Chapter Two
TYLER
“Hey, freak!”
I wince at the shouted slur. My fox flashes his fangs in annoyance, and I barely resist the urge to pick up my pace. While I can outrun them, I refuse to give them the satisfaction.
I’d rather take the beating than have them think I’m a coward.
With a sigh, I stop on the sidewalk and turn to face the pack of wolves crossing the road. Half a dozen corny jokes about why the wolves crossed the road pop into my head, and I bite back a snicker. In truth, the only reason they ever cross a road is to prove they have the biggest dicks.
Or basically, prove they are the biggest dicks.
Same difference.
The four shifters smile with teeth that are a little too sharp, eyes that shimmer a little too much to pass for human.
Though most humans are unaware of shifters, we settled here because it’s mostly a shifter town.
The only people allowed to stay are those who are aware of the status quo—that wolves rule this territory.
If the alpha caught their display, the wolves would only receive a smack for the posturing. Boys will be boys, after all. Simon and his cronies can do no wrong. The trio is being groomed to become the next alpha and his beta guards—the next ruler and the enforcers of the pack.
If anyone else besides the quartet tried it, they would’ve been reprimanded and punished.
Goon number one slams me into the brick wall behind me, while goon number two plows his fist into my gut hard enough to knock out whatever air is left in my lungs. Instead of retaliating, I grit my teeth and keep my hands to myself.
Fighting back only makes it worse.
I’m not a wolf.
Worse, I’m not part of the pack, which means I’m fair game.
While I’m strong enough to take two or three of them, even my wily fox can’t take on an alpha wolf.
We might be an alpha in our own right, but it’s all about power levels.
Wolves are just a more dominant shifter…
which is shit, if you ask me. My fox is faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot more cunning than these idiots.
Fate can be such a cunt sometimes.
“What are you doing here, Tyler?” Simon crosses his arms, smirking with malicious glee as he glares down at me. “Are you trying to run without paying your dues?”
Dues are fees that the residential wolf pack charges other shifters for the generosity of being allowed to stay in their territory.
You either join the pack or pay a monthly stipend.
“I paid Trent yesterday.” I barely finish speaking before a fist slams into my ribs hard enough that bones creak.
“Did the alpha give you permission to speak?” goon number three snarls, a fine spray of spittle landing on my face.
I barely resist the urge to roll my eyes.
If I don’t answer, I’ll be punished.
If I answer, I’m punished.
You can’t win with these idiots.
The low, rumbling chug from a beat-up Cadillac sedan catches my attention as it pulls into the gas station across the street, and I’m distracted when a stunning blonde steps out of the car.
Despite the distance between us, my fox perks up in interest. Her hair is down to her waist, a small breeze flirting with the straight strands, and I inhale reflexively, hoping to catch her scent.
There is something ethereal about her that draws the eye and leaves you wondering if she’s real. The liquid way her muscles move as she prowls around the station to fill her tank is like witnessing a predator in human form, her sleek body pure sex in motion, and I’m completely transfixed.
I’m so distracted by the beauty that I forget about Simon and his lackeys—a rookie mistake.
Nothing pisses off a bully more than being ignored.
A growl is the only warning I receive before I’m pummeled, and I curse when a startled yip escapes my fox before I can bite it back.
Any sign of weakness only encourages them.
I grit my teeth, tuck my arms close to my chest, and duck my head.
Nothing I do or say will stop Simon and his assholes.
I can only endure it until they get bored.
Magic crackles like static under my skin, the need to lash out and defend myself almost impossible to resist, and I clench my fists in an effort to hold it back. While some shifters can harness magic, it’s taboo, something normally reserved for the ancients we call mythicals.
I’m as far from one of those fabled creatures of legends as possible, many claiming they died out centuries ago, if they even existed at all. Unfortunately, if these jokers discover I have magic, I’ll be dragged before the alpha and killed.
No one is allowed power but him.
Some packs may consider me special, but these backassward fuckers are not them.
“What the fuck are you doing?” A husky voice causes everyone to pause, the girl’s question so low and dangerous that a shiver of lust travels straight to my balls. I don’t even have to glance up to know it’s the woman who distracted me in the first place.
I inhale instinctively, uncaring about the pain it causes my abused ribs, the need to scent her an imperative impossible to resist.
Citrus and sunshine fill my senses, the evocative smell so potent that I feel high and desperate for another hit. I’m so distracted that it’s not until the wolves snarl at the interruption that I shake off the effect she has on me.
Magic gathers under my skin, swirling through my veins, as if eager to defend the girl. I refuse to allow anything to happen to her, even if it exposes my secret.
The wolves are pissed at the interruption, their fangs lengthening as they whirl toward the woman. The instant they catch sight of her, they pause, their heads cocked like they’re unable to understand what they’re seeing.
Their snarls disappear, their fangs shrink, but nothing can hide the way their eyes shimmer as their wolves peer out at the delectable morsel before them.
The only thing that remains is the stench of their aggression burning the air.
They hastily straighten, goon one and two fidgeting with their clothes, while goon three smooths out his hair.
Simon puffs out his chest and swaggers forward, a cocky expression on his face. “Don’t worry, darling. Let us finish our business, then you can have my full attention.”
The girl is apathetic to his posturing. She crosses her arms and raises an unimpressed brow, scanning each of the wolves from head to toe.
“Eww, no. Do you honestly think I would be dazzled that it takes four” —she sniffs the air delicately, a cute little furrow appearing across the bridge of her nose— “wolves to beat up one opponent?”
A tiny snarl curls her lips, her disdain filling the air like pepper.
Any amicability from the alpha and his cronies vanishes. “Listen here, you little bitch.” Simon stalks forward, pointing a finger at her, a black claw lengthening threateningly. “The only opinion I want from you is what my cock tastes like in your mouth.”
The pack laughs, their fangs on full display, flashing her menacing smirks as they advance. My fox snarls, pouncing on the underside of my skin, the urge to shift and tear into the fuckers almost impossible to ignore.
I’m a good fighter, fast and mean, but I won’t be able to take on four wolves.
Instead of running like any sane person, the goddess lifts her chin and narrows her eyes. “Beating up those weaker than you doesn’t make you stronger, it makes you look pathetic. I can already tell what your limp worm will taste like in my mouth—small and bloody when I bite it off.”
The boys ooh and aah at the bold claim, but Simon doesn’t take being challenged well, especially from a woman. To him, females only serve one purpose—to fuck. If they have an opinion, it’s one that he gives them.
“On. Your. Knees.” His alpha bark is so potent that my own legs quiver. If he were a stronger alpha, I might have dropped. Two of his own men wobble. One even falls to his knees.
But the girl?
Despite the command being directed at her, she doesn’t buckle.
Standing strong and proud, she is like a goddess come to life.
Little sparks of gold shimmer in her eyes.
Her smile is slow to come, revealing a double set of top and bottom fangs.
A wave of energy blasts from her, enough to send the wolves stumbling back a step, their beasts retreating from the raw power.
“Be smart,” she murmurs in a silky voice, despite her fangs. “Run while you still have the chance.”
His cronies back away at the silent menace. The only reason they don’t scramble away like scared rabbits is that they know Simon would punish them for it later.
Unlike the others, Simon isn’t smart.
He doesn’t back down.
His wolf glows in his green eyes, tiny splinters of yellow coming and going as the beast fights him for dominance. The display is rather pathetic for a potential pack leader. A rumble erupts from his chest, and a snarl echoes in the space between them as he takes a threatening step toward her.
My fox urges me to dart forward and protect her, but I don’t move fast enough. In less time than it takes to inhale, the girl shoots forward in a whirl of motion, her hair swirling around her. She lashes out, her fist connecting with Simon’s throat.
The sounds of his wolf are immediately cut off as he gags, struggling to breathe.
Not used to anyone defying him, or fighting back for that matter, he’s virtually paralyzed.
That doesn’t mean the girl stops. She’s on the three goons before they can react.
With a few well-placed blows, they’re knocked on the ground—out cold.
She didn’t even break a sweat.
Not to mention, not one of the idiots was able to land a blow.
Just as Simon straightens, rage darkening his eyes, she lashes out with her foot, nailing him right in the balls.
Even I wince when his breath leaves his lungs in a pained grunt.
As he drops to his knees, her fist connects with his temple hard enough that his eyes roll back up in his head, and he topples backward in an awkward sprawl.
It’s obvious that she’s had some training.
Honestly, I think Garth would be hard-pressed to land a blow on her—she’s that good.
I don’t know why, but I find her being able to take care of herself sexy as fuck.
Despite my battered body, my cock responds, and I can only blink in surprise—surprise because I’ve only had two partners in my life, my fox overly picky about who we take to our bed.
He will only fuck someone he finds worthy.
Though annoying as hell, I accepted his quirks a long time ago.
“Oh shit.” I’m not even aware of speaking when the girl glances up at me from under her lashes, her golden eyes reflecting the sunlight until they seem to swirl with liquid gold.
She slowly straightens to her full height, giving the impression of a true predator living under her skin.
I should be afraid, but I’m too lost in my lust.
We’re almost the same height. I’m barely an inch taller than her at five feet ten.
It’s another thing I didn’t realize I found sexy until now.
When she stalks toward me on silent feet, I don’t move.
If she wanted to hurt me, I would be okay with that.
Even my fox has his ears perked up in interest, eager for the attention.
“Are you okay?” I blink at the concern in her expression and swallow hard, unused to anyone paying attention to us. I’m a fox in wolf territory. To them, I’m a nuisance, something to be chased and killed for sport.
I curse when heat fills my cheeks, my fox yipping in excitement as she approaches, the asshole practically dancing to draw her attention. I clear my throat, then wince when my voice cracks. “I’ll be fine.”
If I don’t die of humiliation.
The burn in my face flares hotter, and I sigh in disappointment. Why can’t I be the cool one? Dante is so good at sweet talk, he could die and convince the devil to give his soul back. He only has to flutter his lashes at a woman, and they throw their panties at him.
Which is gross, since many of the women he associates with are skanks.
I’m not one to slut shame, but girls need to have some standards. They see his handsome face and fall for his charms, even though the man is a raging asshole.
Women love the bad boy vibe, often coming back time and again.
I don’t get it.
The girl snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I blink in surprise.
“I think you must have hit your head. You might have a concussion,” she murmurs, concern thick in her voice, then she grabs my arm, leading me around the fallen wolves. “Why don’t I give you a ride somewhere? I would feel better leaving if I knew you were safe.”
I only nod, willing to do anything if it allows me to spend even a second longer in her company, following her mutely back to her car.
With her so close, the scent of wolf floods my senses, but something elusive lingers underneath—something so mouthwatering that I can almost taste it.
She radiates enough power that I would swear she was an alpha…
if it were possible for a female to be an alpha.
The instant her hand touches my arm, I’m a goner, following her docilely. I shouldn’t be getting into her car, I’ve already brought her enough danger, but I can’t let her go.
Taking her home to my pseudo pack would be the height of stupidity. The longer she stays, the more likely it is that she will face repercussions for rescuing me.
Instead of warning her away, I keep my mouth shut.
I’m selfish, refusing to let her go.
I know virtually nothing about this woman…other than the fact that she is my mate.