Feral

Tianna's lips parted in a feral grin as she leaned over the handlebars of the 1098 Ducati Superbike. She sped recklessly around the curves of the road, the thick forest to her left, the sheer drop of the cliffs to her right.

Shandaken was a blue-collar town of around 5,000. And though the town was flooded with yuppie skiers in the winter months and whenever fresh powder fell, it was a place that prided itself on its hometown values.

Tianna Moore did not exactly fit in with those small town values but the town served its purpose and gave her what she needed, simplicity. The miles of forest surrounding the town and the respect for individual privacy that was commonplace suited her perfectly.

She'd grown up in the city, on Manhattan's upper east side, the privileged only child of a CEO and a socialite. But she'd never put much stock in interest in extravagances. She preferred to live simply. The Ducati was practically the only luxury she allowed herself; a present from her father, much to her mother's dismay.

Her parents had attempted to convince her to remain in the city, to stay with her family and friends and attempt to lead a normal life. But Tianna wasn't normal at all. Her father, Dominic Moore, was hereditary loup garu. Unbeknownst to Tianna's father at his daughter's conception, his current lover, Alaina was a mystic, a shape shifter. Tianna's mother's shape took the form of many different variations of bird and she came from a long ancestry of shape shifting going back hundreds of years with each generation of her family sharing the same shape.

When Dominic Moore had learned that Alaina had given birth to a daughter, there had been little cause for concern. For the Pack, to be loup garu was an inherited trait. The werewolf gene was only passed on from father to son, and those sons would be taken from their mothers in infancy to be raised by the Pack. Alaina would get to keep her daughter and Dominic Moore disappeared from her life. That is, until a five year old Tianna had thrown a tempter tantrum, bared her teeth and smoothly shifted into a sleek black wolf cub. Alaina's shock was evident.

Though Dominic Moore had disappeared from Alaina's life he was not a difficult man to find. Unlike most of his kind, he did not shy away from public life. He was one of New York's most eligible bachelors and a notorious playboy, whose exploits were often cataloged in one gossip column or another. Alaina's shock was nothing compared to Dominic's. There were no female loup garu that he'd ever known of in the history of his race. For Pack werewolves, the werewolf gene resided in the male chromosome. Mutts were those who had been bitten. The bite of a werewolf and the after effects of the transformation placed extreme trauma on the body's central nervous system and psyche. Most bitten, didn't even survive the sickness that accompanied the bite, much less the first transformation itself. No woman had survived the change in over three hundred years. And here his young daughter was, effortlessly changing between her human form and wolf form, with swift fluid ease and without the pain that even Pack werewolves expected upon their transformation. He had wanted to take his daughter immediately.

But Alaina wouldn't allow it and Dominic did not dare defy her. Her people could prove as dangerous as his own. Alaina, did however, allow him to take his daughter to the Pack who fawned over her and treated her as a little princess. Despite that initial visit and due to her mother's protests, Tianna had not been to Pack territory in the fifteen years until she was allowed to move to Shendaken in upstate New York. Her mother and father remained at odds over the years though she loved them both, she truly needed to get away from the city for a while. Her father suggested Shendaken, to which her mother had actually agreed.

Tianna pulled into the gravel lot in front of a small dive bar on the outskirts of town. She parked the black matte superbike amidst the Harley Davidsons and pulled the helmet from her head, shaking out her long dark locks.

"Nice crotch rocket, sweetheart," came a gruff voice from behind her. Tianna rolled her eyes skyward as she swung her leg over the bike and placed the helmet in the compartment under the seat. She turned to face the biker behind her. He was tall with grizzled graying hair and a scraggly beard that reached halfway down his chest above a rotund belly. He wore a dingy white t-shirt under a black leather vest that had seen better days. He patted the seat of the bike beside her own, a lewd grin spreading over his face, revealing quite a few missing teeth. "You should try getting something with real power between your legs."

Tianna gave shot him a disgusted look and brushed by him.

A large hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, halting her suddenly. His voice had grown low and menacing. "Don't walk away from me, girl."

Tianna halted. She turned slowly and looked down at her wrist grasped in his large meaty hand. Her voice was stony. "Let go."

He did not. "Well, maybe if you were a little nicer to me, sugar."

A slow smile slid over her pretty features. "Nicer?" Her gaze took on a yellow iridescent glow and she held up one slim hand. "Sure." She stepped closer to him, fighting the revulsion as the smell of alcohol and unwashed body greeted her. He was too focused on her nearness to notice the nails of her free hand lengthening. He released his hold on her and she ran that hand down his vest. Her voice was saccharine. "I need something powerful between my thighs huh?"

He nodded dumbly.

She shook her dark hair behind her shoulders and nodded towards the Ducati. "That 'crotch rocket' is the most advanced, most powerful twin-cylinder motorcycle ever built. It's got a one-hundred and an eighty horse power L-Twin Testastretta Evoluzione engine That's power." Her gaze slid caressingly over the smooth lines of the motorcycle. "But you..." she sneered, her pretty lips parting to reveal elongated canines. Her gaze glinted strangely in the moonlight.

The large man started in fear and jerked away from her only to have her lift a hand and grab a handful of his t-shirt in a fist. His eyes widened as he struggled to pull away but she did not release him, her muscles showing no strain as she held on. She yanked him back to her. And raked her nails down over his broad belly. The cloth of the cotton t-shirt tearing though she was careful not to break the skin, yet. "Would you think it was nice if I gutted you from stem to sternum?" She drew the tip of her nail from the center of his chest downward. "Would that be nice enough for you?"

The man was trembling with fear in her grasp.

"Is everything alright out there?" Came a voice shouted from the porch of the bar yards away.

Tianna glanced over her shoulder at the tall sinewy male figure standing on the porch, a baseball bat in hand.

"This guy giving you trouble, Tianna?"

Tianna released the man immediately, smirking slightly as he stumbled backwards. His mouth opened and closed though no words came out. "No," she chirped sweetly. "No trouble at all." And she turned on her heel and strode on towards the bar, hearing the revving of an engine behind her and the skitter of gravel as the Harley roared out of the lot.

The man on the porch eyed her skeptically. He was tall with a dark hair that was coaxed into a faux-hawk and large gauges in his ears. Tattoos peaked above the collar of his tight black t-shirt that stretched over his broad chest. He lifted one dark brow, a sardonic smile tilting his lips.

"Hi Sean," she chirped brightly.

The bartender's gaze perused the girl with an expression of wry amusement. She was about 5'6," her slender body encased in black leather and her jet black hair falling over her shoulders framing her pretty honey-brown face. "Harassing my customers again?"

She made a mock expression of shock, "Me? Harassing him?" She shook her head as he draped an arm casually around her shoulders. "Sean, that guy had about two hundred pounds on me."

Sean shrugged and led her towards the entrance. "Not like it stopped you before.

Tianna laughed as they pushed inside the double doors. The bar was filled with people, smoke hovered in the air. The bar was a mix of Shendaken citizenry, from barely legals to middle-aged to those well into their over-the-hill days. An 80s cover band was playing near the back of the bar and couples were dancing on a space in front of the small makeshift stage. Sean slid his arm from around Tianna's shoulders to duck back behind the bar with two bald, similarly tattooed bartenders.

Tianna slid onto a barstool and shrugged out of her black leather cycle jacket to reveal a black lacy camisole beneath it. She handed it over the counter to Sean who placed it out of sight.

He leaned over the counter and looked at her, "So what are you drinking for starters darlin'?" He grinned.

Tianna returned the smile. "Shot of tequila." She held up two fingers. "Two."

Sean's dark brows shot upwards. "One of those days huh?" he asked as he poured the shot, placed a lime on the rim and slid a salt shaker towards her.

Tianna shook her head, "Nope," and pushed one of the shot glasses back towards him. "That one's for you," she looked at him slyly.

Sean shook his head and smiled his lopsided smile as he stood contemplating the shot in front of him, arms crossed over his chest.

Tianna laughed as she made a small sweep over the back of her hand with her tongue and sprinkled salt there.

Sean's gaze darkened slightly as he watched the motion, feeling desire pool in the pit of his stomach. Tianna was beautiful. He'd thought so from the first time she walked into his bar. There were few African American women in the small town, and none of them looked like the one standing in front of him. Her dark hair fell in loose ringlets past her shoulders. Her skin was deep honey brown. Thick lashes framed dark snapping eyes. At the moment, she was becomingly flushed, her dark eyes glittering with some secret glinting excitement.

Sean reached for the salt and did the same before taking the wedge of lime between his fingers. Tianna raised her shot glass in salute before licking the salt from her skin, tossing back the tequila and biting into the lime, sucking hard.

"Whoo.." she breathed shook her head vehemently as it burned a little on the way down. She looked expectantly at Sean, "Jack and Coke."

Sean shook his head in amazement. "A girl after my own heart."

The band switched decades as Sean quickly mixed the drink, and began playing 'My Goddess' by the Exies. Tianna's hand shot out and grasped Sean's wrist when he set the drink down in front of her. "One dance?"

Sean glanced down the length of the bar. The bar was packed but no one was having trouble getting drinks from the other two bar tenders. He nodded and Tianna turned to go, drink in hand. Sean leapt and cleared the bar in one smooth motion and followed her towards the dance floor, not taking his gaze from the sensuality of her gait. Tianna sauntered towards the dance floor, slinking around the bar's inhabitants, half dancing to the beat. She was clad in tight black leather pants and boots and the black lacey camisole. Her hair trailed down her back and waved about her face in ebony strands as she glanced back over her shoulder at him. He watched her walk towards the dance floor. Tianna had a grace to her walk. But this walk was distinctly predatory. Every step was a sexual invitation.

She made her way to the dance floor and Sean joined her. Her arms twisted above her head in abandon as she sang along with the music. Every other beat or so, she would reach out to stroke his face. Sean grinned and kept trying to touch her, pull her close, but she would deftly wriggle away and shake a finger at him. He was used to the behavior. She never let him get to close, or fail to remember that they were just friends. It looked like it was going to be a long night. He studied the girl intently. Just friends or not, he'd be damned if she didn't look good.

There was a commotion at the entrance as a new wave of people entered and headed towards the bar. Sean glanced toward the bar and back at Tianna. She grinned at him and gave him a slight shove, "Go, I'm cool here."

Sean dropped a quick kiss on her brow and turned to go. Tianna shrugged and took a swig of her drink before continuing to dance with nonchalant abandon to the music. Draining the glass she set it down on a small round table, still dancing and singing along.

She felt an arm snake around her waist and she was pulled up against a tall hard muscular body. She glanced down at the tanned muscular forearm, lightly dusted with fine blond hairs that was pressed against her middle and holding her tightly against the muscular frame of the man behind her. His scent washed over her in the most intoxicating assault to her senses she had ever experienced. Unable to help herself she nestled into the man's body. God, he felt good. He groaned low in his throat, the sound rumbling through her and causing heat to pool south of her bellybutton. He dropped his head to nuzzle behind her ear, and as he pressed her closer she could feel the hard length of his body pressed against her. But she couldn't stay long. What was she doing? She didn't bump and grind with townies in the middle of the dance floor.

She turned in his arms though his hold on her didn't relax and she found herself staring up into a pair of the most startling blue eyes she'd ever seen. He was over six feet tall and deeply tanned. He was beautiful and fierce. His jaw firm and covered by slight stubble. He had firm sensual lips beneath a straight patrician nose. Those wondrous azure eyes were framed by thick lashes. His blonde locks were cropped close to his head. He wore a plain white t-shirt that was stretched tight over his muscled frame and she could feel the hard ripples of his abdomen pressing against her stomach. But it wasn't his physical allure and obvious strength that both aroused and terrified her. It was his scent.

She gasped as she met his gaze and fear crashed down upon her. Her mind reeled why hadn't she smelt him sooner. The smoke? The crush of bodies in the bar? Perhaps she had drank too much too quickly. She gave a mental curse. She should have smelled him sooner.

She was fighting down panic as she pushed at his chest with all her might but he didn't budge. He was a full fledged werewolf, and though she was many times stronger than the average man, she had no chance against a full grown alpha male.

She'd encountered a werewolf once before. He'd ventured into Manhattan and come across her scent, tailed her and yanked her into an alleyway. He had shoved her against the brick side of the building and pressed himself against her, appallingly pressing his engorged arousal against her as his tongue traced a path down her throat. He had growled against her jaw line telling her that she smelled like a bitch in heat and any wolf within 20 miles could smell her. That was before Tianna had nearly deprived him of her entrails before me managed to escape. Little did she know that though the werewolf had survived but not for long. Dominic Moore had hunted him down and finished the job his daughter had started.

But that...that was a mutt. She could hold her own with a mutt. This man in front of her was no mutt. He was a Pack werewolf, an alpha male and he could easily overtake her.

Focusing, now, she could smell the faint scents of other werewolves nearby though she couldn't make them out in the crowd.

She continued to push futilely at his chest but it was like trying to move a brick wall. "Let me go," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Don't cause a scene," he snarled back and began moving once more to the music

But her struggles were further halted as the blonde werewolf stalked forward, carefully, pinning Tianna up against a similarly tall hard body and settled his hands on her hips. One of the other werewolves.

Tianna glanced over her shoulder and up at the tall handsome dark haired young man behind her. He grinned down at her, and Tianna noted his slightly elongated canines.

The blonde werewolf took her hand, pressed it to where his heart beat beneath muscle and pulled her toward the center of the dance floor, the man behind her never missing a step or lost contact.

Tianna's breath came in shallow gasps. "No," she murmured the two men began to move to the beat of the pulsing music in near perfect sync keeping her trapped between them . They had moved so close together now that sometimes the werewolves' hands brushed as they touched her. She had no choice but to move with them. A slow heat began to burn low inside her. It pulsed and throbbed to the beat of the music, too. At the same time, they each ran a hand along her shoulder up to her neck, brushing away her hair. Then they bent their lips to her neck and earlobe and gently began nibbling and kissing their way across her skin. Tianna could barely breathe. The dark haired werewolf turned her to face him, pulling her, the blonde never losing contact.

"Tianna? Do you like this?" the dark haired werewolf whispered, bending close.

Tianna's mind reeled. He knew her name. She blinked up at him, fear warring with arousal in the dark depths of her gaze.

Then his mouth descended over hers, his tongue gently exploring. The taste of her was addictive. She tasted sweet and of magick. He could almost forget that he was competing for her attentions. She moaned into his mouth. Abruptly, the blonde werewolf spun her away to face him.

"Little one? You're not answering." The blonde slid his hands down to her waist and roughly pulled her against him. He insistently pressed his thick arousal against her. And then his tongue was in her mouth, her body flush to his. Tianna moaned. Her breasts ached as they were pressed against the unyielding planes of his chest. Her knees nearly buckled at the strength of his kiss. The dark haired werewolf pressed in from behind her, nipping the nape of her neck with blunt teeth. Tianna pulled back and looked up a pair of azure eyes in question. His eyes were bright and predatory. He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips across hers. His voice was husky. "Let's get out of here."

She shook her head vehemently. "No."

He leaned close, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "We're not actually giving you the choice, darling."

Tianna blinked up at him, a myriad of emotions flitting over her pretty features. He gazed down at her soberly.

Tianna did the only thing she could think of. She brought her knee up between his legs. She watched in mild satisfaction at the pained expression on his face before she shoved him with all her might. He toppled back into the crowd, taking a few shocked patrons with him and knocking over a table.

Tianna then twisted and aimed an elbow at the man behind her, catching him hard across the cheekbone and sending him reeling.

Tianna took off through the crowd, pushing her way towards the front door. "Sean!" she shouted as the raced past the bar. He tossed her jacket and she caught it on the run and shrugged into it. Sean was snatching up the baseball bat again. "No!" she shouted, "Forget it this time, Sean!" she called over her shoulder. She didn't want him trying to defend her against full fledged alpha males. Sean was a tough guy but still no match for any one of the werewolves who were after her.

She burst through the front door and jumped off the porch. She skidded to a halt by the Ducati and wrenching the helmet from the compartment before hurriedly placing it on her head.

"Tianna stop!" Three male figures stood shadowed on the porch.

"Fuck off!" came her muffled retorted as she threw her leg over the bike and revved the engine. The gravel skidded beneath her tires as she abruptly whipped the bike around and took off.