~
After the doctor had finished giving me a check-up, she proclaimed that it was safe enough for me to shift back to my human form without sustaining any more injury to myself. Alpha Lucas looked at me expectantly, waiting to see who I was so without further ado I shifted, watching the recognition fill his features.
"Baydon, what on earth happened to you my friend?" He seemed shocked to see me in the condition I had arrived in. Admittedly it was rare for a wolf with Beta blood to be attacked and not come out as the better wolf. Unless it had been an Alpha they were attacked by, obviously.
"Ahhh, run in with Blaze, Alpha, he is doing something I truly don't agree with and I tried to stop him." I figured it was better to start my plan as soon as possible. If what Doctor Lachlan had said about Roxy's condition then time was indeed against me.
"He seems like such a level headed lad, what could he be doing that is so wrong?" Curiosity filled his voice as he joined me on the lounge, waiting for an explanation.
"He is getting ancy about not having claimed his mate yet, he believes he never will and is thinking about turning over his Alpha rights to me, but I believe he is the best wolf for the job, not to mention I would like the chance to locate my own mate and bring her to the pack if possible." Trap laid, I thought to myself, hoping Alpha Lucas would take the bait.
"That is interesting. Hmmm, I wonder if he would be interested in an arranged mating. My daughter is now eighteen, and her mate was killed by a wild some months back before he could mark her. I can't leave the pack in her hands if she is unmated, we are a small pack and other Alpha’s may see us as vulnerable if we only have a Luna in charge. If Blaze agrees to mate with her, the packs and territories can be joined, creating a huge space for us all to live in peace. I think I need to contact the Elders and see if we can't set something up."
'Yes', I screamed in my head. He took the bait. Hook, line and sinker, and I barely needed to nudge him at all. Alpha Lucas must be really worried about his pack being taken over by hostile outsiders when he retires.
"Actually, Sir that may work. If he mates with your daughter not only will both packs be safer, but it should help calm him down and see reason that he needs to stay on as Alpha."
"Hmmm, is this the reason you came to me after the attack?" He questioned, although he was hardly suspicious which concerned me slightly. How often does a bleeding wolf show up on your doorstep and only an hour later you are discussing an arranged a mating between your daughter and another Alpha?
"I thought you may of had some ideas I could use to try and get him to realise he was making a big mistake. Once you mentioned the arranged mating the idea instantly seemed like the right one. I cannot see a hole in the idea at all. I always knew you were one of the more intelligent Alphas."
"Thanks Baydon, you seem like such a bright young wolf, I'm sure you will go far. I'm going to talk to Emily about her mating with Blaze and if she likes the idea I'll contact the Elders and Blaze's father to set up the blood oath between us."
"You seem very eager to get this mating started, Sir, may I ask why?" I figured I should question him a little bit so I didn't come off as suspicious if this conversation came up at a later date.
"Honestly, I'm getting old and was looking forward to retiring soon, but with Emily having lost her mate it didn't look like it was going to happen for a long time. Also, I want Emily to experience the joys of motherhood, and my mate and I would love the chance to be grandparents." The last comment brought a smile to the Alpha's face.
"It would be a shame for both her and Blaze if they missed out on parenthood. Seems to me like this will be a great match. If you don't mind I'm going to head back home, I'll let Alpha Aston know to expect your call." Alpha Lucas nodded at me, a smile still on his face as I assume he was still thinking about being a grandfather. I stood to leave, giving him a handshake and wishing him the best in his discussion with his daughter. Hopefully she went for the idea; it would be the answer to my prayers. Blaze being forced to mate another through a Blood Oath would leave Roxy available for me. Blood Oaths couldn't be broken as far as I knew. I just needed to find a way to get Alpha Aston to agree as well.
I pondered this all the way home, trying to find an inconspicuous way of pushing the idea on him. A scream broke through into my thoughts as I neared Roxy's house, I knew that scream, something was wrong with Roxy. That thought alone drove me to sprint towards her, I smashed open the back door and almost flew up the stairs in my haste to get to her.
What I saw made my heart ache. Blaze stood before her as she was backed against the wall, canines popping from his mouth as he moved towards her neck. That bastard was going to mark her. She obviously didn't want it; Roxy was kicking, screaming and crying at him to stop. I had to stop this, stepping in front of Blaze I noticed he seemed to have again lost control of his wolf. Great, I haven't finished healing from the last time and I'm going to get my arse handed to me again. At least Roxy was worth it and it might help me win her over if I stop this. With that thought I pushed Roxy out of the way and connected my fist with Blaze's jaw.
Roxy
When I woke up I found it utterly confusing that so many people were gathered in my room. All I did was go to sleep, it's not like I was dead people. I let out a little cough to draw everyone's attention; they all seemed to be staring out the window at something. Anna was the first person to turn to look in my direction; she let out a squeal and threw herself at me. Her tears were making my shoulder wet, why was this girl crying? She can be so weird sometimes. Hugging her back I looked over to see everyone else looking at me with tears in their eyes.
Ok, so I know I'm not the most attractive thing to look at when I first wake up, but really, crying? Sheesh, these people need to get a grip on themselves, no-one looks good when they first get up. And what are they still sneaking glances towards the window for? What’s going on out there that was so exciting they couldn’t help but to look? Deciding I needed to find out for myself, I lightly pushed Anna off me so I could move to the window and see what the big deal was. Wait a second, something is missing here. Where the hell is my window?
"Mum, what the hell happened to my window? What's with all the crying? And why the hell are so many people in here looking out the hole where my window used to be?" Waking up with all of this commotion going on was starting to make my head throb, I needed answers and I wanted them now.
"I'm so sorry Roxy, I told Blaze about why you rejected him and he lost it. He...he..he," Anna trailed off as the memories of earlier dawned on me. Leaping out of bed and pushing people out of my way, damn crowding crazy people, I stood at the hole in the wall of what used to be my window and peered out at the scene below.
"I..i..is that Blaze and B..B..Baydon?" Asking no-one in particular, Frankie mumbled a yes before I flipped my shit. "What the HELL are they doing, Blaze is going to kill him and what for. Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. What a dickhead." Almost got out of that word explosion without swearing, oh well. Placing my hands on my hips I waited for someone to answer me, while still stealing glances outside.
"Well you see Roxy, things are pretty serious and...”
"Oh shit." I cut my mum off as Blaze's wolf looked right up at me, dropped Baydon onto the ground and shifted back to his human body before racing towards the house.
"Don't let that maniac in here Dad; I refuse to see such a dickhead. Seriously all I did was reject the idiot and he goes out on a killing rampage, starting with the guy who has been protecting me for the last few months. I mean really, he probably put Baydon up to the job anyway. What a dick." By the time I finished my rant Blaze was standing in my doorway, eyes filled with desperation, love, worry and anger. That's a lot of emotion for an idiot to handle; I chuckled inwardly at my thought.
"We'll just leave you two alone for a while," Dad gestured for everyone to leave the room while I threw hate-filled stares at their backs while they left me with this psyco.
‘He isn't a psyco; he is
our mate, go to him.’ Oh shut up you, stupid wolf, we rejected him.
"Roxy, you're awake." Gee, my mate is a genius.
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Anger filled my voice as I backed away from him slightly. Something about his eyes scared me, they kept changing colour.
Blaze let out a chuckle before replying, "Have you always been this way Roxy or is this something special you save for me."
"Only my friends can call me Roxy, and you are nothing to me." Remembering I was rejecting him as my mate I let the fury and hatred run rampant in my body. I have to protect the pack.
Hurt filled his eyes but he continued to try and talk with me. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to yourself by rejecting me, Roxanne?" He sounded so sad and my wolf was whining at me to comfort him. Ignoring the mushy, loved up wolf I shook my head.
"Sit down Roxy and let me explain what the Doctor told me," he gestured to the bed. There was no way I was sitting on that thing with him.
"I think I'll stand thank you."
Blaze let out a sigh before sitting himself on my bed, settling himself in for what I assumed would be a lengthy explanation.
"Roxy the short of it is, if you don't get marked by your mate you will die. You have twelve months at the absolute best to live, and during this time your wolf will be trying to shut down your body in preparation for death."
Sucking in a huge breath I gathered my thoughts before responding to his outrageous story. "You are such a stupid dickhead if you think for one second I'm going to believe that load of hornswoggle you just fed me. No-one dies from not having a mate, that is just a stupid story you have come up with to scare me into mating with you. Newsflash buddy, it's not going to happen so GET OVER IT!" Screaming at him made me feel a little better. Maybe I should do it some more.
"Roxy listen to-"
"Shut up, don't you dare try and change my mind on this. You are not now, nor will you ever be, my mate. I don't have any feelings for you except hatred for trying to force me into something I don't want. Leave NOW." Stay strong, this is for the best, I reminded myself before letting fly again.
We argued back and forth for a couple of hours, him pleading and begging me to let him mark me. Me telling him how stupid he was and calling him for every name under the sun before I finally fired the killer shot, "Even if this shit you are telling me is true, who says I have to let you be the one to mark me? Maybe I will just pick someone else to do it for me."
Uh-oh, that did it. That eye changing thing had been going on the whole time we were arguing but this time they changed into the darkest green I had ever seen, it was so dark his eyes looked almost black, and they stayed that way.
‘His wolf is in control now, do something before he loses it complet...Never mind he is gone. You have to get out of here.’ Great, thanks for the information, stupid wolf. ‘I'm not stupid; now find a way out of here.’ On it, I answered my wolf whilst scanning the room for an escape.
He was approaching me; actually it was more like stalking. Canines popping out of his mouth, a thought crossed my mind before I quickly dismissed it. He wouldn't mark me against my will, would he?
"Mine," followed by a low throaty growl left his mouth before he backed me into the corner. Shit, he is going to mark me. Shit, shit, shit.
A scream pushed its way up my throat and out of my mouth in the hope someone, anyone, would hear me and come to my rescue.
Moments later my door blew open and there stood a pissed off, and still bleeding, Baydon. He took in the scene before him, making a move towards us. I just hoped he would be quick enough. He pushed me out of the way carefully before throwing a punch and connecting it with Blaze's jaw.
"Dad, Alpha Aston," I half shouted, half screamed. Wishing and praying that they were still close enough to hear my cries. I couldn't handle the fighting going on right in front of me, and there was no way I would be able to stop it myself.
Baydon and Blaze were going punch for punch, both of them growling aggressively at each other. This was the second fight I had had to bear witness to today, and it was too much for me. Hearing the pounding of feet heading towards my door, I backed away from it, and watched as Dad and Alpha Aston raced into the room. Their eyes quickly sized up the action in front of them before they both sprung forward. Alpha Aston capturing Blaze in a kind of bear hug while Dad grabbed Baydon's arms and pulled him back, away from Blaze and towards me.
"Would someone care to explain to me what the fuck you two are doing fighting in my daughter's room again?" My dad bellowed, he was pissed, he never swore if he could help it.
Baydon looked between Blaze and I before responding, "Well, Sir, I was returning here to sort out the incident from earlier, and to check on Roxy when I heard her scream. When I got in here Blaze had her cornered and was trying to mark her without her permission. She looked terrified so I pushed her out of the way and hit Blaze to distract him from her. His wolf was in control again and my instinct to protect women kicked in. I'm sorry for starting the fight but I felt I had good reason." Baydon looked genuinely sorry and I was beyond grateful he had stepped in to save me.
"Mine," was the only thing Blaze seemed able to say right now and that wasn't helping his case any.
"That's enough out of you Blaze, get yourself together. Trying to force a mark on Roxy, you know better than that. We're leaving. Right now." Alpha Aston had a hold of Blaze by the scruff of his shirt and was making him walk towards the door. "I'm so sorry for his behaviour Roxy, his mother and I raised him better than this. Rest assured action will be taken." They were gone in a matter of seconds, Blaze still growling and trying to fight for his freedom as his dad dragged him away.
"Thank you Baydon, I'm glad Roxy has a good friend like you to help her out when she needs it. Are you alright Roxy?" Dad questioned with concern all over his face, taking a step towards me and releasing Baydon in the process.
"Yeah Dad, I'm fine. I think I would like to get out of here for a few weeks though, give Blaze a chance to cool down." Truth was I was hoping if I left for a little while, the rejection would set in and Blaze would leave me alone.
"I see why you would want that but I'm extremely uneasy about letting my baby girl go away alone," pity filled Dad's eyes as he spoke to me. He knew I needed to get away, being almost forced into being marked was a pretty traumatic experience for a femme wolf. I would have been tied to Blaze for the rest of my life and I didn't want that, even if he was my mate.
"I'll go with her if you like Sir, I know somewhere we could go and be safe. That is if that's alright with you both?" Baydon had stepped forward while talking and was now standing in front of my dad and me.
"Hmmmm, you two talk about it while I make a call and mention the idea to the Alpha, that sound alright?" Dad looked from Baydon and I a few times as we both nodded in agreement. Satisfied he left the room to make his call.
"I'm sorry you had to see that Roxy, are you sure you are ok?"
I just ran and hugged Baydon as tight as I could, he had saved me and for that I would be forever grateful. Baydon wrapped his arms around me cautiously, gently returning my hug.
"Thank you Baydon, thank you so damn much." My thanks were muffled by the chest I was currently squeezing as I just tried to hug him tighter to show my gratitude.
"Its fine Roxy, I couldn't let him do that to you. Did you really want to leave for a while? I really don't mind coming with you if that's what your father decides needs to happen." Baydon is such a great friend, yeah, he probably thought I wouldn't make a good Luna but he was just looking out for the pack. Still, I had to ask.
"I would love for you to come with me Baydon. You're a great friend and have just shown me that you will protect me if I need it. I have to ask though, why don't you think I would make a good Luna. I overheard you talking in the park the other day."
A gasp left his lips before I watched his adam apple bob up and down a few times. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before gathering himself and answering. "Roxy
, I think you are an amazingly strong, beautiful and intelligent wolf but the pack had been whispering about what they thought. Somehow word had leaked out that you were the soon to be Luna and members didn't seem to like it much. I was only looking out for my pack, my position as future Beta forces me to make decisions I don’t necessarily agree with." He finished his explanation with guilt on his face, looking at me worriedly as though waiting for me to yell at him.
"I understand Baydon; I was just wondering is all. I'm not upset or angry, just curious." Just then Dad entered the room with a grim look on his face.
"Alpha Aston thinks it's best if you go for a little while. Blaze has had to be handcuffed in the prison chamber, he isn't calming down. Apparently his wolf is in complete control and all he is doing is fighting, and growling 'mine' at anyone who talks to him. If you two are happy with it you can leave together tonight." Dad looked upset, this must be a lot for anyone to take in and he was obviously worried about me and what would happen if Blaze got free at the moment.
"I'm happy to leave as soon as we are ready, we can take my car and be off the territory and far away before the morning." Baydon was talking to my dad but looking at me as he spoke. I just nodded at him while he was speaking and moved to start packing a few of my belongings.
"Where are you going?" Dad asked him, looking at him gratefully.
"Respectfully, Sir, I would rather not say. That way if Blaze somehow manages to get control and order someone to tell him where we are you won't know to tell him."
"Right. Good thinking there." Dad just nodded as I continued to pack clothes, shoes and my other necessities.
"OK, well I'll just head home and tell my parents what's happening, pack some clothes and I'll be back in about half an hour, is that ok?" He directed the last question towards me and I just nodded. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.
"Alright then, I'll see you both soon." Baydon gave both Dad and I a small smile before leaving.
Dad looked at me sadly, "I'll miss you Rox, but I know you have to go right now. It's for the best." He pulled me into a hug before continuing on, “I'll go tell your mother what is going on, finish packing your bags. I'll get some cash out of the safe for you as well."
I was left alone, with my thoughts, which was never a good place to be at times like this. Slumping to the floor I pulled up my knees and buried my face in them. Tears were streaking down my face as the reality of what was happening sunk in. I was fleeing from my pack, my family, all because my stupid mate was out of control and tried to force me into a mating. Sobs shook my body and I stayed in this position until I felt some strong arms circling me and lifting me up.
Raising my head slightly I saw Baydon holding me. "You ready to go Rox? Your parents are downstairs waiting for us; your dad gave me some cash to hold onto for you.” He was being so sweet and I was glad he was here to help me out of this mess. Even if it was only temporarily, he was putting his life on hold for me and I truly appreciated it.
"I'm ready; just have to grab my bags over there." I pointed to my bed where my packed bags were waiting for me. Baydon put me down and in two strides was at my bed, snatching my bags up and carrying them out the door.
I hugged my parents downstairs, all of us silently crying.
"You take care of our girl Baydon, keep in touch and we will see you both soon.” Dad was struggling to get his words out while Mum broke down in tears, clinging onto his side for support.
"I promise I will, and we will call you every couple of days to let you know how we are doing."
"Where are Gran and Taylor? I was hoping to see them before I left.”
"Gran is keeping Taylor busy for now; he was pretty shaken up after seeing the wolf fight earlier. We thought it best to tell him about you leaving a little later on." Dad answered me; a single tear remained on his cheek.
"Alright then, well I guess this is it then. I'll see you guys soon. I love you both; give my love to the rest of the family." As much as I didn’t want to leave I couldn't drag this out any longer; it was getting too hard watching my parents cry.
Moving out to the car I didn't look back until both Baydon and I were strapped into the front seats and he started the engine. Glancing out the window, I gave a half-hearted wave in farewell to my parents before turning to look at Baydon.
"Happy Birthday to me!" I muttered sarcastically. He let out a slight chuckle as we pulled onto the road and began our journey away from all the problems today had bought.
"I'm sure your next one will be better Roxy." He sounded so sure of himself; I tried to feed off of his positivity.
"Anything will be better than this one." A pathetic excuse of a chuckle escaped my lips. Blaze just patted my knee in a reassuring manner before returning his hand to the wheel.
I settled in for the drive, I had no idea where we were going, but the further away we got from Blaze, the safer I felt. Drifting into a sleep a few minutes later the last thing I heard was Baydon mumble, "I'll always do my best to keep you safe."
Baydon
Blaze’s stupid mistake had handed Roxy to me virtually on a silver platter. I got to save her from the big mean wolf, impressing both her and her parents. Blaze was disciplined and currently chained in the prison chamber until he regains control of his wolf. Roxy and I were driving off into the night together. Current circumstances couldn’t have worked out more perfectly if I planned every detail myself.
Roxy was still asleep next to me, we had been driving for a few hours and she had been slumbering for most of them. Occasionally she would stir and mumble incoherently in her sleep but she was yet to fully awaken. We were almost at the first stop and it couldn’t arrive sooner. My body desperately needed sleep to heal fully from the two fights I had endured during the last few hours.
A motel sign was glowing against the shadowy night sky up ahead and I made the decision this would be where we would stop. This town had been my original destination, with family in the area that I intended to call on the following morning. Mainly I wanted to ask if they would be on board to help me out, be my ears in some locations and let me know if Blaze was out looking for me and Roxy.
I pulled into the parking lot, leaving the car running, as I went into the small reception office to pay for a room and collect the key. Roxy was starting to stir when I returned to the car. Her breathing had changed from deep and rhythmical to sharp and short; her eyes were fluttering without opening as her eyebrows pulled down in the centre of her forehead.
“No, don’t. Blaze, stop it I don’t want this. I don’t want you.” Roxy let out a scream, resulting in her waking herself up. “Where are we Baydon?” Her breathing was coming in short pants and her eyes were darting around the car as though she was waiting for something, or someone, to appear and attack her.
“We are at a motel, Rox, I need to sleep. I have family to see in the morning, but for now we are staying here.” I dangled the key of our room in front of her; she snatched it and leapt out of the car, heading for our door. She unlocked the door, threw it open and bolted inside, leaving the keys hanging out of the lock.
“What the hell….” I muttered under my breath as I made to follow her, pausing only to collect a couple of our bags from the back seat of the car.
“Roxy, are you alright? You took off pretty quickly back there.” I questioned the empty space in front of me. Where was she? I could hear her sobbing-; wait, sobbing? Why is she crying? Moving slowly towards the bathroom, her sobs got louder. Each one pulling at my heart, making it hurt. She was crying, I had no idea why, and all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and make her smile.
Knocking gently on the door, I called to her. “Roxy.” No response. “Rox, I can hear you. Please let me in. Please.” I pleaded to the solid, wooden door in front of me. The crying from within stopped, my ears picked up the sound of a lock clicking, moments before the door swung open. With red rimmed eyes and a tear streaked face, Roxy stood in the gap the door was previously occupying. A small
, half smile made its way onto her face as I held out my arms for her to run into.
Arms wrapped around each other I held her as tightly as I dared, muttering sweet nothings into her hair, trying to soothe her and stop the tears that had again started to fall from her beautiful, yet sad eyes.
“Why do I have to be the one to run away? I didn’t do anything wrong. Why does he get to stay there with his family and the pack while I make a run for it in the middle of the night? And you Baydon? I have dragged you into this, taken you away from your family and interrupted your life. Blaze should have been sent away, not us. I’m so sorry Baydon, I would understand if you wanted to go back and leave me. You must hate me.” A choked out sob made its way to my ears as I tried to work out what had caused her to have this reaction
“Roxy, I could never hate you.” I pulled myself back from her embrace, just far enough to be able to look at her. Using one finger placed beneath her chin, I lifted her face until she was looking me in the eyes. Green pools of sadness returned my gaze as I tried to convey what I felt to her. Tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear I continued. “Actually it is the complete opposite. I will always be here for you, I’m not going anywhere.”
Roxy seemed to freeze at my words, her eyes piercing mine. I had no idea what she was looking at; it was almost as though she were searching for something. She must have found whatever it was because determination seemed to fill her emerald eyes and before I knew what was happening I was in heaven.
Soft, warm lips were pressing themselves against mine, moving together as though dancing. I had to respond this time, it was too hard to ignore. Moving my lips in sync with hers I pulled her into my body as tightly as I could. The feeling of her body pressed up against me was enough to send me into overdrive, but then she just had to lick my lips with that devilishly wicked tongue of hers and I was lost. Opening my mouth slightly I allowed her a small entrance, our tongues beginning a tango of their own. I could feel her hands moving, one wrapping itself in my hair as the other held a fistful of my shirt as though trying to pull us closer together.
My tastebuds were on overload as they savoured the deliciousness that was Roxy. Minty and fruity, I felt as though I couldn’t get enough of her. Shifting position slightly, I walked forwards forcing her to step back until I heard her back come into contact with the wall behind. Grabbing hold of her hands, I lifted them above her head, pinning them there in one hand. Lips moving frantically together I knew I would have to stop for breath soon, but I really didn’t want to. So I did the next best thing and left her lips, trailing feather light kisses down the side of her neck to her collarbone, gulping in air as I went. A soft moan left her delicate mouth as I kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder, pausing briefly I smirked slightly before kissing the spot again, earning the same reaction. Storing that information away for later, I moved back up her neck to those swollen lips that were crying for my attention.
Her hands suddenly ripped out of my grasp above her head, startled at the unexpected movement, I opened my eyes as she pushed me away from her. Fear hit me firmly in the chest as I looked into her face, letting my arms fall to my sides at the sudden coldness of her actions.
“Baydon,” she ground out between her clenched teeth. I sucked in a breath, not sure of what was coming, but preparing for the worst.
Roxy
I pulled my hands from Baydon’s grasp above my head. Opening my eyes to look at him, his stare was intense and I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision in my actions. He seemed to be studying me, waiting for me to do something. Confusion filled my mind as I tried to determine what the emotion was that I could see so clearly in his eyes. No-one had ever looked at me in the same way as he was currently doing, causing me to make an impulsive decision. I had pulled my hands from his for a reason and I intended to see it through before I lost my confidence.
“Baydon.” I somehow managed to grind his name out through my clenched teeth. I sucked in a breath, not sure of what his reaction would be, but hoping for the best.
At an easy run, I moved towards him, hands in fists and my arms slowly making their way up to the level of his face. Shock registered on his face moments before impact. My arms flew around his neck as I jumped, wrapping my legs around his waist and fisting my hands into his hair. He almost fell, but managed to gain his balance as I joined my lips with his again. It was like kissing a doll. His arms didn’t move, his lips didn’t move. I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. I needed a reaction and I needed it now.
Pulling his head back by the hair in my little hands I growled at him, “So help me Baydon, if you don’t kiss me now, I’m going to make things very hard between us.” I gave him a sultry wink and a naughty little giggle before grinding myself against the crotch of his pants and planting a kiss behind his ear. “Very hard,” I whispered before I felt some movement.
Hands were suddenly running all over my body, warm and soft, caressing me over my clothes as I shifted my face around so I could kiss his cheek. Letting out a low groan, Baydon pulled my lips towards his with one hand, while the other was wrapped around me, rubbing circles against my butt. Without waiting for an invitation, Baydon’s tongue delved deep into my mouth, forcing a lusty moan to make its way from my mouth. I pulled on his hair slightly before rubbing my hands down his chest as he carried me towards the bed.
I had no idea what had come over me in the last few minutes. Something I had seen in Baydon’s eyes had made me snap. Made me want him with a passion I had never felt before. For a little over a year, he had been randomly showing up everywhere I was and we had become close, although the nature of our relationship was still uncertain. I knew I had cared for him. He was a great friend-like figure, and had a cunning knack for showing up just when I felt I really needed him. Friend, he is a friend Roxy what are you doing. What if he is only kissing you to save your feelings from being hurt? Pull away, I told myself, trying to untangle my limbs from him as he sat at the edge of the bed.
He must have felt my struggles as the kissing and caressing stopped abruptly. “Roxy, what’s wrong? I over-stepped the line didn’t I? I knew this was too good to be true.” Baydon looked upset, as he ran his hands through his already ruffled hair. Upset? That wasn’t the reaction I had thought would happen.
“Baydon, I’m so sorry. I know you just want to be friends, and I took the friendship between us too far. I lost control and just couldn’t stop myself from kissing and tou-“
I was cut off as lips crashed into mine in another fevered, passionate kiss. I returned it, happy that he wasn’t pushing me away. My wolf was crying out to me that this wasn’t right, but I ignored her. This was what I needed right now, the future could wait.
Baydon pulled back from me slightly, “I would like to be friends with you.” I let out a small gasp as his lips brushed mine as he spoke, I had crossed the line. The tears were welling up in my eyes at the humiliation of rejection. This must have been how Blaze felt.
“But I would love to be much more than that to you. Whatever you want me to be, I will be, Roxy. You have no idea how much I just want to be near you, to make you happy.” Again his lips were on mine as I mulled over what he had just said. If I understand correctly, he just said he will be anything I want him to be. I had to confirm what I was thinking.
“Baydon, what do you mean you will be anything I want you to be?” Small moans were escaping my kiss swollen lips as he continued to kiss down my neck while I spoke.
“Exactly what I said, Roxy. Friend, protector, bodyguard, boyfriend, lover, husband, mate. Anything you want from me I will give to you. I will always be there to give it to you. I will never leave or hurt you, for almost a year you have been all that I wanted.” Baydon was looking at me with so much passion and adoration in his eyes it hurt to know he wasn’t my mate.
I didn’t love him. Not like that. He had been an amazing friend to me and I loved him as such, but these actions and his confession meant that would change. They had t
oo, but it was up to me how they changed.
“I need to think Baydon. Could you let me go please? I need to take a shower; I do my best thinking in there. I’m sorry to do this to you, but I need to figure out what is best for everyone. Where we should go from here. I’m sorry.” I climbed down from Baydon’s lap and turned towards the bathroom when I felt his hand grasp my wrist making me freeze my footsteps.
“Don’t be sorry Roxy, just think about what I said and do what your heart tells you to do. Like I said, I will always be here.” His voice was so soft and sweet I almost made a decision on the spot based on my obviously raging hormones. Tugging my wrist from his soft grip, I turned to look over my shoulder at him.
“When I make my decision, it will be for all the right reasons. That’s why I need to think first, to make sure I consider everything. Thank you for being such a great friend.” Walking slowly towards the bathroom I heard Baydon let out a low growl.
“Stop shaking that damn sexy arse of yours if you want me to stay in control here Roxy. You already got me wound up tighter than a pissed off rattle-snake; I’m going to need a trailer load of ice to cool off.”
“Whoops, sorry Baydon.” I wiggled my butt a little more as I walked; there was no reason why I couldn’t have a little fun.
Vaguely hearing Baydon let out another groan, I shut and locked the bathroom door again. I hadn’t thought about Blaze with anything other than distain and disgust in the last few hours. Even while I was making out with Baydon there wasn’t a single thought about him. About his body, his eyes, his smell, nothing. From what Anna had told me I should be completely ensnared by everything about him. Unable to think of another, craving his touch, none of this had happened to me and I didn’t know why.
He had started the bond by touching me; I should have been jumping all over him. Not running away with his best friend and making out with said best friend at the first chance I got. Something was going on here and I needed to figure it out fast.
Adjusting the taps of the shower, I stripped off and stepped in, ready for a good mind clearing. I knew I had some decisions to make, some I didn’t want to think about. But then some I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about. I had three main issues to think about and hopefully find some answers to.
Did I want Baydon and me to be more than friends?
How was I going to get Blaze to see reason and accept the rejection to save the pack?
And why was Baydon filling my thoughts more than Blaze?
Blaze
“Have you got control of yourself yet boy?” I could barely recognise my father’s voice, it sounded so far off and muffled.
“Mine,” was all I was able to respond. Well I use the term ‘I’ very loosely as the words were coming out of my mouth but I had no control over them.
“I guess not, I’ll leave you to it then, I’ll be back in a while to check how you are going.” Dad must have left the room as I could no longer see his shadowy figure standing before me.
My vision was hazy, my hearing muffled and my body was not my own. The last thing I could remember was talking to Roxy in her room. I knew I was now chained in the prison room of my father’s house until I could reign in my wolf. The question that plagued my thoughts was; what had I done to be chained in here?
Thinking as hard as I could nothing could come to mind. All I could remember was talking to Roxy, telling her that if she wasn’t marked soon she would die. She didn’t believe me, I could recall that, but beyond that I had no idea. Just a shadowy haze of passion, regret and hate is all my memories were able to bring forth.
Regret and hate? The love I could understand, I had been in the room with the love of my life but the hate and regret. What could I possibly regret? The only thing I could regret would be if – no that’s not possible. My wolf let out a sorrow filled howl as the thought made its way clearly into my mind. Roxy, I must have done something to her, hurt her in some way, to be feeling this kind of regret. Unfortunately the thought made sense, why else would I be chained in the prison room? My wolf let out another howl of pain as my imagination ran away with me and the possibilities of what I could have done. With no control over my wolf for at least the last twenty-four hours, I could have done anything.
Dad slammed through the door of the prison room and stood there, staring at me. I fought my wolf to regain some control but it wasn’t relenting. Begging in my mind for him to let me speak and ask about Roxy and what happened was the only thing he responded to and I quickly found myself back in the driver’s seat.
“Dad, why am I here. How is Roxy?” My voice was shaky as it left my dry lips, how long had I been here?
“Blaze, you are here because you lost total control of your wolf. You attacked Roxy and attempted to mark her against her will. You terrified the damn girl Blaze, how could you lose control like that. You could have killed her?” Spittle was flying from his mouth as he yelled in anger at me. I had obviously messed up big time and he was feeling it. It must be embarrassing to not even be able to control the actions of your own son when you are Alpha of the pack.
“I,” I swallowed and licked my lips in preparation to try asking again, “I attacked her? Did I mark her? Where is she now? Is she safe? Can I see her?” Once the first question was out of my mouth they just kept coming, like word vomit.
A sigh left Dad’s lips before he ran a hand through his already messy hair, his adam apple bobbing before he spoke, “Yes you attacked her, no you were unsuccessful at marking her,” my wolf let out an internal howl of disappointment at that. An awkward silence filled the room as I waited for Dad to continue answering my questions. After a few moments had passed it became obvious to me he wasn’t going to answer them so I asked again.
“Can I see her?”
“No, you can’t see her. It isn’t safe for her to be around you at the moment after the way you behaved.”
“Are you actually trying to tell me you think I would fucking hurt her? MY MATE? I would never hurt a hair on her head, I couldn’t. Ask her to come see me NOW?” I was furious, how dare he accuse me of being a danger to Roxy. The idea was laughable.
“Of course I think you would hurt her or are you stupid as well as out of control? You have already fucking attacked her. Tried to mark her against her will. Scared the absolute hell out of her. Have you forgotten that little fact already? Roxanne was so damn terrified of what would happen to her if you got loose and found her, that she has left the pack territory with Baydon. She is so damn scared of you that she has left her whole fucking family, her friends and everyone she loves behind to get away from you.” Dad froze as though he realised he had just said something that he shouldn’t of, something that was supposed to be secret. I had to back track through his outburst to figure out what had caused him to stop it so abruptly. The light came on in my head as a growl emitted from deep within my throat.
“She fucking left? With Baydon?” He had to be joking; there was no way she would leave with him. Dad nodded, confirming my questions.
That was the moment my vision returned to being hazy, my hearing again became muffled and my body was no longer in my control. A vicious, feral growl filled the room as I noticed the shadowy figure that had previously been my dad take a step back.
“Blaze, you in control son?”
“Mine,” was the only thing my wolf would answer as he again took over the controls of my body and began fighting against the restraints keeping us locked in this room.
“For Christ sake Blaze, you need to learn how to control that damn wolf of yours for longer than fifteen minutes, otherwise not only will you lose your mate, but I’ll be forced to had the pack over to someone else. Get it together and shout for me when you do.”
I was alone again, trapped in the dark pits of my mind. My only thought; when I find Baydon and Roxy I’m going to mark her and kill him. No-one takes what’s mine.
Roxy
After my hour long shower, I had come to a decision. Baydon needed to know what I was
planning so I finished drying myself off, dressed and headed out into the room to talk to him.
He was reclined on the small lounge in the room. His legs hanging over one of the arms as he was far too long for the thing. Fingers linked behind his head and wisps of blonde hair falling down his forehead, almost reaching his crystal blue eyes, he was truly a beautiful sight. I just hoped I was making the right choice. Clearing my throat, I watched as Baydon’s head snapped up, his eyes seemed to fill with light and he moved himself into a sitting position.
“Baydon, as you know I’ve been thinking about what you said and what just happened between us. I want you to know I have come to a decision, before I tell you though I want to hear what you have to say about it all.” I had been twisting my fingers and hands around in front of me while I spoke. While I had made a decision, I still needed to know where Baydon was with all of this, what he said now had the influence to change my mind.
“Roxy, I...” He began before halting in his words. He leant forward and rested his head in his hands, crouched over his knees he took in a shaky sounding breath before raising his head again and looking me dead in the eyes.
“Roxy, everything I said to you before was true. Whatever you want from me I will give you. If you just want to be friends, then we will be friends. I’ll completely understand I know this can’t be easy for you. Just know that I will always be here for you. Whatever you need, I will always be there to make sure you get it. You deserve the world, and if I could give it to you, I would.”
The entire time he was speaking I could feel my heart rate increase. This guy, he didn’t speak like any other guy I knew. The way he put himself out there to be hurt was extraordinary, the words he used to explain himself were beautiful, and I could tell from the tone in his voice combined with the look in his eyes that every word of what he was saying was true. He was still staring into my eyes, his own sapphire orbs glinting with hope.
“Baydon, all those things you said you wanted to be for me, I’m not able to give you that.” I watched as his face fell, head dropping back into his hands, as a soft sign escaped his still swollen, red lips. I needed to finish what I had started, and quickly. “I want you to be my friend, my best friend and my protector.”
“You know I will be anything you want me to be, just please don’t push me away from you.” He was pleading me with his barely there whisper, face still buried in his hands.
“Who said I was pushing you away Baydon? Let me finish what I came out here to say. I want you to be my best friend and protector, as I believe these are important qualities for my boyfriend to have.” At this comment Baydon lifted his head to look at me though he avoided looking me straight in the eye. He was twiddling his thumbs and his legs were slightly bouncing around in what I guessed was anticipation and nervousness.
“If you want to give it a shot, I would be happy to be your girlfriend. The rest might come later depending on how we go, but for now we can be in a regular teenage relationship if you really want to give us a shot?” Rushing the last part of my little speech, I barely had enough time to draw a breath before I found myself being attacked by the tastiest lips I had ever had the pleasure of being pressed against.
“You.” Baydon kissed me, “know I.” Another kiss, “want you.” A long passionate kiss followed, it wasn’t as heated and hormone driven as before but it was still enough to confirm I had, indeed, made the right decision. I couldn’t be with my mate, not that I wanted to be after the way he had treated me, so the sooner I moved on to finding love, the better it would be for everyone.
Pulling away from those soft lips proved to be a challenge but I managed to do it anyway. Holding Baydon’s slightly stubbled cheeks in my hands I looked him square in the eyes.
“You have already proven to me that you can be a great friend and protector by looking out for me and protecting me from an out of control Alpha wolf, so can I suggest you work on showing me how great of a boyfriend you can be, and we may be able to progress this relationship into something else. For now though, we both need sleep, you especially so you can heal those wounds you are trying to hide from me. In the morning we will go see the family you have here and decide what we will do next.”
Baydon closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into my hands before bringing his own hands up and wrapping them around me in a bear hug, rubbing softly across my shoulder blades.
“I will be the most amazing boyfriend you have ever seen, they will be basing future romance movies off of the way I woo you into loving me. Ok that was really corny, but I will be the best boyfriend. I want to be your everything, the way you are mine.”
That was all he needed to say before I grabbed his hand and let him to the enormous king sized bed in our hotel room. Climbing on, I pulled him down with me, wrestling with the blankets to get underneath them, curling up in his arms when I was happy with my position. I needed to feel safe, Baydon was safe. He would protect me; I knew this from his actions already. I trusted him completely not to try anything, even though only hours before we were throwing ourselves at one another in a lust-filled frenzy.
Baydon pulled me into him, holding me tightly, his eyes already drooping closed from his exhaustion. I was feeling the same way. My body moulded into his, my curves fitting perfectly with his body shape, our legs twisted together in their own little hug. It was as though I had been made for him, even though I knew the Moon Goddess had made me for another.
“Will you still be here when I wake up?” Baydon’s voice was slurred with sleepiness.
“I will always be here with you, until we decide otherwise. I won’t run from you unless you give me reason.” Honesty was the key, my words were the truth. I had run from Blaze, he had given me good reason. I wouldn’t run from Baydon unless I felt I needed to.
“…Reason…. Always ….. My princess…” Babbling in his half asleep state I barely managed to understand what he had said, but when I deciphered it a small grin took over. This could work out to be a great thing.
As I drifted off into my own dreamland my final thoughts were of Baydon and Blaze. They say a door is never closed without a window being opened. The door had closed indefinitely on any relationship I was to have with Blaze, but maybe Baydon was my open window?