Sweet Submission Read online

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  New Concepts Publishing

  www.newconceptspublishing.com

  Copyright ©

  First published in October, 2006

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  SWEET SUBMISSION

  By

  Desiree Gelsi

  © copyright October 2006, Desiree Gelsi

  Cover art by Jesse Palon, © copyright October 2006

  ISBN 1-58608-983-8

  New Concepts Publishing

  Lake Park, GA 31636

  www.newconceptspublishing.com

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

  CHAPTER 1

  Sasha crept softly along the freshly fallen snow, padding silently over the thick powder beneath his feet. He knew his territory, every inch of surface, every rock and every tree. This was his domain, and his alone. He trotted along on all fours, staying within the shadows as he slipped through the evening air. He was a werewolf king, and this was his kingdom. To the naked eye he looked like an extraordinarily large wolf. His human features were masked by thick black fur that covered his body.

  He thrust his long jaw into the air, catching scents in his sensitive nostrils like a filter. He ignored the smell of the earth and the moisture of the snow, sifting through air currents until one in particular caught his attention. It was the scent of an intruder, one that he had been pursuing for a long time now. It was a hunter, a man who, without any known motivation, seemed intent on destroying his entire pack. The hunter had already killed three of his pack mates, his family, tore them to shreds like they were paper. The mere thought of a man hovering over his family as he sliced away at their throats with some gruesomely sharp scalpel made him furious. It was ground for retaliation, as far as Sasha was concerned.

  He lowered his muzzle and continued to trot along over the earth. His strides were easy and ground covering, effortless as he leapt over fallen logs and ducked under tree branches. The smell came stronger to him now, carrying with it the scent of gun powder and metal. This hunter knew what he was doing. He wasn't after game. It made Sasha more cautious, knowing that he was dealing with a man who was skilled and sadistically inclined.

  He never underestimated a rival—that was a good way to get killed. He stopped. Ahead of him, just beyond the cover of the trees was a spacious open meadow. And beyond the meadow, a wide flowing river that cut between the mountains. It was also the end of his territory. He inhaled softly, trying to get a bead on exactly where the hunter was. The man was moving, fast, as if he were already hunting something ... or someone.

  Sasha paced the outskirt of the trees. He couldn't just attack the hunter outside of his territory. He never killed someone he didn't know as a rule, because you never knew if the man you killed had allies. He waited, patiently biding his time for the man to appear.

  What he wanted wasn't to kill the man, not yet. What he wanted was to observe him, to see what he was looking for, the way he looked for it, and how he hunted. He wanted to see a face, something to give him an idea of who this man was. So far the hunter had been elusive. He always seemed to know when he was being watched and when Sasha was nearby. It was as if the man had a sense of him.

  He sat on his haunches, listening with keen ears through the darkening shadows of evening. There was a soft click somewhere beyond the river, and when Sasha licked his lips he could taste the sweet tang of silver on them. There was something else though, the strange taste of medicine, of a sedative.

  There was a loud crack somewhere in the distance, the distinct sound of a shot slicing through the air. It slammed into its target with a smack, and Sasha cringed inwardly, expecting to hear the sound of pain immediately thereafter. There was a guttural sigh, air escaping lungs in a soft whoosh, but then there was no sound of any kind. No scrambling to escape, no pained grunts or echoes, just empty silence.

  Sasha was now thoroughly confused. If the hunter were merely hunting deer or other game he would have no use for tranquilizers, or silver bullets for that matter. No, he had to be hunting something else. He sighed, it was none of his concern what—or who—had been shot. It happened outside of his territory, and his pack mates were not in danger. He had ruled that no one was to leave the house alone after dark, and his rules would be obeyed, because he was the one who had made them. His word was law, and to defy it was to defy him, the Alpha male. No one would have disobeyed, that much he was certain of.

  He waited, growing impatient. He could feel the hunter coming closer, and it confused him further. The man should be retrieving whatever he had just shot, not proceeding onto his territory. Sasha tensed, feeling an involuntary rumble in his throat. A shudder traveled down his spine, and the hair on his back stood on end. The approaching hunter was so near that he could taste the salty flavor of sweat on his tongue. He was ready to launch an assault on the man should he dare to intrude on his territory, but a part of him knew better. If he wanted to learn more about the man that was so intent on destroying his family he had to be patient and suffer the intrusion.

  The falling snow was becoming heavier, making it even more difficult to see. He blinked, concentrating hard on the river before him. He was so absorbed in staring at the trees behind the river that he didn't even notice when a ghostly figure crossed the river into his territory.

  The shiny glint of metal reached out from the trees as the hunter came into view, holding the weapon as if it were an extension of his self. The man was wearing a black trench coat, black boots, and a black skull cap. If it weren't for the contrasting ivory snow he would have blended perfectly into the shadows. Sasha stared into the dark of the forest, but he still couldn't see the hunter's face.

  The hunter held his gun out in front of him as he edged forward. Sasha watched him with wonder. The man was aiming to the side of him, and he had a bead on his target. It was clear in the way that he cocked his gun, locking on something in the meadow as he started to walk unflinchingly into the cold river. Sasha followed the gun barrel with his eyes, searching for the target of its wrath. And then he saw where the hunter was aiming.

  The wolf was as white as the falling snow, blending into it like an ethereal apparition. It stood there on shaky legs, daring the hunter to shoot it through dark blue eyes that pierced through the veil of snow. The way that the other wolf just stood there, defiantly staring at the hunter with deliberate challenge, it made him believe that it must be another Alpha male. He snarled inwardly as resentment sank in his blood.

  Sasha concentrated harder, seeing the dark red blood that ran down the wolf's front left foreleg. The leg looked useless, dangling beside the other limply. His eyes slowly drew upward to graze the wolf's small face, trailing across the gentle curves of its body. He frowned, confusion flashing over him. The white wolf was too feminine, too lightly built and too soft featured to be a male. He froze, torn between his instinct to be rid of the trespasser, and a strange desire to know who she was.

  He shook the curiosity from his mind, forcing himself to harden inside. It didn't matter who she was. She was a stranger on his territory, an intruder, no more welcome than the hunter. She deserved to be shot for such a blatant indiscretion. Hell, if the hunter didn't shoot the white wolf, Sasha would kill her himself.

  Suddenly
the glint of metal in moonlight caught his eye, and he returned his sight to the hunter. A snarl rumbled deep within his belly. The hunter was no longer locked onto the white wolf, his aim was now fixated solely on Sasha. Behind the dark metal of the gun, Sasha could see black eyes staring at him.

  Sasha was livid. How dare the man trespass onto his territory, and then have the audacity to aim a gun at his head? He forgot the white wolf for the moment. His only concern now was ridding his property of this gun-wielding intruder. The hunter seemed to sense his rage, and ever so slowly he returned the barrel of his gun toward the white wolf. There was a sickening click, and a tiny blaze of orange flared from the muzzle of the gun.

  A dart rocketed from the firearm, piercing into the side of the white wolf. She snapped sideways for a moment, thrown off kilter when the dart struck her ribs. But then she didn't move—she just kept staring at the hunter with those dark, dangerous blue eyes that dared him to do it again.

  Sasha bristled irritably. He wanted both of these intruders off of his land.

  The hunter suddenly returned his sights to Sasha, cocking his gun a second time. Sasha growled. This hunter was trying his luck. Sasha slipped back into the safety of the shadows and the hunter dropped his gun. He had lost Sasha in the trees. He swung his gun back to the white wolf, and Sasha followed his gaze.

  The hunter dropped his gun again and began to back away. The white wolf was gone, slipped into the shadows with Sasha. The hunter knew better than to pursue his prey. Sasha was already waiting to gut him, and the white wolf would gladly help him do it. He was outnumbered two to one in the forest. He continued backing away until he had disappeared from view. He wasn't too worried about the white wolf. Sasha would finish her off for him. Alpha males were never very welcoming to intruders, no matter who they were, and if an offender couldn't outrun them they were as good as dead. The white wolf couldn't run. Her foreleg had been shot with a poison dart. By now her leg would be numb and useless. She was as good as dead.

  Sasha watched the man disappear with his glowing golden eyes. He swung his head to the side. The white wolf had disappeared into his territory, and he wanted her gone. A shiver of distrust rocketed through his blood. The white wolf had seemed so fearless in the face of death, as if she wanted to be shot. She was reckless and defiant, something that could be dangerous to the very lives he was sworn to protect. His lips curled unconsciously, exposing rows of gleaming white teeth. He had already lost three pack mates to the hunter, he wasn't about to let some careless outsider put the rest of his family in even more danger. He stiffened, preparing to hunt down this new adversary.

  Kita blinked snow from her dark blue eyes. She felt sick to her stomach, a combination of the poison dart that she had been shot with and the knowing that the Alpha male was coming for her. She slumped down onto the ground, blood that spilled from her wounds slid to the earth in a slow pulsing progression, staining the ground around her in crimson. She rested her head in the snow, closing her eyes for the briefest of moments. God how she wished she could just sleep, close her eyes forever and let this all be a memory of the life she once lived.

  Her eyes slowly opened and she saw the big male. He was like a shadow come to life, with liquid black fur and haunting gold eyes that glared at her as he unhurriedly walked towards her. He was massive, one of the largest werewolves that she had ever seen, and she had seen plenty. She watched him as he made his slow, deliberate approach. At least her death would be a quick one. He was powerful, could probably snap her spine with one bite of those horrific jaws. She was glad for it, she was tired of running, and in no mood for games that immature males liked to play.

  The shadowy Alpha made a slow circle around her. He was bristling. The hair on his back was on end. His teeth were bared to expose a set of deadly canines that were just waiting to sink into her flesh. His eyes were burning into her soul, as fierce and predatory as any as she had ever seen. He meant business, and his interest was to kill her. She waited, and a slow growl of irritation and impatience rumbled out of her throat.

  Just kill me, already, you arrogant bastard. Don't make me sit here and wait while you think about how you're going to do it.

  She snarled, rising up as he continued to circle her. Her limb dangled ineffectually to the side, and the pain that shot through it was almost unbearable, but she'd be damned if she would let him see that. She didn't trust males, especially the Alpha's. They were underhanded and power hungry, they got off on weakness.

  Sasha walked in a purposeful circle around the white wolf. He had been prepared to rip her throat out, end her suffering with one fast, calculated bite, but he hadn't been prepared for the way his thoughts would betray him once he reached her. Up close she was far more beautiful than he ever anticipated, and his primal urges shifted from aggression to something much more hidden.

  Her coat was silky and flowing in soft layers that were as white as the falling snow around her. She looked up at him with haunting eyes of the deepest ocean blue, watching his every move with deliberate suspicion. She stood weakly to her feet, growling at him as he casually went in circles around her. She glowered at him, daring him to do something. The problem was he didn't know what to do with her. She was hurt, the wounds on her side and leg were still losing blood, but the way in which she snarled at him made it perfectly clear that she wasn't going willingly with him anywhere. He wasn't going to kill her, he had decided that much.

  Kita was growing impatient. Stop wasting my time and kill me already, you goddamn coward. Unless you plan on letting me bleed to death or killing me with boredom you'd better get on with it, because if you don't I'm going to kill you. Either way, one of us is going to die here.

  Sasha could feel her anger growing. It emanated from the deep rumble in her soft throat and the subtle shift in her posture. She was tense, ready to fight. He jumped back, barely evading a quick snap from her jaws. Her teeth slammed shut just inches from his throat, and anger burned white hot within him. How dare this injured stranger attempt to attack him on his turf? He growled a warning, but she either didn't hear it or chose to ignore it, because in the next instant he was busy dodging her treacherous snapping jaws as they sought to clamp down on his forelegs. He snarled, infuriated with her repeated attacks.

  She held her ground, again snapping out at his neck. This time she was successful. Her teeth caught a piece of his throat, and she held on for dear life. Black fur was lost within her mouth as it tore from his neck, and suddenly she felt only immense weight over her shoulder. In an instant she was on the ground, and dark hair mixed with snow to cloud her vision. She snapped blindly upward at him, forcing him to retreat for the moment.

  The pain in her side was becoming sharp, and she felt tired. She was tired of everything, tired of fighting, tired of living. The big male started to circle her again, warily now. She didn't have time for this. She snapped at him again, this time her jaws found his chest, and again she was rolled away by his brute strength as he slammed into her. She lunged for his throat, and he dived downward to avoid her snapping jaws. She brought her teeth down on the back of his neck, hard, sinking her teeth into his flesh until she tasted blood.

  The bite was too high, and in an instant he had upturned his jaw, catching her throat in his mouth. Her neck was small, easily surrounded by his sharp teeth. He rolled her beneath him, his hot breath burning into her throbbing jugular vein. She closed her eyes. She wished she hadn't had to attack him to get him to do this, but it was the only way. Inside she was smiling. His mouth tightened around her fragile throat, his teeth sinking ever deeper into her flesh. Her breath slipped from her constricted lungs. She was finally able to sleep.

  CHAPTER 2

  Kita blinked the sleep from her eyes. She was sore and achy, hardly able to move. She moaned while writhing in pain as her stomach tied itself into a thick knot. A bolt of sheer hurt darted up her left arm, the pain so great that her eyes shot open fully. She caught a fleeting glimpse of her surroundings just before squeezing h
er eyes shut tight again to drown out the pain.

  She saw thick wooden walls around her, illuminated by the orange and yellow glow of a fireplace at the far end of the room. Her eyes fluttered open again. There were several men within the room, none of which she had gotten a good look at.

  The last thing she remembered was the Alpha werewolf in the woods. She had known that she had been on the edge of a werewolf territory for days, but she never thought that she would ever have to face one of them. She wouldn't have, either, until the hunter had pressed her across the river, like a hound dog treeing a coon, trying to get her cornered. The hunter had underestimated her, though. He hadn't counted on her being so reckless as to cross into the territory. Her eyes fluttered open again.

  Great, she thought. She was right back where she started, just with a different “pack.” Absolutely wonderful, she mused. Once they found out who she was she was as good as dead. Why didn't the Alpha male kill her?

  She grimaced in pain, blinking in time to see a man turn away from the group and approach her. Her eyelids were fluttering so fast that he looked like a vision from an old film, his movement caught in uneven fragments. He stood over her for a moment, appearing to examine her wounds. He was not the Alpha, she could tell not just by his stature, but in the way that he looked over his shoulder repeatedly. He was constantly aware of a higher member of the group.

  He set something down on her stomach, and it burned like acid on her skin. She inhaled sharply through clenched teeth. She was going to kill the Alpha male for not doing away with her when he had the chance.

  Her eyes shot open again and she stared at the man in front of her. Her breath was still and she felt like she didn't dare breath. His head was shaved clean of hair, his eyes were a warm gold, his skin a light tan, but it was the glimmer below his lips that made her freeze. It was a metal piercing, twin arches that started below his bottom lip and curved under his jaw like blunt hooks.