An Alpha Torn (Nights Of Lust Book 1) Page 2

  Joséf winced. "I know. Istvan was the worthiest to fight me for dominance."

  Kissa kept her head low. "He means well. The pack is everything to him."

  "Like it is to you?” He leaned into her soft caress.

  “No.” Kissa looked away. Her hand gripped his thigh, sending shooting pain through him.

  Hissing, he caught her attention and the apologetic look on her face. "Never mind.” He let out a long breath.

  "No, it's okay.” Kissa released him and lowered her head again.

  Joséf struggled to lift his hand. He cupped her chin and tilted her face to his. Her eyes changed from pale blue to deep silvery blue, then they appeared empty, except for the glint of light reflecting his image. Her hair spilled in curls over her face, reaching her shoulders. Her skin was still tender, baby soft to the touch. His gaze followed a line down her body; a ragged shirt barely covered her. He frowned. "What happened to the shirt I gave you the other night?"

  Kissa looked away.

  "Kissa," he hissed.

  "They…my brother took it away from me. Said you had to earn it back.”

  The tears on the edge of her voice tore at his heart. He'd already experienced what Heaven could be like, and had it ripped from him in a matter of days. Hours really. But he was in his thirties. Kissa was what…barely twenty-two?

  "Was it really your brother?"

  She nodded, her eyes not quite meeting his. "Fang said I couldn't have it back until you proved yourself. Once you do, you can have any woman you want from the pack, and he said you wouldn’t choose me."

  Something in the lilt in her voice didn't sound right. "You're holding back information, Kissa. Who thought they had a right to take away what I gave to you?” Rage had his cheeks flaming and his protective side reared up. Staring into Kissa's eyes made him want to take her and hide her from the world.

  “Don’t you at least have more rights than I do?”

  Kissa looked at him, her round eyes full of sadness.

  “No, Joe. She doesn’t.”

  He heard the voice before the dirt crunched beneath a pair of boots. Of course, the man’s scent, woodsy over the lupine, alerted Joséf to Istvan’s presence.

  “She’s an omega, essentially.”

  Joséf snorted. “So, what she’s being punished for breaking rank?”

  Dave trotted up behind Istvan, his large form looming while he sniffed the air, then looked back at Joséf. “Yup. And for being with you.”

  “She has a right to exist.” The words came out drier than Joséf meant.

  “This is a wolf pack. There are only rights you can maintain.”

  He sighed. Getting angry at the pack’s bullshit wouldn’t help things. "I'm sorry, Kissa."

  She sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. "Until then, I can still be with you, if you let me. But my brother will challenge you soon. And John will challenge you again.” Her voice hitched on his name and he swore silently.

  John. The behemoth from last week. Grumbling, he forced himself to stand, leaning on Kissa's shoulder for balance. "Come on," he muttered.

  His vision blurred and it took strenuous effort just to walk, but Joséf found a different tree and placed his hands on it. He lowered his head, closed his eyes and let out a breath, then looked at Kissa.

  "So John stole your shirt, eh?”

  "It'll be easier to move in wolf form," Kissa reminded him. “You heal faster as your wolf.”

  "I don't have the strength to change right now," he whispered.

  Use me, wolf.

  Joséf looked up. “Isabella?” Where was Livía?

  The silence that followed clued him in. No… "What's wrong, Izzy?"

  Isabella sighed, the sound in his head long and drawn out.

  "What's wrong with Livía?” Panic stole through his veins.

  …I don't know, wolf. Just trust me, please?

  Izzy never said please, not for anything. Shit must be bad. He couldn't leave yet, but he couldn't help his lover, either. He looked up, shook his head and blinked, staring at Kissa. Her confused expression only made him question his sanity further.

  Use the strength given by…my love, wolf.

  The image of a brown wolf appeared suddenly in his mind. Kissa's arm in his became furry and within a second, they were both in lupine form.

  Joséf glanced at Kissa through the tear-stained eyes of his wolf. His many cuts and scratches repaired themselves, but the pain grew intense, his jaw hurting still from Istvan's left hook earlier that day.

  Kissa nuzzled him, licked his muzzle. Her fur was thick, soft to the touch and a beautiful shade of reddish brown. Her eyes became bluish silver, glowing brightly in the daylight. He knew he must look like hell. Silver fur with bloodstains didn't sound beautiful to anyone.

  Come on, prince.

  Izzy, I'm not their prince. Joséf snorted.

  Isabella snorted. You are their savior, Joséf. I feel it in you. Still, you are also my prince.

  It would seem I am here to save a lot of things…

  Kissa continued licking the wounds on his body that refused to heal as quickly.

  You are indeed. The pack is…in need of a hero, wolf. You only need to do for them what you did for your Mistress and me. Isabelle sighed. She needs you, wolf. And you need her.

  Impossible. I'm not a hero, Isabella.

  You are to me. Kissa licked her chops and pressed into the side of Joséf's body, knocking him down. He somehow didn't mind being on his side with Kissa lying on him, despite the obvious betrayal.

  Too bad he couldn't love Kissa.

  Joséf opened his eyes from a nap, felt the stirrings in his mind stop. Whatever he’d been thinking had shifted and told him he needed to rise and fast.

  “We’re going to kill you, Russian.” The voice boomed loudly, putting Joséf’s instincts on high alert.

  He forced himself to his feet and his body then decided to remind him of the pain he’d been in over the course of the last few days. Even sleeping as a wolf hadn’t helped him heal completely, though Kissa had told him the process would quicken the more time he spent in lupine form.

  Last night, before they returned after his fight with Istvan, she'd warned him of the challenge of learning to balance pain management with strength, and the trade-off of magic involved. The pain paled in comparison to what he imagined Livía felt, going through whatever change was happening to her. Hell, the only thing ranking up that high was the sadness in Kissa's eyes, every time someone in the pack bullied her.

  Scanning the area, Joséf noticed the group around him. Dave and Istvan had come up behind John, worry in both their faces.

  John didn’t look thrilled to see the gathering of wolves around Joséf but oh well. Fuck him.

  “You’d attack a sleeping man? What sort of coward are you?” Joséf moved fast to avoid a kick that would have broken his ribs. Standing tall, he leaned forward, readying his fighting stance. The beast in him clamored for action, violence. It wanted blood, needed to taste it and feed the addiction.

  "We don't like intruders.” John raised a fist. He stared at Joséf through tiny slits of eyes filled with murderous rage. The scar on his cheek was a recent injury, thanks to a well-placed throwing knife.

  Moving around carefully and trying not to show his more obvious limp, Joséf eyed the man, and saw what he hadn’t seen earlier “You're the intruder, by the looks of it."

  John’s dark brown hair looked dyed; his eyes didn't match those of the others in the pack. They widened, revealing an empty, cold stare. His face looked like the perfect target for a well-placed kiss with a sledgehammer.

  Joséf chuckled. "You're not even Hungarian. In fact, I'd say you look like me, a damned Californian."

  The other man spat, his lips twitching. "Your father didn't have any pride. Why should you?” The attacker seemed to disappear. "Can't hit me, just like your father.”

  Laughter.

  "Why is everyone talking about my father? The man was usele
ss to me growing up, but only I have the right to run my mouth about him. So," he listened, waited, found what he searched for, “shut the fuck up?"

  Joséf spun around toward where the laughter had come from, and shoved his fist into Istvan’s barreled chest. The pain searing through his arm stung, but not enough to stop him from using his own energy to charge his other hand and force it into the laughing man's ribs, sending him flying.

  Joséf turned, shaking off the punch. The surprised look on the American's face was worth it. "Is it your turn?"

  "Bring it, Staganov.” John waved a hand at Joséf.

  Joséf changed into a wolf and lowered himself to the ground, nose ready, sniffing the air. The man's scent reeked of saltwater and brine. He was definitely not from here. Staring at him through angry eyes, Joséf noted the man's dress. Not peasant clothes, that's for sure. His untucked shirt was dirty, but looked pressed. So why are you here?

  "I am John. I belong here. You, Staganov, do not.” John transformed into a large gray wolf with beady little eyes. He licked his muzzle and parted his jaws, revealing blood stained teeth and saliva dripping from his fangs.

  Lunging into the air, fangs bared, Joséf connected with John, his teeth sinking into the other wolf's neck. Squeezing off a bite before falling to the ground, Joséf felt a stabbing pain in his lower ribs. Landing, he realized there were claw scratches marking his belly. Blood stained his fur as it trickled slowly out of the open wound.

  Looks like we're even, Joséf reared up, legs ready to spring into the air for another attack.

  Hardly.

  Joséf growled and launched himself into the air again. He caught John by the neck, taking him down to the ground. One paw found John's tender underside and scraped a line down his flesh. John shifted back into his human form, his neck still between Joséf's teeth.

  Don't kill anyone, Kissa screamed in his mind.

  Both man and wolf paused, long enough for Joséf to head butt John to the ground. He snorted, stepped on top of John and looked down his nose at the other man. Fear crossed John's face before false bravado replaced it.

  Joséf snarled, baring fangs.

  John struggled before Joséf caught the other man's throat in his jaw again and clamped down hard enough to taste coppery blood.

  Do you know what's keeping you alive?

  "No, what?” The man's words came out strangled.

  Joséf had only a moment or so before all the air had been cut off from the man's brain and he passed out.

  A little girl's silent pleas.

  Snarling again, Joséf let the go of man's throat just in time to take a searing kick to the ribs from his first assailant. Landing on the ground, Joséf rolled to his feet, growling viciously at Istvan.

  Dave crossed his arms over his massive chest. He wasn’t as tall as Joséf, but broad shoulders filled out his shirt. Shifting into wolf form, Dave's fur matched his pitch-black hair.

  The least he could do was try to reason with Dave, the one who seemed to bring levity to a lot of situations. You don't have to do this, Dave.

  Yes, we do, Joe. This is to teach you to rely on your lupine instinct. Well, originally. He laughed. You have to either fight or die, and John wants to kill you. So this show will help reinforce what Istvan and I’d prefer to see, rather than the alternative. Help us sell it.

  Joséf didn’t like the pleading look in Dave’s eyes either.

  Beside Dave, Istvan changed into his wolf. A large brute of an animal, he was just as big as Joséf but more experienced with his violent side. He controlled his beast better than Joséf, and knew when to exercise the right to end an opponent's life.

  Too bad Joséf didn't generally care about their right to live. I will kill you.

  Boccasson meg, Joe. Only Istvan and Dave called him Joe, and that irritated the piss out of him right now.

  Joséf reared his head, waited for their move. It didn't come. A thud followed by pain spreading out from the middle of his back forced him to scream as he dropped to the ground. He'd lost too much blood; he'd used a lot of energy. A wave of hate, and a foreign smell, wafted over him as he crumpled. Fucking John, sucker punching him.

  "Shit.” His body finally gave out as the last of his energy seeped from him and blood splattered on the ground beneath him.

  Dropping his head to the ground, blackness overtook reality.

  2

  Opening his eyes slowly, the lush forest came into view. Sunlight scattered about the forest floor. Trees and tall grass surrounded Joséf. A gentle breeze blew past him, stinging his wounds and carrying a familiar scent with it. Where was Kissa? What happened to Dave, Istvan and John, the non-pack wolf who wanted him dead?

  Oh. Right. That fight had happened a week ago. Then there’d been the fight with Istvan and Dave a couple days ago. Damn it, Sapporo called it a draw. He’d been healing on his own since, and learning from Kissa. He’d slumped here, exhausted, after his last lesson with her which included talking mind to mind while he was in human form, something that still hadn’t clicked with him. Which brought him full circle.

  Where was Kissa?

  Lust.

  A female in heat. She neared him. Closer and closer she drew, running with one thought on her mind. The scent changed slightly, became lighter, more earthen. Playfulness? Yes. Definitely playfulness. Splashing water behind him made him jerk his head around. Reaching for the tree branch, Joséf pulled himself to his feet, annoyed at the stiffness in his body.

  The sound of laughter echoed in his mind.

  Forcing himself to walk, he took a careful step toward the sound, the pain lessening with each step. Coming to the edge of the forest, Joséf saw what looked like good fortune.

  Lake Balatón.

  Joséf walked onto the pier over the edge of the water, and glanced out at the many ripples moving to and fro. The sun gleamed off the beautiful crystal blue lake; snow-covered mountaintops reflected in the lake were inspiring. The lush view reminded him just how much he needed water. His skin itched from dryness.

  He looked at his arms, legs, at the violent scrapes and cuts marring his skin. Blood still stained his clothes and flesh.

  He'd refused to let Kissa treat him since the fight with Istvan and Dave a couple days ago. He hated how badly she babied him because his body had nearly given up during the fight. It almost cost him everything. Part of him regretted not letting her treat his wounds after getting sucker-punched in the kidneys by John. He'd have stood a better chance at beating Istvan and Dave with less pain on his part.

  Staring across the lake, Joséf saw the many tourists visiting the area. The sight was welcoming, since he hadn't seen anyone else but the pack for the last few weeks. He’d known the lake was here, as freshwater fish had been part of his diet, but he hadn’t gotten to see it until now. It reminded him of home, of the Pacific Ocean, only with a much cleaner smell. No salty brine, no dirty barges to cause a stir with the sea life.

  One might say it was serene.

  Looking into the depths of the lake, Joséf saw the bottom. He couldn't judge the distance, but knew it was a good depth judging by the reflection of sunlight off the rocks.

  Again, laughter echoed in his mind, disturbing him from his thoughts. Out of nowhere, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist, startling him and sending them both into the water.

  The cold water shocked his system at first, sending chills through him. Coming up for air, shaking his head and hair, Joséf looked around and saw two familiar hands shoot up from the water before disappearing again. The cool water soothed some of his aches.

  Wisps of something brushed his stomach and his groin became tight. A deep pull tugged low in his body. Hands brushed against his waist.

  Keeping his head above water, he looked down to see Kissa glancing up at him with a big smile on her face. Coming up for air, she threw her arms around his shoulders and touched his nose with hers. Giggling, she swam with an arm around his waist, drawing him further into the lake.

 
; He was glad to see her smile, but the mischievous look on her face said she was up to something.

  "Why so playful today, Kissa?"

  "Because," she leaned in closer, whispering a breath in his ear, "I get to be with you. And we’re done with teaching for the day."

  "Great.” But Livía…

  Her waist pressed against his groin and he was very aware of her arousal. He could scent her hormones mixed in with the freshness of the lake.

  "What do you mean, be with me?”

  "What do you think, silly?” Her husky voice tightened the coil winding in him. Her lips touched his ear. "I was sent to heal you."

  "Who sent you?"

  "It's a secret.” She giggled.

  "Out here?” Heat rose over his cheeks. He snaked a hand over her waist to cup her ass. The idea of spreading her legs over his hips and plunging into her enticed him, but…

  "Yes, if you like.” Her small nipples were firm against his chest. "Or we can wait until after tonight."

  Had the pack finally begun to accept him? He shook his head. They'd never accept him, not if he kept losing. That last fight was barely a draw. At least his strength had increased somewhat, his speed, stamina, but the beatings he'd taken made him wonder if he really had a violence fetish, or was just a masochist.

  "Let's wait until after tonight."

  "Okay.” She ran her fingers through his wet hair. "Let's play.” Kissa pushed away from him. Turning, she ducked, diving underwater and her plump ass brushed the surface before her strong legs straightened and she disappeared beneath the water.

  This actually felt familiar. Fun.

  Shaking his head, he realized his body didn't ache as much. Was that an effect of being a shifter?

  It's my touch, silly.

  "What are you talking about?"

  My touch. Your "gift" is activated through arousal. Our breed is like that. But we have to be mates for it to work so well. Sexual energy raises our power and calls forth the body’s natural abilities to heal. Our magic is mixed with that of the Moon, and the sexual energy from the Triple Goddess flows into our bodies, repairing us on a cellular level at a rapid rate. We can heal through physical touch as well.