Chapter sixteen - Tom
The intoxicating scent of her perfume of sex penetrated the sheets on the bed. She was lying on her stomach, flattened against the mattress with her bare back exposed. She had her head turned the other way and I could see the teasing hint of the small of her back.
I had my arms underneath my head and then I turned and very cautiously moved her hair away from her neck. My hot breath made her stir and she moved sensuously with a soft moan of pleasure escaping her lips.
The city was just waking up, but none of them were lucky enough to open their eyes to an angel of mercy. The bear was there during our encounters, but he didn’t have full mobility. Her influence had stunted the beast and made it easier for the human half of my physiology to jump into the driver’s seat.
“I hope you know how gorgeous you look in the morning when the light is hitting you in just the right way. You are my muse in business and in pleasure. You make me strive to be a better man in both aspects of my life.” I traced my index finger down the curvature of her spine. I followed it with my tongue and she glanced at me over her shoulder watching my progress.
The silk sheets had nothing on her smooth skin. I lifted the sheet and marveled at her rounded globes. They were my guilty pleasure. I squeezed their firmness and took a peek at the painted lips of her sex. I had been with her a few times, and still I was ready for more.
I tossed the sheet away from her body. The pleasure of seeing her unencumbered by clothing was evident by the tent on my side of the bed. I felt like we were pioneers breaking the glass ceiling of what was considered acceptable in the shifter community. I wanted to change their opinion, but the work necessary to undo their antiquated thinking was going to take an amazing bit of patience.
“I have to say this is the kind of wake-up call any girl would be foolish to refuse.”
I kissed her lower back, extending my tongue to make her spread her legs without even realizing she was doing it. “I couldn’t help myself. I’m like a dog with a bone. I cherish every moment we spend together like it will be our last. I woke up with this newfound happiness.” I lay back with a sense of contentment.
“I haven’t even wiped the sleep from my eyes and already you are making me your breakfast in bed. I’m going to need a shower if we plan to continue this marathon of sex. I have this just-fucked hair and I’m going to have to run a comb through it to get rid of the knots.” In hindsight, I should’ve known she was playing an angle.
I put my feet on the floor and then she was wrapping her hands around me with her heated palms touching my nipples. Her cheek was against my back. She was extending the intimacy.
“I can’t get the shower started unless you let me go.”
The master bedroom was immense with a huge window overlooking the city. There was a lavishly decorated bathroom with an old-fashioned claw tub and a separate surround shower with two massaging heads on either side. The floors were heated for comfort. The marble was custom-made to change colors with how the light was streaming through the curtains.
“I would like some proof of you being ‘up’ for the challenge.” She had emphasized a particular word and I jumped when she wrapped her warm hands around my appendage.
“I can assure you wild horses won’t be able to drag me away from your embrace.” I shouldn’t have said anything, and the sound of knocking made me feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
“Were you expecting somebody at this early hour? I know nothing was set in stone last night. A billionaire’s work is never done. I could easily make myself scarce.”
I was always one to follow my instincts and my danger meter was going crazy. I started to get up when I heard the jingling of the keys in the lock. I could count on my hand how many people had access to the penthouse. Logan would only use his key in an emergency. It had to mean somebody with loose lips had decided to play god with my life.
“I would tell you to hide, but it’s already too late.” The sound of the door opening downstairs was followed by light footsteps turning into something heavier on his ascent up the stairs.
“Why do I get the feeling that this has nothing to do with someone bringing us breakfast in bed? I don’t like how your muscles tensed. Should I be worried?” Her death would be on my conscience.
He would have to go through me to get to her. The Alpha would have no problem eliminating me from the equation before turning his attention to Roseanne.
“The Alpha is stalking me. He’s waiting on purpose. He wants me to be terrified, but he’s in for a rude awakening. I told you I would protect you, and I meant that from the bottom of my heart. I hope nothing changes when you witness this exchange.” I was drawing strength and fueling my veins with anger to bring on the transformation. It was going to take a few moments. I wasn’t even sure we had a few moments to spare.
“You can’t tell me this has nothing to do with me. I’ve hidden in the shadows for too long when I was with Jason. I’m not going to do that again for anyone. If we have to face this, then we will do it together.” She was ill equipped to deal with the Alpha when he was ready to get his hands dirty. He wouldn’t be able to see straight and would act without thinking.
“Whatever happens, I don’t want you to interfere. I will give you an opening and I expect you to use it to run as far away from me as you can.”
He was right at the door, marking his territory with his hot breath. The sound of him scratching the wood was his calling sign. This was his way to instill fear psychologically before attacking with the full resources at his disposal. This was his style to deal with threats when it came to the shifter community and its continued survival.
“I’m not going to run. I would rather die with you than without you.” I could hear the conviction in her words, but I couldn’t bring myself to put her in harm’s way.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’d rather have you safely away from me. I won’t be able to concentrate if I have to worry about you at the same time.” I was going to have to have eyes in the back of my head, and her proximity would make me lose focus.
I stared at the door, and the bear inside me could sense a confrontation. The door flew off its hinges, and stepping in to greet me with a growling disposition was the Alpha. He was a true grizzly with the stance of a leader. He was not in a talkative mood.
“Why doesn’t he make a move?” It was a good question, but I already knew the answer.
“He’s gauging his enemy and trying to figure out if there’re any surprises in store for him from coming after me on my own turf. I’m always one to stay two steps ahead. The possibility of him coming after one of us is something all of us think about. I have taken a few precautions.” I could feel the bear inside me trying to wrestle free of its human prison.
“You know the reason why I came. Did you really think you could hide this from me? I have spies looking out for the best interest of the shifter community. I was expecting more common sense from you. You’ve always been one to stay under the radar, not making any waves and trying your best to please me.” I could hear his voice, but it was in my head where we could communicate telepathically.
“I don’t know how he found out about us, but it doesn’t really matter. He has come here personally to make us an example to others. He has always been the kind of Alpha to manipulate decisions in his favor.” I was doing him the discourtesy of not speaking to him when he was speaking to me. It was a slap in the face.
“I know you can hear me and it angers me that you ignore me. This has to be the influence of the human female in your life.” He wasn’t moving, but it was the calm before the storm.
“Wait a minute. Is he conversing with you without moving his lips?” She was smarter than anybody gave her credit for. She saw things differently and that was the reason why she was able to pry Jason’s fingers away from her metaphorical neck.
“I’ve never had any love lost with the humans. I know how you feel about me. If you were trying to get my attention then you have succeeded. Be a man and take your medicine without raising a hand to defend yourself. I will make it quick, but if you fight me, the pain will linger for days before I finally let your suffering end.” He was anxious to end my existence, but he was showing a modicum of restraint.
“We can communicate with one another, but I really have nothing to say to him. He has been ruling from the sidelines for too long to be allowed to make anybody else a victim of his dictatorship.” I was fueling the fire of his hatred and hopefully, poking the bear into an unpredictable rage.
“Ignoring me is only going to make things worse for you. I can see the way you look at her. I would get more pleasure from killing her slowly in front of your eyes.” He was trying to get a rise out of me. It wouldn’t have worked, had he not mentioned his plans for Roseanne.
“You won’t get a chance to harm a hair on her head. I’m sure you’ve noticed how your strength has diminished. It only happens during the full transformation. I found this very unique and rare tree bark in the Colombian Forest to neutralize an Alpha. I ground it into a powder and lined the threshold of every doorway in my home with it.”
He was shaking his head and trying to ward off the effects of the bark. His nostrils were flaring and he was breathing in more of the toxic dust in the air.
“This is a minor problem and it won’t stop me from parading your severed head in front of the others.”
I thought I had the upper hand, but he was showing some amazing resiliency against something he didn’t have a clue how to fight. “I know all about the power of the Alpha. It imbues you with a high metabolism, unlike the other shifters. I was hoping this would give me a chance to fight back. Unfortunately, I can’t do that in my human form, even in your slightly weakened condition.”
I was going to have to change and face him like two warriors on the battlefield looking for supremacy.