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OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
By
Tracey H. Kitts
© copyright by Tracey H. Kitts, Oct. 2007
Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, Oct. 2007
ISBN 978-1-60394-099-3
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events and places are of the authors' imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.
Chapter One
Someone told me once that life is not complicated, people just make it that way. I used to believe that was true. Marco Barak, leader of the local werewolf pack, had told me during my recent visit not to complicate things that need not be complicated. But the decisions I'd faced lately did not have easy solutions. Maybe I was over complicating things. Leaving Marco in the parking lot of club Red that hot July morning was not easy for me. I'd just spent the last week of my life with a man that, until recently, I'd viewed as my enemy. I was having some difficulty reconciling the differences, but not as much as I should have. I'd enjoyed my time with Marco. Just that short while had opened my mind to new possibilities. However, finding I responded to him as an alpha werewolf frightened me.
Alfred, the man who should have been on my mind, was not due back for a few more weeks. I'd known Alfred since I was ten years old. As I matured, so did my feelings for him. In one way or another, I'd always loved him. But he was gone at the moment on business to Terra. Alfred was helping to stage a protest along with my father. They were protesting the idea of werewolves being legally recognized as citizens again on planet Terra. This was also the reason Marco would be leaving planet Earth the following day. He would be presenting his proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code to The Wizard Council. If his ideas were accepted, it would no longer be a crime punishable by death to be infected with lycanthropy. I actually supported his ideas, but now was not the time for me to voice my opinion. My life had never been exactly perfect, but now it was down right complicated.
I looked in the rearview mirror at the handsome man in black on the motorcycle behind me. His name was Samuel James and he was there at Marco's request. Sam was the head of the second largest werewolf pack in the country, located in Texas. He'd also visited with Marco over the past week and helped him with his presentation to the council. Marco was afraid that in his absence, certain members of his pack might try to harm me. Actually, it was the female pack members he was concerned with. It seems they were not exactly happy about his intentions to make me his mate. Of course, I hadn't accepted the position. But as Marco had said, the job was mine for the taking. And so was he. I'll admit I was tempted. Who wouldn't be? Marco was one of the sexiest men I'd ever seen. Spending the last week looking at his beautiful body had not exactly eased my mind.
I'd gone to club Red that weekend to avoid the boredom of spending another night alone. Kat had a new boyfriend that occupied all of her time, Alfred was out of town, and Elijah was busy. Of course I'd left with a hurricane on the way which wasn't exactly bright. Thanks to hurricane Alistair smacking into the panhandle of Florida, Marco had invited me to spend the week with him. It was a convenient opportunity and we had both taken advantage. Now that it was over and Marco would shortly be gone, I knew I would miss him. His scent still lingered on my shirt where I'd hugged him goodbye. I pulled the material against my face as I drove and breathed him in.
Once we'd parked in front of the house Sam offered to help me clean up.
"The yards are a mess, Sam, but you don't have to."
"He asked me to keep an eye on you." Sam smiled. "Might as well make myself useful."
"Tell you what, Sam. Why don't you spend the week with me?"
It would be another month before Alfred came back and having company would keep my mind off of worrying about all the men in my life. Besides, I liked Sam. He was tall, lean and muscular. His salt and pepper hair hung just above his shoulders, though he had it in a tight pony tail that day. There were creases around his eyes when he smiled which only added to his charm. Sam looked like he belonged more in an old western somewhere instead of my front yard. If there were such things as past lives, Sam had been a cowboy.
He grinned and it caused his mustache to twitch.
"Marco says you won't even let him in the door."
"There are other reasons for that."
"You mean I won't have to worry about you attacking me in my sleep? It's a good damn thing too, cause I'm tired."
I laughed and opened the door.
"Do you like coffee, Sam?"
"Darlin, half my blood is caffeine." He smiled.
As we sat down to a nice cup of coffee Sam asked, "How come you would trust a stranger to come into your house?"
"Because you're a good man, and I knew that when I shook your hand."
In addition to being a werewolf Hunter, I'm also strongly empathic. When I touch other people, I'm able to feel whatever it is that they feel. Through their more intense emotions, I can get pieces of imagery.
"Damn, I hate it when people figure that out."
Before we started cleaning my yards, I hit play on the answering machine. There were several messages from Kat wanting 'details'. These made Sam smile, but when Elijah's voice came on he paid attention. Elijah was just checking on me, but Sam still asked, "Who's Elijah?"
"A local cop. A friend of mine."
Actually, we'd been spending a lot of time together since Alfred had been out of town, but I didn't think that was any of Sam's business. Elijah was nothing short of adorable. He had dark blond hair with highlights that only stood out in direct sunlight, deep blue eyes, and a smile that could melt snow. He was a bit too sweet and innocent for my taste, but he also understood that there was something between Alfred and me. Because of this, he hadn't asked that we do more than just spend some time together. I was glad, because I enjoyed being with Elijah. Besides being good looking, he was easy to talk to.
Sam raised one eyebrow. "You got a thing for local bacon?"
"No, but he's got a thing for me."
"Who doesn't? Darlin' you're popular."
"And you're an ass."
"That's one of my better qualities."
Sam's charming smile made it impossible for me to stay angry at his nosy questions.
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