Unwilling: a shifter romance

by Hannah L. Corrie

  "There's a window I could probably squeeze through, but not with my hands bound like this." Harry wiggled his arms behind his back to make his point.

  "We could do something about that, but I won't fit through that window and there are people with guns outside," Jared huffed and rubbed his itching nose against his knee. It didn't help the burning scrapes beneath the Jeans.

  "Well," Harry said, his breath indicating the onset of hysteria, "we could break down the door and fight our way free, or,... or we could take one of them as a hostage and negotiate! Did they take your mobile phone? We could call the cops!" The last words were breathy and Harry started to suck in air like a drowning man.

  Jared swore. "Don't you change now, I swear, I will pummel you! Breathe slowly, Harry!"

  It only took a moment for him to realize that barking patronizing orders wouldn't exactly help. Muttering curses, he scooted closer, ignoring the burning on his scratched legs. The jeans would chafe anyways, he couldn't wait for his skin to heal.

  "Harry, stop that," he ordered, this time in a calmer voice, "Come here and lie down, put your head on my lap, like that. And now press one finger after another against your palm, one goes down, the other goes up."

  As Jared listened to Harry's breath calming, he stared at the ceiling and suppressed a growl. Crazy as it was, he wished it were Darwin here with him, not Harry, even if that would have meant their death. On the other hand, Darwin would never have panicked like that and he certainly wouldn't have taken kindly to being ordered around.

  Harry purred throatily and it caught Jared's attention. Hot breath brushed against his lower belly and the wash of air made Jared shudder and his crotch react.

  This was not good.

  "Let's see if we can get rid of these cuffs, shall we?" Jared wiggled away. He was used to his body being a man-whore, but recently it had started to bother him. A feeling of wrongness accompanied the notion of being aroused by other men, although his body didn't seem to agree yet. Embarrassing.

  "Do you have any chewing gum or tin foil on you?" he asked.

  "I'm not sure. Can you reach my pockets?"

  Jared shuffled closer again, awkwardly turning around. His fingers touched Harry's flank and he struggled to reach down and fumble around in his jeans pocket.

  "Whoa, that was a bit too far!" Harry chuckled.

  "Shut your cake hole, I found something." Jared groped around a little.

  "I can feel that."

  Growling, Jared pulled out a crumbled piece of chewing gum paper and quickly retreated. "How you can think of sex right now?" he grumbled, trying to flatten the foil coated paper between his fingers.

  "I'm not, I'm just really nervous. Trying to lighten the mood, y'know," Harry admitted, watching Jared's hands with a concentrated frown. "What are doing?"

  "These are steel cuffs, right? I'm trying to make a shim."

  "A what?"

  "A shim. It's a way to open cuffs if you find yourself in a, uh, bind." Rubbing the foil against his palm, he formed a flat double layered slice and leaned forward. "Pay attention now. I need to push the edge into the gap above the teeth, like cracking a door lock with a credit card. Tell me where to move it."

  It took a few tries to coordinate, but after a few minutes of fruitless fumbling Harry finally announced the foil to be in the correct place.

  The intricate gymnastics set Jared's arms on fire, but he wasn't done yet.

  "Now just one more--" he muttered and tightened the cuff. The click was muffled, and a second later Jared's hand was free.

  "That's a cool trick. Where did you learn that?" Harry was visibly impressed.

  "Well, let's just say my one and only ever girlfriend was a bit nuts."

  Jared grinned, then turned his head and froze, listening intently. The next moment he wasn't sitting next to Harry anymore, but standing behind the door, pressed against the wall, his face feral and tense.

  Harry didn't see him move, he was that quick. Before he could comment on it, the door opened and Rayne scurried through the small gap, looking nervous.

  Harry's widening eyes warned him a second too late. Jared grabbed his arm, spun him around as he twisted it behind Rayne's back, and pounded his head into the wall.

  "Don't hurt him!"

  Grating Mr. Sultry's face against the wall a little harder, Jared threw an unfriendly look at Harry. "Why not?"

  For a moment, he put more pressure on Rayne's twisted arm. The pained groan that followed made him grin happily. Oh yes, he'd had a whole long car ride to sit through just to get here and now he was going to enjoy this.

  "Jared!" Harry stumbled to his feet and approached, his face worried for... that guy?

  He tightened his grip a little more, baring his teeth.

  "Before you turn him to mush, would you please, please just ask him why he's here, unarmed and alone?"

  Jared answered the plea with another hard slam against the wall, followed by a gratifying gasp of pain from his victim. His anger was a new taste on his tongue, tangy and thick like pre-cum. He liked it, liked the promises it held.

  Revenge.

  The thought of delaying the payback made Jared antsy, but Harry was right. Unfortunately. "Fine." He lowered the pressure on Rayne's arm, grabbed his hair with his other hand and pulled his head back enough to be able to look at his profile.

  "Talk. And do it fast and to the point, I'm not known for composure."

  Harry sighed relievedly and Jared threw him a curious look. He acted suspiciously like they had a relationship, which was impossible, to Jared's knowledge. They had known each other for a maximum of a few hours.

  Rayne sucked in a deep breath, trying not to wince at the pulsing ache in his arm and face. "I'm here to rescue you, I swear! But we need to hurry if you want to save Darwin and you'll have to promise to take me with you!"

  Jared snorted. "Take you with us? Why would we do that? You're the reason we are here in the first place."

  "Because I can't stay here, okay? Carl's plans won't work, I'm as good as dead if I stay. Even if I didn't let you break out."

  It had been made painfully clear that they wouldn't be able to stay in Banes, even if they managed to escape the pack. To do so would mean their deaths. Jared hadn't thought that far ahead, though, and he needed to find out what Carl actually intended to do. His back still itched with the need to hurt someone, anyone who meant harm to him, Darwin, or even Harry, but Mr. Sultry wasn't the right target. Yet.

  Switching his hand from Rayne's head to his throat and keeping his arm locked behind his back Jared spun him around, keeping him off balance by stepping between his legs.

  "Uncuff Harry," he demanded, his voice leaving no room for discussion. Rayne fumbled for the keys with one hand and did his best to unlock the cuffs as Jared listened to his labored breath. Rayne's pulse jumped against his fingertips and he itched to press down on his throat.

  Only when Harry turned around, rubbing his wrists, did he loosen his grip enough to stop hurting Rayne.

  "Check the stairs and listen at the door upstairs, Harry," Jared barked and the submissive slinked away without a comeback.

  The door creaked, Harry's steps sounded at the stairs, then silence.

  Jared shoved Rayne forward and let him go at the same time, watching him roll sinuously out of Jared's reach. It was gratifying not having to play a role anymore and for once Jared let go on his tight grip on his presence, letting it flood the room. Rayne shuddered beneath the wave of pressure. A special rage was in the air and it promised pain.

  "Tell me." Jared's voice dropped an octave and morphed into a deep, vibrating rumble that carried through the tension like a whip lash. It wasn't a demand, it was an order no-one but another Alpha could have resisted, and Rayne didn't try to.

  "Carl plans to get rid of all the submissives in his pack. He's got that crazy idea that he doesn't need them, that his pack will become more powerful without them, and he won't be swayed. He told the others he just wants you, Harry and Dar
win gone, that he doesn't want to harm you, but it's a lie. They are looking for Darwin and if they find him, they'll kill him. I told them I was on their side so I could help you run, but you'll have to take me with you. They'll kill me if they find you gone. And even if they don't, I'll never survive the massacre that'll ultimately happen without submissives around."

  "And you expect me to believe this horse shit?" Jared replied, chuckling. He couldn't smell traces of lying, and he couldn't see any telltale signs of it in Rayne's body language, but he couldn't believe it. Nobody was that crazy. Nobody was able to make others believe such lunacy.

  A shot rang outside. The sound carried through one of the air vents, followed by hurried footsteps from the stairs. Both Rayne and Jared first looked to the air vent and then turned their gazes to the door, only to fixate on each other again when Harry stepped through.

  Rayne broke the silence first. "We don't have time for this right now, but I promise to tell you everything as soon as I can, okay?"

  Jared didn't budge, staring him down with a glint of aggression in his grayish eyes.

  "What do I have to do to convince you I mean what I said?" Rayne hissed and his voice reeled in time with his racing heart beat. He really was nervous, that much Jared believed.

  And he could also think of something that would make him believe Rayne's honesty concerning his wish to set them free and go with them.

  Jared took a step forward and this time Rayne didn't move back.

  "Prove your allegiance to me," Jared growled, standing proud and imposing, inches from Rayne.

  Both paused for a moment. Jared saw the inner turmoil Rayne fought against at his command, but it wouldn't do anyone any good as long as Rayne couldn't follow it up with actions.

  Rayne breathed out, closed his eyes and tilted his head, offering the side of his neck and his throat to Jared.

  A short snarl was all he managed, then his head rushed forward and his teeth clamped down around the quick pulse of Rayne's artery.

  Rayne made a pained sound close to Jared's ear and he had to struggle against the need to bite through skin and blood vessels, to burrow for more of those whimpers. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the vulnerable man to pull him closer, to feel his tension against his body. The contest for dominance wasn't over yet and Jared silently prayed that Rayne would decide to fight him so he could kill him without regret. Another mouth to feed and care for didn't sound all too enticing.

  Just when Jared thought he wouldn't be able to hold back any longer, Rayne suddenly relaxed in his arms, giving in to the silent demand for submission.

  Another shot rang out, more muffled this time and a good distance away, but the shock made Jared open his jaws and let go of Rayne.

  Then Harry was there, kneeling next to Rayne and grabbing his upper arm to help him back up. "Done? 'Cause we need to leave, like, right now!" he snarled.

  They had a hard time avoiding the hunters around the pack house, but as luck had it, everyone was looking for someone from the outside, so no-one kept an eye on the inside of the house.

  When the three reached the woods, things got more difficult. With Jared bringing up the rear and Rayne leading, they managed to dodge two groups of search parties, but it was Harry who caught Darwin's scent in the end and lead the way from there.

  Jared was preoccupied with keeping an eye on the dark werewolf staying curiously close to Harry. Something was going on between those two, there was no denying that. Jared wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he found Darwin only to have to tell him that he had gotten Harry killed in the process, so he watched Rayne watching Harry and kept a look out for additional search parties.

  Their path led them out of the woods and into the outskirts of the city where farmland and fallow fields bordered on new housing sites. The wind blew in cold gusts, flattening the dried and frostbitten grass every so often, and the night sky was spotted with bits of clouds and stars. It was a dangerous area with nowhere to hide, but at least it made following Darwin's trail much easier and faster. The group broke into a jog and only stopped when Harry abruptly drove his heels into the ground and sniffed loudly.

  "Someone is following him," he whispered. His worried eyes met Jared's. They broke into a run, following the dead straight scent trails leading into Banes and right onto the grounds of Banes Central University, and stopped next to the bleachers at the edge of the multi-use sports field, confused by the path their search had lead them on. Jared and Harry exchanged a puzzled glance, then Harry said, "this doesn't make any sense. Darwin's wolf would never ever come here."

  "Why not? That's where Darwin lives, isn't it?" Rayne interceded.

  "Yes, but it's not Darwin's wolf's home."

  "What's the difference?"

  Statsby Hall was straight ahead, dimly lit by a few of the dozens of windows. "Darwin has no control in wolf form. And his wolf doesn't live here. He'd never try to hide in a campus full of human students." But if Darwin had gained control over his wolf, he would come here because of all the witnesses and because he knew where to go and where he would find shelter. He would know that his hunters wouldn't go all out for fear of being seen.

  Jared turned around. "We can solve this puzzle later. Let's find Darwin first, before his executioners do."

  Rayne still looked confused, but he didn't argue. They followed the concrete path leading back to the dorm buildings at a brisk pace. The sound of a shot spurred them into a sprint.

  Darwin

  The wolf managed to follow the car as far as the outskirts around the pack house before he had to keep his distance to avoid getting caught. He lay in the bushes about ninety yards down the road, trying to keep an eye on the building without getting caught by the patrols.

  The wind hit his face in gusts, carrying the stench of burnt fuel, other wolves, pain, and pine resin with it. The breeze was unsteady, but the flurries were strong enough to pull at his fur and they were unrelenting.

  The wolf watched quietly as the humans pulled his mate out of the car. The way they dragged him inside, like so much dead weight, made him growl as his muscles tightened, ready to jump forward and defend his Alpha against such a treatment. But there was that strange, unsettling voice inside his head again, telling him to stop and wait, pointing out the danger of such an idea. They had guns, the voice whispered. They were waiting for him to fuck it up and come out, it argued.

  The wolf recognized that voice. It belonged to his human half, the one living in the back of his mind. When Jared disappeared into the house, the wolf hesitated again, wanting to follow, to come closer, but the armed patrols around the house and in the woods surrounding it distracted him. They hadn't noticed him yet, but if he changed position they would catch his scent. On the other hand, the wind would likely change directions sooner or later, as it always did in such unsteady weather conditions. He would be noticed at some point, but if he found out useful information before that happened, he at least would have something to go by.

  Keeping low to the ground, the wolf sneaked along the bushes lining the grass clearing around the house. He stopped ever so often when one of the guards walked by, listening raptly to the voice in his head telling him what their faces and gestures meant. He hadn't had any real interaction with human shaped werewolves before, never mind real humans, and his shapeless, bodyless companion was all he had to get around them. It was thrilling.

  When he reached the end of the 'wind cone' he had mapped mentally by judging the direction and changes of the wind gusts, he cowered down once more. Lights were on in the whole ground level of the house and the wind carried bits and pieces of heated voices, steps and other noises. The vents below were illuminated differently and once again the human side filled in the blanks for the wolf. Those openings lead down to a cellar, much like the one the wolf had been kept in every full moon cycle, and the lights meant someone was inside.

  The human voice was very sure he would find Jared down there and the wolf crawled forward in anticip
ation. He'd just have to crawl in, and then—

  The front door crashed open and the bang of wood against wood made the wolf jump and turn tail. Loud voices and shouts rang out, but he didn't turn around to find out if they had seen him. He simply ran.

  Multiple voices, the sounds of steps on grass and leaves, and the disconcerting cracks and crunches of bodies shifting shape filled the night, but no gun shots. Both the wolf and the human mind knew that this was a good thing. They would have to keep running, but it also meant that they hadn't been made yet and still had a chance to find a suitable place to hide and sneak around their enemies.

  Thoughts of the other presence in his body made the wolf uncomfortable, more so because he knew that the human mind concurred. Strange to agree on something negative about each other, like a mirror’s image talking back and forth.

  The constant distraction also made the wolf stumble over unearthed roots and step on dried leaves and twigs. He just couldn't concentrate on finding his way in the darkness and it was its demise.

  When he crashed through a particularly troublesome thicket, a shot rang out behind him, followed by the whistle of a stray bullet. The shock made him jump and start to run again and, this time, human and wolf were in tune on what had to be done— there was no time to sneak around and back to the pack house. They needed to shake off their tail first.

  The wolf slowed down at the edge of the forest, but another shot bore into the ground next to his feet. The animal side was hesitant to enter the city, but the human side was quick to take over and lead the all-to-well known way. Darwin had trodden this path many times and the woods weren't safe anymore. Why not try the human's favorite hiding places for a change?

  The yips and barks of wolves on the hunt were enough to persuade the wolf. Off they went again. As they ran along the grassy fields at full speed, their pursuers broke through the undergrowth behind them. Fortunately, they had fallen back enough and wouldn't shoot them at that distance, at least not near the suburbs, but it wouldn't last forever. Darwin already felt the last of his injuries acting up. He could run adequately, he could jump and duck and turn, but a feeling of weakness was seeping into his muscles. He wouldn't be able to stand against his attackers if he kept running for much longer. If he took the next best place to take cover— his fathers house— he would risk him and Mary for nothing. They wouldn't be of any help. Even if they tried, he would only get them killed.