He ran a hand across his face, suddenly tired. Tired of the search for a mate, tired of the pack’s restlessness, of their waiting for him to take control. And that was no attitude for an alpha male to have. And certainly not one to show to his pack.
The moon was two nights from full and he could already sense its pull, its control over him. The restless feeling was there, as if the skin on his body was too small to contain his muscles and bones, as if they were already shifting into the creature that he became each full moon.
And with that, the desire to mate was almost uncontrollable. While Nikki had danced and gyrated against him, it had taken all his control not to throw her down on the floor and take her right there.
Jax pushed angrily away from the building, jamming his hands in his pockets, striding down the dark street. Coming to the club in the first place had been on a dare from Bec, goading him into looking for a mate in a place full of women. He’d said if he couldn’t find a mate there, he’d never find one.
Bec. His rival, his greatest critic, his younger brother. Always at him, after him, pushing him, biting at his heels. And now, that Jax had become alpha male, Bec had become absolutely relentless.
“You’re not ready, Jax. You’re not mated. You’re not blooded… you haven’t even made a kill since you’ve been alpha. You’re not what this pack needs. You’re not alpha male material.”
Jax had rounded on his brother, lashing out, raking his nails across Bec’s face. They were alone, and it was all Jax could do not to tear Bec’s throat out.
“I am the alpha male of this pack, Bec. There’s nothing you can do about it. Either accept it, or move on.”
Bec had touched his fingers to his face, pulling them back, looking down at his blood on them, as a snarl curled his lips. “Don’t think I won’t, brother. Blood’s not enough to keep me here. There are others, too, that don’t think you’re the right one to lead us.”
Jax knew talk like this was dangerous. Any pack member who spoke against the alpha male…any pack member who wasn’t his brother…would have found himself with a slashed throat, bleeding on the ground, left to die.
But, as always, because Bec was his younger brother, his only remaining family, Jax held back. Because he knew Bec was right. He needed to make a kill as alpha. And he needed a mate. Desperately.
And now here he was, wandering around in a seedy neighborhood in Philly, the scent of a woman all over him, rubbed into his clothes, on his hands. And as much as he tried to tell himself, to make himself believe she wasn’t the one for him, every time he took a breath, his body told him otherwise.
He sighed, turning down an alley, breaking into a lope, heading for home.
*
For Nikki, the rest of the night passed in a blur of thumping music and sweaty men. And for the first time that she could remember, she was distracted, more than ready to call it a night. Most nights got tedious at the end of her shift, doing the same old bump and grind, the same lap dance, only with a different guy pinned to the chair. But tonight she found herself wandering around in a daze, mechanically taking men to and from the private rooms, turning them on and taking their money.
It wasn’t until almost closing time that she had a chance to take a break in the back room. Lori was there, dressed in casual street clothes, or what passed for street clothes for her. Her top revealed just as much cl**vage as her working outfit. The only piece of clothing that was any different were the jeans and those were practically painted onto her long legs, hugging her firm ass.
“You headed out early?” Nikki flopped down on the couch, dropping her feet onto an old plastic chair. Her feet were killing her, always did. Fuck me pumps were great for the show, but for a night of being on her feet, they were hell.
“Yeah. Mack said I could. I’ve got a date, wanted to at least get there before that bar closed, maybe get a little drunk on someone else’s dime.” Mack’s rule of one free drink per shift put a damper on Lori’s enjoyment. She’d claimed she danced better drunk, but Mack firmly held by his rule. He said he was tired of picking her up off the floor as the night went on.
“Someone I know or someone new?” Nikki was never sure who Lori was seeing these days. She seemed to have a string of boyfriends, none of whom lasted more than a few weeks.
“Dunno. Does the name Mark ring a bell?” Lori frowned, pursing her lips.
Nikki shook her head, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Did you see the new girl? I missed her set. And Neon? What’s up with the name?”
“You didn’t see her set? You really missed something then. She’s got these crazy ass tattoos that only show up under black light. Mack put in special lighting, just for her. Some trippy looking shit, if you ask me.”
“Wonder how long before she trips off the stage in the dark.” Nikki laughed softly, to herself.
“Hey, I saw you with your mystery man. Got to give him a private show. How was it? You get a good tip?” Lori sat down at the lighted mirror, touching up her make-up.
“Oh, shit. I never got paid!” Nikki thumped her head against the wall in frustration.
Lori turned around to look at Nikki for a long moment. “Wow. Must have been some guy, if you forgot to ask for the cash. That’s a real newbie mistake, Nikki, not something you would do. Hope you made enough in tips to cover with Mack.”
“Yeah. I did.” Nikki shook her head. She’d been stupid, so engrossed in the guy she totally forgot he was a paying customer. And she’d never even got to finish the dance.
But what had happened with Jax was still playing through her mind. She could still feel his lips beneath hers…still feel the sense of barely controlled passion or power or whatever the hell that was lurking under that calm exterior. Besides the obvious sexual arousal that came off of him in waves, he’d radiated pure animal magnetism.
Lori’s laugh interrupted her thoughts. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?” She’d turned around, facing Nikki, lighting a cigarette. She blew out a puff of blue smoke, flicking the match into an overflowing ashtray.
“I haven’t seen you this out of it since that guy….what was his name? The guy from France or Germany or some place? He had an accent and I swear, the minute he said your name, you turned into a big puddle of mush. He was such a prick to you. And he smelled bad, smelled like those horrible little black cigarettes he smoked all the time.” She waved her own cigarette, suddenly animated.
“And you even said the sex was horrible! Remember? I said he was like…”
Nikki raised her hand. “Yeah…Lori, I remember. I was there, it was me that had sex with him. I don’t need a blow-by-blow recount of my own sex life.” Nikki pushed herself up from the couch.
“Listen, have a good time on your date. And be careful in the alley. Eden said she saw some guy hanging out by the dumpster, that he said some pretty rude things to her.”
“Yeah. I know. It’s China’s druggy ex-boyfriend. He’s stalking her or something again. I’ll be careful…always am.” And then she was gone, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.
*
Jax rolled over, his arm across his face. The sun was high and he was reluctant to leave his bed. He’d managed to slip into the house without Bec noticing and he wanted to avoid his brother for as long as possible.
The girl from last night…Nikki. Nikki haunted him. He’d taken a shower but her scent still clung to him. There was something deeply satisfying—and very arousing—about it and he shifted in bed, her scent and memory having a definite physical effect on his body this morning.
But no matter how arousing, that scent and those memories were attached the wrong girl. There was no way the pack—and especially Bec—would accept a stripper as alpha female. Right now, pride wouldn’t let him bring her home, pride in his pack, in their history and heritage.
Jax and Bec had had that heritage drilled into them for as long as he could remember. They were the first pack of the New World, their ancestors stowing away on ships that crossed the Atlantic, with the doomed Roanoke Colony in North Carolina.
He knew the truth the history books didn’t. The colonists didn’t starve that first winter or seek refuge with native tribes. They were the first kills made by his ancestors, the first on this new land to be blooded into the pack.
From there, they’d spread out across the country, splitting, creating new packs as the old ones grew too large or fighting led a group to strike out on their own. Jax and Bec’s pack had been in the Philadelphia area for well over two hundred years, before this country even existed.
They were proud of their heritage and, if truth be known and had become somewhat elitist over the years in who they chose to add to their pack. Jax wasn’t sure how that had happened, but it was the fact of the matter that, right now, bringing back a stripper would never be accepted by the pack, even if he chose her as his mate.
Pack numbers were dwindling because of this attitude, combined with more awareness of their numbers by mortals. They’d always been reclusive, but now were almost driven underground. Jax knew it would be up to him to break with tradition, but he knew also that could divide his family, and possibly cost him his life.
“Still in bed? Rough night?” Bec was in the doorway of Jax’s room, arms folded across his massive chest.
Jax slid out of bed, planting his feet firmly on the floor. “Bec, I’m not in the mood right now for your comments. If you haven’t got anything positive to say, then just shut up.”
“So the search for a mate didn’t go so well?” Bec took a step into the room, sniffing loudly.
“I smell her…and she smells like sex.” Bec looked at his brother. “Are you taking them for a test ride now?”
Jax was instantly on his feet instantly, hands balled into fists. “Bec, out. Out of my room. And while you’re at it, out of the pack. I’ve had enough of your insolence. If you’re so sure of what it takes to be alpha, by all means, go be one.”
Bec snorted. “You really mean it this time? Or is this more posturing?”
Jax took a step closer to Bec. “With all my heart. I mean it. Out.”
“You realize you’re splitting the pack. I’ll take with me those that want to go. And there are more than you think.”
Jax blew out a breath. “You seem to forget I’m splitting the family as well, Bec. Or does that not factor into your plans?”
Bec frowned. “You’d really let me go?”
“Really. I’m alpha now, Bec. And I get that it’s hard for you, that you think by some means it should have been you. But it’s not. You can fight me for it, and I’ll win. You know it, and I know it.”
“You’d really fight your own brother?” Bec’s frown turned to a look of disbelief.
“Bec, what do you want from me? You’re not happy I’m alpha. You’ve let everyone know how you feel. I give you the chance to go…hell, I tell you to go, but you stay. I tell you I’ll fight, you don’t believe me. Just what the hell do you want from me?”