by Evie Ryan
He was bringing her there. She couldn’t build any higher. Her entire body was a tightly coiled ball of heat and tingles and she knew that within seconds that coil would unravel propelling her into a mind-blowing orgasm that would seize her body, mind, and soul.
As if sensing she was on the brink, Brandon swiftly grabbed her ankles, launched them over her head, pinning them between his fists and the mattress above her shoulders, and began to fuck her.
It was jarring and rough, but undeniably hot and Gwen relaxed into his domineering overthrow, as he pounded hard and fast, taking exactly what he wanted, while giving her what she hadn’t realized she needed: a rugged, hard, werewolf fuck.
“Take it,” he grunted, the dominant tone in his deep voice sending her reeling with excitement. “Take it and tell me you love it.”
“I love it,” she stuttered obediently under his forceful thrusts.
“You want it harder.” He grunted the question as though it was a demand. “You want to see how hard this werewolf can fuck you.”
“Yes,” she cried out, the intensity throwing her into new erotic heights.
He grabbed the mop of hair at the back of Gwen’s head, taking control of her entire body by extension and forced a hard kiss onto her slack lips, as she moaned and fought to gasp in air, all the while overwhelming her with new pleasures that were instantaneously caused by his sudden violent fucking.
“Oh, Brandon, I’m about to come,” she cried through desperate breaths.
“No, you’ll come when I do,” he ordered, but she didn’t know if she could stop it.
Releasing her hair, he yanked her hand to his throat, asserting she must squeeze then yanked her other hand to his cheek. Without thinking, Gwen slapped him hard across the face and he groaned, glaring down at her with silvery bedroom eyes, as though she’d just sent him soaring with arousal. He fucked even harder in response. Her hand was stinging so she used her other to slap him as hard as she could across the other cheek. He groaned again then snarled, baring his fangs until the groan twisted into a dark growl.
She bared hers, snarling back at him and growing dark herself, as she continued to take his hard, violent fucks.
In an instant she was seized by the swift grip of a massive orgasm that sent her entire body arching back into unraveling convulsions. Brandon caught her throat in his hand, forcing her to look at him, as his expression shifted into a wicked grin under the power of his own incredible climax.
As they came together, each squeezing down on the other’s throat, each fighting to dominate the other, Gwen smacked him again, this time with such power that his hand loosened from her throat. In an instant her fangs were at his neck, piercing through the taut skin and sinking deep into the veins. Brandon groaned out a sound of intense pleasure mixed with startling pain, as Gwen sucked hard, drinking his hot flowing blood.
“Put me in my place, Vamp,” he groaned, as his body relaxed into her dark pull.
They eased down to the bed Gwen drinking furiously all the while, until Brandon had her body cradled snuggly into his.
She drank and drank, sucking as hard as his blood would flow, as the manic darkness she’d learned to dread took hold. Why did he want this when they both knew it could destroy them? She didn’t understand, but kept swallowing eager to get her fill.
* * *
The flashlight beams that were sweeping over the rippling surface of Hollis Lake told Gwen that the search party was working their way around the eastern shoreline. Brandon and she had been trekking east through the wilderness when the beams had alerted them to the search party’s precise location.
“I told you they wouldn’t give up,” Gwen said quietly over her shoulder to Brandon who was inches behind.
“I didn’t say they’d give up, but the pack planted your scent along Porter Hills so the dogs should’ve led them there.”
“I told my parents I was going to hike the Cascades. They know I’d never switch the plan without telling them.”
“Well, you were right,” he said with affection before kissing the side of her neck.
“I wish this dress wasn’t surgically attached to me,” she said offhandedly, as she considered how bizarre she’d look to her parents. I fell down the ravine, lost all sense of time and place, but happened upon a Frederick’s of Hollywood to gussy myself up for the rescue.
The plan, though haphazardly thrown together during the trek over, would entail Gwen stumbling towards the search party with Brandon’s help, making a bit of a performance out of her wilderness-ravaged state, offering a confused explanation of her survival methods, interspersing the fragments with coughs and other indicators that she would require immediate rest, while Brandon explained how he’d found her only minutes prior. Then hopefully her parents would whisk her away, but not before inviting Brandon back as well in a gesture of gratitude. They’d aim at avoiding medical attention under the notion that it would be too tiresome, and by morning Gwen would wake at her parents’ penthouse in her childhood bedroom with Brandon in the neighboring room.
The Brandon aspect was a bit farfetched and it concerned both of them that it might seem suspicious for Gwen to have been found minutes before being found, but the fact of the matter was that the search party wanted to find Gwen and she’d be found. Any scrutiny of how that came to pass would be a footnote, and ultimately everyone would be obligated to take Gwen’s word.
Though she hadn’t done anything wrong, it did feel like lying, which she hated to do to her parents. But the truth of what really happened was so thoroughly unbelievable that she reasoned she honestly had no choice.
“I’d turn it into underwear,” he suggested, glancing down her black lace dress.
“Why would I go hiking in sexy undergarments?” She asked, shooting him a sideways glance that conveyed a world of sarcasm.
“Why would you go hiking in a slinky dress?” He countered, snuffing her objection.
“Point taken.” Gwen concentrated, conjured the sensations of Brandon’s hands on her, and in a flash her dress receded into a matching bra and panty set.
“Lose the heels,” he said.
“It’ll hurt to walk on the twigs and brush,” she objected then realized she could glide the perimeter of the lake until she was ready to stumble over to the search party. “You don’t have to say it.”
“You remembered you can glide?”
Gwen smirked. “Let’s do this.”
Taking the lead, Gwen started off gliding towards the lake, but remained tucked within the dense tree line. As she did, her heels vanished. Brandon kept up a few paces behind and soon they were rounding the eastern shore, fast approaching the flickering flashlights.
With search party just up ahead, Brandon pulled Gwen back with a sense of urgency, turning her to face him. She gently lowered to the ground and looked up at him questioningly.
“I love you,” he said, though the words carried the kind of bitter-sweetness you’d expect from someone expecting to fail. It was possible things wouldn’t go smoothly, but she didn’t see how they could possibly fail. There’s no wrong way to get found.
“I love you, too,” she started, “In a paranormal sense. If I translate any of this into human terms it’s completely insane.”
He kissed her suddenly and deeply. Gwen could feel a world of anxiety in his kiss and she worked her lips tenderly over his to calm his worried mind then urged him back, meeting his gaze and affirming their unusual connection.
When she turned back, she immediately spotted her father deep within the search party crowd. He looked exhausted, as though he’d aged years under the stress of not knowing where his daughter was. She scanned the faces and figures, looking for her mother, but she didn’t seem to be there.
Gwen resumed her soundless glide towards the tree line’s edge, but when she reached the divide, Brandon grabbed her arm as before.
“It’ll be fine, Brandon,” she said with an edge of irritation.
“No, look,” he said, h
olding her back.
Gwen narrowed her gaze, straining to see what he was referring to then caught sight of Elektra within the crowd.
“I have to shift so I can hear what they’re saying,” said Brandon, who began collapsing into his wolf form on the last word.
Gwen rested her hand on his back, feeling his thick fur beneath her palm for a moment, as Brandon’s wolf ears perked forward making minute swiveling adjustments to get a better read. He was a statue of stillness and appeared to be listening with intense concentration then rose up, shifting back in a flash into his human form.
“Do you drive a Mercedes?” He asked.
“Yes, but I parked it near Evergrove.”
“Elektra mentioned it, but they’d already found your car. She offered to help them on behalf of the Wildlife Preserve. They hadn’t known the facility was right over the mountain. She’s up to something.”
“Does that mean we can’t move forward with the plan?” Gwen asked, her heart sinking.
“You most certainly cannot,” said a velvety voice from behind them.
It was Christoph. He’d appeared out of nowhere.
“You’re both coming back to the Sanctuary,” he stated.
“We’re not. We’re leaving,” said Gwen firmly, despite her fear.
“You are leaving,” he said, the agreement of which threw her for a second. “Tonight, in fact. But first you’re both coming with me.”
* * *
Gwen and Brandon were sitting side-by-side in the shadow of Christoph’s watchful glare when Elektra entered the office followed by Ismay. She rounded the back of her desk, planted her fists on the oak surface, and narrowed her gaze on Gwen for a tense moment then lowered to her chair.
Rather than chew Gwen out as Gwen had expected, Elektra focused her lecture at Brandon, which at first came as a relief until Gwen began to understand that she was no longer worth the Elder’s time, effort, and breath.
“It’s clear to me that Ms. Keller no longer wishes to be here, despite the detriment to her progress that will be caused by leaving. What’s not clear to me is why you’re adamant to help her when you know doing so will jeopardize your standing at this Sanctuary.” Elektra paused, giving Brandon the opportunity to respond, but he held his tongue. “At this point between Gwen’s wishes and the tenacity of her search party, Ismay and I have decided that her continued attendance here will only hurt our organization and the wildlife it aims to protect.”
“So I can go?” Asked Gwen, though she tried to repress her enthusiasm.
“Do you understand how difficult it will be for you out there?” She asked, her tone softening to Gwen’s astonishment. “Keeping you here has been for your own good. We want to help you. Brandon, knowing everything you know, having gone through a tumultuous turn yourself, how can you not be deeply concerned for her welfare?”
Brandon’s brows raised and his eyes widened. “I am,” he admitted. “And I care about my work with the Sanctuary-”
Elektra waved her hand to silence him, as though she didn’t need to hear an excuse disguised as an explanation. “Gwen, you can’t escape the darkness that’s rising up inside you. It won’t matter where you go, what you do, or who you pretend to be.”
It was chilling how right she sounded. She was right. Gwen had abruptly decided she needed to leave only after she'd felt the darkness taking hold. If that hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have been so quick to bolt. However, she felt strongly that her parents didn’t deserve the suffering she was putting them through. She felt torn, but ultimately her love for her parents outweighed everything, even her own wellbeing.
“In light of the recent attacks against our wildlife and the threat Gwen’s search party posses to all who reside here, the Board and the Administration have decided to release Ms. Keller into Christoph’s care-”
“You can’t pass her off like a piece of property,” Brandon interrupted.
“This is bigger than you, Brandon.”
“Gwen and I were planning on leaving and we will, without Christoph’s involvement.”
“It’s already done,” said Elektra, dismissively as she rose from her chair.
“Nothing’s done!” Shouted Brandon, rising to his feet.
Gwen grabbed his wrist to calm him, but it must not of registered, because he rounded her chair cutting Elektra off before the Elder could reach the door.
“It is!” Elektra yelled, matching his severity. “We’ve drawn up a Peace Treaty between his society and ours. It’s conditional that we release her to her bloodline. And quite frankly, we’re more than happy to. She’s been violent. She’s put the student body on edge. And the bottom line is that she doesn’t even want to be here.”
“But I don’t want to be with Christoph,” Gwen protested.
“You don’t realize my Dear, but you already are,” said Christoph.
“You can’t have her, Brandon,” Elektra interrupted immediately, as though whatever clarity Christoph might offer next would only serve to infuriate the werewolf further. “She’s a vampire. Don’t you get that? She’s designed to destroy you.”
“What do you mean she’s already yours?” Brandon challenged, eyes locked on the pale vampire.
“It doesn’t matter, Brandon,” said Elektra, fighting to pull his focus away from Christoph. “She doesn’t belong here and she doesn’t belong with you! She’ll siphon your darkness until there’s nothing left inside of you, don’t you get it? She’ll glamorize you into letting her drink and you’ll think it’s your idea! It’s your soul at risk here! She’ll kill your spirit!”
“It has never been her idea,” he barked back.
Elektra gasped fearfully. “She’s done it?”
“Twice, and it was my idea,” Brandon snarled.
Elektra turned her intensity on Christoph and began fiercely defending her werewolf. “You promised us,” she said astonished. “She wasn’t to harm the shifters and you let her.”
“He’s clearly fine,” said Christoph nonchalantly.
“Are you taking this lightly?” Challenged Ismay.
“Not at all, but what’s done is done,” he said casually.
“This just proves our kinds can’t work together,” Ismay said to Elektra.
“Gwen, come,” said Christoph with such command that Gwen found herself rushing to his side in an instant.
“She’s not going anywhere with you!” Yelled Brandon.
“Let’s let her decide,” suggested Christoph.
Gwen felt like she was floating through a haze and suddenly couldn’t understand why no one was getting along. Her gaze drifted from face to face, as the colors around her began to blur into a beautiful mirage. Everything seemed so far away and yet the strange distance felt heavenly like the essence of peace.
“Gwen,” said Christoph coolly, attracting her attention. “Would you like to go now, leave with me, and return to your family?”
“Yes,” she said, as her answer echoed through her mind.
“You’re influencing her!” Brandon yelled then shoved Christoph hard, but as his palms planted against the vampire’s chest, Christoph grabbed hold of his wrists and flung Brandon over his shoulder. Brandon flew across the room and slammed into the wall then dropped hard against the wood floor. He sprang up, fangs bared, but Elektra and Ismay had his shoulders, holding him back from further violence.
“What a brute,” Christoph said with disgust. “I turned her. It’s my blood in her body. It’s me she craves. It’s me she comes back to. To drink away the poisonous rot you tempt her with. And it’s my power she will soon learn she can’t live without.” Christoph thrust his collar down with both hands demonstratively.
Instantly, Gwen sank further into her hypnotic state and glided across the floor. Her mouth found Christoph’s supple neck and licked across the smooth surface, as her teeth elongated.
“Gwen?” Brandon asked, his voice nothing more than a thread, expressing the confusion, sorrow, and disbelief that had suddenly
claimed his heart.
Though she detected the anguish in his voice, Gwen couldn’t comprehend why it was there. All she understood was that she was intoxicated by the man whose neck she was sucking and with that she sank her fangs deep, drawing blood.
“You made your point,” said Elektra dryly, as her hold on Brandon softened into comforting rubbing. “I know you don’t want anyone thinking of her as property, Brandon, but that’s what she is. She’s indebted to him. He owns her. And he can rule her like this whenever he chooses. I’m so sorry.”
“She promised me she wouldn’t feed off of him,” said Brandon, heartbroken.
“A vampire’s promise is always a lie,” offered Ismay. “They don’t live by the codes of loyalty that we do. They don’t live by any codes at all.”
Gwen drifted back from Christoph’s neck and gazed eerily at Brandon. Her voice was a melodic void, as she said, “Let me go, Brandon. Let me go where I belong.”
Chapter Seven
“Gwen! How did you survive for nine days in the Cascade Mountains? What did you do?”
Pop! A white flash pierced her retina.
“Gwen, what was your last thought before you fell down the ravine?” Said the next voice urgently interrupting the first.
Pop! The camera flashes were disorienting, as the press closed in on Gwen. She kept her head low, but still there was nowhere she could look that those blindingly bright flashes wouldn’t sting her eyes.
“Gwen Keller! What were you doing in the Cascades at this time of year? Why did you go there?"
Pop! Pop! Pop!
It was the question on everyone’s mind, but she didn’t have the heart to answer. If her parents had spent days in anguish over her disappearance, they’d be crushed to learn she’d kept her blood cancer a secret. Not to mention it would be impossible to explain its magical remission. Gwen was self-conscious enough that after nine days lost within the Cascades, she didn’t have a bruise to show for it. No broken bones. Not one scratch.
“Ms. Keller needs her rest and we ask that you respect her privacy while she recovers from this traumatic ordeal,” said Martin Fuller, Gwen’s uncle on her mothers side of the family. Martin had been practicing law in Seattle for the past twenty-two years and though his work was anchored in criminal defense, he'd volunteered himself to be the buffer between Gwen and the reporters, the mouthpiece to tell her story when the time came, and that wasn’t now.
