Wolves Town Read online

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  Wolves Town

  by

  Kelly Lucille

  Text Copyright © 2018 Kelly Lucille

  All Rights Reserved

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Georgiana Vale was moving at a brisk pace down the steep concrete stairs. Her shoulder length dark brown hair was up off her neck in a loose pony tail that had been all she had time for after a quick brush through. Her dark midnight blue eyes sparkled with nervous energy as she finally looked up from her feet to take in the sidewalk below her. She was late and making up for hitting the snooze button one too many times by moving with purpose now.

  He caught her eye as soon as she stepped onto the last step of concrete that started and ended her daily walk to and from work. She was embarrassed to say she very nearly missed that last step, and she had been torturing herself with the walk up and down those stairs every day and night since she had moved into her shoe box apartment two years ago. Even with the daily hike, she had been lucky to find something she cold afford so close to the elementary school where she taught third grade. Walking was always preferable to driving in the convoluted and congested traffic that was everywhere in downtown San Francisco.

  Right that moment with the mountain of a man walking her way up the steep San Francisco streets her daily cardio, or the job she was perilously close to being late for, were the last things on her mind. In fact, her mind seemed inclined to take a moment of silence just to appreciate what she was seeing.

  Six feet four at least of twisted steel hard body. He had the kind of rugged good looks that socked a woman right in the libido. The man exuded sex and danger with a single look, and while she had to look at him, because there was just no way to look away, she also had the need to stay very still lest he notice her. It was the first time in her life she remembered reacting so strongly to any man, least of all a stranger on the street. The conflicting needs to both run from what she absolutely knew to her toes was a predator, and get as close as she could, were making it impossible for her to do anything but stay perfectly still and gawk at the man like an idiot.

  She just stared while he came closer to her and she finally realized, regardless of her first impression, he was not handsome in the classic sense, too raw, too many hard edges. In fact, she wondered as he came ever closer, if his touchable mink dark hair was the only softness to him. He was certainly not pretty, as so many of the suave well-cut men of San Francisco were, and he was heads and shoulders above the fitness buffs that populated the area, quite literally as it happens. No one was anywhere near his height or...presence, was the only word she could think of. And he wore that dark gray suit as if it were armor he donned for battle.

  She would be the first one to admit she had a bit of a wild imagination. By the time he was close enough for her to see his almost glacial green eyes she had conjured up all sorts of backgrounds for the man from organized crime to special forces on leave. When his eyes caught her standing there, no doubt looking very much like the timid prey she felt like, they lingered for only long enough to make her wonder if she had imagined that too, before they moved away. And she knew without a doubt that he was going to walk right past and she would never see him again.

  A part of her was glad for it, because even with her flights of fancy she could not imagine this man was for her. But the other part... the part that wanted to move closer, the best way to describe that part of her and what she was feeling was the sudden need to throw her head back and howl with grief.

  She sucked in a breath and realized it was the first she had taken for several minutes. She really needed to get a grip here. He was just a man, a stranger at that, and she had never in her life seen anyone that promised heartbreak more than him with his predatory green eyes and hard clenched jaw. If the man had ever smiled she would be very surprised.

  Just as she had nearly convinced herself she did not want his attention anyway, it turned her way. Abruptly and shockingly he stopped one length past where she stood. His head lifted as if he scented something on the wind, right before he abruptly turned to face her. His head tipped down the other way taking her in. Those hardened predator eyes lasered in on her face and she could not help the loud gasp she made or the step back she took because suddenly all parts of her agreed: she definitely did not want him to notice her. Only he had, and she had no idea what to do about it now. Running, she knew in her bones, would be a mistake.

  Waiting, as she was, to see what he was going to say now that she had his attention. Attention, she finally decided sensibly that she did not actually want. It was slowly dawning on her as the seconds clicked away that he was getting angry. It occurred to her belatedly that he might be trying to get to the stairs she was body blocking. She had no idea why he would need them as they basically led to the back of her apartment building, and quite frankly she could not imagine this man in those small postcard apartments, no matter how cute they were (or possibly because they were so cute). She moved to the side anyway, so that he could pass, wondering why he didn't just say 'excuse me', or more likely: 'move the fuck on'.

  She knew why she wasn't speaking. The man was just that freaking hot. She could also not miss that even standing a step above him she had to look up to meet his eyes. Lord, he was big.

  He did not walk by however. Instead he started to speak gibberish. "You give no recognition of rank to a First?" Though it must be said he did it in a deep dark chocolate voice that caused whatever blood was still free flowing to arrow directly to her nipples.

  When he said nothing more, but looked more and more expectant and angry, Georgiana cleared her throat as daintily as she could, what with the boulder lodged there. "I'm not sure what you mean by that." She licked her dry lips and regretted it the minute she did because his eyes went there immediately and flared just slightly.

  When they finally moved back to meet her eyes again it felt like a soft blow of power. Yes, he was definitely getting angry.

  She could see the temper in eyes that suddenly flashed and ...well...flickered for want of a better word. It made her blink and wonder again at her own imagination because she could swear she just saw his green eyes flash almost copper hazel with his anger. She figured it was a trick of the light, but the temper behind those eyes was real and completely focused on her. She just had no idea why.

  "Use your nose puppy and give me your submission or you force me to take it." He seemed to growl a bit then, as if she was being deplorably rude. "No matter your station you are not above the courtesies. Even Raoul will not dispute my rights here."

  Georgiana had just about enough of that and decided placating the big scary hot, possibly crazy man, was her best choice.

  "I'm sorry," she said stepping carefully down the stair keeping as much distance as she could from the man blocking her path. "Not sure who you think I am, or what my nose has to do with anything, but I don't know a Raoul and you obviously have me mistaken for someone who has a station." She had to force herself not to air quote the word station, no sense getting snarky at this stage, she had a feeling he would not take it well.

  She took another step away, looking around as best she could while keeping the large man in her sights. She was not even going to tou
ch his submission statement, because...huh?

  She was wearing jeans and a red cashmere sweater under her leather jacket that allowed ease of movement. More importantly her shoes were tennis shoes so running was doable if it became necessary. It was a beautiful fall day in San Francisco so there were enough people on the street that she knew she was not really in danger. On the other hand, she didn't see anyone with a cattle prod or anything else that could take on the man that was starting to look less angry and more puzzled, and well...shocked was the best word she could come up with for the dawning realization in his eyes that she just did not get.

  "You don't know Raoul?"

  Something in his voice had her attention snapping back to him. She shook her head. "Nope. Never met the man, so if..."

  "You have no First?" he said, interrupting her with a snap that had her head pulling back a little and her eyes widening.

  "No," she said slowly now, not sure if honesty was the way to go. "No First, or second for that matter, I don't know Raoul, or you sooo...I'm going to go." She was backing up even as she spoke, faster when he came right along with her.

  She thought she was going to make it until he moved too fast for her to dodge and took hold of her upper arm in a grip that, while it did not hurt, she knew it had no give. She tried anyway, pulling back and trying to reclaim her arm. In another quick move that drew a gasp from her lips he yanked her right into that hard body and buried his nose in her neck.

  Her brain had just made the decision to scream her head off when he growled and ran his nose over her sensitive neck nearly to her nape so that she could feel his hair brush against her cheek and ear. The sound of his growl, the feel of him against her skin and his wild scent that made her think of dark nights and wild sex had the scream arresting in her throat. Her head fell back and she... well, she moaned. A sound she was sure had never come from her throat before.

  Then teeth clamped down on her neck and her legs gave out as the pleasure pain of it seemed to echo through her like a bell tolling. She did not even think about fighting the stranger as he put one arm behind her faltering legs and the other around her back to lift her into his arms. When he started to stomp off with her in his arms like a prize of battle he had claimed she managed a very feeble "wait," which he ignored.

  The last thing she heard before her body just seemed to shut down on her was a one-word command from that dark chocolate voice: "Sleep."

  And God help her that was exactly what she did.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Georgie dubbed it Wolf Town her first week of captivity. The actual name of the isolated township she had been brought to and dumped after her kidnapping was Prospect Falls, Colorado, but that didn't have a sinister enough vibe to it. When she had woken up in this strange place after her abduction her imagination had supplied her with all kinds of atrocities to be visited on her person. By her second week most of her fear had turned to confusion and she had to force herself daily to remember that these people were keeping her prisoner. By her third week they all treated her like an honored guest. So much so she was having trouble keeping up her walls against a few of them.

  Most notably Patrice, the pretty forty something, brown haired, brown eyed woman who had taken her under her wing and whose house she had been dumped at and deserted. Not that she was bitter or anything, but why would a man kidnap a woman off the streets of San Francisco and then just forget she existed as soon as he had her dropped off hundreds of miles from her home? It made no sense; he made no sense, and no one would talk about him, not to her, other than to tell her that Cooper Hayes was their First and as such had their loyalty, no matter what.

  Even Patrice, who was like everyone’s favorite Auntie, if the children congregating around her were any indication, refused to gainsay him. He had told her and her handsome husband Phillip to keep Georgiana, and that was exactly what they did. No matter how Georgie threatened or pleaded.

  Her answer to everything seemed to be food. Her uninvited and trapped guest throws a fit because she wants to go home, make her a chocolate cake. She tries to escape into the surrounding wildlife preserve and nearly gets eaten by wolves for her trouble, make her apple pie.

  Of course, nothing said she had to eat the offerings but after Patrice's light haired, green eyed husband with his calm eyes and well-muscled arms had saved her from the angry wolf staring her down in the forest and very politely directed her back to the cabin she had been frustrated and coming down from an adrenaline rush of epic proportions.

  Georgie had forgone the dainty table set up in the warm kitchen with its flowered china plates, tea pot and wedge of pie waiting for her. She did not even look at Patrice who waited by the table looking both sympathetic and worried. Georgie had walked by, grabbed the pie tin where the whole apple pie sat, minus the one piece already served up and waiting for her, and taken the whole tin of fresh baked pie and walked right on by without a word. Then slammed the door in both Patrice and Phillips face's. Probably not her finest moment all the way around.

  Nothing about her captivity made sense, if she could call it captivity seeing as no one bothered to lock her away. But then no one had to, they just locked up the vehicles, and the high gate across the only accessible road to civilization. That was all it took seeing as how their homes seemed to be situated smack dab in the middle of a wolf wilderness preserve. About a thousand acres of protected forest surrounded the small town of Prospect Falls, and the wolves roamed freely over all of it. Including the town proper, hence the name "Wolf Town."

  The first time she had seen the wolf puppies playing among the little kids she had been, first scared out of her mind someone was going to get hurt, and then awed by the sight. Then scared all over again when she saw the great big adult beasts watching from the trees.

  She was still trying to decide if it was more likely they were all mutants of some kind with an affinity to wolves, or if magic was real here and Cooper Hayes was some type of dark wizard with powers of the mind. Again, that could just be her, but she could not dispute that the man took up an obscene amount of her waking and dreaming thoughts. Magic was the most comforting reason she could come up with for the power he seemed to have over her. Nothing else she could think of would explain that first meeting in San Francisco.

  It was certainly beautiful enough here to be called magical, Georgie thought pulling her mind from her thoughts of the last few weeks and looking around at the nearly untouched wilderness surrounding her ‘prison’ cabin. The crisp mountain air held just the smallest bite that promised winter on the way, and with night falling it was even more pronounced. So much so that she bundled the oversized wool sweater Patrice had given her closer to her body.

  She had put on her own clothes today; the cashmere and jeans were a comfort even if they were a little lite for fall in the Colorado Rockies. The wool sweater she wore over the top of it kept her nostalgia from giving her hypothermia. For now it was sufficient cover for her to sit as she was on the lovely porch of Patrice and Phillips two story cabin.

  From here she could see nothing but trees and the idyllic bubbling brook that flowed through the town of Prospect Falls. She knew there were a good forty houses scattered among the trees on this mountain but only because Patrice had told her when she asked. She wandered as often as she could, trying to find a way to, if not escape, at least understand what she had fallen into. The people laughing and eating together as the children played around them was not what she expected to find, but it seemed clear that while many of the people living on the mountain left each morning to work somewhere else, many stayed behind to care for the children and patrol the property.

  "Georgie," Patrice called from behind her. Forced from her thoughts Georgie turned to see Phillip trying to close the cabin door with his arms full of pots. Patrice held what Georgie knew to be a chocolate cake and two apple pies, along with a box of chocolate chip cookies Georgie had helped bake out of sheer boredom earlier in the day.

  She jumped up from her plac
e on the steps to grab a pot from the struggling Phillip and he gave her a grateful smile, shuffling things around and pulling the door closed. Again, she was struck by how normal and handsome he seemed. He was not a big talker was Phillip, but he looked at his pretty wife like she was the start and end of everything and he had been nothing but courteous to Georgie the entire length of her captivity, regardless of what she said and did, and that first week, she did plenty.

  Sometimes she still wanted to rail at both him and Patrice for what they were doing keeping her against her will, but she liked them, despite herself, and while she occasionally still made snarky comments, and was always looking for the moment of her escape, making trouble for Patrice and Phillip once she got to know them had been beyond her.

  Damn you apple pie, she thought, smelling the cinnamon and sugar wafting from Patrice's arms. Georgie shook her head and laughed at herself just a little. But between Patrice's obvious good heart and the baked goods, she had not stood a chance. If I had still been a child in the foster care system when I was kidnapped and brought here I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven. Georgie shook her head at her own thoughts. That her present cage came with perks like beautiful pristine mountain air, the smell of pine and people like Patrice and Phillip did not make it any less a cage. She really needed to remember that.

  "I'm so glad you finally agreed to come to dinner with the clan," Patrice said for about the hundredth time since Georgie had agreed to go to the communal dinner with them. She had stubbornly refused the First's orders that she was to attend for the last three weeks and since the man had been "away" no one had been willing to drag her kicking and screaming. But today she decided she had more to gain looking her enemies in the eye, as opposed to staying out of sight. What she did not expect when she followed the two of them through the woods to a large outdoor picnic area, was a hootenanny. Complete with a bonfire, lights strung like stars among the trees and what looked like the whole town milling about, laughing and talking while children of all ages scampered around them. And if Georgie was not imagining it all, every single person was young, fit and attractive.