Red

by Tracey H. Kitts

  "Yes,” I said, still looking at Luther. “I trust him. Now, it's her I'm worried about.” I smiled at Kat. “Don't attack the man in public, alright?"

  Kat pretended to pout but couldn't stop smiling as she replied, “Don't worry, I'll behave myself.” I watched as she and Luther took a seat at a booth in the corner and appeared to start telling dirty jokes. Maybe he hadn't changed as much as I'd thought.

  "Well?” Marco asked, turning my attention back to him. “What will it be, business, or pleasure?"

  I looked him up and down once more, lingering longer than was polite across the front of his tight leather pants. Looking at Marco was like reading a really good book. You just wanted to take your time. As I stepped closer to him again, I breathed in his scent and could no longer keep my hands to myself.

  Pulling his shirt open, I placed both my hands against his chest, just as they had been in my drawing. For many sleepless nights, I had longed to run my hands over Marco's body. His skin was hot, feverish to the touch and I felt the hot sexual power flow over me again as I touched him. My voice became sex as I leaned in to whisper, “You're hot."

  He gasped in response. Apparently touching his bare skin made it harder to resist the power in my voice.

  "Full moon,” he said, his voice growing deeper with desire.

  "What about it?” I leaned close enough to breathe in the scent along his collar bone.

  "It's in three days,” he said, swallowing hard.

  "Mmm, do you always run a fever so close to transformation?” I pressed my lips to his throat.

  "Always,” he breathed.

  People at the tables around us were staring, Kat included. Marco and I were beginning to draw our own crowd.

  "Maybe dancing isn't such a good idea,” I said, pulling back from him slightly. It took all I could do not to rip off his clothes and throw him on a table top as it was. If I had danced with him, the audience might have gotten more than a display of my dancing skills.

  "Would you like a drink?” he offered, trying to regain his composure. “We could take it in my office."

  "You have an office?"

  "Of course.” He smiled, some of his natural wickedness returning as he took me by the arm. “Right this way."

  He led me beyond the red door that Luther had entered through earlier. There was a long corridor with many different rooms off to the side. We went straight down and took a right. All the way at the end of the hall there was another red door that led to Marco's office. Not only was I surprised at the how well the size of the building was concealed from the outside, but I was impressed with his office, as well. I'm not exactly sure what I had expected, but it certainly wasn't what I saw. A large mahogany desk stood near the back of the room. Behind the desk and along one wall were rows upon rows of law books from both planets and history books detailing different wars.

  To my left, sat a large tan leather sofa, with dark suede pillows nearly covering it from view. Against the opposite wall was a matching chair and ottoman with a deep crimson blanket flung across it that reflected in the highly polished wood of the floor. The chair was pulled along side a black marble fireplace that, due to the heat, was not blazing at the moment, but it definitely added to the atmosphere of the place.

  "Nice,” I said, as my heels made clicking sounds across the shiny floor.

  "I'm glad you like it."

  He motioned for me to sit and I chose the straight backed red chair in front of his desk. It was tall and Victorian in style, with ornately clawed golden feet. Yes, the sofa looked much more inviting, but I didn't want to get too comfortable.

  Marco propped against the desk in front of me and I watched in fascination as the muscles along his torso rippled beneath the skin.

  "What would you like to drink?"

  I got the impression that he was deliberately wasting time. “Is there something you're avoiding?"

  "Is there something that you're rushing, Red?” There was sex in his voice. Even if he didn't possess the same power that I had, it was unmistakable. Marco had one of those voices that are normally afforded to hard drinking, chain smoking, blues singers. But, he didn't drink enough, or smoke enough to have damaged his vocal cords that much. It was just the way he sounded. I wished that I had spoken to him more.

  "Too much foreplay will lose my attention,” I warned silkily as I stretched my legs forward to prop my boots beside where he rested against the desk.

  He raised an eyebrow at my boots, but didn't comment. “Would you like a cigar?"

  "Now you're just stalling.” I smiled.

  As I rose to step near him, he offered me a box of Cuban cigars, vanilla flavored to be exact. I loved a good cigar, but like a good man, they're difficult to find.

  "You do realize that these are completely illegal?"

  "Of course.” He flashed me those lovely white teeth as he smiled.

  "In that case, I'll have some pineapple/orange juice and rum,” I said, selecting a cigar from the box.

  He gave me that questioning raised eyebrow look again and I explained, “It goes with the vanilla flavor."

  Marco pressed a button on his phone and ordered our drinks, making his the same as mine. He smiled and said, “I'll take your word."

  "Surely you don't mean to smoke these in here?” I motioned around the office. “The smell will never come out of the leather."

  "No,” he said, “I thought we'd go out on the fire escape."

  "You've already got me alone. Is the fire escape really necessary, or is that just to keep out the smoke?"

  The look he gave me was very serious as he replied, “What I have to say to you is private."

  Since I was unsure of how I should respond, I remained quiet until our drinks arrived a few minutes later. Marco opened the window and motioned for me to go first. The breeze felt nice as I climbed out onto the fire escape. I was surprised to find a small chair in the corner. Obviously this was where Marco went to be alone.

  He stood, looking out over the city, but I decided to sit down. I watched as he lit his cigar, took a few puffs, and offered it to me. He hadn't spoken for several minutes now, and I was becoming anxious, but I took the cigar and gave him the one I was carrying. This one he kept for himself, but still he didn't speak.

  "You've heard about the hearing?” he said at last, making it a question.

  "Yes."

  "And after your encounter with Bade, I'm sure you know what he's up to."

  "I have an idea."

  "I need the loyalty of the pack again,” he said, turning to me.

  "I thought you said it was Bade's idea to form packs, like animals, you'd said."

  He smiled slightly, but not like he was amused. “That's not exactly what I meant."

  "But, it's what you said."

  "Give me a break, Red. You were straddling my lap for God's sake."

  "Fine, what did you mean?"

  "What do you know of the pack?” he asked.

  "I know that its exact workings are kept secret and normally only shared within the pack itself."

  "That's right. But, what do you know about the leader of the pack?"

  "He's the alpha,” I said simply.

  "Yes, the alpha. However in some instances, there is more than one alpha male. In such cases, they must fight to determine which will lead the pack. To a certain extent, we are animals. But what I meant was, Bade doesn't want us to be recognized as being even partially human. He wants us to form packs, apart from the normal structure. His methods are brutal. Where my pack has Omega wolves, the lowest ranking within the pack, his would allow for the alpha and beta wolves to have slaves."

  "He was once your beta wolf?"

  "Yes, my second in command. But now, he's split off, formed his own pack and challenged my power."

  "This is all fascinating, but what has it got to do with me?” I asked.

  "You killed my alpha female,” he answered, but there was no anger in his voice, he was merely stating a fact.

&
nbsp; "She was with Bade,” I interrupted.

  "Yes, but only because she was blinded by her hatred for you. She would have gone along with any plan as long as hurting you was involved."

  "I see."

  "No, you don't."

  He stepped closer to me. The smoke from the cigar curled around him like a misplaced halo as he towered above me, but I refused to stand. I'm sure it was a sign of disrespect, but I didn't care. Just hearing about that woman was making me angry.

  "Many of my pack are calling for your death,” he said, “but I won't allow it. I am still alpha and it is my place to avenge my mate if I choose to, or to order it to be done."

  "So, she was your mate?” More anger than I had intended crept into my voice.

  "Not any more. We were a true mated pair once. Though we were no longer a couple, she still served as alpha female to the pack."

  Blowing smoke in his direction, I said, “Well, if you call that an alpha female, no wonder your pack's in trouble."

  "Do not mock me,” he growled.

  I rose slowly, staring him down as much as possible with our height difference. “It is not you that I mock, but your poor choice in women,” I snarled sarcastically.

  Truthfully, I should have been afraid. I may be tough, but I wasn't a match for an alpha male, not in a fair fight. Marco could have torn me apart if he'd wanted to, but my anger clouded my good judgment. Just the thought of another woman touching Marco made me see red. He wasn't mine, but I didn't like the thoughts of him belonging to anyone else.

  "You're jealous,” he said, still looking fierce, but the anger had gone from his voice.

  "No, Marco, I'm just a bitch and I'll be damned if I let myself be threatened by someone like her."

  "Which brings me to the point of this conversation, please sit down,” he said, taking a step back and a sip of his drink.

  "That is exactly the reason I cannot allow you to be killed."

  "What, because they couldn't take me?"

  "No. Because they need you."

  "What?"

  "At a time like this, when so much is at stake, they need a strong alpha female to help lead them."

  "Marco, I'm not a true werewolf ... I'm something else."

  "That may be true, but you're more dominant than they are. They will listen to you."

  "And I'm supposed to listen to you, is that it?"

  "You would help to enforce my will, yes."

  "What makes you think that I would even consider such an offer?"

  Marco placed his cigar beside his drink on the railing as he came close to me once more. His leather pants creaked slightly as he knelt before me, placing his hands between my knees. He spread my legs and slid me toward him. Eye contact was now unavoidable, and I sat down my drink and cigar, as well.

  "I hunt werewolves, Marco. It's what I do. I could never be what you need, even if the hearing goes in your favor and you're treated as humans again ... I'm sure my role as a Hunter would change, but I'd still be a werewolf hunter. The discussion has come up before and if such were to be the case, we would still hunt rogue werewolves."

  "That's what you do now. I could use such an enforcer to my advantage."

  "Yes, but that's not what other Hunters have been doing. It's a crime punishable by death to even be a werewolf. I've been sent to carry out that sentence, Marco. I am death to you."

  "But you've only been killing those who threaten the safety of others. I know about the woman you left alive because she defended herself."

  "Just because I wouldn't kill a defenseless woman doesn't mean that I wouldn't kill you if I had to.” I tried to make the threat believable but found that I couldn't say it with as much conviction as I'd hoped.

  "I'm not asking you to marry me,” he said.

  "Then what exactly are you asking?"

  "I'm asking that you be my alpha female, my rufus kulin, my red queen."

  Shock was not a sufficient word for what I felt.

  "Are all alpha females given this title?"

  "No. Most have to fight for the right to be mated to the alpha male, and even then, their title would be kulin. But, you're special.” He smiled.

  "How do the other females in the pack feel about this?"

  "They're not happy,” he said simply, but not like he cared. “Some are demanding their right to fight for the position."

  "Sounds like you're very popular.” The anger was creeping into my voice again.

  "And you don't like that.” This seemed to please him, but I'd had enough of the conversation.

  "Let me go, Marco. I'm not going to be your bitch."

  His evil smile widened as he replied, “Then, I'll be yours, just don't tell anybody.” He winked.

  "Marco,” I said, trying to push him away, but he didn't move.

  "Say you will at least consider my offer."

  I opened my mouth, but no sound came. I didn't want to lie to him. Sure, I wanted Marco, but to become his alpha female would be out of the question. It was something that I simply couldn't do.

  "I can't."

  "But you will,” he said gently.

  He was right, but I wasn't going to tell him so.

  "You'd still be left with the matter of Bade. What will you do, kill him?"

  He stood up again and walked back to the railing before answering. “Not if I don't have to. I keep hoping he'll realize that he's wrong. I believe he's already given up on the idea of being able to replicate your DNA, but he still thinks that he can lead the pack better than I can."

  He sighed deeply and took another sip of his drink. “The longer I let him go, the more he undermines my authority."

  I had honestly never thought much before about the complexities of the wolf pack, but apparently it was more political in structure than I had suspected. The fact that he would even divulge such information to me spoke volumes about how serious Marco's offer was and how much he trusted me.

  I stepped closer, wanting to comfort him somehow, but not entirely sure it was appropriate for me to do so. I didn't love Marco, but I couldn't deny my attraction to him. Placing my hand on his back, I said, “I'm not going to lie to you. I don't know the answer."

  He turned to me and placed my hand over his heart. The feel of his bare skin against my palm felt more intimate than it should.

  "What you feel for me is not just lust,” he breathed. “It's the attraction that one alpha feels for another. You are drawn to me. I can feel it."

  "How?"

  "Because I feel the same way when I'm near you. No one else has ever had this effect on me. This is how it's supposed to be. How you manage to resist it is beyond me."

  "Me, too."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Eleven

  After a long pause Marco said at last, “When you get tired of fighting it, let me know."

  Once again, I didn't know how to respond, but if what he said about alphas being attracted to one another was true, then that explained why I couldn't get him out of my head. I felt better knowing that I wasn't losing my mind. However, it wasn't exactly a comfort to know I could be affected by him that way.

  We finished our drinks in silence. Finally, I moved beside him and watched as we both blew smoke rings into the dark alley below.

  "Don't think too hard, Red.” His sexy rough voice so close to my ear made me shiver.

  "Why's that? You wanted me to think didn't you?"

  "If you think too much, you'll talk yourself out of whatever it is that you want to do."

  "It's not possible for you to know me this well. Until a few months ago, we'd only spoken once."

  "That's true, but it doesn't mean that I didn't pay attention,” he said, leaning in enough that his chest brushed against my shoulder. “I was still in training when you came along, the commanders wounded daughter, the one no one was supposed to know had been ... changed, but I knew. I paid attention. I watched as you changed daily, saw your skills improve, and I saw the way the men looked at you."<
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  He tucked a stray hair behind my ear as he continued. “I saw the effect that you had, but I wasn't aware of its source until after I was changed. Once in a great while, someone is born with your kind of power."

  He had my attention now. “What do you mean?"

  "The sex that radiates from you is no accident, but few can put it into their voice the way that you do ... Actually, no one can do it the way that you do."

  Marco must have been able to tell from my expression that I didn't understand, so he went on, “Extremely powerful werewolves sometimes have special powers, like that of wizards, an area of expertise. Particularly those who are descended from wizards themselves."

  "But I'm not...."

  "How old was your great grandmother when she died?"

  "But, what has that got to do with...?"

  "I'll tell you, because I was there when your father received the call telling him that she had been killed. She was five hundred years old. Now that's a stretch, even for the purest of Terran blood, wouldn't you say?"

  "How the hell...?"

  "Do I know all of this?” he finished for me. “I believe in knowing your enemy, and you and I have been enemies, have we not?"

  I nodded.

  "So, I made it my business to know how it was that you seemed to have powers that were unexplainable from what I knew of you at the time. You see, your great grandmother's father ... that would be your great, great, grandfather, was a wizard. The last to die of natural causes while in office at the ripe old age of one thousand, two hundred years. Quite the over achiever if you ask me."

  My knees suddenly felt weak. I leaned into Marco slightly, unable to stop myself.

  "You mean that...."

  "Mathias Alexander was your great, great, grandfather."

  "But, Joshua Mercury...."

  "Was cheated on,” Marco said simply.

  Mathias Alexander had been known as The Seducer. It was the power that he had. He could manipulate the senses in ways others could only dream about. Of course, a wizard has other basic talents, but his power was in his voice, and it was his strongest ability. His death and consequently vacated council seat had been the cause of the last wizard war forty years ago.