by Zoe Perdita
I see the road in the distance, just through trees, and I pick up my pace. I'm going to make it. Yes. Then I'll find someone else living out here. Someone will help me- someone has to. And hopefully they won't be a freak like him.
Just as I'm about to break through the bushes, just thirty feet until I reach the road, a large figure tackles me from behind. He growls in my ear, strong paws pinning me to the dead undergrowth and the damp soil. Madly, I wish I wore a shirt so I wouldn't get so dirty. Shit. Focus. Think. I have to get out of this.
Hot breath tickles my neck and a wet, rough tongue laps at the side of my unshaven cheek. I try to lift up and push the beast off me, but it's useless. It feels like he weighs hundreds of pounds, but that's impossible. How can any wolf weigh that much?
New plan. I dig my fingers into the soft ground and pull forward, trying to inch my way out from under him. His thick fur slips over my back. Just as I'm making progress, just as I feel myself easing toward freedom- a sharp pain erupts in my side right on top of my scar.
A scream rises through my lungs and breaks out of my lips, and I kick and punch and try to roll over. Reaching back I feel his snout and the teeth buried deep in my side. What the fuck? The asshole is trying to eat me?
Suddenly, he lets me go and gets up, and I try my best to scramble away and grasp at my bleeding skin. Backed up against a tree, I look at him- the great white wolf, its jaw bloody and its teeth bared.
Shit. Do I have rabies? Something else? Werewolf. No. That's not possible. "What did you do?" I half scream half plead.
Slowly, the creature in front of me returns from wolf to man. The transformation only takes a few minutes, but the strange bone breaking contortions his body goes through look like something from a horror film. Bile rises in my throat and I turn to the side, expelling what little breakfast I had. Wiping my mouth, I glance back at the big blond man, a sick smile on his face.
"I've been waiting a long time to do that Sam," he says, and crouches down in front of me. His thick cock, a sizable weapon, hangs limp between his muscular thighs.
I try to move backwards, but that stupid tree is in my way. My vision feels spotty and the blood just keeps dripping through my fingers and onto ferns and leaves scattered across from the forest floor. "Why?" I breathe.
He reaches out a big hand and brushes it down my cheek almost tenderly. "So many reasons, but now's not the time for an explanation. Got to get you cleaned up."
I wiggle as much as I can, my body trembling from shock, but he bundles me in his massive arms nonetheless and carries me back to his house. The floor creaks as he lumbers inside, the rooms empty except for threadbare furniture and mounted elk heads on the walls. The glassy eyes watch in silent contemplation as he hauls me into the bathroom.
Lined in white tile with a gray linoleum floor, the room is just slightly cleaner than the rest of the place. He sets me in the stark tub and fiddles in the cabinet for gauze and medical tape.
I struggle to sit up, but the ache in my side and the sticky slickness of my own blood makes it impossible to get a proper hold of the tub.
Turning around, the white wolf smiles. “Going somewhere?” he asks and dabs at my wound with a warm, wet cloth.
Shit! It stings, but as he wipes the blood away the teeth marks don’t look so bad anymore. They feel deeper than they actually are. “Why did you bite me?” I manage as he rolls out a long piece of gauze. Guess he’s not going to disinfect it. Asshole.
“You know why. I’m not like them, Sam. I don’t see a reason to hide anything from you.”
Swallowing the ever present lump in my throat, I stare at his strong jaw and the wide, pale brow. Sure, he’s the kind of man most people would find undeniably attractive, and while my body recognizes that fact, my mind doesn’t. “Am I a werewolf now?” I croak and try to clear my throat. Is the light getting dimmer or is it just me?
He chuckles and an easy smile falls across his lips. “Not yet, but in time. You’re body has to process the change. It takes awhile- sometimes weeks.”
Weeks? And what will Dmitri and the others do when they find out? Will they still want me if I’m a wolf like them?
“Bastard,” I mumble as he carefully wraps the gauze around my wound and tapes it in place securely.
“Hardly. I’m doing you a favor, Sam. You’ll thank me for this someday, I promise,” he says and presses his lips into mine. The heat of his mouth is too much for me to take- I’m too weak- too lost.
My vision gets hazy as he lifts me from the tub. My arms and legs feel like spaghetti, and I try to force my eyes open- to pay attention to where he’s taking me- but it’s no use. My eyes slip shut and the stifling warmth of darkness surrounds me.
Dmitri, please find me.
Chapter 6
The sound of rain awakens me, the gentle pitter-patter of water slipping off the roof and windows. Slowly, I blink my eyes and look around the room. The walls are nothing more than wooden beams and the window is covered with dusty blue curtains that look handmade. I sit up and instantly regret it, grabbing the wound on my side.
"Shit," I whisper to the empty room. This stupid wolf bite aches worse than the scratch ever did, and my skin is slick with sweat. Feverish.
I try to get out of bed, but I don't have the energy. Just lifting the covers takes concentrated effort. I'm naked beneath them- the sick asshole even took off my boxers. Sighing, I plop back down and frown at the ceiling. That fucking white wolf. I don't even have the energy to be scared. What the hell am I going to do? How long has it been? Are Dmitri and the other Lowell brothers looking for me? God, I hope so.
The overpowering scent of cooking wafts in from the kitchen, and the floorboards creak with his arrival. When the door opens he stands surrounded in a halo of yellow light, illuminating his pale blond hair and large, muscular physique.
"Good. I thought you'd be awake."
I blink at the light and reach for the covers. "How long has it been?" I ask, but my voice comes out as little more then a gruff whisper.
He leans against the door frame and crosses his arms, but I can't see the expression on his face only the bright blue points of light that are his eyes. "About a day. Why? You waiting for that Russian pack to come and save you?"
I scowl at him. "They'll come for me. You know they will. He's my mate." A strange ache fills my chest as I say the word.
"I don't doubt they’ll try. So, which one claimed you? And did you consent to it?" he asks through gritted teeth.
I'm sure my cheeks would flush if I weren’t already burning up. "That's none of your fucking business."
He chuckles at that. "That's a ‘no,’ isn't it Sam?"
He's right. I didn't consent and if I hadn't been so pissed about it I wouldn't be in this situation right now. God fucking dammit. It's hard to remember why I was so mad at Dmitri yesterday- at all the Lowell brothers. Was it because they lied to me? Yeah, that's part of it. But it was mostly like that bastard said. He didn't ask me if I wanted to be his mate. His life mate. All their life mates, in fact. Apparently Eurasian wolves all choose one mate and the Lowell brother’s chose me.
My stomach does a weird flip at the thought, but there is still doubt in the back of my mind. Did they just choose me because I'm wolf's bait? Because they can't resist my scent as much as I can't resist them? Or was it because they actually love me for me? I guess I'll find out when they get here.
A sudden pang erupts in my stomach and I scream and grab it, whimpering as the pain shoots through every vein in my body. "Holy shit," I mumble into the pillow, shaking and sweating.
A warm hand grips my shoulder and rubs my back almost soothingly. "It's going to get worse before it gets better. Think you can eat?"
As the cramp subsides I take deep shuddering breaths and nod my head. Maybe eating will make me feel better. Plus, I'm really, really hungry. Hungrier than I've ever been in my entire life.
"I'll be back," the white wolf says and walks toward the door.
; "Wait," I say and look at him. "What's your name? I need to call you something besides 'asshole'."
A flash of sharp white teeth light up the dim room. "Caleb," he says and leaves.
Sighing, I turn over in the bed and stare at a spider crawl across the curtain. Is this his room? Or an extra guest room? It doesn't really matter. I squeeze my eyes shut and will my body to feel better. Maybe the bite he gave me isn't turning me into a werewolf like he thought. Maybe something went wrong and I'm dying. Fuck! That's what it feels like anyway.
In fact, I haven't felt this shitty since the time the white wolf (or Caleb) scratched me when I was just eighteen. The fever, the sweats, and the shooting stabs of pain- except now it's a hundred times worse.
The floorboards squeak again, and I open my eyes. The smells of meat, vegetables and broth tickle my nose and make my stomach grumble. Caleb sets the tray on the nightstand and leans down, wrapping his big arm around my back and sitting me upright against the headboard.
His scent, like pine, musk and earth engulfs me; my body prickling at the sensation his smell gives me. Realistically, his actions don't make a whole lot of sense. Does he really want to be my mate like Yuri said? He's not trying to kill me, that's for damn sure. It's almost like he's being kind- but why? I don't have the courage or strength to ask right now.
With his arm around me, Caleb scoots next to me on the bed and puts the tray on his lap. I wish he'd pull the blanket over my junk, but I'd rather not ask and draw his attention to it. I can play cool. At least he's wearing pants.
He carefully scoops up a spoonful of the stew, which smells less like beef and more like some other game- deer maybe- and moves it towards my mouth.
I frown. "I can feed myself," I say and try to grab the spoon from his thick fingers.
He lets me have it, and I dribble the brown gravy all over my chest as I try and slurp it off the spoon. My arm stings at the effort and drops back to the bed beside me. Shit. This is fucking embarrassing.
Caleb chuckles and wipes my chest off with a napkin, his fingers lingering over my smooth muscles- almost caressing them. I hiss at the sensation; why does it feel good? Only the Lowell brothers have ever elicited such a strong response from my flesh. I guess I'm still wolf's bait even in this predicament.
"Do you want to try again or shall I?" Caleb asks and picks up the spoon.
Instead of answering, I pout and let him feed me. I'm not going to lie- it tastes better than some of the Russian fare I've had recently. The meat's perfectly tender and none of the vegetables are cooked beyond recognition. Once I'm done with the bowl, I instantly want more, but I'm too fucking stubborn to ask.
Caleb wipes my mouth, running his calloused fingers over my lips, and smiles. "Still hungry? It's normal. And it's just going to get worse."
"You keep saying that. If it just gets worse why the hell did you bite me?"
Looking to the side, I can only see his jaw tighten before he answers. "I'll get you more. There's a whole pot so you can eat as much as you like."
As the heat of his body slips past mine, a familiar ache shoots through my groin, and I quickly pull the blanket over my half hard erection. Shit. This bastard shouldn't turn me on. It fucking sucks.
Unfortunately, he seems to notice my predicament and smiles. But it's not a mocking smile, the kind of smile I'd assume he'd get. Instead he brushes his blond hair off his wide brow and quirks an eyebrow at me.
His high cheekbones and the sharp, strong cut of his jaw and chin and make him look like a superhero. He's definitely not a pretty boy like Yuri, Nikolai and Pasha. Or even devilishly handsome like Dmitri and Alexei. But he's beautiful, and I wish I didn't think so.
"You’re still wolf's bait so that'll just keep happening whether you like it or not," he says and leaves.
When he returns, we go through the whole feeding me spiel all over again. And again. And again. After four heaping bowls of stew my stomach no longer feels like I haven't eaten in months.
Setting the tray aside, Caleb moves to the window and pulls back the curtains, a cloud of dust tickling my nose. "I'd open the window but it would make it easier to find you," he says with his back turned to me.
"They’ll find me eventually," I say and grip the blanket in my fingers. I'm not sure if it's a threat toward him or way to remind myself. Dmitri will come. They’ll all come. It's their job to protect me- they promised. But a sick fear burns in my gut. What will they do if I'm already a werewolf? Will they still want to mate with me? I'm almost scared to find out.
The white wolf sighs and turns to face me. "I know. Especially since that little upstart already claimed you."
His icy blue eyes study my face, trailing over my bare chest. Suddenly, I feel scrawny and too lean. I have more of a swimmer's physique not bulky muscle like him. In fact, he's bigger than all the Lowell brothers. Even Yuri, the oldest, is only a little over six feet. Caleb is at least six feet four or six feet five. No wonder he's such a huge wolf.
"What?" I ask and squirm under the intensity of his gaze.
He takes a couple of slow steps towards me and leans over the bed, placing one of his massive arms on either side of my fever stricken body. "What would you have done if he claimed you that night?"
I don't need to ask what he's talking about; I already know. The night I first met the white wolf. The same night Dmitri took me camping in the woods. We were just kids, really. Barely eighteen years old. But Dmitri already knew what I was, and he had plans. That night, he was going to claim me.
In fact, he'd already started his seduction when Caleb attacked. I remember so distinctly the smell of our campfire mixed with Dmitri's own musky fragrance. The way his lips burned against mine. How our bodies fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle, our cocks aching for release from our jeans.
"I don't know," I answer truthfully even though it feels like I'm betraying my best friend. Would I still have gone to UCLA? Or would I have stayed in our tiny farming town- stifled with the Lowell brother's protection. It's impossible to say now.
Caleb's breath brushes against my cheek, my lips, and I inhale deeply and stare into his eyes. "I tried to save you that night," he whispers in my ear, his lips tickling the delicate flesh.
My heart slams in my chest, sweat trickling down my brow. "Save me? What do you mean?"
He smiles sadly, his eyes lost in the past. "Save you from them, those wolves. I know what it's like to be hounded constantly. Your life isn't your own."
I stare past his handsome face at the knots of wood in the ceiling- anything to get my mind off the pickling excitement on my skin, the tightening ache in my cock. My body can't help but respond to his smell and proximity. The way his lips hover just inches above mine. Just looking at him fogs my mind with lust. Dammit! What about Dmitri?
"I don't understand," I say.
He growls and the rumble reverberates through his body and into mine. "I know what it's like to be wolf's bait."
I take a sharp breath, but the room feels too stuffy all of a sudden and there's nothing I can do to escape. I don't even have the strength to back away from him and his overwhelming presence.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
A thin smile spreads across his lips and his rough fingers caress my cheek. "I was just like you, Sam. I was wolf's bait at one time."
I look into his intense eyes. Maybe he's lying. "Why attack me then? Why kidnap me if you know what it's like to be in my situation?"
He takes a deep breath through his nose and bares his sharp canines. "I'm saving you from them, although it seems I'm a little too late. He claimed your body but did he claim your heart as well?" he asks and runs a calloused finger down my sweat slick chest.
His touch ignites my skin with fiery desire, but in the back of my mind all I can think of is Dmitri. Is this a betrayal? He claimed me without my knowledge or approval, but that doesn't make this okay. Too bad he's a wolf so I don't have any control over my body's reactions.
Caleb's hand mov
es lower, yanking the blanket down and revealing my rock hard erection. "You can't even help it, can you? Even if you love him you still want me," he whispers gruffly.
My eyes are wide, and I breathe heavily through my nose, willing my body to calm down- to stop wanting him, but it's no use. That tight ball of lust uncoils in my groin, sending shockwaves of need throughout my fever-ridden body. "If you were wolf's bait than you know," I say and glare at him.
He nods slowly, his eyes softening. "You're right. Do you want me to leave you like this? I don’t think you're in any position take care of it yourself."
The pressure in my balls tightens, my engorged cock begging for some kind of release. But he's right. I can hardly lift my arms, let alone jack off. Fuck!
His eyes shine in the dim gray shadows of the room. "You want to say ‘no,’ don't you? You want me to get you off, but you feel guilty. Maybe this is the only way to get back at him for claiming you the way he did," he growls.
I shake my head, trying to deny the truth that he speaks. "You are just trying to justify being a hypocrite!"
He pushes the blond hair from his forehead and shrugs his massive shoulders. "We're both victims of our own circumstances. You attract me because of your scent. I can't help my instincts, but I really am trying to help you, Sam. Once you transform this will no longer be a problem."
My throbbing dick makes it difficult to think properly, but I have a feeling I know what he's getting at. "You mean I won't be wolf's bait anymore when I'm a werewolf, like you? Like them?"
"Yes," he breathes.
A pang of doubt shoots through my heart, my chest. If I'm no longer a human they have to protect- no longer wolf's bait- will the Lowell brothers still want me? That's been their attraction to me all along. The reason they pissed me off so much. The only reason they befriended me and seduced me and claimed me. Without my strange power, will I be anything to them? Why would they need another werewolf hanging around their already overcrowded pack?
