Chapter 8

I set my trusty shotgun aside and leaned down to pick up what remained of my coffee pot. It was my lucky one, had been with me since I had taken over running this place. It had weathered a couple fights and survived a round of steamy counter sex I had indulged in with a sexy fireman from town. Man, that guy could light my fire, pun intended and had crossed a fantasy off my list. He had smelled like smoke and spice and his hose was thick, and long. But tonight, it seemed my luck had run out.

Alpha Grey winced as he drug his torn up carcass to his feet. He refused Lily’s help to rise and I snorted. Males were all the same it seemed. I checked him out. I wasn’t a saint by any means, a naked hot man was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. His body sang to mine even bloody and bruised. And I liked the song very much, it promised a crescendo that would leave me wanting an encore. He was so tight and perfect, and The Moon knew what it was doing when it created him. His huge cock was the things wet dreams, or good pornos were made of. I licked my lips before I could stop myself and my pussy pulsed.

It was official, I was an animal, eyeing a wounded man like that and having all kinds of indecent thoughts. My body wanted to jump his bones and take advantage of him. Worse yet, I couldn’t even blame my wolf for this beastly behavior as I had practically stunned her with that last swig of wolfsbane. Nope, this was all the horny human in me now. It had been one-hundred and twenty-three days since I last had anything inside me that wasn’t plastic and silicone. I craved a warm, meaty dick in me like a dog begged for a bone.

But that would have to wait and not just because he was bleeding all over my tile. Also, because I’d sworn off wolves. Even ones who looked like him and promised a good time. Wolves were not good bed fellows. They tended to be territorial and possessive by nature and I had no intention of becoming their plaything. To be used up and then tossed aside when they’d grew tired of me, when I was too old to breed anymore, or when a pureblood came along. Once they put their cock in you, they thought it meant ownership, and no other cocks could enter. It was messy entanglements I avoided altogether.

But before tonight, I had never experienced such extreme and visceral reactions to any wolf on my land, no matter the state of my sex life, and now I’d had felt it twice back to back. I had never felt anything like it before. And I hoped I never did again. It unsettled me, like I had even less control of my body than I’d thought. I hated it. Turning into a beast once a month was bad enough, but now turning into a sex animal when these Alphas were around, was unbearable.  

But Alpha Grey didn’t seem to mind my not so subtle attentions, in fact a grin upturned the corner of his luscious lips. Tonight, had hurt more than just his pride, but I was helping to build it back up. There was no denying I was turned on by the Alpha. My want and lust infiltrated the air. I flushed, everywhere.

“It’s hot in here,” I said, “I need to get that door boarded up to keep the cool air in.”

“I can help with that,” volunteered Rand.

I nodded, “I have boards and a drill in the stock room just past the kitchen. Can’t miss it.”

It went without saying this kind of thing happened a lot and I stayed prepared these days. I had a loyalty card to the local home improvement store.

“I’ll pay for the damages. Once I find my wallet. It has to be around here somewhere.”

It took me several blinks to realize he was talking to me. This Alpha had not addressed me directly since he’d stepped foot inside my diner. But in all fairness, he’d been a bit busy.

“I’ll find it for you Grey!”

And then Lily was off picking through scraps of clothes that once clung deliciously to muscled bodies. Rand was off in search of those supplies to patch up the front door until I could get a new one in town when the store opened.

“Uh…that’s generous of you,” I told the Alpha.

Eyes up top girl, don’t look down. Don’t objectify the hot, naked Alpha standing in the middle of your diner. Nudity is a totally natural thing, especially to the wolves. No big deal. Play it cool.

“It’s the least I can do. Considering this mess.”

His moon eyes took in the debris of what was once my clean, cozy rustic décor. I saw the flicker of regret.

“Speaking of this mess, do you have any ideas how to solve it in that big Alpha brain of yours?”

He chuckled then clutched his ribs, “We’ll figure something out…But Alpha Roam will be back. And he will escalate this. They can’t stay here for long.”

I nod, following his eyes as they drifted to his rosy cheeked sister. She was so young. And she was in love. In love with a boy who came from the wrong side of this mountain. I wondered how they had even met to feel the mating bond in the first place. Perhaps they were drawn together. And nothing would keep them apart. The Moon had favored their pairing for a reason.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it to you, Alpha Grey of the Timberland Pack,” I said, fighting a smile and losing the battle.

Now was so not the time for playing coy or flirting. He was a wolf for starters, and he was naked and hurt.  Oh, and my time on this Earth was short, with a giant target now on my back. I also wasn’t looking to start a relationship now or ever.

“So, you have heard of me then. I’ve heard of you too,” he confessed.

I’m convinced he’s teasing me but there’s no hint of amusement on his too-handsome face. I set my shattered pot on the counter and crossed my arms. My sneakered feet kicked at a piece of chair leg on the floor.

“It was by the process of elimination that I knew your name. People talk in this town. Doesn’t mean any of it’s true.”

I’m not giving this Alpha an inch. I know he is mateless because of the way my body overreacted to his. Lust is all that is between us, nothing more. And for me, that is not enough, even if I was interested in more. I liked my life just how it is. I appreciated my freedom. And letting this Alpha sweet talk me into his wolf den, would be putting a collar around my throat. I can already feel that leash tightening and I get the sensation that I’m choking. I cleared my throat to chase away the phantom feeling.

“I think there’s truth in it. They say a badass she-wolf who doesn’t take shit from no one runs this place.”

These are not qualities Alphas typically looked for in their potential mates. However, it’s possible he said what he thought I’d want to hear to get in my pants. Siring cubs is pretty high up on an Alpha’s priority list. It was equated with virility and his man/wolf hood. Powerful seed, pure bloodlines, produced the strongest wolfs. An Alpha preferred a pure to mate with.

But while purebloods produced the strongest offspring, they often suffered more fertility problems.  It was normal for it to take years for a pure and her mate to produce a cub, and often several years passed between their litters.

Half-breed or mutts, were derogatory terms used to describe those turned, or those born with diluted bloodlines, but us mutts often had far fewer problems conceiving. However, we tended to suffer more complications during both the pregnancy, and birth of the pup. The rates for non-pure females to lose cubs, lose their ability to have further cubs after their first, or die in birthing them, was about doubled the rate of what the pures experienced.

Sure, I knew I was a fucking catch and all, but I was not buying what this Alpha was selling. No way would he want me to be the mother of his cubs. I was a turned female and that made my blood diluted. Alphas went after Lunas of the strongest bloodlines. He wanted to use me to get off until his mate came along, to pass the time and get his dick wet. If he was a human man, I would not necessarily have a problem with that arrangement, as a girl has got needs. But wolfs had serious boundary issues and once they sunk their claws in you, it was damn near impossible to escape, and not without serious damage.

“They left the part out where the she-wolf is an Omega and she likes it that way. And this is her territory,” I corrected him.

He swallowed thickly, “Noted. I best be on my way then. I need to get back.”

“Yeah, you should.”

Lily frowned at the tension between her brother and I. She held up what remained of his dark slacks.

“I found your wallet and your keys. But your pants are a total loss big brother.”

I couldn’t help but look down when I’m reminded, he isn’t wearing any. The view was just as nice the second showing. It’s not pretty cocks and dreamy abs that are the problem, it’s the dicks they are attached too.

He smiled at her, “It’s okay Lil. I have some extra in the truck. I need to go check on things at the pack. But I’ll be back to check in on you soon.”

Lily chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes misted as reality sank in. I doubt she had ever spent a night away from home. And she may never go back. Choosing her mate, may mean losing her pack. I found something to do and give them some space to say their goodbyes.

I assisted Rand to put up the boards, the whine of the drill helped to drown out the words that passed between the siblings. When they were done, they embraced, and Lily wiped at her cheeks. The Alpha of Timberland had some parting words for Rand as well.

“Take care of my sister or I will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth and rip your heart out,” he warned with a growly voice.

Something was definitely wrong with me as I found those words like an aphrodisiac. My panties were soaked by this point and I could feel the dampness spreading across my dark wash shorts. I needed a cold shower, and a church to confess my sins.