“Until today,” he growled. “I’m going to be the laughing stock of both packs.”
“I said I was sorry. I don’t want this Cody. We don’t belong together. You can’t deny that. I felt trapped. I feel trapped. When I was out there, with the dragon, I felt free for the first time in a long time. I haven’t felt anything like it for the longest time.” She shrugged. “Except for pain and sorrow. Nothing else but those emotions, and then today, I did. I felt…something more…” Her eyes prickled with unshed tears. “I…”
“I don’t want to hear another word about the dragon,” his voice boomed. “We are mating. It’s happening, Demi.”
“We can change their minds. Some traditions can evolve. You can make that decision now, as the new Alpha.”
“No! We are mating. I choose you.” He grabbed her hands, quickly dropping them again. His nostrils flaring.
“I don’t want this.”
“It’s happening. I meant what I said to the dragon. We are expected to mate and to have cubs.”
“I know,” she mumbled. “I know.” Clearer that time. “But you need to know that I don’t love you in that way.” She winced, feeling bad for Cody. “I never will.”
“You are fucking this up before we even begin,” he snarled. “Why can’t you just give it a try? One fucking try, Demi.”
“You don’t belong to me. You’re Brie’s!” she shouted. Why did no one understand that? How was it that Cody didn’t get that? He used to.
“Brie is dead. She’s gone.” His eyes blazed. She wasn’t sure whether it was with tears or anger. Maybe a mix of both.
“Don’t!” she begged. “Please.”
“I’m sorry to be so blunt, but it’s the truth. We’re here. We’re alive. We deserve happiness.”
“You’re right. We do, but not together. Why can’t you see that anymore?” Demi had preferred it when they worked as a team against this farce of a mating. Why was Cody suddenly insisting on this?
“It’s how it has to be,” he growled. The words full of emotion. “There is no other option. I have come to accept that, and you must too.”
“Fine.” Her shoulders slumped as the fight left her. They had stood a chance at getting out of this when they were united. There was no way she would get out of this alone. “I will mate you. If I am forced, I will concede. I’ll go through with it.”
“You make it sound like a death sentence.” Definitely pain in his words.
“It’s not that. I told Obsidian you weren’t a bad person. I meant it. The truth is that I see you as more of a brother.”
“It could change,” he tried, raising his brows.
“It will never change. You need to know that upfront. Open and honest. Like you pointed out, there are many females who feel very differently about you. Why don’t you pick one of them? Pick a wolf female and—”
“No! You are the next Alpha female of the wolf pack. It has to be you. My offspring will be strong. The only way to assure that is to mate with the strongest wolf female. We will mate tomorrow. If you refute me in any way, I will make trouble for your dragon. The beast came onto our territory uninvited. He touched what wasn’t his to touch. There was blood in that clearing, Demi. Your blood.”
“Don’t you dare! It wasn’t like that.”
“You aren’t thinking clearly after your ordeal with the creature.” His jaw tightened. “Maybe the beast threatened you to keep quiet about what really went down. We might need to let the facts speak for themselves. Blood…seed…an aggressive dragon.” He pointed at the blossoming bruising on his ribs.
“No!” she yelled. “You’re twisting this.”
“The creature came onto our territory and helped itself to one of our females. To my female. Even if he didn’t force you, it’s still an offense. I will make sure the scaly fuck pays. Don’t try me. We mate tomorrow.” Cody turned and walked out.
Demi’s chest heaved. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She couldn’t stop it from happening. Couldn’t stop the fur that pushed through her skin. Or her muscles from lengthening and roping. Once the shift was complete, Demi tossed her head back, a long, drawn-out howl filled her house. She howled again and again, until her throat was hoarse. Until she fell asleep, exhausted. Waking only hours later from the nightmare that plagued her every night. Her sister’s death. That laughing. His terrible laughing as she died.
Chapter 8
Obsidian landed. He was so agitated it took him at least half a minute to shift back into his skin. What he needed was a hot shower, a belly full of food, and sleep. Maybe he would feel better once the sun came up.
Doubtful.
He felt bad for Demi. What kind of a life would she have to look forward to with a jerk like that male? Not much of a one. By the sounds of things, he was going to turn her into a baby-making vessel. Pretty much enslave her.
He held back a roar. No wonder she scented so strongly of fear when he had met her. Everything in him screamed to shift, to go back and to rescue her. Whether she wanted rescuing or not. He hated how she had defended and protected the bear. Hated! Maybe if he whisked her away for a couple of days, she would be able to think more clearly. To think she had defended that Cody asshole. Saying that the male was good.
He gave his head a hard shake. Obsidian was too tired to think straight right then. Food and an hour or two of sleep, and he’d be ready to take the next step. Whatever that ended up being.
He dialed the kitchen and put an order in. Then he paced his chamber for a couple of minutes, trying to calm the fuck down before heading to the bathroom. He turned the faucets on, waiting until steam filled the shower stall. Then he got in and began to wash off.
The shower door banged open, almost torn off its hinges in the process.
“What the hell did you do?” his brother snarled.
“Nothing!” he growled back, soap from his hair leaking into his eyes. He tried to put his head under the water, but Mountain yanked him by his arm, pulling him from the stall. Obsidian growled low, allowing himself to be led. His brother was naked…he had recently shifted.
“Nothing, my fucking ass. I can scent a wolf female on you. All over you. You’ve been rutting. Oh my fuck!” He got a terrified look, his eyes widening. “It’s true! It’s fucking true!” Mountain turned and walked away from him, both his hands in his hair. “I thought there had to be a mix-up but there isn’t one.”
“Yes. I rutted. So?” Obsidian grunted.
“You forced yourself on a female, Obsidian. That’s not okay.”
“I didn’t!” Obsidian boomed. “I would never!” he added.
“The wolves scented blood from both of you. That, and rutting. Your seed was on the ground. They could scent fear.”
“They would have scented pleasure as well,” Obsidian countered. “I gave Demi pleasure.”
“Fuck!” Mountain snarled. “That’s your excuse? Really? You made her come, so it wasn’t rape?”
That word again. That prick Cody had used it too. Then it dawned on him. They really thought he had raped and abducted Demi. He shook his head, feeling anger well. Anger and disappointment. That all the shifters would think badly of him was one thing. That his own people would think it, he could still stomach, but his own twin? Not a chance. “Do you not know me, brother?”
“What the hell does that that even mean?”
“It’s a simple question.”
“I do know you,” Mountain spoke using a tender voice. “I’m sure you didn’t think you were doing anything wrong. Maybe your beast took over in that moment…maybe…”
“You can stop there.” Obsidian put up a hand. “I would never force a female. My beast knows right from wrong. I would never!”
“Not knowingly. You’ve spent too much time in your scales. It affects a male. It… Wait a minute…” He narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t grunted once. You’re talking.”
Obsidian shrugged. “I’m trying to tell you that…yes, I ran into the female. She was afraid of
me and fought me. She injured herself trying to run away. I never laid a claw on her though. Would never hurt an innocent. I’m not so far gone! Not nearly as much as you think. It didn’t take long for her to realize I meant no harm. For her to become as aroused as well…”
“You can spare me the details.”
“We did rut, but it was consensual. I swear to you! She was fearful of me initially but that soon changed. The fear those shifter males could scent was because of them. It had nothing to do with me by then. We had resolved our differences…twice,” he added, unnecessarily.
“The last word we got from them was that they heard you leave with her. Heard her scream ‘No’.”
Obsidian frowned. “She wanted me to leave her to her fate and to just go, but I couldn’t. I needed to know what was going on. Why she was so afraid and upset.”
“Are you sure it had nothing to do with you?” Mountain asked.
Obsidian bristled. “Very fucking sure! She slept in my arms. That’s not the action of someone who has just been raped. Not a fuck!”
His brother raised his brows. “Did you know that she is promised to the new bear Alpha? That they are to be mated?”
“She doesn’t want the male though. She is being forced to mate him. He is a prick!”
“Listen to yourself. We can’t involve ourselves with the politics of another species. You are in such deep shit, Obsidian. You will need to go and explain yourself to our king. Probably to Blaze as well. You might be caged for this, or worse.”
“Why?” he growled. “I did nothing wrong. Demi is a mature female, quite capable of making her own decisions.”
“She wasn’t yours to take.”
Obsidian shrugged. “I couldn’t scent another male on her. No claim had been made. Demi will set the record straight. That asshole, Cody, saw us in an intimate moment as we were saying goodbye. He will have seen that—”
“Holy fucking shit!” Mountain put a hand through his hair, which was mussed. “An intimate moment you were having with his female. The shifters might just call for your blood after this, even if you didn’t force her or harm her.”
“Fuck that!” Obsidian snarled. “I did nothing wrong. I rutted a female who has never been claimed. I didn’t know about the asshole male…Cody,” he spat the name. “I took her so that I could get to the bottom of her fear and sadness, only to find out that she is being forced to mate that asshole. I am going to eat and sleep, then I am going to rescue her.”
“If you do that,” Mountain looked grave, “not even I will be able to protect you. As it stands, I can plead your case. Who knows what bullshit those shifters will come back with. There’s a good chance they’re angry enough to cause shit for you. Big shit!”
“Let them.”
“This is serious. Forcing a female is an offense grave enough to have you beheaded. Granite might be forced to sentence you to death. Or to stand by while they carry out your sentence.”
“Demi would never—”
“Your wolf would have no say in the matter,” his brother sounded worried.
Was Mountain right? “I did nothing wrong,” he repeated. The words sounding hollow.
“I know.” His brother squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry I doubted you. This all needs to be explained to our king. Before we even head there though, you need to stop talking about going back to this female. It will never be permitted. That wolf—”
“Her name is Demi.” He held back a snarl of frustration.
“Demi.” His brother’s voice softened. “I can see that you have come to care for her in a short time. You need to forget about her though. You can’t allow yourself to get in too deep with her.”
“What will happen to her?”
“I’m sure she’s going to be in serious trouble as well.”
Obsidian growled, low and deep. Wanting to snarl. To roar and to rail. Wanting to shift and to go to her.
“Stop that! Get a grip.” Mountain’s eyes narrowed. “She isn’t yours. She never will be.”
“They are going to force her to—”
“It is out of our claws. There is nothing we can do. Do you hear me? If you go anywhere near her, you are sealing your fate. As it stands, you might be in deep trouble but if you go there, if you touch her, you will be.” He shrugged, looking frustrated. “We won’t be able to protect you. I won’t be able to protect you. You didn’t know who she was promised to earlier. That she is the bear Alpha’s promised mate. You do now.”
“But—”
“But nothing! Finish your shower. Get dressed and let’s go and see Granite. I need to get back to my mate.” Mountain got a goofy look on his face. It quickly turned stern. “We haven’t even consummated our mating. Page isn’t officially mine, yet I was out searching for you when I got word you were back. I’ve been out there for hours, worried sick that you’d made a mistake and hurt that female.”
“I would never—”
“I know, I should never have doubted you.”
“I’m sorry,” Obsidian pushed the words out. “I screwed up your night.”
“I’m glad this didn’t go down in the way they are saying. We’ll sort it out.” Mountain patted his back.
Sort it out. Sorting it out would mean helping Demi. It didn’t feel like anything had been sorted out. A heaviness settled inside of him. Obsidian forced himself to nod once in agreement.
Chapter 9
Demi was thankful for the lacy veil that covered her head. So thankful it covered her eyes, which were puffy and red. It didn’t matter how much she had cried already. Fresh tears still welled. How was it even possible?
Her lip quivered as well. She’d never been a weakling. Never given in to so much self-pity before. It was nauseating and yet…there it was. No escape! Not even from herself.
“All will be well,” her father spoke in a soothing voice. “I’m almost glad this whole debacle happened. It moved things along. Let’s go.” He sighed deeply. “Despite what you may think, I do love you. I know that Cody will take good care of you.” His eyes were focused on where Cody was waiting for them at the end of the aisle. An aisle formed by all the people of their packs. The bear shifter stood beneath an arch of flowering roses, looking dapper in his tuxedo. The male had gone to a lot of effort and yet…nothing. Only more sorrow. Sorrow that Brie wasn’t there. Her sister should be there, dammit! Sorrow that she was, and at the unfairness of the whole situation. She even felt sorry for Cody. He didn’t deserve this either. At the same time, she was angry with him for his manipulation. He was using what happened to get his way. It was wrong.
“You will grow to love him back.” Her father squeezed her arm and began to walk.
Grow to love him. Panic welled as she was forced to follow. Her legs heavy.
She had loved Cody once as a brother. Demi struggled to summon an ounce of that love right then. Even if it did come back one day, it would still be brotherly love. She could never love him as a male. Certainly not as a lover. Not anything along those lines. Being with the dragon shifter had only highlighted that fact for her.
By all the gods, but her skin itched with the need to shift. Her limbs wanted to stretch out with the change and then even more as she ran and ran and ran. Far away from there. From this.
She swallowed hard as they entered the aisle. Everyone from their village gathered. All of their eyes on her. Cody was frowning. His normally bright eyes were dark and brooding. The tuxedo pulled tight around his chest and arms. He forced a tight smile that didn’t even come close to reaching his eyes as she and her father drew nearer.
Her dad kissed her cheek through the veil. He patted her arm. She could hear her mother crying quietly behind them. She had tried to convince her mom to help her. To stop this, but she was not to be swayed either.
Cody took her hand in his and they both faced the elder before them, who greeted first them and then the crowd. He said a few words in opening that were a complete blur to Demi. She had to concentrate to keep herself
from openly crying.
A few minutes in, Cody squeezed her hand and she realized that the elder had asked her a question. “Um…yes,” she blurted. Her voice a touch shrill.
A couple of people in the crowd gasped. Several more whispered amongst themselves.
“You’re supposed to say no,” Cody whispered, giving her hand another squeeze.
“I asked if there was a reason why the two of you should not mate?” The elder smiled. He was very sweet. His hair was salt and pepper and his eyes were a watery blue. But his smile was kind.
Cody squeezed her hand again.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “No.” She shook her head too hard. Only because there were so many reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this.
The elder asked the same of Cody who answered immediately. He lied as well, saying that there was no reason why they shouldn’t be mated. She was being forced into this. That should be reason enough. This was a silly human tradition they had adopted. Why, she didn’t know, since it didn’t matter how they answered. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying.
“I need you both to repeat after me in unison. When you speak, it will be each to one and the other.” The priest bowed his head, his eyes shut. “Let us begin,” he paused. “To you, I give of myself.”
Demi squeezed her eyes shut and said the words. She tried not to think too hard about what she was saying.
“My fur is your fur,” he went on.
They both repeated the words. Sounding like robots. Demi felt more and more numb inside. Cody’s hand began to feel sweaty. Maybe she was the one doing the sweating.
“My life is your life,” the elder said.
Again, they repeated. Cody squeezed her hand as he spoke, she could feel him looking at her. Hold it together! she repeated to herself.
“Together as one in this life as well as the next,” the elder said.
How could she say those words? How?
Cody said them, faltering when she didn’t. She heard him swallow hard, heard him lick his lips.
“Together…” she forced, “in this life…” A sob left her. Shit! She had to do this. Demi heard her mom cry harder, blowing her nose. Demi cleared her throat. “As well as the next.” It made her think of Brie, which made her cry all over again. Flip! Tears streamed down her cheeks. Thankfully no one could see through the lace of the veil.
Savage Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 2 Page 7
