Bad Boy Alphas Series
Auteur
Renee Rose
Lezers
7,2M
Hoofdstukken
22
MINE TO PROTECT. MINE TO PUNISH. MINE.
Iām a lone wolf, and I like it that way. Banished from my birth pack after a bloodbath, I never wanted a mate.
Then I meet Kylie. My temptation. Weāre trapped in an elevator together, and her panic almost makes her pass out in my arms. Sheās strong, but broken. And sheās hiding something.
My wolf wants to claim her. But sheās human, and her delicate flesh wonāt survive a wolfās mark.
Iām too dangerous. I should stay away. But when I discover sheās the hacker who nearly took down my company, I demand she submit to my punishment. And she will.
Kylie belongs to me.
Author's Note: This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authorās imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Content Warning: BDSM and sexual practices.
Chapter One
Alpha Bad Boys: Alphaās Temptation
Book 1
A Billionaire Werewolf Romance
by Renee Rose and Lee Savino
CG: Catgirl was here.
King1: I see you.
CG: Nice code.
King1: Youāre going down. No pity for the kitty.
CG: Oooh, talk tough to me, baby.
āConversation between hacker and Jackson King, CEO and founder of SeCure, 2009
Kylie
Holy irony, Batman.
As a teen, I hacked into a company and waved a virtual victory flag in the founder and CEOās face. Nine years later, Iām interviewing for a job there. And not just any jobāone in infosec. Information systems security, that is. If I get the job, Iāll be defending the company against hackers. Like Catgirlāmy old DefCon identity.
So here I sit, in the opulent lobby of SeCureās international headquarters, wondering if theyāll somehow recognize me and send me out in handcuffs.
A group of employees stroll past me, laughing and talking. They look relaxed and happy, like theyāre headed into a resort, not their nine-to-five grind.
Damn, I want this job.
I changed my outfit approximately ninety-seven times this morningāand I usually donāt care what I wear. But this is the interview of a lifetime, and Iāve obsessed over getting every detail right. In the end, I chose a sleek black suit, the kind with a fitted jacket and short, tight skirt. I opted for no hose, going bare-legged, but stuffed my feet in a pair of sexy heels. Underneath the suit jacket went my favorite Batgirl shirt. It fits tight around my breasts, and the hot pink glittery bat nestles perfectly between the lapels of my jacket.
The outfit screams āyoung and hipā IT genius, while the suit flips a nod to the conservative corporate thing. I debated over heels or Chucks, but, in the end, the heels won out. Which is too bad, because when Stu, my contact, comes down for me, Iāll have to stand up in them. And walk.
If my teenage hacker self saw me now, she would laugh in my face and call me a sellout. But even she shared my obsession with SeCureās billionaire founder/owner, Jackson King. An obsession thatās morphed into admiration with a heavy dose of sexual attraction.
Okay, itās a crush. But Jackson is totally crush worthy. Billionaire philanthropist, heās endlessly impressive. Not to mention smoking hot. Especially for a geek.
And the one moment we sharedāthe moment when I made it past all his security measures and found myself face-to-face with himāwell, cursor to cursorāis branded in my memory as the hottest encounter of my youth. I didnāt steal anything from him. I simply wanted to see if I could get inācrack the genius code. I backed out after he found me, and never risked going back.
Now, I might have another shot at cyber sparring with King, and the thought thrills me.
Especially since, this time, my actions wouldnāt be illegal.
āMs. McDaniel?ā
I shoot to my feet, hand already extended, ready to shake. I only wobble a little on the heels. āHi.ā Damn, I sound breathless. I force my shoulders down and smile as I grip the offered palm.
āHi, Iām Stu Daniel, infosec manager here at SeCure.ā He looks like a proper nerd, glasses, collared shirt, slacks. Thirty or so. His eyes flick to the pink bat in the middle of my boobs and then away. Maybe the T-shirt was a mistake.
I keep pumping his hand, probably for too long. I read five business books to prep for today, but canāt remember what Interviewing For Dummies said about the proper length of time to shake a hand. āNice to meet you.ā
Fortunately, Stu is just as awkward as I am. His eyes keep detouring downward. Not like heās trying to perv, but like heās too shy to maintain eye contact. āIf youāll follow me, weāll head to the sixth floor for the interview.ā
In addition to unbreakable cybersecurity, SeCureās physical fortress is also well-protected. When I walked in across the gleaming marble floors and checked in at the main reception desk, they told me to wait in the lobby for an āescortā to my interview.
I trail after my escort. āBeautiful building you have here.ā
Okay, that was lame. I suck at small talk. Like, really suck. Maybe I shouldnāt have spent the last eight years hiding from all social interaction. IT geeks shouldnāt have to interview like normal people. They should just have to take a test or hack something. But, presumably, SeCure already knows about my code-cracking abilities, or so the headhunter said. I nearly choked on my coffee when she called me up out of the blue. I thought it was a prank by one of my old online compatriotsāthe Clean Clan. But, no, it was legit.
Besides, the chances of anyone from my old life finding me now are nil. At least, I hope so.
Stu leads me to the elevator bank and hits the up arrow. The doors of one elevator swing open to reveal a man in an elegant suit, his head bent over his phone. Tall and broad-shouldered, he takes up more than his fair share of the elevator. Without looking up, he moves to the side to make room for us.
Stu lets me step on first, and I push down panic. Itās a small elevator, but not too small. I can handle it. If I get the job, Iāll find out where the stairwells are.
I focus on the bright buttons and hope itās a fast ride.
Before my escort can board, someone calls his name.
āOne sec,ā Stu says as a young woman bustles over, followed by two other people. āStu, the Galileo server shut down this morningā¦ā
Great. Just what I needāextra time in an elevator. I swallow, ignoring the prickling on my skin. A panic attack will not make a good impression.
Stu takes his foot out of the door as the young woman opens her laptop to show him something.
The door snicks closed, and the elevator ascends. Just like that, Iāve lost my escort. So much for tight security.
I punch the number six button. I know where Iām going. The sooner Iām off this tiny box of death, the better.
Weāre halfway up when the lights flicker. Once, twice, then off.
āWhat theā¦ā I trail off to focus on breathing. I have about a ten-second window before a full-on freak out.
The suit next to me mutters something. The light from his phone casts an eerie blue light on the walls.
The elevator car grinds to a stop.
Oh no. Here it comes. My heart slams in my chest; my lungs grab for breath.
Stop, I tell my panic. Itās nothing. The elevator will start up again in a second. Youāre not stuck here.
My body doesnāt believe me. My stomach clutches, skin grows clammy. Everything goes dark. Either my vision has dimmed or the guy has just put his phone to his ear. I sway on my feet.
The big guy curses. āNo reception in here.ā
My heel twists under me, and I grab the rail, breath coming in quick gasps.
āHey.ā The guy has a voice to match his giant size, deep and resonant. Iād find it sexy under different circumstances. āAre you freaking out?ā Slight disdain in his tone.
Not my fault, buddy. āYeah.ā I barely get the word out on a pant. My death grip on the handrail tightens.
Stay on your feet. Donāt faintānot now. Not here.
āI donāt like small spaces.ā Understatement of the year.
Did the elevator just move? Or is my body reeling out of control? Old panic grips me. Iāll die in here. Iām never going to get out.
Two large hands push me back against the elevator wall, pinning me with pressure on my sternum. āWh-what are you doing?ā I gasp.
āTriggering your calm reflex.ā He sounds calm, as if he shoves hyperventilating girls up against a wall on a daily basis. āIs it working?ā
āYeah. Having a strange guy grope me always calms me down.ā I swore Iād hide my sarcasm until I landed the job, but here it comes, spewing out. Being seconds away from passing out will do that to a girl.
āIām not groping you,ā he says.
āThatās what all the guys say,ā I mumble.
His short chuckle cuts off as soon as it starts. Almost like he didnāt mean to let it out.
Who is this guy?
My heart rate slows, but my head still spins. Iāve never had a man stand so close to me before. Not to mention touch me. A few inches over, and heād be cupping my breasts.
Now, thereās a thought. Sensations I havenāt felt before outside the privacy of my bedroom thrill through me.
āNot that I mind you groping me,ā I babble. āI just think you should buy me dinner firstāā
His hands leave my sternum so fast, I lurch forward. Before I can fall, he catches my shoulders and flips me around. He locks his arms around me from behind, applying pressure to my breastbone again.
āHowās this?ā He sounds amused. āBetter? I donāt want my good deed to get me written up on charges of sexual harassment.ā
God, his voice. His lips are right next to my ear. Heās not trying to seduce me, but, man oh man, just the words āsexual harassmentā light my body up.
āSorry.ā My voice strangles a bit. āI didnāt mean to accuse you. What I meant was...thank you.ā
For a moment, he doesnāt move, and I breathe into his firm hands, surrounding me, protecting me, keeping me safe. And all I can think isā¦ damn. I thought a panic attack would be bad. Now Iām stuck in an elevator, wrapped in a total strangerās arms. So. Very. Turned. On. Itās like my pussy is disconnected from my body. The rest of me is running around wringing my hands with worry, but my hooha thinks being manhandled by a stranger in a dark elevator is a good reason to get all excited.
āYou should sit down.ā
Apparently, I have no choice, because he lowers me to the ground with steady, inexorable pressure. Once there, he eases me against the wall, his firm, yet gentle hands maneuvering me like a doll. Sharp words dance on the tip of my tongueāIām a grown ass woman, not Barbieābut sitting feels good. Despite his blunt caveman act, heās taking care of me. I almost miss his hands on my sternum.
āWhereād you learn that?ā I ask to distract myself from the fact Iām trapped in a tight rectangle of space with a guy who has no qualms about running his hands all over me. I am totally qualm-less about it, too, though I wish I could remember what he looks like. All I have is a vague impression of a rugged jaw and air of impatience. I was too focused on psyching myself up to ride the elevator to check him out.
āYears and years of terrifying women in dark places.ā
Ah. A kindred spirit in dry wit. I like him even more. āThanks,ā I say after a moment.
He sits down next to me, his suit jacket brushing mine. āYouāre still freaking out.ā
āYeah, but itās better. Talking would help. Can we talk?ā
āOkay.ā He adopts a German accent to sound like Freud, āVen did you first notice zee problem?ā
***
Jackson
The beautiful human femaleās laugh comes so hard, she almost chokes on it. She continues to giggle for a momentāsomewhat hysterically. Little bubbles of laughter keep rising to the surface every time she tries to speak. Finally, she chokes out, āI meant talk to distract meāabout something else.ā
I never jokeāespecially at workābut the leggy brunette in a short, tight skirt puts my body on alert in an all-too pleasurable way. Itās better now that Iām not touching her. When I did, the electricity between us set my skin on fire. The itch and burn of the change came upon me as fast as it does a pubescent teen just learning how to shift. I nearly shoved her legs apart, pulled that minuscule skirt up around her waist, and claimed her right there.
Actually, my wolf senses went haywire the moment she stepped onto the elevator. It was all I could do to keep quiet and study her. Her scent intoxicates meālike some exotic flower begging to be plucked, except decidedly human. None of it makes sense. Thereās no reason I should be attracted to her, apart from the fact sheās gorgeous. Iāve never been attracted to a human beforeāhell, Iāve hardly ever been attracted to a she-wolf, even at the full moon.
To make it worse, she became aroused when I touched herāthe scent of her nectar fills the confined space. For the first time in my life, my fangs sharpened, slick with serum, ready to sink into her flesh and forever mark her as mine.
But that is insane. I canāt mark a humanāshe wouldnāt survive it. This humanābeautiful though she may beācanāt be my mate.
I look her over, at a distinct advantage because I can see in the dark and she canāt. Sheās stunning in every wayālong, shapely legs, an ass that fills her short skirt, and Batgirl tits. That is, she has a hot pink bat on the front of her shirt, right over a pair of perky tits. And something about that bat just throws me over the edge. Spunky little superhero, begging to be bested.
Guess that makes me the villain.
āWhatās your name?ā she asks.
I hesitate. āJ.T.ā
āIām Kylie. Iām here for an interview, so I was nerved up to begin with.ā
I donāt do friendly. I discourage my employees from engaging with me except to give me information in its most distilled format. But, for some reason, I donāt mind her feeble attempt at conversation. Which doesnāt mean Iāll bother answering.
Iām too busy convincing my wolf not to jump her.
She tries again. āWhat department are you in?ā
Iām not going to admit Iām the CEO. āMarketing.ā I infuse the word with the disgust marketing inspires in me. Itās true that the majority of my time is now spent on marketing or management, when Iād much prefer programming and never interacting face-to-face with another soul.
She laughs, a husky, sweet sound. Despite the fact she canāt see me, she peers up in my direction with a look of fascination on her face. Her hair, a thick shiny chestnut, hangs in loose waves over her shoulders. Itās too dark to tell the color of her eyes, but her full lips are glossed, and the way they part now makes me want to claim that lush mouth.
āOne of those guys, huh? That is sad.ā
I smileāa rare occurrence for me. Sheās already made me laugh, something I havenāt done in twenty years.
āWhat position are you interviewing for?ā
āinfosec.ā
Hot and nerdy. Interesting. She must have mad skills to rate an interview. My company is the best in the world for information security. āYou have much experience in the field?ā
āSome.ā She sounds noncommittal in that way that makes me think she actually knows her stuff.
The power has been out for a long timeāat least ten minutes. I fish my phone from my pocket and try to dial my secretary again but still canāt get a signal.
āHow long do you think weāll be stuck in here?ā Her voice wavers on the word stuck.
Fates, Iāve never had the urge to pick up a womanās hand before. My shirt collarās too tight. I wish to hell I hadnāt worn a suit and tie. Of course, I wish that every day, but rarely have a choice, even though itās my damn company. Once we reached a certain level, I had to conform to the dress code of corporate America when I had outside meetingsāeven in Tucson, which is notoriously relaxed in its dress code.
My little programmer, however, nailed the outfitājust the right mix of hipster with the bat tits and bare legs, and corporate with the suit and heels. I donāt know when I started thinking of her as my little anything, but I have. The second she walked on the elevator and I inhaled her scent, my wolf screamed mine.
āI mean, do you think it will be hours? It wonāt be hours, right?ā Sheās losing her breath again. Itās all I can do not to pull her onto my lap and hold her until all that trembling stops.
āDonāt make me grope you again.ā Okay, I definitely shouldnāt say that, even if she said it first. The remark has its intended effect, though.
She snorts, which changes up her breathing pattern and helps her chill out.
āSo youāre nervous about the interview?ā I ask. Chitchat isnāt part of my repertoire, but it seems Iād do anything to calm her down. Or maybe I just want to hear her voice again. āYou donāt seem nervous.ā
āBesides the whole panic attack thing youāre doing a manly job distracting me from?ā
My wolf preens at the compliment.
āIāll let you in on a secret,ā she says, and the muscles of my groin seize almost painfully at the purr in her voice. Sheās seducing me, and she doesnāt even know sheās doing it.
Maybe talking is a bad idea.
āOkay,ā I respond.
āIāve never worked a real job before. I mean, I have a job now, but itās all telecommuting. Iāve never been in an office like this.ā
āThink you can take it?ā
āYou know, five years ago I wouldāve barfed at the thought. But, actually, SeCure is the one and only company I would put a suit and heels on for.ā
And every male in the building thanks God she did. āWhy is that?ā
āSeCure represents the pinnacle of infosec. I mean, Jackson King is a genius. Iāve been following him since I was ten years old.ā
I try to stop my wolf from strutting. āYou sure you want to leave the pajamas at home and come into an office every day?ā
āYeah. Itād be good to have a reason to leave the house. Programming can be lonely. I mean, I do my best work alone but, it might be nice to be around people like me. Maybe find my tribe. Feel normal, you know?ā
I donāt know. I havenāt had a tribe since I abandoned my birth pack with my fur soaked with my stepfatherās blood.
A company full of humans is a poor substitute.
āIf youāre interviewing here for infosec, you must be talented,ā I say to distract myself from bad memories.
āI have been coding since I was young,ā she says dismissively, which again makes me think sheās downplaying her talent. āBeing a teen geek girl definitely disqualified me from normal.ā
āNormal is overrated. You just need to find your pack.ā
āPack?ā
āI meant tribe.ā
āNo, I like pack. That makes me a lone wolf.ā Thereās a smile in her voice, and I bite back a sharp remark. Being a lone wolf isnāt as cool as it sounds. Even if it is all I deserve.
āSoā¦ā She has the tone of someone whoās been waiting to ask something.
āHave you ever met Jackson King?ā
I hide a smile, even though she canāt see it. āMmm. A few times, yeah.ā
āWhatās he like?ā
I shrug in the darkness. āHard to say.ā
āHard to say because he doesnāt reveal much?ā
I keep my mouth shut.
āThatās what Iāve heard. So is he the awkward kind of geek or the creepy kind?ā
I wasnāt aware of the various categories of geek. I donāt consider myself a geek, but, then, as a shifter, I donāt consider myself in any human category.
āIām guessing the creepy kind,ā she goes on. āBecause no one that hot should be so antisocial. I mean, he must have some serious flaws. According to rumor, the man never dates. They say he has no social life whatsoever. Never goes out. Total recluse. He must be damaged. Or else gay. I bet heās the type who keeps his boyfriend tied up in a closet for whipping when he comes home at night.ā
Again, my face almost cracks into a smile. Iāll show you whipping, little Batgirl. āSounds like you know a lot about him.ā
āOh...I, uh...I guess Iām interested in him. Heās kind of a celebrity to fellow geeks. I mean his original coding was pure genius, especially for the time.ā
This time, I do grin. Her assessment of me, apart from the gay whipping boy part, makes my pulse pick up speed. Another anomaly. I donāt care for attention, and sheās rightāI donāt give up personal information. I have too big a secret to hide. But her interest in me has my wolf pirouetting.
Mine.
āSo, what kind of geek are you?ā I ask.
āApparently the kind who blathers like an idiot to strange men when sheās confined in elevators. But Iām sure you already picked that up. SorryāI normally have a better-than-average filter. Itās a good thing we canāt see each other because Iāve thoroughly embarrassed myself this morning.ā
Itās getting harder and harder to keep from kissing her senseless. Iāve never been so happy to sit and listen to a human babble. My wolf doesnāt even mind being confined for over ten minutes. Usually, itād be growling to break free and attack the threat. Which could be deadly.
My wolf seems more interested in protecting this lovely, feisty human. It took me a moment to recognize it, but now that I do, my pulse picks up and I have to force myself not to put my arm around her. Pull her close. Especially when she leans into me.
āMaybe you could agree not to look at me when the lights come back on so we can meet later under normal circumstances.ā
I donāt answer.
āHopefully, I wonāt do this blathering thing during my interview and screw it up.ā
āYou really want this job?ā
āYeah. I do. Itās weird because eight years ago I wouldāve laughed in your face if youād told me Iād want to work for SeCure, but I guess Iāve changed. To me, Jackson King and the company he built represent the ultimate in infosec coding, and I want to be a part of that.ā
The lights flicker on, and the elevator lurches into motion. Damn.
āOh, thank God,ā she breathes, scrambling to her feet.
I follow her to stand.
When she turns to look up at me, the smile freezes on her face.
Surprise.
She blanches and stumbles back.
The light illuminates her beauty. Flawless skin. Full lips. Big eyes. High cheekbones. And, yeah...the tits and legs looked as good now as they did in the dark. Sheās a ten all around. And sheās figured out who I am, which gives me the upper hand.
āWell, now youāre quiet.ā
āJ.T.,ā she mutters, sounding bitter. She glares as if Iād been the one smack-talking about her rather than vice versa. āWhatās the āTā stand for?ā
āThomas.ā My mother gave me a decidedly human name.
The elevator stops on the sixth floor, and the doors open. She doesnāt move.
I hold it with my hand and gesture for her to get off. āI believe this is your floor.ā
Her mouth opens then snaps closed. She squares her shoulders and marches past me, two bright-pink spots on her cheeks. Adorable.
Even though Iām late for at least twenty meetings, I follow her off. Not because my body canāt be parted from hers. Certainly not because I have to know more about her. Just to torment her a bit more with my presence, now that she knows who I am.
āMs. McDaniel, there you are,ā Stu says. Heās waiting in front of the elevatorsāmustāve taken the stairs. Luis, SeCureās chief security officer, stands with him.
āWeāre getting maintenance up here right away, Mr. King.ā Luis signals one of his men, who takes his place at the elevator to stop anyone from boarding. āWeāll have it fixed in no time, sir. And I see you escorted Ms. McDaniel.ā
Stu glances guiltily at me. āI didnāt mean to leave her unattended like that. I took the stairs up to make sure I was here when she got off.ā He makes it sound like he deserves a medal for his heroics.
I donāt answer.
āIāve got her from here. Iām sorry to have disturbed you.ā
āIām going to sit in on her interview,ā I say, surprising even myself.
Both Stu and Kylieās heads whip around, and they gape at me. Kylie flushes further and blinks her big brown eyes. In the light, they are a warm chocolate-brown with a starburst of gold in the middle. Incredible.
The alpha in me doesnāt mind her discomfort. Iām used to making people squirm. But my wolf isnāt happy about the tinge of anger in her scent. An apology is on my lipsāanother first. Jackson King doesnāt apologize. I donāt owe her one, either. If I had my way, Iād pull her into the nearest conference room, spank her ass for the whipping boy comment, and spend the next three hours teaching her pleasure at the tip of my tongue. Iād go down on her until her screams of pleasure told everyone in the building that sheās mine. That would take care of her annoyance, and her nervousness. Or is it arousal?
āOh, itās just a routine interviewāno need to take up your time,ā Stu says.
Iāll be damned if I let Stuāor any other maleāget her alone.
Luis clears his throat, warning Stu heās on the verge of pissing me off.
I narrow my eyes at Stu. āI decide how to spend my time. Shall we go into the conference room, or are we interviewing her here in the hallway?ā
Stu scowls as if I busted up his frat party.
