Page 1 of Undesirable
Chapter One
Thecleannightairfilled Riku’s lungs. With his chin turned up to the sky and his eyes closed, all his senses engaged. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He wasn’t alone.
Less than a month ago, a red wolf came to town. He was young, alone, angry, frightened, and sad. Riku was all those things too, except for the young part. He was as old as time, but it didn’t matter. Riku couldn’t die. At least, he didn’t think he could. As a godling, he was whatever his god maker had createdhim to be. Since gods tended to make creatures and toss them aside, no one knew the full extent of his powers. But Riku was full of all the same emotions as Yuri Red.
“Why do you hide?” Riku dropped his chin and stared at the line of trees where Yuri crouched in case Yuri didn’t know he spoke to him.
Yuri stepped from behind the trees. He was fully clothed and in human form. Either he had hiked up the mountain on foot or carried his clothes with him.
“How did you know I was there?”
Riku went back to enjoying the bright night sky. Stars twinkled, calling him home to the heavens… where he was no longer welcomed. “I know everything.” He met the young one’s whisky-colored stare. “You’re here a lot.”
A blush tinted his cheeks, making him look even younger. To humans, he probably looked to be in his twenties. He was like most wolves: tall, perfectly formed, and ten times stronger than men. Yuri was the son of an alpha. He was twice as much as most wolves. Yuri was undeniably handsome and a pariah.
“It’s peaceful here, and I worry about you. You’re always alone.”
He was a good person who didn’t deserve the bullshit life had handed him. But such was life, and everyone had their battles. “You’re alone too. Do you worry about that?”
A bright smile lit Yuri’s face, showing his true nature. “I’m not alone. You’re here.”
Riku laughed. “By your own reasoning, I’m not alone either.” He moved to sit by the fire blazing outside his house. It was made from magic and blazed hotter than most. The fire also wouldn’t spread or extinguish without Riku's permission. It was his creation. As a cobra living in the mountains, his skin stayed like ice. Maybe he punished himself with the cold. He no longer knew.
“You should be out with people your age, enjoying life. Spending time by the fire with an old man sounds boring.” Riku smiled as he said the words. “At least, it would have for me atyour age.”
Yuri shrugged as he joined Riku, sitting and mimicking his cross-legged pose. “I’m not… I mean, the other wolves.” Yuri growled in frustration. It was a very animalistic sound.
Riku nodded. He wouldn’t make Yuri explain. Yuri had come to the small town of Wulfe, Washington, from an even smaller town where his father had served as alpha. He was a bit of a refugee. His parents had been rightfully ripped to pieces by the pack for evil deeds. Unfortunately, that hatred spread to Yuri as well. His innocence mattered not at all other than to spare his life. Wulfe’s alpha had agreed to take him in. So far, it hadn’t gone well.
Riku slapped his knees. “Well, I suppose it’s up to me, then. Someone has to make you act your age.” He stood. “Let’s go.”
Yuri stood too, but he looked confused. “Where?”
With an evil smile growing, Riku grabbed Yuri’s arm and vanished. They reappeared behind a nightclub. Music thumped. Laughter and chatter filled the air. Riku headed around the building to the front door with Yuri hot on his heels.
“Where are we? What is this place?”
“San Francisco. It’s a dance club.”
He breezed past security without paying and with Yuri in tow. Riku ensured the bouncer manning the door didn’t even notice. Human mindswere easy to manipulate. Inside, the thick crowd made it hard to breathe, but Riku didn’t care. There was music in the air. He turned and walked backward, dragging Yuri on to the dance floor.
“I don’t know how to dance.” He shouted the words to be heard over the crowd. It wasn’t necessary. They had supernatural hearing.
Riku reminded him of that by speaking normally. “This type of dancing isn’t a skill. It’s just moving to the music. Plus, no one cares. They can’t dance either and you’re sexy. They’ll enjoy the show no matter what.”
Yuri blushed again, but he let Riku talk him into moving with the music. It didn’t take long for him to catch on. “I’msurprised you like this, considering you never leave your mountain.”
Riku scoffed. “Are you joking? I’m a cobra.” He moved his hips seductively. “I love music. It’s in my soul.”
“You are pretty mesmerizing.”
Riku threw his head back and laughed. He was happy for the first time in a long time. Maybe he needed this night every bit as much as Yuri. A tingle ran down his spine. His gaze shot around the club. There he was, sitting at the bar. His light blue gaze almost penetrated the space between them. He never looked away or moved. Each time the crowd parted slightly, that sexy gaze was still on his skin. Riku’s dance became forhis other half.
They danced to every song without stopping. Yuri laughed all night, making Riku’s heart sing. They felt like friends who had known each other forever. When the music suddenly slowed, someone immediately grabbed Yuri like they weren’t about to lose their chance.
Riku felt him moving closer. The crowd parted, making a clear path to Riku—like raw power shoved them aside. Even the way he walked was pure lust. Every eye followed him as he closed the gap between them. Riku didn’t move. His entire body stayed frozen at just the thought of his mate’s hands on his body. Desire poured from every person on the floor as their greedy stares followed his every step in Riku’s direction. His beauty was enthralling, but his terrifying vibe kept anyone fromstopping him. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t watch the six-foot-six perfection make his way to Riku. He cast a spell over the room. Temptation was his forte.
Riku’s eyes automatically fell closed as their bodies met. They moved to the music. Riku soaked up every second. The smell. The heat. Fuck. He hadn’t known there was so much love and desire in all the world before this man had come into his life. His lips kept brushing Riku’s temple. Riku wanted to kiss and bite. He wanted to fuck.
