Blood of the Wolf

  * * * *

  Gareth watched the girl drop the gun, taking off into the trees, still human. Sirus took off immediately and Gareth fell into step, no longer thinking. He was fully Changed, the animal-frenzy having taken over his brain.... He didn't think of her name, her age, her background... just female. Just Sirus' howl, splitting through the night, calling to all of the wolves like a beacon. Come, it said. Follow.

  The scent of her wolf-moon was strong, undeniable, impossible to ignore. Gareth launched into a run, the silver wolf by his side. Two Alphas, one victory, and now an entire night to celebrate. All he wanted to do was sink his teeth into warm flesh.

  They flew through the garden, tearing up chunks of dirt in their wake. Down the front drive, following her trail, and already they were joined by four more wolves — he recognized two of their scents, Aiden and Darren, but the others were unknown. More came as they entered the trees, raising their voices in haunting melodies, singing to the full moon. The energy was thick between their bodies, the bonds of the Change tying the pack together. Even some of Magnus' inner circle were starting to fall into line, eager to greet their new Alphas, to join the hunt. It was the way of the pack, the law of the wild.

  They entered the trees, dodging through the thick wilderness, bounding over roots and shrubs, between bushes and around ferns. Gareth could feel the energy of the earth with each surge of his breath, every beat of his heart... he felt alive, exhilarated, the night as clear as day around them. He sniffed the wind, following the trail, running next to Sirus yet ever so slightly behind, allowing the Alpha a claim to his lifemate. He had already Marked Jaime, and it had been a wise move — all of the other wolves could sense his presence around her, his smell mingling with hers. They hunted together now, but soon they would split and he would lead them away, deeper into the mountain where real prey awaited... a deer, maybe a big stag.

  The wolf pack abruptly burst from the trees, flowing across a narrow road that ran through the wilderness, then diving into the foliage on the other side... but Gareth wavered abruptly, scenting the air again, his legs slowing. He glanced at Sirus and saw that the Alpha was too far lost in the Change. No matter, what he had smelled had been urgent.

  Gareth doubled back to the road, ignoring the wolves that dashed past him, who still followed Sirus. When he reached the ribbon of asphalt, he stopped and began smelling the ground, moving back and forth, his senses straining. No, he couldn't mistake that scent... and he could already tell which direction it was coming from. His head shot up, ears pricking. They had parked the truck down this road. Perhaps a mile away, Maddy was huddled in the seat of their truck, hopefully with the doors locked... because trouble was headed her way.

  A wolf suddenly pulled up alongside him, a big white creature; Gareth recognized Isak. They communicated instinctively, without the need for words, a mixture of body language and smells. Go on, he said without words. Lead the pack in my stead. I will return.

  Isak paused for a moment, touching his nose to the bottom of Gareth's neck, a sign of submission. Then he whirled and dashed into the forest, eager to get back to the chase, to lead the pack deeper into the mountains and find fresh blood.

  Gareth turned back to the road, a snarl pulling at his lips. Time to check on his lifemate. He immediately took off down the road, paws thrumming on the cement, blood pounding and adrenaline rushing. He loved feel of the wind in his fur, the endless power of his limbs as he ate up the ground, moving faster than any normal wolf could ever run. He could already smell the oil of the truck, the rubber of the tires, the distant hint of voices....

  She was a mile away, but he would reach her in no time. That much was certain.

  * * * *

  Maddy shrieked, holding the flashlight in front of her like a weapon, screaming at the three wolves who had stumbled across her truck. Two of them had turned back into humans... the third, a wild, snarling wolf, was slamming itself against the door, trying to break through the glass. Fuck, how the hell had this happened? Why hadn't anyone left her with a gun?

  “It's alright, ma'am, we just want to use your car!” one of the men yelled — the shorter, fatter one. Their eyes were bright yellow with the Change... and she tried to ignore the fact that they were both naked.

  “Shut up, Jones, you're scaring her!” the taller one growled.

  “I think that damned wolf is what's scaring her!”

  “Well what the hell are we supposed to do about it?”

  “I dunno!”

  The two men looked at each other and Maddy screamed as the giant gray wolf slammed into the truck a second time, teeth gnashing, eyes wild. It wasn't the biggest wolf she had ever seen, but it was definitely impressive, and size didn't matter when a beast was ferocious enough to chew up a car door. Maddy scooted to the opposite side, holding the backpack against her chest, the flashlight trembling in her hands. Now what was she supposed to do? The two men outside were useless... and she doubted they truly cared what happened to her. They just wanted her car.

  “Stevie, I don't wanna die tonight,” the shorter man said as a chorus of howls rose into the air, deep from within the forest. “Let's just get outta here. Forget the car.”

  The taller man rolled his eyes, taking a step towards the rabid wolf. “Hey, buddy, calm down. We're just gonna run into town, 'kay? We don't need the damned car—”

  The wolf turned and snarled at them, then went back to harassing the vehicle, slamming against the window, attempting to break the glass. Maddy screamed again, panicking, scrabbling backwards and choking on her own heart. Obviously what had once been a man was now pure beast, lost in a blood rage, completely insane. It wasn't the first time she had seen such bloodlust, and it shook her to the core.

  “Help me!” she screamed as the wolf slammed into the glass again. Crack! A line bloomed across the windshield, alarmingly long and jagged. Maddy looked at the two desperately. “Help me, please!”

  The shorter of the two men looked conflicted, chewing his lip. Then abruptly they both paused. They turned as one, facing the breeze, sniffing the air. She saw them share a glance.

  “Sorry girl,” the shorter one called, already turning away, jogging past the car and down the street. “We're getting out of here while we still can!”

  “You bastards!” she screamed, but it was all she could say before the gray wolf started slamming against the car with renewed vigor. The windshield cracked a little more with each try. The two men disappeared into the darkness behind the truck; she saw the second one shift back into his wolf-form before they vanished, loping into the shadows, gone as suddenly as they had appeared.

  Maddy lost her nerve. The windshield split down the window, shattering, glass flying inward; snarls and growls tore the air. She didn't have a choice — it was stay here and get eaten, or try to make a run for it. Moving fast, she kicked open the passenger side and threw herself into the night, hitting the ground running, dodging into the trees. Thankfully she had spent her childhood running through mountain forests... and she had been with Gareth long enough to have absorbed some of his senses. The shadows were keen around her, and she could easily pick her way through the underbrush, sprinting as fast as she could.

  The wolf followed close behind. She had maybe a minute to find help or safety, and so far it didn't look promising. She threw the backpack behind her, hoping to distract the animal. She sent a silent prayer to the sky. Please... someone... anyone!

  Then suddenly she was falling, a root rising out of nowhere, grabbing her foot. She screamed, then the breath was knocked out of her. She tried to scramble to her feet, panting and heaving, tears streaming from her eyes. She was so panicked she couldn't even control her legs. There was a snarl behind her, a ferocious growl, the glint of silver fur — Jaime turned to face the wolf as it flew from the bushes.

  At the same second there was an answering roar. She didn't know where it came from, but suddenly a black wolf leaped from behind her, sailing over a fallen tree and landing between the
m. Jaime screamed, covering her face as the two animals clashed in a whirlwind of snapping jaws and glinting teeth. She could hear them growling and snarling, thrashing in the bushes, then the wet tear of ripping of flesh, yelps and squeals....

  Maddy peeked through her hands, panting and shaking, unsure of what to expect. Two bodies were thrashing in the bushes, but the struggles were becoming weaker and weaker, and soon only one figure remained. She watched as the black shadow grew taller, twisting and contorting, until it wasn't a wolf anymore.

  Maddy shivered, the sweat cooling on her forehead. A tall man stepped from the trees. She pulled her knees to her chest. His energy was intense, electrifying, a presence she immediately recognized. Somehow, she wasn't reassured....

  “Gareth?” she said haltingly, looking up at him. His green eyes glinted down at her, distant and shining. There was something dark in their depths, something absent and removed. His chest was splattered with blood; he had wiped it from his mouth. She didn't ask where the other wolf was.

  He didn't say a word, just knelt next to her in the trees, grabbing her tightly, pulling her to him. When he kissed her, she felt the blood rush to her head, panic turning into something else entirely. Her body became hot, her legs weak. Then his hands went to her pants and she couldn't speak anymore.

  Chapter 20

  Jaime had recognized the expression in Sirus' eyes. The shadows, the fire, the way his body tightened. Yet this time he dripped with an intensity that made shivers run through her body. The wolf in her agreed — she wanted this Alpha, this powerhouse, this mate. But she wanted him to prove himself first. So he could handle the Paxton Alpha — could he handle her?

  His look had electrified her, made her tingle from head to toe, the animal bursting to the surface as she had let the gun drop from her hand. And then the howling. The initiation of a ceremony, a ritual as old as time — a female's first wolf-moon.

  Jaime hadn't understood it in those terms; only that she needed to run, that her body screamed at her to go, to take to the woods, to flee to the mountains. Yes, she had seen the look in Sirus' eyes, and she knew what it meant — he was going to claim her. Now.

  So she had dropped the gun, turned, and bolted.

  Her wolf-strength coursed through her muscles. She scrambled through the forest, over logs and bushes, around trees. Her body throbbed with each footstep, pulsing with energy. She already heard the male wolves scrambling after her, not having expected her to move so fast. It took a moment before the fur rippled over her skin, transforming her bit by bit into her wolf-form. It was useless to resist now, and she didn't want to. The moon was high in the sky, practically midnight. She lost small pieces of herself with each shift. Her ears grew, and she forgot her name; her eyes changed, and she forgot the place, the city, the territory. All she knew were smells, sensations, the intensity of the earth. Her legs shortened and pulled her forward, and she no longer remembered who she was running from, what his name was or their history. Only that this was a powerful Alpha, one that scared her as much as he left her weak and dripping. His scent was brought to her on the wind, strong, heady. She surged forward, dissolving quickly into the wilderness. He could have her... but only if he could catch her.

  They ran for a long time, dodging between bushes and down streams. She ran for a while in the shallow water, attempting to hide her scent, to confuse him — but there wasn't much time for tactics. At first she sensed a large group on her tail, the thunder of heavy paws, a shower of snapping twigs and bushes. Bit by bit, the noise quieted, streamlined, the group splitting off. She sensed that the second Alpha had left, leading the rest of the pack away, dashing into the depths of the mountain where they would doubtlessly pursue a deer or some other prey. But not her Alpha. No, he had made his intent clear. She was his.

  She continued running, frantic and helpless, until the breath labored in her lungs and her legs grew weak. No. How had she grown so tired, so soon? She tried to feed on the night, pull the energy of the Moon around her, boost her strength... but the wolf-moon was harsh and demanding. Her body ached; it felt soft and pliant, warm, longing to roll against the soft earth. She craved the heat of another body... and there was only one anywhere around....

  But she couldn't stop. She couldn't remember why, why it was so important that she keep running... but she could never stop. She suddenly felt like she had been running for a long time, for years, through cities and countryside and abandoned train stations. If she let him catch her... she couldn't remember what would happen, only that it filled her with dread, dread and a forbidden yearning. Her stomach was a knot of anticipation. She couldn't run forever.

  The night was like a dark dream, full of shimmering moonlight and glinting leaves, rustling grass and shifting shadows. She was on a path, but she didn't know where it was going. Her steps grew heavier and heavier.

  A thrashing sound. He was gaining! She suddenly burst through the trees into an empty meadow, a broad expanse of grass under intense moonlight. The entire meadow seemed alive with energy, electric, humming with a silver presence. Her feet touched the grass and she felt like she was floating....

  Wham!

  He smashed into her from behind, carrying her to the ground, his body hot and heavy on top of her. His fur was coarse and rough, and she snarled, turning and twisting, trying to snap at him. Did she intend to hurt him? She wasn't sure.

  He growled back, lunging viciously, fighting for dominance. She struggled, lost in a frenzy, trying to roll away from him and climb to her feet, to keep running or to face him down, to fight him if necessary.

  But he didn't let her go. Every time she would slip away he would grab her firmly by the nape, his teeth digging into her thick skin, dragging her back to him. She whimpered and squirmed, trying to get away, but he held her firmly, holding her down, forcing her to submit. Finally she started to weaken. The wolf-self began to drift away, leaving her exhausted and aroused, her body a tangled web of nerves. Everything about his presence made her weak, submissive, shivering down to her core.

  Her mind slowly returned to her. Now that the chase was over, Jaime felt the fur begin to recede on her arms. She broke his hold on her, rolling onto her back to look up at him, gasping as she shifted and contorted back into her human self. She was naked, panting, so exhausted she could barely breathe... and so hot that she couldn't speak. She cunt throbbed, her nipples hard, her skin buzzing with pleasure. She moaned desperately, unable to control it.

  Her eyes slitted open, looking at the wolf that stood above her. It was a giant silver beast, far bigger than a normal wolf, its yellow eyes disturbingly intelligent. Then the wolf began to melt as well, the hair turning darkening, lengthening, the fur receding. Finally Sirus hovered over her... his wounds seeping blood, a long gash along one cheek where Magnus had struck him. His eyes were still yellow.

  She stared at him, at the blood that stained his skin, at the feral look on his face. Somehow he didn't look human at all to her—everything about him was more intense, more shocking. His yellow eyes reflected the moonlight, glowing in a disturbing way. Fear raced through her, making her squirm, making her heart pound; she knew what her position meant and why he was staring at her so intently. His hand went to her throat where he gently trailed his fingers over her neck, over her tender flesh.

  “He bruised you,” Sirus murmured softly, his gaze burning with anger.

  Jaime didn't say anything, but her mouth went dry at the dangerous look that passed over his face. He hesitated, eyes roving over her body, over the small cuts and nicks... then he leaned down, stroking his tongue over her neck, making her shiver with pleasure. His hand went to her stomach, gliding over her belly; she stretched it up towards him.

  “Offering yourself to me?” he murmured. His head lowered slowly, trailing his lips across her collar bone, then through the valley of her breasts. She gasped, arching upwards, and he pulled her closer, his tongue laving her navel.

  She grunted, shaking her head. “No,” she breathed, b
arely able to speak.

  He murmured a laugh, pressing her back into the grass, his mouth moving all over her abdomen. “Submitting is offering yourself to me, sweetheart.”

  She twisted, gasping, her head spinning. She could barely pay attention to his words, barely make her mouth work to respond. “How do you know I'm submitting?” she groaned, gazing up at him, her eyes heavy.

  “Your body can't lie to me,” he murmured, and quite suddenly his mouth found its way up to her breasts, latching onto one of her hard nipples. He drew on it, reaching a hand down to rub at her crotch, his fingers slipping into her bare folds before she could stop him. They penetrated deep and sudden, roughly moving two fingers into her until they ran up against a barrier. She gasped against his mouth, squirming and crying out; his thumb went to her clit, rubbing rhythmically until she was whimpering, unable to control her noises.

  His mouth traveled down her body, leaving scorching trails across her skin, making her limbs sweet and heavy. She gasped as his mouth reached her abdomen and lower, tracing the cuts of her hips; she tried to writhe away from him, but his hands gripped her, holding her down as his mouth found its way between her legs. He pressed his face against her, inhaling, his lips teasing at her opening, making her buck and cry out. He blew against her, his tongue stroking her hot slit, sipping at her juices. Jaime whimpered, unable to do anything but sink her hands in his hair, holding on for dear life as his mouth tortured her, teased her into a moaning peak. Then his fingers entered her, moving quickly, thrusting in and out of her as she was quickly brought to orgasm. Jaime's voice echoing through the forest, her back leaving the soft earth as the arched towards the sky. Her body exploded in a wave of pleasure, sweeping over her senses and carrying her quickly over the edge.