pack takes turning humans very seriously. We questioned him constantly on his decision, but he turned her without a second thought. A month later she left. Brian was devastated.” Tom’s brown eyes flashed yellow, showing his wolf’s anger over what happened, letting me know there was more to the story.
I wanted to question him about what happened, but they obviously didn’t want to talk about it. The air in our corner of the club suddenly felt thick and made it hard to breathe. My skin tingled and the hairs on my arm stood on end as power leaked from Tom’s pores. Or at least that’s where I thought it came from, judging by the way the muscles in his neck bulged and his eyes had turned all the way yellow. Sally must have felt it too because she changed the subject. The change in Tom happened immediately. The tension in the air melted away and the predator in Tom’s eyes retreated, quieted for the moment.
We spent the next twenty minutes talking about everything from the Ford I worked on, to Sally’s week at the hospital, to Tom’s position in the pack.
“You’re a what?” I asked. I knew nothing of pack hierarchy.
“Subordinate. You know, middle of the pack.” He leaned back against the blue vinyl cushion and put his hands on his head. “You have the Alpha at the top, the Beta next in line, then subordinates like me fill up the middle, and the Omega is last in line. Just like with real wolves,” he said.
Once I thought about it, it kind of made sense for them to structure their pack the same as wild wolves. Everyone knew their place in the pack, which must have prevented a lot of infighting.
“Cool.” I yawned and stretched. “Are you ready to go, Sally?” The day’s events had worn me out.
Sally glanced at Tom before answering. “Yeah, perhaps I should be going since I have to work in the morning. Call me?” she asked Tom.
He picked her hand up from under the table and kissed it. “Of course,” he said. “I always do, don’t I?” She bent down and brushed a kiss across his cheek before letting go of his hand.
“Ready?” I asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
She took the lead as we threaded our way back through the massive crowd on our way to the front door. I figured her reluctance to end the evening had to do with the fact she didn�
��t want to go to work the next day, but when she turned and looked over her shoulder at the werewolf left sitting alone in the booth, I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe her reluctance to leave had nothing to do with work.
CHAPTER 4
When the doorbell rang at 8:30 the following Friday night, I jumped and poked myself in the eye with the eyeliner. Sally said she would pick me up for the Blu Moon, but not for another hour.
I cursed and blotted the tears, then stomped my way to the front door in my fluffy bathrobe. Somehow, I’d talked myself into wearing a little bit of makeup with the hope of seeing Brian again. I had no idea what I was going to say, or how I would make up for my big mouth last week, but the idea of groveling crossed my mind.
“This better be important,” I grumbled. Knowing my luck, it would be a Jehovah’s Witness or something else along those lines I didn’t have the time or patience for, not to mention the fact I was underdressed.
The smart retort I had disappeared when I opened the door. Sally stood on my front porch in her usual leather clubbing attire, but streaks ran down her face, making her normally flawless makeup appear to have stripes. She’d smeared her mascara, and her eyes were puffy, almost swollen in appearance.
“Sally, what’s wrong?” I asked as I put my arm around her and ushered her into the living room. She sat down on the leather sofa while I took the spot across from her on the coffee table and placed my hands on top of hers.
“It’s Tom,” she sputtered. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but he isn’t answering his phone. I always call him the day after the full moon to make sure he’s okay. I called all day yesterday and today, and left at least a dozen messages. He always calls me back. It’s our thing.” She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “Would you mind if we swung by his apartment before we go to the Blu Moon? I’ve always tried to give him his space, but now I’m getting worried.” She hiccupped. Her hand shook when she wiped away fresh tears.
