“They didn’t survive,” he said, wishing she hadn’t forced him to be so blunt about something he would rather banish from memory. When he saw the horrified look on her face, he drew in a deep breath and elabourated. “Some died from the trauma of the mating, some were fortunate enough to find a way to commit suicide, others from miscarriage, but many of them died from the actual childbirth. It is not easy for a human female to survive the development of a werewolf in her, let alone the birth. It takes a huge toll on her body. But for the few who do survive— like Astrid, Gisli and Lilja— they know they are strong ones and will keep breeding to them. To them, that is all just part of the process. To find the strongest females to pass on the lines.”
Kaia was speechless. I am anything but strong. I wonder then, which of those awful ways am I destined to die?
When she said nothing, Dane continued, “Even though I was raised with all of their beliefs, it has been difficult for me to embrace them as my own. You see, my mother was one of those women that did not survive.”
“Your mother was human?” Kaia asked in surprise.
“Yes, but I never knew her. Part of me hates them for what they did to her— what they did to all of the women. But the other part of me is them.”
Kaia swallowed, trying to come to terms with his revelation. “So why was I any different? Why did you decide to not go through with it?”
“I don’t know,” he started, his eyes glazing over as he looked inward. “You just were. It’s not that I didn’t always feel bad for what they did to all those women. I did. It’s just that I didn’t feel bad enough to go against them. But with you, it was different somehow… everything was different. I can’t explain it. But I knew it— felt it in the fiber of my being— the moment I first laid eyes on you. You captivated the wolf in me, as well as the man in me. Now it is impossible for me to imagine anything else other than being with you. And I certainly can’t imagine you with someone else. The sounds of them taking you that night still haunts me. It will forever be burned into my mind. But I was powerless to do anything then. Had I challenged them— especially in the frenzied breeding state they were in, it would have been certain suicide.”
Dane had to pause to swallow back the lump forming in his throat. “And the thought of leaving you alone with them was the only thing that stopped me from doing something reckless. I knew I would have a better chance if I could sneak you away alone, after the damage had been done and their interest in you was stagnant for the time being. I’m truly sorry for everything, Kaia. Can you ever forgive me?” When he was finished, she could see the tears brimming in his eyes. It tugged at her heart to see a man as tough as he express such raw sensitivity.
Forgive him? How could she do anything but? Kaia knew what had happened to her was not his fault. What mattered now was that he had chosen to do the right thing. She just hoped that in doing so, they were not writing their death sentences. But that was a risk she was more than willing to take. She wasn’t about to resign herself to a life of being held captive there just to be a mindless sex slave and breeder for their were-pups.
Raising her hand to his agonized face, she caressed down his cheek, gazing evocatively into his eyes to convey the sincerity of what she was about to say. “Dane, of course I forgive you. I never held any of this against you. I want to put this behind us as nothing more than a nightmare and see where our love will take us. If one good thing came out of this it was my finding you. And believe it or not, I would not exchange that for anything, even if it meant I had to endure what I did. I would do it all over again if it guaranteed me you.”
Hearing this, Dane could no longer hold back his tears. He pulled her into him, enfolding his arms tight about her. She loved the feel of being held close to him, the scent of him, the feel of his muscles against her body, and most of all, his heat promising her warmth and protection. Just being this close to him was intoxicating. For the first time in weeks, Kaia felt completely safe.
Dane enfolded his arms around her, holding her close while she fell asleep.
Chapter Seven
Dane hated to leave her. He loved the feel of Kaia sleeping soundly in his arms. His woman. Yes, that is what she would soon be.
That is, if he made it through what he planned to do alive.
And there was a very good chance he would not. But he intended on giving it everything he had, and then some. And the one thing that kept his motivation elevated enough to believe he might actually pull it off was Kaia. He knew all too well what would become of her if he left her alone with them. And he would be damned if he was going to let that happen. Whether it was with him or not, she deserved so much more.
Carefully sliding his arm out from beneath her, Dane pulled the blanket up over Kaia’s beautiful naked body. Full of yearning, he gazed upon her once more, committing every subtle feature of her face to memory before removing himself and rising from the bed.
As he walked out of the room, he drew in a long breath to prepare himself for what he must do. Going to his own room, he retrieved his axe. Though he was exceptionally adroit at handling it, never had he killed anyone with it before. But before he had even reached puberty he could take down a tree with it. He may have been the youngest in the pack, but he was still the strongest. They just didn’t know it. Yet.
If he was lucky, Dane would find the other males scattered, rather than gathered together in a group around the fire as they sometimes did at night. But he didn’t dare hope to be so fortunate.
Stalking through the camp, Dane had yet to see them. Then he spied Viggo and Aric by the fire. But he was not concerned with them, unless it became necessary. Then he would take down anyone and everyone that attempted to stand in the way of him claiming his woman.
It was the other three that he was after. The three pureblood males who had hurt his woman like an animal. Of course, their pureblood made them stronger opponents than the other two. He knew they would be more difficult to take down. But he was stronger than they had yet to realise. He had always been careful not to reveal just how strong he truly was. Just in case. And now he was glad he had. They would never have thought him capable of this.
Calling forth his wolf senses, he utilized his keen sense of smell to locate his prey. He caught the scent of Magnar first.
Good, he thought. He is the fiercest fighter among us. If I can take him down first, the other two should be easier. But it would be wise to not shed blood on the first, lest it alert the others’ noses.
Dane located him easily. Always the loner, Magnar was off in the wood. From what he could sense, the others were not nearby. He hoped he was right. He knew he would have to move quickly after he killed the first one.
Venturing into the wood, he soon saw Magnar. Having just slain an elk— with his bare hands, no doubt— he was crouching down over it, preparing to devour it.
Dane didn’t bother trying to sneak up on him. He knew that would be impossible. Instead he strode towards him as though it were nothing out of the ordinary.
Seeing him, Magnar greeted him. “Hey, little Brother, you coming to join me for a midnight snack?” he snickered because he already knew what the answer would be. That was the thing about the purebloods. They had no qualms about killing and eating an animal raw, even when in their human form. In reality, their behaviour never strayed too far off from the wolf. Essentially, to them, they regarded their condition as being the curse of having to live as human most of the time, rather than the other way around.
Still walking towards him, Dane chuckled at his intended jest, stopping when he was just slightly behind him. Not feeling any threat whatsoever from the ‘pup of the pack’, Magnar had already disregarded him, returning his attention back on his kill. As he sank his teeth into the animal’s neck, Dane leapt forward, hurling his arms about his neck and locked down. Fully aware that this was a ‘do or die’ situation, he drew upon all of his suppressed strength.
Putting up a good fight, Magnar’s huge frame thrashed about v
iolently as he battled for air. Knowing he had to do this as silently and quickly as possible if he was to have his chance at killing the other two, Dane strained to squeeze all his force into his forearms. At last, the thrashing weakened and Dane snapped the man-wolf’s neck before allowing his massive lifeless body to fall to the ground.
Staring down at his dead pack mate, Dane was devoid of any remorse for the man who had violated Kaia. Taking a deep breath, he set off to find the other two.
He picked up on their scent. They were at the perimeter of the camp. And from what he could tell, they were together. He figured they would be. Being actual blood brothers, Thorin and Jorn did almost everything together, which explains them visiting Kaia together. The onslaught of rage which consumed him at the mere thought of that night gave him the power to move forward.
Dane sprinted back to the camp. When he had reached them, he called to them, “Thorin, Jorn! Come! Something has happened to Magnar.”
Stepping away at first, Dane was discouraged to see them stop in their tracks and stare at him shiftily.
Are they onto me? If I have to take them down right here, Aric and Viggo will come running over. Then I will have to take them down, too, and I would rather not do that.
But they left him no choice. Suspicion evident in his tone, Thorin prodded him, “Just tell us what the problem is, Dane.”
Dane was aware that they knew something was not right. His eyes darted around quickly, trying to assess the situation. They didn’t appear to be armed. He would have to take his chances. Not bothering to reply to his Alpha, Dane walked towards them. He could see they were becoming nervous. Once he was close enough, he charged at them, swinging his axe with all his might towards Thorin.
It struck his neck, decapitating him in one smooth slash. As the blood of the Alpha sprayed the air, his brother charged at Dane.
Smelling the blood, Aric and Viggo were upon the scene in a flash, their mouths gaping upon seeing their Alpha dead upon the ground, his severed head several metres from his body.
Far solider than the Beta male, Dane snapped his neck in one fluid motion, dropping his limp body to the ground. It was only then that he saw his half-blood brothers. They stood frozen a dozen metres away, their eyes bulging with horror at what they had witnessed.
As their youngest brother stalked towards them, they turned and ran back to the camp. Dane swiftly caught up to them.
“Dane,” Viggo began to plead, “I swear, we had no part in what they did to Kaia.”
“I know,” Dane replied vacantly.
“Please brother, spare us,” Aric added. “We mean you no trouble. We will gladly serve you as the new Alpha.”
For some time, Dane studied the two of them. When he felt certain that they were being honest, he said, “I have no interest in being your or anyone’s Alpha. And I will spare your lives, for the time being. I am going to get my woman and take her far away from here. You will never see us again. If I discover you are following us or you give us any trouble whatsoever, I will not hesitate to kill you. The same goes for Synnove. You can pass on the word.”
“Sure, brother,” Viggo replied. “You go get your little female. We won’t stand in your way.”
“You’re damned right you won’t!” Dane snarled. He turned from them and headed into the camp.
He sprinted to Kaia’s tent. Pushing aside the flap, he was relieved to find her still sleeping sound, entirely oblivious to the horrors of the world around her. As it should be. His eyes fixed upon her, Dane sighed.
She is so beautiful. Am I a fool to believe she will really want me, or was I just someone who she was able to find fleeting security with during this tragic time of her life? Now that she will be free to have a choice, will she choose me or her old life? I cannot provide her any of the things she had known. Even though I slayed my brothers for her, eschewed my earned place as Alpha, I will not force her to go with me. I will just have to live with whatever she decides.
Kaia stirred, the blanket falling from her shoulder, exposing the roundness of her breast. His cock began to stiffen of its own accord at the mere sight of her.
No. Can’t think about sex right now. Not yet. More important things to attend to. Soon though— if she’ll have me, that is.
Dane swallowed and stepped forwards, sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. Placing his hand gently upon her soft skin, he leaned his face down close to hers to whisper into her ear. “Kaia, wake up.”
She moaned and stirred, a contented smile touching her mouth at the sound of his voice. Her hand brushed over his now fully erect cock as her arms draped over him, curling herself against his hip. Dane had to fight back the demands of his body, and leaned down over her and placed a soft kiss to her temple. He hated to have to wake her after all she had been through. But it was the only way. They had to get out of there before one of the remaining pack members decided to exact revenge on him for slaughtering his brothers.
“Kaia, wake up, my love,” he said into her ear a bit louder this time.
Peeling her eyes open, she gazed up at him and smiled the most beautiful smile. “Dane,” she said sleepily. “You’re still here! Is it morning already?”
Not about to spoil her pleasant belief, he nodded and smiled.
“No, Kaia. But something has happened,” he told her calmly, not intending to get her too worked up. “We must go. Now.”
Despite his efforts, her eyes revealed their concern. “Leave? You and me?” she questioned. “I don’t understand, what’s going on?”
“No time to discuss it now. Later. Now come on, before it’s too late.”
She decided she would be better off not arguing if he had actually managed to find a way to get her out of there. “Alright, Dane, whatever you say.”
Dane wrapped the blanket about her and pushed his arms under her, lifting her from the bed. He couldn’t deny that he loved the feel of her in his arms.
Then he walked through the camp carrying her, ignoring the bewildered eyes following him. He would feel better when he got her far away from there, where she was not in danger of the pack males hurting her in retaliation for what he had done. He took off at a run.
When Dane felt reasonably secure about the distance they had covered, he slowed his pace so they could have the chance to talk. Though he wasn’t sure if he was ready for what he thought her answer would be, he couldn’t wait any longer to find out what she would choose to do. He had to know, so he could begin to move on. Not that he could ever forget about her. That would be asking too much.
“Kaia,” he started, his voice cautious. “I want you to know that I am not taking you against your will. You have been through enough. I am not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to. I can return you home to your family if that is what you want.”
Kaia didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure how to take his words. Was he saying he wanted to be rid of her, that he preferred to go their separate ways?
Her silence was eating away at him. He couldn’t stand another second of not knowing if she would choose him or her old life. Though the sinking feeling in his gut made him fear he already knew the answer. “Kaia? Please. Tell me what you want me to do.”
She turned her eyes up at him. It pained him to see them heavy with confusion. “Are you saying you don’t want me, Dane?”
“God, Kaia! Of course not! I am saying I will understand if what you choose is to return to your former life.”
“Considering I am no longer worthy of being Leif’s wife, of being anybody’s wife, what other options do I have?”
Dane looked to her, a bewildered expression upon his face. Would that be the only reason she chose me, if she does? Because she thinks no one else in her snooty world will take her?
Thinking he simply did not understand, Kaia expounded, “I am a ruined woman now, my family would shun me if I were to return, thus I have nothing to return to.” The manner in which she lowered her head so that he could not detect the pain in her e
yes told him that the entire matter wasn’t as trivial to her she endeavoured to portray.
He considered it for a moment. So she was aware that her family would reject her, but she hadn’t exactly said she wanted to go with him either. “So, you don’t want me to take you home. Then, what do you want?” He was going to make her say it if he was to believe it.
“Dane, do I have to spell it out for you?” Kaia replied, mildly annoyed.
He nodded his head, playing dumb. “Yeah, I guess you do.”
Kaia couldn’t stand the idea that he might be offering merely out of sheer obligation. She had to know what he was thinking. So she decided to turn the tables on him. “Why don’t you tell me what you want?”
“What do I want?” he repeated. He hesitated, creasing his brow that she had put him in the more susceptible position.
Kaia’s heart felt as though it stopped beating while she waited for his answer.
Dane exhaled coarsely. He wasn’t used to making himself vulnerable like this.
“Alright, Kaia, I’ll tell you what I want.” He took a deep breath. He had to take a chance. He had to tell her how he really felt about her.
Needing to see her eyes, Dane brought his hand to her face and gently lifted up her chin. Her heart melted under his steamy gaze. “No, Kaia. You are not ruined. It is not your fault they have done this to you. But now they have paid the price. “Do you know what I see when I look at you, Kaia?”
“No, Dane. Tell me what you see.”
“I see the woman who takes my breath away every time I am in her presence. The woman whose sweet scent intoxicates me as nothing ever has. The woman I love more than life itself. The one thing that would mean more than anything in the world, Kaia, is if you’ll love me and say that you’ll be my woman. Forever.”
With his poignant words, she could no longer contain the tears which brimmed in her eyes, streaming down her soiled face. “Yes, Dane. I would love nothing more than to be your woman.”
Her words jolted his heart, made it feel things it had never felt before. But he still didn’t know if he was ready to believe it. Believe that someone like her might actually love someone like him. What if she didn’t know what she was saying? The last thing he wanted was for her to decide to go with him, only to find herself miserable and regret her decision later.
Craving Red: Paranormal Erotic Retelling of Red Riding Hood (Erotic Kingdom) Page 8
