1302 The Alpha (The 13th Floor) (5 page)

Autumn decay and rich pine. Earth, water, and the zest of fallen chestnuts. Hints of animals and people. Turkeys were lurking around in the area.

She was part of it all. Her body the trees and her fur the leaves. Her breath the chilly breeze.

Her ears twitched as James walked up, sniffing around her. He cocked his head to the side with his nose twitching. Dipping his head, he trotted farther into the forest and glanced back at her.

Stefanie followed and then took the lead. She could barely smell him, and only thought she could now because she had been spending time with him. Her attraction to him helped too. He was near her size in wolf form, but he was certainly very male. Something in her quickened. She needed to work off this energy one way or another.

Stopping, she made a motion with her paw as if covering her eyes. She could practice and play at the same time. A little game of hide-and-seek. If she could successfully hide from James, then her pack wouldn’t be able to track her.

James chuffed and lowered himself down to his belly. His tongue lulled as he draped one leg over his eyes. She would have laughed if she could. She took off in a sprint.

Stefanie zigzagged and brushed up against some trees before darting off in another direction. The chaos in the city seemed like something far away. The only one chasing her was playing a game. She hadn’t felt this free in a long time.

Slowing down, she hopped over some rocks and through a few puddles. Hearing a few noises nearby, she wondered if James found her already. No, surely he’d at least draw out the game if he did. He’d be quieter too. But a squirrel preparing for hibernation might not be.

A quick snack would hit the spot. It didn’t take much to outwit squirrels either. She padded toward where the noise originated, preparing to pounce as soon as she spotted her prey.

The wind came at a gust, and she flattened her ears as she crouched. Sniffing, she paused. Not a squirrel.

Another sniff. Wolf. Not James. Shit.

Keeping low, Stefanie silently crept away. Colin. She’d been sure that asshole would take advantage of the craziness in the city to have some fun. She couldn’t smell the rest of the pack, but that didn’t mean much with the wind blowing as hard as it was.

Rounding a fallen tree, she came within two feet of June who had a limp squirrel dangling from her maw. Her appearance startled the other female, and June dropped her catch. Before June could bark, Stefanie leapt at her, took hold of her neck and smashed her into the ground. Stefanie didn’t pause to see how badly she’d hurt the other wolf. She took off the way she’d come.

Behind her, June let out a short howl. Obviously Stefanie hadn’t hit the bitch hard enough.

Like a bulldozer on steroids, Colin barreled through the brush and rammed into Stefanie. They rolled and snapped at one another. Fur flew and blood coated her tongue.

He was bigger and stronger, but Stefanie was an Alpha. As much as he hated her, he’d never win a fight against her. Not a fair fight anyway.

Just as she had Colin under her with his neck bared, June bit her left rear leg. Stefanie yelped and twisted to yank herself free. Flesh tore and bright pain lanced through her.

With a growl, she snatched June by the throat and swung her around to clobber Colin as he was righting himself. Stefanie steadied herself and tried to ignore the searing pain as she put weight on her wounded leg. Never before had any of the pack dared to hurt her like this. Wyatt always meted out punishment himself.

That meant Wyatt wasn’t anywhere close.

All she needed to do was get away from these two bullies. Easier said than done.

Snarling, Colin launched himself at her again. His gray fur was matted with mud and blood. He seemed all teeth and slobber with his head-on attack. Directed by an Alpha or Beta, he might have some sneaky moves, but not on his own. He was a brute force type of goon.

Stefanie dodged to the left, dragging her hurt leg, and bit him in the neck just above his shoulder. Pain and panic were pushing her towards mindless frenzy, but she still retained a hold on reason.

She was ready for June this time. Knowing the bitch would go right for her wounded limb again, Stefanie scooted her rear end to the side. Releasing Colin, she struck and clamped down on June’s muzzle. One of her long canines punctured the thin flesh under June’s jaw, and when she jerked her head to the side, it ripped to produce a gruesome gash.

Colin plowed into her, and they rolled. They snapped at each other’s bellies before he managed to gain the dominant position.

A fourth wolf jumped on top of Colin and toppled him over to the side. The black fur looked even darker against the gray. June charged Stefanie, but she swiftly took the bitch to the ground with furious force. Stefanie held June’s neck and growled, a warning there would be worse if she didn’t stay down.

There was a whimper as Colin bashed James against the immense log. Stefanie’s reaction was immediate. The pressure of everything that had happened exploded. The sound of James being hurt, her own pain, the hatred for the other wolves, and the exhaustion of running for months.

One second she was beside June, and the next, Stefanie seized Colin’s throat. She forced him to the ground and bit hard. Something cracked. He cried, legs kicking. Biting him again, she ripped through an artery. Blood sprayed into the air and rained upon them.

Colin gurgled and flailed, writhing beneath her. Then he was still.

With no breath left, his body returned to that of a man.

Still standing over him, Stefanie was frozen. As much as she hated the bastard, she never wanted to kill him. She only wanted him gone, to leave her alone.

June howled mournfully and took off between the trees. Stefanie tensed, her body ready to give chase, but what was she going to do when she caught her? She didn’t want to kill June too. And that would be the only way to keep her from going back to the pack.

James nudged up against Stefanie and bent his head to lick at her wound. She twitched with the pain, but the heat of his tongue felt good. Werewolves healed fast, especially in their wolf form, but it was a sensitive spot. It would slow her down for a few days at least.

Glancing down at Colin, Stefanie let out a long breath. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her, making it difficult to breathe. It was her or them. She knew it. Colin would have killed James too. She had the right to protect her pack.

Her pack. It was where her head and heart immediately went. Funny how she already thought that way.

Stefanie barked softly at him and led him back the way they came. Her limp was less pronounced as they jogged on. The Nicolet pack was Wyatt’s. But she had James. The Carmine pack.

CHAPTER 6

Stefanie and James grabbed their clothes on the way back, but didn’t change to human until they were at her apartment. No one noticed a pair of wolves in the city with everything else going on. Even then, Stefanie was tempted to stay a wolf because she’d heal faster. Yet it was best to clean her wounds the human way.

James followed her lead and transformed, immediately turning to dress himself. She didn’t look away, but eyed his lean body as she slipped on her panties and T-shirt. He was bruised and scratched with one minor bite mark. His movements were a bit awkward, but it was probably due to feeling her eyes on him more than any other injuries. Her gaze dragged up his long legs to his cute ass as he pulled on his pants.

He kept his back to her until she went to the kitchen to fetch a clean dish towel and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Stefanie didn’t have much in the way of first aid. Never needed it.

“Are you all right?” His hazel eyes echoed his concerned expression.

“I’ll heal.” Stefanie sat on a chair and propped her foot up on the paint dotted coffee table. Her calf wasn’t bleeding any more, but the wound was an ugly thing. Might leave a scar. Not that it bothered her, she wasn’t vain, but it was a reminder of how close she came to being captured or, if Colin and June would’ve preferred, killed. They’d made it clear on several occasions they never wanted her as Wyatt’s mate, but they wouldn’t go against him if he was there.

When Wyatt wasn’t around, they did what they wanted to do.

Unscrewing the cap on the bottle, she poured some peroxide onto the towel and pressed it to her calf. Stefanie hissed and kicked her other heel against the floor a few times as if it could distract her from the dreadful sting. The gash fizzed as it rid itself of any bacteria or other nasties. She almost dropped the bottle, spilling a little of the liquid.

James knelt beside her and took the container from her hand. “Let me. Sit.”

She didn’t protest. Handing over the towel too, she reclined and gripped the arms of the chair.

He had a gentle touch. When she sucked in another breath and tensed, he paused but kept at it. Stefanie couldn’t remember the last time someone had done this for her. Maybe her mother when she was a little girl, but Stefanie always had to prove she was tough. She did everything for herself from a young age. There was something about this she missed, and it stirred up emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time.

James did a thorough job without saying a word. He checked all her other bites and cuts too. Applying a dab of peroxide to the deeper ones.

“Did I get them all?” He avoided her gaze as he asked. His cheeks were slightly pink.

“You did.” Any other time, she might’ve teased him, but it was sweet he didn’t look under her shirt himself to check. She shifted to sit up and took the towel from him. “Your turn. Let me check you out. You got slammed pretty hard.”

“I’m okay. My side and ego are bruised, but nothing I can’t live with.” He rose and sat on the edge of the couch. Running his hands through his hair, he attempted to give her a smile that didn’t make it all the way to his eyes.

“I trust you if you say you’re fine.” Stefanie turned to face him. “You did awesome for someone who’s never fought before. Colin is… was … a brute. He fought dirty and had been doing so for years.”

“The way they were tearing into you—” James’ jaw tightened and shook his head. “I thought they were going to kill you. I didn’t think about anything else when I jumped in. I should’ve trusted you could handle them, and then maybe you wouldn’t have …”

Stefanie moved to stand over him. Putting her hand on his shoulders, she had only meant to stand there, but she lowered herself to straddle him. She told herself it was to take her weight off her leg, but she even though her lie was pathetic. She wanted the physical contact. She wanted him to feel her honesty and everything else when she spoke.

“They might’ve killed me. God knows they wanted to. They could’ve buried me, and Wyatt would never have known. Dumb as Colin was, they all know that even if they do catch me, I’ll never give in. I’ll keep fighting until I die. You did what you felt was right in the moment. And you did well. You saved me from at the very least getting beat to Hell.” Her hands slid from his shoulders to the sides of his face and lifted his head so they were looking each other in the eyes. She was very aware of his body under hers. She didn’t doubt he felt her body grow hotter and could smell her arousal.

“You did it without a thought of yourself. That’s what a pack truly does for each other. You might be a lone wolf, but you’ve done more for me than anyone in a long time.” Her thumbs ran along his jaw, feeling the light growth of stubble.

A rough yet quiet sound reverberated in his chest. James’ hands remained by his sides. Body tense and eager under her, he made no move to turn this into something more. He wanted to, she had no doubt about that, but he held himself back. His control and respect amazed her.

“It was the right thing to do.” He swallowed. His nostrils quivered and his lips parted slightly.

Stefanie couldn’t help herself any longer. Her mouth mashed to his. No sweet first kiss. She was never that type of girl. She was fire and passion, hot right from the start.

Her hands held his head in place, but slid up so she could play with his hair. Soft and thick, reminding her of silken down. Tongues twined and teeth clinked. Her hips pressed down and his answered, rubbing up. Too many layers of clothing between them for her, but they couldn’t contain the heat from the friction as it seared up through her body.

James murmured her name as he ran his hands up her thighs to rest on her rear. Fingers dug in and pulled her harder against him. She growled her approval and nipped at his lower lip.

It had been too long since she’d been with a guy. Sure, she’d just met James, but she had a firm grasp on who he was. He wasn’t the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. No, he’d be there in the morning and fix her breakfast. He’d call and be there whenever she wanted. He would do anything for someone he cared for.

Stefanie tossed her head back as he kissed down her neck. He’d do anything for her. Damn, he’d take on Wyatt for her. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

She didn’t want him to stop, though. It was a selfish desire. But his mouth on her made her blood sing, and as his hands crept up under her shirt, she was ready to yank it off along with her panties to give him full access to her body. She was wet, and the scent of her own rich musk made her heady. Never mind how divine he smelled.

His scent. Stefanie could smell him. Male, testosterone running thick with his arousal. Not woodsy as she was used to wolves smelling either. It was there, but it wasn’t key to his scent. The city was there, urban life made to smell organic. Brilliant, alive, and powerful.

Breathing him in deeper, she could sense it. Being an Alpha, her senses were keener than most wolves, and she recognized one close to her in the hierarchy.

“You’re a Beta.”

“Hmm?” James’ breath tickled the nape of her neck. His nails lightly trailed along her back.

Stefanie shivered with delight and grabbed his shoulders. She pushed him back against the couch. He grinned, horny and flushed, waiting to see what she was going to do. Her hips pulled back from his. She couldn’t think feeling how close she was to having him inside of her.