Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

And you’ll beat them, too!

Jeff just snorted inwardly.

“You’re more than welcome, Mistress Julianna,” Richard was saying. “We’re happy to have you home safe. Tell your mother hello for us, and I hope she gets through her grief soon.”

“I will, Mr. Lightfoot.”

Jeff stiffened when his father squeezed Julianna’s hand, and he made himself slip away before he jumped the old man again. His Brother prowled too close to the surface of his control when it came to Julianna Morris.

The crowd focused on the Alpha and Mistress Morris as Jeff retreated back to the house. He wanted to give her a more proper good-bye out of the eyes of the crowd. He knew Richard would give her a token, proclaiming her an official Luna candidate, and then she’d be free to leave. His heartbeat kicked up a few notches as he thought of her striding through his house, all alone, and his cock reminded him of its pressing needs.

He leaned his back against the wall of the hallway and closed his eyes, trying to coax his body back into tranquility. Unfortunately, his mind’s eye filled with images of Julianna laughing and smiling, along with the flashes of her legs while her skirt swirled around them. His cock only swelled in size.

Dammit!

He breathed deeply to settle himself, and he caught the scent of his Mate in the main corridor of the house. Lust and excitement surged, and he readied himself for her arrival.

* * * *

Julianna strode confidently through the house toward the front doors, her fury banked but still smoldering as she tightly gripped her purse, in which she’d dropped the token. She’d sought out Jeff, but he’d disappeared while Richard gave her the pendant, and he was nowhere to be found under the tents.

It figures he’d make me look for him so I can seek
his
approval for departure!

As she passed a darkened hallway to her right, a male arm reached out of the darkness and jerked her against a hard body. Rage blazed hot as she crashed into the wall of flesh with an unladylike grunt of surprise, but it dropped into icy fury as she slammed her elbow into her assailant’s gut.

Her Sister’s nature surged into the forefront of her awareness and she turned on her attacker with pent up ferocity.

He yelped as she stomped down on his instep, twisting in his arms. Then she shoved his shoulders back against the wall and slammed her knee into his groin. He collapsed, panting and groaning, when the irresistible scent of the desert rain penetrated her adrenaline rush.

Understanding dawned.

She’d just kneed Jeff Lightfoot in the balls! It would’ve been funny if she wasn’t so angry. His original grip had been sexually domineering, complete with raging hard-on.

“Jeff?” She grasped his shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“What the hell was that for?” he groaned, cupping his crotch protectively.

“Haven’t you learned never to grab a woman out of the darkness?” Julianna shook her head as some of her anger drained away. “I lived in the big city for a long time. More than one man tried to take me down. Are you okay?”

“No.” He sounded strangled, and she had to hide a smile. “Can’t breathe.”

“Sorry.”

“Damn, woman!”

“Damn, yourself! Why did you try to grab me?”

“I didn’t want you to leave yet,” he whispered as he slowly straightened up. His face looked a little gray, but it might have been the dim light. “I wanted to say a more private good-bye, but I think I’m only going to say good-bye to my balls. Shit!”

“I
am
sorry, even if I was defending myself.” She bit her bottom lip. “Do you want to sit down?”

He nodded, and she slid one arm around his waist, lowering him to the floor.

“Goddess above, you smell wonderful. How did you hide it for so long?” He dropped his head and nuzzled her neck and jawline as she sat beside him. Arousal pushed through her chagrin, tightening her nipples.

“I didn’t.” She snorted. “I threw myself at you for years, and you ignored me the whole time, remember?”

“More idiot, me.” He chuckled ruefully. “If I’d known you were a Moon Singer, I would’ve taken you years ago.”

Suddenly, rage obliterated all the lustful feelings in her, and she snarled, scooting away from him.

“Taken me?” she growled, pushing to her feet. “You would’ve ‘taken’ me? You asshole, am I nothing more than a piece of tail to you? If that’s the case, go grab one of those other bitches. I’ve already experienced being treated like a piece of meat. I’m sure Brenda would submit to you willingly enough, with her tits against the floor and her ass in the air!”

Jeff stilled, and his hands warily covered his groin again as he looked up at her.

“What’s wrong, Julianna?”

“What’s wrong? What’s
wrong?
” She barely held herself back from kicking him in the ass with her sandaled foot. “What’s wrong is that I’ve joined a pack that doesn’t see
this
”—she stabbed a finger at him sitting on the floor—“as something to be upset about! I want you, Jeff, but I’m not just a piece of ass that any alpha male can use when he’s feeling horny. I won’t be ‘taken’ unless I give permission. Do you hear me, Mr. Successor of the pack?”

Julianna whirled and stomped out of the house, leaving Jeff completely nonplussed on the floor behind her ringing heels.

Interspecies Relations

Julianna was mostly awake and dressed in a loose T-shirt, long shorts, and Teva sandals by the time someone knocked on her door the next morning. She’d been exhausted the night before, but still hadn’t slept well after her departure from Jeff’s prone form. Despite her anger at his “grab-ass” tactics, leaving had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Her traitorous body fought her all the way to the valet, aching for more of his touches and scent. Sleeping had been nearly impossible.

How can I want to screw a guy when I’m so angry with him?

But if she were honest, she’d admit it wasn’t Jeff with whom she was angry.

While she’d waited to say good night to the Alphas at the party, she’d learned it had been permissible in the past for unmated alpha males to use the widowed Lunas for sexual gratification because of the females’ loss in status. The idea had her completely unhinged. Tawny’s explanation had struck Julianna as barbaric, but the betas around her hadn’t seemed upset by it. They’d been surprised at her vehement response and she’d reminded herself to push her disgust down deep, but it still set her rage ablaze.

Julianna clenched her teeth and tied her token around her neck, concealing the pendant beneath her shirt. If she became Luna, would she just be passed on to any alpha male who wanted her if Jeff got killed?

Fat chance in hell! I’ll rip their dicks off and feed them to them first!

No man would “have her” unless she gave her permission. Even if Julianna was no longer Luna, she wouldn’t be open for any asshole in the frame of mind to ravish her. She took a deep breath and released all her anger with it as she opened the door. Sebrina looked her over carefully, as if critiquing her choice of clothing, but when the old woman’s eyes met hers, Julianna realized she saw beyond the outer appearance.

“I see your Sister has visited you,” she said enigmatically.

“How do you know that?”

“I can scent her closeness to you.”

Julianna snorted. “I’m not sure if it’s her or her anger.”

“Either way, this is good because you’ll need to be very familiar with her to become all you must. Are you ready?”

“Ready?”

“For the beginning of your Luna training. You did ask for my help, yes?”

“Oh! Right. I’d forgotten with everything that happened last night.”

Sebrina nodded sharply. “Come, we’ll go to a place I know and strengthen your acquaintance.”

Julianna filled two one-liter bottles with water as she struggled to focus on the present. If she really felt her Sister’s rage, it wouldn’t do her any good while she trained with Sebrina. Julianna relaxed her shoulders, breathed evenly, and forced the livid anger away as she grabbed her keys and stepped out the door with Sebrina. She’d left a note and a text message for her mother, and brought her cell phone just in case she was needed. Sebrina eyed the little electronic intruder with mistrust, but she only said, “Vibrate,” and Julianna complied.

The morning was a perfect midsummer day, and Julianna felt her shoulders relax as the sun caressed her body with warm light. It had started out cool enough to promise only mild heat when the sun rose higher in the sky, and the land seemed to breathe a delighted sigh of relief, releasing spring scents into the air. Sebrina took Julianna’s arm as if she needed support, and Julianna let herself relax into the older woman’s experience. Whatever they were going to do that day, Sebrina would take care of her.

When they reached the corner of the road where it turned toward town, Sebrina released Julianna’s arm and strode away across the verdant summer grasses of the open space before the sparsely forested hills. Julianna followed her with excited anticipation. She had no idea what was coming, but she suspected it would be harder than anything she’d ever done before.

They entered the trees without saying a word, and she felt the shade on her shoulders like a gentle benediction. Whatever was to come wouldn’t harm her, though it might be scary. She tried to take reassurance from the steadfast nature of the forest as Sebrina led her into a small clearing. No one would see or hear anything they did this far from the houses of Callowwood.

“Sit down, daughter,” Sebrina instructed without preamble. Julianna dropped to the ground. “You must be connected with your Sister form at all times to be an effective Luna. The other members of the pack will sense this in you and lose confidence in you if you cannot assume her shape with but a thought. Because you’ve only recently become acquainted with her, this will be harder than if you’d been aware of her from birth.”

Julianna nodded, wondering if it would really be that hard. She felt her Sister all the time these days, though she’d never willingly assumed her form.

“Tell me what you feel when you commune with your Sister form.”

“I don’t know.” Julianna shook her head with a frown. “My memories of each time are vague, like scenes from a movie I saw a long time ago.”

“I’m not asking what you remember. I’m asking you what you feel when you’re with her.”

Julianna bit her lip and thought hard. What
did
she feel when she shifted shape? Emotions surged through her as her Sister allowed some memories to slip loose. She felt fierce joy, release, freedom, excitement, exhilaration, lust, and overwhelming strength, as if she could run forever and take on any enemy. She basked in those feelings for a few moments until she remembered Sebrina was waiting for an answer.

She recited the list, and Sebrina nodded with satisfaction.

“That’s very good, daughter. You instinctually connect with her, and she’s willing to answer your call. But we must get you to be more than occasional compatriots. You must share this body, no matter what form it holds. While she must lend you her strength and endurance, you must lend her your intelligence and reason so you will both be more formidable together than you are alone.

“Now, focus on more physical feelings,” Sebrina continued, moving to stand in front of Julianna. “Close your eyes. Find the memories of what it felt like to be in your Sister form. So far, daughter, I sense you’ve only become your Sister form a few times, but you took the back seat, and while your Sister is very powerful, she’s too instinctual. She doesn’t think enough about what needs to be done to keep either of you safe. You must be her leader, her protector against not only the humans but the others in the pack. It’s a delicate balance, and you must provide the direction. You must lead in your transformation from now on. It will keep you
and
your Sister safe.”

“She’s stayed safe enough when she took over,” Julianna remarked.

“She was
not
safe. She was lucky!” Sebrina snapped. “It’s
your
job to keep her safe.”

Are you listening?

Grrrrr…

“Focus on what it was like to feel the wind caressing your body, pushing your tail, and fluttering past your whiskers,” she went on, and Julianna tried to remember what it physically felt like to be a wolf. “Feel the ground under all four of your paws, your weight completely balanced on all of your limbs. Remember the way the air tasted and the forest sounded around you. Settle yourself in these feelings and memories.”

Julianna sighed and closed her eyes, settling her mind and body into as much stillness as she could. She tried to focus on what Sebrina described, but her mind slid away from her attempts to analyze the experiences of shifting under the moon. It felt as if she couldn’t access the sensations because the eyes and ears and body hadn’t been hers. Instead, her mind served up images of what she might look like in her Sister form, as if she stood outside looking at herself.

That’s
not
what I look like
, her inner voice sneered.