Big Wicked Wolf (Shadowpeak Wolves Book 1) Read online

  Big Wicked Wolf

  Sadie Carter

  Copyright

  Sadie Carter

  Big Wicked Wolf

  © 2017, Sadie Carter

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

  This story contains explicit sex scenes.

  Cover Design: No Sweat Graphics

  Editor: Ave’s Editing, Jillian Bell

  Hi everyone

  Big Wicked Wolf is the first book in the Shadowpeak series, which I wrote for a publisher that has since gone out of business. Big Wicked Wolf was originally published as Loving Laney and is the first book I ever wrote. This series is a bit different than my Zerconians, bit more sexy, little less humor. But I hope you enjoy!!

  Sadie

  Chapter One

  Trouble had just walked into Fat Eddy’s, and he was mind-bogglingly gorgeous.

  “See? What did I tell you? Is he hot or what?” Ella whispered in Laney’s ear as she shuffled closer, both of them peering around the door at the sexy man standing in the middle of the bar.

  “Hot, definitely hot,” Laney whispered back, surprised by her reaction. Her heart beat quickened, her mouth growing dry as she stared at the gorgeous man. His t-shirt was stretched out across his wide chest, his large biceps almost straining the seams. She licked her lips, wondering what he looked like under his shirt. If her reaction to him was this intense when he was clothed, imagine what she’d be like if she saw him naked.

  Hubba-hubba.

  Umm, really? Hubba-hubba? That was the best she could do?

  “Wow, you really like the look of him, don’t you?” Ella asked.

  “What?” Arousal filled her mind, making it almost impossible for her to think, let alone talk.

  “And here I thought you’d closed up shop down there. I was starting to wonder if you played for the other team. Thought I might have to hide the girls so as not to tempt you too much.”

  Laney glanced at the other waitress, completely lost. “What are you talking about?”

  “Not that I have anything against lesbians, you understand,” Ella continued. “But I don’t swing that way, and I know you won’t find anyone in this hick town that does. Of course, watching you drool over Mr. T.D.D. tells me you were just being fussy. Nothing wrong with that.”

  Laney rolled her eyes and turned back to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous. An apt description for the man moving towards a table in her section.

  “Go serve him.” Ella gave her a shove.

  Laney stumbled through the swing door. She turned to glare at the other woman but Ella just grinned and gave her the thumbs up. Laney shook her head. Ella waved her hand at her. Gritting her teeth, Laney turned around.

  Only to find Mr. T.D.D. had disappeared, and an overweight trucker dressed in a plaid shirt and too-short shorts was waving at her. A pool of sweat darkened the material under his armpit, and it was obvious from the stale scent wafting from him that he hadn’t bathed in days.

  Fantastic. How long could you hold your breath without passing out?

  And where had Mr. T.D.D. gone?

  “Hey, clear this table will you, sweet cheeks?” he called out. She wrinkled her nose. Disappointment filled her. She’d gone from decadent, irresistible Godiva chocolate to rotten, moldy cheese. But she made her way over to him. He sat on the wooden chair which creaked under his weight.

  Working in a bar filled with humans wasn’t the best idea with her highly developed sense of smell. But Jimmy, the owner, paid under the table and he didn’t ask for references.

  Anyone with real references wouldn’t work in this dump.

  Laney gathered up the dirty plates and cutlery, balancing them on one arm before turning back towards the kitchen.

  She froze.

  There he was. Sliding into a chair only a few tables away. As she grew closer, his scent hit her. Luscious, rich, dark chocolate mixed with the spicy sweet scent of cinnamon and a hint of smoke. It cut through the other, less savory smells in the bar to torture her senses, like tempting someone during a famine with a feast. It took all her control not to let out a half-starved whimper, not to crawl her way over to him and beg him for a taste…until it hit her, the scent of forest, of pack, of wolf, and just like that, her arousal disappeared, frozen with her fear. Because he was one of the most arrestingly attractive, stunningly sexy, dominant werewolves she’d ever come across, and Laney knew just how dangerous a dominant werewolf could be.

  It could just be a coincidence that he was here. Perhaps he was just passing through, stopping for a meal. Oh, of all the bars in all the towns… Yeah, right. Laney just didn’t believe in coincidences like that.

  So, what the hell was he doing here?

  Laney shivered. What if he had sent him? Everything around her faded away to a blur as fear consumed her. It was her worst nightmare come to life—that Zachary would send someone for her, find her, and drag her back into hell.

  “Laney!” Ella spoke from behind her, making her jump and screech with fright. Horrified, she could only watch, frozen, as cutlery flew through the air, moving in slow motion, to crash loudly on the fake wooden floor. Heat scorched her cheeks as every face in the bar turned toward her. Kneeling quickly, both so she could clean up the mess and hide her embarrassment, Laney hastily gathered up the knives and forks with hands that trembled from a combination of fear and adrenaline.

  “Looking for this?” A deep voice spoke from above her, and without looking up, she knew it was him. Damn, she hadn’t even heard him move.

  Where were those sharp werewolf senses when she needed them?

  Bad wolfie. No cookie.

  Her gaze rose, from his scuffed dark brown boots, over the worn blue jeans, skimming quickly past his crotch, and up until she saw the teaspoon he held. Laney nodded quickly, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Why did the teaspoon have to land by his table? Bad teaspoon! Okay, now she knew she was losing her mind. She was actually starting to scold the cutlery!

  “Do you want this back?” Damn it, did he have to sound so amused? Did she have no pride?

  Get off your damn knees, Delaney Jean, she scolded herself.

  “I mean unless you’re having fun down there?”

  Laney frowned in confusion—fun on her knees? What the hell? Oh God, embarrassment hit her hard, and she felt the heat of her cheeks burning her. Why did she have to be staring right at his package? Not that she was staring, mind you—she’d been thinking, and her face just happened to be at groin level. Oh, crap! She was still staring.

  Scrambling awkwardly, sensing that her face was still aflame, Laney managed to get herself to her feet, albeit a bit ungracefully.

  “Th-thank you,” she stuttered, reaching her hand out for the spoon only to have it rise way above her head. Which, she admitted to herself, wasn’t that high—she was just that short. Her stomach dropped. Great, she’d moved to this town to get away from being bullied by other werewolves. Did she wear a sign saying “bully me”? Was it written in special ink on her forehead that only other werewolves could see?

  Laney’s temper pricked. She wasn’t going to be a victim. Never again.

  “Give me the teaspoon,” she gritted out, her gaze fixed on his chest.

  “Hmm, no, I don’t think so, not until you look me in the eyes.”

  Damn!
Why did his voice have to be all dark and mysterious? Why couldn’t he have sounded like a chipmunk with a cold? Life really was unfair. All the beautiful, powerful people got everything, while the poor misfits ended up with the bad skin, the squeaky voices, and the clumsiness of a clown.

  “Laney, are you ok?” She turned to find Ella standing behind her, giving her a puzzled look.

  Laney grabbed the rest of the plates and glasses. Luckily Ella had cleared away most of them while she’d been treasure hunting for dirty teaspoons. She tried her best to ignore the werewolf, but as she turned to move back to the kitchen, he stepped in front of her, barring her path.

  He had moved fast. Too fast. If he wasn’t careful, someone might realize there was something off about him.

  “Move out of my way,” she ordered, keeping her gaze lowered. Some dominant wolves saw direct eye contact as a challenge with werewolves they didn’t know.

  Dominant wolves could be such a pain in the ass, with their over-inflated egos and controlling natures.

  Still, at least he smelled good. Yum-yum. Oh Christ, what was wrong with her? Awareness tingled low in her stomach as she tried to dodge around him.

  “Don’t you want your teaspoon?”

  “Keep it,” she said swiftly, trying to move around him once again.

  “Well, now, sweet, I don’t really want it. What I do want is for you to look me in the eyes, and I’m not going to move ’til you do.”

  The teasing note was still there, but now there was a hint of steel underneath. Asshole.

  She really wanted to get past him, and they were in a public place… What was the worst that could happen?

  “Fine,” she gritted out, glaring up at him. Sharp hazel eyes gazed piercingly into hers, their color so deep and pure she felt mesmerized, trapped. When she eventually managed to tear her eyes from his, she found herself wishing she’d kept them there, for his face was no less arresting. Dark hair framed a face fallen angels would have killed for, with high cheekbones and a slight stubble that only added to his magnetism.

  “Happy now? I’m looking you in the eyes. Can I please get back to work before I get fired?”

  He placed the teaspoon on her pile and stepped aside gracefully. Laney walked past him in a huff, careful not to get too close. No matter how much she may have longed to.

  “Hey, way to catch his attention, Laney.” Ella bumped up next to her in the kitchen, dumping an armful of dirty plates beside the stack Laney was currently working her way through. “Never thought of throwing dirty cutlery at a guy, I’ll have to remember that next time.”

  Laney looked up at her friend in exasperation. Although she could be a snarky bitch at times, Ella was the closest thing Laney had ever had to a friend, and deep inside she knew that Ella was loyal and caring.

  Ella would never let anyone push her around. She was too sure of herself. She was also five-eight with gorgeous curves, not five feet in heels with the body of a prepubescent child. Ella liked to change her hair color and style to suit her mood, but even the fact that it was currently black with purple tips and lay in jagged, uneven layers did little to detract from her beauty.

  “You want him, you go get him, tiger,” Laney said, shuddering slightly. “Quite frankly, he scares the shit out of me.”

  Ella frowned down at her. “You are one weird chick. Of course, I always knew that. Who else but a crazy person would choose to live in this crappy town?” The only thing keeping Ella here was an ailing mother who depended on her.

  “But if you’re sure?” Ella asked absently, already undoing another of her shirt buttons until there was an almost indecent amount of cleavage showing.

  “I’m sure,” Laney said firmly. “I don’t want him.” Maybe if she said it aloud enough times, she would come to believe it.

  “Well, then, wish me luck,” Ella sang as she sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving Laney to tidy up the rest of the dishes herself. Not that she minded. Most werewolves were extroverts—they needed the constant presence of others. Not Laney. If she was alone, she was happy. Mostly. Laney shook her head to clear it. What was this werewolf doing here? He didn’t smell like her pack, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t hired him.

  Sighing, she rinsed off the last of the dishes. Was he here alone? Werewolves were pack animals. They lived together, often traveled together. Although it wasn’t unheard of for them to travel alone for short periods. Werewolves generally didn’t do well by themselves. But, so far, she was okay, no secret yearnings to hunt and eat humans. Uhh, yuck!

  “Damn man left!”

  Laney jumped, looking over as Ella stormed her way back in, a pile of perfectly balanced plates resting in her arms.

  “W-what?” Laney asked, quickly moving out of the way. Ella was a steamroller when she was mad—it was move or get flattened.

  “I was flirting with him, leaned right over so he could view the girls when he jumped up and said he had to leave. Hmmm, maybe he’s gay.”

  “Umm, yeah, maybe,” Laney said absently. Maybe he was just passing through. Surely if her Alpha had sent him, he’d have tried to grab her and run. Why had he left so quickly?

  Nerves strummed through her. Perhaps she should leave right now, just walk out the door, forget about her stuff, and take off.

  “That’s gotta be it,” Ella muttered while Laney nodded, her mind racing with options.

  She was tired of running and hiding. She didn’t want to run if she didn’t have to. Today was payday, anyway. She should work out her shift, get her money and then if she had to leave she’d at least have a cash supply to last her for a while.

  Chapter Two

  The rest of the evening passed in a blur. It was a busy Friday night with the usual locals plus a few strangers passing through, mainly truckers. Fat Eddy’s popularity had everything to do with its close location to the highway and nothing to do with the terrible food and dated decor. By the end of the evening her feet hurt, she smelled like cigarette smoke and fried food, and all she wanted was to get home and have a long, hot shower.

  Unfortunately, tonight was not going to be her night if the werewolf leaning against the driver’s door of her small, beat-up car was any indication.

  Laney paused, cursing silently. She could only think of one reason he would be waiting for her. Why hadn’t she left when she had the chance?

  She took a slow step back, barely breathing, not even blinking. Maybe he hadn’t seen her – maybe she could just slip away.

  “Going somewhere, sweet?” he drawled, looking completely relaxed as he leaned lazily against her car, his arms and legs crossed. Laney froze.

  “Yes, I’m going home. So why don’t you move your large butt so I can get in my car.”

  “You know, you might want to be a little nicer considering you’re a lone wolf in a town full of rednecks and idiots.”

  His voice never rose from a soft drawl, but still, Laney looked around nervously for any witnesses. She knew how badly the citizens of Addison would take it if they suddenly discovered she was a werewolf. While werewolves were legal citizens in the United States, there were still a lot of humans who viewed them as little more than animals. Worse, they saw them as abominations.

  The biggest anti-werewolf group was called HAW, Humans Against Werewolves, who wanted all werewolves eradicated. Like pests. Most of them kept their protests peaceful, but there were a few extremists, and their numbers seemed to be growing if the spike in violent episodes against werewolves lately was any indication.

  There was a group of HAW supporters in Addison. The whole town knew that they met every Friday night at Frank Hadley’s place. From what she’d heard they mainly just met up to do a lot of drinking and talking, but that didn’t mean they were harmless. She’d seen the hatred in their eyes, heard them boasting about what they’d do should a werewolf pack ever move near Addison.

  Laney doubted that anyone in this town had even met a werewolf before. Well, not that they realized it. Their hatred and fear was built on r
umors and ignorance.

  Laney let out a quiet sigh as she confirmed they were alone. Regret and relief mingled. While she might love a witness to come along and send him packing, she knew no one in this town was strong enough to make him do anything he didn’t want to do. And she didn’t want anyone getting hurt trying to defend her. She’d just have to deal with him by herself.

  No big deal, right? He might be bigger, faster and stronger, but she wasn’t helpless. She had a Taser, pepper spray and if all else failed she’d knee him in the balls. Human or werewolf, it didn’t matter, they all cried like babies if you hit them hard enough in the nuts. At least that’s what her brothers told her.

  Her chin rose, and she crossed her arms.

  “Is that a threat? What makes you think I’m alone? My boyfriend could be waiting at home for me.” She was alone, of course, but there was no reason to let him know that.

  “Don’t bother trying to lie to me, sweet. One, you’re no good at it, and two, we both know that no self-respecting male werewolf would let you work in that dump.” His lip curled in contempt as he nodded toward Fat Eddy’s.

  Laney straightened her shoulders. “Perhaps it doesn’t look like much to you, but it pays my bills.” Barely. “Now move. I’m tired, and I want to go home to sleep, not listen to some stranger bitch about where I work and live.”

  He shifted off the car, stretching his arms above his head with a sinuous grace that held her enthralled. The play of well-developed muscles under delicious, deeply tanned skin made her mouth water.

  “You know, I’m the only male wolf for miles around…”

  “Is that a come-on line? Because if it is, it could use some work.”

  Laney adopted a look of what she hoped was disgust, sneering at him to hide her surge of hungry lust. She clenched her thighs together tightly, as though that would stop the gush of moisture suddenly drenching her pussy. Wishful thinking!