Alphas on the Prowl (38 page)

Krissy yawned twice as her eyes fluttered shut. No matter how much she tried to stay awake, running her fingers across Derek’s smooth, muscular chest, she was losing this fight. Before too long she was swimming in a sea of inky black as sleep claimed her mind and body, and she relaxed into a deep, sound slumber of utter bliss.

Chapter Four

Krissy walked into her sunlit bathroom, still naked from the night before, to turn the hot water on in the shower. She didn’t want to wash the memories of last night away, but she’d worked up a sweat with Derek’s help, and her tan maintenance was still ahead of her.

After a deep, relaxed sleep she had woken up alone to a note from Derek on the other pillow, informing her that he’d received an early morning call requesting a short notice job interview at a local animal shelter. The note said she’d looked so relaxed and peaceful he didn’t want to wake her so he’d left, but he would see her for lunch if she were interested. Krissy had snorted at that last part. He knew damn well she was interested. Now she had to show him just how interested she was.

She stepped into the shower, enjoying the steam in the air and the hot water sluicing over her curves, the heat relaxing muscles still slightly tense from moving furniture yesterday. Krissy took her time lathering herself with her pomegranate body wash. The smell soon had her stomach rumbling but she was determined to enjoy the soothing heat of the water. Her stomach refused to be ignored for too long however, so she quickly rinsed, shut off the water and stepped out onto her bathmat. Once she’d wrapped her hair in a towel, grabbed her fluffy bathrobe and put slippers on, Krissy walked into the kitchen on the hunt for breakfast.

A few minutes of staring at what was inside her fridge had her decided on a couple of toasted bagels and a coffee. The combination of yesterday’s work and last night’s fun had built up quite an appetite. As the coffee brewed and the bagels toasted, she quickly finished drying herself and threw on a singlet top and hot pants, loosely pinning her hair in a messy bun. Although she normally didn’t bother getting dressed to go to the roof, today it somehow felt wrong to be nude where someone else might catch her. Or maybe it felt like it would be a betrayal of last night, and her growing connection with Derek. She shook her head at the silliness, but couldn’t totally dismiss the idea.

Krissy poured the coffee in a tall travel mug and smeared the warm bagels with cream cheese, placing them on a plate with some sliced black olives. Grabbing her phone, apartment keys and her favorite book on the way out the door, she balanced it all on a wooden serving tray as she walked upstairs to the roof. Since she wasn’t going to sunbathe like usual, she thought she might as well get some reading done. At least, she tried to read.

Regardless of how good the book was, memories of last night kept interfering and blocking out all scenes from the well-worn novel. Maybe an erotic novel wasn’t the best choice for this morning.

Krissy decided to lay back on the deck chair, sipping her hot coffee and thoughtfully nibbling on her bagels. She relished the fleshy feel of the olives as she moved them around with her tongue, wishing she’d had some tinned mushrooms to accompany them.

After a few minutes of daydreaming about olives and mushrooms, Krissy settled on the idea of making pizza for dinner to thank Derek for being such a wonderful companion last night. Once she finished her breakfast, she would head out to the store around the corner and grab the few ingredients she was missing and pick up another bottle of wine, this time a hearty red lambrusco. That decision made, she finished her coffee and the last few bites of bagel, stood up to brush the crumbs away and returned the plate downstairs.

As she headed out with a bounce in her step, she almost bumped into a tall man who had just stepped onto the landing. A fumbled apology was caught in her throat as she recognized the face. It was her ex-boyfriend, James, who had left her during their holiday in Hawaii six months ago. Her heart leapt into her throat, but not from excitement.

“How did you get in here, James? I told the doorman to never let you in. I don’t want to see you.”

“Lucky for me, there’s some new guy on.”

Krissy cursed her memory. She’d been meaning to make sure Eddie told Mike, the new doorman, about James. Eddie was getting old, and couldn’t do as many shifts as he used to, so another doorman had been brought in to do half of his shifts. Mike had only been on for a few weeks and Krissy hadn’t had the time to get to know him, or make sure he knew her one rule: do not let James in the door.

“Well, this visit is a waste of time. I’m just heading to the store to get some groceries.” She barged past James, making it clear she wasn’t interested in idle chitchat. At least she thought it was clear enough, but then James wasn’t the brightest man she’d ever dated.

“I don’t mind tagging along if you want some company. I want to talk to you anyway. I’ve had some time to think, and I want apologize for what happened in Hawaii.”

Of course you do, she thought sourly as she turned to face him. The Hawaiian girl had either wised up or he’d started feeling threatened by all the good-looking men on the island. So here he was, attempting to crawl back to her bed. What I ever saw in him, I’ll never know.

James pulled a bunch of orchids out from behind his back – her favorite flower. All of a sudden she remembered what she’d seen in him: he could be surprisingly sweet, when it suited him, and he had the money to be as sweet as his imagination allowed.

Krissy faltered, a snide remark on her lips, as his brown eyes got that hopeful puppy look. She’d never been able to resist it and he’d used it to his advantage, winning his way into her heart and her bed, all the while continuing to sleep around behind her back but expecting fidelity from her.

A sudden breeze from the open window at the end of the corridor brought her back to the present as her brain kicked in, screaming at her to not let him back into her life. She was the happiest she had been in a while – her time was her own, and now she had the chance to get to know a beautiful, caring man who seemed more deserving of her heart and attention.

On second thought, she could at least hear James out, take the flowers, and then send him on his way. The groceries could wait a little while longer.

Krissy sighed to show that she wasn’t happy about seeing him as she walked back past him to unlock her door. She dropped her bag on the couch, turning to take the flowers so she could put them in a vase. Knowing James as well as she did, she should have realized it would be a trap.

She found herself on the floor, her cheek stinging, her mind struggling to catch up. James bent down to yank her back up by her arm, gripping it painfully as he threw her on the couch and climbed on top of her, a dirty scowl tarnishing his otherwise handsome face.

“You shouldn’t have left me behind in Hawaii, bitch,” he spat as he ripped her tank top down the middle.

“You left me for the barmaid, remember? You said she had a bigger ass – that I wasn’t half the woman she was. What was I supposed to do, wait there for six months while you had your fun?” Another slap across her cheek had her biting her lip and tears stinging her eyes. It had taken her this long to get over him, to heal her heart bruises, and now here he was again, reclaiming her with his fists.

Derek’s face suddenly swam before her eyes, bringing a deep well of anger up from the pit of her stomach. This time she had something more to fight for. She balled up her fists and let them loose, landing a couple punches on his chest and jaw before he grabbed both of her wrists, wrenching them above her head.

“That’s not nice, kitten. You’re going to have to pay for that,” James growled as he forced a rough kiss on her, biting her lip hard as he pulled away. Krissy kept struggling beneath him, even while knowing he’d just wait for her to tire herself before claiming her body.

With one of his large hands holding her wrists painfully above her head, she felt his other meaty paw fumble with her bra, trying to slip her breasts out without undoing the clasp. When he failed at that, he leaned down and bit the tender flesh. Krissy yelled out in pain and dismay as his hand had now traveled down to her shorts. He couldn’t rip them like he had her shirt since he only had one hand available to him now, so he settled for moving her shorts and panties aside to shove his fingers deep in her snatch. Another cry of pain from her only caused a look of delighted malice to cross his face. She never remembered him being this mean. She guessed he didn’t take too kindly to being kept from his kitten for so long.

Her eyes now closed, a few moments later she heard the zipper on his jeans slide down and felt him wriggle them down over his backside and hips. She was filled with dread as she realized what was about to happen. Her mind tried to escape her body, trapped beneath the man she used to love, as her heart pounded and she sunk her hips as far back into the couch as they could. It wasn’t enough, as he used his knees to force hers apart.

Suddenly she heard a bang, like a door being slammed open, thudding footsteps and a grunt from James above her as his weight was thrown off her. Krissy opened one eye in a squint, her heart leaping as she saw Derek’s form standing over her, only to feel dread again as she saw the same look of malice on Derek’s face that had crossed James’ face moments earlier. Was she wrong about this man? Had last night been a trick by another ugly soul?

James stood and pulled up his pants, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and looking ugly in his rage. Krissy lay on the couch between them, momentarily frozen from terror, before trying to cover herself with the ruins of her tank top. Tears poured from her eyes as these two hulks towered above her, glaring each other down like two alpha wolves fighting over the felled deer. All she could hear was heavy breathing from the men and her own panicky breaths competing with her heart pounding in her chest.

A growl emanated from Derek as his mouth curled into a primal snarl, the sight making her heart stop momentarily. She half expected him to sprout facial hair, fangs and a shaggy mane. Krissy blinked to clear her vision. Her mind’s eye was projecting her expectations. For a moment there she could have sworn Derek’s teeth had grown and his hair appeared shaggier with grey streaks showing through. When she looked back, she realized her eyes weren’t fooling her. He had indeed sprouted fangs, his hair now a deep grey. Her eyes wide, she barely tore her gaze away to see the reaction on James’ face: sheer terror. She could smell an acrid scent, and a growing darkness drew her eye to his crotch: James had wet himself in fear. Pity constricted her chest. As much of an asshole as James was, she could only imagine what it was like being on the receiving end of this creature’s anger.

Krissy risked a glance back at wolfy Derek, only to find him – it? – looking her over. She had no idea what was lurking behind those eyes and the steely gaze had her in such fear she thought she was going to throw up. As it took a step toward her she tried to crawl inside the couch. A long, clawed finger reached down to her face. She started shaking so hard she thought she was going to vibrate herself to pieces. The image made her snort laughter in an odd, high-pitched gurgle, making the advancing finger hesitate, before it finished its path to her cheek, gently stroking the red area where James had struck her earlier. Concern flickered in Derek’s animalistic eyes, quickly replaced again by anger as he turned his gaze back on James.

Another growl ripped the silence apart and James whimpered as he backed away. Derek crept to the left toward her head, James moving to his left toward her feet in response, not wanting to get too close to the monster. Slowly, they edged around so James had a clear path to the door. He hesitated only a moment, scampering down the hall like a frightened rabbit as Derek took one menacing step directly toward him.

Krissy giggled at the comic appearance of James, until she realized she was now alone with the creature that was, only moments before, her new neighbor Derek. She cautiously turned her head in his direction, afraid of what she would see.

What she saw took her breath away. Derek was human once more, panting hard and on the verge of collapse. Krissy quickly reached to help him sit down, all fear of the man gone with the fur and fangs. Her mind’s screaming fear was lost as her heart sang out to help this man.

Chapter Five

She helped him lay him down where she had been moments ago, before dashing to the kitchen to fetch a glass of cool water. Back at his side, she knelt on the floor as he sipped the water, his color slowly returning. She kept close watch over his features as she tried to reconcile this man with the creature she’d seen him turn into.

Derek was refusing to meet her eyes. He just sat there swirling the water in the glass and chewing his lip.

“So, when were you going to tell me? Were you even planning on telling me?” Krissy surprised herself at the strength in her voice after everything that had just happened.

Moments passed before he showed any sign he’d heard her. She’d been about to push on and throttle the answers out of him when he closed his eyes and sighed, chin dropping to his chest. Krissy thought he’d fallen asleep on her so she reached to shake him awake, pausing when her mind kicked back in, reminding her of the look on his face as his appearance had become wolf-like. This was not a man she wanted to startle.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Krissy, I really am. I guess lunch is out of the question?” He tried to get a laugh. She could see he was still shaken by the ordeal, which made her frown. If this was something he was used to, he shouldn’t be reacting this way.

“Just how long have you been...like this?”

“Quite a few years, actually – since I was seventeen. I just don’t… I try not to turn, it’s an exhausting thing to go through, and I don’t like what I become. Though, sometimes turning is beyond my control. Nothing like the full moon or anything cliché like that, but when I feel extreme rage when a person or animal is in trouble, it becomes difficult to stay…well, human.

“When I was first turning it was hard to control. I’d have a really bad day in senior year, then that night I would have exceptionally violent dreams. The next morning I’d wake up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck, and more often than not I would have fur and blood on my clothes, which would be torn. I had a part-time job by that time, so I could replace my clothes without my mother and brother noticing.

“Anyway, the next morning there would always be a report of wolf attacks on local livestock, which would confuse everyone as wolves weren’t known to be near the town. We had coyotes, sure, but wolves have a completely different attack pattern.”

Krissy stopped him before he got too far ahead. “You haven’t said why you started turning. How – how did you – you know – get this way?”

As he went silent again, she again thought he had dozed off. His breathing slowed down and he stopped swirling the glass. In fact, the glass was almost tipping. When she looked at his face, however, she noticed his eyes were open and slightly glassy, as if he were in a trance. Derek’s face paled as she assumed he was reliving how he came to be this creature, trapped in a man’s body.

“Don’t answer right now if you aren’t up to it. You’re tired. Maybe you should have a nap and we can talk about it later, when you’ve rested.”

“No, really, I’m fine. I am!” He started to get defensive as she raised her eyebrow, so she resumed a neutral face. She watched him struggle to sit up before she repeated herself.

After a few more moments of sniping from him, Krissy finally convinced Derek a nap might help him feel better, so she helped him off the couch. He pushed away her efforts to help him to her room. “I sure didn’t need the help last night. I think I can make it today.” He gave her a wink that made her giggle. She was astounded at how well she had taken this new aspect of him in her stride. She guessed it was just the exposure to werewolf novels and movies that had her slightly desensitized. Or maybe, after her abusive relationship with James, Derek’s sweeter nature was a soothing balm she greatly needed. His other side was something she believed she could live with.

Once they reached her room, she directed Derek to lie on his stomach so she could try to massage out some of the knots in his shoulders, tense from the double transformation. His breath groaned out of his chest as her hands – delicate, yet strong – worked out some of the bigger kinks and she felt the vibrations through his back, making her recall his groans of pleasure from last night when she clawed his back.

She frowned in silent thought, wondering whether it had been man or beast enjoying that bit of pain, before she realized Derek had fallen asleep with one last groaning sigh. Krissy smiled as she watched his face, finally peaceful and frown-free.

She tiptoed out and closed the door, pausing to lean against it for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. So much had happened in such a short space of time, her mind was still catching up. After a few moments of uncertain foot tapping, she made up her mind that she’d stick to the original plan of making pizza for dinner, only now her plan was to discuss what had happened today, rather than anything sexual.

Krissy jotted down a quick note in case Derek woke up, grabbed her bag from where it had been thrown before, and had almost walked out the door when she remembered her torn clothes. It was tempting to have a shower to wash away where James had touched her, but she settled for grabbing some clean clothes from a basket by the couch, waiting to be folded, before checking her cheek in the mirror. There was no bruising yet, but she knew there would be a dark smudge there tomorrow.

Heaving a sigh, she walked out the door before she let it get to her. There would be time to think on those events later. For now, she had pizza toppings and a bottle of wine to get. Locking the door behind her, she headed downstairs.

Upon reaching the lobby, she was reminded that she should tell Mike about James so she walked toward the large man, who straightened up as she approached and gave her a schoolboy smile.

Not on your life, Mike. You’re way too for bulky my tastes.

It wasn’t that the man was fat – far from it. He was just rather tall and built like a brick house. She figured him for ex-military, though what he was doing stuck as a doorman was beyond her.

Krissy arched her eyebrow as she stood on the other side of the desk, waiting until his moronic grin faded and he was paying attention to her words, not just her body. She usually didn’t mind his grins and innuendos, the rare times that they saw each other. Today, however, she was in no mood since it had been him who allowed James to enter the building.

She had to remind herself it wasn’t his fault – he didn’t know about James. Taking a deep breath that had him almost drooling again, she spoke. “Mike, did you see a tall man come downstairs? He probably looked a bit…pale.” She decided not to say too much, in case he asked questions. She had too many unanswered questions of her own. There was no way she could answer his.

Mike startled her with a deep chortle. “Yeah, that’s an understatement! He came barreling down the stairs gibbering something about a wolf-man – which is outrageous – and he’d pissed his pants!”

Well, at least I know he won’t ask many questions.

“That would be James. Look, I’d like to ask that you don’t let him in here in the future, should he decide to come back, and if you see him lingering around at all, let me know.” When Mike started to look guilty, she interrupted anything he was about to say. “Don’t worry about it this time. I should have checked that Eddie told you. James is my ex, and I’m not at all interested in seeing him again.”

“Sure thing, Miss Krissy. I will keep my eyes out for him.” He looked like he wanted to salute, which brought a slight smile to her face. She reached over the counter to touch his large hand, hopefully chasing away any lingering guilt he might have for his slip up.

“Thank you, Mike. It means a lot that I have such a faithful protector down here. Now, I have to go buy some groceries.” Having said all she needed to say, Krissy turned and walked out, not minding that he was watching her hips sway and skirt swish as she left him behind the counter.