by Jessica Snow
Her stomach growled louder.
Under the smell of food, she could smell something else...something...familiar. She could not quite put her finger on it. It was sweet, yet slightly gamey, reminding her of raw pork.
She sniffed at the air several times. A moment later, her heart froze when the realization hit her: It was human flesh.
Before she could ponder how in the hell she could be smelling body odor when the nearest co-worker was several feet away from her, Tammy pranced up to her cubicle with a milkshake in her hand and a stack of papers in the other. The annoying clerk dumped the papers on top of the stack Kat had barely put a dent in. “Oh, I forgot. Here’s more work that you have to do before you go home.” Then she gave Kat a little smug smile, took a loud slurp of her shake and turned away.
There was a yellow office assignment sheet on top of the stack, just as there was on top of the other that Tammy had brought her. She read over it briefly...and then checked the first one. Tammy was listed as the assigned worker on both.
That’s it! Something snapped inside of Kat. With growls coming from both her throat and her hungry stomach, Kat jumped to her feet and grabbed Tammy by the arm.
Tammy squirmed. “Hey what do you think you are doing—”
“Both stacks you just dumped on me have assignment sheets with your name on them clipped to the top, you lazy bitch! Thomas didn’t assign them to me, he assigned them to you! I’m not some play toy that you can make do your work for you because you’re blowing him under his desk every chance you get!” Kat yelled, squeezing Tammy’s much thinner arm.
Tammy struggled futilely against her grip. “What the hell Kat? You’re hurting me! Let me go!”
“You gonna take your work back and do it yourself, then, you lazy whore?”
Tammy started stammering. “I-It’s not my work, it’s yours—”
“Liar!” Kat shoved her as hard as she could. A startled cry escaped Tammy’s lips as she suddenly went flying, sailing over into a nearby cubicle and knocking over an entire workstation as she landed with a horrific sounding crash. Even as it was happening, Kat recoiled mentally from what she had done. She wasn’t that vicious. She certainly wasn’t that strong. How had she just sent Tammy flying?
Shocked silence settled over the entire room as Kat’s co-workers stared with slack-jawed astonishment at the bizarre scene, their lunches quickly forgotten.
Kat was just as shocked. She stared down at her hands in horror. She certainly could pack a mean punch, but nothing like throwing a grown woman several feet across the room. Seriously, what the hell just happened?
“What is going on here?” It was Thomas, stepping out of his office, a stunned expression on his face as he surveyed the carnage.
There was the sound of splintering wood as Tammy rolled out from under the wreckage, her vanilla milkshake dripping down her face and the front of her dress. Kat had to look away. It looked as if Tammy had just come out of Thomas’s office from a dalliance under his desk and had forgotten to wipe off his man gravy.
The shake-covered woman pointed a trembling hand at Kat accusingly and cried, “She freaking pushed me for no reason!”
Thomas looked at Kat, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Kat?”
There’s no way I’m going to get out of this. There were just too many witnesses, and though Kat had been provoked, she had attacked Tammy physically. She had taken it there. Tammy could even file assault charges now if she felt like it.
Oh, God. She grabbed her purse and car keys and turned to hurry out.
Thomas shouted after her. “Kat where are you going? You can’t just leave after doing something like that!”
Kat ignored her boss and made a run for the floor’s exit, her head spinning.
Chapter 9
“Profits are up,” said Lance Greyson as he took a puff on a cigar. “Our company is doing very well.”
Liam shifted in his chair, eyeing his father from across the other side of his large mahogany desk, which gleamed with fresh polish. The smell of lemon oil mixed with the stink of the cigar, but couldn’t do much to cover it.
Dressed in dark slacks and a white shirt open at the chest to display his tuft of blond chest hair, Lance Greyson was a tall man, lean, muscular, and broad-shouldered. The mop of blond hair covering his head was sparsely streaked with gray, and he had very few wrinkles on his tanned face.
He was the head of the Greyson Meat Packing Company, and one of the fiercest wolves that Liam knew. And like a wolf, he was very shrewd when it came to overseeing matters of survival—in this case, the survival of his business. Having started the company when he was just a young shifter, he now oversaw a multi-million-dollar empire and was fast approaching billionaire status.
A cool breeze wafted through the white-wood windows of the airy Greyson office, blowing Liam’s golden hair into his eyes and his father’s smoke in the opposite direction. “That’s great, dad.” He kept his tone neutral.
His father nodded. “You should know. Without the support of the Lilly family, we would not be doing so well. Thanks to their allowing us to use most of their vast local land to harvest our meat, we can expect very low overhead for decades.” He tapped off his cigarette ash into a carved soapstone tray on his desk. “Provided, of course, that we stay on good terms with them.” He gave his son the most pointed of pointed looks.
Liam dropped his gaze into his lap. He had something on his mind, something he’d wanted to say to his father for a while. He just wasn’t sure if his father would want to hear it. In fact, he was sure that Lance did not want to hear it. The words caught in his throat, and he hesitated.
His father’s chair creaked. “I heard some unsettling things from Victoria.”
Liam’s head snapped up. “What kind of things?” Oh hell, did he find out about Crystal’s injuries?
Eyeing his son intently, Lance bit the end of his cigar, drew on it, held the smoke, then blew it out of his nostrils, each casual gesture somehow menacing. “That you are having second thoughts about this most important courtship.”
Liam relaxed slightly. Oh, it’s just that. He already knew about my misgivings about her human-hunting, law-breaking ways. The fact that we’re having problems can’t be a surprise.
Liam had spoken with Crystal briefly that morning, and thankfully, her now-healed concussion had made her forget what had happened just like he had gambled it would. But that didn’t prevent Carly or one of the others from gossiping.
It still made his blood boil that that rape-prone, human-hating little prick Erick had made him so angry that he had injured Crystal without meaning to. The fact that he had flung her off in self-defense didn’t matter. While Liam had no love for Crystal, throwing around a girl was not his thing.
Another thing that had made him angry was the fact Crystal had attacked Liam in Erick’s defense. The guy had been attempting to rape a human. He did not deserve mercy.
But then again, she stalks, murders and eats humans every full moon. So maybe she doesn’t deserve mercy either, Liam thought angrily.
But that was a discussion for another time if it ever happened. He quickly pushed the dark thoughts away and looked at his father. “I don’t love her. And I don’t see how mating with a man-eating sadist will do this family any good.”
In mid-inhale of his cigar, Lance stopped and scoffed. “Love? Who says this has anything to do with love? Or morality for that matter?”
Liam leaned forward, feeling anger take hold of his stomach. “Isn’t that who we should mate with? Someone we love?”
Lance snorted and shook his head. “Not when it’s to unite wolf clans and solidify our business. In that case, I don’t care if she feasts on human babies every week.”
Scumbag. Anger surged as Lance clenched his jaw. “I do not desire her.”
His father sat back in his seat. “Why not? She is young, pretty and the daughter of one of the strongest wolf clans in our state.”
Surely his father could understand
a man could not lust after someone whose behavior repulsed him. “She is crazy, violent, and spoiled. Her breath stinks of human flesh more and more. I can hardly keep company with her, let alone make love to her.”
At the mention of sex, thoughts of Katerina suddenly assailed his mind, filling him with desire as they shoved Crystal aside in his head. His jeans tented as his cock hardened, causing him to clear his throat and shift uncomfortably in his seat.
His father chuckled as if he had made some sort of joke. “Well, that’s easily solvable. Get yourself a mistress, and think of her when you mate with that little hellion.”
Is that what you do? Liam thought and had to fight down a surge of rage. His mother was a frosty bitch, but she didn’t deserve to be cheated on. “It’s not just about mating with her. I don’t want my cubs raised by someone who sees humans as prey animals. It’s not just horrifying—it’s illegal. Can you imagine the scandal among the ruling packs if this got out?”
His father set down his cigar in his gold ash tray. “I really don’t understand what you’re saying, son. You’re going to be running my business soon, and Crystal will be busy overseeing her own family’s holdings. Your kids will be raised by nannies. I doubt she’ll be so much as changing a diaper.”
“When they are old enough to join the pack, they’ll learn what she’s doing, and she’ll encourage them to do it too,” Liam muttered. “She’ll corrupt them. She’ll corrupt the future of this family.”
His father shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re exaggerating. The way I see it, mating with Crystal will ensure the future of this family.”
Anger threatened to overwhelm Liam. His father was being extra callous about the situation. Requiring someone to mate for life with a genuine monster was no small imposition.
“Father, how could you ask me to mate with someone who murders humans and risks exposing us, if not to other wolf clans, then to humanity at large? She endangers us.” He sighed. “If I am forced into this situation, I cannot promise what will happen in the future.”
His father’s chair creaked as he leaned back and leveled a scowl him. “Do you know what is on the line here, foolish boy? If you back out of this arrangement, it will throw the local clans into disarray, perhaps even bloodshed. Our agreement with sharing half the cattle land with the Lilly’s will become null, and our overhead will shoot up, eating into our profits. Finally, warring among our kind will rile the night stalkers. You know they always take advantage when we’re having trouble. Do you really want something like that to happen all because you are being foolishly picky?” His father snorted and leaned forward, placing his hands on his desk. “Whatever your problem is, get over it.”
Picky? He’s acting like I’m refusing to mate with her because I don’t like her hair color or something. She eats people! Liam stared at his father long and hard, his boner shrinking as thoughts of Kat faded from his mind. “I can’t do it, dad.”
“I don’t care!” his father roared, suddenly furious. “You will fuck that crazy bitch on the next full moon and produce an heir!”
It took everything Liam had not to leap across the desk and swat his father with his wolf claws. He had no idea why Lance was being so adamant about the stupid courtship. Though Crystal’s father was a vengeful man, Liam thought it unlikely that he would cause an upheaval among the wolf clans just because Liam did not wish to be with his daughter. Maybe the land deal wouldn’t go through, but that was nothing compared to risks to werewolf lives.
Except that in the end, that was all this was about, in his father’s eyes. Making sure that his profits didn’t suffer. What was a few dead humans, or his own son’s misery, or his future grand cubs’ corruption, compared to that?
He looked down and saw he had popped out his wolf claws, and quickly hid them by clenching his fists. It is best that I leave now before we wind up at each other’s throats.
Rising from his seat, Liam gave his father a nod. “We can talk about this later...when you are feeling more agreeable and thinking more about how I feel and not company profits.” Damn. I didn’t even mean to let half of that out. But he was shaking with fury now and knew it was best to retreat quickly.
He turned to leave but heard the creak of his father’s chair behind him. A tremendous blow hit his back a second later, sending him crashing into the wall.
Bruised and stunned, he looked up from the floor to see his father standing over him, his eyes growing a bright yellow, his claws extended.
Lance knelt and placed his paw around his son’s throat...and began squeezing.
Oh God, he’s gone crazy. Liam swung his fist at his father’s face, putting major strength behind it. His father simply shrugged off the attack, increasing the pressure on Liam’s neck. After several breaths, the room started to spin around Liam as he struggled futilely against his father’s savage strength.
“You will do as I say, boy, you hear me?” his father growled inches away from his face, the smell of his cigar breath assaulting Liam’s sensitive nostrils.
Filled with pride, Liam struggled in defiance. His father had caught him off guard. He was almost certain he could have taken Lance had he not gotten the jump on him.
But Liam was slowly losing the battle, his vision beginning to blacken.
His father shook him violently, knocking Liam’s head against the wooden floor. “I said do you hear me?” Lance yelled. The sound of his voice was faint to Liam’s ears.
Liam struggled to breathe as his vision began to narrow. He had only seconds to answer before he lost consciousness. A part of him wasn’t sure if his father wouldn’t kill him if he did not agree to his wishes. He tried to speak around the pressure on his neck, and couldn’t. Now, all he could see were yellow eyes filled with furious anger as his father squeezed harder.
If I don’t answer he will kill me.
“Yes,” Liam gagged out painfully before blackness claimed him.
Chapter 10
What the hell is happening to me? First I have a dream about being some crazy ass bear, then I wake up shedding hair like Cousin Itt, and then, I go bat shit crazy and throw Tammy’s home-wrecking ass across the room at work. Kat had absolutely no idea what was going on. But she knew she was hungry as hell. Her stomach had been growling since she had made her escape from work, craving meat...of any kind.
Ever since jumping in her car, she had been looking continuously over her shoulder, half-expecting the cops to be hot on her tail. They still might be waiting for my ass when I get home. She’d have a lot of explaining to do if they were.
I’ll just tell them I caught Tammy giving Thomas head under his desk and was appalled. She wondered if her pervy boss had indeed called the cops on her. If he had, she would be sure to let the authorities know all about his affair. But ultimately that wouldn’t help her.
One thing was for sure, she could not go back to work after what she’d done. Kat would have to find a new job. Having shared the rent with her father since their mother left, she had an obligation that wouldn’t just affect her if she failed it. Big Mike sure was not going to be pleased to hear what happened.
But all that would have to wait. Kat was freaking starving. She was stopped at a red light, hungrily eyeing the fried chicken restaurant up the street.
“Come on, come on!” she yelled at the giant Cadillac in front of her, which was being operated by a doddering old lady. It's turn light had been blinking for four blocks and stayed flashing as the woman waited for the green light instead of pulling into the turn lane.
Kat rolled her eyes. Her stomach let out another growl; it was starting to physically hurt from lack of food. “Jesus Christ,” she muttered in irritation. “Can this get any worse?”
When the light turned green, Kat almost rear-ended the old lady in her haste to get into the KFC parking lot—but even then, her problems weren’t over. She let out a groan when she turned in. The place had a long line packed around the corner of the drive-thru.
She glanced inside. It was
worse. The line was backed up to the seating booths. “Goddamn it!” she cursed as she pulled up behind the last car in line. “Now everybody and their fucking grandma wants some fried chicken!”
At that exact moment, her cell ringtone, an old Britney Spears song, went off in her purse. She glanced down at it wearily. Nine out of ten, it was probably Thomas, asking her to come back into work and explain herself. Then he would promptly fire her. At least that’s who Kat hoped it was. It would mean he hadn’t called the cops on her.
The phone continued to ring. Curiosity soon got the better of her and she snatched it out of her purse. Her jaw dropped when she saw the number on the caller I.D. It could not be real. Not him. Why the hell is that fuckboy calling me now?
She pressed the answer button. “Kevin?”
“Hey Kat,” greeted Kevin. His deep voice sounded gravelly from cigarette smoke, just as she remembered...hot and sexy.
He was turning on the charm, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. But then her idiot, rebellious brain brought up an idea that delighted and repelled her at once: what if he wants to come crawling back? “Hello,” she managed, trying to ignore the old pain and loss and dashed hope that flooded her.
The car in front of her moved up, but she was so distracted she did not notice. The person behind her began blowing their horn. She distractedly pulled forward, most of her focus on the unexpected call.
His breath was heavy, making Kat think of naughty things despite herself. “How’s it going?”
The air left Kat’s lungs. “Do you really have the nerve to ask me that?”
“What? I thought we ended things with no hard feelings.” The cluelessness in his tone annoyed her enough to snap her out of her wistfulness.
You’re too big, Kat. Since we got together, you haven’t lost a pound. I’ve told you so many times to get on a diet and drop weight, but you just ignored me. Now I have someone who will listen to me and do what I want. Yeah, I should have left you before we started fucking, you’re right, but in the end, it’s your fault. You’re too fat.
