A Life Meant to Be Read online

  The campus entrance was extravagant, with what looked like two, tall brick turrets on either side of the four-laned road. Large, wrought iron gates were attached to the two turrets, and they were wide enough to completely cover the four lanes that went into and out of the school. But since I had been here, the gates had always been open. I figured they were more for decoration than having any intentional purpose.

  The gates themselves were massive, probably close to twelve feet tall. They looked like something that might need a military tank to get through if they were ever closed. A tall fence made of the same wrought iron as the gates took off in both directions along the road that ran along the outside perimeter of the campus.

  The fence got lost in the dense trees that lined the perimeter road in both directions and continued up the drive onto the campus. The two lanes of road that entered the school went off to the right around the fountain, and the other two lanes curved around the left side before meeting again on the other side of the fountain, returning to a four-lane road.

  My dorm was still another half mile from the gates, but this was as good of a spot as any to stop and eat. It was already dark outside, but I wasn’t concerned. The university took security here seriously, and I had already seen one security car drive around the fountain before heading back towards the school, using the road around the fountain as a round-about.

  Lifting a fry to my mouth, I took a bite. The fries in the school cafeteria weren’t all that great, but I had heard customers in the diner talk about the diner’s French fries. Once the flavor burst on my tongue, I had to admit they were right, and I closed my eyes to better enjoy the taste.

  They were seasoned in a way that was unique to the diner, and they really were amazing, even only partly warm. When the fries were a third of the way gone, I reached for one of the four triangular sandwiches.

  I’d be lucky to eat all of one of them, let alone four of them, especially after eating so many fries. Luckily, we had a small fridge in our room. I would have the rest for breakfast…and possibly even lunch as well.

  My time on the streets had been difficult. Survival meant searching for food daily. I’d have to admit, I had sunk low enough to eat some questionable things over the years, but the struggle was every day, and there had been many days that I’d had nothing to eat.

  I had never had a complete meal like this before coming to the university and eating in the cafeteria. It was definitely more food than I had ever had in front of me at one time.

  Even with almost unlimited food in the cafeteria, I still found that I couldn’t eat much. The availability of food meant that I never had to go hungry again, but today had just been too busy at the diner to find the time to eat.

  Mario didn’t like any kind of attention, but I was definitely going to have to come up with a way to thank him for this. He wouldn’t want anything in return, but a “thank you” would definitely be coming his way. Packing up the rest of the food in the bag, I stood and started walking towards my dorm.

  Just then, I heard a low rumble coming from the trees at my right. The sound was not one I recognized, and it almost sounded like an animal. I wasn’t sure what kind of wild animals could be found in those trees, but I definitely was not going to just wait around and find out. I took off at a run.

  I kept running until I reached my dorm. Quickly sliding my key in the lock, I pulled the door open and kept running until I reached my room on the second floor. Shoving the food into the small fridge, I grabbed my things for a shower. I could not wait to fall into bed tonight.

  Chapter 2

  Dominic

  The woman I saw leaving the diner was not someone whom I had ever seen in town before. She was probably a college student, and I started to turn away, but then she smiled. She wasn’t smiling at anyone or anything in particular, but it caught my attention long enough to get a good look at her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

  Her sandy blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, giving me a complete view of her features. A high forehead brought out the most expressive eyes that I had ever seen. It did not pass my attention that she had glanced all around her, studying her surroundings intently before starting off down the sidewalk.

  Her pert little nose was just the right size for her features, but her luscious lips caught my attention quickly. She wore no lipstick, but without the added color, they still seemed perfectly kissable. As my eyes moved down her body, I realized that she looked perfectly fuckable.

  She was slender, but her ass was perfect as her hips swayed with each step that she took away from me. Her breasts were slightly larger than what her small frame should hold, but that just meant they would be a handful. I felt my cock already straining against the front of my jeans, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  With her back to me now, I studied her as I moved along the sidewalk behind her. She walked with purpose, poised and confident, swinging a plastic bag in her hands as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Maybe she didn’t.

  That is what would make her a good fuck and then easy to say goodbye. I certainly wasn’t looking for a relationship but having a beautiful woman in my bed was definitely appealing. However, I needed an introduction first.

  I followed behind her at a far enough distance that she would never see me, or if she did, she would just think that I was another pedestrian enjoying the sights of the town’s Main Street. Each store I knew like the back of my hand. It was my town after all. I owned the property that all these stores sat on.

  When she approached the university entrance, my suspicions about her being a student were confirmed. When she passed through the front gate, I slipped through behind her, thankful for the cover of darkness and the dense trees that followed alongside the road.

  Quickly moving into the trees, I shed my clothes and switched to my wolf form in case I needed to make a quick getaway. Usually, I avoided going onto campus, but my curiosity about this woman had me watching her from my hiding place in the shadows of the trees.

  It surprised me when she stopped at the fountain and sat down on the wall, but it meant I could really study her better now. Her face was illuminated by the colored lights coming from the bottom of the pool around the fountain. I watched as she opened the container of food in the bag and set it on the wall beside her.

  It was definitely pulling at my curiosity as her face lit up and she studied the food for what seemed like a long time. It was as if she were surprised that it was there, even though she had just carried it all the way from the diner.

  She stuck a fry in her mouth and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor and making me study her lips as she chewed the food. Such a simple thing, French fries, were giving her extreme pleasure, and I felt my neck tilt to the side in amusement.

  I watched her lips as she chewed and wondered if that look would be on her face if my cock were between those lips. That thought surprised me. I had never had such an immediate reaction to a woman before, and especially not a human one, but I just could not bring myself to look away from her.

  I could tell that she only ate a small amount of the fries and only one portion of the sandwich before closing the container and standing up. Not ready for her to leave just yet, I heard the rumble leave my throat.

  Obviously, my wolf was not yet ready for her to leave either, and that really had me wondering what hold this woman seemed to have over me. My wolf had never responded to a human before, and that made me pause.

  The woman’s eyes instantly turned in my direction and I realized that she had heard me. Luckily, she could not see me where I was hiding as I remained in the shadows, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

  She immediately turned and began to run. I kept my distance, sticking to the trees, but following her as she ran. The woman was fast and determined, almost as if she were used to escaping, and that just piqued my curiosity about her even more. When she was safely inside the building that I assumed was her dorm, I turned and left.

  Tomorrow,
I would be getting an introduction to the beautiful woman who had invaded my town. It was my job, after all, to know everything about this town. That job was made difficult by the ever changing student population at the university, but my instincts were always right, and I could smell trouble a mile away.

  Most of the trouble making students could be easily convinced to not cross the line that would put them on my bad side, but every once in a while, I would have to take care of someone. It had happened a couple times that a date rape drug had been sniffed out in one of my clubs, and that was not something that I would tolerate.

  The human women had no protection against it, and that was where I came in. I didn’t tolerate abuse to women, and members of my pack worked at all the clubs in town. The pack made sure that those men disappeared and that their disappearance was never missed. No one ever came looking for them when they were gone.

  I was good at what I did, and I always got what I wanted because of it, but right now what I wanted was the woman who had just disappeared inside that building. Quickly making my way back through the trees to where I had stashed my clothes, I changed to my human form and dressed. Then I made my way down the sidewalk with a whistle, heading back to town where I had left my car.

  When I finally arrived at home, I immediately noticed the car in the driveway that didn’t belong. Madison. A heavy sigh left my throat as I parked the car, then made my way slowly towards the house. I was not interested in a confrontation, and with Madison, there was always a confrontation.

  Opening the door quietly, I looked around and wondered if I could make it to my room without her realizing I was here. However, once I stepped through the front door, I realized that was not going to happen. She had already seen me and was obviously waiting for me to return.

  Madison was seated on the leather couch in the great room, and the rest of the people who occupied my home were nowhere to be found. They had left me to deal with the beast who was Madison, and the hair on the back of my neck bristled at their impertinence. She looked up at me expectantly when I walked into the room.

  “Dominic, I’m so glad you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you,” she said in a tone dripping with adoration and what she hoped was sex appeal. However, I had no desire to sleep with her. Just the sound of her voice grated on my nerves.

  Madison had been my biggest mistake, at least recently. Her father was the alpha of a neighboring pack, and although I hadn’t fucked her, she had given me every signal that she wanted me to. We had dated a few times, but once I realized her intent to hook me, I quickly bowed out.

  “What are you doing here, Madison?” I asked her calmly, not really caring what her answer would be and wondering how quickly I could get her to leave.

  She definitely was not the person I had expected to see when I got back from town, and now that I was on full alert, all thoughts of another particular woman disappeared from my mind. I needed my wits about me to face Madison.

  Her face took on a pout. “I just wanted to see you, Dominic. It’s been too long since we spent time together. Daddy’s out of town for the weekend, so I figured I’d come over and see you. I don’t have to be home until tomorrow,” she practically purred, standing from the couch and walking towards me.

  She laid her hand on my chest. The look on her face was completely inviting, begging me to take her upstairs to my room and slide my cock deep inside of her. Her touch sent warning signals throughout my body. That was definitely not going to happen.

  “Madison, I’ve already told you this would never work between us. I’m sorry, but I’m not looking for a quick fuck,” I told her, not hiding my anger at her unexpected arrival, especially this late in the evening, and not caring if my words hurt her. I braced myself, knowing what was coming and glancing around the room to see if there was anything breakable within her reach.

  Did I feel bad for dragging her around for weeks and leaving her hanging? Absolutely not. I wasn’t looking for a relationship or a mate. The pack was all I needed. Sure, Madison was beautiful and had an amazing body, with long legs that seemed to go on for miles under the miniskirt she currently wore, but I had finally realized that her personality was anything but beautiful.

  She was a spoiled brat, used to getting what she wanted, but this time, she wasn’t getting it from me. I wasn’t interested in her anymore. Not even her female curves could tempt me, and my cock had not even responded to her touch. That told me a lot. I moved away from her and turned by back.

  At first, I had considered taking her as a mate, thinking it would bring the two packs closer and make them stronger, but I got over that idea quickly once I got to know her better. Now, there was someone else who I wanted on my mind at the moment, and that meant getting rid of Madison as quickly as possible.

  I felt her fists on my back as she pummeled me, but it wasn’t even enough to move me an inch. Letting her pound for a few moments longer to let off some steam, and hopefully protect anything breakable in my house, I rolled my eyes, grateful that she couldn’t see it. It would just set her off even more. Finally, I turned and grabbed her wrists, pinning her arms behind her as I held her firmly against my chest.

  Her eyelids lowered as she peered up at me beneath them, her lips turning up in a predatory smile. She liked it rough, and I knew that my treatment of her was something that she was enjoying. I could even smell her arousal. However, my next words were not something that she would enjoy.

  “This is my house, Madison,” I growled at her, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t invite you here, and now I want you to get out. I don’t have time for your petty tantrums,” I continued, letting the growl from my wolf work its way up my throat until my canines dropped and her eyes flew open wide in alarm.

  Releasing her, I stepped over to the door and opened it, then indicated for her to find her own way out as I headed across the room and down the hallway towards my office. The slam of the door rattled the walls, and I clenched my teeth, waiting to see if anything fell from the walls.

  I was used to Madison’s outbursts, but they were quickly becoming old news. She would not give up any time soon, and I sighed in frustration as I wondered when her next attempt to fuck me would be. The idea repulsed me, and my wolf let out another low growl. He was just as repulsed by her.

  There had been a time when I would have just fucked her out of my system, but since my father’s death, I was alpha now. I could no longer make my choices with my dick, and definitely not with another shifter.

  The fact that Madison’s dad was an alpha made it something that would be impossible as well. I had a feeling that was the exact reason that she had set her eyes on me. She longed for the power that mating an alpha would give her, however, that was never going to happen.

  Tomorrow, I would make sure the rest of the pack knew not to grant her entrance into this house again unless her father was with her. I could not afford to have bad blood between the two packs and fucking Madison and leaving her would definitely cause bad blood. It was no longer an option, and the sooner Madison realized this, the better for both of us.

  When I finally made it to my office, it was all I could do not to slam the door behind me as I walked across to my desk. I thought again about my father. Only a shifter would have been able to get close enough to him to kill him, and that meant it was someone that he knew, possibly even trusted. That meant it could be a member of my own pack.

  The weight of that possibility sat heavily on my chest. The reasons for my father’s murder were also outside of my grasp of comprehension. There had to have been a good reason to take out an alpha, and it hadn’t been a challenge for his position either.

  No one had come forward to claim the place of alpha and challenge me as would have been their right, and nothing else had happened to anyone else in the pack. That was the most frustrating thing. There had to have been something to gain by killing him, but I had no clue what that could possibly be.

  Whether the reason was something to
gain or whether it was some kind of profit, position, or to silence him about something he knew, there had to have been a motive. Whatever it was, I was no closer to finding out who killed him than I was when I first began my investigation into his death.

  I didn’t need any distractions from my purpose or my pack. Not even a fresh piece of pussy. But as my memory brought to mind the young woman’s face from this evening, I caught myself smiling.

  Shit! Maybe I did need a bit of a distraction after all. If I could fuck her out of my system, then I could get my head back in the game. I’d be able to focus better after anyway. Sex was great for stress relief, and I could definitely use some of that right now, especially if it were with that beautiful woman. Just the thought of her had my cock instantly hard and I had to adjust myself in my jeans.

  Logging onto one of the several computers on my desk, I pulled up one of our security cameras that we had covering Main Street. I moved it up just enough that I could see the entrance of the diner in the distance. Satisfied, I headed to my room.

  Chapter 3

  Cecelia

  Sunday morning, I headed out of the dorm on my way to work. It was quite a long walk, but I didn’t mind. It was good exercise, and it also made me grateful to be where I was, finally fulfilling those dreams that I had told Mama Bea about shortly after joining her on the streets.

  She had cried the day I left, but they had been happy tears. She wanted me to make something of my life, and I would never forget her kindness or the many lessons that she had taught me while I was living on the streets.

  I would always remember and appreciate those few years of my life. They had been easier than the first sixteen, and they were what had made me into the woman I had now become. This was who I was now, and I couldn’t regret what had made me who I am.

  Heading into the diner, I stepped into the kitchen and saw Mario. Walking up behind him, I stuck the piece of paper I was holding in my hand into his apron pocket, then I headed into the back room. It wasn’t much, just a simple written “thank you” on a scrap of paper, but I had a feeling that he would understand exactly how appreciative I had been of his gift.