Wanted by the Alphas (An Extremely Sensual Paranormal Shifter Romance) (16 page)

Then she thinks about Lucien. He too is being
shoved into a role he does not wish to be in.

But he is not protesting too hard, is he?

“Shannon?”

She turns to Kirk. His green eyes are
sparkling with intelligence and empathy.

Wordlessly, he holds his hand out to her, and
she takes it.

He says in a hoarse voice, “I’ve always
resisted being with a woman because of who and what I am. But I’ve
been thinking a lot about you lately. I try not to . . . because
you are my employee and you are in a vulnerable position right now.
But I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

A pang shoots through her chest. She has been
thinking about him since the first day she saw him, and trying
not
to think about him in any way but a professional one –
especially when she was dating Lucien.

Is it wrong to desire two men at the same
time? Two very different but gorgeous men – who happen to be in
opposing camps?

His hand is a furnace, just as his body was
when he held her in her bed.

“Shannon . . . ”

“Just hold me.”

She swallows a choke.

Swiftly, he crosses the short divide between
their bodies. His long hair falls away from his face as his mouth
seals itself upon hers. The passion seizes her loins and her entire
body jerks in response to his touch. His mouth is like melted
butter – hot and moist and sweet and mellow and delicious all at
once.

They undress each other quickly. The wind
chill is no longer a factor with his body radiating heat. She takes
in the sight of his taut, lean muscles and the eight-pack on his
abdomen. She knows that he didn’t get this body by working out in
the gym. Like Jared, it is carved out from the running he does in
his shape-shifted form.

He drinks in her mouth as though it is a
font. Then he trails his teeth gently down her throat. She
remembers how sharp his teeth were in his wolf form, and a
delicious shudder ripples through her at the thought of how easily
he can rend her flesh.

But he is so gentle – so wonderfully gentle –
as he runs his tongue down the soft curve of her Adam’s apple, and
then onto the depression between her collarbones. Then down, down
to the soft swelling of her breasts. Her nipples are very engorged,
and he takes her left one in between his teeth and bites down upon
her flesh gently.

“Ohhhh,” she gasps.

He closes his mouth around her nipple and
sucks with passion. With each suck, she can feel the upward tug on
her groin, sending her clit into paroxysm of need. Intuiting this,
his hand roams down her abdomen to her pussy, where his fingers
bury into her pubic thatch. He parts her pussy lips and scissors
her clit.

“Ohhhh!” She arches her back as the pleasure
explodes in her clit. If she lets herself go, she will come in
front of him right here.

His fingers dig into the grooves between her
labia. She trashes her head left and right, trying to contain the
violent pleasure into manageable proportions. He kneads her clit
and ultra-sensitive grooves. His movements are firm and pressured,
until finally, the need within her explodes with shocking
intensity.

She screams her orgasm into the air.

But he is relentless. His hands continue to
mock and tease her as his mouth and tongue make creative designs
upon her hard nipples and breasts.

“I want to be inside you,” he whispers.

He turns from her body for a minute, and she
feels the acute chill of the mountain air. But he is back, and his
huge cock glistens with the sheath of a condom. She is already very
wet. He positions his cock at the creaming aperture of her pussy
and makes one swift thrust.

She gasps at the sudden penetration and
expansion of her vaginal walls.

He lowers his body against hers – chest to
chest, abdomen to abdomen – and starts to move. His beautiful face
is above hers. His pupils are very dilated and his features are
full of heavy meaning.

His breathing is ragged as he says, “I have
to warn you something about us wolves.”

“What?” Her pants are coming out fast and
short.

“When we mate . . . we mate for life.”

Her body is too consumed with pleasure for
her to fully comprehend it. As they ride each other to their
respective climaxes, the full meaning of what he said echoes in her
skull like a clanging bell.

She has no idea then how propitious it would
be.

THE CHALLENGE

It comes very close to Samhain.

Shannon has been going out openly with Kirk
for the good part of two weeks now. Their newfound happiness is the
talk of the clinic.

“You sly one, you!” Patty Kane punches her in
the arm. “You’ve been holding out on the rest of us. First, Lucien
Walker, the millionaire, and now Kirk Fitzpatrick. Did you know
those are the two most eligible bachelors in this side of Oregon
state? We want details! This is the first time the boss has ever
dated anyone we actually know of.”

Shannon doesn’t think she should be giving
away the details of her love life away to Patty, who would make
sure the entire Dolphin’s Bay community knows about it by
sundown.

Patty seems disappointed when she elects to
demurely keep mum about it.

“At least he isn’t gay,” the nurse
sniffs.

Shannon laughs. “But you were always trying
to convince everyone else of the fact.”

“I know. And I now I know it’s because he
hasn’t met the right woman.” There is a trace of envy in Patty’s
voice, even though she is married with two kids. “Well, try to keep
him in your sights, honey. There are plenty of women all lining up
to take your place, if you know what I mean.”

Patty says this not as a threat but in the
blunt, good-natured way in which she always says things. Shannon is
used to her by now.

“Frankly,” Patty confesses, “I much prefer
you dating Kirk than Lucien Walker. I’ve always had my suspicions
about the Walkers.”

“I know . . . the fact they are witches and
all.” Shannon rolls her eyes.

“Don’t laugh. It’s an open secret here. At
least Kirk is an all-American boy without a single supernatural
bone in his body.”

Shannon has to stop herself from laughing out
loud.

Still, as Halloween approaches, she can’t
help thinking more and more of Lucien. He has made no contact with
her whatsoever, and that is only to be expected. He has been seen
around town with his fiancée, Flora Janssen, who has been described
as a pretty redhead. Very sophisticated, because she is from a big
city. She has been seen in bridal shops trying out dresses and at
cake shops selecting the largest wedding cake they can offer.

Shannon tries to shut her ears to such talk,
but she can’t help overhearing things at the cafeteria because of
her previous connection to him.

The nurses and attendants would be in the
middle of a conversation.

“They say Flora Janssen is richer than even
the Walkers.”

“I know. What a catch.”

“I think Lucien Walker is the catch. Though
our seductive missy here isn’t doing badly at all with Kirk
Fitzpatrick.”

“I know. What do you think the secret of her
attraction is?”

“Big boobs on an anorexic waist?”

Laughter all around. When they notice her
approaching with her lunch tray, they would hush up and plaster
fake smiles on their faces. She has been nothing but nice as pie to
everyone here, but Patty warned her that people may be jealous of
her ability to attract seemingly unattainable men.

And then it happens.

Halloween is just around the corner, and the
themes of the restaurants around town include pumpkin and fancy
dresses. There are pumpkins everywhere. Carved pumpkins. Pumpkin
soup. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin butter. Even pumpkin
flavored scrubs at the spa. Waitresses are dressed as sexy
witches.

“Halloween here is bigger than I thought,”
Shannon says.

Her arm is linked with Kirk’s. It is a
Saturday night and Kirk has made reservations at an upscale
restaurant called ‘Giovanni’s’. It is situated in a converted
bungalow, and Shannon can’t help wondering if the place used to
belong to the Walkers before they refurbished it and sold it on.
Still, it isn’t possible to live in this town and not tread on a
square foot that hasn’t come in contact with the Walkers somehow.
She may as well get used to the fact.

It is already eight in the evening and the
sun has set. The weather is chilly tonight, with dark clouds
looming on the horizon, pregnant with the threat of rain.

The greeter at the restaurant smiles at them
warmly.

“We have reservations for two under
Fitzpatrick.”

“Of course, Dr. Fitzpatrick. This way,
please.”

The greeter takes two oversized menus and
shows them the way through the tables. Giovanni’s is full tonight,
and the tables are filled with silverware and candelabra and tall
wine glasses with different colored liquids. Bottles containing
olive oil line the walls as decoration, as do racks and racks of
wine.

The greeter leads them to a table for two in
the middle. Kirk pulls Shannon’s chair out for her. Just as she is
about to sit down, she notices the diners at the table beside
theirs.

It is a table which seats six people.

Lucien Walker is there, as handsome as ever,
and his expression is as miserable as she has ever seen it. He
appears like a dead man walking. His blue eyes are listless and he
appears to be dazed and indifferent to the proceedings around him.
The food on his plate is relatively untouched.

Shannon’s heart quickens. She had thought she
is over him, but she isn’t. Not by a long shot.

Lucien is seated beside a sparkling redhead,
whose laughter tinkles merrily as she converses with Margarete
Walker. A blond man who looks remarkably like Margarete is also
there, and Shannon takes note that he is Lucien’s infamous
father.

There are two middle-aged people also seated
there. The woman is dressed in an expensively-cut dress suit with
Chanel buttons and the man is in a tux. Shannon figures that they
must be Flora Janssen’s parents, flown in for the wedding.

But why is Lucien looking so miserable?
Against her better judgment, Shannon’s heart leaps with the
possibility that he might be pining for her.

Kirk looks to where she is gazing, and he
sees Lucien. At the same time, Lucien turns and sees them.

His complexion goes pale.

“Shannon,” Kirk says in a low voice. “Are you
OK with this? We can always leave if you want to.”

The air crackles with electricity, and
Shannon isn’t completely sure that is a figure of speech because of
the magic involved with these people. Lucien’s expression is
unreadable, other than his deathly pallor. But something changes in
his eyes. A resolve, she thinks. A determination to change his
path.

He stands up.

Uh oh, Shannon thinks. He’s not going to come
over here to confront Kirk, is he? It would be tit for tat, a
reversal of what Kirk had done all those months back when she and
Lucien were still going out.

The Walkers and the Janssens stop their
conversation. They are now aware of what is going on, especially
Margarete. Diners from the other tables turn their heads.

No, no, no, no, Shannon prays.

“Lucien,” Margarete begins, but he ignores
her as he pushes back his chair.

“Lucien, who are those people?” Flora
says.

He ignores her as well.

Lucien strides over to Shannon. It is as if
he is in a trance. He does not acknowledge Kirk as he says in a low
voice to Shannon, “I have to talk to you.”

“Excuse me,” Kirk says, “but the lady is with
me.”

“This is between me and her, Fitzpatrick, so
butt out.”

Kirk bridles and he stands up too. Shannon
feels like sliding under the table.

Margarete has come over. She seizes Lucien’s
arm.

“Lucien, what are you doing?” She glares at
Shannon as though this is all her fault.

“Lucien?”

Now Flora is coming over too. Lucien’s father
is already standing up, as are the Janssens. The eyes of every
person in the restaurant are riveted on them.

“Shannon, let’s go,” Kirk says, giving her
his hand.

“Shannon, I have to talk to you.” Lucien’s
eyes are pleading.

What a mess.

“We have nothing to talk about,” she
says.

‘You heard her. She has nothing to say to
you,” Kirk says.

“Lucien, what are you doing?” His father
comes up. “Is this the girl you were going out with? It’s over, and
the sooner you forget her, the better.”

“She’s nothing to you, Luc,” Margarete
insists. “Come back to our table. The Janssens are wondering what
the hell is going on.”

Her tone carries a warning.

Something in Lucien’s face changes. Perhaps
only Shannon catches it. His jaw clenches and he whirls on
Margarete and his father.

He says calmly, “I’m not going through with
the wedding.”

“What?” Flora screeches.

“You heard me. I’m not going through with
this sham of a wedding. I’m sorry you had to come all the way here,
Flora, but I don’t love you. I never did.”

“Love has nothing to do with it,” Lucien’s
father thunders. “Are you out of your mind? Come back to our table
this instance and apologize to the Janssens.”

The Janssens appear to be very
bewildered.

“I am not going to do anything you tell me to
anymore,” Lucien goes on in that same calm voice. “I renounce my
birthright and I renounce this family. You can cut me off and I
couldn’t care less.”

He turns to Shannon again.

“We have to talk. Please.”

Her jaw drops. She can’t believe what is
happening. Lucien is renouncing his family and his riches . . . for
her?

Kirk cuts in, “Spare us the theatrics,
Walker.”