Ravaged By The Pack (The Alpha's Mate) (2 page)

Long ago, in the days before the Blackston pack split into two, he would have been able to act upon his urges at will. Living on the hillside, the wolves of the united Blackston pack had been masters of Twinbrook and the surrounding areas, roaming and hunting freely, never having to hide their Lycan abilities. The stories of his forebears served to demonstrate how much had changed over the years, however. There were many more people living in the area now; more than the wolves of yesteryear had ever had to deal with. None but his pack-mates knew of his Lycan tendencies. He was now a friend, a business-owner, a trusted associate to many in town, and had to take great care to maintain the facade of his humanity. And yet he was so much more than a mere human. His other side, locked away so tight, yearned for expression. He comforted himself with the knowledge that the full moon was coming, and that soon he'd be able to let the moonlight wash over his fur. But it was too soon to pine for all of that.

This is the choice your clan made when it broke away
, he thought.
To live among the humans means to deny yourself the pleasure of transformation. If the humans knew... it would complicate things.
This gave him little solace, however. All he could picture was the giant moon in his dream and the way it had imbued him with its limitless, soothing energy. Basking the light of a full moon was unlike anything else for him.

He choked down his feelings and decided to go on with his day. No good would come from lounging around and entertaining his desires. He needed to re-route his energy into something useful. There were jobs that needed done in town, and it occurred to him that he might help his pack-mates on-site-- something that he rarely did. Whatever it took to burn off this energy that now coursed through him.

He toyed with the collar of his dress shirt as he looked over his ledger. His day appeared clear, save for a single appointment in the morning. Todd grimaced.
Not in the mood, not today.
Rapping on his desk impatiently, he considered calling the applicant and re-scheduling. She'd be arriving soon. As he went to dial his phone, it became enormously difficult to focus, however. His mind was engaged by something else, something he couldn't hope to evade. When next he peered down at his desk, he found a long, deep claw-mark in the lacquered wood where he'd been rapping with a single fingertip. His fingernail had grown long and rigid. Claw-like. He slammed down the phone before it even began to ring.

Todd stood up and took to pacing about the room, cradling his hand as though it were hurt.
Get ahold of yourself.
He opened his window, allowing a gust of fresh air inside. Perhaps going for a brief walk would serve to relax him. He was about to turn away from the window when suddenly he caught a whiff of something. To call it a powerful scent would have been an understatement; it reached up into his nose and commanded his full attention. His gaze shot towards the woods outside, and then to the sidewalk near the building. The source wasn't hard to find.

His heart pulsed in his chest as though it were struggling to break free. His mouth became dry and the thick hairs on his arms-- on his entire body-- could be felt to bristle against his dress clothes. He palmed at his body as though trying to calm them, but it was no use. The sight of the stranger walking towards his building was too much for him to handle right then. Her long blonde hair spilled over her shoulder as she walked, a pair of sunglasses obscuring her face somewhat. She had a substantial bust and a graceful curve at her hips that swayed seductively with her every step. This all paled in comparison to the punch in the face that was the sweet perfume of her scent. He could smell her body as though his face were buried in her hair. There was a definite pull in his loins as he watched her draw near; a pull he was helpless to restrain. He fought back the urge to loose a howl and smoothed back his black hair, pacing about the room. She was coming.

Why was he so interested in her? He'd seen his share of beautiful women in the past. What was so special about this one that he should go to pieces at the sight of her like a pup? It wasn't like him at all; Todd was a proud alpha, loyal to his pack, but ruthless towards all others. He'd interacted with many women in town, some of them attractive, but had never experienced so tremendous a reaction as this. There was no explaining it, however this stranger seemed to hold some sort of power over him. He was overcome with a burning desire to mate. His legs tensed, the muscles bulging against his slacks. It was all he could do to keep from running outside and grabbing her up.

This girl... she's the one here for the interview, isn't she?
He broke into a sweat. Just how was he going to control himself around her? He positioned himself behind his desk and waited for the inevitable knock, gritting his teeth and doing his best to calm down. If he wasn't careful, he'd pounce on her as soon as she walked in the door.

The knock came softly a few moments later. Taking in a deep breath, he called out. “It's open,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

The door opened and the blonde beauty stepped in. She placed her sunglasses atop her head and gave a shy smile as she came inside. “Oh, hello. I take it you're Mr. Blackston?”

Todd nodded, his toes curling against the soles of his shoes. “Y-yes, and you are...?”

“I'm Jenna,” she said. “Here for the interview.” She started across the room and put out her hand to shake.

He accepted her hand. As her skin met his own, he felt something like a surge of electricity cut through him. His nose was filled with a powerful, nigh overwhelming scent, like wildflowers, and her touch saw him almost lose control of himself. He had to take care not to squeeze her hand too hard in excitement, and held it for a good deal longer than was customary, exploring her warm, supple skin with his fingers.

“I'm a bit early. Hope it's not a problem,” she said, taking a step back.

“Not a problem at all,” he blurted, offering her a seat. “And might I say, that's a
wonderful
perfume you have on.” It was true; he didn't know how she'd enhanced her scent in such a way, but it was absolutely the best thing he'd ever smelled.

She cocked her head to the side and gave a strange smile. “Umm... I'm sorry? I'm not wearing any perfume.”

He narrowed his gaze. “You're... you're not?” And then suddenly, he realized.
This smell... this energy flowing through me... the dream... this girl is...
He straightened himself in his chair and smiled. “So, your name is Jenna, then. Welcome to Blackston & Brothers.”

***

Jenna couldn't keep her eyes off of Todd Blackston. Speaking to him briefly on the phone, she hadn't expected him to be so young or easy on the eyes. He looked a few years older than her, and appeared to take good care of himself. He wore expensive-looking clothes; somewhat rare in the semi-rural setting of Twinbrook. His black hair was swept back and his skin looked great, like that of a man used to pampering. And then there were his muscles. Though he sat behind a desk, his body obscured by the trappings of his dress clothes, there was no doubt that his was a rock-hard physique. She could see it in his broad shoulders, in the thickness of his hairy forearms. He was lean and well-built. Hairier than she usually cared for, with a few hairs poking out from near the collar of his shirt, but it wasn't enough to detract from his other features. Though he wore a somewhat strange look on his face, as though confused, he was rather handsome. His squared jaw featured a well-kept stubble and his eyes, a curious light green, were alluring. The yellowish green of his eyes was unlike anything she'd ever seen, and as he tried to proceed with the interview, she found she couldn't keep from studying them.

Compared to waiting tables back at college,
any
job with this hunk would be a major promotion. He had an air of great confidence about him, as though he was already assured of his attractiveness and power, although something had crept into it, something Jenna thought cute, which appeared to her as some sort of unpreparedness. It was an interesting situation, to say the least. She waited for him to start, but whenever he went to begin the interview, he'd quiet down and seemingly get lost in thought. Finally, she decided to start. “So, thank you for having me today.”

“Oh,” he said, shaking his head and evidently snapping out of it. “Yes, the job needs filled.” He paused a moment, realizing he'd been spacing out. “Sorry about that. I guess my morning coffee hasn't kicked in yet. How are you today?”

“I'm well, and you?”

He flashed a winning smile, but she sensed in it some measure of restraint, like he was fighting to hold back his real feeling. “So, where did you hear about this position?”

“In the classifieds,” she replied. “It looked like a good fit, so I thought I'd apply.”

“Yes,” he said, trailing off for a moment. “And you've done secretarial work before, I take it?”

“Of course,” she lied. The ad hadn't said anything about a resume, so she had little problem with lying about her qualifications. Moreover, she felt confident she could do the job if hired. How hard could it be?

“Good to know. It's not a hard job, really,” he said, clearing his throat and folding his hands atop his desk. “Lots of paperwork, ordering things for me and my crew.”

“I see,” she said. “And the rest of your crew?” She peered around the office. “Where are they?”

“Oh, they're out on a job right now,” replied Todd. “I usually stay behind and take care of all the administrative tasks while they go out and do the actual contracting work. They're a talented lot. Brothers of mine, in fact.”

“So, the name 'Blackston & Brothers' is kind of literal then, huh? It's a family-owned business?”

“That's right. We've been in business for just over a century now. It's a small operation, but we do a great deal of work here in town and have a good reputation.”

She had heard as much from the townsfolk and took him at his word. Jenna thought up a few other questions but found herself suddenly the target of Todd's gaze. His gorgeous eyes settled on her and seemed to probe for something. They bore into her deeply, meeting her own and making her blush. She had to look away, though he didn't relent. He didn't even seem to realize he was doing it.

After a time, Todd laughed awkwardly and reached out across his desk for a folder. From it, he pulled a few sheets and set them down in front of her with a pen. “Well, if you're interested, just sign here. We'd love to have you onboard.”

Jenna was surprised. “Y-you mean I've got the job?” That had been the shortest interview she'd ever sat through. It left her scratching her head. “The interview is over? I don't... I don't understand.”

Todd was evidently sold on her, however. “You seem like a good person, and you took the initiative to meet me here this early in the morning. I like that.”

She gave a smile. “It's... it's ten in the morning, Mr. Blackston. It's not exactly early.”

He was lost in thought once more, his eyes looking her up and down without pause. “So, would you like to know more about the job?” he asked.

She laughed. “Well, sure, I guess.”

Todd stood up and took a book from a high shelf. Her eyes gravitated towards something else, however. When she caught sight of it, her face immediately flushed crimson. Though she tried, she couldn't seem to avert her eyes.

The crotch of his pants was sticking straight out. He had a raging hard-on.

She pursed her lips as he sat down and began leafing through the book. The image of his rock-hard erection still flashed in her mind, and she found herself growing terribly horny.
Damn, girl. Get it together! This is a job interview. Don't go checking out your new boss's boner!

Todd cleared his throat again and finally seemed to compose himself. “Here, have a look,” he said, passing the book across the desk. As he did so, his hand brushed against her arm. Where such a thing might ordinarily have happened so quickly as to have gone unnoticed, his hand lingered there for a few seconds, his fingers almost gripping her arm as if to say “Mine”. He pulled his hand away once he realized what he was doing and nodded towards the book. “These are some of your responsibilities.”

She ran down a short list of job expectations, but had trouble focusing on her reading. Her eyes traveled between the page and his unflinching gaze. “Sure, seems all right,” she replied after skimming it. She picked up the pen and looked over the employment form. It looked like the usual stuff. “Um,” she began, before signing, “so, before I take this job, what is the pay like? The benefits?” The whole thing was bizarre to her. He seemed too entranced to give her any information about the job. Had he not been so handsome, this might've been more concerning.

He reached out and took the book back, placing it on the shelf. “Pay?” He thought about it a moment. “Pay is better than anything else you'll find in town. We're very competitive. About fifty.”

She furrowed her brow. “Fifty... a day? Fifty an hour?”

“Fifty-thousand dollars a year,” he replied cooly.

Without a moment's hesitation, she scribbled her signature on the dotted line.
Holy crap. Fifty K a year? To do this? HELL YEAH!
She passed the signed form along to him and smiled. That was almost three times what she'd been making as a waitress. With a wage like that, if she lived frugally, she stood a chance at paying off her loans. It was better than a lot of people would be making upon graduation, for that matter! “Well, thank you so much for this opportunity,” she blurted. “When do I start?”