3. Prey 

~ RIG ~

Eyes locked hungrily on Cara, I watched her brown hair swing around her shoulders as she slipped through the crowd towards the door.

My friends couldn’t stop laughing and nudging each other.

“Oh, snap, Rig!” Jack chuckled, slapping me on the back. I shot a glare at my friend, whose gold, curly hair matched his personality perfectly. ‘I thought your Allure was irresistible?’ he laughed through the mindlink, so all of our packmates would hear. 

The Allure was a power given only to wolves. An ability to cut through fear or distrust in the human mind by overwhelming it with sexual desire. In ancient generations we had used it to lure humans into our grip to be devoured—literally. But generations of evolution and technology meant modern wolves had no need to eat humans. Instead, we used the Allure to soothe the dulled human instincts that warned their weak owners something was deeply wrong when a wolf was nearby.

And for fun, of course.

But as my friends teased and laughed, I refused to be baited. ‘She didn’t resist, she fled. That’s different, I retorted. ‘I wouldn’t even need the Allure with her—if I decide I want her, she’ll come. Again… and again.’ I smiled smugly as my friends groaned.

‘You’re such an arrogant prick,’ Mack sent, scowling as he scanned the room. Mack was my oldest friend, but he was the darkest—in looks, and in spirit—of us all.

‘It’s not arrogant when it’s true,’ I shot back as Cara twisted sideways to press between two football players on her way to the front door. I couldn’t help but smile.

Humans might be pathetic, weak, and easily overwhelmed. But they made very enjoyable bedmates. I had a particular liking for the true innocents. They were harder to tempt, but there was something very satisfying about knowing that once I’d had them they’d never forget me.

No one forgets their first time. I made certain of that.

With a grin, I flashed the others an imagined image of me and the girl, Cara, naked and entwined, bodies sheened in sweat, her head thrown back as she called my name. 'It will happen.'

Mack snorted and Charlie, my closest friend, rolled his eyes. Charlie was the shortest of us, but thick and strong like a pitbull. He’s the only wolf I’d trust with anything. But even he shook his head.

I growled below the level of human hearing. ‘One girl runs and you suddenly doubt me? I can get any human female I want, any time. And I don’t need the Allure to do it.’ I laced a touch of my Alpha power behind the sending, and Jack flinched.

But Mack was still shaking his head. ‘I felt you use the Allure and she still shoved you off. She has to be a true innocent if she can resist you even when she’s drinking. Clearly she needs a gentleman. Someone who will be sweet to her and doesn’t fuck everything that moves… Like me.’

I didn’t even have to respond to that. My brothers howled their protests to that statement through the link.

Mack might not take as many girls as I do, but his reputation on campus was just as well-earned. I laughed, but my eyes were still on Cara, inching towards the door and her freedom. Or so she thought.

I gave the smile that I knew made women melt and enemies shiver.

‘You’re an idiot, Mack,’ I sent when our friends had quieted down.

Mack bristled. ‘That’s bullshit—I bet you I can get her before you can.’

I went very still, tearing my eyes away from Cara’s small form still trying to get through the tall crowd, to lock on Mack.

He might be my oldest friend, but he was also the strongest of my pack brothers besides me. Our relationship had always walked a fine line, because he’d always been jealous of me being Heir to the Alpha King, and I knew if I ever showed weakness, Mack would exploit it.

‘Go on,’ I said, letting an edge of warning creep into my tone.

But as our friends watched on nervously, scenting my tension, Mack just leaned in closer to mutter below the humans’ hearing.

“I bet you that I can take her before you do. Whoever gets her first, wins. The loser has to take her to your birthday party and tell her it was a bet, then jump in the pool. Naked.”

I snorted to let them all know I saw exactly how juvenile the bet was—and to prove just how little I was threatened by it. But my hackles were up. Being raised by a controlling Alpha King father meant if someone even hinted that I couldn’t do something, I wouldn’t rest until I had proved them wrong.

“I’d love to see you get naked in front of all our parents, Mack,” I said, smiling the smile I usually saved for prey as I slapped my friend on the shoulder.

But Mack’s eyes narrowed. “Great, then let’s make it a real challenge: You can’t use the Allure on her. At all. Because you don’t need it… right?”

Adrenalin shot through my veins—but I smiled, too.

An actual challenge? A legitimate obstacle? That could make what promised to be a very boring semester, very interesting.

My birthday was three months away. There wasn’t a woman alive who could resist me for three months straight if I set my mind to seducing her. And frankly, I’d already been thinking about it anyway. Humiliating Mack at the same time just added another level of attraction.

Pretending that I needed time to consider the bet, I turned to locate Cara in the crowd again. I smiled as she passed a guy who had opened his mouth to talk to her. But she didn’t even notice, just brushed past him like he was a piece of furniture.

She reached the front door a moment later, her hand landing on the doorknob like it was her salvation. But she hesitated.

My heart beat faster as I urged her in my mind to turn. To feel me watching and to look for me.

She snapped her head around to scan the room over her shoulder, and found me staring. Our eyes locked.

Her eyes widened. Then she tore out of my gaze, yanked the front door open, and fled outside.

Nodding, confident I had this one in the bag, I smirked and turned to my friends. “I’ll take that bet,” I said, my voice deep and rough. “And I’ll win.”