Alphas on the Prowl (53 page)

Chapter Nine

Charlotte lay across the bed. Her mind still raced with ways to try to get out of here, but she kept coming up blank. If she did get out of here, she’d have to leave Joe behind, and she didn’t want that. How in the world could they both be free, let alone all the werewolves? But she had to remember that the sheriff would be arriving. Right? Surely he would believe the kid and come.

The lock thumped in the door, and it flung open, smacking the wall. The two burly guards barged in, and she jumped away, putting furniture between them and her. Except they threw everything aside she tried to hide behind.

She ran as one of the men barreled toward her. She tried to make it to the door, but the other guard must’ve caught sight of her goal since he blocked her way. She was now trapped between them. Now was her chance to try out her fighting efforts.

The hulking man in front of her came closer. She threw her fist at him, trying out what Grover had taught her. Except it didn’t work. The guy stared down at her like he’d been stung by a mosquito -- more annoyance and surprise than pain.

She used that momentary confusion as her chance to run past him, but he came to his senses. His bulky hand dropped onto her shoulder, clamping down with force. She slammed her heel onto his foot, and he immediately released her. She darted forward again, running for all she was worth.

Charlotte came up short at the door to find two guys standing in the doorway. One of them was a smug pig who carried a wicked-looking whip. The other was a lankier man who didn’t look pleased, but he seemed resigned to what they were doing.

“All this fighting will make it easier for the wolves once you’re in the cage,” the smug pig said. His lips twisted in a smirk, and she wanted so badly to punch that look off his face.

“You sick bastard. How can you get off on an innocent person being tossed in there and…” She didn’t want to contemplate that any further. Being torn apart was not the way she’d imagined dying. The thought brought on a sharp wave of nausea. She threw up, not bothering to turn her head, and hit the man’s shoes with her sickness.

He jumped away and drew back the whip, but the lanky man next to him was a little quicker to act. “Don’t antagonize her, George. Let’s just get this the fuck over with so I can go to bed.”

George didn’t look too happy about that, but he didn’t seem the type to upset someone who was apparently capable of outdoing him. “Fine. Stop fooling around and take her to the cage.”

The two bulky men grabbed her, one on each arm, and dragged her forward, barely missing the vomit. She tried to follow their pace, but it was almost impossible for her legs to keep up. She looked ahead at the foreboding cage. Some men were gathered around outside it, but very few. She saw a couple of the werewolves in the group, but most of them were the human men.

Why were the werewolves there instead of inside the cage, which was presently empty? Were they going into the cage later? They were dressed and looked to be only watching what was going on. Maybe they were there in case anything happened. The men wouldn’t want their guys potentially affected, why not have the werewolves deal with their own people? Made sense.

She was shoved inside the cage door, then it slammed shut behind her. She went to the bars and held them tight. They were fairly smooth against her palms, and she wondered for a moment what they could be made of. Then it hit her, silver. Or at least strongly laced with silver.

Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she pulled away from the bars. The fact she would be locked in here with werewolves really started to hit home. She was going to be part of some cruel enjoyment for them to watch.

Noise sounded over near a set of buildings, and she turned her head toward them. Three chained, battered men were being dragged in the direction of the cage. One of them looked like… Joe. Her pulse raced, and she so wanted to be near him. Was he okay? He didn’t look in good shape.

How would they expect those men to be doing anything in that condition? She frowned. Her gaze caught the look of a man in the crowd of people watching her. She’d seen him hold back Joe earlier. He frowned at her, sorrow in his gaze, as if he knew what was going on. As if he knew who she was to Joe.

She wanted to turn away, but it was almost impossible. The only thing that drew her attention from him was Joe and the other two werewolves coming closer.

She frowned, noticing that the man hauling Joe had a knife in his hand. He opened the door to the cage and walked in with Joe dragging behind. He tossed Joe on the ground and strode toward her.

Charlotte took a few steps backward, not knowing what he was doing. He grabbed her wrist, and she tried to pull away from him. Instead of taking her out of the cage or leading her anywhere, he slid the knife over her wrist, bringing a scream to her lips.

“What are you doing?” she said, putting pressure on the cut.

He didn’t answer. Just dropped her arm and retreated, slamming the cage door behind her and the three battered men, who now appeared to be unconscious.

She pressed her back against the bars. Worry punched her in the gut as the largest of the men started to move. He pushed himself onto his hands and knees. His gaze met hers, but something about him wasn’t right. The color of his eyes was startling, even in the moonlit night. They were a rich amber she’d only seen in Joe’s eyes … during sex.

The man didn’t look very human at the moment. A ripple flashed over his face, and she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Then there was another and another, and his back arched. Loud snaps and cracks reverberated through the air as the man in front of her twisted into a grotesque shape.

Her gaze caught on the other, skinnier man and Joe. They were beginning the change as well.

Joe. She’d never seen him in his werewolf form. He’d never offered to show her. She’d assumed he wanted to keep that part of himself separate from her, but maybe she should have asked. She could close her eyes and pretend he was just like her.

She couldn’t pull her gaze from Joe as his body jerked and twisted. Horror and revulsion churned in her gut. A piercing howl cut through the night. Her gaze swung to the large black wolf who looked ready to pounce as if she were a meal.

Her pulse raced. She had to calm down. She was dealing with wild animals now. They could more than likely smell her fear. She couldn’t be providing them more fuel. That wouldn’t be the way for her to get out of this alive. Although what was the likelihood of that?

She took a few deep, steadying breaths. The self-control shot out of her as the large wolf lunged for her. She screamed. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, putting her arms in front of her face.

A loud thud sounded. She peeked between her forearms to see a gray wolf had pinned down the black wolf with his teeth against the black wolf’s neck. The gray wolf let loose a vicious snarl deep in his throat. The black wolf seemed not to like having his meal getting interrupted, since he jerked and snapped his jaws, catching the gray wolf by the shoulder.

Her attention was so focused on those two, she had lost track of the third wolf. A sniffling sound came from next to her. She froze, carefully looking at the tan wolf sniffing her ankle. He didn’t seem as aggressive as the black wolf.

The gray wolf seemed pretty set on fighting. His gaze lifted to her bleeding arm, currently lying in her lap. He moved his muzzle toward it. She quickly placed her hand over the wound, and the beast’s hackles shot up. The tan wolf growled at her, ears flat on his head, lip curled back.

She froze.

The other two wolves still fought, but the gray wolf looked in her direction. Joe. It had to be him. Her heartbeat picked up. She turned back to see the tan wolf inching closer. His teeth were bared, and he kept snarling low in his throat.

She did the only thing she could think of. She curled into a ball and placed her arms over her head.

* * *

Joe hurt worse than he had in a long time. A growl came from the other side of the cage, and he jerked his head. The smaller guy, a tan wolf in his current form, was closing in on Charlotte. The man wasn’t overly aggressive, but it seemed Charlotte had done something to trip his wolf instincts. Now the tan wolf was more animal than man. The fact the guy didn’t outright attack her showed maybe he had more practice at being human than this black wolf, or maybe he cared more about hurting an innocent woman.

Either way, Joe knew Charlotte wouldn’t last long if he didn’t do something to help. But with the black wolf in a frenzy, it was hard to take his attention off him.

Charlotte collapsed on the ground and rolled into the fetal position. That was when he knew he had to act. She’d shown a sign of weakness any wolf would have a hard time not acting on.

Joe lunged for the tan wolf as he leaned back on his haunches for the pounce. Fangs clenched his tail, and pain shot up his spine, but he dismissed it. There was no time for him to think about his pain. Only time to act.

He threw himself into the tan wolf, grabbed onto the fur at the back of his neck, and tossed his head around, throwing the wolf away from Charlotte. When he’d done that, he turned so Charlotte was behind him, and the two wolves were in front of him.

There was shouting going on now outside of the cage, but he had no time to think about it. Instead, he could only focus on protecting his betrothed. Instincts wanted him to lash out at one of the wolves, preferably the black wolf, but his human mind knew it would leave her vulnerable again to the tan wolf. He had to stand his ground and be defensive. He couldn’t afford to take the offense right now.

A gunshot nearby nearly deafened his sensitive ears. He lowered his head but refused to look toward the origin of the noise. The tan wolf slumped to the ground, and blood welled out of a wound on his head.

That did catch Joe’s attention. He jerked his head around to see several men he’d noticed from town, including Sheriff Thomas and Charlotte’s father, fighting against the humans outside the cage. The very few werewolves they’d designated to be around this cage match were helping the townsmen. He heard movement behind him and knew it was Charlotte.

“Father!” she said.

Joe turned his attention back to the black wolf, who now looked ready to pounce on Charlotte. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

The wolf lunged past Joe before he could react. Joe heard Charlotte scream in pain. He spun and gripped the black wolf by the neck. His jaws clamped down on the sensitive flesh, but the black wolf didn’t let go of Charlotte’s thigh.

The black wolf jerked his head, and Charlotte screamed louder.

Joe bit harder. Blood gushed into his mouth as he gnawed through muscle and flesh, then he twisted his head hard, ripping out the black wolf’s throat.

The wolf’s jaw opened and he fell to his side. His breath wheezed out in shallow pants for a moment before it stopped completely.

Joe walked the few steps over to Charlotte, who was slumped against the cage bars. She was staring down at her ripped leg. The scent of her blood soaked into his senses, and hunger built in his stomach. He huffed out a breath and nudged her arm with his muzzle.

She looked at him. Awe shone in her eyes. She hesitantly reached out a hand to him.

“Get away from my daughter, you beast.” The abrupt sound of Charlotte’s father’s voice had Joe snarling before he could control it. The man stood near the cage with a rifle aimed at him.

“Father, no! It’s Joe.” She placed her hand against the thick fur of his neck, and he tensed at the sudden touch before slowly forcing himself to relax. His wolf didn’t like sudden movement, but somehow it recognized Charlotte as its mate. Unfortunately, she’d now have to go through the Change. If only he’d been quicker to act… How would she ever forgive him?

They were let out of the cage, although everyone gave him a wide berth. He couldn’t shapeshift back into his human form right now. It was too soon. Typically, werewolves needed time before they could shift back, or they had to hunt and eat.

Martin came over and talked with some of the men who were speculating about him. He reluctantly filled them in on Joe’s problem.

Charlotte was quickly treated by the town doctor, who had also come, although there wasn’t much he could do. Really, there wasn’t a lot to be done but wait and hope her Change went smoothly.

Chapter Ten

Charlotte cracked her eyes open to see Joe standing over her. He was human again. Her breath caught in her throat at how handsome he was. It’d been far too long since she’d been this close to him.

She reached up and cupped his rough cheek. He placed his hand over hers and smiled down at her.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” he asked. His voice was deep and rich. Just like she remembered it. She almost wondered if she was dreaming, or if this was real.

The doctor walked into view and stood next to Joe. Yep, it wasn’t a dream. Joe really was safe again. Or… well, it might be a really weird dream.

“I’m okay.” She looked around the room to see she was back at her parents’. Not the place she’d hoped for, but it was better than the cage. Although, for the life of her, she couldn’t remember the trip back to town. She must’ve passed out.

“I’m so happy you’re all right.” Joe paused, looking like he had more to say that she might not want to hear. The doctor nudged him with an elbow. Joe shot him a look, but he turned back to Charlotte. “There’s something you should know.”

She frowned. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“You’re…” His jaw clenched. He averted his gaze, pulling his hand away from her touch. “You’re…”

“A werewolf,” the doctor added.

Joe glared at the doctor. His brows lowered and knit together while his lips pursed.

“What? I don’t…” But then it struck her. Joe told her he’d been attacked when he became a werewolf. The image of sharp canine teeth sinking into her leg flashed through her mind. “Oh.”

She wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact her human life was now behind her. She would be a werewolf now. Or at least after her first full moon.

Joe had told her some of what he’d gone through. But she was sure she had a lot more to learn. Yet one thing never drifted far from her thoughts. She knew she had a very capable teacher.

Joe watched her now, as if trying hard to read her reaction. She reached for him again, and he placed his hand in hers, bringing her hand up to his face again. “I love you, Charlotte.”

“I love you too, Joe. You’re the only man I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.”

* * *

Joe carried Charlotte over the threshold and toward the bedroom of their new house together as Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Their mouths pressed together in a heated kiss, and their tongues sparred, brushing hotly against the other’s. Joe bumped into the wall and pulled back, frustration burning through him at not being naked with her yet.

His cock ached to be buried inside her.

It had been far too long since they’d last made love -- pretty much since the night he had been taken. Since he’d been back, she’d either been recovering from her injuries, going through the Change, or under the constant supervision of her parents as they made sure she was okay, and then there was the wedding planning. Because of her now being a werewolf, her parents figured it better for the two of them to wed before the news of her Change spread all over town.

Charlotte wriggled from his grip. She grabbed him by the collar with her small fist, pulling him toward the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him to her soft, curvy body, and he growled his pleasure.

The scent of her arousal teased his nostrils, and fire pumped through his veins. It was all he could do not to rip her wedding dress off and toss her on the bed. His beast crawled beneath his skin, waiting for the chance to pounce. He didn’t want to lose control with her. He’d always held himself back when it came to intimacy.

Charlotte tilted her gaze up to his, and her eyes glinted with coyness. Her hand drifted along his torso, down to brush over his belly, and finally reached his belt buckle. Her fingertips nimbly opened it, and she reached lower to finish taking off his pants.

Not yet, she wouldn’t. He twirled her, facing her away from him. He unfastened and took off her dress with shaky hands, then gently pushed her forward onto the bed with a light smack on her backside.

She looked over her shoulder at him. A smile played on her lips, flashing white teeth. His cock hardened even more in response to the sight of her. Her beauty. Whether it was her rounded buttocks taunting him or her perfectly shaped lips. He unfastened his pants and shoved them down. His erection bobbed up at attention. A grimace spread across his lips at the pace they were carrying on at. This was their wedding night, after all, but he needed to be in her hot pussy so badly. He couldn’t bear the thought of even removing his boots.

Charlotte flipped over onto her back and sat up, and then with a mischievous look in her eyes, she dropped to her knees in front of him. Her gaze focused on his cock. She took him in her hand and then ran her palm up and down his shaft, toying with the engorged tip. Her lips brushed kisses along his shaft.

Joe closed his eyes and leaned his head back. A groan rumbled in his throat. Hot breath descended upon his tip a second before her warm, moist mouth. He let out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding and buried his fingers in Charlotte’s lush brown hair.

He watched as her head bobbed up and down on his cock, taking him in delicious strokes. Her gaze rose to meet his.

Release closed in on him, and he clenched his jaw. He couldn’t let her do much more, or he was going to explode in her mouth. That wasn’t where he wanted to be when he came. He wanted her to experience pleasure before the night was over.

Joe pulled away from her, yet she was reluctant to let him go. He yanked her to her feet and tossed her onto the bed using his werewolf speed. His hips pinned hers.

She gasped. Her eyes widened in surprise, then a smile spread across her lips. She wriggled and spread her legs that much more in invitation. Naughty girl.

He pressed his lips to the side of her neck and trailed them down to her breasts. His mouth took one of her perky nipples while he rolled the other one between his thumb and index finger. Her body came to life beneath him. She writhed against him, and he could feel her sweet moisture as she ground against his cock.

He couldn’t wait anymore. He pressed a finger into her tight pussy, testing her readiness. She was so wet for him. So eager.

A gasp rasped through her, and Charlotte leaned her head back as she shoved against his finger. “Take me, Joe. I need you inside me.”

That was all the invitation he required. He had to comply. He pushed his cock inside her, careful at first, but once she’d accommodated his size, he sped up his pace, spurred by the moans and screams she made. His control faded, and his beast rumbled its disapproval, wanting the freedom to claim its mate. But Joe would not shapeshift during sex with Charlotte. Not this time, at least. She was still too new to being a werewolf. He wouldn’t scare her during this sacred moment.

Her hands cupped his back, and her fingernails bit into his skin. The beast within him enjoyed the feeling of pain with his pleasure. Joe threw back his head and howled as he surged into her.

He thrust within her. In. Out. In. Her lips parted slightly, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. Instead of pretty brown eyes, her irises had changed to wolf amber. Something about that turned him on, driving him closer toward release.

He brushed his hand over her breasts, and he thumbed her nipple before pinching one lightly. Her body trembled beneath him, and her pussy clenched around his cock. She threw her head back and screamed beneath him as waves of pleasure ripped through her. He shoved himself inside her one last time as he shot his seed.

Sweat trickled down to the small of his back, and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Charlotte’s. “I want to do that, and more, with you all the days of my life.”

She smiled, her cheeks still rosy from orgasm. “I’m going to hold you to that, Joe.”

“That you should, sweetheart.” He chuckled. “That you should.”