Craving the Alpha: Part Three: BBW Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (Lycan Lovers)
Read Craving the Alpha: Part Three: BBW Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (Lycan Lovers) Online
Authors: Kate Kent
Copyright © 2014 by Kate Kent
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Published by: Lil Black Dress Press
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“I’ll go see if anyone is out back,” Susan whispered. Clutching the tearful Zach in her right arm, she crouched lower and moved cautiously into the kitchen.
“How many are out there, Markus?” I asked softly. “Maybe we could talk to them and tell them we would never hurt anyone.” Markus lifted his head slightly and looked out the window. “It could be ten or more.”
I took a quick peek and ducked back down. They probably could not see us in the darkness and we couldn’t make them out too well either. They were just shadowy shapes against the moonlight. But from the angry noises they were making, it was obvious they were treating this like a witch-hunt … and we were the witches.
“Markus, Kristen,” Susan called out softly from the kitchen, “I don’t see anyone out back. Do you want to try and make a run for it?”
I glanced over at Markus. I could barely make out his face but I could sense the tension and stress in his body. God, I wished I could hold him, comfort him, and make everything better.
Markus pressed his strong hand against the small of my back. “We don’t have much choice,” he whispered. We started edging along the wall towards the kitchen.
“Wait, Markus, the duffel bag—it’s got our money and clothes in it.” We had so few things we hadn’t bothered to unpack when we arrived at Susan’s, and the bag upstairs held all of our possessions.
“I’ll go get it. Hold on.”
Marcus quickly crept up the stairs to grab the duffel while I waited nervously in the darkness.
“Got it,” he said returning as he hefted the bag over his shoulder. He took my hand and we stooped down moving into the kitchen.
Susan was crouched in the darkness, holding Zach by her side with one hand and his lunchbox in the other. “Take this,” she said, handing it to Markus. Markus looked at her quizzically. “I grabbed it off the counter. It’s Zach’s lunch for Ms. Nancy’s,” she added, referring to the summer program for children that Zach attended a few times a week. “I had already packed it for tomorrow. I threw in some other food that was on the counter too.” As she spoke, she reached up to the kitchen table and pulled her pocketbook down to her side. She pulled open the zipper, removing her wallet and started taking bills out.
“You’re going to need a place to stay and more food,” Susan said, tucking a few bills in the side of the lunch box. “It’s not much, but it’s all I got. It should help you get by till you get on your feet.”
“We can’t ta…” Markus started to say, but I interrupted him. “Markus, we will find a way to pay Susan back. We need it.”
“Thank you, Susan, from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness has…”
“You can thank me later. There’s no time to waste,” Susan interrupted. “You’ve got to get out of here. You will need to find a place to stay tonight and go from there. You can’t stay in Waynesboro; head north to Chambersburg.”
“But what about you and Zach?” Markus asked.
“It’s not us they’re after. We’ll be fine.” She added firmly, “there’s no time for discussion. You have to get going!”
Markus sidled over to the kitchen door and peered into the gloom. He tapped lightly on the glass in the door, pointing to the dark shape of a house nearby. “We can cut through the neighbors’ yards. After we get away from this area, we will shift and run to Chambersburg through the woods. Are you ready, Kristen?”
I took a deep breath. My body was trembling but there was no time to think. I just had to do it.
We
just had to do it, together.
“Let’s go.” Markus grabbed my hand and eased the door open gently. “Thank you, Susan. We will repay your kindness.”
“Mommy, Markus is taking my lunch box!” Zach cried out.
“Yes Zach, shhh,” Susan said, putting a finger to her lips. “Markus needs to borrow it. Remember, sharing is caring; you want to share with Markus, don’t you?”
Zach nodded his head doubtfully.
“I will give it back little man,” Markus said. “I promise. And I’ll be sure to put a nice surprise in it.”
Zach’s face lit up and Susan gave him a hug as she motioned us to get moving. “Stay safe,” she said.
As we walked outside, Markus put his hand in mine and we started moving briskly. Under the moonlit night, I could barely make out the side of the neighbor’s yard. “It has to be just a few feet,” I told myself. “We’ll make it.” Once we got there, we would be far enough away from Susan’s that no one would hear us and we could run to the woods to shift. My legs felt like rubber but I had to keep going.
“Well looky here, I think I done caught me a she-monster and her lover boy.” The blood drained from my face as I recognized the voice of the man from the woods, the one who must have followed me in the truck. He was walking around the side of the building towards us.
“I done thought you might try to leave the back way,” he said, shaking his head. “Well, you ain’t going nowhere. Me and my buddies will take care of you, oh yes indeedy.” He turned and called out, “Hey, fellas! Come back here and see what I found.”
“Leave us alone and you won’t get hurt,” Markus said firmly.
“I won’t get hurt? Ha, ha, ha, who you think you messing with lover boy? Bobby Ray ain’t no fool. I know what I seen and I don’t take kindly to no monsters. No siree. Now you just haul ass over here. You’re coming with me.” In the darkness I could make out the shape of a gun as he pointed it in our direction.
“Look, Bobby Ray, we are just minding our own business. So why don’t you mind yours,” Markus said coldly.
The earsplitting boom of a rifle going off near the side of the house startled us all. I knew more of the men must be coming around to the back. “Looks like my buddies are coming to get a piece of some monster action now,” Bobby Ray said nastily.
“And my werewolf friends are here for you,” Markus stated. “Look over there,” he said, pointing behind Bobby Ray’s head.
Bobby Ray chuckled. “You think I’d fall for the oldest trick in the book and look away? Ha, ha, nice try.”
“They’re coming, duck Kristen, get down,” Markus yelled. Bobby Ray couldn’t resist taking a quick peek over his shoulder, and that momentary lapse was all that Markus needed.
“Yeah, I do, you dumb ass!” Marcus yelled as he charged at Bobby Ray, knocking the gun out of his hands. Even though he was not in his wolf, the strength emanating from Markus’s body was incredibly powerful. I stood frozen, watching as he attacked Bobby Ray, all the while sensing the eminent approach of the other men from the side of the house.
“Run, Kristen! Run!” Marcus shouted.
My body was wracked with indecision. Should I run? How could I leave Markus here with Bobby Ray and the other vicious men? I didn’t know what to do—I just knew I had to do something—and
fast
!
“Oh my God!” I panted as my hand reached up for my stars and moon charm necklace, and I started to rub it furiously. The run from Susan’s backyard had been fast and stressful. When Markus told me to take off, I had hesitated. The thought of leaving him there killed me, but I figured he must know what he was doing. I’d had just seconds to make a decision before the angry townsmen would be on us. I knew I had to put my trust in Markus so I followed his direction, running as fast I could through several yards. I kept nervously looking behind me, but he wasn’t there—until finally he was. I was so relieved to see him. I wanted to stop and kiss him but there was no time.
“We can’t stop Kristen. We have to keep moving and faster. Change into your wolf, now!” He commanded. We could hear the men in the distance as we ducked behind a few trees and quickly shifted into our wolf form. Then we raced through what seemed like endless yards, roads, and woods.
Finally, when we were miles away, Markus motioned me over to some butterfly bushes. The colorful shrubbery shielded our bodies as we shifted back into our human form again.
“Are you ok?” Markus asked his voice only slightly breathy.
Greedily gulping the night air, I glanced over at Markus. Light beads of sweat covered his body but the glow only made him sexier. Considering we had just run for miles, he was looking pretty damn fine. I marveled at the tip-top condition he was in—quite the physical specimen. I was just the opposite. Sweat was dripping from my forehead and even though I had just put them on, my clothes were lightly soaked with perspiration. The run had been extreme. I shuddered, thinking about what condition I would have been in just a few short weeks ago before I became a werewolf and starting running on a regular basis. I probably would have collapsed.
“I’m fine,” I gasped. “That was intense. Thank God you got away. Did you knock Billy Ray out?
“I’m pretty sure the jerk was down for the count,” Markus said, his nostrils flaring. “That guy should have known better than to fool with you or me.”
“Well, at least we’re safe for now,” I said, trying to calm him.
“I knew you would be tired and I’m a little beat myself,” Marcus said. “We past a fast food place a block back that looks open. Let’s get a cup of coffee. We’re far enough away that we can relax for a bit.”
“That sounds awesome.” A warm drink and the chance to relax and re-energize was much needed. We retraced our steps and found the restaurant.
I was still feeling spooked as Markus pushed open the door for me, expecting Billy Ray and his mob to jump us at any moment. I sat down at one of the small red vinyl booths while Markus went to the counter. In minutes, Marcus brought over two piping hot cups of coffee with cream and a paper cup full of water.
Hoping the employees wouldn’t notice, I slid Zach’s lunch box to my right and unzipped it. I was starving and I knew Markus had to be as well, but we didn’t have the extra cash for chicken fingers or burgers. I pulled the food out from the lunch bag and placed it on the table.
Markus grinned, surveying the spread. “Yum,” he said, “one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, celery sticks, juice box, and a bag of mini pretzels. A feast fit for a king. Ladies first,” he added, holding up the juice box and pointing it towards me.
I shook my head laughing, feeling some of the day’s tension ease from my body. He opened the box and guzzled down half of the contents. “My queen,” he said, proffering the rest of the drink to me.
“It’s all yours Markus, and there’s even more to this feast,” I teased. I pulled out the other things Susan had thrown in the lunch box. I was thankful there had been some items sitting on her counter that she could easily add to the bag. There was an apple, caramel candy, a small roll, and several short, thick sticks of turkey jerky.
“Let’s dig in,” Markus said. He pulled the plastic wrap off the PB&J sandwich and handed me half. As he munched, I could see his mind pondering our next move.
“Susan said to go north to Chambersburg,” I said.
“No, I think we should head south,” Markus stated, taking a bite of the crust. “I’m not worried about those men. I doubt they will try to find us, but Dorian will. He'll expect us to go north.”
“So, you think he'll be looking for us?” I asked nervously as I bit off half of the caramel candy and handed Markus the other part.
“I think he'll never stop looking,” Markus admitted grimly. “He will expect me to want to stay in the area and be as close to our clan as possible. My guess is he will start his hunt in the nearby communities.”
Markus popped the last bit of caramel in his mouth. God, that man was sexy. He even looked hot eating a candy confection; as he rolled it on his tongue, savoring the sweetness, and licked the caramel residue off his full, sensuous lips. Mmm, I wished I was on the receiving end of that tongue. A little quiver of excitement seared through my belly and I started to imagine…
“So, what do you think Kristen?”
“What—oh, sorry!” I averted my gaze from his mouth and chided myself inwardly for not paying attention. Focus, Kristen. Here I was, imagining Markus devouring me with his luscious, agile tongue when I should be concentrating on our next move.
“Yes, I say yes to what you think is best—but, maybe we could dial it down to a trot instead of a gallop. I’m beat.” I gave him my most charming, wide-eyed, look, hoping he would slow our pace down.
Markus looked at me, his eyes taking in the shiny, moist skin I had from running. “Sure, baby,” he said warmly. He glanced down at the table and I followed his gaze; only a few crumbs remained. “Looks like we devoured Zach’s lunch. Man, that PB&J was good,” he joked.
“He is such a sweet kid,” I said. “I would freak if anything happened to him. And if it was our fault … I would jus…”
“Hey,” Markus put his hand on my shoulder as we got up from the table. “Those men weren’t after Zach, they were after us. And yeah, Dorian’s proven to be a dick, but I don’t think he would stoop to hurting little kids.” Seeing the worried expression on my face, he pulled me towards him. “Come here.” He wrapped his arms around me firmly and gave me a sweet, lingering kiss. “It’s all going to work out,” he assured me. I had to believe him, what else could I do?
We left the restaurant and walked to some nearby bushes. We shifted into our wolves and started our journey, thankfully, at a trot this time. Although we could communicate in our wolf, we kept the chatter to a minimum, moving south at a moderate pace and staying near the trails inside the woods. It was fairly dark, but with our acute night vision we were able to see the way ahead of us easily.
Every so often, Markus would trot near the edge of the woods and look out at the towns we were passing by. Each time he would shake his dark fur and we moved on. Happily, after about an hour or so, he finally found what he was looking for. He motioned for me to slow down and together we trotted towards the town.
On the outskirts of the area we shifted back into our human forms. Even though we had slowed to a trot for the last hour, my body was soaked with sweat and my clothes were a stinky mess. We had covered a lot of ground tonight and I was exhausted and ready to go to sleep.
“I think this will work for us,” Markus said. “This town looks large enough that we can blend in and maybe even find jobs. Those other towns we passed were just too small.”
As we walked through the downtown area, I was struck by how pretty it was. Small antique shops interspersed with restaurants, while vintage clothing stores and other little businesses lined the streets. The spires of several churches could be seen high in the night sky, dramatic punctuation marks to the city’s beauty.
As we passed a small dress shop, the perfect little black dress caught my eye. A sweetheart neckline showcased a form fitting black, silk silhouette. Best of all, it wasn’t some teensy tiny size 2 like you normally see on mannequins; this one looked perfect to showcase all my curves. The heels they’d paired it with were to die for, 4-inch red-soled, black patent pumps with stiletto heels.
“The Red Rose,” I said aloud to Markus, reading the sign on the dress shop. “Don’t let me forget that name. When we get some money I’ll be back!” It had been a long time since I’d worn a dress, and I could just imagine how good it would feel to slip into the silky smoothness of that beautiful outfit and slide my toes into the smooth leather of the heels.
I pulled my gaze away from the sexy little number as we continued our walk. Markus pretended to pet an iron dog perched near the steps of one of the buildings close by, a quaint looking bed and breakfast. He pointed to a sign in the window.
“Voted best bed and breakfast in Frederick, Maryland,” I said, reading the sign out loud. “So, we’re in Frederick. There’s a big army base here—Ft. Detrick I think it’s called?”
“I’ve heard of it,” Markus said. “They do biomedical research—study viruses and…”
“Geez,” I interrupted. “Are they studying Ebola there?”
“Yeah, they are.”
“That’s scary stuff!” I replied. “I hope it’s not in the air.” I took a quick inhale. It was too late to hold my breath.
“Of course not, they take steps to make sure they deal with the diseases in a controlled environment,” Markus said.
“I hope so,” I muttered.
“I’m sure they study all kinds of things there,” he mused as he rubbed his chin. “Maybe even wolf bites. Hmm…” Suddenly, it was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. He grabbed my hands excitedly and stared directly at me, his cocoa eyes blazing with urgency.
“We need to go to Ft. Detrick right now! We need to get to the base and see if they can suck this toxin—this poison that turns us into werewolves out of us!”