A Hunter's Chance - #2 of "The Hunter's Series"

Lizzy's POV

My tongue darted into his mouth and for a while, I enjoyed being the dominant one. But the second he regained some of his senses, his grip around my throat tightened. A small gasp slipped my lips, just like he wanted. His tongue pressed against mine and he took the reins of the kiss, dominating me. I knew powerful wolves were more dominant, but I’d never experienced it like this. Most times it annoyed me. But this?

This turned me on!

We broke off the kiss when we both were out of air. Panting, my chest was rising and falling, giving him a perfect view of every straight man’s dreams. But his eyes curiously held mine. I knew he knew what he’d done to me, but that didn’t surprise either one of us.

What surprised me, was that he didn’t kill me. I’d just broken every moral code about alpha’s, mates, and basics boundaries--- But the alpha in front of me was just eyeing me curiously.

Well, that was rather disappointing…

From the corner of my eye, I saw the light flash and I knew it meant that time was up. I smirked, giving the alpha one final peak on the lips, before getting up and left. I think he was too surprised to hold me back. That’s the only explanation I had for actually getting out of his grip. But as I walked out, I could still feel his eyes burning holes into my back.

I swayed my ass a little for his entertainment. It’s not like I was ever going to see him again.

My shift was over and we were in the dressing room, when Sven the Swine--- I mean, the owner of this prestige establishment! – entered.

“LIZ!”

I cringed when I heard him yell my name, but like a good little bitch, I turned around with a smile and innocently asked:

“Yes?”

He marched right up to me, towering over me like the fucking Hulk. Mentally I rolled my eyes. He thought he was big and scary? He would shit his pants if he’d seen half the shit I had…

“Is it true that you got frisky with one of the customers tonight?”

I glanced over at Candy who was snickering in the corner. Bitch! Before me, she was the most popular one earning a decent income to maintain her barbie-doll-silicone figure. Ever since I took first place, she had it out for me. I grinded my teeth and comforted myself with the many, many ways I could mess up her perfectly sculpted face…

“He wasn’t enjoying himself, so I did something extra for him,” I replied pretending I was the most innocent thing in the room. “But I didn’t cross any lines that shouldn’t be crossed.”

I definitely did! I kissed him. Had that gone south, I would be dead and werewolf kind would have one very bloody incident on their hands. Probably even risk exposure.

Did I care?

No!

I’ve stopped caring about werewolves a long time ago. They could all burn in hell for all I cared. Sure, not all monsters changed into beasts, but the real monsters were men with good intentions…

And I learned that the hard way.

“I’m warning you, bitch,” Sven growled like the beast he pretended to be. “If you cause trouble…!”

“No trouble whatsoever,” I cut him off and smiled with my "most-sweet"-voice. He might be a mountain of mussels, but most of them came from steroids. Besides, he was human! I’d been trained to take down werewolves my entire life! There was 101 different way I could make his life hell right now.

He didn’t scare me…

Suddenly he grabbed my throat - in a way that actually hurt! - and pushed me up a wall. I had to close my eyes so he wouldn’t see me roll them.

What a pathetic loser...

“Watch that tone, Liz!” he spat in my face. His saliva running down my cheek. “I don’t appreciate a smartass.”

“Ask Ruby!” I hissed between my teeth. I was struggling to breathe but careful not to let it show. I wasn’t about to give this pig the satisfaction... “Nothing. Happened!”

He leaned closer, biting the inside of his cheeks; as if deliberating if he should ask or not. He had it out for Ruby, but Ruby had been my trainer ever since I first stepped foot into this joint. I didn’t trust her – or anybody – but if there was a bitch that would lend me a hand, it was her…

“RUBY!”

Within seconds she showed up next to us. Her eyes went from me to Sven and back to me. Her eyes were holding worry and fear. She was scared! Of course, she didn’t know, that I was in no real danger…

“Did anything happen between this smartass and a customer?”

“Not that I noticed,” Ruby quickly shook her head.

Good to know I could count on a bitch, I thought to myself, but the thought brought me no joy or calm. I wasn’t about to let my guards down. Next time things could be different. Next time, she might just benefit from throwing me under the bus. And I wasn’t going to hold it against her. I was not going to cry like a bitch about it.

No one was ever going to hurt me again!

He snorted before he released me. Unhappy that he didn’t get to beat the shit out of me tonight.

Yeah! I let him do that. Pain was a feeling I was very familiar with…

Sven left to deal with Candy – who now was trembling like a leaf – while Ruby quickly helped me off the floor.

“Thanks,” I muttered, rubbing my sore throat

“You’re welcome,” she whispered back. A scream pierced the changing room. We both glanced at Cady, as Sven slapped her repeatedly.

Serves her right, I forced myself to think, although seeing her--- it stung my heart. But it wasn’t my business. I didn’t give a fuck. The world didn’t care about me, why should I give a damn about them?

Ruby left me at the parking lot where she got into her car, and I started to walk home. Anyone walking alone in the dark seemed hellbent on hurrying home. Nervously glancing behind them and quickening their paste. Scared that the shadows were the bad people out to get them. To mug, to rape, to kill them. To break their idyllic little bobble.

But not me.

I walked slowly and enjoyed the silence, as dawn broke the night. I liked the stillness. It reminded me of a place I once called home. The only place that ever felt like home. The peaceful chatter, the critters, and birds in the woods. Paws digging through the earth and the smell of dew on the grass.

I missed it…

Automatically my mind returned to Derik and Kevin. I wonder what they were doing now. Donovan – Derik’s son – had to be around 3 now. The future alpha and Derik’s and Mindy’s pride. I wonder if they were planning on more kids?

And Kevin…

Oh! Yeah, that Kevin! My ex-guard and now ex-lover. Or ex-boyfriend?

I guess we never really came around to define our relationship since Derik constantly dropped in the middle of it. It was fun sneaking around, although we never delude ourselves with the idea that he didn’t know. We had fun. For a while at least...

My mind wandered back to the wolf in the club. Kevin was great and all, but it had been a long time since a man made me feel that good. And I’d had other human men since then – it was one of the ways I made money behind Sven’s back – but that was just business. Kevin was a mistake. And the wolf in the club?

I smirked

A very good time…

I got home – a crappy cheap motel in an even more crappy neighborhood – and took a shower. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I hated every single piece of my body. My way too toned arms, my long and slender spider-like legs, my small heart-shaped face, my dull gray eyes, my red plum lips, my slender nose… My dark hair was a nauseating contrast to my tanned skin. I guess I could always be glad that I had a firm ass and my breasts popped out like melons when they finally made an appearance. But deep down I knew that none of this matter in anything but securing a fuck in the bed if I was low on cash.

I took a deep breath and opened the refrigerator. I don’t know why. I knew there was no food there, I didn’t by food. I needed to be skinny so I’d gotten into a habit of starving myself, now that I couldn’t cut myself anymore.

Scars didn’t really turn men on.

Cutting myself was just something that I started without really realizing what I was doing. I was having a panic attack one morning (they started after I lost Sif) and without thinking, I jammed a scissor into my arm. The fear, the anxiety… The heavy stone in my chest and numbness in my bones? It all just went away. The pain and the blood felt like a cure for everything wrong inside.

My mind wandered back to Kevin. Perhaps he would have chosen me if I’d been prettier? Skinnier? Smarter? My heart stung at the thought. The betrayal of the men in my life… I quickly pushed it away and grabbed a T-shirt and threw it on. I wasn’t going to spend time wondering about them!

I went to the window to pull down the blindfolds--- That’s when I noticed him. The wolf from the club. He was leaning against a car in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette. When he noticed me in the window, he flashed a sly smile my way. As if he knew something I didn’t.

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

Seriously? One kiss and I’d gotten myself a stalker?

I went to the door, ready to confront him.

But by the time I reached the landing, he was gone.