Pricolici (4 page)

“I know you don't believe me about what you are. There have been many legends of the hultan among our kind, but they are wrong. None of the younger generation even listens to them anymore. The stories say that your kind were celibate recluses and would lose your powers if you were to ever mate. That was a convention the Christians brought with them to deny the power the hultans had. The last of your ancestors faded into obscurity and then died out a very long time ago. I haven't seen a hultan in over a thousand years. Until you.”

Tucker shook his head. “You're nuts.” A very old nutcase, but he was still nuts. Insanity was probably what Tucker saw in Stelian’s eyes. Now he had to get away from not only a strong, dominant lupe but an ancient, psychotic one.

There was a lot Tucker didn’t know, but he knew he wasn't some sort of crazy, old-fashioned priest destined for a life of monkish prudery. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

Sex felt too good to give it up. He wasn’t looking for a mate anyway, no matter what his body thought.

Stelian raised an eyebrow, as though he could hear Tucker’s thoughts. “I bet you always know what the weather will be. You dream about places you've never been, and you’ve seen things you can't possibly have seen. People and lupes can sense your power. They lust for it—and for you—ever since you changed for the first time.

“It shouldn’t have developed this fast, but you have enormous potential. You’re searching for something, and every day that goes by without finding it has made your need worsen.”

Tucker goggled at Stelian. Potential? He was a weakling—he didn’t have power! As for the searching… he wouldn't admit anything out loud. He’d been kicked out of his haitas; of course his wolf wanted him to find a new home, so they could feel safe again. He stared at the floor, shaking his head.

Then Stelian dropped his biggest bomb yet. “You're not even a real lupe.”

Tucker’s head shot up. He glared at Stelian. “What the hell do you mean? Of course I am! I've been able to shift into a wolf for months.” Tucker's hands curled into fists at his sides. He was weak, but he was not defective. He
could
shift!

"I'm sure you can. I didn't say you couldn't shift into a wolf—I said you're not a lupe. Hultans can shift into many animal forms. When I was young, growing up in Dacia, there was an ancient school where they sent your kind to be taught to use their magic. The school was called Crugul Pamantului. Elder priests taught new hultans how to use their powers, like how to predict and control the weather, how to project your astral form and learn to direct it when and where you wanted it to go, and how to shift into different animal forms. Most hultans were trained from the time they were young children, even before they gained full power.

“When a hultan turned twenty, he gained the power to change shape. The first form he changed into was always his natural shape, but with practice he could take others; it's magic—but not the same kind of magic lupes have. You were raised by a haitas. That’s why you would take the shape of a wolf—you grew up among them. I'm sure you can do things I don't even know about, too.

“Hultans were careful of revealing much about their powers and refused to tell outsiders their secrets. I do know that I never once heard of a hultan with an aura as strong as yours before they were at least a hundred years old.”

Scoffing at him, Tucker shrugged. “You’re insane. There’s no proof of anything you’re saying. Shane could easily have told you all sorts of things about me.” He nodded. “That's it. You're trying to convince me that I'm this… this thing, as some sort of sick game. I've heard about you and your Pricolici. You're cruel, and you toy with the ferals and humans you hunt down without mercy. You're animals, no better than those you judge and execute. Well, I won’t let you mess with my mind like this.”

It was Stelian's turn to glare. His yellow eyes glowed. “You're as ignorant as a child and have no concept of what you speak,” he thundered. Stelian took a step toward Tucker, and Tucker couldn’t help but take one backward. His anger had a bite to it, and Stelian’s aura was spreading through the room.

“My Hunters do not hunt humans, and we certainly do not relish our role in Daoi society as the enforcers of our laws. If ferals were allowed to rampage unchecked, the humans would discover us, and, as powerful as we are, we wouldn’t be able to stop them from reacting as humans always have when faced with the unfamiliar. They would eradicate all lupes. Someone must do the dirty work, and if we muzzled our natures to become as civilized as the rest of the lupes have become, there would be no one left to do the job.

“Take a look at your situation.” Stelian’s voice was filled with scorn as he continued, “Shane, your own alpha, sent you to me. Without telling you that he was sending you straight into Pricolici territory, you were banished from your haitas. He didn't know what you are. He thought you were going feral, and was more than happy to send you my direction when I ordered him to. He's weakened his wolf with his modern day human morality to the point he can't even act to protect his haitas. Instead he sent you here, hoping I would kill you so his hands would remain clean.”

The truth in Stelian's words was undeniable. Tucker had known Shane's intentions the moment Stelian told him he was in Pricolici territory. He’d often mocked the more primitive haitas, but Shane’s eyes had always held a hint of fear when he spoke of them. They were the strongest Daoi clan, and their leader was one of the most ancient werewolves living—and Tucker was arguing with him.

That sudden realization reminded Tucker of exactly where he was and who he was facing. His anger faded, and his fear spiked. The aggravated lupe was too close to him, and the door at his back was locked with a keypad too high for him to reach, even if he’d known the code.

Who put a lock like that on a door?

“What are you going to do with me now that you have me, then? Kill me because I'm this hultan thing?” Tucker was trapped and not strong enough to stop Stelian, no matter what he decided to do. He had no one to protect him, and there was no way Tucker could protect himself.

Stelian's nostrils flared at the sudden fear scent even Tucker could smell wafting off his body. “You have nothing to fear from me or mine.” He’d been slowly inching closer to Tucker during the conversation. He’d skirted the fallen chair and was almost within arm’s reach.

"So you're going to let me go?” Tucker didn’t scent any lie in Stelian’s words, but that was a skill he couldn’t rely on. “I’ll leave immediately. I won’t stay in Pricolici territory, I promise.” Tucker hoped his word would be enough. “Just tell me the door code, and you’ll never see my face again.” His stomach was churning, probably in fear. Tucker fought against the nausea, trying to stay strong.

Stelian moved faster than Tucker could see. He pushed Tucker against the wall and pinned him there with one leg on either side of him. His growls vibrated against Tucker’s chest, and the soft leather of Stelian’s vest made Tucker’s nipples harden painfully.

He was so damn big!
Tucker froze as he stared at the lupe's chin. He didn't raise his gaze any further, and he kept his chin tucked. He didn’t want to challenge him, but he wasn't about to offer his throat, either. The bitter tang of bile burned his throat. He swallowed convulsively.

“Do you really want to go?” Stelian rasped.

"Yes." Tucker was panting. The second their skin touched, Stelian's lust hit him as hard as it had earlier. It tightened things in his stomach, but instead of hurting him or making him throw up, he felt… he felt….

Shaking his head, Tucker put his hands on Stelian's shoulders. He shoved, trying to push the lupe away, but Stelian didn’t budge. “I do want to leave. Alone. I won’t come back,” he repeated desperately.

The snarl was loud in his ear. “Unacceptable. You still don’t understand, do you? Not really. I think you want a lot of things, little lupe, but leaving here without me isn't one of them. I can smell your lust, your need. You will be mine and you know it.”

“No,” Tucker gasped. “That’s yours.” He knew he was lying, but he’d be damned if he’d admit Stelian was right about anything. Tucker was half against the door and half against the wall. The small pain of the hinge biting into his lower back barely registered. Tucker’s cock was rigid, almost painfully hard, inside his tight pants. He felt none of the revulsion the other lupes who’d pinned him had made him feel. If anything, he wanted to rub Stelian’s spicy scent all over his body.

Damn his wolf.

Stelian shoved his face against Tucker's throat, and then ran his nose upward. Tucker whined, and let his head fall back, exposing every inch of his throat. Tucker didn’t realize it at first, but his hands went from pressing flat against Stelian's shoulders to curling around them to pull him closer.

Stelian chuckled, and the sound vibrated against Tucker's skin and made him whimper. One large hand buried in Tucker’s reddish gold hair.

“You want me.”

“No,” Tucker moaned.

“Then why are you rubbing your cock against me?”

Tucker forced his body to stop moving, but it was hard. He’d been rubbing his cock against Stelian's thigh. He looked down in horror at the hard erection visible in his tight leather pants. He didn't understand what was wrong with him. He hated arrogant alpha wolves, especially since he began shifting.

His aura had slowly changed with each shift and the betas of his old haitas had become more aggressive toward him. They lusted after him, but his body didn’t respond. Their wants and his lack of response had caused many of the males to act with a level of violence beyond even their normally volatile nature. It got to the point that any lupe touching him sent him into a state of panic.

He hadn't responded to anyone no matter what they did, but they were only betas. Maybe it took an alpha to coax a response from a submissive lupe. Shane had raised him, willing or not, and the bond was too familial between them. But Stelian was an alpha he’d never met before.

Stelian was ancient, powerful, and he’d overwhelmed Tucker—invading his space and scaring the shit out of him—but that didn’t stop his body from responding instead of freezing as it had before. Instead of the closeness making him panic and fight to get away, he was trying to pull the overbearing ass closer. It was as if his body had turned traitor on him.

He couldn't stand Stelian; he feared him. He certainly didn't want to want an alpha holding him like this. It would happen at any moment. Stelian would lose control and hurt him like the others did. Only this time there would be no one to help Tucker.

He whined. His chest was too tight; he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t make his body move. Tears filled his eyes.

“Tucker! Breathe!” Stelian snapped. When Tucker ignored him, Stelian did something that instantly snapped Tucker from the panicked loop his mind was stuck in—he leaned down and pressed his lips roughly against Tucker’s.

Stelian’s lips were hot, and his tongue entered Tucker’s mouth forcefully. He leaned in, shoving his leg closer, pressing their bare chests together. Stelian thrust in repeatedly, his body rocking with the same rhythm, his caresses demanding an answer. When Tucker didn't respond, Stelian used his sharp teeth to nip at Tucker’s bottom lip.

Tucker yanked back from Stelian with a gasp, ripping his mouth away from those soft lips and smacking the back of his head hard against the wall behind him. He shoved at Stelian’s shoulders. “Get off! Get off, get off, get off!”

His whole body shook with the intensity of their lust mingling. Tucker’s knees gave out as the strongest orgasm of his life blasted through him. He clenched his teeth together, holding back a howl as he shuddered. Stelian had actually stepped back when Tucker shoved him, but he lunged forward and caught Tucker as his legs began to slide out from under him. He yanked him forward into his hot chest.

Tucker cried out, grabbing for something,
anything
to hold on to as he spilled inside his pants. He clutched at Stelian. The musky scent of Stelian’s arousal and the sharp jolt of pure need Tucker felt when their chests touched again made his balls contract and sent a second orgasm barreling through him.

A howl broke through his control as he shuddered in Stelian’s embrace. It was too much. The months of isolation, his loss and fear when his haitas kicked him out, and the shock of being claimed by the scariest lupe in his world, all sent his mind into overload. The sensual attack, the last thing he would’ve expected, short circuited his brain and his body.

Overwhelmed, Tucker’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he fainted. 

Chapter Four

He was sure it was a dream, even though cold air stung his exposed bare skin. Tucker cuddled into the warmth holding him, the spicy scent comforting him. He blinked, opening his eyes a tiny slit, but all he could see was reddish clouds over a night sky and brick buildings. Tucker didn’t want to move, so he closed his eyes and rested quietly.

He felt more at peace than he had since his first change.

He protested wordlessly, a whining sound all he could manage, when he was set down and a strap slid across his chest. The slick fabric at his back leeched away what little bit of warmth he had. He shivered. Something warm slid over him, and he buried his face in the soft wool that carried an enticing scent. A rumble vibrated his seat, and then they were moving. Tucker didn’t question it as he let the gentle rocking send him back to sleep.

Hands tugging at the laces of his leather pants startled him awake. He was lying on a soft surface. It wasn’t his room… he didn’t live there anymore. He remembered that. It was probably a bed in a hotel room, but a dark man was hovering over him. Tucker gasped and began to squirm away.

“Stop.” The command made Tucker freeze. “I’m just getting you more comfortable so you can sleep.” He lay still as the hands resumed their work, tugging the laces free and then peeling the tight leather down his thighs.

A dark laugh rolled over his senses. “Well, aren’t you a kinky little lupe.”

Tucker didn’t think the voice wanted an answer. He yawned. The dream was strange, but he was too tired to try and figure it out. He’d heard the voice in his dreams before, listened to it command and coax him. It made perfect sense for him to listen to it; it wasn’t real. He wanted it to be, though.

His wolf wanted a strong lupe, one that would ravage him but keep him safe from the other dominants. He wanted an alpha like the one who kept filling his dreams. He wanted it to be real; the shining yellow eyes and the sexy growl hovering over him as he was claimed.

He arched his head back, exposing his throat. Tucker’s cock stirred as arousal began to fill him. The sheets felt much softer than they had earlier, during his nap. He rubbed against them, enjoyed the silky glide. He tried not to think about his hotel room. If he was there, dreaming, he didn’t want to wake up by thinking about reality too hard.

Maybe his dream lover would finally take him. He’d never touched him before, but he had tonight. Tucker knew the alpha could make him scream in release, and he wanted it. It was his dream, after all. No one had to know.

“No. I won’t claim you tonight. Go to sleep.”

Tucker whined, but the lupe just tugged blankets over him. He was already asleep and this dream wasn’t going the way he thought it should. It figured the stubborn alpha wouldn’t do what Tucker wanted him to, even in his dreams.

“Sleep.”

Tucker sighed, but he couldn’t resist that command. Exhaustion overtook him again.

Tucker woke alone in an unfamiliar bed. His nostrils flared as he tried to figure out where he was before he opened his eyes. The bed was soft and the sheets under him felt silky, nothing like the scratchy, smelly sheets he’d been sleeping on in the bargain motels he could afford on his journey south. That, combined with the strong scent of lupe and the faint smell of cooking bacon, made him think he was in the home of a haitas member, but he was days away from the haitas that had kicked him out.

A knock on the door startled him. His eyes shot open. The bed was huge, and the sheets were a deep red, like a garnet. Tucker lifted the blanket and gasped. He was completely naked.

He inhaled. He
knew
that spicy scent.

He rolled out of the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, looking around at the equally huge room. Thick curtains covered the windows, casting the room in shadow. There was an open door that led into a bathroom off to his right. He couldn’t see in… but he knew it was a bathroom. He rubbed his forehead, confused.

The knocking came again, much louder this time. He jumped, and then winced. No way he had a hangover. “Tucker? You awake?”

Stelian
.

Tucker's hands clenched into fists where they rested on his thighs. The whole freaking mess, from the expulsion from Shane’s haitas to the catastrophe of his visit to the lupe club came back to him. The lupe must have carried him from the bar while he was unconscious. From the smell of things, he was in Stelian's bed.

“Damn,” he whispered, burying his face in his hands. That dream hadn’t really been a dream. He’d actually offered his throat to the lupe.

Who had turned it down.

“Shit!” he whispered.

“I heard that. Good to see you're finally awake. Breakfast is ready. Come downstairs.” Heavy footsteps faded as the arrogant man walked away. Did he expect Tucker to jump out of bed and just follow him?

“Asshole,” Tucker muttered.

“I heard that, too. You have an extensive vocabulary, maybe you should tone it down on the big words.”

Tucker grimaced. He clenched his jaw shut to keep from saying what he really wanted to say; it was difficult, but he managed to hold back. What had he been thinking last night? He didn’t want the alpha to claim him. Stelian was an ass!

He wiped sweaty hands on the bed and then pushed himself to his feet. The carpet was thick and soft on his bare feet as Tucker padded over to the bathroom and pushed the door open. He felt like whistling at the sleek black and chrome marbled opulence but managed to restrain himself. The haitas that raised him had been comfortable, but this place was a step up from that—a huge step. He used the toilet and then washed his hands and splashed water on his face.

Tucker looked in the mirror and grimaced. His hair stuck up in back, and there were dark circles under his blue eyes that one night of sleep wasn't going to clear up. "I look like shit." He combed his fingers through his hair and then shrugged. There wasn't anything else he could do, and, really, why did he care about how he looked? Who did he need to impress? No one. 

He shivered a little and rubbed his bare arms when he entered the bedroom again. He did need something to wear, and he didn’t see his pants. Putting them on wouldn’t be his first choice, anyway. Come stains were a pain in the ass to get out of leather. He turned to the other doors in the wall behind the bed. 

When Tucker finally made his way down into the kitchen, Stelian turned his head and gave him a narrow-eyed look. Tucker had followed his nose to the bacon, otherwise he’d have never found it; the house was just that big. Stelian had changed out of his suit. He was now dressed in fitted black jeans and a tight white tank top that showed off his muscular body.

He looks good enough to eat
. Tucker quickly looked away and tried to tamp down his body’s reaction before the lupe could smell his arousal.

“Nice outfit. It looks good on you.”

Of course, all Stelian had to do was open his mouth, and he swept away any interest Tucker felt in him. Tucker crossed his arms over his chest. Fake it ‘til you make it. He was not attracted to Stelian, and he wasn’t afraid of him either. “I was cold, and all I had on last night was leather pants and a tank top.” The borrowed shirt fell to mid-thigh on him. He’d had to cinch the waist on the pair of athletic pants as tight as it would go and roll the legs up a few times before they’d fit.

“You can wear my clothes anytime.” Stelian's gaze sizzled more than the bacon on the stove. His eyes took on a slight tint of yellow, and he let out a low growl. Tucker frowned and looked away, staring over at the small breakfast table on one side of the kitchen. There was orange juice and water already sitting in the middle of the table.

Why was Stelian, an alpha, making breakfast? Tucker didn’t understand the game Stelian was playing, and that made him nervous. Stelian smirked at him, and Tucker’s eyes narrowed. The man was just too cocky for his own good.

If Tucker had any idea of where his truck was, he’d walk out. The alpha might let him.

“Here, breakfast.” Stelian's eyes faded to a rich brown. He handed Tucker a plate with bacon, sausage, eggs, and a few toast triangles on it; his fingers caressed Tucker’s when they brushed together. “Go sit down,” he ordered.

Apparently walking out wasn’t an option. Tucker set his plate down on the table and pulled out a chair. The legs squeaked, and he winced.

“Coffee or juice?”

Tucker groaned in pleasure at the offer of his morning lifeline. “Coffee, please.” He'd almost lived on the heavenly brew while on the road. Of course, that was probably why he’d crashed so hard last night.

Tucker kept his eyes down during breakfast, for the most part, but risked a few glances at Stelian as he crumbled his bacon onto his eggs. He’d just picked up his fork when Stelian gave a pleased little moan as he took a bite. The clatter of Tucker’s fork hitting the plate was loud.

Stelian raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry,” Tucker muttered. He kept his eyes on his own plate for the rest of the meal. Tucker finished most of his food, and then put his fork down on his plate and sipped his coffee as he waited for Stelian to finish. The lupe showed every sign of not paying any attention to him, even though Tucker could feel how closely Stelian studied him with his other senses. The unseen focus should’ve scared him, but it didn’t.

Tapping his fingers on the table, Tucker eyed the quiet alpha. He was so different from Shane; Tucker had no idea what to make of him. Most of his fear really was gone—the events of last night would’ve been far different, if Stelian hadn’t been telling the truth about everything he said in the bar. Well, maybe not everything.

But some of it. Why wasn’t Stelian looking at him? He’d been awfully chatty before. His teeth clenched as he waited for the alpha to finish his meal. Tucker deserved some answers, and he’d get them.

Tucker cleared his throat as soon as Stelian put his fork down. His eyes were golden above the napkin he swiped across his lips, removing the shine the bacon left behind. Tucker almost forgot what he was going to say.

He swallowed then blurted out, “What are you going to do with me?”

Stelian's eyebrow rose over one shining eye. “Do with you?” He made it sound dirty.

“You know what I mean,” Tucker snapped. He decided to ignore the
yet
from Stelian’s “I won’t claim you,” from the night before. “You need to let me leave. I'm not safe around other lupes. Humans aren't much better. Your haitas will—”

“I told you, Shane didn't know what he had. My males are all from the old country. They’ll all recognize what you are. Besides, you aren't attracting everyone anymore.”

“What?” Tucker frowned.

“My scent is all over you. You slept in my bed, and you’re wearing my clothes. My scent will keep the others of my haitas away, no matter what else you smell like.”

Tucker was shocked. His scent was changed? He took a big sniff but couldn't sense anything different, not that it mattered. He’d never been able to smell his own scent that well anyway. Maybe it was because everything in the whole place smelled like Stelian. “What in the hell did you do to me?”

“I didn't do anything,
you
did. You’ve been coming to me for weeks now. It's how I knew you were at the club. I sensed your aura before I ever saw you standing in front of the stage. When we finally met in person last night, and your power touched mine, you created a link between our auras.”

“That’s not possible. I’ve never been near you before last night. I’d remember,” Tucker said darkly.

Stelian’s voice was calm. “It is possible—if you project through the astral plane.”

“I didn't do that!" objected Tucker. "I couldn't have. I don't know how.”

“I told you that you have powers. Untrained, though, so it seems you’re doing things instinctively. I’ve been waiting for you, since the first night you visited, six months ago. I'm the strongest lupe in the United States. Your power sought me out and created this connection. From what I know of the hultans, the truly powerful usually bonded to leaders among the lupes and the royalty among the humans. It makes sense that you would be my mate.

“A hultan used what they learned at their school and their connection to the magic and the gods to guide their mates and protect their own—be that the members of a haitas or citizens of their king’s country.”

Tucker sagged. “You mean I have no say in this? I'm stuck here… Wait, did you say as your mate?” His eyes widened, and he stared at Stelian. The alpha eyed him hungrily, like he had in the bar. Tucker couldn't stop his hands from shaking, so he dropped them into his lap. Panic hit him hard. He couldn’t catch his breath.

Stelian leaned over the table. His eyes gleamed in the morning sun. “Of course. Though I have to say meeting you in person is much more stimulating than I expected. You smell very good.”

His stomach clenched, and Tucker felt like his breakfast was going to put in a reappearance. He slid his chair back from the table. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Calm down. I'm not going to jump on you.” Stelian picked up his coffee cup and took a big swallow. He kept his eyes on the cup as he drank, glancing at Tucker only briefly. He let his gaze wander around the room between each sip, and Tucker slowly relaxed. Lupes tended to fixate on the object they intended to attack, either for violence or sex, and Tucker didn't sense either from Stelian now that he wasn't staring at him.