Designs on a Warrior

Chapter One

“Are you ready to let loose and have some fun?” Cydney asked her best friend, Maggie.

“It depends on what you mean by letting loose,” Maggie replied. She shot Cydney a brief look with a smile before she turned her attention back on the road.

“Sometimes you take that to a whole new level. And remember, we’re not in Canada.”

Cydney huffed while giving her friend a fake look of shock. “Well, I never. And what is that supposed to mean? I’m a good girl, most of the time. And how could I forget we’re in Norwich, England. You’re driving on the wrong side of the road, after all. Plus sitting on this side, I keep thinking there should be a steering wheel in front of me.”

“Hey, I thought the same thing when I first arrived in Canada.”

“Then we met and I taught you all things Canadian.”

“You mean you corrupted me.”

Cydney laughed. “Maybe a little.”

Maggie and she had met when they started their first year at Toronto’s Ryerson University. They had shared a dorm room together. Cydney had taken to the quiet British girl right away. Maggie ended up being the sister she never had.

So of course when Maggie had suggested Cydney make the trip home to England with her, now that they had finished their final year of university—Cydney completing her Bachelor of Interior Design and Maggie her Bachelor of Journalism—

she’d been quick to accept. It wasn’t as if she had much to go home to. There was a reason why she’d chosen to live in a dorm during the school months, even though she was from Toronto.

Cydney broke out of her thoughts when Maggie said, “Here we are.”

She looked around as her friend pulled her mother’s car they had borrowed for the night into a parking lot behind a large building. “So this is the nightclub your friends are meeting us at?”

“Yes. This is the place. Ali and Carol should already be inside,” Maggie said as they got out of the car. “Considering we’re later than I told them we would be.”

Cydney ran a hand down her black, short skirt, then gave a little tug to the light blue silk, short-sleeved blouse she wore. “I had to make sure I looked good.” In the black, strappy high heels she had on her feet, she walked over to Maggie.

Her friend shook her head. “I think you could wear a burlap sack and make it look good. Come on.”

They headed for the front of the building and the entrance to the nightclub.

Before they went inside, Cydney looked up at the bright neon sign over the doors that spelled out ‘The Nightclub.’

“That’s a real imaginative name,” she mumbled quietly.

Maggie rolled her eyes, took hold of Cydney’s wrist and yanked her through the doors. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darker interior, and her ears to the loud, booming dance music blaring out of the club’s speakers. She allowed her friend to tow her toward one of the tables not far from the entrance where two women sat. Cydney assumed they had to be Ali and Carol. Her assumption proved correct when they reached the table and Maggie let go of her wrist to hug each woman while all three of them talked at the same time.

She hung back, watching the exchange. Maggie had told her so much about Ali and Carol she almost felt as if she already knew them. Once Maggie managed to make the introductions, Cydney found herself just as warmly greeted.

After everyone had taken a seat at the round table, Ali was the first to speak, raising her voice to be heard over the loud music. “It’s lovely to finally meet you, Cydney. Carol and I have heard so much about you over the last four years.”

Cydney smiled. “The same can be said about you two. I think Maggie did it on purpose with the hopes of getting us all together.”

“I have to say it,” Carol said, “I love your accent, Cydney.”

“Thanks, but I think you’re the one with the accent, not me.”

A waitress arrived at their table, and Cydney and Maggie gave her their drink order. Cydney ordered a rum and Coke while her friend ordered a glass of white wine, which would be her only drink for the night, since she had to drive them home later. It wasn’t going to stop Cydney from ‘letting loose’ a bit as she had put it to Maggie.

While they talked, she scanned the club from time to time, paying particular attention to the males in the place. So far she hadn’t found what she was looking for. It wasn’t until her third rum and Coke that Ali noticed what she was doing.

“Cydney, I can’t help but see you keep checking out the club. I have to say you look as if you’re on the hunt for something, or someone.”

Maggie snorted. “She’s on the hunt all right. Why don’t you tell them, Cyd.”

Feeling pretty good from the drinks, she figured what the hell. “All right. Since I’m going to be here in Norwich for a month, I’ve decided I need to find me a nice British boy toy during my stay. I also want to see if they can measure up to their Canadian counterparts. Literally, if I get that far.”

Both Ali and Carol burst out laughing. Maggie, who had already known about her plan, only shook her head and chuckled. Being her best friend, she was already used to how outrageous Cydney could get when the mood struck.

“Well, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding someone here,” Carol said, once she’d brought herself back under control.

“We’re on the same page with that one,” Cydney agreed. “But so far, none of them have turned my crank, if you know what I mean.”

“The night is still young,” Ali said with a laugh.

“So true.”

Cydney turned in her seat to look toward the club’s entrance. She sucked in a breath when her gaze landed on the very tall and muscular man who stood there. He had to be no less than six foot seven. Form-fitting black jeans and t-shirt showcased a body she would love to get up close and personal with. He wore his light-blond hair on the longish side. It just brushed the tops of his wide shoulders. She didn’t sit too far away, so she easily saw his face, but not the color of his eyes. And what a face it was.

With his square jaw, chiseled cheekbones and firm lips, she found him more than handsome. She had a hard time pulling her gaze off of him.

“Hello, what do we have here?” Cydney asked in general. “I think I just found the first candidate.” Before the others at the table said anything, she stood. “I’m going to

‘interview’ him and see if he will be willing to fill the opening I have.”

She heard Maggie groan. “Knock off the puns already, Cyd.”

Cydney, her gaze still locked on her target, waved her friend’s comment away with a quick flick of her hand and headed for the object of her desire.

Wulfric didn’t expect to find much prey this night, since there wasn’t a full moon until the following week. Then things would pick up. The night of a full moon was when the newly turned werewolves, sired by Fenris the wolf, shifted for the first time.

And with blood lust riding them, they would be compelled to seek out victims. After that, they could shift at will. It was Wulfric’s job, along with his five fellow warriors, to put down any of Fenris’ get, as charged by the Anglo-Saxon god, Tiw, the Sky Father.

One bite from their kind and a mortal joined their ranks, and there wasn’t a cure. Unlike the prey he hunted, he wasn’t a werewolf who had a thirst for flesh and blood. Tiw had gifted his warriors with the ability to shift, to put them on equal footing with their prey.

In their half wolf and half human form, they were much stronger and bigger.

Ever on the alert for the scent of prey, Wulfric came to a standstill and sniffed the air when he detected the faint odor of werewolf. Following the scent trail, which was relatively fresh, he found himself standing in front of a nightclub. The trail seemed to end there. He had two options to choose from—he could either go into the club and see if his prey had gone inside, or continue in the same direction he had been going and hope to pick up the scent once again.

In the end, he decided to do both. He didn’t think his prey would have gone into the nightclub, but he didn’t want to take the chance the werewolf hadn’t. Not really relishing the idea, Wulfric quickly stepped into the club. As he walked a little farther inside, the loud music played havoc with his sensitive hearing. Being a werewolf heightened his ability to hear and see in the dark. Given that fact, it was one of the reasons why he made a point of avoiding places like this nightclub.

Using his keen eyesight to search the dim interior, Wulfric swept the room with his gaze as he tried to filter out the myriad of scents, trying to find the one he’d followed, outside. It was almost damn near impossible. There were just too many here, which meant he’d have to walk among the mortals with the hope if he got close enough to the werewolf he’d be able to zero in on his scent once more.

Before Wulfric could take a step, his gaze landed on a woman who stood at one of the nearby tables, staring intently at him. She wore a snug-fitting skirt and a blouse that showed a fair amount of cleavage. His gaze dipped lower and he noticed—even though she couldn’t be any more than five foot four—her legs were long and toned. As she walked toward him, he took in her long, chestnut brown hair that fell around her shoulders and the sapphire blue eyes that seemed to focus totally on him.

Wulfric’s cock stirred, growing hard, the closer she came. He found her more than attractive. She was gorgeous, and as he stared at her lush lips, he wondered what they would taste like. He gave himself a mental shake, trying to clear his head. He had to stay focused. He had a job to do. The night was not his own, no matter how attracted he was to the woman.

But he still found himself rooted to the spot the closer she came. Once she stood in front of him, he let out a grunt of surprise when she rubbed up against him and cupped his cock with her hand, which grew even harder at her touch.

“Well, hello there,” she said as she gave him a sexy smile. “I’m Cydney. And who might you be?”

It vaguely registered that her accent sounded Canadian. Not really able to think too clearly with her hand on his dick, and all the blood in his body surging to that part of him, he said hoarsely, “Wulfric.”

She looked him up and down, but still kept a hold of his dick. “The name suits you. How about we go somewhere to get better acquainted? A part of you seems very interested.”

Cydney squeezed his cock, making him take a deep breath as he bit back a moan.

Her scent filled his lungs and swirled in his head, intoxicating him. His wolf threw back its head and howled in longing. Wulfric stiffened. No other woman had stirred his wolf until this woman, and he knew what that meant—it was one of the signs she was his mate.

He took another deep breath, unable to resist her scent. He also detected the strong smell of alcohol. Taking a closer look at her, Wulfric realized his would-be mate was a little intoxicated herself. That could explain her boldness.

Gently, he wrapped his hand around her small wrist and pulled her hand off his cock. Knowing what she could be to him, if he didn’t get some space between them, he was liable to embarrass himself by making a mess in his jeans.

Wulfric took a small step back. “I would love more than anything to take you up on your offer, Cydney, but it will have to be later. I have something to do right now.”

She looked from side to side. “Really? What? You don’t look particularly busy at the moment.”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Cydney licked her lips and pointedly looked him up and down again. “Well, you did find someone. You found me.”

He groaned to himself as his cock jerked inside his pants. A vivid image of her on her knees as her tongue circled the head of his dick flashed through his mind. He had to resist the pull she had over him. Besides having to continue to hunt his prey, Cydney wasn’t sober enough for him to do what he wanted to her. But then again, if she truly were his mate, and his wolf came to the surface while they made love, she wouldn’t be in any condition to notice. Wulfric savagely pushed that thought away. She wasn’t going to be a quick tumble in bed.

“Be that as it may, I still have to find this person. It’s important.” He let go of Cydney’s wrist and took another step back when she swayed closer. “But we can get together tomorrow, say in the afternoon sometime? Why don’t you give me your mobile number?”

She gave him a pouty look. “I don’t have my cell phone with me. I left it at home in Canada, since it wouldn’t work here. I’m staying with a friend and her family. I don’t remember their phone number offhand.”

He’d been right about the origin of her accent, after all. Wulfric looked over her head at the table where three other women watched them. He nodded in their direction.

“Is your friend over there?”

Cydney took a quick glance over her shoulder before she met his gaze again.

“Yeah, Maggie is over there.”

“Then how about we go to the table and I’ll ask for the number?”

She smiled. “Smart thinking.”

Wulfric sucked in a breath of pleasure that bordered on a moan as Cydney took hold of his hand, turned a little unsteadily and towed him toward the table where her friends sat. That small contact had his wolf whimpering, wanting to be even closer to her.

At the table, she turned to a woman with long, black hair. “Maggie, I need to give Wulfric here the phone number to your parents’ place. I can’t remember it.”

Maggie grinned. He pulled his hand free of Cydney’s and took out his mobile.

Maggie rattled off a string of numbers, which he entered in his address book. That done, he snapped the phone closed and stuck it back in his jeans’ front pocket.

“Thanks,” he said to Cydney’s friend. Glancing at the women at the table he gave them each a nod. He then turned to his would-be mate. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He went to leave, but Cydney stopped him. “Not so fast. I’ll walk you out.”

Wulfric didn’t have time to protest before she once again took hold of his hand and towed him toward the club’s entrance. Outside, she led him down the sidewalk to a dark corner of the building, in the opposite direction he had to go to try to pick up the werewolf’s trail again.

“What time should I—” He never got to finish his sentence. Cydney dropped his hand, and with a hard push, shoved him so his back landed against the club’s brick wall. Before he knew it, she was all over him. Standing on her tiptoes, she thrust her fingers through the sides of his hair and brought his mouth down to meet hers. Once their lips met, she kissed him hungrily, not waiting for him to respond before she ran her tongue along the seam of his mouth, begging for entrance.

Everything but the woman pressed up against him left his head. Wulfric wrapped his arms around her waist and held her even closer as he opened his mouth and sucked her tongue inside. The taste of her went straight to his head. He moaned.

Cydney’s grip on his hair tightened as she held his head exactly where he assumed she wanted it.

She deepened the kiss, sucking and nipping at his bottom lip. Washed away on a tide of arousal, it took Wulfric a few seconds to recognize the burning sensation on the tips of his fingers for what it was. His claws threatened to come out. He felt them just beneath the surface of his skin. Another sign Cydney was the woman meant for him. He continued to kiss her as he cracked open his eyes. His eyesight was keener, which meant his eyes had gone wolf, the iris taking up much of the white. He had to cool things down fast before she saw the change in them.

Wulfric pulled away from her mouth, and with his eyes closed he put his forehead to hers. His chest heaved as he fought to regain his breath. Holding her still against him, he brought himself back under control. Once he opened his eyes, his eyesight had gone back to normal, and his claws had receded.

With a force of will, he set Cydney at arm’s length. He looked at her lips, which were swollen from his kisses, and her cheeks were colored with her arousal. The scent of it played havoc with the control he held over himself. “I’ll call you late in the morning tomorrow,” he said, his voice husky.

She nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

Knowing he’d better leave before he broke down and yanked her back into his arms again, Wulfric turned her toward the club’s entrance and sent her on her way with a gentle swat to her backside. He watched her go until she was safely back inside the building. It was going to be a hell of a long night.