by Jamie Lake
CHAPTER 10
I walked with Buck back to the truck, both of us dripping water everywhere, the moon glowing across our naked bodies. He pulled a tarp and first aid kit out of the bed of his truck while I walk around and gather firewood. It’s only an hour or so until sunset, I can tell. The sky is lighting up just a little, turning from deep purple to a lighter violet. The moon is still out and gives me plenty of light to find burnable twigs. I bring my stack back to Buck and he starts to fasten them into a pile for a fire.
We sit under a makeshift tent made from the tarp and the back of the truck. A fire burned and glowed between us as I placed bandages and cleaned up his wounds.
“Ow,” he grimaces, pulling back a little. His reaction makes me laugh.
“I thought nothing could hurt you Buck,” he laughed with me at my teasing. He let me bandage one more cut, then took the supplies out of my hand and tosses them aside.
“Wha- I wasn’t done. You still have two more cuts right here,” I point to his left shoulder and try to reach for the kit.
“Haha Nathan, hold on, I have something to explain to you.”
He started to explain the night to me. “In my clan of wolves, there’s a prophecy.”
My eyes widened in disbelief and I almost snorted out a laugh. He could see my disbelief so he quickly mended his statement. “It’s not like, really, a prophecy. More like a foretelling. My father had a way with knowing the outcome of things.”
“So, he could see the future?” I started pulling away from Buck. Lying to me was not the right way to comfort me. I had a right to know what was going on.
“Please, just listen. Come here, I need to hold you and know you’re safe.” He pulled me back in. The earnestness in his voice made it impossible to deny him. “Ok, like I was saying, my father...understood things. He couldn’t predict the future or anything, he was just very wise.
“He could read your soul by just looking in your eyes. He knew your intentions without ever having to hear you say a word. It was amazing. His patience and understanding is something I aspire to.”
I ran my hand across his cheek to pull him out of the deep thought he’d sunken into. “Right, so Father knew that Japheth was no good. Japheth knew that Father despised him and had named me to be the successor Alpha male. It’s a place of honor. Japheth and I are twins. Technically, I was born first, but since we came out so close to each other, Father could have named either of us the Alpha. I think he chose me because I wanted to be most like him. Japheth was angry and impatient, even as a child. He preyed on lost hikers, never intending to take them as a companion. He liked to use people, then discard them. Japheth killed Father when he was ailing, and claimed that he was the one Father had given Alpha to.”
I gasped. I didn’t know anything about Buck. It sounded like he’d had a much harder childhood than I did. His eyes moistened at the mention of his father’s death, and that moved me.
“Since there was no one else there to prove what Japheth had done or prove that he was lying, some of the pack believed him. Others didn’t and it split us apart. I let Japheth take the place of honor because I didn’t want to be in control that badly.”
My mind flashed back to that day I was lost in the woods. I had been trapped by a pack of wolves. I could very easily see Buck’s point. It was clear that the wolves intended to ravage me, not take care of me. It had been Buck that had saved me. I didn’t know that then, but I did now.
“Japheth ran the pack poorly. He egged the others to attack humans like he did, instead of taking companions. He even attacked his own, using them when they were too young or weak to fight back.”
Buck continued, “My father understood that we would not always be separated from the humans like we are now. Soon, they would start coming onto our ground. Japheth wanted to conquer and destroy them, but Father hoped that we could join together and coexist. Father explained that there was going to be one human in particular that would make the difference in our pack. The wolf who could conquer this human’s heart,” he lightly tapped my chest right above my rib cage, “would be the rightful ruler for generations to come.”
With the sincerity in Buck’s voice, and the way his eyes drifted back to another place and time, I couldn’t help but believe him. “So, you think I’m that human?” My voice squeaked, unconvinced.
Buck chuckled and messed with my hair, “Yes, dear Nathan, I know that you are that one. You have to understand that I am very old. More than 100 of your years. I have seen humans come and go.”
I stiffened at the idea that he had been with someone else. Of course, it wasn’t surprising. He was gorgeous, people had a hard time denying him.
“There was one human in particular that I met a very long time ago,” Buck’s eyes glazed and he returned to the memory. “He died in a werewolf attack that I couldn’t save him from. He reminds me a lot of you, actually.” His voice returned to normal and he came back.
“And I’m going to keep you safe. I just want to hold you. Come here.” He opened up his arms and I climb into them. “I was afraid I had lost you today.” Buck’s face was shrouded in shadow so that I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could hear the raw emotion in his voice.
“Me, me too, Buck,” I shuddered at the thought. Back during the attack, when I had realized that it was Japheth not Buck handling me, I had thought for sure Buck had been killed outside. I never imagined that we’d get to have this moment.
Buck looks down at me and kisses my forehead, then my cheek. “No worries, though, everything is all right. I swear, Nathan, I’m going to protect you. No one in the pack will even think about attacking you, especially after what I did to Japheth. You are going to be safe here.” He pauses with the thought, “That is, if you want to stay here.” He sounds embarrassed now, as if he had assumed too much. “I mean, I understand if you don’t. I can take you anywhere. I just want you to be safe...it’s just that I can’t leave here, you know. I need the woods and the seclusion.” His voice carries tones of regret. “Could you imagine me in Portland? or Seattle? Haha, imagine the mess I’d make.”
I raise my fingers to Buck’s lips to cut of his ramblings. “Dont worry,” I said, “I’d love to -”
All of a sudden Buck tenses and his ears perk up. He pulls me off his lap and sniffs at the air. Obviously, something was wrong and my senses were too weak to detect it. I looked around in confusion but saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
“It smells like-” Buck is cut off mid sentence.
Thud. That’s when the blow came across the back of his head and I was grabbed from behind. It was Japheth. Somehow he had survived and found us here. He tossed the two by four to the ground and moved around Buck’s body. Japheth yanks me up off the ground by the back of the hair and holds me inches away from his face.
“Now, you’re going to be mine,” he threatened. He drops me back to the ground, with a thud, and the rest of the wolves dragged me away. I kicked and screamed so hard that I landed on my belly but they dragged me away anyway.
They carted me off mercilessly to the tree line. All I could see as I rounded the corner behind the trees was Buck’s body lifeless on the ground. My heart lurched. It didn’t look like he was going to get up this time. Japheth stood over him and laughed in triumph. He knelt and hoisted up Buck’s body, then tossed it into the bed of the truck. We were almost out of sight when I saw Japheth light a match and toss it into the truck with Buck. The flames took quickly, apparently Japheth had poured down some kind of accelerant. Japheth turned, morphing into a monstrous wolf in mid stride, and the back of the truck raged and engulfed itself in flames.
TO BE CONTINUED
Marked for Love Book 3
Chapter 1
“Where are you taking me?” I asked him for the third time. Neither of the werewolves were answering me. I was draped gracelessly over their Alpha Japheth’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes as they moved through the wood swiftly.
I was beyond angry, I was hurt
, I was in shock. I could still see the glow of the truck I knew had the body of the man who swore to protect me engulfed in flames. It was an after-image every time I closed my eyes.
What was I going to do now? What was so important, so special about me, that I was worth all of this fuss? Just yesterday night, I was living a normal life drifting from couch to couch trying to make ends meet. Yes, sometimes that meant being with men that I normally wouldn’t give two looks at just to have a place to stay for the night, but that struggle was nothing at all like what I’d been through tonight.
Learning that Buck, the man that picked me up off the street, the one that made love to me like no one ever had, was actually a werewolf was shocking enough but to have his entire house swarmed with werewolves hell-bent on fucking my brains out, marking me as there own, was almost more than I could handle. It was surreal. Like something out of a movie. If I could have, I would have pinched my own arm to wake myself from this nightmare.
Had it been yesterday, I might have loved the idea of that many men wanting me, craving me, thirsting for me, but ever since I met Buck, that all changed.
He made me, in just a few hours, feel special, like I belonged, like I was worth protecting, worth sacrificing his life for. He made me feel loved, needed, desired not only for my body but for my heart, for my soul. No one had ever bothered trying to make me feel like that. I was always just a good time. Someone to fuck, not someone to love. It was all I'd ever wanted. It was the secret desire of my heart.
And now, he was gone.
That beautiful man had sacrificed everything for me. To know that he’d been watching over me all these years in secret,when I didn’t even know it, had touched me deeply. No one, not even my parents had ever cared for me that much. All those years when I felt lost and alone, that no one gave a damn, to know he was only a fingertip away, meant more to me than anything. My eyes watered and nose burned just thinking about it. It wasn't fair. I finally got to have everything I'd ever wanted, but only for a moment. Now, it had been snatched away from me.
I’d lost the man I loved. The thought made my heart jump, yes, though it’d only been hours since we knew each other, I. loved. him. And though they’d taken him away from me, and though they’d likely all take their turns with me shoving their massive cocks in my mouth, down my throat and up inside of me, using me until there was nothing left, shaming and dirtying me until I was just a shell, they could never take away my love. That was mine. That love, even though it was new, was sacred. Nothing, not even these men, could take it from me.
***
By the time we stopped, I was so emotionally drained and exhausted that I’d knocked myself out, falling into a near delirious slumber. I was only awoken when I was dumped like a pile of logs inside some type of makeshift tent. The tent was ragged, made of weather-beaten leather. It shielded from the elements, but the ground was cold and uncomfortable and bare. I startled awake, my eyes widened as I looked around my surroundings like a frightened, cornered animal. The tent was a basic lean-to with two wooden posts as supports. It rested against a massive tree with rough, withered bark.
I tried to sit up, but I was chained to something. I pulled on my restraints and the clang of the chains rattled in my head, making it ache fiercely. I gasped in pain, going still. Anything to make the clanging din stop. I sat very still and looked up the length of chain. It was wound several times around the tree. The iron of the chain had the rusted patina of time, but was still very sturdy. I knew that even if I pulled and pulled, I would not be able to break the thick links.
I heard a rumble of laughter from a man lurking in the shadows. As he stepped out from them, I could see his massive build. He was broad shouldered, built like a fridge and just as tall. What scant light there was, danced on every cut, ridged muscle. Worse than his looming frame were the lazer-red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. I recognized him immediately as Buck’s evil, identical twin, Japheth. The very man who had tried to rape me earlier in the evening until Buck rescued me. I shrank back, immediately beginning to tremble in rage and fear.
“Relax,” he said, “Don’t use up all your energy. You’re going to need as much of it as you can muster today to deal with what we have planned for you.” When I squinted, I could see the white gleam of his teeth and the curl of his lip. He sneered at me, his elongated canines gleaming in the dim light.
“Let me go!” I commanded, yanking on my chains despite the throbbing pain in my head. They may have taken what they could from me, but for now, I still had my pride. I wasn't going down without a fight. I had manacles around my wrists that were bolted to the chains. I wasn't going anywhere, but I still had to try.
“Or what? What are you going to do? Even your little boyfriend couldn’t stop us. Humans. Foolish creatures. Don’t you understand? You’re not going until I’m done with you.” His slick tongue looped around his lips as though he were imagining devouring a big, juicy steak.
My skin crawled thinking about what he’d had planned for me. Last night, there were at least five of them that had planned to pummel my ass with their monstrous cocks or as one insinuated, “Fuck me in half”. And I knew that he meant it literally. These werewolves had an insatiable appetite for bottom boy submissives like me, and they were used to having their way one way or another. Even as I struggled against my bonds, I knew it was useless. If they wanted to break me, they were going to. The less fight I put up the better, but at this moment, my pride wouldn't allow defeat.
I knew that if I put up a fight, it would only turn them on more, but I would not be gang banged by them without a struggle, no way, no how. They could tear me limb from limb, and they just might, but I wasn't going to just lay there and take it. I had some dignity left.
“How could you do that to Buck?” I asked him, “What could be so awful that you would kill your own brother?” I couldn't understand it. I knew asking was a bad idea, but I had to know.
“You don’t know what your talking about!” Japheth exploded pouncing on me so fast, it made my head spin. He was completely transformed into a werewolf. It happened so fast, that my eyes couldn't even register the change. He was suddenly bigger, broader, more corded with bulky muscle. The fur on his form was dark and coarse and his scent was animalistic. His fiery eyes blazed and his fangs dripped with frothy saliva. His hot breath misted my face as he spoke and smelled faintly of copper.
“Watch your words. How dare you question me, I am the Alpha. I am the Alpha!”
I was pinned so hard against the ground, I couldn’t move an inch. The weight of this giant creature was almost unbearable, I worried he might crush my lungs in the process. His clawed hands were razor-sharp and I feared he might tear me to shreds if I even twitched a muscle. I stayed very still, holding my breath, waiting for him to calm down. If he ever would.
His hardened angry eyes investigated me, slowly transforming back into a human being. The bulk and hair receded, leaving smooth, taut skin. His eyes were still blazing like a hellish furnace, his canines were still too long for a normal human, but at least his claws weren't digging into my shoulders.
“What did you see in him anyway? Why would you choose him?” he asked. I thought, for a moment, he sounded almost defensive, almost hurt. Was he jealous of his brother? I wondered.
“He cared about me. He protected me. He loved me.” I said this with a proud loft of my chin. It was the truth.
“Liar!” he said, “He only cared about you because he knew you were the Special One. He knew that you would be the one that would deliver our people.”
“That’s not true,” I said, wondering who I was trying to convince more, him or myself. I can’t say the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. When Buck told me last night that his father had prophesied that a human would come into their pack that would unite their people, I wondered if he was just using me. Using me like every other man in my life. He’d told me that I was the one and that that was the reason Japheth wanted me so much. And I believed him but I h
ad wondered if that was the reason why he wanted me so much too. I didn’t think there was anything so special about me anyway. Sure, I was cute, many men had told me that. I was smaller than him but I was also toned and had a bubble butt men told me drove them wild. But I just didn’t see what all the fuss was about. There were a lot of cute guys that were even better looking than I was. I didn't understand it then, and I sure didn't understand what made me so unique now.
He loosened his grip on me, “You don’t know him like I know him. You think he’s some wonderful, flawless hero, but I know a dark side to Buck; a side that if you saw it, you would want nothing to do with him.” Japheth said this as though he were bragging, the jut of his square jaw arrogant. His full lips curled into another wicked smirk. He looked so self-satisfied. My expression soured and I looked away.
I didn’t want to hear any of this nonsense. The man I knew may not have been perfect, but he gave his life for me. When I looked away, he snatched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look up at him. Japheth's eyes looked deep within mine and for a moment, I saw them soften. They weren’t just burning with a deep and burning rage. They weren't sharp with jealousy either. No. They were full of pain and hurt. Wounded. Whatever he thought Buck had done to him must have been so bad that he still carried it with him. I could see the weight of it in his heavy gaze, feel it bear down on me.
“You’re hurting me, please get off,” I said, gasping for breath. I twisted my much smaller frame under his, my ribs aching. His weight was massive and it felt like being crushed by a heavy boulder.
He put his arms on either side of me, holding some of his weight off me so I could at least breathe, but he didn't get off, instead he sniffed at the air as if he were smelling my scent and his lips parted, his tongue swiping his thick lips.
