“That wasn’t smart, man,” he said.
Rik shrugged and he felt Marcus shift beside him, a subtle tension radiated from his friend. “I don’t play well with others and I certainly don’t always follow directions.”
Lyn’s eyes glittered and his lips curled in a feral snarl. “Your kind always fall into line sooner or later, pussycat. That’s what your precious Council expects of you—mindless loyalty like that of a drone.”
Rik refused to rise to the bait. “What would your kind know about loyalty? You eat your dead, not to mention using roadkill for party snacks.” He gave a mock shudder. “The Council expects loyalty but they also understand that there are exceptions to be made.”
“We stand on our own and live by our rules. The wolves have deliberately chosen not to join the Council,” Lyn snapped. “We do not answer to vampires and cats.”
Rik wasn’t bothered by his name-calling. It was long understood that the wolves wanted nothing to do with the Council, and that was their choice. Unfortunately, their inability to police their own people had led to far too many in-fights and the near decimation of their line several hundred years ago. It was only in the last forty years that the number of werewolves had reached the point where they were no longer extinct in the eyes of the preternaturals. It was amazing how many bodies had piled up during their constant struggles for pack leadership.
“Whatever the reason for not following the Council, I couldn’t care less,” Rik said. “You expect an apology from me and I’m telling you that your woman should be kept on a shorter leash. She picked me up in a bar and she neglected to tell me that she was your woman and that is that. I didn’t find out until much later.”
The wolf shook his head. “She wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Well, she did. I’m sorry your woman was unfaithful but I don’t owe you anything, not even the time of day.”
“You owe me, Ulrik the Fair, you owe me big.” Lyn stepped away from his brother. “And I will see to it that your bill is paid.”
The door to the club opened. The third werewolf exited and he was pulling someone behind him. It was Char. She’d put on a coat—a floor-length, shiny vinyl duster—and she looked none too happy. The man shoved her toward Rik and he caught her arm as the door slid shut.
“Let go of me, you freak of nature,” she snapped. She shook off his touch and her eyes widened then narrowed when she saw it was Rik. “Just what is going on here?”
He ignored her and fixed his gaze on Lyn. “I told you that she has nothing to do with this,” he ground out.
“It sure didn’t look that way to me.” Lyn smirked.
“Then you need some glasses, Fido,” Rik said. “You’re wrong.”
Lyn’s lips tightened at the slang name for a werewolf, and judging from his tight expression, he’d try to make Rik pay for calling him names. His gaze flicked to Char and an unpleasant smile crossed his face.
“It grates, doesn’t it?” Lyn moved toward her. “Knowing that I’m going to touch her, have her, as you had Serena.”
Char’s eyes widened when Lyn put his hand on her shoulder. “What is he talking about, Rik?”
“Love, sex.” Lyn moved his fingers down her arm then up again. “Betrayal.”
Rik felt the beast within him rise. The blue flame that constantly flickered in his mind, the essence of his animal nature grew stronger. If he let it, if he let his beast free, he would tear Lyn to pieces in seconds. Too bad that wasn’t an option, as the mental imagery was most satisfying.
He tamped down on the feelings of outrage and forced the flame down. He would control his beast, and no matter what happened, Char would walk away unscathed. He’d protect her with his life if needed.
“What are you doing, Lyn?” Rik’s tone was contemptuous. “You would risk all-out warfare over a woman?”
“Warfare?” Char’s voice wobbled. “What’s this about warfare?”
“She’s worth it, isn’t she?” Lyn smiled and the tips of his canines flashed. “She’s beautiful and she looks like a prime piece of ass.” His other hand landed on her shoulder. He pulled her backward until she was just short of leaning into him. “What would you do for her, pussycat? Will you fight for her?”
Rik’s gaze landed on Char’s beautiful face. She was scared and her breathing was shallow and quick. He tried to give her a reassuring smile.
“What do you want?” Rik’s gaze never left hers.
“You, on your knees.”
Marcus cracked his knuckles. This was going wrong, horribly so. An apology was one thing, groveling in an alley at the feet of a dog was another. Even the Council would understand that.
His gaze flicked to Lyn. “How about this instead? I promise not to kill you if you release her now.” The brother and the stranger shifted toward Lyn. “And you three can walk away.”
The stranger laughed. “You seem very sure of yourself, pussy-man.”
Rik held his hands out to his sides. “I haven’t been wrong yet.”
“Unbelievable.” Lyn shook his shaggy head. “Even now you don’t realize you’re beat.” He touched Char’s pale throat with the back of his fingers. “While that is a very generous offer, I want you on your knees or it’s no deal.”
Rik crossed his arms over his chest and Marcus aped his movements. “No deal.”
Lyn shrugged and his grip on Char tightened. “Then we’re at an impasse. I will take your woman and ruin her for any other man—”
“Weylyn…” His brother’s voice held a hint of warning.
“Bo,” Lyn snarled.
“I really am tired of people just talking around me,” Char interrupted. “I want to know what the hell is going on here.” She started to move toward Rik but Lyn didn’t release her.
“I don’t think so, little one. I have great plans for you,” Lyn said.
“Oh, yeah? Well, so do I,” she snapped.
In a surprise move, Char made a fist and brought her arm up over her shoulder and smacked Lyn directly in the nose. While it probably didn’t hurt him, the werewolf’s head snapped back and his grip on her shoulders loosened.
She grabbed his wrist then dropped and twisted, her movements stiff in the constricting corset. She landed on her back as she pulled Lyn forward then down with her. Bracing her feet against his belly, she flipped him to land on his back at Rik’s feet.
The look of shock on the wolf’s face was so amusing that Rik wished he’d had a camera.
“Now who’s groveling?” Rik leaned over the wolf.
Char lunged to her feet and stalked toward Rik, her stiletto heels making sharp, angry clicking sounds on the pavement. “You have a lot of explaining to do—” she was cut off when Marcus grabbed her and pushed her toward the wall to safety.
A rough growl sounded from Lyn and his lips pulled back to reveal his sharp canines. The bones of his face began shifting under his skin and his eyes took on a deep, red glow.
Oh shit…
The third wolf tossed a garbage can at Rik’s head and he ducked and rolled. He heard Char scream but he didn’t spare her a glance, as he knew Marcus would keep her safe.
A detached sense of calm descended over him, a frequent and familiar companion from his Hunter days. He’d been trained to hunt and kill rogue preternaturals and his old persona fit like a pair of comfortable jeans. He was in his element.
God, how he missed this.
Rik moved like a machine, making quick work of the brother by knocking his hard head against the wall and tossed him into a dumpster.
The third wolf made the mistake of running at Marcus, who knocked him out with a single blow to the chin. The man was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Lyn stood in the middle of the alley watching Rik. His face had taken on a definite wolfish look and his long teeth glinted in the darkness. While he was in the midst of a transformation he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to complete the task. His arms had lengthened, along with his fingers and claw-like nails. His re
ddish gaze was locked on his adversary and bloodlust glinted in their depths. Rik could only hope Char couldn’t see any of this, as she was behind Marcus.
Rik felt the power of the moon and the call of his animal nature was strong. If it weren’t for Char, he’d embrace his animal and they’d rumble but it couldn’t happen tonight. Not in front of her.
“You don’t want this, Lyn.” Rik’s voice was deep, thick with the need to shift.
“Fuck you,” the wolf snarled in barely intelligible English. He lunged.
Rik darted to the side, but not quite quickly enough. He barely felt the graze of the wolf’s claws where they struck his upper arm. He twisted and dropped, rolling to the side, while Lyn’s momentum carried him a few feet further.
Rik gained his feet and pulled the knife from his boot as Lyn spun toward him. They began circling. The hilt of the blade felt comfortable, familiar in his palm. He was a patient man and he could wait until Lyn made a mistake, and it would be the one that cost him his life.
“Down here, down here!” someone screamed. “They’re fighting.”
At the mouth of the alley, several humans had gathered, along with two police officers. The cops started toward them.
Lyn tilted his head back and gave a wild roar that echoed off the brick walls. The humans shrieked and scattered, while the cops paused long enough to pull out their guns.
“This isn’t over, Ulrik,” Lyn snarled. He fished his brother’s unconscious body from the dumpster with one hand. “We’ll rumble some other night. Your woman will never be safe until you pay your debt to me, pussycat.” He loped down the alley in the opposite direction of the cops.
“Rik.” Marcus shoved Char toward Rik, then stopped to pick up the unconscious wolf and toss him over his shoulder. “Run with her; I’ll take him.”
“Stop right there,” one of the cops shouted.
“Stay safe,” Rik said to Marcus. He threw open the door to the club and pushed Char toward it.
“We can’t just leave,” she shrilled. “The cops—”
“Are better off without us. We’ll only cause them more paperwork if we stay.” He caught her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. “We need to boogie, babe.”
He ignored the curious patrons who were alerted to their presence by the shrieking bundle of femininity tossed over his shoulder. Who knew such a compact package could make so much noise?
It took a few hairy moments to negotiate his way out of the club, and he breathed a sigh of relief when they made it out the front door. Ignoring Char’s squeals of rage, he ran down the street toward the lot where he’d left his car. When he reached the sleek BMW, he set Char down.
In the moonlight her cheeks were flushed, her hair mussed and her little velvet ears were cockeyed. She was so beautiful that she stole his breath away.
She stepped back, straightened her corset then placed her hands on her hips. Her sharp little chin jutted out and she glared up at him.
“Just who the hell are you and what was that all about?”
Chapter Three
She needed to have her head examined.
Char eased Rik’s jacket off his broad shoulders, wincing as she did so. This man was a complete and total stranger and—somehow—she’d allowed him to sweet-talk her into bringing him back to her place. She’d be lucky if he didn’t murder her in her bed.
New Orleans was one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S., and she knew better than to pick up a stranger. Heck, under normal circumstances she didn’t open the front door to someone she didn’t recognize, much less invite them in to sit on her bed.
She held up the jacket to examine the destruction. It was ruined. The soft leather had three slash marks across the arm and there was no way it could be repaired. She dropped the garment then flinched when she saw the damage to his tanned flesh.
“You’re a mess,” she said.
He glanced down at the three slashes then shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”
“Typical.” She snorted and stepped into the bathroom to gather some first aid supplies. She’d laughed at her friends when they’d suggested that she find a companion for the evening. She simply wasn’t a pick-them-up kind of girl. She’d bet her paycheck that they’d never envisioned anything like this.
She exited the bathroom with her supplies and dumped them on the nightstand. “If your intestines were hanging out, you’d probably say the same thing.”
He grinned and her stomach flopped. “I’m a man. I’m not supposed to admit to feeling pain.”
“Yeah, well, feel this.”
She stepped closer to slide one leg between his. His eyes heated and his warm, masculine scent teased her senses. Her skin tingled at the nearness of him. She wanted to push him back on the bed and kiss every inch of his big body. She longed to lick his amazing six-pack and suckle his flat male nipples. Instead she placed an alcohol-soaked cotton pad over the wounds on his upper arm.
“Sadist,” he muttered through clenched teeth.
“Hmm.” She held the pad over the wounds to staunch the sluggish blood flow. “Are you going to tell me what that scene in the alley was all about?”
His muscles shifted beneath her hands when he shrugged. “There isn’t much to tell. Lyn and I have a sordid past and I guess he’s not too happy with me.”
Char rolled her eyes. That was an understatement if ever she’d heard one. She’d grown up with three brothers who’d enjoyed pummeling each other every chance they got. In all her life she’d never seen a man in a murderous rage such as the one this Lyn person had experienced.
“Do all of your friends want to beat you to a pulp?” she asked.
“Only the good ones.” Rik had a slight smile on his gorgeous mouth.
“Somehow, I believe it.” She lifted the pad, pleased to see the bleeding had slowed. She tossed it into the trashcan and picked up a clean pad. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”
He laughed. “Me? Where did you learn to flip a gorilla like that? Lyn has to outweigh you by at least one hundred pounds.”
“My older brother is a police officer and he’s taught me all sorts of useful moves.” She reached for the bottle of Betadine.
“What kind of moves?” Rik asked with a mock-leering grin. “I want to make sure when you use them on me I know what to expect.”
She snorted. “If I decide to take you down, you won’t see it coming.”
“Ah, a little warrior, eh?” His big hands landed on the backs of her thighs and she jumped, almost falling off her heels. She braced her hand on his shoulder and righted herself.
“Careful there, stud.” She swiped the reddish-brown liquid over the cuts. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“Who said I couldn’t finish?” His warm palms moved up the back of her thighs then down again.
“You’re wounded and probably should avoid any strenuous activity.” She tossed the stained pad into the trash and grabbed the bandages. “I need to get this covered.”
“Yeah, well,” his hand slid up her thigh to tease the lower curve of her buttocks, “if you’re really worried about me straining myself, I’ll let you do all the work.”
His dark eyes were lit with a look of desire as old as time. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. He was an amazing kisser and she longed to kiss him again. Her breath caught and arousal reared its head. She exhaled and her nipples chafed against the restrictive corset. She wanted this man, probably more than she’d ever wanted a man in her life.
She forced her gaze away and concentrated on bandaging his arm. Rik was injured and having sex was the last thing he needed to be doing. She’d bandage him up and send him on his way—after she tattooed her phone number on his butt. She definitely wanted to get to know him better…much better.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so—”
“This skirt is a bit superfluous, if you ask me.” He slipped his hand beneath the thin vinyl and cupped her butt cheek. “It’s pretty small and y
ou aren’t wearing much underneath it.”
Exasperated and more aroused than she wanted to admit, she slapped the last piece of tape into place. “What did you expect, pantaloons? There isn’t much room for a lot of clothing under there.”
“Which is something to be thankful for.”
He cupped both cheeks now and gave them a firm squeeze. Heat ignited between her thighs, and their gazes locked. Her thoughts immediately turned south, even as she shook her head no.
“You’re hurt.”
“I’ll heal.”
“We shouldn’t—”
“We should.” He licked his lips and she stifled a groan. He pulled her closer until she was leaning against him, his face level with her breasts.
“Rik…” It was a half-hearted protest.
“Char.” He leaned back, taking her with him. She gasped at the ease of his movement when she landed, sprawled across his big body.
Damn, he was strong.
Their legs tangled and the brush of denim against her inner thighs was both shocking and arousing.
“This is much better.” His eyes twinkled. “Less pressure on my arm.”
“For you, maybe, but this corset is killing me.” Her eyes watered. The metal stays were digging into her ribs and it was increasingly difficult to breathe.
His gaze focused on her breasts that threatened to explode from the corset. He trailed a fingertip along one of the plump curves. “Sexy as this garment might be, it’s killing me too.”
He toyed with the corset tie and their gazes locked. She knew what he wanted; he was asking her permission to untie it. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, make love with her. Breathless, she gave a faint nod.
He tugged on the lace and the bow dissolved. She braced her hands on the bed and rose up so he could reach the laces more easily. With his gaze locked on hers, he loosened the corset’s grip slowly, deliberately. Char felt oddly breathless as he worked his way down the garment until the punishing grip eased. He removed the garment and tossed it to the side.
Shyness washed over her and she bit her lip. It had been seven months since Brad had walked out the door. In her entire life, only two men had ever seen her naked and Rik would be the third. What if he thought she was fat? What if he hated the scar on her thigh from—
Things That Go Bump In the Night 2004 Page 11
