KIERA'S POV
Kiera opened her eyes a few hours later. The sky outside gradually darkened as night took over.
She relaxed into the folds of the bed. A contented sigh escaped her lips.
Though most parts of her, visible and nether areas alike, ached from the manhandling she'd endured for over two hours, she felt light. Refreshed. Invigorated. Give it an uplifting word.
Tyler in beast mode needed miracle to be satisfied. And Kiera was always willing to be on the receiving end of his ravenous ploughing.
She slid across the bed to the other side. His savory scent lingered on the sheets. His presence didn't.
"You're always peachy after sex."
Kiera grinned, sitting up."A happy sex life makes the world go around."
Shrouded in the encroaching darkness, he stood in front of the wide window overlooking the low hills of the woodsy mountain.
He appeared carved from granite, his figure imposing and as otherworldly as his nature.
He had his trousers back on. If he were naked, she would've lured him to press her back against the vulnerable glass and ride her to the stars.
But he seemed thoughtful. His chest barely moved as he breathed. Calm and calculating Tyler was unpredictable. Deadly, if provoked.
She eased out of bed. Their hastily discarded clothes littered the floor. She fished out his shirt from the mix and threw it on. Though tall for a woman, it still fell down to midway her thighs.
Her footsteps were light as she approached him.
He spared her a glance, his eyes taking in her choice of attire. "Return it this time."
"I keep forgetting."
"Then don't take it."
She leaned against the glass beside him. "Not peachy after sex, Big wolf?"
She had to tread carefully with Tyler. The fact that they indulged in glorious acts of carnal debauchery when the primal urge arose didn't make them a couple.
They were sort of lost souls tossed together in their childhood by their despicable parents. They trained together. They fought as one. They fucked.
No strings attached. No hard questions. No soul searching staring into eyes. No tears and no cringy heartbreaking diatribes.
Just the way she wanted it.
No, she didn't hate him. She didn't love him either. Tyler had a lot of great qualities, physically mostly. As the next alpha, he couldn't be any more superior in the hierarchy of the park. Power.
But something about his personality bothered her. The dark moments. The unpredictable chips in time when his demons took over. Tyler wasn't untainted by his mad father.
The set of his jaw sharp enough to cut concrete, his eyes remained faraway.
"The alphas have a mate."
Kiera's blood boiled all over again. "Yes, as far as I could tell. An innocent little thing without a pinch of spice to her." Oh, how she would've enjoyed torturing the frailty out of her. Teach her about the badness of the world.
She ran her tongue over the sharpness of her canines. She would sneak back into Frostone territory. Not now but soon. When the nerves of their last visit died down.
"I hate to agree with him, but she's not hollowborn."
Kiera shrugged. "I know. She's no wolf either. That'll be a disgrace to our kind."
"Frostone pack grows stronger. The crowning of two alphas wasn't enough. Now they've mated. Soon they'll have heirs. They become wealthier each day from their business ventures worldwide."
He paused, as if thinking of what to say. "My pack's the opposite. Barely scraping by. Tagged rebels and rogues by the world. Thieves, lowlives, rejects. All because of him."
Xander, their alpha. In their childhood, stories were told of how he usurped the previous alpha to take power. He'd challenged him and won after a brutal battle.
About twenty years ago today. Somehow that heroic alpha had spiralled into drunk Alpha. The mad alpha.
The stories were nothing but bull. Kiera couldn't remember a time when he was anything else. Tyler took a while to accept it. Even now, he still hung on the fence.
She stared at him. "Your father is not fit to control the pack anymore. It's a surprise no one has challenged him."
"They're scared."
"Of you." Kiera siddled around him, her long fingers tracing the outline of his tattoo. "It's one thing to defeat Xander. Afterwards, they'd have you to contend with. They all know what you're capable of."
His skin warmed under her touch. His veins pulsed with burning flames.
"By the time I become alpha it would be too late for the pack."
She kissed his sturdy shoulder, twisting her head to find his eyes. "Who says you have to wait that long?"
The question hung in the air, building with the tension of their silent breaths.
His eyes were dark as they pinned on her. "Go straight to the point, Kiera."
"Like you said, Kallum's gang would strike soon. Being smart means you have to beat him to it." She paused, musing. "Defeating a terrible alpha is easier than going against one with a cult."
Something flashed in his eyes. His muscles flexed under her palms.
A knock on the door interrupted whatever he would've done.
"Come in." His voice tight, triggered.
The door pushed open a crack. Drake slipped in. Tyler had sent him to Frostone after Kiera's return to check the aftermath.
Younger than both of them, Drake shuffled with teenage energy. His brown spiky hair hung in every direction. His golden skin contrasted against the dark sweatshirt and pants he had on.
Though half brothers from different mothers, he looked nothing like Tyler.
"Hey, bro." He waved at her. "Scary Kiera."
Kiera smirked. "Scary is an understatement."
He sniggered. "Deadly Kiera?"
"Perfect."
Tyler was not in the mood for their banter. "Speak, Drake."
"Oh, right." He scratched the back of his head. "So, from the looks of the bodies in the woods, unfortunately Deadly Kiera is lucky to be alive. The Alphas are protective of their mate. Seeing as they only discovered her when she was about to marry another werewolf, it means she's yet to find her wolf. Her ex isn't letting her go without a fight. He ventured to the alphas' manor and stole her away. They almost made it out of town before they got caught."
As he spoke, he became more animated.
"Bold and brave as a knight in shining armor, he challenged the twin Alphas of their stead as leaders of the pack. He would do anything for the love of his life. Walk through fire, run through a storm, eat the worms of—"
Kiera interrupted him. "Wait, he did what?"
"He escaped with—"
"No, after that. He challenged the twin Alphas?"
"Yes, Deadly Kiera. In fact, he's fighting one of them tonight."
Tyler turned around to face him squarely. "Are you sure, Drake?"
The younger werewolf flinched under the intensity of his brother's attention. "Eh, yeah. Pretty much. I hung out outside their house for a while, disguised as a thornbush of course. Saw the whole thing play out before I had to scamper out of there. Total cinema."
Kiera met Tyler's eyes. "Frostone pack is making waves. Dark Creek needs a tornado to turn the tides. If you don't become it, someone else will."