by Vivi Anna
Praise for the writing of Vivi Anna
Hungry Like the Wolf
I couldn't put it down. The hero knows what he wants and goes after it. The heroine is an Alpha and isn't afraid to prove it. The story is fast paced and very detailed. Fabulous job to Vivi Anna.
-- Brenda Bryce, author of The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes (Loose Id)
Hungry Like the Wolf is the kind of novel that leaves you ravenous for a sexy adventure of your own. If you're looking for a bold, daring, sexy read, look no further than Hungry Like the Wolf.
-- Lacey Savage, author of I, Nefertiti (Loose Id)
I loved it! A powerful story that bites you from the first scene and doesn't let go until the very end. The intensity of Garrick and Olivia jumps off the page straight into your heart. The sex was incredible as was the passion and love they had for each other.
-- Beth Williamson, author of Spurs and Mistletoe: The Harder They Fall (coming soon from Loose Id)
Vivi Anna takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of heartache and revenge while making you feel as though you are part of the pack. A wonderfully hot read, Hungry Like the Wolf will keep you panting for more.
-- Maggie Casper, author of Spurs and Mistletoe: Santa in Spurs (coming soon from Loose Id)
Garrick and Olivia set my screen on fire from the moment they saw each other, and it didn’t stop smoldering even when I was finished. A strong, stubborn werewolf and an equally strong and willful woman, both surrounded by danger and pulled together by an undeniable attraction…it doesn’t get any better than that!
-- Flesa Black, author of Refuge: The Fortress (coming soon from Loose Id)
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
Vivi Anna
www.loose-id.com
Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
* * * * *
This book is rated:
For explicit sexual content, graphic language and some violence.
Hungry Like the Wolf
Vivi Anna
This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by
Loose Id LLC
1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29
Carson City NV 89701-1215
www.loose-id.com
Copyright © August 2005 by Vivi Anna
Excerpt of The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes copyright August 2005 by Brenda Bryce
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.
ISBN 1-59632-153-9
Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader
Printed in the United States of America
Editor: Catherine Gilbert
Cover Artist: Bonni Elizabeth Hall
www.loose-id.com
Prologue
Garrick looked down at Corin’s bloody, dead body and knew he’d made the right decision. It was his heart that disagreed.
He turned his head to the side and watched his truck speed out of his driveway and down the graveled lane, and he wondered if he had done the right thing. In the morning, Olivia would be upset and angry, wondering what she ever saw in him. During the next full moon, when her first change came upon her, she would hate him. But it had had to be done.
Now that Corin was dead, Garrick would become the next alpha pack leader. That was how it worked in this world. He’d fought for a long time not to have this happen. He had been happy with the way things were. When pack members disobeyed certain laws, it had been Garrick’s job as Keeper of Secrets to reprimand them, usually with brute force. He’d never wanted to lead a pack. No matter how often Corin pushed him, Garrick had refused to rise to the challenge.
Tonight, however, had been different. Corin had made a lethal mistake. He hadn’t realized how much Olivia mattered to Garrick.
When Garrick saw Corin stalking her outside his house, Garrick had snapped. There were no more excuses to back off from Corin’s challenge. Garrick did rise to the challenge ... and won.
But it had cost him dearly.
As long as he was alpha pack leader, Olivia would be in danger. Others would come to seek the claim, and if she remained at his side as his mate, she would be his weakness. The one vulnerable thing about him. She would become a target. He couldn’t let that happen, so he’d pushed her away. However agonizing it was for them both, she would be safer on her own, away from him.
In time, she would come to hate him. He could live with that as long as she was safe.
Lifting his head, Garrick glanced at Corin’s two generals, Tommy and Smith, who had accompanied him. “Either of you going to give me any trouble?”
Tommy shook his head of wild red hair. “Nah, mate. I never did like that bastard.”
“Me, either,” Smith agreed.
“Then help me with his body. He’s bleeding all over my yard.”
“No problem, boss.” Tommy reached down and grabbed Corin’s arms.
Boss. That was now his name. And he would have to live with the consequences of his actions. However painful they turned out to be.
Chapter One
The dark woods were deathly quiet as the predator stalked in search of its quarry. Birds quieted high in the treetops, and rodents scampered through the low brush, seeking refuge in hollowed logs or underground dens. The wolf bounded swiftly through the trees. The small creatures of the forest needn’t have worried about their safety, as the wolf hunted bigger prey.
A doe nibbled on the fresh summer grass in the nearby meadow. Her ears perked up as branches snapped in the surrounding trees. She froze and listened for more sounds of the hunter’s location.
The wolf stealthily crept through the underbrush, his belly low to the ground as he neared the quiet meadow. His prey was just past the last remaining trees. If he could advance quickly and quietly without pause, the doe would have no chance to escape.
Lifting her head and twitching her nose upwind, the young doe scented her enemy. Her little white tail went up like a warning flag, and she turned to bound back into the trees.
A young woman stepped out from the wooded area and into the meadow. A young man followed her close behind, his hand wrapped possessively around her arm.
“Look, Stan, a deer.” She pointed just as the doe jumped into the surrounding trees.
“We should go back, Tammie. I don’t like being out here in the dark.”
She turned and hugged him, pressing her breasts intimately against his chest. “Don’t be silly. What could possibly harm us out here?”
A low growl drew their attention to the tall grass across the meadow.
“What was that?” Stan stuttered.
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide. “I d-d-don’t know. We should go back.”
The wolf could smell their fear. They were ripe with the sickly sweet odor of cold sweat and adrenaline. He stepped quietly into the meadow, his belly scraping the high grass, and decided on new prey.
Stan’s eyes widened, and he started to shake, his hand digging into Tammie’s arm. “Wolf! Run!”
; Turning, almost running into each other, Stan and Tammie ran back into the trees the same way they had come out.
The wolf crouched down into the grass, as if at rest, and allowed them to run ahead. He could find them however far they traveled. The sounds of their labored breaths and grunts of fear as they stumbled blindly through the trees sent shivers up and down his powerful form. The fur on his neck and back stood up as the need to hunt erupted in him. He growled low in his throat and bounded into the forest to chase his quarry.
He could hear them crashing through the woods, branches snapping with each step. It was not long before he was hot on their trail. He could see the heat wavering off of their bodies with a warm crimson glow and smell the pungent but savory odor of their terror.
“Oh, my God, Stan! He’s right behind me!”
He could hear the sheer horror in the woman’s voice as she screamed, could smell her every scent as he ran close behind. The scent of her sweat, her light flowery perfume, the fresh fragrance of her skin, and the cloying odor of her sex wafted to his nose. His eyes rolled back in his head at the sheer ecstasy of the feminine bouquet.
The young woman tripped over a rotted log and fell to the forest floor. “Help me, Stan! Oh, God, help me!”
The young man glanced behind him to see his fallen girlfriend and then noticed the large black wolf right at her feet. Turning, he shook his head and continued to run without another look at her.
“Stan!” she screeched, trying to scramble to her feet.
The wolf paused as he neared the girl, then sniffed vigorously and growled low in his throat. She was down and hurt. He could smell the blood that beaded the torn flesh on her legs. The tangy odor swirled around him like ambrosia. But she was not his prey, this time.
He sprinted past her and bounded down the trail toward the man.
Stan glanced over his shoulder and, with pure terror, realized that the large wolf was ignoring Tammie and coming after him. He cried out, trying to force his legs to go faster. He was tired, and his limbs throbbed painfully from the exertion. He didn’t know how much longer he could go on. The wolf would be on him in moments.
The wolf was right at his heels. Stan could feel its hot breath on his back. He didn’t dare glance behind him. He didn’t want to stare into the disturbing eyes of his attacker. He knew the end was coming even before it happened. When he felt the first large paw of the wolf on his back, he was not surprised.
The wolf pushed Stan to the ground, careful not to slash open his back. He wanted some fun. Playtime was his favorite time.
Crouching down on his haunches away from his prey, the wolf watched as his quarry scrambled to his feet and ran again. With a gruff snuffle, which sounded suspiciously like a snort of laughter, the wolf followed in pursuit. He jumped and pushed the man to the ground again. This time, he stood over him, straddling his back, breathing heavily onto the man’s exposed neck.
The acrid smell of ammonia tickled his nose. He knew the man had pissed his pants as fear wrapped itself tightly around his vibrating form. The wolf slowly bared his long white fangs. Saliva dribbled from his open mouth and onto the man’s turned cheek.
Stan muttered a vehement prayer under his breath, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
“Garrick!”
The wolf raised his head, his ears twitched toward the voice.
“Garrick! Where the fuck are you, mate?”
The wolf snuffled and shook his head. He lowered his muzzle to his plaything’s face again. “Stay out of my woods,” he growled, then stepped off the young man.
Stan lay immobile on the ground, still frozen in fear. Soon, his eyes opened, and he stared at the wolf that sat on his haunches near him, watching.
“Run,” the wolf growled.
Wide-eyed and sweating, Stan scrambled to his feet and ran down the trail without another glance toward the strange black animal.
A tall redheaded man stepped out of the shadows of the trees. He smiled.
“There you are.”
The wolf snorted his response.
“I brought you a change of clothes.” He raised the pile of clothes he carried. “Something’s come up.”
The wolf crouched down on his belly and closed his eyes.
The pain was immense as tissue, muscles, and bones twisted and turned, rearranging themselves back into human order. Garrick nearly passed out from the pain that ripped through his form. No other pain could ever compare to the transformation. It was excruciating and tiring. It hurt every time he changed, but to ignore the change was worse.
Soon, he was fully formed. His limbs had been straightened, his spine cracked and aligned, and the fur sucked back into this skin through his pores. He lay on his side, cold sweat slicking his skin. Shivers erupted over him, causing his teeth to chatter violently.
Tommy tossed him his clothes. “Get dressed; you’ll get warm.”
Quickly, Garrick stood and dressed in t-shirt and jeans.
“You weren’t really going to eat that boy, were you?”
Garrick smirked as he ran a hand through thick, sweat-soaked black hair. “I was just playing.”
“You don’t play fair, do you?”
“Nope.” He slipped on his sandals. “So, Tommy, what’s so important that you’d interrupt my fun?”
“Fisher’s asked for a meeting.”
“Why?”
Tommy shook his head. “Don’t know. Says he wants to talk.”
“What could we possibly have to talk about? There hasn’t been an incident between our packs in months.”
Ten months, to be exact, Garrick thought. Not since he had killed Corin and taken over as alpha of the Blue Bay werewolf pack. Things had been a lot different then. He had been a different man then; Olivia had still been ...
“Are you coming, then?”
Garrick looked over at Tommy. He was smiling and pointing in the direction he’d parked the car.
“Where’s the meeting?”
“At the Lunar Eclipse.”
Garrick sighed. He hated loud rave nightclubs, especially ones where the clientele was made up of werewolves, wannabe werewolves, and wannabe vampires. He hated the latter the most. They were obnoxious, pretentious, and stupid. Everyone knew vampires didn’t exist.
“Do I have time to shower and change?”
Tommy grinned. “Of course. Wouldn’t want to go in there, smelling like ... like an animal, now would you?” He laughed.
Chapter Two
The Lunar Eclipse was a traveling nightclub. One night it had been in the gym of a high school, another night in the basement of a church. The pastor was one of Fisher’s pack members. This night, it was in an abandoned warehouse along the wharf. The Blue Bay pack’s wharf. Garrick’s wharf.
A long black car pulled up to the side of the warehouse and parked in the shadows. Garrick and Tommy got out of the back seat, along with two other pack members, Smith and Puck. Smith was Garrick’s oldest pack member and Puck his biggest. He’d been an NHL hockey player. His nose had been broken three times, and to prove it, he had no front teeth. But he was also one of Garrick’s favorites. Big, dumb, and lovable made for loyal pack followers.
The moment they got out of the car, a menagerie of smells hit Garrick in full force. Sweat, old beer, the sweet odor of pot, and something familiar yet elusive floated through the air. His nostrils flared in response to the heady mixture.
Tommy noticed his reaction. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Garrick raised his head and sniffed the air again. Underneath all the other odors was a tangy spice that sent shivers down his spine. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the smell from his overly sensitive nose.
“Do you smell something wrong?” Tommy joked.
Smith cuffed him across the head. “We all smell something, you dumb ass.”
Tommy grinned and rubbed his head. “Hey, all I smell is female. That’s all I care about.”
“We’re not here to pick up bitches, Tommy.”
Garrick unzipped his leather jacket and smoothed out a crease in his cotton pants. “I need you on guard and on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.”
“Hey, don’t worry, mate. I’ve always got your back.”
Garrick glanced over his shoulder at his second and smirked. “You better have.”
Tommy looked over at Puck. “You liked my joke, didn’t you?”
“Nope.” Puck smiled, trying hard not to laugh.
Tommy smacked him in the arm. “Liar.”
With Garrick in the lead, they crossed the street and approached the door to the club. A large black man dressed in black leather guarded the door. He barely fit in the doorway, and his glistening bald head skimmed the bottom of the frame.
His hand moved down into the opening of his jacket as they approached. There was no doubt in Garrick’s mind that he had a gun in a shoulder holster under the jacket.
“We’re expected,” Garrick announced as he looked up at the guy, unwavering in his stance and stare. He didn’t cower from anyone. Although the bouncer was bigger than he was, he knew he could take him out with a quick, efficient blow.
The guard dropped his gaze and nodded, opening the door for them. “Of course, Mr. Blackthorn. Go right in.”
“Thank you.” Garrick nodded back as he passed through the door into a narrow hallway that led to a long metal staircase.
Garrick looked around as they ascended and noticed the small cameras mounted on the ceiling. He imagined Fisher anxiously watching his monitors as they entered. The man was ambitious and cunning, but lacked backbone. Ever since Garrick had taken control of the Blue Bay pack, Fisher had been wanting to make an alliance, to meld the packs together into one. In addition, Garrick knew whom Fisher thought should lead, and it wasn’t Garrick.
