Alpha Mated Box Set: Werewolf Shifter Romance E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The entire Alpha Mated series in one complete package!

Dakota Combes’s boring life as the quintessential office-slave comes to an abrupt end one fateful Friday evening when she stumbles on the CEO of the company, and his dark secret. Her world turns upside down in a sensual mix of awe and wonder as he leads her into his dark world of wealth and adventure.

Leseprobe

Alpha Mated BoxSet

Werewolf Shifter Romance

Mac Flynn

Copyright © 2017 by Mac Flynn

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Contents

Eligible Billionaire

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Lucky Day

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Island Vacation

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Phantom Pain

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Seasick Love

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Continue the adventure

Other Series By Mac Flynn

Eligible Billionaire

Alpha Mated, Book1

1

Who knew a werewolf billionaire playboy would fall for Plain-Jane me? Or that werewolf billionaire playboys even existed?

But that's starting at the almost-beginning of my story. I'll rewind a little ways to get you guys caught up on my sensual dealings with a certain handsome devil, and our little pleasure adventures in the paranormal world.

It all began one late-winter day not too long ago. The world was awash in holiday colors provided by the twinkling lights, the glistening snow and the cheery faces walking on the streets. It was a pity I was trapped in my cubicle far from any window. The only view I had was the one on the calendar, and that just showed me a bunch of adorable kittens playing in a field.

I leaned my elbow on the desk and stared at those happy kittens. A sigh escaped my lips. "Lucky dogs-er, cats," I whispered to myself.

A head popped over the top of my cubicle wall. The red-haired cranium belonged to my best friend, Ruth Reid. She had her usual wide grin on her face as she slung her arms over the top of my wall and leanedover.

"You talking to yourself again?" she askedme.

I leaned back in my chair and smiled. "I'm always guaranteed to have an intelligent conversation."

She set her chin on her crossed hands and furrowed her brow. "You sure you were talking to yourself?"

I studied the wall and my friend. "Are you sure you should be up there?"

Ruth grinned. "So it's 'no' to both those questions?"

I rolled my eyes and slid my chair closer to the wall. I placed my palm against the wall and gave it a soft shake. "Come on, get down beforeyou-"

"Miss Reid, what are you doing up there?" a voice barked.

I groaned and Ruth winced. She slowly slid out of view. I rolled my chair to the opening of my small prison and peeked around the corner. A wide, short man stood in her doorway with his arms crossed. He wore a blue suit that did nothing for his figure, and only seemed to accentuate his increasing baldness on the back of his head. The man was our portly supervisor, John Bulla.

He glared at my friend as she sat cowed in her chair with a nervous smile on her face. "Miss Reid, I've warned you time and again about climbing on the walls."

She nodded her head like a bobble doll. "I know, Mr. Bulla, but I was just-" He held up his hand and shook hishead.

"No excuses. If I catch you one more time you're out. Do you understand?"

Ruth cringed. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Bulla turned to me and pursed his lips. "Was there something you wanted, Miss Combes?"

Combes was my last name. My other handle was Dakota.

I shook my head. "No, Mr. Bulla. If you'll excuse me I'll get back to work." I pressed my heels in the thinly carpeted floor and pushed myself back into my cubicle.

Bulla's heavy footsteps retreated from our little domains. After five minutes of typing madly away at a report I barely understood a head peeked out from the side of my cubicle entrance.

Ruth studied my typing fingers. "How can you do anything on a Friday?"

I didn't look away from the screen. "Because I'm paid to do stuff on Friday." She pulled herself in her computer chair into my cubicle until our arm rests bumped together. I stopped my work and glared at her. "You're going to get us both fired."

She leaned her cheek on my shoulder and smiled up at me. "Then we can look for new jobs together."

I pursed my lips. "What do youwant?"

She started back and dramatically pressed her splayed fingers to her chest. "Moi? Want something?"

My face fell and my eyes narrowed. "You only give me those brown eyes when you want something."

Ruth dropped her hand and shrugged. "Well, there is a little favor I wanted-"

"He's here!" a voice in a neighboring cubicle giggled.

"Oh mygod!"

Ruth jumped to her feet and looked over my cubicle wall. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "It's reallyhim!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

She clasped her hands and her eyes sparkled. Her voice resembled the squealing of tires on a hard corner. "He's so handsome! I wonder if he's still dating?"

This was going nowhere. I rolled my eyes and stood up. I followed her gaze and my eyes fell on a handsome man with short black hair. His face was perfectly sculpted and he wore the custom-made suit like a glove. Or a suit. Anyway, he was about six feet tall which is a head taller than me, and he had smiles for all the employees who ogledhim.

This was Mr. David Dives, the billionaire playboy who owned and played with the company, and some of its employees. He stood near the elevator on the far side of the room in the hall that ran between the rows of cubicles and the wall. A gaggle of supervisors and women stood around him, many of them with starryeyes.

Several of our fellow female employees peeked over the tops of their cubicles, and their whispered conversations floated over tome.

"I heard he has a girlfriend for every day of theweek."

"I heard he hastwo."

I snorted. I could just imagine him paying out to have a woman for each arm, not that he needed the money. He was handsome, to say the least.

"I heard he bought another yacht."

"Doesn't that make three?"

"Something likethat."

"How does he run the business and have all thisfun?"

The first woman snorted and waved her hand at her friend. "He doesn't run the business. The board does that, and all the slave drivers on the floors."

"Then what's he doinghere?"

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Don't you know? He always makes a yearly scouting of the place, just to pretend he's in charge of the company he inherited."

The other one sighed and they both looked back to their idol. "I wish I could live likethat."

Ruth tugged on my sleeve and nodded at Dives. Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. "I want you to get me a date withhim."

I rolled my eyes. "I can't even get the time from him, much less you adate."

Her shoulders drooped. The figure of worship was joined by Bulla, and the pair walked down the walls of cubicles and into our supervisor's office. Ruth sighed and dropped into my spare seat close beside mydesk.

"Damn. . ." she mumbled.

I slipped into my chair and shook my head. "None of us has a chance with a guy like that. We may as well be hoping to meet a mythical creature."

A nervous smile slipped onto Ruth's lips. "Speaking of mythical creature, I kind of have a date after work tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "You were just asking for-" She rolled her eyes and nodded herhead.

"I know, I know, but a girl can dream for better things, can't she? I mean, Barney can't exactly give me a yacht, canhe?"

I snorted. "You're going out with the front deskman?"

She put her hands on her hips and wagged a finger at me. "He's nice, and he knows how to greet agirl."

"He knows how to greet everybody," I quipped.

Ruth sighed and slumped back in her seat. "Anyway, he's going to take me out for some Unicorns, but I-well, I haven't really got my work done today."

I frowned. "You want me to do you work so you can go out on adate?"

She gave me a wide smile and clasped her hands together. "Please? Perdy please with sugar ontop?"

I pursed my lips. My eyes fell on the dwindling stack of papers beside me. They were data sheets to be typed in. The clock on my computer screen read fifteen minutes till five which was when we were all released like schoolchildren to run amok through the city for the weekend.

I closed my eyes and massaged my forehead. "Let me see the paperwork."

Ruth's face lit up and she nodded. "Sure! Sure thing!" She hurried to her cubicle and returned with a pile twice as large asmine.

My face fell and my eyes flickered up to her face. "All right, but you owe me big, especially since we don't get paid for overtime."

She dropped her pile onto mine and saluted me. "I promise you won't regret doingit."

Oh boy was she wrong. At least at the beginning.

2

The clocks struck five o'clock and a human wave swept towards the two elevators. They chatted, laughed, threw paper airplanes, and looped their arms over one another's shoulders in celebration of another week of their lives swallowed by the tedium of the required occupation. The floor was cleared in five minutes, and I was left alone with only the sound of the keys to comfortme.

I, however, remained diligently at my post. The paperwork beside me was paper-thin. Another minute more and some furious typing, and I'd be released into the wilds of the streets.

That's when I heard a door open. I stood and peeked over the top of my cubicle. Bulla stepped out of his office and behind him came Dives. My supervisor was all smiles while the one on Dives's face looked strained.

"Now could I interest you in some dinner? My treat," Bulla offered.

Dives held up his palm and shook his head. "No, that's fine. I wanted to look over the floor for a while."

My supervisor set his hand on Dives' back. "Then I can show you around."

Dives slipped from the shaky grasp and shook his head. "No, I think I can manage."

Bulla laughed and nudged Dives in the side with his elbow. "All right, but don't keep the janitors waiting."

Dives's smile grew more strained. "I won't."

Bulla patted him on the back and strode over to the elevator. Dives turned away just as Bulla stepped into the lift. My supervisor turned and his smile slipped into a scowl that was directed at Dives. The elevator doors shut before the billionaire noticed the look of disdain.

Dives swept his eyes over the area. I ducked down and cringed. If Dives caught me here he might find out about Ruth giving me her papers. That was a big no-no in company policy, and the prospect of joining the unemployment line didn't appeal tome.

I got back to my typing, but winced at every clack of the keyboard. Dives's footsteps came closer. I cringed and furiously typed the last page into the computer. The last entry was finished and the work saved. I grabbed my purse and swung my chair towards the entrance to my cubicle.

David Dives leaned against one side of the entrance with his arms folded and a real smile on his face. "You do know you don't get overtime, right?"

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, I know, but I had to get this workdone."

His gaze fell on the stack of papers beside my computer tower. "They give out a lot of work lately, don'tthey?"

I stood and tried to scoot past him, but the doorway was small and he wasn't. "I guess, but could I leave?"

He grinned and shrugged. "That depends."

I frowned. "Onwhat?"

"On whether you can give me your name," he teased.

My frown deepened and I crossed my arms over my chest. "I might work for you, Mr. Dives-"

"David." I blinked at him, and he chuckled. "Call me David."

"Listen, Mr. Dives, I really want to get home. It's-" I fumbled to bring out my cellphone to check thetime.

He glanced at his Rolex watch. "It's five-fifteen."

"That's fifteen minutes longer than I wanted, so if you'll excuse me." I slipped past him and into thehall.

My feet clacked against the hard carpet, and I heard his follow me to the elevators. I reached for the button, but he beat me toit.

"Going my way?" he askedme.

I turned my face away from him and stared at the closed elevator doors. "That depends on if you're going to the underground garage."

He chuckled. "By some strange chance, I am. My chauffeur is sick and couldn't come in today, so I drove myself."

"That must have been a traumatic experience for you," I quipped.

He slipped closer to me and lowered his voice to a sultry whisper. "I get the feeling you don't likeme."

A wave of heat swept over my body. Here was this rich, handsome man putting the moves on me. He was also a notorious playboy who used women like Kleenex's and discarded them just as quickly.

I shook the blush off my cheeks and took a half step away from him. "What makes you thinkthat?"

"Because you won't look at me," he pointedout.

I was saved by the opening of the elevator doors, and I stepped inside. Dives joined me. As I turned around I noticed the last few rays of sunlight break through the tall, wide windows at the opposite end of the floor. Evening was coming.

The doors shut. Dives positioned himself near the buttons while I took the rear. He pressed the button for the underground garage and looked to me with a smile. "You sure I couldn't offer you a ridehome?"

"You'd have to offer me a ride back to work. It's the only car I've got," I toldhim.

He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me. "I could do that. I wouldn't even need to pick youup."

My eyebrows crashed down and I turned to face the doors. The numbers above the doors counted down to the uppercase 'G,' but not fast enough for me. "I think I'llpass."

Dives leaned his back against the side wall and folded his arms over his chest. He studied me with a mix of admiration and perplexity. "Did I do something wrong? Because you're giving me a really hardtime."

I pursed my lips and my eyes flickered to him. "You're not exactly known for your reliability, especially when it comes to women."

He sighed and shrugged. "I suppose you're right, but we all can't be beautiful angels likeyou."

That damn blush came back to my cheeks. He was good, real good. A strong, musky scent filled the small space. I breathed deep and regretted it as my body warmed with desire. I tamped down the rising lustful interest in him and shifted feet. The numbers above the door ticked down to the last few floors, and below those was the parking garage. Just a little furtherand-

Dives pushed off from the wall and dropped his arms. He held out his hand to me and smiled.

I glanced from the offered hand to his face, and raised an eyebrow. "What's thisfor?"

He shrugged. "For a good match. I can respect a woman who know who she wants to sleep with, even if it's notme."

I ignored his hand and looked back at the numbers. "Thanks. I think. . ." I mumbled.

He dropped his hand. "No problem, but if you-" He winced and clutched at his stomach. I half-turned to him and watch his face scrunch up and his body double over. Dives wrapped both arms around his stomach and fell to his knees. His hoarse, strained words reached me. "Damnit!"

I frowned. "If this is some weird way to get me interested in you, it's not working."

He didn't look up at me before he shook his head. "No, it's my-my stomach," he choked out. He leaned over and clapped one palm down on the floor. "Damn it! What the hell. . .is happening tome?"

His face was pale and I noticed sweat form on the side of his temples. I knelt down beside him and grasped his shoulders. They shook like leaves in a hurricane.

"Is it your heart?" I askedhim.

He ground his teeth together and shook his head. "No. It's. . .it's everything. Ah!" He scrunched into himself and shuddered. I noticed the hand on the floor tensed and his long nails dug into the metal.

"Let me get you to a hospital," I offered.

He closed his eyes and nodded. His face was a mask of pain and I noticed his clothes were stretched and covered in sweat.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The parking garage was one of those dimly lit concrete constructions with thick columns that dotted the urban landscape. The three levels were separated by a railing and a drop of five feet. My breath drifted from my mouth. White puffs of air blew out of Mr. Dives's partedlips.

I slipped one of his arms over my shoulders and helped him to his unsteady feet. "Come on. My car's notfar."

The distance was only fifty yards, but it felt like forever. The place was mostly empty except for my car that sat near one of the railings. The light above my vehicle flickered on and off, and cast the area in semi-darkness.

We reached the rear passenger door when two shadows slipped beneath the lower rung of the railing. They were gang-bangers with tattoos, bandannas, and no sense of hygiene. The pair leered at me with yellowed teeth rotted by drugs, and in their hands they each held a long metalpipe.

"Hey, lady, watcha doing here so late?" one of them askedme.

I took a step back. Dives let out another groan. His whole body shuddered. He didn't seem to be completely conscious.

"Please, I've got to get him to a hospital," I told thepair.

One of the thugs glanced down at Dives and his eyes widened. He looked to his friend and jerked his head to Dives's wrist. "Look at that watch."

His friend smirked. "Nice watch. We'll take that, and your purse."

I clasped my purse with my free hand. "Fine, but let me get out my car keys first."

The second thug snorted. "Like we're that fucking stupid, lady. Watcha got in there, agun?"

The other one stalked around Dives and me. "Nah, she wouldn't have a gun. Probablymace."

His friend laughed. "

Dives let out a horrible, strangled gasp. His body convulsed. I lost my grip on him and he fell onto his stomach. He curled into a ball with his arms and knees beneath him. I knelt by his side and grasped his shoulders and whipped my head up to the thugs.

"Just back off! This guy could be dying!" I snapped atthem.

"Then he won't need his watch," one of the thugs commented.

He stooped down and grasped the band of the watch. Dives didn't look up as his hand whipped out and grabbed the thug's arm. The thug's eyes widened and he tried to pull his arm away. Dives raised his head and looked at the man. I gasped and fell backwards so that I landed on my hands andrear.

Dives's face was covered in fur and his nose protruded outward like a snout. His yellow eyes glowed in the shadows and his lips curled back in a snarl.

"W-what the fuck?" his captive stuttered.

The other one stumbled back with his eyes wide and his mouth agape. "H-he's some kind of fucking monster!"

Dives stood. His tight clothes burst at the seams and thick mats of grayish-brown fur poked through the holes. His fingers lengthened and his nails curved into long, sharp claws. My eyes widened as his shoes close beside me burst open to reveal long furry feet that ended in more sharp nails.

He lifted the thug off the ground and shoved their faces together. The thug screamed and a noticeable wet spot appeared in his crotch.

"Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" the thug pleaded.

Dives snarled, but his face contorted into pain. He stooped and panted for air. The thug grabbed Dives's hand and tried to pry himself loose. Dives's eyes flickered up and narrowed. He tossed the thug five yards and over the railing to the lower level, and then turned to the other thug. The man yelped and turned tail. He clambered over the railing and fell over the otherside.

I stood on my shaky legs and stumbled backwards until my back against one of the columns. The thugs picked themselves up and ran away. A growl brought my attention back to the matter at hand, namely one terrifyingboss.

I whipped my head to Dives. He stared back at me with those bright, illuminated eyes. The pain in his face remained, and he stumbled towards me with one hand outstretched. For a moment his eyes flickered back to their blue color.

His garbled, albeit mostly human, voice called out to me. "Please. Please help. . .help me," he chokedout.

Another shot of pain stiffened his body. He cried out in a mangling of a growl and cry, and dropped chest-first onto the ground. His chest moved up and down from his panting and his eyes were half-lidded.

I took a cautious step towards him. He groaned and shuddered. I froze. His long, sharp claws dug into the concrete floor and left inch-deep scratch marks. My eyes were glued to the marks until I heard a familiar, and unwelcome, sound.

Police sirens, and they were coming thisway.

3

My shoulders drooped and I pursed my lips. Great. Just when I didn't need them, they arrive. My eyes flickered between my car and the half-conscious thing close to my feet. I still had my purse slung over one shoulder. A few simple steps around the monstrosity and I would be home-free.

I took a couple of those steps, but paused when I came close to his head. One side of Dives's face lay against the concrete, and the other looked up at me. His half-lidded eye pleaded for my help, and his words echoed in my head. Help.

My sensible mind told me this was very wrong, and that I should leave. It also told me, in an offhand way, what would happen if any of the authorities found him in this condition. Think 'science experiment.'

The less-sensible part of my mind reminded me that even transformed as he was, he was still cute. And rich. And in desperate need of somehelp.

I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head. "Damn it, Dakota. How do you get yourself into these things?"

I hurried the few feet to my car door and swung it open. My purse was tossed into the passenger seat, and I opened the rear driver's side passenger door. The sirens were getting louder as I hurried back to my fallen boss. I rolled him onto his back and slipped my arms under his. The new fur must have added fifty pounds as I dragged him foot-by-foot to the open door. I leaned his back against the car and scooted into the back of my vehicle. A few long, hard tugs and he was spread out in the back of myseat.

I slammed the doors, slid into the seat behind the wheel, and backed out of the parking spot. The garage had two exits. I went to the far one because the sirens were closer to the other one. It was now dark, and the streetlights flashed through the windows as I made my way through traffics and lights. The occasional groan and shadow in my rear view mirror were constant reminders of my hairy problem.

I lived in a small fifth-floor apartment at the far end of town. The twenty-minute drive ended without incident, but I had a new problem. I couldn't exactly park on the curb and heft the furry load in through the front door. I turned off the street an alley short of my building and bumped us to the wide alley that split the block in two. The area was wide enough for dumpsters, and a car with a suspicious passenger. There was also a back entrance people used only for illegitimate reasons.

I parked the car among the trashcans and boxes, and stepped out. A puddle awaitedme.

"Damn it. . ." I muttered as I hopped out of the water. It was too late. My shoes were soaked.

I tiptoed around the other puddles and to the rear door. Dives's cheek was pressed against the glass and one of his yellow eyes glared at me. A scream escaped me before I slapped my hands over my mouth. The sound carried all the way down the alley. A few people peeked their heads out their windows, glared at me, and returned to their cramped dwellings.

I clutched my chest and took in the picture before me. Dives was now seated in the back. He panted and clutched at his chest. His short hair was changed to the gray mix and had progressed down his sideburns and back. His hard breathing let me see his extra-sharp teeth. Just for that reason did I hesitate to open thedoor.

"Mr. Dives?" I askedhim.

He grimaced and closed his eyes. "I'm. . .I'm still me," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "So you won't bite me or tear me limb-from-limb if I open thisdoor?"

He tilted forward and shook his head. I hesitantly opened the door. His weight shoved it open and he slipped out. I dove down and caught him before his clothes resembled my soggy shoes.

"Easy there. Come on," I grunted.

I hefted his arm over my shoulders and he managed to stand. That was an improvement over my dragging him because the floors in my apartment building weren't too clean and there wasn't an elevator to take him up to my place. We stumbled up the broken-concrete stoop and through the tattered and half-broken back door. The entrance led down a short, narrow hall to the lobby, and from there up the stairs to the apartments. There was also a fire escape stairwell directly to our right. It was used mostly by druggies and hobos, but Lady Luck finally smiled on us. The place was deserted on that Friday night, and we made our way up the five flights to my floor.

The apartment building wasn't exactly high living. The wallpaper, what little remained, peeled off the walls in large strips, and sat on the worn wooden floor boards. All the doors to the apartments looked like they saw better days during the Biblical Flood, and the inhabitants weren't much better to look at. We creaked and groaned down the hall with Dives and the floor alternating with the groaning.

We reached my door, the spacious apartment at the end of the hall. I fumbled for my keys and inserted the right one into thelock.

"Who have you got there?"

I froze and winced. My mind worked on a terrible excuse as I looked over my shoulder at the middle-aged occupant of the room next to mine. She wore a bathrobe over her flowered dress and bunny slippers adorned her otherwise bare feet. Her graying hair was done up in a tight bun behind her head and her small, curious eyes fell on Dives.

"Um, nobody, Miss Ardelio."

She turned up her peeked nose and wagged a finger at me. "No lying, Miss Combes. I can see you have a young gentleman here, but what on earth is wrong with him? Have you called a doctor?"

I glanced between Dives. "It's really nothing. He-um, he's practicing for a play he's giving. The fur's his costume. See?" I leaned him against the wall and tugged on some hair that stuck out from his shirt. He winced, but didn't cryout.

Ardelio waltzed up to us. Her narrow eyes studied his face and posture. "He certainly looksill."

I flung open my door and pulled Dives's arm over my shoulders. "That's just him staying in character. He's a-um, a method actor. But if you'll excuse us." I pulled him into my apartment and slammed the door in my neighbor's nosyface.

My apartment didn't look much better than the hall. The wallpaper was more often on the walls than the floor, but the small kitchen had warped cupboards and a sink with hard-water spots. The furniture in the living room, if you could call the small space in the right-hand corner, was of some ancient vintage, perhaps the Sixties, and was hidden beneath new cloth covers to hide the holes and springs. I hefted Dives over to the couch and plopped him down. He landed on his rear and leaned against the back with a heavy groan.

I sat down in the small chair opposite him and sank into the cushion. It helped that there weren't any springs left to keep me up. I studied my unexpected, and furry, visitor.

Dives's breathing was less erratic and his arms hung by his sides. His eyes were still yellow, and it was unnerving to be watched by them. He didn't blinkmuch.

He shifted on the cushion and winced. "I think one of your springs is broken."

"It's probably missing," I replied. I leaned forward and set my elbows on my legs. I clasped my hands together and set my chin on them. "So do you always get hairy when you hit on girls, or is this a new thing?"

Dives managed a hoarse laugh and shook his head. "No. At least, not until after the first date which is after I've learned hername."

I raised an eyebrow. "So this has happened to you before?"

All humor fled from his face. He pursed his lips, but nodded. "Yes, but not this-well, it's never gotten out of my control before."

I looked him over. The gray-brownish fur. The increased muscle mass. The sort-of-snout. It all pointed to one unbelievable conclusion. "So you're a werewolf?"

He sighed and sank deeper into the couch. That, or it was slowly sinking beneath his heavy weight. "Yes."

I frowned. "After saving your life all I get is a 'yes?'"

A mischievous smile slipped onto his lips. "I could give you something more, but you already refused my kind offer."

I leaned back and rolled my eyes. "I don't think making out with a werewolf is on my bucketlist."

Dives chuckled. "I suppose not, but I guess I could give you some more explanation. That is, if I can trust you with it, and if I can know the name of the beautiful woman who savedme."

I shrugged. "Would anybody believe an office girl when she tells them the owner of her billionaire-dollar company is a werewolf? As for my name, it's Dakota Combes."

He smiled. "Dakota Combes. Not a badname."

"Now for the story," I insisted.

My boss tilted his head back and nodded. "I see your point about the authorities, but it's a long and strange story."

"It's Friday night, and I've got nothing todo."

4

Dives sighed. "It all started like a lot of regrets, with agirl."

I snorted. "Figures."

He shrugged. "I suppose I don't deserve pity, or even sympathy, but I'd be grateful if you waited until the end of my story to pass judgment."

I pursed my lips, but nodded. "All right, have it yourway."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, like I said, this all started with a girl. It was about ten years ago. I was on a cruise to escape some of my more persistent admirers."

"The ones who kept sending you pics of wedding dresses?" I guessed.

Dives smiled. "The very ones. The cruise sailed around the Mediterranean and Aegean. At a port in Greece we picked up more passengers. One of them was a lovely little Gypsy in a troupe of musical performers. She was the dancer."

"So you got it on with her," I surmised.

He shrugged. "What else could I do with a beautiful woman who barely knew any English? Talk philosophy?"

I sighed and waved my hand. "Goon."

He pursed his lips and sank lower into the couch. "It turns out she didn't speak very good English, but her troupe leader knew more than enough to get me into some deep shit. It was he who got her to my state room where we had a little fun. Then she bit me." He pulled down the collar of his shirt. The fur was thinner near the jugular and I noticed a crescent mark made by sharp teeth.

I winced. "That must'vehurt."

"Like hell, with an extra dose of curse to give it a good kick," he agreed as he released the collar. "Her troupe leader knew how rich I was and told me if I didn't pay him a king's ransom to teach me how to control myself I'd kill someone."

I raised an eyebrow. "And didyou?"

He smirked and shook his head. "I didn't give him a dime. All I had to do was point out that if I did kill someone I'd reveal their existence to the whole world. They'd be hunted down like rabid dogs and dissected like lab rats. He got mad and then scared, and taught me enough so I could get by. At the next port I jumped ship and headed to an estate my family owned in Scotland. I worked a little longer on my self-control until I was sure I could get through any one-night stand and headed home." He shrugged. "And that'sit."

I shook my head. "If that was it than I wouldn't be sitting here listening to your lame story. In all those ten years you never lost it and wore a real fur suit in public?"

Dives pursed his lips and studied me with those yellow eyes. "I do have trouble controlling myself around the fullmoon."

I jerked my head to the right towards a dirty-glassed window. "The full moon isn't due for anotherweek."

He tilted his head to one side. His eyes never left me. "I know. It doesn't make any sense to me, either."

I furrowed my brow. "I'd say it was the mugging, but you dropped in the elevator."

A sly smile curled onto his lips. "Perhaps it was in the elevator that something happened."

Dives stood and walked up to me. He set his hands on each arm and leaned down so our faces nearly touched. I shrank as deep into the chair as the cushion would allow. His yellow eyes studied me with carnal interest. I found my body responding to his attentions in a most pleasant and annoying way. A warm wave of desire swept over me. I was nearly drowned in lust for this strange creature that stood over me. My heart quickened and my breathing deepened. I grasped the sides of the arms and trembled.

He leaned closer so his lips brushed against one of my trembling cheeks. His low, sultry voice slipped into my ear. I had to bite back the groan. "Perhaps it was someone in the elevator that happened."

A knock on the door startled both of us. Dives spun around and growled at the door. I jumped from the chair and swept past him to the entrance. "I'll get it!" I yelled in a squeaky voice. I grabbed the knob and flung open thedoor.

It was Miss Ardelio's turn to be surprised. She started back and the pie dish in her hands nearly dropped to the floor. "My goodness, but you frightenedme!"

I gave her a shaky smile. "Sorry about that. I thought you were a salesman."

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Miss Combes, you know those types of men aren't allowed in the apartment building."

I glanced over my shoulder at another type of 'man.' Dives had his back turned towards us. "Oh, right, I forgot." I returned my attention to Ardelio. "But is there something I can do foryou?"

She smiled and held out the pie. "I thought perhaps your young gentleman friend there would like this. Actors can have such strong appetites after being under those hot lights allday."

I swiped the pie from her hands and pressed the tip of my foot against the door to give it a good slam. "Thanks, I'm sure wewill."

Ardelio took a step inside so that shutting the door would involve cutting her into two. Her dream-filled eyes never left Dives. "Perhaps the young gentleman-I never caught his name-might entertain me-us, that is-with some of his acting. What play wasit?"

I swept through my old-story recollections even as I inched the door shut. "It was-um, the Hound of the Baskervilles. He plays the dog. But he's really tiredand-"

"The Hound of the Baskervilles?" Ardelio wondered. She grasped the door with one hand to keep me from shutting it. "I had no idea that was a play. He must perform his howl forme."

I winced. "I really don't-" A long, hideously accurate howl echoed through my apartment. I whipped my head around in time to see Dives lower his head after his performance.

Ardelio was all smiles as she clapped her hands. "Bravo! Encore! Encore!"

Her distraction gave me a chance to slam the door shut in her face. I locked the knob and turned around to lean my back against the entrance. Dives turned to me with a proud grin on hisface.

I frowned. "Did you have to be soloud?"

He shrugged. "It was natural."

"Yeah, naturally a bad idea," I retorted as I stalked over to the kitchen table and plopped the pie on the top. "If my manager hears that he's going to have a fit. Dogs aren't allowed in the apartment building."

Dives chuckled. "I'm hardly adog."

I whirled around and glared at him. "No, a dog would be better behaved. Now do you think you could lose the fur coat before somebody else sees you likethat?"

Dives raised his hands and glanced from one to the other. He furrowed his face. "It doesn't seem to be working." His eyes flickered up to me and that smooth, seductive smile slipped onto his lips. Even with all that fur and ripped clothes he was handsome. Or maybe it was because of the ripped clothes. "Perhaps it's the company."

"Perhaps it's because you don't know as much about this whole werewolf thing as you thought," I retorted.

A dreaded heavy rap came to my door. "Combes? Combes, are you in there?" growled the apartment building owner, Mr. Dominus.

My shoulders drooped and I hung my head. "Perfect. . ." I mumbled.

I lifted my head when I noticed movement. Dives strode towards thedoor.

I reached out a hand towards him. "No!" I yelped.

Dives opened the door and revealed my tall, heavy-set apartment manager. Dominus was six-foot six without shoes and was built like a tank if a tank could bench press a bus. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans, and glared down at Dives.

"Who the hell are you?" Dominus snapped.

Dives smiled and extended his hand. "David Dives. Perhaps you've heard ofme."

Dominus sneered at him. "No, now where the hell is Combes? I heard a dog howling and I know it came from her apartment."

Dives dropped his hand, but not his smile. "Miss Combes is currently unavailable, but if you have a problem with animals you can take it up