Marked by the Wolf (A New Adult Urban Fantasy) Read online

  “I might be.” His eyes moved over her body, lingering on every curve she had.

  “Let’s take this some place private.” Taryn took his hand, leading him to one of the many small private rooms that ringed the side of the club, putting as much sway into her hips as she could. She unhooked the curtain to one of them, letting it close behind them, and turned to face him.

  Damn, he was gorgeous, she thought.

  All long legs, narrow waist and taut ass. The image of him, with his broad, muscular chest and shoulders hovering inches above her, sprang into her mind. She imagined his skin flushed with heat as he rose naked and ready for her; the intensity of the vision made her nipples tighten.

  Sam’s lip twitched. “You come here often?”

  Taryn smiled. She liked his sense of humor. “Have a seat.” She nodded toward the room’s only chair and took his drink, setting it next to hers. She plucked the cherry from her glass, turned back to Sam, who was now sitting in the chair, looking relaxed and confident. He watched her intently as she flicked her tongue around the cherry and then popped it into her mouth.

  “So, now what?” he asked.

  Taryn’s sex tingled with excitement. She was wound up from dancing. She was definitely in the zone. The thought of having this man totally under her spell, at her mercy, set her heart racing. She took another swallow of her drink, before setting it on the small ledge, which ran around the room.

  “We go over the rules.”

  His eyebrow arched. “Really?”

  Taryn smiled. “Yeah. Unfortunately, we have them and you have to abide, otherwise…you’re out.” She pouted, tilting her head.

  His stared at her with amusement.

  “Of course, I wouldn’t want you to leave. Not until we’ve gotten to know each other better.” She gave him a sexy smile. “So the deal is, I can touch you, but you have to keep your hands to yourself, Mister.”

  His eyes locked with hers. “You’re the boss. Touch me all you want.” And then he smiled, his lips slowly curving up at the corners.

  Taryn’s knees went a little shaky; she wondered how she was going to manage to dance for this guy without falling off her heels. She took a deep breath, twisting her torso so that her ass was pointed toward him. Taryn looked back, over her shoulder, and gave it a shake.

  He licked his lips.

  Noting the lust in his eyes, Taryn started to move, dancing slowly toward Sam. She bent forward and put her hands on his knees. She gently pushed his legs apart, while giving him a good view down the front of her top, and shook her shoulders just enough to make her breasts jiggle.

  Letting out a ragged sigh, Sam put his hands on the arms of the chair. He kept them there as she straightened, and then gyrated between his legs.

  Smiling, she turned, bending and twisting, giving him a good show. After a few seconds, she faced him again, resting her hands on the arms of his chair. As she slid her body over his, her breasts brushing against his chest, she felt his hands move, covering hers. She tensed for a moment; with any other customer, she’d have stopped the dance, left the room, and called Frank, the bouncer. He’d have been tossed out. But this was different. Really different.

  She drew in a sharp breath, her dance coming to an abrupt stop. Their eyes locked together, her heart thudding in her chest. Different, and dangerous. And it was everything she wanted.

  Without thinking Taryn leaned forward, lips parted. Sam slowly ran his hands up her arms, his fingers leaving behind a trail of goose bumps on her skin.

  “I…” Her voice was barely a whisper, tinged dark with lust.

  “Shh.” He sat forward; his lips so close to hers she could feel his breath, smell his masculine scent. His eyes drew her closer, held her enthralled, captive.

  When his lips brushed against hers, it sent a wave of heat through her body. She shuddered, closing her eyes, letting him claim her lips with his, moaning against the sensual feel of his mouth against hers.

  The tip of his tongue traced along her lower lip, and she gave herself over to the kiss, opening her mouth, meeting his tongue with hers. She settled her body against him, arching her back as his hands moved from her arms to slide up her torso.

  He held her easily, his hands spanning the curves of her body, resting just beneath her breasts. It felt as if she were weightless, suspended against him as he slid further down in the chair, as her body rested against his. She was aware of his growing erection pressing against her stomach, hard and hot, and she wiggled in his grasp, seeking more contact. Sam flexed his hips upward, pressing himself against her, moaning against her mouth.

  Time seemed to stand still, the kiss deepening, intensifying, and sending frissons of pleasure through her body. It could have been minutes or hours, but when Sam finally sat up, gently setting her feet on the floor, she was weak and breathless.

  “Oh…well.”

  Taryn opened her eyes; Sam was smiling at her, his eyes almost glowing in the dim light of the small room.

  “I broke your rule.” His voice was low and there was no hint of guilt and certainly no apology.

  “You did.”

  He was still smiling at her as his hands slid up her torso as he gently pushed her away from him, before rising from the chair. Taryn looked up at him, confused.

  “Wait. Are you…are we finished?” She’d never had any man leave before she was finished with her dance. But then again, she’d never let one go so far with her as she’d let Sam. Her mind was a swirl of confused emotions. But her body was a swirl of arousal and passion, no confusion there at all.

  “I think I should leave.” Sam leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “I’m not sure I’m good for you…or you’re good for me.”

  “But…wait. Are you coming back?” She was standing in front of him now, hands on her hips, blocking the doorway. No one walked out on Taryn, without good reason. And not if she hadn’t kicked them out first.

  Sam looked down at her, an amused smile playing around his lips. “Do you want me to come back? You don’t even know me. For all you know, I could be the big bad wolf.” He leaned forward, resting his hands on her shoulders. “I could be all kinds of wrong for you, Taryn.”

  “I think I should be the one to decide that, don’t you?” She stepped forward, running her hands up his chest as his arms slid back down her body. “I could be all kinds of right for you.”

  She caught the beat of the music from the club, dancing against Sam. “Besides, I notice that I have some kind of effect on you.”

  Taryn rubbed against Sam, her hips swaying, her breasts against his chest. She heard him moan low, something that almost sounded like a growl. His hands slid down further, cupping her ass briefly before finding their resting place on her hips. Taryn looked up at him from beneath her thick, dark lashes.

  “So…you’ll be back, right?” She tilted her face to his again and his lips were on hers, harsh and primal. She felt his growl against her mouth and it set off a deep thud of arousal low in her belly. No man had ever gotten her so hot so fast, with just a kiss.

  Sam finally broke away with a gasp. “I really have to go. But…” He pulled her hard against him for a moment. His erection pressed against her stomach, undeniably hard.

  “I’ll be back. How can I resist?”

  “You can’t.” He pulled away, ducking through the curtain. Taryn followed, pouting.

  She watched Sam walk out of the club before turning back to the throng of men, the loud music and the smell of the promise of sex. Mack tried to keep the girls in line and Taryn knew there was a lot more than just promises being sold in the private rooms. She sighed, moving back behind the curtain for their drinks, draining hers in one long swallow. Sam’s glass was half full and she looked at it briefly, before draining it. Nothing left to go to waste, except the promise of a night with Sam.

  3

  Sam stepped out of the club, turning blindly down the sidewalk, out of the glare of the neon light of the club’s sign, relentlessly flashing overhe
ad. The night closed around him as he walked down the gritty, cracked sidewalk. There weren’t many who’d walk down these streets alone, but then Sam wasn’t just anyone. Being a werewolf, even when the moon wasn’t full and in his human form, gave him confidence and strength that no mortal would ever possess.

  But it didn’t always give him common sense. He’d come this close to taking that girl with him, back to his house, to his den. Taking her almost any place where he could have torn off her clothes and taken her. His body still ached, his erection slow to fade from her touch, her kiss, her incredible scent, his erection slowly fading.

  But he hadn’t taken her anywhere. He stopped at the corner, leaning against an abandoned and shuttered building, the bricks rough against his arm, wondering just what the hell he was playing with.

  Was she the one? His body said yes, overwhelmingly said she was the one. But his mind said something different. The logical part of his mind…the calculating part…said she wouldn’t fit into the pack, wasn’t what the pack expected and certainly wouldn’t accept. Not in an alpha female. The voice in his head said that Bec wouldn’t approve.

  But Bec wasn’t the alpha male and Sam’s pack followed only his lead. If Taryn were the one they’d simply have to accept her. No questions and no argument. And Bec would just have to accept her as well.

  He ran a hand across his face, suddenly tired. Tired of the search for a mate, tired of the pack’s restlessness, of their waiting for him to take control. And that was no attitude for an alpha male to have. And certainly, not one to show to his pack.

  The moon was two nights from full and he could already sense its pull, its control over him. The restless feeling was there, as if the skin on his body was too small to contain his muscles and bones, as if they were already shifting into the creature that he became each full moon.

  And with that, the desire to mate was almost uncontrollable. While Taryn had danced and gyrated against him, it had taken all his control not to throw her down on the floor and take her right there.

  Sam pushed angrily away from the building, jamming his hands in his pockets, striding down the dark street. Coming to the club in the first place had been on a dare from Bec, goading him into looking for a mate in a place full of women. Bec had said that if he couldn’t find a mate there, he’d never find one.

  Bec. His rival, his greatest critic, his younger brother. Always at him, after him, pushing him, biting at his heels. And now, that Sam had become alpha male, Bec had become absolutely relentless.

  “You’re not ready, Sam. You’re not mated. You’re not blooded… you haven’t even made a kill since you’ve been alpha. You’re not what this pack needs. You’re not alpha male material.”

  Sam had rounded on his brother, lashing out, raking his nails across Bec’s face. They were alone, and it was all Sam could do not to tear Bec’s throat out.

  “I am the alpha male of this pack, Bec. There’s nothing you can do about it. Either accept it, or move on.”

  Bec had touched his fingers to his face, pulling them back, looking down at his blood on them, as a snarl curled his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, brother. Blood’s not enough to keep me here. There are others, too, that don’t think you’re the right one to lead us.”

  Sam knew talk like this was dangerous. Any pack member who spoke against the alpha male…any pack member who wasn’t his brother…would have found himself with a slashed throat, bleeding on the ground, left to die.

  But, as always, because Bec was his younger brother, his only remaining family, Sam held back. Because he knew Bec was right. He needed to make a kill as alpha. And he needed a mate. Desperately.

  And now here he was, wandering around in a seedy part of Philly, the scent of a woman all over him, rubbed into his clothes, on his hands.

  Even though his mind said no, came up with a dozen reasons why this wasn’t right and couldn’t possibly work, every time he took a breath, every time he caught her scent, his body told him otherwise. His body… and his heart… told him yes. And his heard had never been wrong before.

  He sighed, turning down an alley and headed for home.

  4

  For Taryn, the rest of the night passed in a blur of thumping music and sweaty men. And for the first time that she could remember, she was distracted, more than ready to call it a night. Most nights got tedious at the end of her shift, doing the same old bump and grind, the same lap dance, only with a different guy pinned to the chair. But tonight, she found herself wandering around in a daze, mechanically taking men to and from the private rooms, turning them on and taking their money.

  It wasn’t until almost closing time that she had a chance to take a break in the back room. Lori was there, dressed in casual street clothes, or what passed for street clothes for her. Her top revealed just as much cleavage as her working outfit. The only piece of clothing that was any different were the jeans and those were practically painted onto her long legs, hugging her firm ass.

  “You headed out early?” Taryn flopped down on the couch, dropping her feet onto an old plastic chair. Her feet were killing her, always did. Fuck me pumps were great for the show, but for a night of being on her feet, they were hell.

  “Yeah. Mack said I could. I’ve got a date, wanted to at least get there before that bar closed, maybe get a little drunk on someone else’s dime.” Mack’s rule of one free drink per shift put a damper on Lori’s enjoyment. She’d claimed she danced better drunk, but Mack firmly held by his rule. He said he was tired of picking her up off the floor as the night went on.

  “Someone I know or someone new?” Taryn was never sure who Lori was seeing these days. She seemed to have a string of boyfriends, none of whom lasted more than a few weeks.

  “Dunno. Does the name Mark ring a bell?” Lori frowned, pursing her lips.

  Taryn shook her head, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Did you see the new girl? I missed her set. And Neon? What’s up with the name?”

  “You didn’t see her set? You really missed something then. She’s got these crazy ass tattoos that only show up under black light. Mack put in special lighting, just for her. Some trippy looking shit, if you ask me.”

  “Wonder how long before she trips off the stage in the dark.” Taryn laughed softly, to herself.

  “Hey, I saw you with your mystery man. Got to give him a private show. How was it? You get a good tip?” Lori sat down at the lighted mirror, touching up her make-up.

  “Oh, shit. I never got paid!” Taryn thumped her head against the wall in frustration.

  Lori turned around to look at Taryn for a long moment. “Wow. Must have been some guy, if you forgot to ask for the cash. That’s a real newbie mistake, Taryn, not something you would do. Hope you made enough in tips to cover with Mack.”

  “Yeah. I did.” Taryn shook her head. She’d been stupid, so engrossed in the guy she totally forgot he was a paying customer. And she’d never even got to finish the dance.

  But what had happened with Sam was still playing through her mind. She could still feel his lips beneath hers…still feel the sense of barely controlled passion or power or whatever the hell that was lurking under that calm exterior. Besides the obvious sexual arousal that came off of him in waves, he’d radiated pure animal magnetism.

  Lori’s laugh interrupted her thoughts. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?” She’d turned around, facing Taryn, lighting a cigarette. She blew out a puff of blue smoke, flicking the match into an overflowing ashtray.

  “I haven’t seen you this out of it since that guy…. what was his name? The guy from France or Germany or some place? He had an accent and I swear, the minute he said your name, you turned into a big puddle of mush. He was such a prick to you. And he smelled bad, smelled like those horrible little black cigarettes he smoked all the time.” She waved her own cigarette, suddenly animated.

  “And you even said the sex was horrible! Remember? I said he was like…”

  Taryn raised her hand. “Yeah…Lori, I reme
mber. I was there, it was me that had sex with him. I don’t need a blow-by-blow recount of my own sex life.” Taryn pushed herself up from the couch.

  “Listen, have a good time on your date. And be careful in the alley. Eden said she saw some guy hanging out by the dumpster, that he said some pretty rude things to her.”

  “Yeah. I know. It’s China’s druggy ex-boyfriend. He’s stalking her or something again. I’ll be careful…always am.” And then she was gone, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

  5

  Sam rolled over, his arm across his face. The sun was high and he was reluctant to leave his bed. He’d managed to slip into the house without Bec noticing and he wanted to avoid his brother for as long as possible.

  Last night came back to him in a rush, his body coming awake in a wave of heat and arousal. Her name was Taryn and she haunted him now driving him crazy without even being there. He’d taken a shower but her scent still clung to him. There was something deeply satisfying—and very arousing—about it and he shifted in bed, her scent and the memory of her body having a definite physical effect on his body this morning.

  She was arousing, and certainly trouble. A complicated and unusual woman, not the first choice for an alpha female, that was certain. It would be bucking tradition to bring her into the pack. But Sam was ready for a change, to make his mark as alpha male of the pack. They had a heritage and he was proud of it, but this was now, and time to change how it was done. They all needed to move forward.

  Sam and Bec had had that heritage drilled into them for as long as he could remember. They were the first pack of the New World, their ancestors stowing away on ships that crossed the Atlantic, with the doomed Roanoke Colony in North Carolina being the first.

  He knew the truth the history books didn’t. The colonists didn’t starve that first winter or seek refuge with native tribes. They were the first kills made by his ancestors, the first on this new land to be blooded into the pack.