Prologue #2
“If you’ll excuse me …” She brushed past him before he could react, calmly walking away. She hadn’t gotten too far before someone crept up from behind to block her path.
“Now don’t be like that, sweetheart.” Even in the dim light, Olivia recognized his shark-like smile. “Why you bein’ rude to me?”
“You again?” Olivia rolled her eyes. Leaning forward, she sniffed him. Definitely not a Lycan. She could tell, not because of how he smelled, but his distinct lack of any scent. “If I wasn’t clear enough, then let me state it so even a moron like you can understand it: I’m not interested.”
“But—”
“Go away.”
His lips twisted. “You think you can humiliate me in front of my friends like that, you little bitch?”
To her surprise, he lunged forward, arms outstretched. Her Lycan instincts kicked in, and she managed to sidestep him. When he caught only air, he let out a furious shout and spun to face her. “Stupid bitch!”
However, before he could even make another move, a shadow from the corner of her eye rushed forward. Everything happened so fast that even her Lycan senses missed it. When she glanced down, Shark-teeth was on the ground in a crumpled heap, unmoving.
“What the—” She sucked in a breath as a prickle went down the back of her neck. Slowly, she raised her gaze high at the tall, dark hulking figure in front of her. Inhuman glowing eyes locked with her own, then slowly faded into dark orbs the color of earthy moss.
“Are you okay?”
The low, rough voice sent a pleasant sensation down her arms. “Y-yes. Is he—”
“Still breathing?” He snorted. “Unfortunately.”
Her mother always taught Olivia that staring was rude, but she couldn’t turn away.
The stranger wasn’t handsome exactly, but there was just something about him that mesmerized her.
Perhaps it was the strong features, his sharp cheekbones, or stern jaw, or a combination of them all.
Individually they weren’t attractive, but on him, they all fit like the pieces of a puzzle.
Even with his expression drawn into a scowl, she could honestly say she’d never found a man more attractive.
Even her she-wolf raised its head in awareness.
“I … I’m …”
You idiot, say something!
The stranger nodded at her without another word, then turned around and strode off.
Go after him, both her inner voice and wolf seemed to say.
So she did, her heart hammering as she bolted after him, picking up her pace.
Her gaze trained on the back of his head as she wove through the crowd.
Time seemingly slowed and her heartbeat pounded even faster as she drew nearer.
He was right by the exit when she reached him, her hand stretching out to touch him on the shoulder.
He whipped around, a snarl on his lips. “Don’t touch—”
Olivia held her hands up. “I’m so sorry!”
The fierceness on his face softened a touch. “What is it?”
“I … I …”
Get it together, Olivia Barbara Jones!
She couldn’t remember ever being tongue-tied around a man. “I just … I wanted to thank you. For what you did back there with that creep.”
He shrugged. “He deserved it.”
“Can I get you a drink? As thanks?”
There was a brief moment of hesitation in his eyes, yet he nodded.
“Let’s head back to the bar then.”
The lines had thinned and thankfully they didn’t need to wait too long. Just before they reached the front, she asked him, “What are you having?”
“Whatever you’re having.”
“Right.” She waved at the bartender. “Two whiskey sodas on the rocks.” The bartender quickly made the drink and slid them over to her, nodding in thanks as she paid with cash. Picking up the glasses, she held it out. “Here you go … uh …?”
He took the drink. “Thanks.”
Peeking over the rim of her glass, she narrowed her eyes at him. Everything about this man was menacing, yet her instincts screamed that he was no threat. In fact, around him, she somehow felt safer.
He took a sip of his drink, his steely eyes looking straight ahead. He obviously wasn’t much of a talker.
I should just leave him alone.
Yeah, that’s it. Finish her drink and be on her way.
“Well, it’s been—oh!” A force from behind pushed her forward, straight into him. “Watch out!” She expected him to dodge or get out of the way, but to her surprise, he caught her arms and pulled her close to him, her nose centimeters away from his broad chest.
Rum, spices, and a hint of tanned leather.
Olivia had never smelled anything so deliciously sexy, and it was a good thing he was holding onto her, otherwise, she would have melted into a pool of jelly at his feet. Her inner wolf, too, rolled around in delight, showing its belly.
“You okay?”
“I … uh …” Lifting her head, she once again found herself transfixed by his mossy green eyes.
“I am … thank you.” Lord help her, she wanted to stay in this exact spot forever; however, since that wasn’t a realistic scenario, she disentangled herself from him and stood up straight.
“So, uh, it’s getting crowded in here. Do you wanna go somewhere less busy? ”
“No chance of that here,” he said with a quick glance around.
She flashed him her most brilliant smile.
“Oh, I might know a place where we can finish our drinks in peace.” Without thinking, she slipped her hand into his.
The contact of their bare skin sent a thrill up her arm.
Her wolf heartily approved and sniffed the air, hoping for another whiff of his scent. “Come on.”
He didn’t resist at all as she pulled him along toward the rear of the club.
Luckily, no one noticed as they slipped down a dark hallway which led to a discreet-looking set of elevators.
Technically, she wasn’t supposed to be here; this was a section off limits to guests.
She only knew about it because early in her career when she was in-between modeling jobs, she had picked up a few shifts as a VIP bottle server here.
No one had ever said they weren’t supposed to go up to the private roof deck, so she and the other servers would often hang out there during breaks or when they were bored.
The doors opened as soon as she pressed the button—always a good sign because that meant no one else was up there. She entered first and he followed silently behind her as she pressed the button marked R.
“Where are we?” he asked once the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.
“Come and see.” She flashed him another flirty smile as she stepped out backward and gestured around them. “What do you think of the view?”
The seemingly permanent scowl on his face disappeared, replaced by surprise. “Is this …”
“Yup, it is.”
The roof deck itself wasn’t very high up, but from here they could see the bright lights of Times Square.
Even at this hour, the crossroads of Broadway and Seventh Avenue were teeming with crowds below, moving around like ants.
Billboards flashed in a dizzying blur as a cacophony of horns and music tore through the streets, drifting up to them.
“I know it sounds weird, but I love that place,” she said with a laugh.
He frowned. “Why would it be weird?”
“You know why. Native New Yorkers are supposed to hate it there, with the tourists and stuff, but I’ve always found it so exciting.
” She also recalled the first time she had her pictures up in one of the billboards early in her career.
Her entire family had come out to celebrate with champagne. “So cringey, right?”
He only huffed and stared out toward the glittering lights.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You didn’t grow up here, did you? Are you a transfer?”
Lycans were territorial, with Alphas presiding over a specific area that no members of other clans could enter without permission.
New York was one of the largest, with over three hundred Lycans in the city and while Olivia didn’t know all of them, she surely would have noticed him if he had showed up to any of the clan gatherings in the past.
“No.” Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he lifted it up, flashing her the wolf head tattoo inked on the side of his ribs.
“You’re a Lone Wolf.”
“Yup.”
Lone Wolves were the exception to that permission rule.
They were wolves without a clan for whatever reason.
They were allowed to roam wherever, as long as they sported a wolf tattoo somewhere on their body to identify themselves.
Olivia’s father and siblings had been Lone Wolves once, before they had pledged to the New York clan.
“So, where are you from? Originally, I mean?”
He took a sip of his drink. “All over. Moved around a lot.”
“Oh? Like where?”
“Here and there.”
He obviously doesn’t want to talk about his past.
But that was fine, maybe she didn’t want to talk at all. Her mouth was still dry from that brief glimpse of his rock hard abs when he lifted his shirt. “How long do you think you’ll be in town?”
“Not sure.”
His short answers and aloofness didn’t deter her at all. Somehow, it made her want him even more. Besides, if he wasn’t interested in her, why would he have come up here with her?
You can do this, she told herself.
Her wolf, too, agreed, encouraging her to continue their pursuit.
She raised her glass to his and clinked it.
“Well then, we should drink to our time together, however long that may be.” She took a sip, never breaking eye contact with him.
When she finished, she licked her lips with her tongue deliberately.
When his gaze lowered to her mouth, she knew he was definitely interested.
Blood rushed to her ears as he took her glass and placed it on the ledge alongside his, then took a step closer to her. Slowly, he leaned down. Olivia closed her eyes, anticipation building in her as their faces drew closer. His mouth was inches from her when he paused.
“Thank you for drink. I’ll find my own way out.”
What?
Stunned, she could only stare at his retreating back as he lumbered to the elevator and disappeared behind the closing doors.
Her inner wolf whined in disappointment.