Page 10 of House of Wolves
Time moves quickly. Wood stops walking straight and turns down an unlit alley. “Where are we going?” I ask, my eyes growing heavy.
“Shortcut,” he replies.
I accept it momentarily, but then he steps and pushes me against the brick wall. His hands run down my front, and his lips crash against mine. The surprise sobers me up a bit, and I close my mouth, turn my head, and push him away. “Come on, Wood. Not now. I’m too drunk.”
“Don’t be a buzzkill,” he whispers into my ear, his hands returning to my breasts. “You look sober enough to blow me.”
No amount of alcohol can mask the ick his words just gave me. I push him again, channeling an ounce of my werewolf strength to get my point across. But even as reality settles over me, I’m still wasted. I’m weak, my powers muted. Shit. “Wood. No. We can hook up another time. Let’s schedule something for next week.” I’m never seeing this pig again, but I’m no idiot. I need to get out of here.
He presses closer, crushing me a little bit, and brings his lips to my ears. “Straw told me you gave him head in his patrol car. You didn’t even ask for anything in return, just got yourself off like a good little slut. I want that, too.”
My heart races and panic swims through me. I’ve never felt this feeling before, weak, helpless. Sure, I’ve been drunk and without powers, but never while being cornered by a man who insists on taking what isn’t his.
I try one last time, adding air to my voice. “Let’s do this back at my place. It’s too cold.”
His hands travel up my thigh. “I’ll keep you warm.” He brings his mouth to mine again. Fuck being coy to get out of this. I bite his lip, hard. I’m pretty sure a fang makes it through. He shrieks, grabbing his face, and I use the opportunity to push him away and sprint in the opposite direction. Trash litters the walkway, and I barely make it a few feet before my foot snags a discarded box, and I tumble to the ground with a scream. I’m pathetic without my powers.
Pain shoots from the knee that took the brunt of the fall. I’m distracted, and as I claw to make my way back to my feet, Wood pushes my back down with his foot.
“Why are you being such a bitch?” He grits angrily.
“A bitch? You’re trying to rape me, jackass!” I yell, hoping someone, anyone, will hear. He drops to his knees, flipping me to my back and covering his hand with my mouth. He glowers over me. “Don’t yell shit like that. Are you playing a game with me?”
I try to tell him no, that if I wanted to fuck him, I’d tell him, but all that comes out is a muffled scream from under his hand. A question pops into my drunk mind, and I use all my strength to wiggle my mouth free to ask it. “Did you do this to Jessica and Lucy? Was it you who murdered them because they wouldn’t fuck you?” I know it was the Hunters, but maybe Wood is working for them and wanted some action on the spot.
His face changes to repulsion. “What? No! I’m not a murderer, and I’m not a rapist. I’ve never met those girls in my life. I’m not raping you. You’ve sucked my dick plenty of times. You’re just playing a game.”
I steady my voice. “John, no, I am not. I do not want you anywhere near me.” I say the words as if I’m saying them to a child, or a man who has never heard the word no in his life.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” It could be the words from the goddamn devil, and I would worship at his feet. A question has never sounded so beautiful. “This jackass is trying to rape me!” I shout.
“Woah, woah, woah.” Wood jumps to his feet and steps away from me, his hands raised in surrender. “Carmen, stop it.” He diverts his attention to the man walking toward us. “We’re just role-playing. We’ve hooked up plenty of times before.”
I grunt, climbing to my feet. “Fuck that! You were trying to rape me, you fucking piece of shit.” I straighten out my skirt and shirt before turning to my savior.
“From my vantage point, it sure looked like you were attacking her.” I notice the accent, and my attention is drawn to the blonde, muscular man now standing mere feet from me. Our eyes lock, and I’m too stunned to speak. “Carmen?” he gets out breathlessly.
I nod, clenching my lips. “And that’s the cop.”
The confusion melts off his face, fury in its place. He moves past me, rushing toward Wood and punching him across the jaw, knocking him to the floor.
“What the fuck?” Wood spits, his lip bleeding even more now.
Kilo drops to a squat. “You fucking come near her again, and I’ll end you.” The lights in the alleyway are low, so I barely make out the subtle shift in Kilo. His black sweater tightens, ripping at the bottom, and snow-white hair juts from the back of his neck and arms. He doesn’t lose control, keeping his transformation at bay.
“What? Is she your girl or something? Sorry to tell you, but you’re dating a slut.”
Kilo chuckles, shaking his head and turning to me. “Do you hear this guy?” he asks me. “It’s like he wants to get fucking killed.” It happens so quickly. He pounces on top of Wood, revealing claws and fangs. He growls, and Wood cries in terror from underneath him. “What the fuck?” he yells.
Kilo switches back to his complete human form. To someone who didn’t know what he was, they’d think they just imagined the shift; it happened so quickly. “Do you need any more convincing how easy I could make you die?”
“Okay, got it!” Wood’s crying now, a blubbering mess. It’s the best thing I have ever seen, and I have half the mind to pull out my phone and record this, but I resist the urge, for Kilo’s sake.
Kilo doesn’t move. “Now, apologize to the lady, and you better make it good.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He boo-hoo cries as if this is years of pent-up sorrow. I can’t suppress my chuckle.
Kilo turns to me. “What do you think?”
