Craving the Alpha: Part Two: BBW Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (Lycan Lovers) (3 page)

We were both panting heavily when we came close to the town of Waynesboro. I struggled to catch my breath as we quickly changed back into our human forms and slipped into our clothes.

“Are you alright?” Markus asked, pulling on his white tank.

I nodded my head. “Fine,” I gasped. “That’s the longest I have run in my wolf ever.” Though I had been running with the pack on most nights due to the burning need in me to release my wolf, my runs did not have anywhere near the passion they had on the first night with Markus. But this one was beyond intense.

Markus grinned. “You did great. I’m still shocked you and Todd released me. I thought I would go frigging nuts if I was chained up one more day,”

“I’m starving,” he added. “But first things first,” He stretched his arms out and pulled me towards his body, holding me tightly against his chest.

I looked into his eyes. If I’d had any doubt that I was doing the wrong thing, it dissolved right there. It felt so right to be close to him, enveloped in his powerful arms.

He gave me a soft kiss on the lips and took my hand. “Let’s go find something to eat.”

“Yes, I’m hungry too.” I knew we had a long road ahead and a tough one. But inside, I was doing cartwheels of joy for just being with him.

As we walked along one of the side streets I could see a sign for a fast food restaurant up ahead. “We can get something cheap there,” I said, pointing in the direction of a large plastic burger sign. It was about a block to the burger joint and I crossed my fingers that our sweaty appearance didn’t raise any questions. It was a shame we couldn’t have snacked on a rabbit or deer in the woods and saved some money, but there was no time for that. We knew the pack was unlikely to venture into town, but they would scour the woods for sure.

“After you,” Markus said, pushing the door to the restaurant open. I tried to keep my head low as we waited our turn at the counter. But it didn’t matter. The kids taking orders seemed oblivious to everything except their task at hand. We ordered a few burgers off the value menu along with some water and found a place to sit down. A group of little kids were playing in a play center attached to the building. Their screams of joy as they tumbled through the plastic balls made my life-changing summer at Camp Vickers seem so surreal. Next to our table, a few women were chatting and enjoying their meal as they watched their children bounce around in the balls. I couldn’t help but think about how shocked they would be to know that they and their kin were in the midst of werewolves.

Markus seemed to inhale the burgers. He must have been starved. As we left the restaurant, Markus pointed to a convenience store nearby. The windows were plastered with food ads. “I am still hungry. Let’s go in there and get fruit.”

Aside from one lonely limp banana on the counter, there wasn’t a piece of produce in the store. It was either picked over or they didn’t have much to begin with. Everything the store offered was processed and packaged. Markus picked up a pack of round, marshmallow frosted cupcakes. “I will try these,” he said, palming a package.

“Give me a sec,” I said. I quickly walked down the soda aisle and grabbed a couple envelopes of a grape powdered drink mix.

“What is that?” Markus asked, staring quizzically at the packets of mix.

“It’s a drink. You sprinkle the powder from the packet in a pitcher of water, stir it up, pour it in a glass and drink it down,” I said, lifting my hand to my mouth and pretending to drink.

“You drink powder and water? Blech!” He made a gagging motion touching his finger to his tongue.

“Well, actually, I am not going to drink it this time but people do.”

“So, what will you do with it?” he asked, staring quizzically at the packets. “I don’t think I want these,” he added, shoving the coconut, dusted cakes back on the shelf. None of this food looks good.”

“You’ll see later,” I teased. As I looked at the shelves stacked with rows of candy, chips and soda, I had to agree with him. It was funny how I no longer craved the junk food I used to love. In the old days, I would have devoured several candy bars, chips, and gummies, washed them down with a soda or two and called it a meal. But the past weeks of being forced to eat animal meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables had really made a difference in my palate.

As we walked to the register, I noticed a stand with sunglasses. I picked out a large 80’s style with dark lenses and a black resin frame. At just a few dollars, they were affordable and would help cover up some of my face. I ripped the tag off and gave the glasses and the drink mix packets to the cashier to ring up.

After we paid for the purchases, I took Markus’s hand in mine as we walked out of the store. It’s funny how a simple thing like holding hands can feel so good. It was nice just to walk through town, hand in hand, pretending to be like any other couple there. Waynesboro was a quaint, little place with one main road called Main Street. It was populated by a bakery, sweet shop, thrift and antique stores, insurance agencies, and a few other small businesses.

As we walked near a small pawnshop, I hesitated in front of the door. I fingered my stars and moon necklace. It would probably bring us enough money to live on for a while. The thought of parting with it filled me with dread, but we needed to survive. Markus must have been able to read my thoughts. He shook his head.

“I know that necklace must be precious to you. You wear it all the time.”

“It was supposed to be my mother’s, but she never had a chance to wear it.” Fighting back tears, I quickly told Markus about the accident. How my mother and father had gone to what was supposed to be their special anniversary dinner, and how the beautiful necklace was supposed to be a gift from my father to my mother. How they never came home that night

Markus put his arms around my shoulder. “I am so sorry about your parents, I’m sure that necklace brings you much comfort. We are going to need money but we will figure something else out.”

As we continued walking up the street, Markus shook his head. “I know Todd suggested we come here, but I just don’t see how we can blend in, it’s not busy enough here. Where will we find jobs and a place to sleep?”

“We’re going to have to make it work for now,” I said. “I’m exhausted and you look pretty tired yourself.” Markus did look tired. A few furrows were etched in his handsome face. “We could crash in the woods tonight,” I added.

“What do these places charge?” Markus asked, eyeing several buildings with “FOR RENT” signs in the window. “We can’t crash in the woods—too risky.”

“I’m sure they are going for more than the money we’ve got right now,” I said, “but it’s worth a try. Maybe we could even do odd jobs for them to pay the rent.” We walked up to an older red brick building with a handwritten “FOR RENT - ask for daily rates” sign in the window, and Markus knocked on the door. After several knocks, an older woman opened the door a crack and eyed us suspiciously.

“How much is rent?” Marcus asked.

“It’s a few hundred a month for a room and that includes electric. We got nice hot water here and you get kitchen privileges.”

“What about your daily rates?”

“I ain’t got no daily rate,” she said, as she noticed Markus glancing at the sign in the window. “That there’s old—just ignore it. My eyes ain’t good enough to rewrite it. I used to rent by the day but don’t do it no more, too much trouble. So, you want it or not.”

Markus and I shook our heads and turned to leave. “You might try McGreevy’s place up the road a piece. She takes in day renters.”

Markus and I looked at one another in surprise. “McGreevy’s?” I said turning back towards the woman. “Would that be the McGreevy who runs Camp Rocky?”

“That’s his house. Though, he ain’t running the camp now of course. He done disappeared! People say Mrs. McGreevy had to start taking in renters when her husband gone missing or she’d lose the place. But I don’t know for sure. She keeps to herself. Fact is I never met the woman. One thing’s for sure, her husband’s evil, pure evil that man. All the things he done to them camp counselors.”

“Uh, what did he do to them?” I asked.

“Well they ain’t sure, but they think he killed them and hid the bodies somewhere. They can’t find him so nobody knows. You heard about that right? Everybody heard about that unless they’ve been living under a rock,” she narrowed her eyes, eyeing us suspiciously.

“Yes, yes of course,” Markus said. “Well, we best get going. Which house is Mrs. McGreevy’s?

“It’s the one a block up the street. She’s got a big ‘ole flag in her yard. You can’t miss it. Even my tired old eyes can see that flag.”

“Thanks for your help,” Markus said. “We really appreciate it.” He took my arm and we walked up the street, debating what to do.

“I don’t see us having much choice,” Markus said. “We’ll tell Mrs. McGreevy who you are and that I’m a friend and ask her to help us. After what her hubby did to you, if she is any kind of a decent person at all, I don’t know how she could refuse us.”

“But what kind of decent person would be married to McGreevy? And, what if her place is surrounded by reporters and cops? She’ll probably turn us in the first chance she gets.”

“What if she does turn us in? You’ll have to say you managed to get away from McGreevy and you don’t know what happened to the others. I mean I know the pack had me in chains in C-cabin but I can’t turn on them.”

“What about you? How do I explain you?”

“Shhh,” Markus said, putting a finger to his lips. “Let’s just do it.” I was too tired to argue. He put his arm around my shoulders and we walked towards the house. As the old lady had said, it was easy to find with the big flag planted in the ground.

As we neared McGreevy’s home, I was surprised that there were no reporters or police officers nearby. We either got lucky and hit it on a day when they had all gone home early, or more likely, they were concentrating their efforts on Mr. McGreevy’s office near Camp Rocky.

I hesitated just for a moment before walking up the porch steps. Markus knocked on the door and I rang the bell a few times.

“Reporter or renter?” a woman’s voice called from inside the door.

“Renters,” Markus responded.

“Thank God. When I said I wasn’t talking to any nosey reporters, I meant it.” The woman pulled open the door, “come on in.”

The lean woman gestured us inside. Markus pressed his hand lightly against my back to walk me through the door. But, I was frozen in place. The women in the doorway had a very familiar face. Yes, she was older now, but still the same nonetheless.

I couldn’t believe who was standing in front of me!

One glance at my face and the woman knew that I knew who she was. Her face drained of color. She quickly popped her head out of the door, looking in both directions up and down the street. Grabbing my arm, she ushered Markus and I into the house, her face wrought with tension.

Markus looked from her to me, a quizzical look playing across his dark eyes. Her fingers were clutching my arm so hard I could see dimples forming where her fingertips were. “What’s going on here? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Kristen.” He glanced over at the woman. “I hope we are not disturbing you,” he said as he gently released her tight grip from my arm.

I glanced at the woman. She looked so much like the photograph that I had seen of her a few years earlier. She was tall, with chin length hair and pale blue eyes that matched the color of the faded blouse she was wearing.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I knew this was going to happen one day,” she said, motioning us into her living room. “Come sit in here.” It was a small room with mismatched furniture, a few fat table lamps, one small TV, and a tired looking rug, yet it was still clean and comfortable.

Markus plopped down on the plaid sofa and I slid in next to him. He had a puzzled expression on his face and I knew he was wondering what the heck was going on.

“Markus, this is Susan Samford. She disappeared from Camp Rocky when I was in high school. Remember? Her pictures were everywhere.” I turned to Susan. “Susan, I’m Kristen and this is my friend Markus.”

Markus’s eyes widened in surprise and he nodded his head towards Susan. “Your name is familiar. If I remember correctly you were the girl missing in the forest near the camp some years back, right?” Not waiting for an answer, he continued. “Some of our clan had gone to town for supplies and when they returned they told the rest of us about it. I never saw a picture of you, so I didn’t make the connection before now.”

“Yes, it’s me,” Susan said, some of the color returning to her cheeks.

“I didn’t realize you had been found. People thought you had been kidnapped or attacked by animals. I thought you were dead!” I covered my mouth as soon as I had blurted out the words.

Susan waved her hand in the air dismissively. “I’m not offended. Judging from the news, most people thought I was dead. No, I never was found. I have been living here close to six years now and hardly anyone knows, not even my family.”

“But, why didn’t you tell people you were alive? What about your family? What happened?”

Susan hesitated, but I could see her story was bottled up inside her and she was ready to get it off her chest. She started to speak very slowly. “I was working a summer job as a counselor at Camp Rocky.”

“Oh yeah, I worked there this summer,” I said, encouraging her. “I know all about being a counselor at Camp Rocky.”

Susan nodded. “I know, I recognized you from your photo on the news. You’re one of those missing camp counselors.”

“Yes,” I replied. There was no sense trying to hide it. “But, I will tell you about me later. Tell me about what happened to you,” I urged.

“Well, you worked there, so you know Camp Rocky has bonfires.”

I nodded.

“We were having a bonfire but the night air was still chilly, so I had gone back to my cabin for a sweater.”

She caught the look in my eye. “I know, I know, buddy system—you are supposed to go in pairs. Well, I didn’t this time. I’m willing to bet you didn’t go in pairs everywhere while you were at Camp Rocky either.”

I held up my hand. “Yes, guilty as charged.”

“Anyway, I never made it back to the cabin. I was attacked by a member of the Vlodik clan. Troy, they called him. He dragged me miles away to one of their caves. It was horrible.” Her voice went soft and I could see her reliving the memory. “He raped me multiple times and he shared me with his clan brothers who raped me more,” Susan continued, her voice filled with grief. “Then, after months of little food, being humiliated and repeatedly raped, they decided it was time to be on the move again. They dragged me along with them. But, I was too weak to keep up, so they left me. That’s when Chester McGreevy found me. I had been left to die in the middle of the woods.”

“Mr. McGreevy saved you?” I asked, incredulous.

“Well, yes and no. Yes, he took me home with him. Here to this house. But no, it wasn’t for my benefit. He wanted someone to cook, clean, and wait on him hand and foot. Give him sex whenever he wanted it. He treated me like property. If I so much as gave him a frown or said anything he didn’t like, he would backhand me.” Her eyes welled with tears, remembering the pain.

“So, no one knows you’re here?” Markus asked.

“Oh, the neighbors know a woman lives here. They may have seen me puttering in the garden or walking to the mailbox. They just don’t know who I am. I rarely go out. It’s amazing what you can do from the comfort of your own home. I have groceries and fresh water delivered. I order clothes and whatever else I need online. After Chester disappeared, I started taking in renters to earn some cash and they either don’t know who I am, don’t want to know, or don’t care. The renters usually have a lot of their own problems.” Sighing, she continued, “It’s been tough with these reporters showing up at the door since he went missing, but I never answer. I just ignore them and they’ve been slowly going away.”

“I don’t understand why you put up with McGreevy for all these years,” Markus said. “I mean, I never met the man, but he sounds like a certified asshole; a brute. And you had freedom to go out.”

“Is it because people may hurt you?” I asked softly. Susan seemed like a very shy person and the public revelation that she had been raped repeatedly may have been too much for her to bear.

Tears welled in her eyes. “Or, I might hurt them.”

“But how … do you mean you’re a…” I didn’t have time to finish my sentence before she broke in.

“Yes, I was bitten. I’m a werewolf.”

I stared at her in shock. It was hard to imagine this mild mannered woman being forceful in any way, let alone changing into a werewolf.

“Is McGreevy a werewolf?” I wondered out loud.

“No, he isn’t, and he hates that fact,” Susan said bitterly. “He loathes the fact that others have the ability to turn into one of the most powerful creatures on earth and he can’t. He resents that I have something he wants so badly, something that he can never have. He was so nasty to me before he went missing, really nasty. The fact that he couldn’t change but I could was eating him up inside.” Susan shook her head as she continued. “One of the Vlodiks did some research. He said that Chester must have a rare chromosomal mutation. It blocks the receptors that allow for the shift to take place. With the mutation, no matter how many times you are bitten, you can’t shift. Chester would just get sick for a day or so, and then nothing would happen.”

“The mutation, Kaitlyn must have that also,” I mused, thinking of the flame haired woman I had become close to. She and her wolf, Trent, had made an almost instant connection. They not only looked alike with their fiery red tresses, but they seemed to think alike, even finishing each other’s sentences. But they were also constantly fighting, and most of their arguments were about sex. Trent was unabashed in his strong desire to rut with Kaitlyn. But, though Kaitlyn could not resist making out with him, she had confided to me that she was unable to let herself go, physically and emotionally. She was deeply afraid of getting too close to her wereman when she could never completely be his as a werewoman.

“Kaitlyn?’ Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s one of the Camp Minniehawk counselors. She was bitten but can’t shift either,” I explained. “On the night of the first moon, Kaitlyn was shocked to discover she didn’t transition into her wolf. While the rest of us enjoyed the rush and excitement, Kaitlyn felt the heat and energy coursing through her body but the shift just never happened.” I shook my head, sadly reflecting.

It must feel like being in a constant state of arousal, without ever reaching an orgasm. When Kaitlyn didn’t change, it left Caleb in a very difficult position. The reality was, she could go back to her old life, living as she had before the whole mess with the Vlodik clan, as she was not a werewolf. But now, she knew too much about the tribe. When Markus and I had made our escape, a decision had not yet been made on what to do with her; to give her the choice of leaving the clan, or force her to stay and live with them.

“Oh wow, Chester has the mutation and so does Kaitlyn. So it’s not as rare as I thought,” Susan said.

The whole time Markus had been quietly thinking but now he spoke up. “I am not understanding this,” he said, twisting a lock of his dark hair around his middle finger. “Chester could not shift but you can. You can become one of the most powerful creatures on earth. As a werewolf, you could have survived on your own. It may not have been easy, but better than living with an asshole. Why didn’t you leave?”

Susan hesitated for a moment. Then she called out, “Zach, Zachary? Come here.”

“Ah, do I have to?” a youthful voice whined back from an upstairs room.

“Yes, you do. Zach, come meet our guests.”

A small, towheaded boy that looked to be about five came walking down the stairs backwards as he pulled a plastic wagon. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he let go of the toy.

“What, mommy?” he said, turning to face us.

I let out an audible gasp when the child turned towards me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing