by Gale Stanley
Danger!
Every primitive animal instinct went on high alert. The darkness couldn't hide the horror of her situation. Her eyes were too well suited to see beyond the shadows. Surrounded by dirt walls, she forced herself to accept the reality of her situation. Confinement.
She threw back her head and howled. Losing her freedom was a fate worse than death. She willed herself to relax and tried to remember what happened. She recalled a brief sting, feeling weak and dizzy. A tranquilizer dart? How could she have been so careless?
She had to get out of here. Now! Turning her thoughts inward, she concentrated on an image of her human body. Muscles stretched and tightened with elastic ease. Bones popped and snapped sounding like a multitude of cracking knuckles. Black fur retracted into pores. A few seconds of discomfort and a human body replaced the wolf's.
The restraint now circled one slender ankle and cut into her tender flesh. Her nimble fingers discovered the padlock that secured it. She followed a heavy iron chain to a bolt in a concrete pad. A fresh wave of panic swept over her, tightening the knots in her stomach.
She pulled and tugged, but even her superior strength couldn't budge the leather cuff or chain. She was tethered like a dog. A sound, half-howl, half-scream, welled up from her depths.
Small, confined spaces terrified her. Fifteen years had passed since humans destroyed her home in the Pine Barrens, but the fear remained. Her parents had just enough time to hide her in a crawl space before they were attacked. The shallow trench swallowed her up, and she listened to their screams, too terrified to move. She might have died in that hole, but hunger and thirst finally drove her out. Her parents were dead. They were all dead. She'd been on her own ever since.
She pushed the memories aside. Now was not the time to feel sorry for herself. She needed a clear head to figure out her next move.
Choking down a wave of bile, she rose on unsteady limbs to take a closer look at her prison. The steel chain prevented her from reaching the only entrance, a narrow wooden door. Furious, she paced the small radius allowed by the leash.
Her mind worked frantically. If her captor wanted her dead, he would have killed her already. When she knew what they were after, she could plan her escape.
These humans had no idea they'd captured something more than a wolf. As long as they didn't find out, she had an advantage over them. She looked inside for her wolf. The familiar snap of shifting bones calmed her, and her confidence returned with her fur. Someone would come soon. She sat down to wait.
She might have dozed. The sound of a creaking door woke her, and bright sunlight blinded her. Squinting against the light, she breathed in sweet, fresh air. The small taste of freedom teased her senses, and even the underlying scent of humans couldn't keep her from moving toward the entrance.
"Don't try anything stupid." The harsh male voice hit a nerve and sent sullen anger coursing through her.
What right did this man have to take her from her home? She snarled to let him know he couldn't hold her forever.
A frown creased his face. He held a bat in one hand, and he lifted it in a threatening manner. "Don't give me an excuse to use this."
She curled her lips, displaying wicked incisors, and her hackles stood erect. Stupid, stupid man. She willed him to come closer. She'd slit him open and eat his entrails while he watched.
"Let me handle this." Another figure stepped forward.
She growled her displeasure. Two against one. If she wasn't restrained, she'd kill them both.
"Take it easy." He spoke in soothing tones. "I won't hurt you."
Bullshit. His Mr. Nice Guy act didn't fool her for a minute. He was human and not to be trusted.
He came closer but not so close that she could reach him.
Her eyes narrowed to slits.
"You must be hungry and thirsty." He smiled to let her know he was on her side. "Jude. Get some water."
The other man disappeared outside and came back with a bucket.
She licked her dry lips and wondered what she'd have to do for a drink. They played a dangerous game with her. If only she could get close, she'd claw that grin off his mouth. For now, she'd play along, learn what she could, and plan her escape.
Jude pushed the pail toward her with his bat.
She lapped thirstily until she drank her fill then sat back and watched them warily.
"I know you're hungry. Shift, and I'll get you whatever you want."
Shock made her hackles rise. They couldn't know. She'd been too careful to hide her existence.
"Don't play dumb," the surly one called Jude said, grunting at her. "I've already had the pleasure of seeing your other body."
She wanted to howl in frustration. How long had she been watched? She played dumb and sat as still as the wood sculptures her father used to carve.
"So you're only a wolf. I might as well kill you then." Jude pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her head.
Her heart stuttered like a jackhammer, but she held her ground.
He cocked the trigger, and fear turned her blood ice-cold.
She contemplated her options. She had none. Her enemy had the home advantage. She considered shifting.
Jude turned to his friend. "What do you want me to do?"
"Are you sure about this, Jude?"
"I know what I saw. I'm not crazy."
"Put the gun away." He stared at her pensively. "As far as I'm concerned, the only good wolf is a dead one. If you're what my brother says you are, then you're of some use to me. If not..." He let the words trail off, his meaning clear. "Think about it. When I come back, we'll talk. Or not." They turned and walked out. The heavy door slammed shut, and the ominous warning hung in the air.
* * * *
The woman threw back her head defiantly, and her long, black hair whipped over her shoulder. A magnificent creature, and all his.
Amber eyes flecked with green pinned him. Wolf's eyes. They held him spellbound.
Her chest heaved, and her incredible breasts rose and fell erotically. He had a sudden urge to feel her tanned skin under his fingers, to test the weight of her heavy breasts. He wondered how she would respond to a man's touch, his touch. He moved a little closer.
Her wild, musky scent didn't put him off. On the contrary, it was alluring, a pulse-twitching perfume that threatened to drug him, as potent as the narcotic he'd put in her water. He couldn't wait to analyze it, along with everything else about this exotic animal.
It must be her musk that made him react so strongly. Not even Nicole got him so hard, so fast. He tamped down his growing arousal. He'd castrate himself before acting on his desires. Not with a creature capable of morphing into his worst nightmare..
"I'm glad you decided to cooperate. We can make things a lot more pleasant for you. I don't like keeping a woman locked up in a root cellar. But I can't let a wolf in the house, now, can I? You could be chained up in here a long time."
She stared back at him defiantly, but he thought he saw a flicker of fear before she suppressed it. Good. He wanted her afraid. A little fear made an animal easier to train.
Most people around here argued that a wolf couldn't be trained. He was anxious to put that theory to the test, but he needed to use more than fear. Animal tranquilizers were a good safeguard. They calmed her down, and he could begin to establish a stable animal-handler relationship. Her training had no chance of success if he couldn't develop a strong bond between them. Punishment tempered with humane treatment, that was the key. If she could talk, it would make his job easier.
"I'm Jonas. Do you have a name?"
She narrowed her eyes and curled her lip back.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
"Why didn't you call me?" Jude came up behind him.
"You were asleep, and I wanted to check on her."
"And?"
"I found her like this. She's magnificent."
"I told you so," he said smugly. "But I'm still not totally convinced it's a good idea
to keep her."
"It would be a waste to kill her. We can learn so much from her."
"Just be careful. She'll turn on you in a heartbeat." Jude watched her for a few seconds, a quizzical look on his face.
Her head drooped, and her eyelids fluttered.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing," Jonas replied quickly. "It's the drugs. She's going out again. Once her training kicks in, I can reduce the dosage."
"Well, don't reduce it too quick. No amount of training is going to make a wolf into a pet dog.”
* * * *
She struggled to keep her head upright but felt oddly off balance. The room tilted, and she flopped back on the bed, fighting a black haze that threatened to dull her senses and put her to sleep again.
Her stomach churned, and she struggled with bedsheets that twisted around her body. Gagging, she disentangled her limbs and leaned over the side, her body racked with dry heaves. A thick leather collar circled her neck and prevented her from going any farther. A short chain tethered her to the iron headboard. She slumped back, defeated. The throbbing in her head beat in time with her wild pulse.
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. A pitcher of water and a glass sat on a small table within reach. She wanted a drink badly, but she knew it must contain more drugs. She couldn't afford to pass out again. She needed to figure out a plan. Licking her lips, she turned away.
He'd dressed her in his shirt. The fabric carried his scent, and she couldn't get it out of her nose. The woodsy perfume of his cologne reminded her of the forest, and the smell of his sweat reminded her of him. Anything that touched his body would not touch hers. She'd rather go naked. In a rage, she ripped his shirt, grinning when the buttons flew in all directions. It was a small but satisfying victory.
The door opened. He came in and stooped to pick up a button.
"If you prefer to go naked, that's fine with me." He pulled a straight back chair close to the bed but just out of her reach. "Now we can talk."
She looked at him, dumbfounded. As if she had anything to say to him. She'd cut her tongue out first.
"I'm Jonas. And you are..."
No way. He'd get nothing out of her.
He shrugged. "You must be thirsty." He lifted the pitcher and poured a glass of water, held it out to her.
With a powerful swing, she knocked it out of his hand. The glass shattered on the tile floor.
"There's no need to be difficult, but if you insist on behaving like an animal, I'll treat you like one."
Blind rage overtook her. She'd show him just how animal-like she could behave. She called to the change and felt her bones shift. Unsheathing her claws, she swiped the air between them. Her face elongated, she opened her jaws to howl but gagged instead. The collar tightened, squeezing her windpipe and preventing air from reaching her lungs. Her head felt like a balloon tied tight with string. A wave of dizziness overtook her, and her eyelids fluttered. Panicked, she felt herself fading. Her world went black.
She came back gasping, her human form anchored firmly on the bed. Jonas straddled her hips and held her arms above her head.
She took a hard breath and tried to speak. "Let me go," she said, wheezing.
"Oh, so you can talk." He looked relieved. "I thought I'd have to do CPR on you. Don't do that again."
She writhed under him in a vain attempt to get free, but the drugs weakened her. Their faces were a breath apart. His intense blue eyes, dark as a stormy sea, bored into her. For just a second, she got lost in them. She forgot where she was, and a warm, achy feeling started in her center where his hips pressed down on hers. Her body had a mind of its own, and it responded to the growing bulge in his jeans. She tamped down her arousal. Furious, she snapped at him.
He got off her immediately. "Relax," he cautioned.
Her moment of weakness worried her. This man was an adversary not a potential mate.
"Why?" She tried to wedge a finger under the collar to pull it away from her neck, but her tender flesh had swelled around it.
"To keep you from shifting. The collar is sized for this neck not the animal's." He examined her from a distance. "Amazing. I can see the marks on your neck fading already."
Bastard. He’d put those marks on her neck.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way. You'll get used to it."
Never.
She bared her teeth at him.
He sighed. "I was going to explain, but you didn't give me a chance."
"What's to explain?" Jude entered the room and stood behind the chair. "Any animal will turn on its master if given half a chance. We're just protecting ourselves."
"Like I said, you'll get used to it," Jonas continued. "Will you tell me your name now?"
She spat at him.
"I told you." Jude laughed. "You can't reason with an animal."
"Jude, let me handle this my way."
Jude shrugged. "I'll be outside if you need me."
"Your friend better watch his back," she said with a growl.
"My twin," Jonas replied, "can be a little heavy-handed at times. You'll find I'm easier to deal with. If you cooperate with me."
"Why should I?"
"Because if you do, you'll get more privileges."
"Privileges? You're not my master or my mate. You have no right to keep me here."
"I have every right. You're an animal, and I caught you. You belong to me. Or would you rather I turn you in to the authorities? I happen to know they've been hunting a rogue wolf. An animal that already killed three people. Would you rather take your chances with them?"
She stared at him, openmouthed.
"I thought not. Now, are you capable of acting civilized, or can you only snarl and spit like a beast?"
"I'm not a wild animal."
"Good. Let's start over then. What's your name?"
"Sable."
"Sable." He whispered it. "Very pretty. It suits you."
"Why am I here?"
"My brother is a hunter. You might have ended up as a pelt on our trophy wall but, fortunately, he saw you shift, and he knew I'd want you alive."
"Why?"
"Let's just say I like the idea of having a trained werewolf as a pet."
"I'm no pet."
"Right now you don't have much choice. You'll eat when I tell you to, shift when I say you can. Learn to control your temper, and I'll give you more freedom. Do you understand?"
She bit her lip to keep silent. He didn't plan to kill her. He wanted something, and he needed her cooperation. If she played his game, she could find a way out of this alive. She nodded.
"Do you need anything?"
"I have to pee."
He stared at her.
"I mean, can I go to the bathroom, please," she said through clenched teeth.
He pulled out a cell phone and made a quick call. Jude arrived with a tray.
"Put the food down and cover us."
Jude pulled out a gun while Jonas unlocked her chain and gestured toward a door that led to a small bathroom.
"Leave the door open."
Furious, she did her business while they watched. She had no false modesty, but the idea of having to ask permission rankled. She finished and let him attach the chain to her collar.
"Good girl." He ran a hand through her hair, and she cringed. "You learn fast."
Chapter Three
Jonas was not a religious man, but if he were, he'd be down on his knees crossing himself. Watching his captive struggle for air through her constricted throat was the toughest thing he'd ever done. He'd been sick with worry until she reverted to her human form and the color returned to her face. Of course, his concern only stemmed from the fear of losing his all-important lab rat.
Shutting the door behind him, he passed through a small hallway and entered his lab where Jude stood waiting. He sat down heavily in the chair behind his desk and unlocked the drawer where he kept a bottle of scotch.
"Jesus, for a minute there I thought I lo
st her."
"She's a werewolf," Jude said. "What are you worried about?" He dragged a chair over to the desk and straddled it.
"Contrary to popular belief, she doesn't appear to be immortal." Jonas filled two tumblers and slid one towards his brother.
"Don't go soft on me, bro. She learned a lesson she won't soon forget. That's the point isn't it? Training her?"
"I want to train her, not kill her." He drained his glass and refilled it.
"That won't happen. I bet she can take more punishment than an ordinary wolf or a woman."
"It's the woman I'm worried about. I don't know enough about her yet, her limitations."
"Don't make the mistake of thinking she's human. She's a dog, maybe a little smarter than most. They might be man's best friend, but you can't treat them like a person. Just remember what she is, and don't get too caught up looking at that pretty face and curvy body."
"Dogs respond to positive reinforcement. There's nothing positive about what we did to her."
"Sometimes punishment works better. You can be sure she won't try shifting again." Jude frowned at him. "What's the point of all this anyway? All these years we've been hell-bent on getting rid of wolves, and now you want to keep her as a pet. Maybe I should have put her down when I had the chance."
"No!" Jonas banged his glass on the desk and whiskey slopped over the side. "Shit!" Wet papers landed on the floor with one angry swipe of his arm. He needed to control his temper. If it wasn't for his twin, he wouldn't have Sable in his possession.
He took a deep, calming breath and nodded at Jude. "Sable is far more intelligent than an ordinary wolf. We've barely scratched the surface of her abilities. Her healing capacity is incredible. You didn't see those red marks on her neck disappear like I did. The stakes are higher now. Stop thinking like a hunter. If I can figure out how to differentiate her genes and reproduce her strength and healing in humans, we can eliminate disease and live longer."
"And make a shitload of money besides," Jude added, with mounting interest.
"That, too," Jonas admitted grudgingly, though money wasn't his primary interest. He already had enough for his needs. "But, if she dies, it all goes with her." He thought for a minute. "I'm going to sleep in the lab so I can monitor her. Who knows what she might do if she gets depressed."
