I doubt it was the first time the seventeen-year-old had unfastened a bra, but it was more than that making his breath speed up. His nostrils flared as he drank in my scent.
He took the bra off, wrapped it around his hands and stood there, looking down at me in my panties, his own pants tenting furiously.
"Thanks," I murmured, gaze averted as I took my bra from him.
He backed away slowly, still staring. I tried to wrap the towel around me, but it was only a hand towel--I'm sure Tesler would have taken it away if it covered more. I could feel all three of them staring now. I resisted the urge to cover myself or turn away. If Travis wanted me to cower in shame, I wasn't giving him that satisfaction.
"You forgot something." He pointed at my panties. "Noah, give the lady a hand."
I pushed them down to my ankles and kicked them aside.
"You owe me twenty bucks, bro," Eddie said. "I told you she was a natural blonde."
I moved a little closer to the fire. Not too close, heeding Noah's warning about warming up too fast and knowing it was true--I'd had frostbite before.
A few feet from the fire, I bent and sat cross-legged, then started drying my hair. They continued to stare as if none of them had ever seen a naked woman before.
"You know, you look even better without your clothes," Tesler said. "And you looked damned fine in them."
I ignored him and squeezed water out of my hair.
He continued. "I heard you have a couple of kids. Can't tell. You didn't lose your figure, that's for sure."
Actually, any "figure" I had these days came courtesy of my kids. I'd always been thin--athletic and boyish. But now there was some swell to my hips and I'd graduated to a B cup. Not that Clay cared--if he even noticed. Things like that weren't important to him.
At that moment, though, I would have preferred my old body. Maybe it would make Tesler change his mind. Wishful thinking, I know. He didn't care what I looked like. His interest had nothing to do with sex and attraction. It was all about dominance and control.
"I want her," Noah said, making my head whip around. He turned so I couldn't see his face, then said again, "I want her."
"I'm sure you do," Tesler chuckled. "And if you're a very good boy, I'll let you take a ride, just as soon as I've had my fill."
"I want to go first."
Tesler sputtered. "Excuse me?"
Noah turned toward him, face still averted from me. "Without me, you'd be humping a frozen corpse. I saved her. I risked my own life to do it. I deserve the first go."
"And I'm supposed to take seconds?" An edge crept into Tesler's voice.
"Just once. After that, she's all yours."
"Is she?" Tesler advanced on the boy. "How generous of you."
Eddie stepped between them. "Come on. Let the kid lose his cherry with a female werewolf. How many guys get that chance?"
"I'm not a--" Noah stopped, realizing it wouldn't help his cause to say he wasn't a virgin.
He still wouldn't look my way. He couldn't. As I stared at him, the anger rose. He'd been nice to me. Even when he'd been gawking, he'd seemed embarrassed. Faced with three antagonists, I'd looked for a friendly face and been too eager to see it, unconsciously shifting Noah into the role of potential ally.
I'd forgotten what he really was--a punk who'd let his grandfather be murdered by his new pals. Part of me had hoped that there was an explanation. Now I realized there wasn't. Dennis had taken Noah in and given him a chance to start over. Noah had repaid him by hooking up with these murdering bastards. That blood of Noah's I'd found in the cabin? It could have come from a fight with Dennis, not defending him.
Noah was studiously avoiding my gaze; he might not have a rapist's heart, but he still saw me as an object. He wanted me, and what I thought of that didn't matter. The only person whose opinion counted was Tesler.
"Fine," Tesler said. "He'll get a werewolf for his first time... just as soon as I'm finished."
"You're a little rough with the ladies, bro," Eddie said. "Let the kid go first. He's been good. He deserves a reward."
Tesler glanced over and fixed his brother with a look that made Noah flinch. Eddie didn't even blink.
"It's just a girl, Travis," he said, his voice low. "No big deal."
"She's not just--"
"Just a girl." Eddie met his brother's gaze. "No big deal, right?"
I remembered what Dan had said, how Tesler had promised his brother he'd stop raping girls. The two stared each other down for a minute, then Tesler turned that stare on Noah, as if hoping he'd get the kid to back down. Noah blinked, but nothing more.
"All right," Tesler said after a minute. "Here's the deal. Blondie here is indeed a proper prize, so let's do this properly. If you want her, you have to win her... by challenging me."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Travis. The kid can't--"
"No, that's fine." Noah's chin lifted. "I accept."
"Great." Tesler headed for the kitchen, thumping Noah on the back as he passed. "Give me a minute to grab a beer, then we'll get started."
"In the meantime," Eddie said to Noah. "Take a look out front, make sure we aren't about to entertain any unwanted guests."
I hoped that meant I'd be left alone while Noah and Eddie went outside, but I knew better. Noah got on his gear and left. Eddie just walked to the window to look out. I could probably take him, but not without alerting his brother.
Noah had no hope of beating Tesler. I don't know why he'd even agreed to try--teenage ego, I suppose. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted Noah to win that match. Not that I'd prefer Noah. When it comes to rape, there is no "prefer."
But if Noah won, he'd get time alone with me, time in which Tesler could expect to hear noises, even sounds of struggle. And that would give me the perfect opportunity to escape. Tesler wasn't the only one who could easily take on a boy like Noah.
But there was the rub--Tesler could take the kid, no question, meaning there was no chance Noah would win the challenge. Unless...
Tesler sauntered back into the living room, chugging his beer.
"So what's the handicap?" I asked.
He raised his brows, not lowering the can.
"It's going to take a lot of those to make it a fair fight," I said.
He sputtered beer. "Fair fight?"
"Foreign concept?"
Eddie chuckled. Tesler only snorted and continued drinking.
I walked over to him. "Why tell the kid he can fight for me when he doesn't have a hope of winning? Either tell him no or make it a fair fight by handicapping yourself."
"How? Tie both hands behind my back?"
"What are you worried about?"
His smirk froze, eyes icing over. "Worried?"
Noah came inside, cold air blasting down the hall.
"I guess there's no way you want him winning," I said. "If he gets first dibs, he might show you up."
He hit me so fast I didn't see it coming.
As I lay on the floor, Eddie shook his head, as if to say, What did you expect?
Noah had his coat off, boots still on, hair salted with snow. "What's going on?"
No one answered. I got up, swiped away blood trickling from a scrape on my elbow, grabbed my discarded towel and cleaned my fingers. Then I walked up to Tesler.
"Struck a sore spot, did I?" I said.
When he raised his hand to hit me again, I didn't flinch. Dismay flashed in his eyes before he tossed the empty can aside and stalked back to the kitchen.
I started to follow.
Noah caught my elbow. "Don't bait--"
I shook him off and walked into the kitchen. Tesler was rooting through the fridge.
"I can see why you'd be worried," I said. "He's seventeen. What he lacks in finesse, he'll make up for in vigor. He's in his sexual prime... And how old are you?"
He popped open a beer.
"About forty-five, I'd guess. Getting a little harder to, well, get harder, I bet."
He kept hi
s gaze fixed on the fascinating contents of the refrigerator. To get angry would be to confirm it.
"That's about the same age as your hubby, isn't it?" he said. "Got some experience with little blue pills?"
I laughed. "Definitely not. Clay doesn't need pills--or rape--to get it up."
The look he turned on me was pure hatred. And I knew that I'd just sealed my fate. Blow this, and I wouldn't just be raped, I'd be raped, beaten and killed--and no swift painless death either. A cold ball of panic congealed in my stomach, the little-girl voice screaming at me, demanding to know what the hell I was doing. I stifled it.
The key to not getting killed was not to blow this chance. Push, push and push until I got what I wanted, consequences be damned.
"No offense," I said, "but I'd prefer the kid."
He smiled, teeth bared. "I'm sure you would."
He guzzled the beer. I walked closer, making no attempt to cover my nakedness, and stopped a foot from him.
"How about you fight me instead?" I said.
He stopped with the can at his lips, then lowered it. "What?"
"Let me fight in the kid's place. That will make it fair. Same deal applies. I win, he gets me. You win..." I looked him in the eye. "I'm all yours."
He looked back at me and for the first time since we'd met, I wasn't afraid. Clay had been right--stand my ground and Tesler wouldn't stand his. His face darkened with fury, and I knew there was only one thing he could think about, only one thing he wanted: to regain control.
There was no logical reason to grant my request. Better to let Noah challenge him, beat the crap out of the kid and teach him a lesson. Take on me, and he could open himself up to the unbearable humiliation of losing to a woman.
But if he won, he would truly win, and the spark of defiance in my eyes would be doused forever. He could regain control, beat the crap out of me and even Eddie couldn't complain about it. Take me in a fair fight, then take his prize when it would taste the sweetest.
When Tesler opened his lips, I knew what was going to come out. Two words.
"You're on."
COMBAT
ONCE THE INITIAL thrill of success passed, I realized I was in deep shit. I might not have any external injuries from my plunge into icy water, but I felt like I'd swum across the English Channel. Every muscle ached and I was dead tired.
If I didn't fight, though, I could skip the "tired" part of that cliche. I'd just be plain old dead. And that's what I had to remember. Physical injuries were one thing, but I would not lose a fight for lack of will power. I just had to work past it. I could rest all I wanted later.
My odds of beating Tesler were about fifty-fifty. I could swing them a little more my way because I had seen him fight before, but I didn't want to get cocky.
If I lost, I'd be raped, beaten and killed... not necessarily in that order. There was still a chance Joey and Clay would find me in time, but my optimism on that front had faded the moment I sent Joey on his way. I'd led him to believe Clay would kill him horribly for his betrayal. And now I expected him to run back and tell Clay I was in the enemy's hands... and that he'd put me there?
I wouldn't be surprised if he'd hit the highway and kept going. In fact, I'd be shocked if he hadn't.
So I could only pray that fighting for my life would give me all the extra adrenaline I needed.
*
TESLER SEEMED PERFECTLY happy to make me fight naked--go figure. It was Eddie and Noah who argued--Noah protesting and Eddie acting as if his brother was obviously joking, which eventually forced Tesler to play along and say, sure, he was kidding and of course I could get dressed... as long as I wore my own clothes. What he didn't realize is that I'd draped them by the fireplace, so they were warm and partially dry.
Noah and Eddie cleared the living room, shoving the furniture against the walls. Then Tesler and I moved into the center of the room and faced off like boxers. He even bounced on his toes for good effect.
"Last chance to change your mind," he said. "Don't expect me to hold anything back just because you're a woman."
"I don't."
"You're going to come out of this feeling a helluva lot worse than you do right now."
"I expect to. And I appreciate you giving me the option, but I'm fine. I'll extend you the same courtesy, though, if you want to back out."
His expression sent a chill through me, and deep inside, that child's voice started screaming at me not to fight, never fight, I couldn't win, I'd only get hurt.
But I wasn't twelve years old anymore. I could beat this son of a bitch.
"You think you're tough, don't you?" Tesler said.
"No, not particul--"
He sprang, palms smacking into my shoulders. The floor disappeared under my feet and my head struck it with a crack that sent consciousness on a split-second holiday. I came to with Tesler towering over me, his hand wrapped in the front of my shirt. Before I could register what was happening, I was sailing through the air again. This time I slammed into the wall.
As I wobbled to my feet, the little-girl voice in me screamed and sobbed.
Why did you have to fight him? You know how that goes. Never, ever fight. You'll only get hurt and it all ends up the same, no matter what you do. You can't fight them. You can't.
Tesler strode over. "Want to change your mind? My offer's still open."
Yes, oh God yes! It's not too late. Tell him you'll be good. Then let him do what he wants. Just go to the place where he can't hurt you and everything will be okay.
Only it wouldn't be okay. My childhood self had faced many monsters, but none like this. For Tesler, regaining control wouldn't be enough. Complete destruction of the threat was required. There was no secret place that would save me from that.
I rose halfway, then pretended to collapse, wincing.
He bent over me. "Giving up? Good, because--"
My feet smacked him square in the chest and sent him reeling. I jumped up and hit him twice, then kicked and he went down. I'd aimed for the stone fireplace, and his head struck with a very satisfying crunch.
I walked over as he lay on the ground, shaking his head.
"If you want to quit, just say so," I said.
He leapt up with a growl. I feinted out of his way. We danced for a while before I landed a blow, then he blocked the second and got in a hard jab... and so it went.
It didn't take me long to reevaluate those odds and slant them in Tesler's favor. We had equal experience. But he was so much stronger that each blow sent me flying. He was also mad as hell and determined to put this bitch in her place. I was equally determined not to let him do that. But while his rage fueled his fists, mine fogged my brain--my best fighting tool.
Every time he landed a blow, my old fears surfaced, occupying the part of my mind that should be analyzing his moves and strategizing mine. I kept trying to pull myself back on track, focusing on his style and learning from it. It didn't work. I was losing and Tesler knew it. I saw it in his eyes as his fist connected and I went down. I felt it, too, as he pinned me, his erection grinding into my thigh.
When I felt that, the little girl in me went wild, gibbering with fear. I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to quiet her. And then... and then I opened them and released her. I let that base terror shine.
And, oh, how he loved that, lust clouding his eyes. He pinned me harder, his crotch moving on mine, grinding until it hurt. Blood dripped from his lips onto mine. Sweat plinked into my eyes. The hated smell of him filled my nostrils.
I shrank back. "I-if I surrender..." I swallowed.
"Yes?"
I licked my lip, tasting his blood. "If I do what you want..."
"Yes?"
"Will you let me go afterward?"
"You'll do what I want? Everything I want?"
I nodded.
"And you'll behave? Be a good girl?"
I nodded.
He lowered his lips to my ear and whispered. "Then you aren't going to want me to let you go. But ye
s, when we've both had our fill, you're welcome to leave."
He moved his lips over mine again and hovered there. I lifted my head from the ground, and I kissed him--and it was just as nauseating as I'd imagined. I concentrated on the taste of his blood, nipping his lip, drawing more. He mistook my biting for passion and kissed me harder.
I closed my eyes so he wouldn't see my revulsion, but I don't think he would have noticed anyway. When he broke the kiss, his eyes were unfocused, dark with lust, his body relaxing against mine.
His lips moved back to my ear. "See, it isn't so bad, is--?"
I smashed my elbow into his throat so hard he fell back, gargling. I rolled and slammed my palm into his nose. Blood spurted. He gave a strangled cry, but recovered fast. I was already on my feet and he didn't make it past a crouch before my foot connected with his jaw, toppling him backward. A second kick and he spun, his forehead smacking the fireplace as he fell.
As I watched him lying there, on his stomach, blood pooling, I realized I didn't need an elaborate escape plan. Just kill the bastard. Kill him and--
A hand grabbed my ponytail and wrenched me back. I sailed off my feet, but twisted, finding my footing and coming up swinging. But Eddie still had my ponytail wrapped around his hand and yanked me like a dog on a leash, keeping me from hitting him.
"Enough," he said. "He's down. You win."
"The hell she does." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tesler wobble to his feet.
"She wins," Eddie said.
The brothers faced off in silence. I expected Tesler to argue. I prayed he'd argue. Blood streamed into his eyes and he could barely stand upright. Just give me a few minutes more, and I'd never have to worry about Travis Tesler again. He had no chance of winning, not now, after I'd tasted victory--could still taste it, his blood on my lips.
But apparently his confidence had taken a bruising, too, enough to sink under the weight of his survival instinct. "Fine," he said. Then he turned to Noah and snapped, "Get her out of my sight. You have twenty minutes. Then she's mine."
ESCAPE
NOAH HUSTLED ME to what was obviously "his" room, judging by the clothing on the floor and on every piece of furniture. He got me inside, then closed the door. At this point, the ideal strategy would be seduction. Lower his defenses, as I had with Tesler, then take him out and escape.
But as repugnant as the thought of kissing Tesler had been, faking attraction to a teenage boy was out of the question.