by Barb Shuler
It gave me a thrill to know he was claiming me as his. I hadn't wanted to sleep earlier, as with every other night, but he said I had to. Now, I laid here sore, but my body was still craving the strong man’s every touch.
I reached out for him but found nothing. The other side of the bed was empty, and had been for a while if the cold sheets meant anything, which gave me a jolt of sadness.
I sat up, held the blanket to my chest and called out to him. “Jarrod. Jarrod, where are you?” I sounded desperate. But dang it, I am. He's done something to me. I'm honestly not sure what he’s done, but I'm pretty sure I like it and need more of it. A heated blush filled my cheeks at that thought.
The door opened slowly and I expected it to be Jarrod, but it is not. It's the woman Corbin had been with earlier, Jezebel. Her long, lean, and very naked self stood there.
Her gaze met mine and I could feel her fingers ghosting over me, even though I was over here and she was there. I watched her as she moved closer, muttering something so softly that I couldn’t hear her words. It felt as if someone had hands moving along my body. My heart slammed against my chest. Fear poured from me as something unseen held me in place.
Her next words were louder, pulling my gaze back to hers. “He may not want to share you, but I will have you.”
Why would he want to share me? Before I can ask my unspoken question, or even blink for that matter, she is on the bed. She crawled up, snatched the blankets off of me, and pushed me harder onto the bed.
“Let’s see what’s so special about you,” she growled out. Her mouth found mine in a hot, needy kiss. A wash of heat poured over me when she muttered something I could not hear. Her mouth met mine again, her teeth scoring my bottom lip. I moaned as her mouth left mine. Her soft kisses went lower and lower until she had her face buried between my thighs. I wanted to fight her, I did, but I couldn’t when the wash of earth flowed over me again. I gave up and gave in. My head fell back into the pillows. I was panting now, my hips rocking as her tongue delved into my wetness.
My head spun and the darkness seemed to swallow my cries of pleasure. How much of this could one girl take? What made it so I couldn’t say no? My body jolted as power rolled through me. I gasped for air, my body tingling. I closed my eyes and tried to scream but no sound came from me.
A snarl pulled me from the boneless darkness I had been trapped in. I blinked my eyes open and tried to regain my bearings. The room was darker now, and the woman from earlier was half draped over me a self satisfying smirk pulling at her lips. I looked up and blinked more of the fog from my mind and saw that a very pissed off Jarrod stood in the doorway of the room.
“I told you not to touch her!” His jaw ticked as he stalked closer. I tried to sit up, only to be shoved back down by her. Her hand was like a lead weight on my chest. I felt the sting of her nails biting into my skin. I whimpered. When I glanced down I saw there was blood seeping from the small wounds. I glanced at Jarrod, then tried to shove her hand away.
“Get off!” The movement sent her nails digging into my skin harder. Tears now pooled in my eyes as pain and fear kicked in. I tried desperately to get away. The growl that filled the room this time was fierce.
“Get. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Her!” I looked up, not believing my eyes. Jarrod still stood there, but it wasn't him. He was covered in a layer of... fur? He bared his teeth and things just went... crazy.
Jarrod went to all fours and turned into a huge black wolf. The woman - Jezebel - started to shake. Her fingers raked across my skin and a scream left my lips. She released her grip on me then and I scrambled away from her. The blood trail wasn't too bad. Maybe that meant I wouldn’t bleed to death or anything. I grabbed a pillow case and pressed it against the wounds, hissing softly at the burning pain there.
As if I were living in a dream, the woman shifted into a wolf, much the same as Jarrod had. His wolf was a hulking figure next to her smaller one. I started to shift my butt from the bed, but the smaller wolf snarled, bringing me to a dead stop. The room door slammed into the wall when Corbin came in. His murderous glare landed on Jezebel in her wolf form.
“You were told not to touch her, Bel!” His growl was met with one from Jarrod. I shrieked as she moved towards me. I fell to the floor, and rolled. I was lifted up into a pair of strong arms and carried from the room.
“No! Jarrod! Let me go!” I tried to kick free, but it was as if I were encased in a cage.
“Shhh, he'll be fine, mistress. This is not a safe place to be. Do not fret. I must take you from here. He will find us soon,” Corbin said in my ear. His voice sounded calm, but I knew better.
He shifted me in his arms and pressed a clog of some kind to my chest where the woman had sliced me with her claws.
Growls filled the air. I could hear the fighting from the room. Things were being knocked over and broken. There was a howl of pain and my heart almost lept from my chest.
There was a strange pull coming from that room and I needed to know why. I once again tried to break free, but the iron grip around me would not allow it. I screamed out in frustration as I clawed at the hands holding me.
“Let me go!” I screamed. “He needs me! What if he’s hurt!”
My voice was shrill and full of panic now.
“I-I can’t!” Corbin growled back, his grip tightening around me.
My head flung back and hit him. He snarled out a curse so I did it again. I felt the wash of something warm on my back and frowned. I’d apologize later if we all survived this. The moment I hit the floor I was up and running, one hand still holding the cloth to the bloody wounds.
I heard my grandmother's voice yelling for me to stop, but it was too late. I came to a stumbling halt once I was at the door. Corbin grabbed me from behind, pain lanced through me and I gasped at the pressure against my wounds. He didn't move me away from the doorway though. When the snarl from the massive wolf before us rang through the house we both froze. I swallowed hard as I scanned the room before me. My stomach turned at the carnage in the room. There was a black inky stain across the floor and bed. I was afraid to turn the light on.
“J-Jarrod?”
His fur had darkened, his teeth were on display, and his entire wolf body was wound so tight, I was sure a spring would pop out of him if he moved. My gaze stayed locked with his as I felt Corbin’s arm slowly unwind from me. The growl coming from the big bad wolf before me didn’t scare me. It should have. God knows all of this should have scared the pants off of me, but the only thing scaring me now was the thought that Jarrod may be hurt.
“It’s okay, I’m not leaving you.” I said this while moving to hold my hand out towards him. My fingers shook as my heart raced.
“Be not afraid of him, Mistress, Master would never hurt you,” Corbin said as he took a small step back from me, his head bowing slightly.
“I’m - I’m not afraid of him. He’s just - a big furry baby,” I teased unsteadily, trying to calm this testosterone, anger riddled room down.
I needed to get through to Jarrod, to let him know I was okay, and truly not afraid of him. I took a step closer to the big wolf, my hand out to scratch his head. He let me, but only for a moment.
I glanced around and cringed. My stomach turned but nothing else filtered through me. I should have been horrified that there were pieces of... Jezebel’s wolf all around us. It looked like he had put her through a frigging meat grinder or one of those wood chippers I had seen my father using. I tried to think of something else before I tossed my cookies.
The breath-stealing power rolling through the room started to dissipate. I took in a few small breaths and sighed. The pain of my wounds eased slightly as I applied more pressure to them.
“He is calming, Mistress,” Corbin informed me. I looked back over my shoulder at him. I smiled softly and gave him a small nod of thanks.
9
Jarrod moved so fast that I had no time to react. His mouth closed on my hand and I stilled. The grip of his teeth was ligh
t, just tight enough to get my attention but not enough to actually hurt me.
I stared into his golden eyes for a moment before I could speak. “Yes, love?” I cooed. His golden gaze seemed to darken at my attempt of a lighter, calm tone. There’s no way to deny the fact that I was sort of freaking out. I felt calm. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me. Even so, I was still confused, that was for certain.
With a rumbling growl that broke my inner dialogue and brought my attention back to him, Jarrod gently moved his head towards the open door that lead to the balcony. I went with him. I looked back at Corbin and smiled as he nodded at me.
Jarrod had to know by now, I would follow him anywhere he went. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, I just did. Even if he was a huge, black wolf that could kill me without breaking a sweat. Though, in all reality, this could be nothing more than a weird dream. I could still be laying on the library couch, my face buried between the pages of a number of books.
Something inside of me said that wasn’t the case, though.
Jarrod walked me to the balcony, his mouth still holding my hand. I stopped and squatted so I was at eye level with him. I was a tall girl after all. Being able to see him eye to eye when he was a four foot tall wolf, was a thrill. I gave him a gentle smile before releasing the blood-soaked cloth I had pressed to my wound, which now stuck to me on its own, and used that hand to scratch at his ear and head.
A rumble of appreciation came from him and if I hadn’t known better, I’d have said he was purring.
Wolves didn’t purr though. Men didn’t purr either, so maybe I was just losing it. After the night I’d had, I wouldn’t doubt it.
“Jarrod. Can I have my hand back now, please?” I asked. My fingers came back from his head and were sticky and wet. I looked at my fingers and they were covered in blood and something that I was sure was a part of Jezebel’s internal parts. I made a face and desperately tried to not gag.
“Ew, you have... You have bits and pieces of her all over you. You need a bath.” My hand was released and his long tongue lapped at my face. I laughed and wiped at my face, forgetting about the blood on my fingers until it was too late. “Uh, now I have her all over me.”
I watched in amazement as Jarrod’s body started to shake. In the blink of an eye he was a man again. He was still covered in blood and gore, but he was on two legs now. I looked up from my spot and his massive, glorious cock was jutted out before me in all its glory.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,“ he says, taking my hand and leading me in to the bathroom. After setting the water temp to a very nice, hot level, he pulls me under the stream. He quickly washes away all remnants of Jezebel and what was left of her from his body. When he’s finished, he pulls me closer to him and begins doing the same for me. He tilts my head back, wetting my hair under the fall of water before adding a wonderful smelling shampoo. It’s a mix of jasmine and something woodsy. After rinsing my hair he moves on to the rest of my body. Using the water, he slowly removes the cloth covering my wound. He pours some body washes in his hands and glides them along my skin. Gently so as not to reopen the cuts. The feel of his big hands moving over my breasts ignites a flame inside me. He washes my arms and torso then dips his hands between my legs to wash there as well. He finishes rinsing the soap from my hair and then leans down to press his forehead against mine.
“She used a gift upon you, one she had no right to. I’m sorry, my Angel. I shouldn’t have left you alone. I should have been here to stop her.”
I moved closer to him and, faster than he could protest, I took him in my hand and stroked his massive cock. It was rigid and warm, and with each of my small ministrations he jerked in my hand.
“I am fine, my love.” Which was true, for the most part. My chest was less sore and seemed to not be as bad as I originally thought.
I slowly leaned in and ran my flat tongue along the underside of his cock until I was at his tip. See, I had learned a few things watching the she-beast and Corbin. I’d never done this to a man before, but I wanted to. I wanted to give him something special. This wasn’t so hard.
My lips parted and I let him slide deep into my mouth. I took as much of him as I could without gagging. I sucked my cheeks in and bobbed my head back and forth, taking him in and pulling almost all the way out, so that my teeth grazed along the head of his cock. His hands fisted in my long hair and with each squeeze of his hands I moaned around him.
I could feel the muscles in his body going taut as I moved faster, my free hand twisting along the base of his cock. I wanted all of him. It was as if I wanted to swallow him whole. I had to have every part of him. I needed him to claim every part of me.
“Fuck. Stop, or I’m cumming in your mouth.”
His growled words only made me work him harder. I wasn’t sure why I wanted his seed in my mouth but I wanted it to mark me. I felt him jerk and just as the salty taste hit my tongue I released him with a pop. His cum covered my neck and chest.
I loved it. My head was tilted slightly so I could see his fiery golden gaze as my hand continued to pump him. When he was through I kissed his tip, licked his cock clean and released him. My hands moved to my chest, and I smeared his seed all over my breasts, careful not to make my cuts bleed again.
“Yours.”
I uttered that one word so softly on the breeze that I was unsure he heard it until he picked me up and kissed me so deeply it stole my breath. I moaned against his lips as his arms braced themselves around me. When he pulled back he met my gaze.
I grinned at him.
“Yours,” was all he said before he kissed me again. My ass met the tiled wall of the shower as he pressed himself up against me. He licked the cuts left across my chest by Jezebel and the pain that had been there started easing. I let my head fall back slightly as his growl filled the room.
His hips shifted and he rubbed against my center. Dear God in heaven, he was getting hard again. I could feel his thick cock swelling. I moved a hand between us and using some of his previous release, ran my hand up and down his shaft.
“Does this happen a lot?” I asked as I gave his cock a little tug. He groaned and his fingers dug into the wall beside me. I heard the shower wall creak as he leaned in and kissed me again.
“Only when you’re around. Do you know how hard it was to stay away, as I promised I would? Do you know how many nights I wanted to crawl into your bedroom window and steal you away?”
I gasped. Blinking, I stumbled over my words as I spoke, “You- you knew about me before?”
He gripped my hand to still my movements. I stared up at him in shock.
“Yes, my Angel. I have known of you for many years. You were sixteen the first time I got close to you. Your grandmother almost killed me that night. I was not supposed to be seen, yet I let you see me because I had to get closer to you.”
I thought back and I remembered the night he spoke of. I met his gaze and shook my head.
“It was you by the river? The night I was bathing? I had spilled preserves on my dress and grandmother had sent me to clean up in the river.”
“Yes. You have been mine for a long time. You just didn’t remem- know it.” He gave me a lopsided grin. My hand gripped his cock again.
“Then, I think it is time you fully claimed what is yours.”
“Not yet, you two. Kitchen. Clean up and put some clothes on, now!” I heard grandmother yell out through the room behind us. He grunted and we both moved back under the spray of water to get cleaned up, again. The second shower was hot and quick. I felt better, but now I had a bad feeling.
When that happened... it wasn’t good.
10
Jarrod had taken my hand when I came out of the bathroom. With a smile on his face he pulled me closer. A wash of warmth and calm filtered through me. We made our way down stairs and into the kitchen. I was rubbing my face when the pacing figures came to a stop.
“Have a seat, Angel. Jarrod, it’s time we tell her the truth, and all of it. You may
speak to her of what I asked you not to, but mind your tongue. You may be my top warrior, but I'm still your Alpha,” Grandmother said as we came to a stop by the table. I sat, well fell into, the chair that Corbin pulled out for me.
Jarrod was having an unspoken conversation with my grandmother. I looked between them and sighed.
“Please stop that. You must be top dog,” I snapped at Jarrod before looking at my Grandmother and continuing, “and you the top bitch, but does any of that really matter right this frigging minute?!” I exhaled.
My Grandmother made to speak. I held up my hand. “Someone best tell me what's going on here. Tell me why I'm not freaking out about wolves being people and..and.. all that other stuff. Tell me why I feel different. Just spit it out.” I groused.
I was starting to feel antsy. That feeling that usually lead to me on all fours, gagging for air, freak out. I brought a hand to my throat and shifted in the seat. Now was not the time to have a panic attack. I’d had them a couple of times now. Once at the river. Once in my mother’s garden and once outside of this very house… in the garden.
It was as if voicing my concerns about not freaking out, was making me freak out. Why now? My heart was pounding so hard my chest was starting to hurt. I pushed the chair back with my legs as I stood quickly. It toppled over to the floor with a loud crack of sound as a fire seemed to stem through me. I shook it off and took in deep breaths.
“Angel,” Grandmother started as she moved closer to me. She cupped my face and my eyes met hers. Her very golden eyes. I started. No way. I had never seen that before. No, I’d have remembered that!
“No…”
The images and things that couldn’t be real were rolling around in my mind. Fear, hurt, pain… it all ran through me in a rush. Panic. Sheer and utter panic swamped me.
“Listen to me, my sweet girl. What you see now, all of this,” she took one hand away and waved around us, “it’s always been here as it is now. This cabin and the woods surrounding it are enchanted. It has been since your mother was born. It was the only way to keep her safe. No one can really see what is here. They see an old gray haired woman. They see a few mangy looking dogs, a run down cabin with a yard that is in need a of a little work. Your house has a similar glamour enchantment. I can’t have my girls in danger. There are hunters that would harm us if they knew we were here.”
