Charming The Alpha (2 page)

His eyes were no longer yellow but a dark blue the color of the night sky. His dirty blond hair was wavy, cropped close around his ears, but longer on the top. Lastly she noticed the reflection of the moon against his perfect teeth as he grimaced at her. This was the first werewolf she had ever seen and she realized she had missed out on a lot.

"The forest is a dangerous place for a human," he said.

"I'm pretty sure you're the only danger in these woods," she snapped at him.

The man stood shamelessly, as if his nudity didn't matter.
 
Hannah tried but couldn't keep herself from looking at him, especially
there
.

"You shouldn't be here. Where's your friend? I followed one scent but heard two voices. Stupid humans," he muttered.

"You heard Pea?" Hannah asked surprised.

Her entire life she had been ridiculed for the voices and people she saw that others couldn't. It wasn't until she was older that her mother and Pea taught her how to control it and how to protect herself in case others responded when she summoned. That's why she used the circle. But no one other than her family had ever been able to hear the voices she heard before.

"Pea? Whatever. The older woman. Of course I heard her. I hear lots of things," he grinned and flashed yellow wolf eyes at her.

"But she's..."
Dead
.
 

Hannah couldn't bring herself to say the word. She hoped this rude asshole of a gorgeous man would magically read her mind and leave her alone. Then she would hobble home once the throbbing in her ankle stopped.

"I don't have time for this. I should leave you here to learn your fate," he said huskily as his gaze briefly softened. "Many wolves wouldn't be as honorable towards a lost beautiful human such as yourself."

"I'm not lost!" Hannah replied, trying to stand again. "I know exactly how to get home."

"But you can't, can you?" He said slowly as he stepped closer. Pulling his eyes from her, he looked at the ground and the stones beside her. "Witch," he whispered. "I should've known. The most arrogant and careless of all humans."

"I'm not careless. I wouldn't have tripped if you didn't sneak up on me."

"You don't know what exists in these woods. If you know what's good for you, you won't return."

He helped her onto her feet as if she weighed nothing. His touch sent a shock through her body that ended with a throbbing between her legs. Hannah didn't know what came over her, but she felt a yearning for him, like hunger or worse. As if she didn't have him she would starve.

He inhaled deeply, still supporting her. His eyes flashed yellow and he let out a low growl. "How? What witchcraft have you done?" He demanded as he breathed her in again.

"I...I just talked to my grandmother," she said confused, her head swimming.

"I'll help you home. This is no place for you."

He stepped back as Hannah struggled to keep her balance. Before her eyes his torso lengthened, fur sprouted, and his angelic face transformed into that of a wolf. Almost the size of a horse, Hannah realized how enormous he really was now that he was standing beside her. Amazed, she didn't know what to do next.

The wolf grunted, then lowered his head as he pushed between her legs, forcing her to slide onto his back. Understanding he planned to carry her home, she wrapped her hands into the thick fur of his wide neck and held on tight.

"The small house at the edge of the woods. By the path," she whispered into his pointed, black and white fuzzy ear.

He sprung forward, leaping into the air, then raced along the grassy path she followed earlier. The cool air rushed past her, her heart beat wildly, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure this wasn't a dream, but she was too afraid to let go of him.
 

In the back of her mind she thought about him as the man, helping her up, and all her lust came back to her. Pressing her face against his neck, she felt the wolf's muscles working beneath her as he made short work of the long path. Thinking about his muscles flexing and stretching when he walked earlier as a man, she let out a soft sigh. As if in reply, he growled ferociously, bringing her back to the trees racing past.

Slowing down they reached the edge of the forest. With her hands still clinging to the thick fur around his neck, Hannah sat up, her hair loosened from the ride, and pointed to the aqua clapboard cottage in the middle of the quiet street. The house was dark except for an electric candle in the oval window that faced the street. Hannah knew her mother had gone to bed long ago. She never stayed up the nights Hannah visited Pea.

As she slid off the wolf's back in front of her porch, she used the white wooden railing to steady herself, putting her weight on her good leg. The wolf shifted back to its human form and grabbed Hannah by the arm as he lowered his face to her level.

"Never again, you understand? Stay out of the forest," he growled.

She wanted to speak, to tell him she'd keep visiting Pea no matter what, but his intense gaze made her speechless. The warmth of his breath on her skin made her want to feel the heat of his naked body against her. She felt wanton and lustful, two words she'd never use to describe herself, at least not until tonight.

His dark blue eyes flashed yellow. Quickly pulling her closer, his lips were on hers, his head tilted. As his tongue pushed into her mouth, she reached up to slip her fingers into his hair, hoping he wouldn't stop kissing her. As his silky scruff gently scratched her chin, she attempted to press herself against him.

"No!" He barked before turning away, his eyes still glowing. "Damn human temptress. Stay out of the woods!"

Before Hannah could say anything, he was gone. She stared at the forest, disappointed in his leaving so quickly. Wondering if he was watching her from the shadows, she silently cursed her ankle for keeping her homebound. She waited in the moonlight for a sign, some proof he was really there but none came.

Giving up, she entered her home and hobbled over to the kitchen table where she removed her boots. A lock of her hair fell into her face and she pushed it aside and over her ear like she always did.
Wait a second,
she thought. Moving her hand in front of her face again, she realized she smelled like him, a combination of the woods and fresh air mixed with his natural musk.

As she thought about him, she smiled. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about this man she found irresistible. Something more than just his incredible looks or amazing kiss. Removing her cloak, she sniffed it happy to find his scent there too. She carried her cloak to the couch, draped it around her, and willed herself to dream about the rugged werewolf.

Chapter Three

"Hannah, wake up," Hannah's mom said as she shook her shoulder gently. "Go to bed. The couch is no place to sleep, its uncomfortable."

Hannah slowly opened her eyes as she tried to remember what happened the night before.
Did I dream that?
Rubbing her eyes she caught the werewolf's scent again and sat up. Her mother paced the room as she spoke, reminding Hannah of a caged animal as Eliza kept her footing within the confines of the faded floral throw rug. Hannah watched her, her hands punctuating her sentences as she rambled on about things Hannah didn't care about enough to listen to.

Glancing towards the picture window that faced the backyard, she wondered what time it was. The sky had the gentle glow of morning. She hated morning. And why was her mom already up?

It wasn't like her mother to wear the same thing twice in a row, but Hannah was sure those were the same sweats she wore when Hannah left to visit Pea the night before. Giving her mom a closer look, she also realized she had traces of makeup on. She never wore makeup unless she went out. Add to that the nervous babble her mother did after every full moon for the past few years.

The pacing confused her too. Hannah couldn't remember when that began, but it was long enough for her to find it endearing instead of worrisome. She wondered if it had to do with her visits to Pea, but she knew what would happen if she asked. As Hannah wrapped her cloak around her like a blanket, she tuned back in to her mother's yammering.

"Pea would've killed me if I slept on the couch. And what's on your cloak? Is that mud? Oh Hannah, can't you be a little more careful? Give it to me and I'll throw it in the wash."

"No! Just leave it alone," Hannah said then realized her mother was eyeballing her suspiciously. "I mean, I'll take care of washing it myself."

"Suit yourself. How was Pea? She solve every problem you ever had?"

"Give it a rest, Mom. Why you haven't visited her? I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"Are you hungry? How about some pancakes?"

Hannah's mother always changed the subject whenever she was asked why she didn't visit Pea. Sometimes Hannah used it to her advantage, but this wasn't one of those times. Today she had something else on her mind.

"Mom, have you ever met a wolf?"

"A wolf? No, of course not. Why? Did you hear differently? Because you know how the townspeople like to gossip. They'll talk about anything. Even if its not true."

"I didn't hear anything, relax. I'm just curious. I mean we've lived here my entire life, I've heard you and Pea talk about them so I know they're around, but I've never seen one."

"Well you're not missing anything. They're wolves," Eliza said, shrugging. "Nothing more than over sized dogs. And they are dogs, trust me on that."

"Dogs are great. They're faithful, loving, and playful."

"Is that what this is about? You want a pet? We can get a goldfish or hamster if you want."

"Will you stop?" Hannah said exasperated. "I'm not five anymore. And the wolves are more than just dogs. They're people too. But how is that? How is it possible? Maybe I've met a wolf before and didn't even know it."

"Oh you'd know it," she said as she stopped pacing. "Now tell me what Pea said."

"Stop trying to change the subject, Mom. I'm allowed to be curious about the strange beings in our town."

"Well then you're going to have to accept that I don't have all the answers. Werewolves keep to themselves, we keep to ourselves. Its better that way. There are fables and folklore of course, but who knows what's true. All I know is that they're horrible, selfish creatures. If you ever do meet one, just keep walking. Its the best thing you can do."

Eliza wrung her hands together as she finished speaking. Hannah knew something was up but she was too tired to probe. With the cloak still wrapped around her, she kissed her mom on the cheek and smelled something familiar. Her mother smelled like fresh air, like a werewolf.
That's not right,
she thought.

"You just got home, didn't you?" She asked her mom. "Why would you hide that from me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. I was getting ready for bed when I noticed you were asleep on the couch."

"Where'd you go?"

"Oh, no where. Just met an old friend for drinks."

"And is this old friend a werewolf?"

"What? No! You don't know what you're talking about? And what if it was? But it's not," Eliza said nervously, before studying her daughter's face. "And how would you know what a wolf smells like?"

Hannah wasn't ready for the tables to turn. She wanted to keep her encounter private for a little longer, especially from her mother who would only give her grief.

"Just a lucky guess," she said hoping her mother wanted to drop it as much as she did. "Pinky has told me some things. That's all."

"Oh. Well, ok then. I'm going to bed. Good night, Hannah."

"Good night, Mom."

Chapter Four

Hannah couldn't stop thinking about the wolf. But if she was going to be honest, she couldn't stop thinking about the naked man. After convincing herself she'd still be obsessing about him even if he was dressed, she grew more curious about werewolves and wondered how she could find out more since her mother was no help. She couldn't believe that after all these years of living in Leeds Point, that she never thought to pay attention.

Thinking about her best friend, Hannah knew she was the best person to answer all of her questions. Pinky Smythe immersed herself in the offbeat history of their town and its ties to the occult. Not wanting to hear the horrors of how her ancestors were treated, Hannah purposefully kept herself ignorant. But now she needed to find out about this werewolf. Plus, if she didn't tell someone about him she might explode.