Garrett
I made it home, no thanks to you. Just thought you should know.
I read Amber's text as I enter my apartment building. For a second, I debate texting a reply, but I fire one off to my sister instead.
It's been almost a day since you checked in. Call me soon.
I pocket my phone before I crush it in my grip. Females. Maybe it's a good thing my pack is all male.
My wolf surges forward as I pass the spot where Amber's car was parked. I push him back down. Hours of running, chasing jackrabbits, and I'm still all riled up. One woman is the cause of this. I catch her sweet scent in the stairwell, and I'm ready to rampage.
Mate.
There's no other reason I should act like this. I've never had problems with my wolf before. But, one date with Amber, and I almost lost control. I was ready to rip her clothing from her, throw her down and fuck her senseless. Worse, my canines had elongated, ready to mark her forever with my scent. Claim her as mine so no other wolf would ever think about taking her. The trouble is-she's human. Mating her would mean relinquishing my position as alpha. An alpha mates an alpha. Humans are about as far from alpha as it gets. Although a psychic human might be different. If we produced dominant wolf pups with psychic abilities, it would be epic. But the pack isn't going to wait around to see what our pups look like. If they sense a leader has a weakness, another dominant wolf moves in. Tank. Or Jackson King, the lone wolf who owns the multi-billion dollar tech company SeCure.
No, I need to resist Amber. For her good, and mine. Hell, I could've hurt her. I had zero control, was ready to tear her flesh with my teeth to make sure she knew who claimed her.
There's a word for wolves who lose it like this: moon mad. The wolf takes over, consumed with the desire to mate. The more dominant the wolf, the more dangerous it is.
I'm alpha. I'm the most dominant wolf I know, except maybe my dad. It's clear my wolf wants Amber. To keep from going mad, I'll have to either claim her or stay way far away.
I take the stairs. I was out all night, running, trying to tire my wolf out before I had to get close to Amber again. No such luck. My animal goes crazy as I open the door to the hall. Not to mention my libido. My erection presses painfully against my jeans.
Amber's door opens. Her name leaps to my lips, but out comes a tiny woman with rainbow-colored hair. She shuts the door carefully with one hand, the other steadying a large, floppy purse as she starts down the hall. At the last minute, she looks up when I pass her.
"You!" She stops to put her hands on her hips to glare up at me. "What's your deal?"
"Excuse me?" My wolf would normally snarl at the challenge to my authority, but this little lady smells like Amber. "Who are you?" I say, just as I recognize her from the club the night before.
"Foxfire. I'm Amber's friend. I picked her up in the mountains where you stranded her." Her finger almost pokes me in the chest.
My throat vibrates with a growl. "Sweetheart, you need to back off."
"You need to stay away from my girl. You and your werewolf gang-"
"What?" I almost roar.
She throws up her hands. "Whatever the name of your gang is. Wolves or Werewolves or whatever. You can call yourself the Dumbass Jackholes for all I care. Just leave Amber alone." With the final shout, she stomps off, leaving me trembling, my skin crackling with the desire to shift and tear apart the threat to my pack.
Amber let my secret slip. I trusted her, and the first thing she does is tell her spitfire friend, who then shouts it to the world.
"Oh, hell, no." I march to Amber's door, clenching my fist tight. She wants to see the big bad wolf? "Amber? Open up."
If she goes out the fire escape again, she'll be sorry.
The scent of vanilla and sweet orange.
"Open the door, Amber,"
"What are you going to do?" I hear the patter of her heartbeat even through the wood.
"Open it now. One... two…"
The lock clicks open. Her face is pinched and pale.
"Wise decision." I push past her into her living room.
She trails behind me.
I stop, clenching my fists as if it will help me keep my wolf in line. I don't know what the hell to do. I don't want to threaten her with the old-school consequence of a human knowing our secret-death. I'd take a bullet through the head before I let anyone harm this beautiful human.
"You broke your word to me."
She stands, shoulders hunched, eyes on the floor.
The submissive pose flips a switch in me. My cock turns hard as stone, despite my disappointment. Genuine anger changes to a lusty desire to paint her ass red. Right before I bend her over and pound her from behind.
"I didn't mean to tell her," she whispers. "I slipped into a vision and... it just came out. I told her it was the name of your motorcycle gang."
Some of the tension in my face eases. I review what Foxfire said, and it fits. Still, I don't want anyone thinking we're wolves, whether it's the name of a gang or the real animal. "Well, we don't have a gang. What are you going to tell her when she finds out we don't call ourselves that, even in jest?"
She shrinks down even more. Normally, she wouldn't be this cowed, but I sense the shame in her scent. She's truly sorry.
My chest rumbles with my wolf as I prowl around her. "I don't think you understand. Shifters do not allow humans to know they exist. It is common practice to eliminate any threats to our privacy."
Amber still hasn't moved. I'm not sure she's breathing at all. My wolf loves dominating her, even though the human part of me scrambles to keep control. Images of pinning her delicate hands to the wall and smacking that cute ass flood my brain.
"You were already in danger, Amber. I liked you, so I was willing to go out on a limb and let you live. But now there are two of you who know. You just put your friend into grave danger."
"Please don't hurt Foxfire." A tear streaks down her cheek. The salty scent of it subdues my irritation faster than a tranquilizer dart. Another sign she's my mate.
I run my fingers through her hair, gripping a handful and slowly drawing her head back, exposing her neck. For a second, my vision goes dark, as I fight the animal growling at me to mark her.
"Naughty, Amber," I breathe in her ear, catching a note of arousal to her frightened scent.
It spikes my own. I let her feel the weight of my dominance. Let her understand how dangerous a creature I really am. "What am I going to do with you?"
My phone rings, breaking the spell. I step back and yank it from my pocket. I see Sedona's name on the screen and answer it quickly.
"Why in the hell haven't I heard from you until now?"
"Uh," a male voice says. "This is Jason, Sedona's friend. We're in San Carlos?"
Ice shoots through my veins. "Yeah?"
"Sedona... well, she kind of disappeared."
"What do you mean, kind of disappeared? Where is she?"
"We don't know. She went out for a run on the beach, and she never came back. We've looked everywhere. We even tried the cops, but they didn't seem like they cared that much. We were thinking maybe you could call the embassy or something?"
Sedona. My sister. Gone.
My animal rises in me, clawing to the surface. Amber's worried face appears in front of me. I focus on her.
"I'm coming," I growl, my voice half gone to my wolf. "Where?"
The kid gets what I'm asking and promises to text the directions. The thought that I have to wait to know where to go is the only thing that keeps me from crushing my phone.
"What is it?" Amber's voice shakes. And she should be scared. She woke a big bad predator, and now she's going to have to deal with the consequences. I stalk forward, and she backs up, like the good prey that she is.
"My sister, Sedona. She's missing."
"Oh no." Her eyes go wide. Her back hits the wall, but she never stops meeting my gaze. "What happened?"
In answer, I press my forearms on either side of her head, caging her in. My body covers hers. One move and my cock will brush against her, and I'll lose it. My hands fist, fighting for control. I drop my head, inhaling her warm, sweet scent. Amber. Mate. She's the only thing holding me together right now.
She's the only one with the power to tear me apart.