Taming the Alphas: Part Four: Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (4 page)

I dropped my travel bag by the door and glanced over at Dave. “You look so tired, poor baby.” Dave’s eyes were red and he was slumped down in the chair. “Were you up all night?”

Dave nodded his head. “Yeah, but thankfully mom said Gerald was doing a lot better.”

“Oh thank God!” I gave Dave a kiss on the cheek. Earlier in the year, Gerald, one of Dave’s dads, had been very ill. He had been slowly regaining his health and everyone thought he was back to normal, but in the past week since we’d met with Cal he’d been coughing, wheezing, and complaining of chest pains. During the evening when Gerald’s fever had skyrocketed, Dave’s mother Madge had called him to let him know how sick he was. Dave had been up all night as his mother kept him updated.

“I just got off the phone again with mom. Ian took him to a day clinic early this morning. They diagnosed him with pneumonia. Thank God they didn’t check his blood or ask too many questions. They just put him on antibiotics and pain killers and mom says he’s finally fallen asleep.”

I knew from my animal studies that healthy wolves rarely got pneumonia. But we weren’t just wolves, we were werewolves, and we could get many of the same diseases regular people got. “His immune system was probably compromised from that long illness he had. I’m so glad he’s better,” I rubbed Dave’s arm. “You have your interview in less than an hour. You’d better try to take a short nap.”

Dave hadn’t shared many details on who he was interviewing with, he’d just said it was a property management company. I knew he didn’t want to get all worked up about it just to be disappointed, so I hadn’t probed.

As Dave closed his eyes, trying to relax,
I went to the bathroom to finish putting on my makeup.

After I slicked on my lipstick I took a look in the full length mirror. I thought I looked pretty good. My dark denims set off my baby pink sweater perfectly, and I had paired the outfit with the new red shoes. They were a little high, but super sexy. I’d styled my hair in curly waves and it bounced playfully off my back. I loved having good hair days. Several bracelets and my ‘go to’ giant silver hoop earrings completed the look. I patted a few strands of my hair into place and went back into the living room.

“Dave, honey, I’m going to get going.”

“I’ll walk you down,” Dave said as he started to get up.

“You look exhausted. You stay here and rest—get ready for your interview.”

Dave sunk back into the chair. “Where’s Todd?”

“I’m meeting him downstairs.  Hey, the driver will be here soon, so I have to get going.”

I gave Dave a sweet kiss. “Good luck on the interview. Call me right after and tell me how it went!”

“I will. Have fun baby. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

I grabbed my bag and made my way to the elevator and down the back of the building. My stomach flip flopped as I saw the black, luxury stretch limo. It was huge, but Todd was nowhere to be seen. As I neared the limo, my cell rang. It was Todd.

“Beverly, Jason’s late and I can’t leave the restaurant till he gets here. Will you and Dave be ok without me? Hopefully it will only be an hour or two. I will drive to Virginia as soon as Jason clocks in.”

Ugh. Jason was the assistant manager from the Frederick Slice of the Pie. Sal had sent him to the University of Maryland location to give Todd a break for a few days. Apparently, he was going to be late for some reason or another, and Todd couldn’t leave the restaurant until he arrived.

“Love you baby,” Todd said, “see you in a few hours.”

“Love you,” I clicked off my cell. I hadn’t told Todd that Dave had gotten a last minute interview so he wasn’t with me either. I knew if I told him he would try to talk me out of going by myself.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t really want to go by myself, but I wanted to find out what Cal had in mind for us. Plus, he’d seemed like a totally normal, nice guy at the hibachi restaurant.

“Welcome, Miss,” the driver said reaching for my bag. I hesitated … should I get in or not?

What the heck. We really needed the money, and it sounded like Cal could help us a lot financially. I took a deep breath. “I will be riding by myself.” The driver raised a quizzical eyebrow. “My friends will be along later,” I said as I climbed in.

Wow! It was so luxurious inside the car. The interior boasted cushy leather seats, a wet bar with crystal glasses, and a variety of drinks along with several TVs. Little lights danced along the sides of the car and the roof. I settled into one of the comfy seats, my hands clammy as I gripped the arms.

The ride out to Cal Peet’s estate near McLean, Virginia was only about a half hour, but it was like being in a different world.  Whereas the University of Maryland campus was surrounded by smaller, older homes, many of the homes we passed as we neared Cal’s were huge mansions on beautifully landscaped lawns. As we neared his home, I was struck by the sheer size of the mansion and the privacy afforded by the vast acreage surrounding it.

The driver pulled the car to a stop in the circular driveway. A burly man near the front of the house opened the door for me and pulled my bag from the trunk. As we walked into the house, Cal Peet rushed over to greet me.

“So lovely to see you, Beverly. My driver has informed me that you are alone. I am so happy to have you, but where are Todd and Dave?”

“Dave got a last minute interview and Todd had to wait for his assistant manager to show up. They will be coming later.”

“Very good. Let me show you to your room, and then perhaps a light lunch?”

I nodded. “That sounds great,” I replied, feeling relieved at how comfortable I felt.

“Karl, take Ms. Collingswood’s bag to her room.” As the man left to take my bag upstairs, Cal walked me around part of the house. I was in awe at the sheer enormity and beauty of the home. We walked through a massive, modern style family room with an oversized sectional sofa and huge TV screens, but the rest of the house was decorated more formally in rich oriental rugs, dark mahogany, and cherry Queen Anne style furniture. As we finished up the tour of one section of his home, Cal walked me to one of the rooms on the second floor. “We have an elevator, but I prefer to walk.”

“Yes, better for our health and the environment. It saves energy.”

Cal smiled. “I understand you are very much into eco-friendliness. That’s why I think you will appreciate what I am planning. In fact,” he smiled, “I know you are graduating soon, and perhaps you would like to come work for me. The salary and benefits would be very generous.”

“I’m flattered Cal, but I have no idea what your work actually is,” I smiled as Cal pushed the door to one of the rooms open.

“You will be staying here, in our kitten room,” he motioned.

“Kitten room?” I glanced around the room to see plush carpeting, a furry bed spread, and a few photos of wild cats on the walls.

Cal sidled close to me … so close I could feel his hot breath on my neck. “We call it the kitten room because everything is soft like a pussy … cat.”

“Uh, o-okay.” That was weird, I thought … but then Cal backed away. I must have imagined the innuendo.

“Come for lunch, Beverly.” I was feeling nervous and not that hungry, but when Cal let me into the dining room I changed my mind. The spread was so tasty looking. It was a buffet with an assortment of thick burgers, chicken, roasted vegetables, and yummy looking desserts; a huge spread for just two people.

I piled my plate with a burger and vegetables and sat down. A waiter served us water and another server poured a burgundy wine. Cal took a sip of the alcohol. “A very fine vintage,” he said, allowing the liquid to linger on his tongue. “It pairs nicely with the burger.”

“This burger is delicious!” The hamburger was so flavorful, more so than any I’d ever eaten before.

“It’s the finest, organic, grass fed beef, Beverly. I’m glad you like it.”

“So Cal, tell me about your interest in werewolves?” I asked after swallowing a huge bite of the meat.

“Beverly, I have a lot of ideas in mind, but I have not settled on any yet. Right now I am in the planning stages. But, just think of what you are eating.”

“This burger?”

“Well, not the burger—where it comes from.”

“A cow.”

“And what do you think of, when you think of cows?”

“Umm, an animal used for meat and milk.”

“Exactly—when most people think of cows they think of meat and milk, as you did. But cows have so many other applications. Their blood is used in dyes and medicines. Their hooves are used in pet food, shampoo and wallpaper. The fat is used in chewing gum, crayons, cosmetics, oils and candles; the bones in sugar and glass. Their organs are used in…”

“Stop, stop,” I held up my hand. “I’m not sure I want to know anymore.” I just wanted to enjoy my burger, I didn’t need the nitty gritty details.

Cal pressed on. “Just as there are many uses for cows, I see many applications for the use of werewolves.”

I grimaced. Not fun that he thought of werewolves in the same vein as cows, but I would give him the benefit of the doubt. “What are some of the applications for werewolves you have thought of?”

“One area that I feel there are great possibilities for is security. Bodyguards. I could see werewolf training camps where we train an elite command to guard heads of state, celebrities, star athletes…”

That didn’t sound so bad. I mean, becoming a bodyguard was not my cup of tea, but I could see where some of the more aggressive wolves might enjoy protecting people and getting paid for it.

“What else?” I asked as I dug into a balsamic roasted mushroom.

“Well Beverly, you tell me if my next idea will work. You said weremen do it better. What about werewomen?” He narrowed his eyes. “Just how good are you sexually?”

I felt my face flush as I remembered my outburst at the WAG meeting. Obviously, everything we had said at the meeting had been shared with Cal.

“And not just you—because I am pretty sure you’d be a hot little number in bed. But what about other werewomen? Is it true they are insatiable? I have in mind safe houses of prostitution. Men could come and indulge in every fantasy with the werewoman of their choice. It could be huge financially.”

“What ... prostitutes?” This was unbelievable. I knew Aimee, Arturo, Lina, and other members of the WAG group would never have dreamt Cal had ideas like this in mind. They thought they were helping him learn about us so he could help us, not hurt us.

“Oh, don’t be a pussy with me, Beverly. We can be open with one another in every way. As I mentioned, I’d like you to come work for me, Beverly. Let’s face it, your grades in school are not the best. As competitive as the job market is, you may have trouble finding a job. But if you work for me, you can help me build an empire. I will reward you with money you could only dream of. And if things work out … I would like much more than just a workplace relationship.”

I stifled the urge to reach over and slap him. To be honest, I was so shocked, I was rooted to my seat.

“Yes, I liked you the minute I saw you … as a business, and a sexual partner, mmm,” Cal leaned in. “Let’s not beat around the bush. From what I understand, you werewomen are horny all the time. I’d love to fuck your brains out and experience it for myself. I may not be a wereman, but I bet I can give them a run for their money. Todd, a pizza manager and Dave, a jobless jerk? Come on Beverly, why bother? I can satisfy you sexually
and
make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.”

Cal’s eyes grew dreamy. “I can see so many applications for werewolves—soldiers of fortune, prostitutes, messengers, drug runners … and the parts, like cows, werewolf parts have enormous commercial viability. The fur could be used in insulation, the teeth for…”

“You are kidding, right?” I was appalled. The man had to be nuts.

Something in me just snapped at that moment. Without thinking, my inner wolf took over. My bones grew and crunched as I collapsed into myself and transitioned into my wolf.

“Aaarrrrgh…” I snarled at Cal, snapping my head back and baring my incisors.

I didn’t know what I planned to do next, but I figured I’d start by scaring the shit out of him.

His eyes widened, but he didn’t miss a beat. In seconds, a man ran in holding a gun and I realized it was that bastard, Jerry Mars Jr. He must have been by the door listening the whole time!

“Change back now!” Jerry demanded, waving the gun at me.

As a wolf I could claw and bite a man to death, but I was no match for a bullet. I reluctantly changed back, pulling my shredded clothes on as best I could.

“Take the bitch away,” Cal said. “Get her out of my sight. Perhaps I will turn her into one of our test prostitutes. Lock her up!”

“Wha…! You can’t just lock me up!”

“I can do whatever I want. Margaret Redson will help make sure you disappear quietly without a trace if that is what I want. Jerry, throw her in the cell with her friends. Maybe she will eventually come around!”

I gasped as Jerry led me away. My friends? Were Dave and Todd here?

As Jerry led me through a labyrinth of hallways, I tried to get my bearings. If anything had happened to them, I’d…

Jerry yanked one of the doors open halfway down the hall and roughly pulled me in. In the room was a large, metal cage, and inside were my two hunks, Dave and Todd. Jerry shoved me inside, slamming the door and locking it. As he left the room, the two men rushed towards me, encircling me in their arms.

“How … when did you get here?” I asked them.

They both started talking at once. “Beverly, why didn’t you tell me Todd couldn’t drive with you? I would never have let you come here by yourself!”

“You should have told me Dave had an interview, Beverly,” Todd said, shaking his head.

“Sorry, I just thought it would be ok.”

“After my interview I called Todd to see how it was going and I couldn’t believe you came here without us. We drove up here as fast as we could,” Dave added gloomily, “but they threw us in here as soon as we arrived.”

“How was the interview?” I asked.

Dave brushed off the question. “Later on that, we have to get out of here.”

“What are we going to do?” I knew that in our wolves we could kick down most doors, but these were metal bars.

“No worries. We just got here and I was telling Dave—we got this.” Todd reached in his pocket and pulled out the army knife Kristen had sent him. Dave and I watched tensely, hoping that no one would come back to the room. I breathed a sigh of relief when Todd had the metal door unlocked with a few twists and turns. We left the cage and tried the knob on the room door, but Jerry had locked that also.

Dave transitioned into his muscular, wiry grey wolf and knocked the door down in one fell swoop—but Jerry was standing outside guarding the door! I could see the look of surprise on his face as we raced in the opposite direction, and I heard him scream for more guards to chase after us. 

“Run Beverly, faster!” Todd screamed. I’d already removed my red heels and was clutching them to my chest. I was running like a bat out of hell.  My bare feet were in pain as they bound along the hard floor. Those patent pumps had looked super cute in the store, but I sure wished I was wearing athletic shoes now.

We made our way out of the house and across the grass. Dave was speeding along in his wolf, and Todd and I followed as fast as we could in our human forms.

“There’s the car!” Todd yelled. He practically dove into the driver’s seat of the car as I jumped into the passenger side. Dave growled as he leapt into the back seat, shaking his fur.

“Drive, Todd! Drive!” I cried.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a few burly bodyguard types running across the lawn towards us. “They’re coming! Go Todd, go!”

Dave howled in the backseat in encouragement as Todd tried to start the car.

Todd turned the key in the ignition, over again and again. The car wasn’t starting. “Oh my God! The fucking battery is dead! It’s no use. It won’t start!” Todd exclaimed.

“Try it again!” I yelled.

“It’s not working. Get out of the car and run as fast as you can! Shift into your wolf as you run!” Todd shouted.

My heart was in my throat as we took off, racing across the grass. My chest was so tight my wolf couldn’t even come out. I took a quick glance behind me; the men were almost on top of us. Dave had managed to race far ahead and I could see he had stopped and was waiting for us. “Run, Dave! Go while you can!” I screamed. But I knew he was not about to leave Todd and me behind.

Then, one of the burly guards was on me and pinned me to the ground. Todd hadn’t had time to transition either and he struggled to break free, as several men captured him nearby. I lifted up my neck and could see Dave pacing uneasily in the distance, not sure what he should do.

The men led us back towards the house. We were almost near the side entrance when I heard the sound of a helicopter overhead and sirens. To my shock I realized it was the FBI. In minutes, they had us surrounded. The men holding us did not resist, but as I stood up, I saw Cal being whisked to a black race car by some of his other bodyguards.

“He’s getting away!” I screamed pointing towards the car.

Todd rushed over to me and wrapped me in his arms. “Are you ok?”

Trembling I pressed myself into his chest. “I’m… a little shook up but where’s Dave?” As I said his name Dave came running towards us in his man totally naked. We wrapped our arms around each other huddling together.

I heard more commotion behind me. Turning, I was shocked to see Margaret Redson walking towards us, accompanied by a dozen or so FBI agents.

“Margaret Redson!” Todd said his eyes widening.

“Dave. Catch!” she tossed Dave a large blanket.

Dave grabbed it and wrapped the covering around his body.

I glanced over towards the spot where Cal Peet and the race car had been seconds before, and saw the tail end of his car speeding up the road. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking out for all of you of course.”

“What do you mean? I thought you were working for the government and sharing information with Cal Peet—a double agent,” Dave said, furrowing his brows.

““Ha!” Margaret replied, flipping back her hair and giving us a wide grin. “Cal thought so too! But do you really think I’d risk my pension?” she laughed. “Seriously, we just let Cal Peet
think
I was working for him. All along I was spying on him for the government. He’s suspected of drug trafficking and attempted kidnapping among other things. We’ve been tailing him for a while.”

“So you had him under surveillance this whole time?” I widened my eyes.

Margaret smiled. “Yes. And don’t worry we told him as little as possible about werewolves. We gave him just enough information to keep him on the hook. Dave he never even knew you were a werewolf.”

“What about all of those things you said at the pizzeria about working in a mind sucking job and getting recruited by Cal?” I asked.

“Well in a way it’s true.” Margaret said. “Working for the government can be pretty boring. But I have a duty to protect and serve. Besides this has been one of the most exciting assignments I’ve had and I didn’t want to blow my cover in front of Jerry.”

“I think he just got away,” Todd said, pointing towards the road.

“We have road blocks set up for the next few miles. We’ll catch him.” Margaret said confidently.

“So, are you like a triple agent?” My head was spinning.

“I work for the United States Government and it is my duty to protect our nation’s citizens and their rights. And werewolves have rights too.”

“You could have fooled me,” Dave said sarcastically.

“Well guess what?”

I shook my head. “What?” What was she going to throw at us now?

“I have word from a confidential source that the highest official in the land will be revealing the truth about the Camp Vickers cover up.
They are going to hold a State of the Union Address and tell the world that werewolves are real
!”