Wolves Read online

Wiatt kept in stride with her. “It’s the week leading up to and around the full moon. Happens once a month. Haven’t you felt, well, different during some part of the month, more wound up, more in tune with your wolf self? Restless? Angsty” He said as she glanced across at him but said nothing. “Well, the week leading up to the full moon tends to affect all wolves, lycans included from what I know of them.”

  “Like how?” Tatum asked as they kept walking together, to where, she had no idea. She didn’t particularly care at that moment. She didn’t belong anywhere anyway, Wiatt had just made that perfectly clear to her.

  “Well for werewolves, it’s like all our abilities double, triple even. So if we heal fast on a regular day, then we’re almost bulletproof during lunar week.” That got her attention and she looked back over at him.

  “For real?”

  “Well, not bulletproof, but we’re faster than fast, the strongest we’ve ever been, we can do things that are just more advanced then they would be for us outside of lunar week.”

  “Wow.”

  “But there’s a down side too. The whole enhanced abilities thing, it works on all levels, emotions and actions, good and bad. So if we get injured, it’s going to hurt us a hell of a lot more than it would normally, like twenty times more.”

  Tatum stopped walking and turned to him. “But wait, you just said you were almost bullet proof so how can you get injured?”

  “I didn’t mean invincible bullet proof. I just mean, it’s different, really different to normal, non-lunar time. We get more restless too. Our senses are heightened. We want to be more in touch with our wolf self.” He said looking down at her.

  Tatum nodded her head and turn back to the street and started walking again, in silent contemplation. “You ever felt like that since being changed?” Wiatt asked softly.

  “Yeah, something like that, except,” She paused. “Not exactly like that.” She muttered in a low voice.

  “What was it like?” Wiatt probed as they crossed the street looking at her.

  “Uh well,” Tatum sighed heavily like she was giving into something inevitable and looked straight ahead of her as she said “I’ve been horny as hell, wanted to climb the walls kind of horny.” Wiatt chuckled lightly and she glanced across at him. “Are you laughing at me?”

  “That’s actually really common.” Wiatt replied when she looked at him full of utter surprise. “For the full duration of lunar week.”

  Tatum let out a pent up breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Oh. Well, then, yeah.”

  They kept walking. “So how do you, manage it?” Tatum asked him in a low voice. “There must be a way, right?”

  “Right.” Wiatt said his voice sounding light and full of laughter, only he wasn’t laughing at her. But he was understanding her. “I’m not sure you want to know the answer Tatum.”

  “Hells yes I want to know what the answer is, it has been driving me insane and it hasn’t got any easier each full moon I’ve been through. I tried the uh, shape-shift to your wolf thing, only…well that didn’t solve it.”

  “No it wouldn’t.” Wiatt said as they rounded a corner. “Probably actually make it even worse.” Wiatt added on.

  “Well, yes.”

  “Like I said Tatum, our emotions, senses and yes, even our libidos are heightened greatly by the lunar week playing havoc with us wolves. We all need to find out ways to cope with it. For werewolves, we have meeting spots, clubs, areas we can go to uh, find a mate, for the night, the week, whatever is needed to get us through, sexually.”

  Tatum stopped walking again and looked over at him. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  Wiatt shrugged his shoulders. “What is it you think I’m alluding to?”

  “Sex clubs.”

  Wiatt tilted is head and nodded it back and forth. “I guess there are some that might be a bit like that, but I’ve never really thought of it like that. Most of the clubs are, well, normal, but only werewolf orientated and only for werewolves during lunar week. And yeah the atmosphere and attitude in them is one of sexual energy and freedom.”

  Tatum felt her face get hot and wondered how badly she was blushing. Wiatt wondered what was making her blush so quickly. What was running through that pretty little head of hers? He was on the verge of asking her when she said “Is that the only way to you know, uh, take care of your needs?”

  “You mean by finding a mate for the night, or week? Well it depends on the wolf in question I guess.” He said. “We’re all affected differently whilst with the same common aspects of it. There’s no exact science to being a paranormal wolf in this world.”

  “Damn.” Tatum muttered in a barely audible voice. But with his werewolf hearing withstanding, Wiatt was able to make out the ghosted word from her lips. Walking so close to her, beside her meant Wiatt could feel the tension around her change with each of her moods. She’d gone from angry to sad at the café with him. And now from upset to panicked with this news about lunar week’s more sexually adventures side.

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  Tatum glanced at him and away again and shook her head. “Nothing.” Tatum replied with a closed mouth smile at him that was not one of happiness.

  “You’re lying.” Wiatt said outright. “Don’t lie to me.” He said feeling his defences rise. “Drives my werewolf’s anger, far too easily.”

  “Don’t you dare blame me for your lack of werewolf manners, bud.” Tatum turned on him, her hand poking his chest. “You’re the lifer here, you should have a sense of control, you have no excuses.” She said poking her finger again and again into the middle of his chest as she spoke.

  Wiatt reached up and grabbed Tatum’s hand and stopped at it’s last poke. “It’s not because of blame, Tatum.” Wiatt replied warmly, keeping her look. “Far from it.” Her eyebrows shot up again and he kept holding her hand to his chest. “Now, let’s try this again. Why don’t you tell me what bothers you about our lunar week conversation.”

  She looked down at his hand on hers and he lowered it before letting go altogether. “It’s personal.” She replied facing off with him. Wiatt leaned down towards her and watched as she stiffed up completely. “Do you know I can smell arousal, when someone is aroused? Doesn’t even have to be a werewolf.” He said bending down to talk into her ear. Tatum blushed pink again.

  “You kind of scare the crap out of me, a bit.” She said as he straightened up.

  “Really?” Wiatt asked with concern.

  “And then you when I overcome that feeling, I feel like I can tell you anything. It’s weird as hell.” Tatum replied. “I just keep opening up to you and well, please, don’t be offended by this, but I just don’t do that with anyone. Is that a lunar week thing?” She asked as they walked into a parkland.

  “Could be, except we’re about twenty four hours out from lunar week starting.” Wiatt said walking beside her as she looked around the park at people in it. There were groups of Asians playing mahjong around one table. A game of chess was being played on another table nearby.

  “So when does the lunacy begin?” She asked him, not looking at him. “Exactly.”

  “Some wolves are more affected than others, easily affected by it all. Could be you’re one of them, and it’s started for you.”

  “When does it start for you?” She asked as they found a park bench and she watched what looked like a tai chi lesson in progress as a group of perfectly spaced out people followed a man in white’s actions, perfectly.

  “I can feel the differences. But they’re minor at first, take the full week to ramp me up. I don’t need to shape shift till full moon, like every other werewolf.” Wiatt replied honestly with her as they sat down on the bench. “By the way, nice diversionary tactic, notice you didn’t actually answer the question.”

  “It’s not important.” Tatum replied gripping the end of the bench and leaning forward and watching the park participants around them.

  “It is to me.” Wiatt replied
watching a cyclist cruise past them. Tatum looked over at him. “As the wolf put in charge of bring you to heed.” He added as an after thought.

  “It’s nothing, really, Wiatt, let it go.” Tatum replied. Wait looked at her and tilted his head in a very animal manner.

  “Wrong thing to say to a werewolf. You’ve just made it impossible for me to let it go. So you may as well give it up.”

  “That’s just it.” Tatum ground out in a low voice as Wiatt kept looking at her, she could see from her peripheral version. “I can’t.”

  Wiatt frowned at her, unsure he was following. His mind tracked back over their previous conversation and he looked Tatum. “Be clear with me here. I’m not sure I’ve got this right.”

  “I can’t come.” Tatum said in a very low voice, avoiding looking at him. “I don’t orgasm, can’t.”

  Wiatt was silent for a moment before saying “As in ever, or just during lunar week?”

  “Since the whole, lycan thing.” She said softly looking down at his hand on the park bench near hers. Wiatt’s hand raised and she watched it as his finger came ever closer to her, until they tilted her face up to look at his.

  “There’s no shame in that.” Wiatt said softly, thinking how hard her new life was so to speak. If she couldn’t get the sexual relief her wolf needed. He wasn’t sure how lycans were exactly, since his interaction with them was more about fighting than getting to know them. But he knew werewolves were highly sexual creatures, that appeased their needs whenever they had to. Holding back was asking for disaster.

  Tatum looked at him wide eyed and gulped down a vat of saliva nervously. “Can you help me?” Tatum asked in a whisper at him. Wiatt’s eyes went wide and his nostrils flared widely as he smelt the beginning of arousal from her.

  12

  Wiatt dropped his hand and looked around the park. “I mean, not right now.” Tatum said as if reading his mind. “Just, you know,” She mumbled looking away from him somewhat embarrassed because he hadn’t responded to her question at all.

  Other than to drop his hand off her face, ceasing contact between them all together. Which probably, meant no, Tatum silently surmised. Dear god, what had gotten into her? She’d just opening asked a werewolf to have sex with her and she’d been flat out been rejected, all because she wanted a damn orgasm.

  “Where are we anyway?” She asked standing up and putting her hands on her hips. They’d been so lost in conversation that she’d failed to think about where they were walking. Or anything else outside of what they were doing. Which was what exactly? She asked herself silently.

  “Columbus Park.” Wiatt replied, stretching his arms out across the park bench. “I haven’t been here in years.”

  “Where do you normally hang out during lunar week?” Tatum asked glad for some normal conversation between them again, so her blushing could get under control again as she raised her face to the sun and wind, like it would wipe the pink from her cheeks and neck, in time for her to face him again.

  “Ah there are a couple of clubs I frequent, but it’s normally wherever my brother is, it’s a part of the hierarchy. We have to be ready to work at a moments notice. If any werewolves are misbehaving, causing trouble between packs, generally being a pain in the ass, the whole nine yards.”

  “So you don’t get time off, like what? Ever from being werewolf police boy?” She asked turning to face him again.

  “Being a pack werewolf, it’s a lifelong commitment.” Wiatt replied casually. “Just how it is, it doesn’t stop because office hours close and people go home. Werewolves, wolves,” He said nodding at her with a jerk of his chin, “Don’t work that way. We can’t switch it on and off.”

  “We are constant.” Tatum said holding his look. “Wolves.”

  “Yes.” Wiatt replied, looking far too seriously at her.

  She wondered what he was thinking about her to get that expression aimed directly at her. Then wondered why she wondering that out of everything she should be thinking. Tatum bit her lip and looked away again.

  Wiatt saved her any further analysis when he declared “Let’s get some lunch.”

  He bought her lunch, just like he’d bought her breakfast. Again, they ate enough food that a personal trainer would’ve boot camp marshalled them for having taken in around three days worth of calories. But Wiatt was used to it. Being a werewolf meant his appetite had always been bigger than most humans. It also meant, as a werewolf he had a metabolism unlike a human one, so he could burn the food off faster than he consumed it.

  He suspected lycans were the same going by Tatum’s appetite that seemed to match his. Either that or she had been going through some lean times, leading up to their meeting. She was skinny, but not overly so. She actually had a pretty good build and was evenly proportioned from what he had seen of it. This morning, he’d seen how perfect her build was and he’d wondered if it had changed from before she’d become a lycan. She had what he classified as an athletic or swimmers build. Broad shoulders, tapered waist and slim hips onto the top of long, defined legs. She had to be at least five eight. Tatum sculled a soda can and crushed it in one hand before putting it on the table in front of them. Recapturing Wiatt’s attention. Damn, had he just zoned out on her?

  “Good?” He asked trying to remain in the present with the lycan before him, even as he smelt the hint of her arousal. Just like before at the park. It wasn’t at full strength yet, but it was there and she was probably aware of it. Which meant, lunar week was going to affect her far too easily and early on. Not that he currently felt like he was baring much better. She’d surprised the hell out of him when she’d asked for his help back there. Thrown him for a curly loop. Tatum nodded her head.

  “Good.” Wiatt answered.

  He now wasn’t sure what to do with Tatum, no last name, lycan. Bedding her would send out the wrong message and impression about what he was trying to achieve with her. He couldn’t release an untamed wolf, whether lycan or werewolf out onto an unsuspecting world. What if she did exactly what had been done to her, all because she didn’t know how to control herself? Wiatt couldn’t live with himself if he did that. And yet, she’d offered herself to him. And the thought of that, made him feel constantly hard, all over.

  Probably he figured, because he’d been trying to chase tail for a good week now and hadn’t had any. That had to be it. Wiatt was rather proud of himself for not succumbing to his baser needs at all too easily. And now an attractive, vulnerable wolf was in his vicinity and offering herself to him. Wiatt shook his head and coughed. Damn he had to get a grip. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had women offer themselves to him before and he wasn’t that hard up for sex as to take Tatum up on her offer.

  “You alright?” Tatum asked out of reflex as Wiatt coughed a bit and picked up his bottle of water nodding his head as he took a mouthful of water. Wiatt got his coughing under control and gave Tatum the thumbs up.

  “Got go to the little girls room.” She said standing up and leaving their table. Again, leaving Wiatt alone with too many of his own thoughts and the sight of Tatum’s ass, and hips swaying as she walked off on him.

  “Perfect.” He muttered resting back against his seat.

  13

  When she returned to the table, Wiatt looked at her in silence and wondered how long he could hold out and do the right thing by her. She was beautiful looking and so damn vulnerable and he was going to spending the good part of the lunar week with her. After all, he’d established a rapport with Tatum now, it wasn’t like he could just let any of his wolves take over. Jesus, one look at his enforcer, Zane and Tatum would run screaming or flip out and shift, and come to in a feral lycan form, ready to fight.

  “Wiatt?” Tatum asked softly looking at him, her eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah,” He replied blinking and refocussing on the present.

  “You’re staring.”

  “Right, well,” He started and took a breath. There was no way known to man kind that he was attracted to a lyca
n. She was just a project, he had to complete, a bit of his job he had to do. Well, not do as in do. “Next lesson.” He stated. “You need to learn to use your nose more. You’ve got certain advantages in being a wolf, even a lycan, that humans don’t. One of them, is your nose. You can smell or scent things with it. This will help you get through your new, uh, you know, life.”

  “By smelling stuff?” She replied with a little smile back at him.

  “Yes.”

  “But don’t I already do that with my,” she tapped the side of her petite nose.

  “Well, yes, but that’s just a reflex reaction from your still, human body. You want to use your wolf senses, so again, it’s about focus. I want you to close your eyes, take a deep breath, exhale, pause and tell me all the smells you can make out in this café. Then we’ll compare notes against what I can smell.”

  Tatum looked at him narrowing her eyes. “I’m not sure I trust you enough yet to close my eyes in front of you.” It was Wiatt’s turn to look surprised.

  “You can trust me Tatum. If I wanted you gone, you’d be gone by now already.” He replied more defensively than he meant too.

  “So it’s like that?”

  “Yes, now close your eyes and focus on the smells in here and tell me what you can make out.” Wiatt instructed picking up his water again. Tatum stilled and closed her eyes before him and Wiatt silently applauded himself for the feat.

  Tatum inhaled a deep breath and let it out, at first all she could hear was the sounds of the café. There was enough bustling around in there, if she stopped to actually notice it. “It’s noisy.”

  “Yes, but what do you smell, focus on that, not the noise. The noise is background.” Wiatt answered her from across the table.

  “Okay,” she resigned herself to try her lesson in being a lycan, with a nose that worked.

  “Just relax and let it wash over you.” Wiatt watched her shoulders soften downwards, at his command as her nostrils flared out.

  “Coffee, fried eggs, sugar, salt.” Tatum listed before pausing again and trying to direct her nose to do more. She cracked open one eye and looked across at Wiatt. “That’s about it. I think.”