Craving the Alpha: Part Two: BBW Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance (Lycan Lovers) (2 page)

With a big grin on his face, Todd was obviously in a good mood when I almost banged into him walking into the dining hall. I knew he relished the outdoors, and being able to run with the pack gave him more of an opportunity to commune with nature than he had ever thought possible. He was right in his element and loved it. I hadn’t talked to him much since we had become part of the clan, but I was glad that he seemed to have adapted well to the situation. It wasn’t like he or any of us had much choice anyway.

“Hey Kristen, how are things going?” he asked, stopping me before I started to enter the cabin.

“It’s going ok, Todd,” I said dully. I could feel my eyes welling with tears again.

Todd motioned me to the side of the building. “Kristen, come on. Are you really doing ok?”

I shook my head. “It’s pretty rough, Todd. Markus and I have really developed feelings for one another and because of a dumb council meeting I am...” My voice trailed off as I thought of being stuck with Dorian. There was no connection between us. No sparks, not even a little bit of a kindling to start the flames. Sure, he had gorgeous yellow eyes and a muscular physique, but any attraction dulled with his self-centered personality.

Knowing I wasn’t receptive to his “charms”, he decided he would rather throw back a beer than spend time with me. So, he was spending the good part of every night at the Timber Tavern. He would come back to our cabin sloshed, try to fondle me, and then fall into a drunken sleep, punctuated by loud snores when I resisted his advances. I made it a point to try and stay out of his way. Thankfully, it wasn’t that hard to do, as he spent his daytime hours tooling around Camp Vickers socializing, and his nights at the bar acting like the big man on campus. Sometimes, he just completely disappeared for a few days.

“Yeah, it has got to be rough,” Todd said. “I would go nuts if I were separated from my lady.

“Your lady?” I raised my brows wondering what I had missed. “Did you take up with one of the she-wolves here?” I quickly thought of all the werewomen at Vickers and wondered which one had caught his attention. I had been so absorbed in my own problems I hadn’t paid attention to what was going on around me.

Todd’s face turned a shade of crimson as he looked at the ground. “Well, Kara and I sorta got a thing going now.”

“Kara! Whoa, when did this happen?” As I said the words, I envisioned the older, skinny woman who had licked me awake when we first came to Camp Vickers. I shook my head as I remembered her pointing towards Dorian at the town meeting when I was about to make my selection. I had thought she was trying to help me make the best choice, but later realized she had wanted Markus for herself. Well, it wasn’t Todd’s fault she had done that. He probably didn’t even know. I guess she was over Markus now that he was totally unavailable, and she had moved on to the next best thing. Kara had to be at least fifteen years Todd’s senior, but for some reason I could actually see the two of them together. Todd had that beach boy charm that liked being catered to, and Kara was the type who would dote on her man.

“Todd’s got a cougar, Todd’s got a cougar,” I teased him in a singsong voice, trying not to let him see how upset I was.

Todd sheepishly grinned back. “I like her a lot. She is one smart lady and uber-hot,” he said, licking his lips. “And when we run together at night, well, all I can say is, the sex after is super freaky.”

Hmmm, I thought. Not super-hot or really hot, but uber-hot, along with super freaky sex. “Must be nice, Todd,” I said. I thought of Markus shackled again. My mind flashed to his gentle kindness when I turned into my wolf for the first time, and then to our lovemaking in the shower. My loins ached for him. I wanted him so badly. Being apart was just miserable. But there was no sense trying to spoil Todd’s happiness by telling him what Kara had done. “Well, I guess we’d better go in and eat,” I said as I started towards the door.

Todd grimaced, biting his lower lip, and looked at me thoughtfully. “Look, what if I was able to help Markus get out of those chains; could you take it from there?”

I gave Todd a puzzled look. “How could you do that? I know he is not being watched twenty four-seven, but he is heavily chained.”

Todd swatted a fly from his skin as he continued. “Remember when we were talking at camp the night we were taken by the wolves?”

“Yeah,” I nodded—
how could I forget that night
?

“Well, I told you my neighbor was a survivalist and he taught me some skills.”

“Uh-huh, I sort of remember that,” I said, moving further away from the front of the dining cabin door as Beverly’s wolf Dave passed through. “I mean, I can’t forget that night but what we said and did is a little hazy.” I shuddered thinking how out of it we’d been from drinking moonshine laced with heavy tranquilizers; drugs that had been added to the potent brew without our knowledge or consent.

Todd lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Well, one of the skills I learned was lock picking. I can pick almost any lock in seconds. I can set him free. You all could take a run for it and get far away before anyone figures it out.”

“Are you kidding me?” It was hard to believe that Todd would go out on a limb for me like this. “And what if they find out? They’ll chain you up!”

Todd shook his head. “Nah, you and Beverly are the only two people who know I’ve got survivalist skills. That night at camp I said I learned to tie ropes and make fires, but I never mentioned the lock picking. I think she was too plastered to remember anything anyway.

I looked directly at Todd. Was this some sort of test by the pack to see if I was loyal? Could I trust Todd? I could end up in chains myself. My mind raced with the possibility. But, Markus was miserable, and without him, I was too.

“And, to be honest, she’s been bugging me to help you.” Todd jerked his finger towards the side of the building. Kara was walking towards us. She gave a timid little wave when I looked in her direction. “This isn’t something I just decided to do today.”

So, he did know what Kara had done. Todd was a nice guy and Kara had a guilt complex. It made sense now.

“I don’t know, Todd. I mean, I would love to run off with Markus. It’s not like they were planning to let us be together once his time at C-cabin is done. But, what if they catch you?”

Todd shrugged his shoulders. “It won’t happen. And what if they did? No chains can hold me anyway. And truthfully, I think if you ran off, Caleb wouldn’t let the pack come after you. He would probably tell them it’s too risky to chase you down. Even though he seems harsh, he loves Markus. This would be the perfect way for you to be together and for the council and Caleb not to lose face.”

“When can we do this and where do we go?” I whispered. “Are there caves we can hide in?

Todd shook his head. “Think about this, Kristen. These people aren’t just people—they are wolves. They have a super sharp sense of smell. They can hear the slightest sound. They can see great distances. You can’t stay in the woods. You have to get out of here. You have to go to town.”

I gasped. My sense of joy over the possibility of escape deflated as quickly as a popped balloon. This would be impossible. Sure, maybe Todd could get the shackles off, but then we would have to traverse the miles of woods? “And, how could we even get through the forest Todd? We will die trying to get past the hilly terrain.”

Todd gave me a grin. “Did you forget that you can run for miles at a time? Did you forget that you have sharp senses and can find food as you go?
Kristen, did you forget that you are a wolf too
?”

A raw, nervous energy enveloped me as I packed my duffel bag. Thankfully, Dorian was out tooling around town again. I did not feel a bit of guilt rifling through his drawers and closet to find a pair of jeans, light sweatshirt, sneakers, crew socks, and a tee that looked like they would fit Markus. The jeans might be a bit tight over Markus’s muscular thighs, but they would have to do. I added clothes for myself, along with my favorite blue hoodie.

I put the clothes, along with my wallet, inside my duffel. I was nearly broke when I went to Camp Rocky and had only brought $50 to camp, budgeting $25 a week for canteen money to buy postcards and anything else I needed. But, stock in the store was limited, and by the time I visited the campers had pretty much cleaned it out, so most of the money was intact. Still, I deeply regretted the few dollars I had spent on the last lonely, way overpriced candy bar that had remained on the shelf. I was down to $46 and some change. Along with the money and clothes, I added a few dinner rolls, water bottles, and some fruit I had managed to smuggle out of the dining hall.

After carefully loading up the pack, I slid it behind the couch so it was ready to go, but hidden from Dorian so he wouldn’t see it if he stopped by the cabin before heading over to the big Friday night social. I quickly got ready for the evening, pulling my long hair back into a pony tail and slicking on a little lip gloss. Todd felt the social would be the best time for the escape. The clan would be distracted with the music, food, booze, and dancing. Markus and I could slip away, and no one would know for hours if all went according to plan. I just hoped Markus would cooperate. He had no idea of our intentions.

The Friday night dance was the highlight of the week and everyone always seemed to have a blast. During the winter and on rainy and cold nights it was held indoors at the meeting lodge. But thankfully, the night was clear and warm so it would be at its usual place, the outdoor pavilion. I hurried to the pavilion to see the party had already started with the weremen and women dancing, drinking, and flirting. As I looked around for Todd I saw Caleb, and I made it a point to walk in front of him and act as though everything was normal.

“Where’s Dorian?” he asked as I moved past him.

Where was Dorian, I wondered? Not that I really cared, but it would be good to know if he was busy getting tanked and unlikely to get in my way. I glanced around the pavilion but didn’t see him. Usually, he was front and center, getting drunk. “I don’t know Caleb,” I responded, trying to sound as natural as possible. “But I’m sure he will be along.”

I nervously walked over to the bar area and ordered a beer. I was so ready to leave right now, but Todd said it would be best to wait until the party was in full swing, as it would be less likely for anyone to notice anything. For the next hour I pretended to drink a couple of beers, though I actually poured the hoppy ale into the grass when no one was watching. I could use a drink but I had to stay as sharp as possible tonight. I wandered around the pavilion, fear climbing in my throat as I watched the wolves enjoying the evening.

Glancing at my watch, I could see it was getting close to the time to find Todd. I needed to get to the corner of the log cabin where we had arranged to meet up.

I slipped away from the social and back to Dorian’s cabin. Thankfully, he was not there and I retrieved my duffel bag. Then I quickly walked towards the meeting spot. I was behind the main buildings now, out of sight of the others. But, as I rounded a corner, I saw Kaitlyn and Trent under a small light in the back of one of the cabins. Trent’s back was to me, and he had Kaitlyn pressed up against one of the log walls while he ran his lips up and down her neck. Kaitlyn giggled as she teasingly pushed him away. As I retreated back to the edge of the cabin, I realized it was too late. Her eyes narrowed as she saw me and she opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again. She pulled Trent closer towards her body, planting her lips fully on his. She winked at me as she made out with Trent, keeping him fully engrossed so I could slip by unnoticed.

In just minutes, I reached the meeting place. A raw, nervous flush of excitement washed over me when I saw Todd. He was looking furtively around the area to make sure no one had followed.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, I am so ready.” The thought of being with Markus again sent flutters through my stomach.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out some crumpled twenties. “Here, I want you to take this.”

“Todd, I can’t take that.”

“Yes, you can,” Todd said, “and you will. You need the money and it’s not like I need it now.”

He pressed the twenties in my hand and gave me a gentle hug. “Come on, we need to get moving.”

I dropped the twenties into my duffel. I would add it to my wallet later when I had time. I didn’t have a moment to count, but it looked like he had given me at least six or seven twenties.

“Come on,” he said, “we have to do this quick.”

Together, we walked briskly in the direction of Markus and C-cabin, the strains of music from the pavilion growing fainter. As we approached Markus, I felt like crying out. Sensing this, Todd motioned me to be silent, a finger to his lips. Markus had been pacing in his human form as we approached, but he’d stopped and was sniffing the air. I knew in my core he could smell us.

“Kristen,” he whispered. His throaty voice reached out to me in the night air.

“Markus, we’ve come to get you out,” I whispered back as I stepped forward from the bushes. I could barely make him out in the moonshine but I could still smell his earthy scent.

“You’re crazy,” he responded, disbelief in his voice. “You can’t do this. The pack will lock you up too—both of you,” he added, noticing Todd.

“We’re doing it,” I replied firmly. Todd stepped forward, moving towards the locks that chained Markus. It was crazy that there was no one watching him, but I imagined the clan would never have thought one of their own would try or be able to break out of C-cabin. After all, where would they go? I still wasn’t sure if we would even be able to release Markus from the chains; the lock looked substantial.

Todd had a piece of metal in his hand that glinted as he turned it. “Multi-purpose army knife; they come in handy—everyone should have one.” He leaned in towards the chains on Markus. “I can pick most locks in seconds. Hold this and direct it towards the lock,” he added, handing me a small silver flashlight.

I flashed the light briefly at Markus. He looked tired but I could see hope in his eyes. It must be hell for him to be locked up like a criminal, unable to experience the freedom of running in his wolf. His shirt was off and his muscular chest was covered in small beads of sweat from pacing in the heat all day. I felt horrible. It was my fault he was in this misery.

I bit my lower lip as Todd knelt down next to Markus and worked the lock. Could he actually do it? In seconds, there was a click as the lock pins moved. I let out a deep sigh of relief. I could hardly believe it but Markus was free. I wanted to smother him with kisses but I knew there was no time for that so I hugged him and wrapped my arms around his firm waist.

“You both need to change into your wolf and make a run for it. Pennsylvania is probably as good a choice as any,” Todd said, pointing in the distance. “The Mason Dixon border is a few towns over. It’s busy enough that you can blend in, and it’s close enough that you can get there before dark.”

My mind started whirling as Todd talked. It was crazy to think we could get away with this. There was so much to think about.

“Kristen, Kristen. Are you listening to me?” Todd asked.

I nodded my head.

“Good, now like I said Kristen, the area is big enough that you can blend in. But you should take every step so that you look different than the photo on the fliers they have been passing around of you. After all, people are still looking for the missing campers. You should chop off your hair and dye it.” He dropped his army knife in my duffel. “There’s a scissor tool in the knife you can use to cut your hair with. Now, change into your wolves and get going.”

It’s funny how you stereotype people because of how they look. I thought Todd was some nice, gorgeous beach bum type surfing thru life on his looks and charm. But now, I realized he was a super smart guy with a heart of gold. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you so much Todd. You are amazing.”

“Todd, I, I can’t thank you enough man,” Markus added giving Todd a quick man hug. “I really appreciate this.”

Todd gave us a wave. “Glad to be able to help. And hey,” he grinned, “be sure to send me a postcard. Good luck!”

As Todd walked away, Markus embraced me. I wanted to stay locked in his strong arms but we both knew there wasn’t time. Markus unbuttoned his jeans, letting them drop to the ground, and quickly pulled off his boxers.

As he stripped down, I couldn’t help but admire his buff physique. He was so ripped and delicious and it had been so long. I wanted to grab him and lick every inch of his body and… I pushed aside my urges as I shed my clothes. Focus Kristen. Focus. I felt the force rip through my body as the change took place. Markus nuzzled our discarded clothes into the duffel along with the others and looped the bag over his furry neck.

I gazed over at Markus, his chocolate brown eyes meeting mine. He jerked his head towards the dense woods and I started running; him following closely at my hind legs.

My heart was pounding and felt like it was in my throat as we sprinted through the forest. We ran hard, and fast. We were running for our lives—to live our lives, together.