Hungry Like the Wolf Page 5

  “I’m going to shower.” Garrick wandered into the change rooms with Tommy trailing after him.

  “You need to relax, mate.” Tommy stripped off his shorts and grabbed his towel. “How ’bout we go out, have a drink, and find some ladies to seduce?”

  Garrick chuckled. “That’s not what I need; that’s what you want.”

  “So?” Tommy laughed. “We could both use a distraction. Waiting for Fisher to strike is like walking on freakin’ shards of glass all the time.”

  Garrick looked at his friend. He was right. They had both been tense. Garrick for more than one reason, but Tommy, being his second, was on guard the most. He definitely feared that he would be the first target of Fisher’s attack. Garrick didn’t think Fisher had the balls for that. He would start with the weaker members of his pack and work up to the top.

  “Okay, but one drink, Tommy, and no more.”

  Tommy grinned, his dimples winking mischievously from the sides of his wide mouth. “Sure, whatever you say, boss.”

  Four drinks later, Garrick watched as Tommy danced with three women on the dance floor of the club they had wandered into. When they’d come into the club, Tommy, with uncanny ability, had found the only group of sufficiently attractive and unattached women in the place. After one drink, and Tommy’s charm, the girls had moved over to their table.

  Garrick had no interest in any of them. They were all pretty enough, dressed seductively, and obviously out on the prowl, but their blatant desire for him turned him off. Or it could have been that none of them were Olivia. He took another sip of his drink, trying to push that thought out of his mind with the numbing effects of alcohol.

  After tossing back the rest of the scotch, he glanced around the club. For the past fifteen minutes, he’d felt someone watching him. The hairs on his arms were standing on end. Glancing quickly around again, he stopped when his eye caught his quarry.

  She was standing at the bar, wearing high heels, a short skirt, and a tank top. Much like the outfit she’d had on the other night when she had offered herself to him. Malina smiled at him when he caught her eye.

  Garrick looked away and back into his empty glass. It wasn’t long before she was beside him. He’d smelled her as she crossed the room. She carried a strong scent of flowers. Lilacs and something else earthy, possibly lavender. The smell was pleasant and made his nostrils twitch in response.

  “Hello, again.”

  He glanced up at her and smiled. “Hey.”

  “I was standing at the bar for the last forty-five minutes, wondering if you were ever going to notice me.” She cocked her hip and licked her bottom lip.

  “I noticed.” He looked her up and down, taking in her full figure. She was obviously pleased he took the time to notice. She spread her legs apart in anticipation. Her feminine odor was strong.

  “I heard you’re looking for a mate.”

  Garrick nodded. Desire quickly surged through his body. Malina was beautiful, sexy, and willing, and she was a bitch. If he wanted, she could take whatever he gave her without complaint. A human female might not be able to handle his urges. He was in no mood to hold back his lust.

  “Are you holding auditions?” she asked, and the tip of her tongue peeked out from between her full crimson lips. He wondered if other parts of her were just as plump and pink.

  He smiled. She was exactly what he was looking for. Someone attainable and uncomplicated, looking for sex.

  Tommy sauntered back to the table, his trio of lady friends in tow. He raised his brow at Malina. “Hello, sugar. What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for some fun.”

  “Well, you definitely came to the right place.” He put his arms around the three giggling girls. “These lovely ladies have a hotel room right down the street.”

  By the time they opened the door to the hotel room, Tommy already had his shirt off. He stumbled through the door laughing and dragged one of the girls with him toward one of the king-sized beds. They tumbled onto it in a tangle of arms and legs.

  Garrick was a little more subdued as they entered the room. Malina followed him, playing the demure bitch. He didn’t mind. It was a game. One he had played before. Most of the pack females thought they needed to be submissive to be good partners. When, in fact, Garrick liked it when a woman took control. He liked aggressive women. Women who reveled in their own sexuality and took what they wanted. Women like Olivia.

  The moment she came into his mind, he tried to push her out. She had no business being in his thoughts all the time. He needed to exorcise the woman, and the best way he could think of was to quickly get into another one.

  As soon as he neared the bed, Garrick turned and grabbed Malina. He pulled her to him and crushed his mouth to hers. Her lips parted on a moan as she buried her hands in his hair. He plundered her mouth with his tongue and reached down to grab her ass, lifting her up against him. He glanced behind her and noticed the small but sturdy kitchenette table. Stumbling forward, he set her down on the fake wood surface and moved his mouth down to nibble on her chin and neck.

  She moaned as she traded nibble for nibble on his ear and neck. Shivers of desire sped down his spine, and his cock hardened instantly under the tight denim of his jeans. He shifted his stance to alleviate some of the strain. Malina moved her hands over his back and down to his ass. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him forward, nestling his swollen groin into hers.

  He could feel the heat of her sex through the fabric of his jeans, and her scent rose pleasantly to his nose. The fog of lust soon clouded his mind, and he was powerless to control his hunger. Moving his hands over her form, Garrick pulled her tank top up, exposing full, naked breasts. Her nipples were pebbled and hard, reaching out for him to touch and taste. Bending down, he took one into his mouth and sucked hard on it, rolling it around in his mouth.

  Malina gasped and pulled at his shirt. The buttons popped open easily, and her hands covered his chest with urgent, eager strokes. She trailed her long, pointed nails over his skin and down over his navel, hovering deliciously close to the waistband of his pants.

  Gasping in a ragged breath as she flicked open the button on his fly, Garrick moved his mouth over to her other breast and sucked on it. Malina slowly pulled the zipper down on his jeans, and flashes of Olivia invaded his mind.

  Olivia flushed and sweaty, lying beneath him, her green eyes flashing like emeralds.

  He shook his head to dislodge the mental picture and pushed Malina down onto the table, laying her flat on her back. He leaned over her and lapped at her breasts and nibbled on her hardened peaks. With each bite of his teeth, she gasped and dug her nails into his flesh. As pain, immense and sharp, sang up his body, the thoughts of Olivia immediately vanished.

  Garrick bit down harder on Malina’s nipple and pulled up. She cried out and raked her fingers over his shoulders. The smell of blood, metallic and sharp, floated to his nostrils. The skin on his shoulders felt hot and achy. He knew she had drawn blood. He didn’t need to look; he could feel the slow trickle down his arm. Soon, small droplets spotted her belly.

  He glanced down at the crimson dots as they spread across her flesh. Violent shivers erupted over his body, and sweat popped out on his skin. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. He wasn’t thinking clearly. Everything was hazy and muddled. Even the giggles and the moans from behind him on the bed sounded muffled and disordered.

  He opened his eyes and stared down at Malina. She grinned up at him as she ran her hands through his hair. Between the full crimson of her lips, he could see her elongated canines. He stared into her eyes and saw that her irises were changing color. She was beginning to shift.

  Garrick pushed up from her and stepped back.

  Malina reached for him, laughing. “What’s the matter, lover? Don’t you like what you see?”

  “You were shifting.”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course I wasn’t.”

  “You were, Malina.”

&nbs
p; She pushed up to her elbows and tilted her head coyly. “Well, if I was, it was because you got me so hot I didn’t know what I was doing.” She bent her leg up and rubbed a hand over her crotch.

  Garrick shook his head and rebuttoned his jeans. “Bullshit. You’ve been a shifter long enough to be able to control your beast.”

  She sat all the way up and reached for his arm. “I’m sorry. I thought you liked it.”

  He paused from doing up the buttons still remaining on his shirt. “Why would you think that?”

  “That bitch Olivia shifts all the time with Fisher. I thought you were into that. You were fucking her, weren’t you?”

  A sly smile formed on her lips, and anger, strong and vibrant, shuddered through his body. He was being played. Fisher had sent in his bitch to play him, and it had almost worked.

  Garrick grabbed Malina by the wrist and pulled her off the table. She tried to struggle from his hold, but she didn’t have anger fueling her.

  “Let me go!”

  “I suggest you start running. If I catch you in my territory after sunrise, I’ll do more than hurt your arm.”

  As he dragged her across the room, Tommy peeked out from between a pair of shapely legs. “What’s going on?”

  “Malina was just leaving.”

  Garrick opened the door and pushed her out. She turned around and glared at him, eyes flashing amber.

  “You’re making a huge mistake.”

  “The biggest mistake I made tonight was letting you near me. You were a mangy mutt when you were made, and no amount of social climbing will change that.”

  He slammed the door shut in her face before she could say anything else. He leaned against the door as violent quivers shook his hands and legs. He had been damn close to losing his control. Fisher was playing an underhanded game if he was sending his bitches to do his work. Garrick had no qualms about tearing her apart if she posed a threat to him or anyone in his pack. But to have her deliberately taunt him during the throes of passion was immoral. If she had shifted under him while they had been fucking, he would have had to act on the threat. He was tired of the bloodshed, and had thought it was over after taking the pack from that sadistic warmonger Corin. But it was obvious Fisher was no different.

  He took in two deep, cleansing breaths before he turned back around.

  Tommy still watched him from the bed, covered from head to toe by his three playmates. “Problems?”

  “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Want to join us?”

  Garrick shook his head. “I’m going home. You have fun.”

  “I always do, mate.” He grinned.

  “Be careful when you leave.”

  Tommy’s grin faded a little. “No worries here. I’m always on my guard.”

  Garrick nodded, knowing that Tommy had lightning-fast reflexes and a strong nose. He could handle himself, but Garrick still couldn’t shake the uneasiness that had crept over him.

  “Maybe you should just stay here tonight, and I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

  Tommy grinned and wrapped his arm around one of the three women. “Sure. I think I can keep myself occupied until then.”

  Garrick shook his head and turned to leave as Tommy dove back into the pile of limbs writhing around on the bed.

  He stepped out onto the street from the hotel lobby and glanced around the deserted road. He’d do a quick scan of the area before he went home. Fisher was starting to move his troops, and obviously psychological warfare was his first ploy. Garrick sucked in a breath of clear night air and just hoped that Fisher didn’t use the most lethal weapon at his disposal. Physical fights and mind games he could handle, even excel at. It was the thought of Olivia trapped in the middle of the war that nearly tore him apart.

  Chapter Eight

  The sound of the hard-packed dirt pounded beneath her feet as she jogged brought a smile to Olivia’s face. She loved the early morning hours when no one else was out on the paths winding through the park. She could be alone with her thoughts without the constant bombardment of other people’s smells and feelings. Sometimes she found it difficult to tune others out.

  She liked her heightened senses, increased strength and endurance, but it came with a price. Not only did she suffer agonizingly when shifting during the full moon phases, but also suffered with the constant reminder that she was not human any longer. Nothing could be normal in her life again. The dream of finding love and raising a family was gone. That luxury that others had was no longer a viable option for her.

  Garrick had taken care of that.

  Anger, fresh and strong, flared in her body, and right on its heels arose feelings of desire and heat. Even after a week, his smell still lingered persistently on her skin. She’d showered twice a day, scrubbing herself raw. It had done nothing but make her flesh red and sore. His scent still stubbornly remained.

  She smirked. That was so like Garrick. Stubborn like a blood stain on a white carpet.

  As Olivia padded up a small hill, she had the distinct feeling of being watched. She slowed at the top and quickly glanced over her shoulder. There was another jogger a bit behind her on the path. She continued on, but mentally took note of what he was wearing. Jeans and a black hoodie. Who went jogging in jeans?

  Olivia quickened her pace. She was definitely being followed and wondered if Garrick was angry enough to send someone after her. Almost immediately, she dismissed that thought. If Garrick was that angry, he would come himself.

  Rounding a small clump of bushes, she glanced back again. He was still behind her and had picked up his pace, closing the distance between them. If he wanted to run, she would give him a race. Olivia had been jogging for many years, even before she had been changed. Now that she was different, her speed was tenfold.

  Rounding another corner, she put on the speed and quickly lost him. Coming to a stop behind some thick foliage, she took in some much-needed air. Angry at being followed, at having her privacy invaded, Olivia decided not to run any longer.

  Crouching down on all fours, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her animal. When the guy came around the corner, he’d have more than an irate woman on his hands. Pain, immediate and sharp, stabbed through every part of her body as she shifted. The sound of bones cracking and rearranging reverberated in her head like fingernails on a blackboard. Finally, after several seconds of excruciating agony, Olivia shook her form and stretched out the kinks in her lean body. Her fur glinted in the rising sun like burnt leaves on a beautiful autumn day. She raised her muzzle into the air and took in the rich, clear smells of the park and of the man coming into view. He stunk of bacon and eggs, hot, bitter coffee, and arrogance.

  As he came around the corner, Olivia opened her mouth and bared her teeth. A growl, low and guttural, sounded from her belly and grew in pitch and fervor as it roared out of her mouth. The man’s acrid scent of arrogance quickly turned to the tangy but delicious smell of fear.

  Before he could make a move, Olivia sprang. She landed solidly on his chest and brought him down to the ground with a firm, painful impact. He expelled the air from his lungs with a loud grunt. She immediately planted her feet around his body to prevent him from moving and bent her muzzle down to his face. Hot, thick saliva dribbled from her lips and dropped onto his cheek as he turned his head and closed his eyes in fear.

  “Who sent you?” She growled.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” he stuttered.

  Inching closer to his neck, she flicked out her tongue and lathed his flesh. “I don’t believe you. If you truly didn’t know what I was, you’d have pissed in your pants by now.” She sniffed at him. “I don’t smell any ammonia. I smell lies.”

  Opening his eyes, he turned his head to look at her. She saw the color of his irises start to yellow.

  “Don’t even think of shifting. I’ll rip out your throat.” She brushed her teeth against the sensitive flesh of his neck just beneath his chin. He cringed and closed his eyes in resignation.r />
  “Now, who sent you?”

  He shook his head, refusing to answer.

  Olivia lifted her back foot and, using her full strength, brought it down on his crotch.

  He yelped and tried to roll onto his side, but her strategically placed paws allowed him no movement.

  “Who?”

  He mewled under his breath from the pain she imagined must be radiating up from his balls, but did not answer her question.

  “Next time, I won’t retract my claws.”

  “Fisher,” he blurted.

  She’d suspected as much. Was he suspicious of her?

  “Why?”

  “For protection. He wanted you protected from anything Garrick might pull.”

  Bullshit, she thought. Fisher wanted to control her. This was just his way of showing her his intentions.

  “By the look of things, I’m not the one who needs protection.” She moved off of him and snorted. “Which I’m sure will be quite evident by the color of your bruised balls.”

  She crouched down and growled. “Now, I suggest you leave before I decide to take a bite out of your ass.”

  He rolled onto his knees and staggered to his feet, holding his balls. Without another glance at her, he ran back down the path he’d come up from.

  Olivia closed her eyes to prepare for her shift back. As soon as she got back her strength, she was going to pay Fisher a visit. She understood the politics of the pack, but she didn’t have to like it. It was time the man knew just who he was playing with.

  Chapter Nine

  Fisher’s estate was heavily guarded, like a mob-boss’s fortress. As Olivia passed by the second set of beefy guards who insisted on manhandling her, she was very near an uncontrollable inferno of rage. The man ran his pack like it was the mafia and he was the godfather. She would have thought it laughable if it wasn’t for the fact that he did deal in illegal activities, like drug running and prostitution. Werewolves made great drug carriers. Drug-sniffing dogs were always afraid and never barked at them.