Hungry Like the Wolf

by Vivi Anna

  It was obvious that Fisher was about to make an aggressive move against him. The meeting last night had been purely for show. Fisher knew Garrick would never agree to the arrangement. He was much too alpha for that. He also knew that Garrick had been around long enough to know the business of the packs. That get-together had been nothing but a pissing contest and a show-and-tell. Fisher wanted to show Garrick what he had, and what Garrick didn’t.

  Olivia had been a big surprise. He’d known one day she would come back, but he hadn’t expected to see her in his rival’s pack. And as lead bitch, no less.

  Garrick stood at the front of his living room and watched as key members of his pack filed into the room, sitting on the sofa and chairs or curling up comfortably on the floor. His pack was small but powerful. Not only was it the security of lifelong protection that drew them, but also, he ran his pack like a business. He even provided a perk package, including medical insurance, along with shares in his successful graphic design business. Garrick made sure the members of his pack were provided for physically, mentally, and financially.

  Sometimes, being a werewolf had its advantages.

  But even with the advantages, some of his pack members had left after Corin died. They were lulled into Fisher’s pack with promises of more decadent attractions, like drugs, sex, and free rein over the humans that didn’t know they existed. Slowly, due to Fisher’s insistence, their existence was being exposed. The traveling rave clubs were just one problem they could do without. Young people flocked to them in hopes of finding a dark lifestyle they could use to rebel against society, but some of them left with more than rebellion in their hearts ... they became different people. No longer human, but a strange mixture of both animal and mortal.

  The life was not an easy one, and Garrick thought it foolish to be changing humans just for the fun of it. Fisher was reckless and power hungry. He was breeding an army for the sake of his own lust for dominance. He didn’t care about those who would not survive the change, or those that reveled in it too much. The number of “animal” attacks in the city were becoming too much of a problem to ignore. Soon the authorities would clue in that it was more than a bunch of dogs running around biting people.

  As the last two members found chairs, Garrick cleared his throat to bring the meeting to order. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” He looked around at the dozen people, including Tommy, Smith, and Puck, and made eye contact with every one of them. “I was called to a meeting last night by Fisher. It’s obvious to me that he’s making a play for this pack.”

  A blond-haired older woman spoke up. “Let him. He could never beat you in a fight.”

  There was a chorus of agreements through the room.

  “Thank you, Laura, but I don’t think Fisher will call me to the circle. No, I think he’s going to pick away at our members one by one, lulling them over to his pack.”

  “Our numbers have been dwindling.” This from a man in his mid-twenties.

  Garrick nodded to him. “Do you know our numbers, Darrin?”

  “Last consensus gave us a number around forty-five.”

  “Nine months ago we were closer to a hundred,” a man in his late thirties commented. “Corin would never have allowed those members to leave.”

  “You’re right, Jim, but I refuse to threaten and coerce people to stay in this pack. I will not torture family members or blackmail people that do not want to be here.”

  A soft murmur spread through the room. They vividly remembered Corin’s brutality. Some had borne the brunt of such viciousness. Garrick glanced at Laura and remembered stitching up a brutal wound over her stomach that Corin had given her when she refused to bed him. During the years that Garrick had been a regulator, he had seen the pain and suffering Corin had exacted on his pack. Over time, Garrick started to care, and that had ended up detrimental to Corin. Garrick had ended Corin’s life just outside the living room doors, in the garden during a full moon. If he sniffed hard enough, he could still smell Corin’s blood seeped deep into the earth beyond his door.

  He looked over at his trusted advisors. He had good people under him; he hoped he could keep them safe in the coming months. Soon, Fisher would try to take one or more out. Just another way to break his ranks, by taking out his lieutenants.

  “Why do you think they leave?” Garrick asked.

  “A lot of them are young. They go because Fisher offers them fun and excitement,” Laura commented.

  Garrick sighed and ran his hand over his face. “Christ, this isn’t a lifestyle choice.”

  “We know that, Garrick, but some are still young, and they don’t seem to realize that they can’t go back. Maybe they don’t want to know.”

  “Sex.”

  Garrick’s gaze settled on his youngest advisor, Vanessa. Corin had turned her a week before his death. She had only been eighteen when he had raped and savaged her.

  Tommy chuckled. “I’ll go along with that.”

  “She’s right, Garrick.” Laura spoke up. “There had been some grumbling about the lack of possible mates in the pack. It gets fairly difficult when the men outnumber the women four to one.”

  There was a loud murmur of agreement in the room.

  Garrick shook his head, at a loss. “Okay, how do we change that?”

  “You need to take a mate,” Laura said.

  “What? How is that going to increase the numbers?”

  “If word gets out that you’re looking for a companion, our female numbers will triple by the end of the week.” Laura grinned. “You’re quite the catch, Garrick. Every unmated bitch within hearing distance would line up for a chance to be yours.”

  Smith laughed. “Oh, man, that would piss Fisher off something fierce.”

  “Yeah, and after you pick a woman, all the other ladies will stay because they’ll see the leftovers ain’t half bad, either.” Tommy laughed and slapped Garrick on the back.

  Garrick looked around at the eager faces in his living room. Laura was right. He’d been too preoccupied with his own ego to think of it before. Or, had he been too preoccupied with a memory of something good that he’d pushed away? He rubbed a hand over his face, shoving that thought from his mind. His pack came first. Their well-being came first.

  “Fine. If you think it will help our situation, put out the word.”

  Laura nodded, then leaned back in her chair, satisfied with the results.

  “Now, because of this possible threat, I want each of you to be very aware of your surroundings. Fisher could come after any one of you to prove his point.” He looked pointedly at Vanessa and Laura. “Ladies, be especially careful. It wouldn’t be beyond Fisher to come after you first.”

  Vanessa snorted. “If he thinks we’re weak because we’re female, he needs to rethink his strategy.”

  “I agree. I still remember the sparring match we had the other day.” He rubbed his upper arm.

  Everyone laughed. The mood lightened instantly, and Garrick smiled as he looked around the room. He really hoped he didn’t disappoint any of his people. Nineteen months ago, he wouldn’t have cared, but now ... things were different. He was different.

  “Okay, now that that crap is over with, who wants a drink?”

  “Me!” they all chorused in unison.

  Garrick laughed and slapped Tommy on the back. “Help me with the beers.”

  They moved into the kitchen, and Garrick opened the refrigerator. He handed Tommy a few bottles of beer, but the sound of gravel crunching under tires gave him pause. He glanced up and noticed that Tommy also hesitated, looking toward the back door and the driveway.

  “It’s a car, lightweight, maybe a Nissan or Toyota. Definitely not Fisher’s Lexus.”

  Garrick pushed past him and went back into the living room. The others naturally had heard the car and were glancing out his big bay window toward the driveway. Passing them, he opened the door just as a silver Camry drove onto his grass and stopped. He didn’t have to see into the vehicle to kn
ow who it was.

  His nose had been twitching for the past five minutes -- the time it took to drive down his graveled road.

  Chapter Five

  The car door opened, and Olivia stepped out onto the dewy grass of Garrick’s backyard. He stood in the doorway of his house, his arms stiff and his back up. She swallowed down the bile in her throat when she spied the other faces staring out at her from the big bay window.

  Shit, she’d crashed a pack meeting.

  Fisher probably knew Garrick would be having one, which would explain why he had insisted she go out to Garrick’s place immediately to deliver another message. Damn Fisher! He was using her to his advantage. She sighed, supposing it was fair, since she was using him for the same thing.

  She slammed the door shut and leaned against it, waiting for Garrick to come to her. The sight of angry enemy faces plastered against the window was enough to make her knees shaky and her courage tenuous at best.

  Olivia had a difficult time keeping her hands from shaking as Garrick stomped down the porch steps toward her. His face was stoic, and she swore she could hear his teeth grinding under the strain.

  As he neared, she could smell his cologne and the soap he used in the shower. Both scents caused saliva to pool in her mouth.

  “What are you doing here?” She could hear the restrained tension in the timber of his sexy voice.

  She held out an envelope to him. “Delivering a message.”

  He glanced at it and smirked. “You’re Fisher’s delivery mutt as well as his bitch?”

  Olivia flinched. She ground her teeth and took in a deep, cleansing breath. She would not be baited. She’d come out here for two purposes, and she wasn’t leaving until she’d fulfilled both.

  Folding the envelope in half, she reached out and grabbed a belt loop on his jeans. She pulled him closer to her and tucked the paper into his waistband. She smiled, then sidestepped him when he leaned forward thinking she had given him an invitation for something else.

  “Got a beer?” she asked as she walked toward the house.

  Garrick caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  She grinned up at him. “Just thought I could have a drink with you.” Sliding her tongue out, she lightly licked her bottom lip. “You know, for old time’s sake.”

  “Last night, you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

  She shrugged and pulled from his grip. “That was last night.” She continued to walk toward the house. Climbing the porch steps, she was very conscious of the many faces staring out at her from the window. Angry faces.

  Olivia wasn’t too worried. She knew that despite what was between them, Garrick would not allow her to get hurt, and that she could hold her own. She had not gotten where she was in Fisher’s pack by making friends. With her increased strength, her karate was lethal, and she’d had her fair share of fights. On one occasion, she’d come close to killing another rival female in the pack.

  The bloody images still haunted her dreams and made her stomach roil. She’d done what she had to do, but feelings of remorse still plagued her.

  As she went through Garrick’s back door, smells of anger and rage consumed her. Someone was definitely not happy to see her. She glanced around at the faces staring at her as she wandered into the room. Her gaze fell on the youngest member. She could smell the girl’s hatred from across the room. It smelled like black pepper and almost made her sneeze.

  She smiled at everyone. “Hello.”

  “What’s she doing here, Garrick?” the girl demanded, breaking the tense silence and wrapping her arms around her torso. “I can smell Fisher all over her.”

  “She just dropped off a message. And I thought we could be hospitable and offer her a drink.”

  Tommy moved across the room and smiled at Olivia. He took her hand. “Nice to see you again, Olivia.”

  “And you.” She let him lead her toward the kitchen. “I think the last time I saw you was at the airport. The day I flew to Spain.”

  He chuckled. “Ah, right. I was just making sure you were safely on your way.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  They went into the kitchen, and Tommy got her a beer from the refrigerator. Leaning back against the counter, she unscrewed the bottle cap and took a long pull. It had been a long time since she’d had a nice cold beer. She toasted Tommy and smiled.

  He toasted her back and looked around sheepishly as loud voices came from the other room.

  “She has no right to be here.” Olivia recognized the young female’s voice.

  “We are not at war yet, Vanessa. We can still be polite to other pack members.”

  “She’s here only to spy on us,” the girl argued.

  Olivia smiled at that and took another pull on her beer. Smart girl. She was obviously going to be a problem in the future.

  “So, how long have you been back?” Tommy asked.

  “About three months.”

  “Hmm, didn’t take you long to advance in ranks.”

  She smiled. “Nope, sure didn’t.”

  “Pretty ambitious.”

  “Yup.”

  Tommy smirked and nodded his head, as if he totally understood what she was all about. “We’re going to have trouble from you, aren’t we?”

  She cocked her hip and licked her lips. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “I told Garrick he was playing with fire, but he didn’t listen.”

  Before she could respond, Garrick stormed into the kitchen and grabbed Olivia’s arm to pull her down the back hall. She knew exactly where they were going ... to his bedroom.

  He shoved her inside, locked the door behind him, and flicked on his stereo system. Something loud and fast blasted through the speakers. Perfect, just what she wanted.

  “Why are you here?”

  Olivia took in the surroundings. She knew where everything was. It had been ingrained in her mind long ago. She glanced at the king-sized bed. The sheets were black, and pulled back invitingly.

  “I told you, to deliver a message.”

  Garrick showed her the envelope and ripped it in half. The two halves fluttered to the floor.

  “Now, why are you really here?”

  She knew he was reining in his anger. She could feel the heat from his body passing through the room and covering her like an electric blanket. She could smell his fury and something else she was pleased to sense -- desire. It was hot and heavy in her nose. Involuntarily, she licked her lips. She could already taste his sweat on the tip of her tongue.

  He took a bold step toward her. She took a step back, but he continued to advance on her until she had backed up into the bed. There was nothing but an inviting mattress behind her. He closed the distance quickly, and with an angry sigh, he took her mouth. The kiss was hot and quick, fueled by anger and uncontrollable lust. Olivia gave in, knowing this was the reason she had come. Sex with Garrick was irresistible. She remembered too well the last time they had been together. She’d had multiple mind-blowing orgasms that had shattered her body and her soul. It was far too late to put the pieces back together.

  He fisted his hands in her short, spiky hair and ravaged her mouth. He nipped and bit at her lips and tongue, unsatisfied to just kiss. It felt like he wanted to eat her raw. She supposed if given the chance, he would. She brought her hands up to his chest and pushed him away. He stumbled back into his dresser and knocked over the various items on top. He stared at her with dark eyes and a fierce sneer on his hard face.

  “I’m not here to fuck you, Garrick,” she growled, unable to control the lusty lilt of her voice.

  “Yes, you are.” He took a step toward her again. “I can already taste your juices in my mouth.”

  She nearly closed her eyes on a sigh at his rough words. She loved it when he talked dirty to her. Her sex already throbbed and was wet just from being near him.

  Garrick grabbed her by her T-shirt and, with one mighty pull, ripped it in two. Her breasts s
prang free since she wasn’t wearing a bra. Gasping, she pulled back and ended up on her back on the bed. Garrick was on her in seconds, covering her breasts with his wide, rough hands.

  Olivia groaned loudly as he pulled and pinched her nipples. He must have remembered how much she loved that. She closed her eyes and arched her back, pushing her breasts up harder into his touch. He responded by covering her nipples with his tongue. Moaning, she fisted her hands in his hair, urging him to devour her. He didn’t disappoint as he clamped down on her tingling nipple with his teeth. Pain seared through her, but it soon melted into exquisite pleasure as he rolled her nipple between his lips. He was a master at taking her pain and turning it into intense, mind-blowing rapture.

  As Garrick continued to suck on her, his hand moved down over her stomach to the waistband of her jeans. With an expert flick of his fingers, the button on her waistband was undone, and he slowly pulled the zipper down. When it was completely open, he slid his fingers under the denim and found her scorching hot and sopping wet. Surprise jerked his head up. She wasn’t wearing any panties.

  “I thought you always wore underwear.”

  She gazed up at him, her lips swollen, slightly parted, and her eyes half shut. “Not anymore.”

  He grinned and lowered his mouth to her stomach. His tongue trailed over her ribs and around her navel. Her skin was sultry against his lips. He could taste the salt on the surface and her real flavor underneath, coming through her pores. She tasted like sugar to him, sweet and addictive. It had been nearly impossible to eradicate that taste from his memory. Everything about her had been implanted in his brain. He knew he would never be able to replace her in his mind.

  Garrick pulled at the jeans, quickly shoving them down her legs and bunching them at her ankles. He needed to see her, feel her, taste her ... all of her. Her scent was overpowering, making his head swim. Once she was naked, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the mound of her sex. She sucked in a ragged breath as he kissed her sensitive flesh. Her skin was scorching under his lips, and he could smell the delicious scent of her desire. He knew she would taste like ambrosia under his tongue.