Alpha's Vow (Shifter Ops 2)

Charlie.

The girl whose face I’ll be jerking off to every night this week.

I race along the river in wolf form, trying to put some distance between me and the hot spring pool before Charlie climbs out to discover that I don’t have any clothes to put on—oh, and I happened to swim there from the John Dunn bridge. In wolf form.

The cold snow-water river dunk followed by a dip in the hot spring has been my latest indulgence. Today was the third morning I’d ridden my Ducati down to the low bridge, stripped out of my clothes, and swum with four legs downstream in the icy water to then shock my system with the pleasure of the hot spring. It is a totally unsanctioned activity, since showing our wolves anywhere near humans is forbidden.

But damn, it feels so good. The contrast of freezing cold and then steaming hot. The early morning exhilaration of exercise and pleasure.

But I can’t risk it again. I don’t know how my wolf didn’t pick up on Charlie’s presence before I launched into that pool.

Fuck!

I was in wolf form when I jumped. I literally had to shift mid-air when I realized she was in there.

I’m so fucking lucky her eyes were closed and she didn’t see my wolf.

I was flustered by my mistake, and then by her scent, which was alluring, but hard to catch in the water. It drove me wild trying to get the full notes of it. Like pine and peaches rolled into one.

I’ve seen Charlie in town before. She’s in that group of females that hangs out with Deke’s mate, Sadie. But today was the first time I got close enough to smell her, and now I crave more. A lot more.

Maybe it’s just the fact that she was naked and I’d just shifted, but I sprouted a chub that refused to go down the entire time I was in that pool with her. I mean, I’m the kind of guy who appreciates a naked female, regardless of her scent. Any naked female.

Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve managed to get a female in bed, because while I didn’t see that much of Charlie, the thoughts about what she was hiding under all that steam and water nearly drove me wild.

I definitely want to see more of her.

All of her. Preferably writhing underneath me, screaming my name as I make her come.

Maybe tonight. It is her birthday, after all. It would be a shame to leave a woman unsatisfied on her birthday. But Rafe would cut my dick off if I did hunt her down to make her scream. We’re not supposed to fraternize with civilians—a.k.a humans. Charlie’s friends with Sadie, which means things could get messy. Living in a small town makes it nearly impossible to screw around.

I arrive at the low bridge where I left my Ducati. After lifting my nose to scent the air for humans, I shift back to my two-legged form, emerge from the brush, and change into my clothes by my bike.

What Rafe doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Chapter 2

Charlie

“Happy birthday!” Adele throws her arms around me. I was so absorbed in my thoughts and my martini, I didn’t even hear her approach.

“Shhh, keep it down,” I say, even as I hug her back. “I don't want the whole restaurant to know. The staff might come out and sing.”

“Don’t worry, they don’t do that here. I even called the manager to make sure.”

“Oh good. Thank you. I still have nightmares about last year.” We went to a Mexican restaurant, and Tabitha got the whole Mariachi band to play birthday songs for fifteen straight minutes.

“So do I.” Adele lifts a giant bag filled with white and gold chocolate boxes onto the table beside me. My mouth waters at the sight. The only thing better than a best friend who owns a chocolate shop is being a guinea pig for all her new chocolatey concoctions. “The whole restaurant is under strict instructions to not make a big deal. But I can’t promise Tabitha won’t circumvent me and hire a stripper.”

“Oh, God.” I try to imagine a male stripper and immediately think of Lance. Shirtless, that wolf tattoo swaying to music, a cocky smile on his face. I choke on my drink, and sputter.

Adele thumps my back. “You okay?”

“Fine. Wrong tube.” I have got to get a hold of myself. “What’s new with you? How’s The Chocolatier?”

A distressed look flashes over Adele’s face before she smoothes it out. “Let’s not talk about work,” she says. “What about you? Did you do anything special today?”

“Just work.” And hot tubbing with a hottie. Nekkid. My cheeks flush. I turn my head and rest my chin in my hand, trying to hide it, but Adele knows me too well.

“Nu-uh, that’s not the whole story. What happened?”