Page 3 of Insatiable Hunger

“I don’t mind being your secret, darling, but don’t put an expiration date on this.” His thumb rubbed along my lower lip, lifting my chin as my eyes remained fixated on him. “Sex or not, we both knowthisisn’t ending anytime soon.” He slowly removed his hand, my chin dropping as he broke his gaze, petting Alastair. The two were fond of one another, and he understood and respected the bond between me and my wolf.

Lazarus pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans, offering one to me. I studied the small pack in his hand, silently accepting the complicated truth of our situation. Even if I wanted this to be more, we couldn’t. Not while I was still with Cain.

“Just sex,” I whispered as I snatched a cigarette, placing it between my lips. I snapped my fingers, a faint blue flame flickering as I ignited the tip. I inhaled the thick smoke, watching as he pulled my hand close, lighting his own, the reflection of my blue flame flickering in his dark irises.

His warm hand continued to hold mine, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the night, grinning as he leaned against a large gravestone. I could repeat the phrase a million times but, deep down, we both knew the truth. Whateverthiswas between us, it was more than sex.

Lazarus shook his head, blowing a second trail of smoke into my face with a smile. “Whatever you say, Alaska.”

Chapter

Two

ALASKA

“Hey, dreamer,” Lazarus called me from behind the checkout counter on the opposite side of the small convenience store. The nickname was one he had chosen for me after hearing about my dreams of leaving this place behind—dreams I knew I could never fulfill. We had worked together at the small business for some time, our friendship slowly spiraling out of control, morphing into what it was now. This was our place, the only place where we could be together alone, aside from our sinful, late night graveyard adventures.

My body was crouched as I adjusted colored bottles of cheap wine across the bottom row of the shelving. His voice threw me into the vivid memory of our night together, distracting my mind. As I removed my hand from the back bottle, the metallic wrapping of a cork sliced along my skin, slightly cutting the inside of my palm.Shit. Small beads of fresh blood began to protrude from beneath the cut. I raised my palm to my lips, licking the blood from my skin, the taste both metallic and bitter.

“Coming.” My words stuttered, my open palm pressed against my mouth.

“Everything okay?” he called from across the store.

I wiped my hand across my faded, torn jeans as the ends of my fringe fell across my eyes, kissing my lashes. I tucked the short, grown out blonde and pastel strands of hair behind my pierced ears and casually strolled to him.

“Bitchin’.” I smiled, my thoughts still lingering. “What’s up?”

His eyes looked me up and down, his expression shifting from his usual warm self to something colder. His dark brown eyes moved, signaling me to look past the large exterior window of the store. Leaning forward, my hands gently rested atop the checkout counter as I looked outside, inches from him as I noted the cause of his mood. On the other side of the exterior was not something—butsomeone. Leaning against his pristine muscle car, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, was Cain… my boyfriend.

I turned to Lazarus, his jaw clenched, obviously bothered by Cain’s unexpected presence. “I-I should go talk to him, see what he wants,” I stuttered, pointing back to the door.

His voice followed me as I turned and began to walk away. “He might be your boyfriend,” the heat of Lazarus’ gaze weighed heavily on my spine as I reached for the door, looking over my shoulder back at him, “but this ismytime with you, darling. And I don’t like sharing.” He winked, flashing me a flirtatious smirk that made my cheeks burn.

The bell of the small convenience store rang as I pushed the door open, the smell of smoke instantly filling my lungs. Alastair, who had been patiently waiting for me outside, rose from the concrete sidewalk of the store entrance. He greeted me as I brushed his large head, aiming for Cain. Animals may not have been allowed inside the store, but there was no rule against him hanging around out front. And so he did. Always.

Cain was smoking, casually leaning back against the vibrant electric blue hood of his car, his arms and legs crossed. His disheveled black hair lay tucked behind his pierced ears, wildstrands laying freely across his apricot face. I couldn’t see his eyes hidden behind thickly tinted sunglasses, but I could feel them watching me.

I stopped about a foot away from him, Alastair close to my side, his large body reaching just above my waist. A cool autumn breeze carried through the air, causing me to shiver despite the bright sunlight beaming down on us. I gripped my arms, instantly regretting my outfit choice of a simple cropped t-shirt and shredded jeans.

“What’re you doing here, Cain? I’m not off work for another hour.” It wasn’t that I was unhappy to see him but, like Lazarus had mentioned, this was our time together. And despite knowing it was wrong, I didn’t want to waste it.

Cain lifted the lit cigarette to his mouth, inhaling as the tip burned, the warm reflection glowing in his shades. He ignored Alastair’s presence, as usual. “You look cold, Bambi.” Unlike the name Lazarus used, I despised the pet name Cain had chosen for me. It sounded as if I was just some innocent doe, stumbling around, waiting to fall prey to some beast. I’d asked him to stop using it, but truthfully I think he preferred the nickname more knowing I didn’t like it.

I rolled my eyes, scoffing as he pushed from the car, the cigarette firmly between his lips. He removed his leather jacket, exposing his sleeveless black shirt tucked around his muscular body. Multiple silver chain necklaces lay around his tattooed neck and hung along the collar of his shirt, which was tucked into his snug, washed out jeans. Alastair remained still, carefully watching Cain’s every move, his distrust of him on full display.

Cain’s partially tattooed arms flexed as he placed his leather jacket around me. The smell of him, mixed with cigarette smoke, soaked into my skin. It was a small but sweet, comforting gesture, and I couldn’t help but smile in return. Cain removed the cigarette, blowing the smoke straight towards Alastair’s face,smiling as the wolf bit the air between them. “Anything for my baby girl.” Cain turned his head looking into the convenience store. “Let’s go inside.”

Before I could even speak, Cain placed his hand against my lower back, guiding me to the door, leering back at Alastair. The wolf’s golden irises followed us as he remained outside watching through the large glass windows.

The bell jingled, Lazarus’ gaze landing on Cain’s arm now wrapped tightly around my waist. I could see his face tighten in reaction as he fought back anger.

Cain and I approached the counter. “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise?” Lazarus crossed his arms, his inked skin flexing as he leaned against the counter. “Is there something I can get you, Cain?” My eyes widened in concern at the tone of his voice.

Cain tossed his cigarette onto the tile floor, the toe of his combat boot squishing the leaf blend of tobacco into the dirty tile, a small stream of smoke escaping the pulverized cig. He removed his sunglasses, tucking them across the collar of his shirt, revealing his cold gray eyes as they locked on Lazarus. “Why don’t you fetch me a new pack of cigs for the road, babygirl,” he smacked my ass, grinning at Lazarus while he spoke to me.

The hard impact of his hand burned against my backside as I scuttled to the opposite side of the checkout counter. The heaviness of Cain’s attention tapped at my shoulders, keeping me on my toes as I reached for his usual brand, stacked high behind the counter. My fingertips brushed the red pack, my palm open and exposed, the fresh cut still bloody and visible. The smell of Lazarus filled my nostrils as he leaned against me, reaching for the same pack. He placed it in my palm, his fingers faintly touching mine as sparks ignited in my chest. His eyes observed my skin for a moment before they moved directly to my face.

“What happened to your hand?” His verbal concern in front of Cain made me uncomfortable. I quickly gripped the pack of cigarettes, pulling away from Lazarus, ignoring his question. He remained behind me, leaning against the shelves as I tossed the pack to Cain, his expression blank, causing an unsteady amount of fear and anxiety to churn in my stomach. I forced an uncomfortable smile, hoping to convince him that all was fine—normal.

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