Hungry Wolf - Aidy Award Page 0,17

be spotted, Aleksei darted across the road and into the alley behind the strip of businesses. Oh, yeah. The wolf's scent was strong here, fresh. He'd been here recently.

The lone wolf wasn't just passing through, either. As Aleksei followed his nose it was clear that the wolf was very interested in Troika-run businesses. Just like in the woods, the scent was all over the building where the pie shop and the Sleepy Folk speakeasy did business. It was a good thing everything in town closed down at two in the morning because it sure as shit looked like the lone wolf had tried to find a way into the bar.

If he'd been here, where else had the intruder been?

Aleksei's heart skipped a half dozen beats. This alley started behind Sleepy Folk, but it ended at the back door of The Naughty Wolf. Where Helena worked.

He sprinted up the alley at top speed. What if she was there? She could have gone back to clean up and close up after the Friendsgiving party. His wolf went mad with rage and worry that his mate could be in harm's way. The lone wolf was dead if he even thought about harming Aleksei's woman.

As much as he didn't want to admit she was his mate and he was hers, they were fated mates and she was his woman. He wouldn't slink away into that dark night and leave her unprotected. He may be a failure as a wolf pack enforcer and a douchecanoe of a lover, but he would not allow Helena to be harmed. Ever.

Aleksei followed his nose all the way around the outside of the building. The outsider had definitely been here, and same as in the rest of the town, not just passing by. He was scoping the place out. He'd spent a lot of time sniffing around each of the doors as if looking for a way in. There didn't appear to be any scent on the door handles. If he was a shifter, why hadn't he changed forms and tried to get in the old-fashioned way, by using the doorknob?

This lone wolf had clearly been here recently. He should be able to track it down and take it out. But that wasn't his job anymore. He wasn't an enforcer. His job now was only to keep Helena safe from the threat. His wolf pulled at him to return to her side. It wanted a whole lot more than to simply protect her.

Aleksei followed the scent trail to the end of the alleyway and almost got himself run over. The Bay County trash truck was loud and stinky and couldn't be missed. His head was not in the game. He shouldn't even be in town in his wolf form, and now it was already dawn. Damn.

It seemed like the trail of the lone wolf headed out of town, not anywhere near Helena's place, but with the garbage truck leaking sludge all over the street and alley, the scent was lost and he couldn’t be positive. He needed to skedaddle and report this problem to his pack alpha.

If the sanitation services were already out and about, he'd better get a move on before he was caught in town in his shifter form. He took off down the deserted space between the buildings and toward the Troika pack house. Hopefully Max and Kosta would both be there so he could eat two birds in one bite.

Kosta would definitely want to know that a lone wolf was sniffing around his business and his employees. Hopefully they'd send a whole pack of Troika Enforcers on the case. At least two for each of the women who worked there. They needed to be protected.

Aleksei's wolf snarled in his head. No one would be protecting Helena but him.

Schmoes and Uh-Ohs

Helena promised Kosta that Black Friday would make back all the money he had lost by closing for Thanksgiving. They had dollar drafts, cheap well drink specials, and some of the girls even offered to do two for one on lap dances. Get the gentlemen who frequented the club to bring their friends, and tonight everyone would make a killing.

But with cheap liquor you got cheap schmoes who got handsy. So Kosta had agreed to up the security and have a couple of his more growly guys bouncing tonight to keep the girls safe and happy. Helena had worked at plenty of clubs in her time that didn't care a hoot for what went on, so