The Beta

Chapter 8

Stars blanketed the night sky outside of Rob’s bathroom window. Esther kept the light off so she’d see them better. There were worse places to be imprisoned. She had water, a toilet, and if she got bored she’d take a hot bath.

Cool air blew against her face through the open window, hinting that fall was on the way. The chill soothed the ache around her neck where Daedalus had tried to strangle her. It wouldn’t take much effort to pop the screen out and climb the rainspout to the ground. Not much effort at all.

She tapped her fingernail on the sill as she considered the possibility. If she left that meant never seeing Rob again and never was a really long time. The thought left an empty pit in her stomach. Since when did she let her heart rule her life?

Her turning point was the moment Rob melted from his beast form to human as he pinned her to the car. Hunting her down and outthinking her had changed her perspective of him from some cute geek to someone she respected. And wanted. Bad.

Damn, he could have taken her against the car or in the alley at the club, but he always needed to be a gentleman and be dutiful to his pack. Let’s not forget the fucking vampire.

How did Rob get mixed up with the Nosferatu? He said she only saw the surface of things. Maybe she did, but she couldn’t learn to see more from in here. What was Daedalus telling him? He probably wanted to kill her. That’s how things rolled between their kinds.

She should have run the moment the arrow struck Rob. Just the memory made her nauseous. He’d come so close to dying. The world would have been worse off without Rob in it. God, she loved everything about him.

Leaning her forehead on the window, she closed her eyes. She recalled the first time they’d met and how shy he’d been, acting as her protector. Silent and strong, he bore his responsibilities with such seriousness.

She banged her head on the glass and listened to the rattle. Now or never. Choose a life filled with what-ifs or take a fucking leap of faith on a werewolf who should hate her.

His possible rejection kept her at the edge of escaping. Her fingers traced the screen. Ah shit, if he broke her heart she’d just gut him.

The sound of a chair scraping against wood outside the bathroom drew her from her debate. As the door swung open, Rob stood in a halo of light cast from his bedroom lamp. “I need your help.”

“And if I don’t give it?” She turned from the window and faced him. The desire to help and the fear of being vulnerable twisted her stomach to the point she thought she might vomit right there in front of him.

He shrugged. “Then I close the door.”

A shiver ran down her spine. The step she took toward him appeared normal but, in her reality, it was the hardest thing she’d ever done. After all her lies she needed to prove her sincerity somehow. “I’ll help.” Her voice sounded strained even to her own ears.

“Are you okay?”

“I…I…” Want to tell you how sorry I am. “I’m fine. What do you need?” She’d apologized enough.

He gestured for her to follow him. They left his sparsely decorated bedroom and crossed the hall to an office. A long table-like desk lined the wall with two computers side by side with wires running along the edges. On the closest screen was her email sign-in.

“Your account is pretty secure.” Rob sat at the desk and offered her the chair next to him. “I could break in, but that would take time. I want you to sign-in.”

“Why?”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t play coy. It doesn’t suit you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. His comment stung. “You won’t be able to trace the emails from this account. They come from a third party.”

“Let me try.”

She sighed. It was a test and one she needed to pass. Not for Rob but for herself. If she was going to give herself to him, she would go all the way.

“Fine.” After typing her ID and password what remained of her resolve faded. She’d been bribed and hunted in the past for information about her contacts and never gave anything over. Apparently, kindness and trust were her Achilles heels. Not like she was giving him her contacts or anything. All he could do was read the emails, even replying didn’t work.

Rob opened the email offering her twice the usual fee to kill Daedalus. He switched programs and began transferring codes. The computer ran through numbers with a counter at the bottom.

He twisted in his chair to face her. “I designed this myself. It’s not your run-of-the-mill tracer.” He grinned at her pointed stare. “I like computers. The numbers and codes make sense to me. Everything is black and white, there’s no gray area like people seem to have.” His direct stare bothered her.

Not knowing where to look, she glanced at a collection of encased Star Trek figures on a shelf. She smiled. “My mother was a Whovian.”

“What?”

“Dr. Who. When I was young I was allowed to stay up until one AM on Saturday nights to watch it with her on PBS.” She cleared her throat. “I still like to watch it. You?”

“I’ve seen it, but I’m not much of a fan.”

“Really? Are his concepts too advanced for you?” She leaned forward and grinned as his eyes narrowed at her challenge.

“The show jumps through time, rotates characters and actors, and they interact with historical figures. You have a ship disguised as a phone box, a sonic screwdriver, and a hero who can’t die. The rules of reality don’t apply to Dr. Who. Where Star Trek is a known quantity. It’s set in the future. You have the laws of physics, the crew, and Star Fleet. They visit planets and solve problems in an hour. It’s linear. There really is no comparison.” A satisfied smile crossed his face. “Most of the technology and gadgets we enjoy today were first seen in some form on those early Trek episodes. Cellphones, iTouch, PDAs. Not so much for Dr. Who. The technology of the TARDIS falls into ‘science so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic’ area.” He chuckled and a blush covered his cheeks. “Is my geek showing?”

She laughed and threw back her head, wincing at the sharp pain from the bruises around her neck.

Leaning toward her, he tilted her chin to the ceiling. “Let me take a look at that in better lighting.” He took her hand and guided her to his bedroom.

For a lack of a chair, she sat on the edge of his bed while he went into the bathroom.

He returned with a cool wet cloth and knelt in front of her.

The cold soothed the ache of her ligation marks. “Of course, the only real sci-fi show worth watching is Babylon Five.” Her comment brought him up short.

“You’re full of surprises. I love that show too, but don’t tell my housemates. They’ll start calling me a traitor.”

She laughed again, and it made her feel free. Nothing about being with Rob was forced. Being with him made her act like, well, herself. Maybe that’s what attracted her to him the most. He made her real. She’d been acting most of her adult life and almost forgot who Esther was.

“You have a wonderful laugh.” He smiled at her as he stood and rolled his shoulders as if working out some knots. “The computer program will take a few hours to run. We should get some sleep.”

Patting his twin-sized bed, she winked at him. “Looks cozy.”

“You can sleep here. I’ll take the floor.”

She frowned. “I’m not proposing marriage, Rob, just me to keep you warm. I’m much more comfortable than the hard floor.” Lying across the comforter, she cleared her throat as it went dry.

Her werewolf stared at her with hungry eyes. The amber color of his beast had returned, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. “I bet you are.” His voice had grown deeper, and she got wetter between her thighs.

Undoing her jacket, she tossed it to the floor, never taking her gaze off him. The drumming of her heart filled her ears. She scooted farther up the bed as he slowly crawled over her. Ever since they’d met, she’d wanted this. Anticipation was such a bitch.

With a tug, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of her pants and released the button, then the zipper. From under him, he appeared much bigger, stronger than she’d thought.

In a frantic move, she tugged her t-shirt over her head.

“Slow down, let me do this.” He took her eager hands from her pants and placed them over her head. Peeling her leather pants from her legs an inch at a time, he followed their path with a trail of kisses. Each caress dragged her closer to the edge.

“Rob?” Her voice shook.

The leathers joined her jacket and t-shirt on the floor. “Hmm?” He ran his canines along her hip as he removed her thong.

“Oh, shit.” Her breaths became desperate.

“You like that?”

“Yes.”

He placed a light kiss on her bikini line, which sent a tremor down her legs. If he went any slower her bottom half would go numb from need. Rising onto his elbow, he lay on his side and unclasped the front of her bra, setting her breasts free. His gaze was so intense it almost seemed like he stroked her skin.

More, she needed a lot more. She arched her back, inviting him to touch her.

With an unsure slide, his hand traveled from her lower abdomen to her chest, then finally to her breast. The brush of his fingertips over her nipples set them on fire.

Never one to take the backseat when it came to sex, she wrapped her arms around his neck and yanked him close, pressing a frantic hard kiss to his thin mouth. He tasted of scandalous mischief and forbidden cravings.

If a rescue had busted down the door and interrupted them to set her free, she’d have found her thirty-eight special and shot them between the eyes. Nothing was taking her out of Rob’s arms.

He leaned to the side and pulled something out of his back pocket. Maybe a condom? With a strong grip, he gathered her hands from his neck and placed them above her head. He pressed his clothed body on top of hers and kissed along her neck.

Something cold and metallic snapped around her wrists. She yanked reflexively at the cuffs, which he’d secured to one of the headboard’s wooden slats. “What the fuck? Where did theses come from?”

“Eric, my alpha, left them in our office. I can’t take any chances with you. Then again, with your history, you could probably strangle me with your thighs.” He set the key on his bedside table. “I’m naive, not stupid. Fool me once...” He let the old saying fade, the meaning very clear to her.

Too bad he didn’t understand she never wanted to fool him again. When she watched him fall off the roof her heart had chosen to run to him instead of away. She’d made her choice, and she’d stick to it until the end. “Fine, I didn’t have plans on going anywhere.” Relaxing into the bed, she stretched her body along its length. “I’m game, then.” She writhed her body under his, grinding her hip against his hard cock.

The feral glow returned to Rob’s stare, and the carnal hunger that came with it reminded her of what exactly she taunted. It only made her want him more.

His tongue flashed as he licked his lips. “I wish I could trust you.” The regret in his voice broke her heart, but then he gave her mischievous grin. “I can at least return your favor.”

“I don’t want payback. I want—”

He scooted down between her legs, lifting one over his shoulder.

“Oh, if you insist.” She gnawed at her lower lip and shifted her shoulders so she could lift her head.

Meeting her stare, a fine blush rose on his cheeks again. He cleared his throat. “If I’m doing something wrong, tell me.” He gave her a devilish smile. “And if I’m doing it right, let me know.”

Her breath caught in her chest. “Is this your first time?”

“No.” He placed a kiss on her inner thigh, working his way north, and she’d forgotten what she’d asked. “But I’m not a player like most shifters.”

He couldn’t have said a more perfect thing, and she was laying claim on his werewolf ass. Nosferatu be damned. No one would chase her off.

She expected his first lick to be hesitant, but once again he surprised her.

With a sure, steady stroke between her nether lips, Rob paid back the blow-job she’d given him. She never considered it a favor. She’d wanted to taste him and to let him know her desires.

Resting his lean body on the bed, Rob looked like a man settling in for a good long time. Each lap got deeper and longer as he began to explore her inner secrets.

God help her, she moaned and leaned her head back on the pillow, resting her cuffed wrists on the bed. He took his time and brought her back to the edge of ecstasy. Her breaths became ragged as she fought against her release.

Running his tongue around her clit sent a jolt of pleasure straight to her brain.

“Rob!”

He latched on the area, sucking as he thrust his fingers into her pussy.

She clung to the edge, not wanting to go over just yet, needing this moment to last as long as it could. It might be the last time he ever touched her.