The minutes turned to hours and the last sliver of light lingered in the sky. Golden rays of light shone through the trees casting deep shadows in my direction. I didn’t know what I was going to do once the night fell, and I was alone out here.
“Make a fire,” I told myself as I stood determined to be of some help. If Tobias was out there wandering in the night, then he would need a light to guide him back to me.
Quickly I scoured the area for kindling and dried wood and stacked them neatly into a pile. At least being a servant in my own home taught me a few things. A fire was something I could do, and I would do it. After fetching enough wood, I rummaged for flint and managed to find the small limestone rocks.
Crashing the rocks made a spark fly into my kindling and suddenly I wasn’t in the dark any longer. Every dried twig and blade of grass I had found was caught up in the small inferno. Pride filled me as I watched the flames rise higher and higher giving off heat to warm my face and shoulders.
I sat down in the dirt beside the flames adding larger and larger branches as I waited patiently for Tobias to return. I could picture the surprised look on his face knowing that I could handle myself out here. But, the pride swelled as I thought of Lola returning as well and proving to her that I wasn’t such a damsel in distress as she painted me out to be.
The crackling of the flames caught me off guard and caused my body to tense with each snap and pop. My body jerked up with each sound as my eyes darted to the hill side in hopes to find Tobias coming back down. Each time there was only darkness and no sign of him.
“Where are you?” I wondered. What if he is hurt? Should I go out there to find him? He did tell me to stay here, but I didn’t promise I would.
As I debated going to check on him myself, a snap of twigs echoed behind me. I shot to my feet with my arms up in the air and my eyes darted around for a weapon. The only thing close enough was the large branch I was going to throw on the fire. Without hesitating I reached down and held the branch like a baton ready to strike at anything coming my way.
Posed and ready I scanned the shadows. Through the blanket of darkness a shadow shifted between the trees. My heart raced as I tightened my grip around the branch trying not to show my fear as it gnawed at my stomach.
“Athena? Is that really you?”
The familiar voice cut through me like a blade. I dropped the branch as Luca emerged out of the darkness. His eyes widened as he approached me and I wondered what I looked like to him. He was so used to seeing me in my father’s house, all prim and proper that I wondered if he even recognized me now.
“Oh, Athena!” he gasped and raced towards me, hoisting me up into his arms. “I thought I would never find you. I thought he’d killed you.”
“Luca what are you doing here?” I asked trying to wiggle my way out of his tightly wrapped arms.
“I have been looking for you for two days now. When I saw that beast carrying you away, I had to hunt for you. I wasn’t about to let him steal you away from me.”
“But, everyone wants me dead,” I said tears swelling in my eyes.
“Where did you get that crazy notion? Did he tell you that?” Luca hissed his words as he spoke of Tobias.
“Father disowned me,” I sniffed, wiping the wet streaks across my cheeks.
“That was before he knew what really happened. I told him you were innocent. Your father, Alexander, has given his blessings for us should I ever find you.”
“What?”
“Athena, we can be together now. Nothing is stopping us. This whole ordeal has made things right between our families. Alexander is no longer standing in my way, in our way. Come back to Rome with me,” Luca tugged me closer to him.
I planted my feet firmly into the ground and shook my head. “I can’t go. I have to wait for Tobias.”
“You want to wait? Why Athena?” Luca cupped his hands around my face holding my gaze. “Don’t you see? He is a monster. He tried to kill your father, he lied to you, and then he kidnapped you. You can’t stay. We have to go now before he finds us.”
“No. I promised him I would wait for him. If I leave now, he will come for me.” The flames of the fire shifted and cast a sinister light on Luca. For the first time since I had known him his eyes burned with hatred. There was something lingering beneath his gaze that I hadn’t seen until now.
“Luca; let me go. You’re hurting me,” I complained as his grip tightened around my wrist. With the right amount of pressure he could easily break my arm.
“I told you I wasn’t going to let you go, Athena. Now you are coming back with me one way or another.”
“Luca, you’re scaring me.” My heart drummed in my ears and then I heard a low growl rumbling from deep within him. It wasn’t the fire playing in his eyes that I saw, it was something evil. I had seen that same look on Tobias’ face before he slaughtered the best gladiators my father could throw at him.
“TOBIAS!” I screamed with every ounce of my being. My voice bounced off the trees followed by Luca’s sinister cackle.
“He isn’t coming back for you,” Luca said as he leaned in closer to me. “I told you before, you are mine and you always will be.” With one hand, Luca cuffed my hands together and held my arms up over my head. I was too weak to overpower him, as his free hand wrestled with the fabric of my dress hoisting it up to my hips. Suddenly, two fingers slipped into my body and filled me up as he laughed.
“Luca, please, no!”
Chapter 12
Even in the darkness I could see Lola stalking me. Her shoulders were back and her head was dipped down probing for my weakness. If only she knew that Athena was now my only soft spot. I wondered if she would have come this far out?
We moved in circles around each other waiting for the other to strike first.
“Lola, you don’t have to do this.”
“You shouldn’t have exposed us Tobias. That is how they found us in the first place.”
“Marcus was an idiot who let himself be captured. I would rather die that let my pack become slaves to Rome or to Alexander.”
“Then why didn’t you finish your mission? You knew the consequences. You knew what he would become. Yet, word has it you halted your attack because of a girl.” Lola’s voice dropped and I watched her eyes flicker to the forest behind me. Realization sparked a fire in her as she stood straight and shook her head.
“Athena, she was the girl who stopped you isn’t she? That’s why you brought her here with you.”
“She is Alexander’s daughter.”
Lola’s peel of laughter bounced off the trees and I wondered for a moment if Athena could hear it. I knew Athena’s human ears wouldn’t be able to, but still Lola could’ve been a bit quieter.
“Well done,” Lola said giving me a slow clap. “And here I thought you just brought her along for kicks. You are playing her aren’t you? You are using her as bait for Alexander. And I thought I was vicious.”
“It’s not like that,” I implored trying not to let my guard down.
“Then tell me why you brought her with you. Because there is no way you could have imprinted on a human. That is not how it works and you know it.”
“She is no ordinary human; there is something remarkable about her.”
“Since when did you lose your backbone? I remember a time when you were the finest of our kind. I admired that so much about you.” Lola stepped forward and reached out to brush her fingertips over my rugged face.
“There was a time I saw you in the same light,” I confessed. Although her touch was kind and gentle, I could see in her eyes exactly what she wanted. I stepped back away from her and shook my head.
“But, so much has changed.”
“You’ve only been gone a week, how could so much be different?”
“It just is,” I continued to keep my distance from her as she held my gaze. Her green eyes burned like emeralds, pulling me into the depths of her soul. There was a time I would have done anything for her. A
moment of weakness would be all it would take for me to go right back to her, but I had to think of Athena. After all, it was Athena who reminded me of my human side.
“You’ve been away from your kind for too long, you know that?” Lola said as she peeled the clothes off her body. “You’ve forgotten what it's like to take what you want when you want.”
“Lola, stop. I won’t do that to Athena.”
“I think you will. I think …” Lola’s voice was seductive and luring and it took every ounce of my being to chain up the animal within me. The animal that wanted to take Lola right then and there as I had done so many times before, without regret or remorse.
“… all you need is a little taste of what it used to be like.” Lola slipped her hands between her legs and released a moan. My eyes drifted to her hips as my mouth salivated with desire. I knew how inviting she could be. The very thought of charging her captured my reasoning.
Before I could pull back on the chains I had around the animal within me, he was free. Racing to her side, I wrapped my arms around her naked body. I didn’t have to be gentle with her the way I was with Athena. No, I could be as rough and wild as I wanted without fear of hurting or killing her.
Lola moaned as she pulled out her fingers from her body and wrapped her hands around my shaft. The pressure around my cock was a relief. The tighter she squeezed the more I wanted inside of her.
“That’s it,” she cooed as she dropped to her knees and opened her mouth to receive me. The warmth of her tongue rolling around the crown of my head sent my eyes rolling back. Without a second thought, my hands were on her head forcing her to swallow all that she could.
There were no more thoughts of Athena. Every human aspect of me seemed like a faded and fragmented dream. Lola was pushing me over the edge and it took all I had to stay above the passionate currents.
“Tell me you want me and all will be forgiven. We can use that human of yours as bait to finish off Alexander once and for all. Then, we can kill her and you won’t have to struggle against your humanity anymore. Just say the words and I’m yours again.”
Her words were enticing as she stroked the length of me trying to play with my inner desires. Of course I wanted to please her; of course I wanted to give in to the animal raging and romping around inside of me. Being human was so unforgiving and hard.
“I can be so much more for you. I can be everything you need and all that you want. Let me help you remember,” Lola said as she pressed her lips tightly around the shaft of my cock and swallowed the length of me. I could feel the head of my cock swimming in the back of her throat as I entangled my fingers into her hair.
“Lola,” I panted ready to give up everything for her. Then, a distant scream of terror pulled me out of Lola’s trance. I realized too late what Lola was really doing here. I pulled her head back forcing her back to arch and glared down at her.
“You’re evil,” I hissed. All she could do was laugh as I yanked her hair up forcing her stand.
“Who’s with you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said defiantly.
“That scream. I know you heard it too. It’s Athena. Now, who is with you?”
“No one; I came alone. How was I to know you’d bring the human?”
“If I find out you are lying to me, I will kill you myself.”
“You can try,” she grunted as I pushed her away from me. Without thinking, I let my clothes drop to my ankles and felt the fire consume me. There was no time to spare. Athena was in danger and it was all my fault. I shouldn’t have left her alone. I should have remained with her. Or at least not gone so far. What if? I swallowed down the lump of fear forming in my throat, as I transformed into my wolf self and raced through the dark forest.
I had to get to her. I had to save her. It was as if my past had come back to bite me in the ass all over again. I couldn’t save my wife or child, but I would go down fighting if it gave Athena a chance to survive.
The cold dirt scraped against my paws as I ran. No fallen tree or rock could stop me. I was flying through the forest and came to the top of the hill where a cloud of black smoke drifted high into the sky.
“What did you do?” I thought staring at the cloud that was sure to bring others to her.
With my wolf eyes, I scanned the trees until I saw shadows dancing around the flames of the fire. Somewhere down there, Athena needed me. I moved like a ghost rushing to the spot where I’d left her, hoping against hope that she was not on the pyre. If she was… my mind drifted to Lola. All my anger and rage would be unleashed on her, if I was too late.
As a plan formed in my mind, I hid myself in the shadows of the trees.
“You must save her,” a voice said. I shifted back into my human form and spun around. Iris rested beside the tree with a gentle smile on her face. “She is your mate Tobias; you must save her at any cost.”
“Iris?” I whispered as I watched the image of my wife fade from my sight. “Save her,” she said once more, and then I turned my attention to Athena. Her face was red as tears flowed down her alabaster cheeks.
“Hold on,” I said as I stalked the shadows waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Chapter 13
“Luca, please you don’t have to do this. We can finally be free from Alexander. We can run away right now and forget all that has happened over the last few days.”
“You think it’s that easy don’t you? I can’t.” Luca’s eyes glared as the flames danced in them. The way the flames licked his face sent chills through me. Once he had gazed at me passionately, but now there was only rage.
“Why? What’s stopping us from just going now?”
“I can smell him on you,” his growled baring his teeth as he held me down with my hands above my head. There was no wiggle room for me to squeeze out of his hold. Luca had me right where he wanted me and I could do nothing about it.
Tears poured out of my eyes, but I wouldn’t allow myself to feel the pain of my broken heart. Tobias’ face flashed before my eyes and it hit me like a sack of flour. Luca wasn’t Luca anymore. He had been changed into a monster.
“No,” I mumbled under my breath. Luca’s eyes glistened with fire and flames as if Hades itself was raging within him.
“Yes.”
“How? I don’t understand,” I gasped as I swallowed hard trying to form the words. “It doesn’t matter, we can still go.”
“We can’t. Now stop your incessant pleading.”
“You owe me a reason. You loved me once. Just tell me why things between us had to change.”
“Do you realize that I saw you being swept away from the arena? My first instinct told me to go after you right then and there. I wanted to. But, your father stepped in my way, stopping me from following you. He told me I had to be stronger and faster than the werewolf.” Luca coughed on the word werewolf, as if he didn’t want to believe the monster he had turned into.
“So, your father …” his words trailed off as if he couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. The grip around my wrists grew tighter as he spoke and I wanted to scream out. But, I didn’t dare make another sound.
“I have my orders now. Your father wants you back in Rome alive. But, that wolf of yours,” Luca dug his nose into my neck and pulled in a deep breath. “Well, let’s just say he will be no match for me now.”
“You won’t find him. He is long gone by now. I was nothing but a means to an end.” I tried desperately not to believe the words coming from my mouth, but it was true and deep down I knew it. Revenge isn’t something one gives up easily, and I doubted Tobias had let that cord go.
“Oh, he’ll come back for you. All I have to do is make you scream loud enough.” Luca’s nails dug into my wrists. My skin burned as blood trickled from the puncture marks, but I didn’t make a peep. There was no way he was going to get me to make a single sound. With my mind made up, I allowed myself to shut down and slip into a world I was so familiar with.
&n
bsp; It was as if my body was no longer my own. I could witness everything that was happening, but it didn’t faze me. Luca clasped my hands together in one of his and with his free hand yanked my dress up exposing my bare flesh, again. He parted my legs with his knees and jerked his toga up, but I refused to make a single whimper as he entered me.
The moment I had waited for so long had arrived. Luca was finally inside me, but the passion was gone. The love was as rough as coal and as he had his way with me, all I could think about was Tobias. His life was on the line, not mine. Luca was only using me just as everyone else had done before, I wasn’t about to give him satisfaction, no matter how hard or roughly he jabbed me with his cock.
“Scream,” Luca demanded as his hot breath blew down on my face. I couldn’t bear to look at him, and so I focused on the silver clouds drifting over head as cool wet streams flowed down my cheeks.
“You want me, here I am!” Tobias shouted as he flew out of the darkness and careened into Luca knocking him off me.
“Tobias, no!” I shouted as I watched him pummel Luca repeatedly. “Be careful! He’s like you!”
“What?!” Tobias’ eyes widened in shock as Luca laughed under Tobias.
“What’s the matter?” Luca said with a sinister chuckle. “Thought you were the only one?” Luca’s head jolted up and slammed into Tobias’ knocking Tobias back.
I scrambled to get out of the way as Luca’s growl ripped through the trees sending all matters of creatures fleeing for safety. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped. The muscles in Luca’s arms shuddered as they grew three times bigger, as if a god had come down and replaced his physique with one of marble. Tobias wasn’t threatened and returned the challenge with a growl of his own.
“Find shelter,” Tobias ordered. I didn’t hesitate. I crawled to the fallen log and climbed over for protection as Tobias’ form shifted from man to beast. Once more the dire wolf rose out of Tobias’ body and towered over Luca. In the darkness I could see the whites of Luca’s eyes as he beheld the monster.
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