Ten years ago, werewolf Alpha Salvatore took a risk driven by desperation—he borrowed money from a Lycan, Solomon Romano and put up the pack lands as collateral. Now the debt is due, and Solomon demands Salvatore’s youngest daughter, Lucia as compensation. As an Omega, Lucia knows she is basically useless to her pack, so she might as well agree. She soon has second thoughts, though. Solomon is fearsome, and he’s free to do as he likes with Lucia. Solomon knows his race’s reputation, and he even admits some of it is deserved. But he’d rather kill himself than let his innocent mate’s light go out. It won’t be easy, but he knows, his mate worth it more than anyone else in the world..
View MoreThe subtle lighting in the office in his house cast long shadows that danced across the room. Burning wood popped and hissed in the fireplace, and the scent from burning firewood brought back memories from yesteryear.
Restless, Solomon finally stood up. The warmth of the fire beckoned, and seeing no reason to deny himself, he strode across the floor.As he drew nearer, the heat wrapped around his body, and he sighed, relieved. Bending, he held his hands out toward the crackling fire. Once his fingers warmed, he straightened and turned.With his back to the fire, he carelessly brushed a long strand of hair behind his ear. He’d opened the blinds when he’d entered his office in a hopeless bid for daylight, not that it did much good. Good thing his eyesight was better than a human’s.The day was dreary, rainy, and overcast. He hated this time of the year. No matter how many layers of clothes he wore, the endless chill seeped in. He much preferred heat and humidity, sunny skies and warmth. His kind detested the cold.Still staring out of the ground floor window, he took notice of the foot traffic on the street, darting here and there like worker bees. Paranormals mixed with humans—there was no hiding now. As with anything else, there were those who thought the species should be separated and those who didn’t. Werewolves had made their presence known sometime in the 1700s. Other paranormal beings had come out not long after.Once the panic had died down, humans responded fairly well. For the most part, anyhow. There were still squabbles, of course. Humans didn’t seem to know how to do anything else. Fortunately they tended to leave paranormals alone. More often than not, they were too busy fighting among themselves.What the humans were calling the Great War was in full swing. Solomon brushed a microscopic piece of fuzz from his shirt, shaking his head. Humans and their wars. Would they never learn? But there was no denying it afforded him the opportunity to invest in their conflicts, and he never passed up an opportunity to add to earn more.A soft knock at his office door drew his attention. He inhaled, and the scent of hair cream, freshly pressed clothes, and human teased his senses.“Enter,” Solomon called.Renato Wiltshire, his clerk, opened the office door. He started toward the desk but paused when he saw no one sitting behind it.Confident of where he would find his boss, he glanced at the fireplace. “Sir, there’s an Alpha Theodore Salvatore of the Blackwood Creek Pack here to see you.”Solomon pursed his lips. “Interesting.”“I’ll say, sir.” Renato bobbed his head. “It must be catastrophic to send an Alpha werewolf to your doorstep.”“Only one way to find out.” As much as he hated leaving the roaring fire, Solomon crossed the floor, his footsteps muffled by the oriental rugs, and returned to his desk.“Give it twenty minutes, then escort him back. Also make sure to offer him a beverage while he waits.”“He’s not going to like having to wait, sir.”“I’m well aware.” Solomon picked up his absurdly expensive tailored suit coat and slipped it on. “That’s the point.”“Yes, sir.” Renato smirked, then wiped any emotions off his face, going back to the usual pleasant blankness he showed prospective clients. “Twenty minutes.”“Thank you.” Renato settled into his comfortable desk chair. This was no casual meeting. He intended to throw the Alpha off-balance by having him wait, but the ploy would also show exactly who held the power in the room.Twenty minutes later to the second, his efficient assistant escorted Alpha Salvatore inside. Solomon stood and acknowledged the Alpha with a slight bob of his head. There was no need for him to bare his throat since he wasn’t another werewolf, not that he would anyhow afterall the dragons were at the top of the shifter food chain. He also did not m offer his hand. Werewolves tended to be snarly about who touched them without permission, the silly creatures.Alpha Solomon acknowledged the greeting and returned it, although his head bob was much more grandiose.“Alpha Theodore Salvatore of the Blackwood Creek Pack, I bid you welcome. Please, join me.”“Thank you.” Alpha Salvatore crossed the room, his gait hurried. “I appreciate you seeing me without the courtesy of having an appointment.”“Yes, well, circumstances are usually dire when people come to me, and often they don’t have time to make one. Have a seat.” Solomon gestured at the plush wine-colored leather chairs in front of his desk.He made a point of standing. Solomon would not sit first. Having another paranormal look up to him was another way to reinforce who was more commanding.Alpha Salvatore gritted his teeth. Ah yes, there was nothing better than power games first thing in the morning.As the struggle for control continued, Solomon took note of his visitor. Like most werewolves, the Alpha was a large male with muscles. Unless the wolf was an Omega, they were also hairy, above average in height, and had dark hair and eyes.Solomon ensured his features remained blank, even as he smirked inside. Compared with a werewolf, he have less muscles. While the werewolf was bulky, Solomon was lean and mean. The only thing he and the Alpha had in common was their dark hair.“Thank you.” Alpha Salvatore lowered himself into one of the seats.“Now, please, tell me how I may be of service.” Satisfied his point had been made, Solomon sat behind his desk. Just because the atmosphere was tense didn’t mean manners had to be left outside the door.“I need a loan.”“Most people do when they come to me.” Precise and to the point. He liked that.Solomon opened a desk drawer and withdrew several forms. “How much?”Alpha Salvatore quoted a sum, and Solomon lifted a shapely eyebrow. Surprising him wasn’t easy.“I see.” He pushed the sheets of paper across the desk. “The forms are standard. Fill them out so I have an idea of what you plan to put up as collateral for such a massive loan.”“Collateral.” Alpha Salvatore tugged at his collar in what Solomon assumed was an effort to loosen the suffocating restriction from his tie. “I, ah, was hoping not to put anything up.”Solomon swallowed the laugh bubbling up. “And I was hoping to spend this winter on a warm, sunny beach—neither of which is going to happen, unfortunately. If you want the loan, you put up collateral. That’s the only way I do business.”Alpha Salvatore scowled. “Do you know who I am? The connections I have? The fact that my pack is one of the largest around, that should be sufficient.”“It isn’t.” Solomon coolly gazed across the desk. “Alpha, you need the money. I have it to give. Paranormals only come to me as a last resort, so I’m sure you’ve tried to obtain the currency elsewhere, but failed. Am I right?”Alpha Salvatore didn’t speak, but his scowl said enough. So did the sudden spike in tension. The acidic scent of bone-deep worry filled Solomon’s nostrils. He struggled to suppress the sneeze that threatened.“I thought so. If I loan you the money, you will put up collateral,” Solomon continued. Arrogant werewolf. Did the Alpha really think Solomon would loan him the sum he quoted with nothing more than his signature? “And from the amount you requested, I’m going to demand every property you own.”“You can’t do that!” Alpha Salvatore’s claws peeked out as he gripped the chair arms. “If I default—”“I’ll take everything you own, kick your pack off your land, and sell it to recoup my losses.” Solomon shrugged. “That’s the price of doing business, my dear Alpha. Take the money or not. It matters not to me.”Alpha Salvatore growled softly. “You really are a cold-blooded bastard, aren’t you?”Solomon faced the Alpha. His eyes shifted into a brilliant purple, with a slitted black pupil. His fangs, which appeared normal in human form, lengthened. His jaw become long. His fingernails grew to deadly sharp claws as he partially shifted.“Indeed I am.” Menace, deep and thick, vibrated in his voice. “Something you may wish to keep in mind, considering I can snap your neck with little to no thought.” Solomon unleashed his power, which seeped through the room, blanketing everything. A smothered gasp came from the outer office where Renato’s desk was located. It wasn’t the first time his assistant experienced such, and no doubt would not be the last.Alpha Salvatore straightened in his chair and snarled as his own power rose to meet Solomon’s. Sweat beaded and rolled down the Alpha’s face. The flames in the lanterns flickered, and the air shimmered.But as quickly as Alpha Salvatore’s power rose, it dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. The Alpha collapsed back in the chair, pale and shivering.“By all the wolf gods,” Alpha Salvatore whispered, horror finely etched upon his features.Solomon, still composed as ever, finally allowed the smirk that had been lurking to cross his face. “That was unwise, Alpha. You may be powerful, but you’re nothing compared to me. I was centuries old before you were ever born. Test me again and the next time, you won’t walk out of here on your own two feet.”Alpha Salvatore gulped.“Now, are you filling out those papers or are you leaving my office empty-handed?”“F-filling out the papers.” Fear rolled off the Alpha werewolf.“Excellent.” Solomon leaned back in his chair and returned to his wholly human form, pleased he’d made his point. “Now, make sure to fill out the paperwork properly, please.”* * * *AN hour before sunset, Solomon noticed the increased tension in Lucia. During dinner, she fidgeted and didn’t eat much. She was in constant motion, either tapping her foot, scratching aimlessly at her arm, or irritably shoving her hair out of the way. When Solomon asked her what the problem was, she said it was because of the upcoming shift.It was fascinating. Since he wasn’t ruled by the full moon, he’d never experienced what Lucia was going through. Now that he had seen it, he was thankful nothing had the ability to command him to shift.At dusk they walked outside. His staff knew better than to disturb them during this time. He brought a duffel to leave their clothes in while they shifted, since Lucia had been upset when Solomon let his clothes lie on the ground. Together they cut through the courtyard and came to the large field with the woods just beyond.Solomon glanced up at the sky, pleased to see it was a clear night. “Are you ready?”“Past ready. I feel like I’m about to c
“Incredible,” Solomon whispered as he gently traced some of the lines. “But I have no idea how or why this appeared.”“I haven’t either, and it’s impossible to tattoo werewolves,” Lucia said, breathing hard as she watched Solomon trace the lines.“This can’t be a tattoo,” Solomon said, lowering his hand.“I don’t think it is either,” Lucia said, still unable to believe on what she saw on her arm. “I don’t know what it is.”Solomon bent and leaned closer. “Notice it starts right where I bit you last night.”“Yeah, I saw that.” Lucia gulped. Solomon was close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. As usual, her body reacted. Shock and desire mixed together.“Do you…. Do you think it looks like a—?”“Like an abstract drawing of your kind?” Solomon straightened. “Yes.”“Holy… holy shit.” Little blinking lights danced across Lucia’s vision. She took a deep breath, then another until they disappeared. “You think this could possibly be something like a mating scar?”Solomon scra
IF Lucia could have reached her own ass, she would’ve kicked it already. What had she been thinking when she made that comment about a declaration of love? Then there was that comment Solomon made about loving smartasses.She tried to not to read too much into that, but it was hard not to. Did Solomon love her? Could she love him? Lucia was afraid she was well on her way to loving Solomon. Maybe she was already there. She had a bad case of lust, there was no denying that, but that wasn’t a bad thing either.But Solomon fascinated her. He had a soft heart, at least for those he cared about. And Lucia was pretty sure she fell in that group. They got along well together, but they hadn’t had a full-on argument either.Just because werewolves believed in fated mates didn’t mean the couple was perfect. No one was, paranormals included. Lucia did have faith that Solomon was right for her. Now she needed to convince Solomon of that.If that hadn’t been enough of a shock, Solomon surprised her
Then sadness crossed Lucia’s face.Solomon struggled to swallow. He lifted his hand and touched where Lucia’s scar should have been. “I’m so sorry.”Lucia shrugged, then dropped her eyes. “We knew it was a possibility your mark wouldn’t take.”Solomon nudged Lucia’s chin up. “It doesn’t matter. Yes, I wish there’d been something there, especially since that’s an important part of your rituals, but it changes nothing. I don’t need a mark upon you to prove to others you’re mine. But still, I am sorry. Know that I’ll wear yours proudly.” Solomon held his arms open.“I know. You don't have to tell me...” Lucia moved into Solomon’s arms. “There’s no point in me getting upset over it.”“If you want to get upset, get upset.”Lucia buried her head in Solomon’s shoulder. “No. I wanted it, true, but like you said… in the end, it doesn’t matter.” Lucia lifted her head, then turned around and picked up the soap. She turned back around to Solomon and waggled her eyebrows. “Now, how about I clean y
SOLOMON swore hard as Lucia pulled him in. He was going to lose his mind. She was so hot and tight. She fit him like a glove. Lucia hands flew up and grabbed his arms.Solomon kept doing it slow, but when Lucia growled at him, he picked up speed. Little pricks of pain at his arms caught his attention, and he glanced over. Lucia’s claws had come out. He glanced back at her face. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth was open, and she was panting. He could see Lucia’s fangs had lengthened.“So good, so good. Harder,” she whispered.Still worried about hurting her since this was her first Lucia, Solomon kept the pace easy. Then Lucia opened her eyes. They were amber, and the look was more than a little annoyed.Surprised to see Lucia's wolf that close to the surface, he hesitated. Then her words replayed in his head about being a werewolf and not easily hurt. Lucia knew her body better than Solomon⁷. If she said he could handle more, who was to say she couldn’t? Taking Lucia at her word,
Delighted, Lucia laughed as Solomon swiftly led her away. The surroundings passed in a blur, not that Lucia cared this time. The sooner Solomon got them there, the better. Lucia’s heart pounded as Solomon pulled her through the open door and into the bedroom. Warmth swirled around her, and when she glanced over at the fireplace, she saw that it has been lit. Someone must have lit the fire. How utterly romantic!The covers had been turned down, and the lamps on the end tables were turned on low. Flames popped and hissed in the fireplace. As if drawn by an invisible line, Lucia walked toward the bed. She ran her hand across the finely made comforter. She would be waking up there from now on. She turned back at Solomon, who stood by the now-closed door, Lucia’s overnight bag by his feet.Lucia stood still, undecided what to do. Why was Solomon just standing there? Shyly she looked at Solomon, who stared back at her his purple eyes glowing slightly.Lucia’s eyes burned, but she blinked t
Lucia blinked, then blinked again. A million thoughts running through her mind, but she couldn’t grab a single one of them. What Solomon was talking about was… was…. Lucia wasn’t sure she could say the right words out loud.“Lucia?”“I-I-I, ah… I, ah….”“Does this mean you don’t want to be with me for as long as possible?”Lucia practically jumped out of her seat as she lurched closer and grabbed a fistful of Solomon’s heavy sweatshirt. “What? What? Holy shit, Solomon, you have got to stop making assumptions like that. Jeez, you dropped an atomic-sized bomb in my lap. Give me a second to get my head wrapped around it.”“So, you’re only shocked, that’s all?”Lucia was tempted to beat her head against the nearest hard surface. This man. Did he even have to asked. Of course she's shock! “Um, that would be a yes. A yes in big, capital neon letters with exclamation marks after it.”“Oh. Okay. You need a moment. I can understand that.” Solomon glanced away from Lucia.Lucia didn’t think Sol
IT seemed to take forever, but eventually they left the woods. Lucia’s pack milled around, waiting for them. As they drew closer, people began clapping. Someone had built a bonfire, and the scent of roasted meat lingered in the air.Lucia pranced in front of him, tail up and wagging, as she made a beeline straight for her father.“Well done, Lucia. A most excellent hunt.” Alpha Salvatore bent and hugged Lucia. He straightened as Solomon approached. “I see now why you asked if my pack could be trusted with your secret. It most assuredly will be kept quiet.”Solomon nodded, pleased. He held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill. After all, by tomorrow morning he’d be related to the Alpha.Laughing heartily, Alpha Salvatore pushed Solomon’s hand out of the way and embraced him. Shock caught Solomon off guard. Werewolves, as a rule, didn’t touch outsiders. This more than anything told Solomon he’d been accepted into the pack.As they hugged, Alpha Salvatore whispered, “Thank you for honor
Solomon leisurely walked through the woods, following his mate's scent on the air. He’d dressed in warm black clothes to help fight the chill, but the coldness that lay heavily upon the land didn’t bother him for once. Because right now, excitement thrummed through his body, heating his blood and keeping him burning with need.He chuckled softly to himself when he remembered the look on the werewolves’ faces earlier. Maybe he’d been showing off, but he wanted to make an impression. Once the hour delay was over, Alpha Salvatore nodded at Solomon, telling him it was time. He couldn’t shift into his beast form, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of making a statement. Instead of immediately walking into the woods, Solomon had stripped off his heavy, fleece-lined sweatshirt and tied it around his waist. Under the sweatshirt he wore a black sleeveless T-shirt with extreme dropped armholes.He cleared his mind, closed his eyes, and reached toward his other form. There was a slight tingl
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