Stolen by the Alpha Wolf: Shifter Romance (Accidental Theft Book 1) (4 page)

Stephany
sprung to her feet, landing directly in front of him. He smirked, standing
also. She was extremely tall, yet she had to look up to maintain eye contact
with him. “I’m not like most of my species. An out of control, rut with
anything female? Is that what I look like to you?”

Ward
had the audacity to smile. It made her want to hurt him. “You’re an attractive
female.” He shrugged, his eyes roving over her face. Maybe it was just her
imagination but they seemed to heat as they locked back with hers. “Highly
attractive.” His voice had dropped to a deep rumble. His nostrils flared. “I’m
sure you have a whole string of males after you on any given day. As to your
being out of control”—he shook his head—“the opposite is true. You need to
loosen up a bit. And no, I don’t think you would rut with just anyone.” Ward
took a small step back, his jaw clenched.

Again
it unnerved her how easily he had read her. As hard as she tried to hold onto
her anger, she couldn’t. He didn’t believe she was celibate because he thought
she was…
highly attractive
. It had been a very long time since a male had
looked at her in that way. She was, after all, a mated female and it was common
knowledge that she was celibate. Males of her coven had given up trying to
seduce her a long time ago. The attention, although by no means a come on, was
something alien to her. It needed to stop, it made her feel uncomfortable.

Stephany
inclined her head, sitting back down. She didn’t want to talk about sex with
this wolf. With anyone for that matter. Hopefully he would drop the whole
thing. She was sorry that she had brought it up in the first place.

His
eyes stayed on her as she sat. Tucking her hands into her lap, she had to fight
the urge to fold her legs underneath her. At long last, he moved away and she
let out a pent up breath she didn’t know that she was holding.

Ward
spread himself out on the bed. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but it made her
feel even more uncomfortable. He folded his hands behind his head and stared at
the ceiling. Not for the first time since arriving here, she noticed how
cramped the cabin was. Why the wolf insisted on walking around in just a low
riding pair of faded jeans was beyond her. It might be warm inside but the
least he could do was put on a shirt. Her eyes kept pulling to that line of dark
hair that reached from his navel to the top button of his pants. Body hair was
not something she was used to. It was not…
unattractive.

A
quick knock sounded and Ward sat up, his eyes back on her. “Don’t move.” A
gruff command as he rose to his feet.

She
narrowed her eyes at him but stayed put.

“Enter,”
Ward growled.

A
large male walked in, a big basket in one hand and a jug in the other. He
kicked the door closed behind him. The wolf was big, but not anywhere near as
large as the alpha. He had sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes that kept
flashing her way.

“Put
the food down and leave,” Ward growled.

“Does
she eat rabbit?” The wolf looked her way. “I hope you eat rabbit. I left it raw
in case you prefer
bloody
meat.”

Blood.

Her
stomach growled and her fangs lengthened until they throbbed in her gums.

The
male smiled and winked at her. “Hayden was right when he said you were hot…it
doesn’t really matter that you’re a vamp.” He took a step in her direction and
her natural reaction was to hiss at him, fangs bared.

Confusion
marred his features. “She flashed her canines, yet she doesn’t look like she
wants me.”

“Get
out, Rushe.”

“We
don’t have many females…I’m not opposed to…” The young wolf’s eyebrows were
raised as his eyes slid down the length of her body.

“Get
the fuck out.” Ward snarled, his teeth bared in all their gleaming, ultra-sharp
glory.

“Sorry,
Ward. It’s not always easy for us. Please understand.” The male inclined his
head in submission.

Some
of the tension eased from the big alpha. “We are working on it. Patience. It
won’t be long.”

Rushe
mumbled something about blue balls and left the room, the door clicking behind
him.

Ward
shook his head, his hands unfurling at his sides. “I apologize. Some of the
males have not had female…companionship in a very long time. Since there has
been very little interaction between our species, we are also unfamiliar with
your ways, especially the females of your kind.”

“I
understand. You need to know that I’m not interested in”—she took in a deep
breath—“I mean…I don’t want to…you know....with him or any of them.”

Ward
smiled. “I know. I wasn’t sure how the males would react to you. I was fearful
they may try and hurt you. Seems like I might have been wrong.”

“Does
that mean I can go outside?”

His
face clouded. “No. It doesn’t change anything. There are things you are not
permitted to know.”

“Secrets…”
She let her sarcasm show.

He
nodded. “Besides, you’re not interested in the attention. Do you really want a
bunch of horny males on your tail?”

“No.”

“Then
you’re stuck with me.” He hooked his thumbs in his jeans. “You’re safe, warm,
clean. I just need to get you fed and we’re all set.”

Blood.

Her
fangs throbbed, her senses honed in on his heartbeat and the sound of his blood
rushing through his veins.

“Would
you like me to cook your portion of the rabbit?”

“Yes,
please. I don’t eat raw meat. Um,” she paused not sure how to progress. “I
would offer to help, but I can’t cook.”

Ward
smiled. “If you want, I’ll teach you. It’s not like we have anything better to
do.” For just a second his eyes shone with a predatory gleam. His gaze unnerved
her until he thankfully turned and opened the basket, ending whatever it was
that had passed between them. His back was all broad muscle and smooth, tanned
skin. Her mouth watered for a taste. She didn’t care anymore that he was a
wolf. At this stage she was starting to get desperate for blood. Hopefully the
food would help. Even if it did stave off the worst of it, how long would the
reprieve last? Not long she feared.

“Um,
Ward.”

“Yeah.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder.

“Can
we hurry, I’m really hungry.”

He
chuckled, a soft rumble. “Get your ass over here and help while I clean the—”

She
gasped as he lifted a dead rabbit from the basket. It was floppy, neck twisted
at an odd angle.

Ward
grinned. “You should see your face, maybe you should move away while I take
care of this. I didn’t realize vampires were so squeamish. You drink blood for
hound’s sake.”

“Fresh,
warm, straight out of the vein.”

He
quirked up an eyebrow. “Your eyes are glowing.”

She
looked back down at the basket, averting her gaze.

“If
you need…”

She
shook her head. “I’m fine.”
What the hell was wrong with her?
Why
couldn’t she admit that she needed him? Or at least his vein. She was right to
resist, his reaction when the time came to finally drink from him concerned her
greatly. Blood drinking could be a highly sexual act. She’d heard that humans
were greatly affected, becoming highly aroused. With vampires it could go
either way depending on the drinking partner, maybe this would be the case with
other species. It was something she couldn’t risk though.

Stephany
opened the basket and aside from various vegetables, she pulled out some
spinach, four eggs, a half loaf of fresh crusty bread and two apples.

There
was a slicing noise and the scent of animal blood filled the air. Stephany
wrinkled her nose at the coppery stench. The creature was dead, its blood a
congealed mess.
How distasteful.

“You
can wash the vegetables. Maybe cut an onion into small pieces. You’ll find
knives in the top drawer to your right.”   

****

It
felt weird having a female performing domestic duties in his personal space.
Scratch that, it felt weird having her here period. He couldn’t remember ever
having invited one into his private space. Not that there were many females to
choose from and not that this was his permanent residence.

It
was complicated, invite a female – Luna – in and suffer the consequences.
Females were wired to want mating and young; and as soon as possible. Although
he was alpha and expected to take a mate, it would have to wait. He wasn’t
ready for such a big step. The pack wouldn’t accept his hesitancy for too much
longer, yet the thought of taking Luna to his bed left him cold. Although she
pushed him constantly, flashing her tail at him at every chance, he got the
distinct impression that it was out of a sense of duty rather than because she
really wanted him.

Thankfully
Stephany was a vampire, a completely different species. She clearly didn’t want
any of that from him. Unlike Luna. He sighed softly, pulling the innards from
the rabbit’s cavity. Next, using his knife, he removed the creatures head, tail
and paws. With expert precision, he pried away the skin from the neck area and
removed the whole fur in one easy motion.  

Stephany
had just finished washing the vegetables and had started on the onion. It was a
sorry sight. Most of the onion had been massacred along with the skin, what was
left was in large asymmetrical chunks. When she looked up at him, her nose was
running and her eyes were filled with tears, she sniffed wiping her right eye
with the back of her hand. “I warned you.” She gave him a shy smile and he
couldn’t help but to smile back.

“Here…”
He walked over and her eyes widened at the blood on his hands.

Ward
shook his head. “I can’t believe what a baby you are. Aren’t vampires supposed
to be these really badass creatures of the night complete with red eyes and
sharp canines intent on ripping open throats? Leaving devastation in their wake?”

She
laughed.
Fuck
. If she was pretty before, she was drop dead gorgeous
right now, runny nose, leaking eyes and all.

She
was a bloodsucker, he reminded himself. Polar opposites.
Enemies
. She
was also shy, sweet and a total control freak. In another life, he would’ve
really enjoyed making it his personal mission to make her let go. To watch her
completely unravel and let loose.

“Ripped
throats, total destruction…it happens,” she said wiping her nose a second time.

“Not
in your case?”

She
didn’t respond, so Ward dropped it. He threw away the parts of the rabbit they
didn’t need and made for the basin where he washed the blood and gore from his
hands. “This is the part where I teach you how to make rabbit stew. You’ve
never cooked?”

She
shook her head. “I live in…never mind.” How did she tell him she was the personal
assistant to one of the kings? That she lived in the castle and wanted for
nothing. She literally lived like royalty.

“No,
tell me.”

She
shook her head. “I’m also allowed one or two secrets of my own. You’re right,
there are things that we really shouldn’t know about each other. Especially
since our species are still technically at war.”

“You’re
right.” He tried not to growl because she had a point, he didn’t have to like
it though.

“What
should I do next?” she asked, her eyes wide, her eyebrows raised.

“Hand
me the knife,” he gestured to her hand.

“I’m
so bad that you’ve already given up on me?”

Ward
chuckled. “I want to show you how to cut the carrots. I haven’t given up. I
don’t know the meaning of the word. I’ll make a chef out of you yet.”

She
smiled up at him. “Somehow I very much doubt it.”

“We’ll
see.” Ward chopped the sad chunky looking onion up finely, throwing them into a
pot with a chunk of butter. “Right.” He grabbed a freshly washed carrot and
diced the first third in even thin slices. “That’s all there is to it.” He held
out the handle of the knife to her. “Do you think you can handle it?”

“I
think I’ll manage.” She took the knife, careful not to touch him in the process.
He moved in behind her to watch her work. The moment he stepped into her
personal space, she tensed.
Interesting
. Was she so adverse to wolves?
Or was it just him? Maybe she had been telling the truth when she said she
didn’t rut…ever. Why would she lie about such a thing? As he moved away, she exhaled
the breath she had been holding and her heartbeat evened out.

“I
told you that I wouldn’t hurt you and I meant it.”

“I
know. I just really wish you would let me go.” Her plea sounded almost
desperate. There was something she was keeping from him. He understood her
desire to return to her people, to have this whole episode over with. What he
didn’t understand was her desperation. Had he not made it clear that she was safe?
That he would provide for her and take her back himself?

Her
shoulders sagged and she stopped slicing. Her eyes remained firmly on the food
in front of her. “It’s just that, it’s not going to be long before…” She took a
deep breath. It seemed as if she was finally going to confess whatever it was
that was bothering her.