by Stacy Lee
“Angie, her name is Angie and she is Jack’s mate.” She sucks in her bottom lip, unconsciously biting it. I have to force my eyes back to hers. “Eleven tomorrow morning is when the Morp, the drug I gave you, will be out of your system. That’s when I can explain to you about how things work in my world without endangering your heart if you get upset.”
“I feel fine now. Please explain.” She says quietly but powerfully. Not pleading, but stating with demand. I shake my head.
“I tell you what. I will answer one of your questions but I get to pick it. If you handle that well enough then I might think about telling you more.” She nods, her teeth tighten on her lip enough to draw a small bead of blood. I fight to hold in the groan of need as I step forward closing the gap between us. The tantalizing aroma proving too much for my fragile wellbeing.
Very slowly I lift my hand to her chin making sure she knew my intentions before I touched her. Her eyes flare in alarm but she holds her ground. With a gentle tug I rescue her lip from her teeth then lean in mere millimeters from her mouth. “Yes.” I whisper as I let my tongue dart out to capture the sole drop of blood on her chin.
The flavor ignites over my tongue, brown sugar and vanilla. A hint of the Morp sours my taste buds but it does nothing to diminish the heavenly flavor of her. My eyes close against my will and I fight to control myself. I can also taste how pure she is, she hasn’t been touched by another man. I knew I heard the man in her dream say something along those lines but I thought he managed to accomplish his goal before she escaped him.
He hadn’t.
My body battles for control over my brain, begging me to take her now. My eyes flip open, she gasps and takes a step backwards. I fight to let her go.
“Get in the bed, Marnie. You need to sleep and I need a cold shower.” The words are strained even to my ears. Her eyes dart down to the hard ridge in my jeans then quickly back to my eyes. Fear ripe in not only her sapphire eyes but the tenseness of her expression.
“You aren’t going to tell me anything, are you?” She whispers while she backs away. A growl is ripped from my throat at her challenge. She leaps into the bed and covers herself to her chin.
“I am barely holding it together here. Do not challenge me again.” Unable to keep myself from following her to the bed, I force my feet to turn and leave the room. The instant I shut the door behind me my fangs punch through, the pain of them slicing open my lip is a relief at this point. I stumble to the bathroom and climb into the shower, clothes and all. Flipping on the cold water I stand there shivering, fighting for control. A fight that I was not accustomed to but had a feeling I would become very familiar with as long as I had Marnie to temp me.
****
What the hell have I gotten myself into this time? I knew from the minute I saw those impossibly green eyes this man was not normal but I never dreamed he was this far from normal. The man had fangs for crying out loud! Real honest to God, fangs!
I tried to convince myself I was seeing things but my imagination isn’t that good. I really saw them. Oh lord, his face when he licked the blood off my lip, the only word for it was bliss. His eyes had practically glowed! The man was in heaven at the tinniest taste of blood.
My blood!
Would he be like a dog with a bone now? Always wanting to chew on it, on me? My body shivers with the thought. Heat pools in my belly. No! That is not erotic! It is wrong, simply wrong! What is wrong with me? I need to get out of here.
Now.
I scramble from the bed and place my ear against the door. I can hear the water running in the shower and don’t think but run. Almost to the front door a knock sounds, I freeze.
“Dare? I brought the clothes you asked for.” Angie’s voice sounds on the other side. Clothes? Those had to be for me. I sprint forward then pause, how do I open it? There wasn’t a handle.
“I don’t know how to open the door.” I call out to her in a high pitch voice that would convey my panic to anyone who knew me. Thank goodness these people don’t know me. A light giggle sounds then the door opens on its own.
“You have to scan your thumb.” She points to a small box beside the door. “I waved at the cameras and they opened it for me. Hope you don’t mind.” I shake my head but stare at the closing door.
He had said something about the scanner when we entered the room. Also something about putting me in the system later. Without my thumb being in the system I couldn’t leave. Damn man. I would have to find a way out with her. She thrusts a pile of clothing towards me.
“They might be a little big, we aren’t built as small as you are but they were the smallest I could find.” She shrugs apologetically as I take the clothing. I try to smile at her but I don’t think I pull it off. Her eyes search my face then widen. “You were trying to run, weren’t you?” She whispers conspiratorially to me. Her eyes dart around the room obviously looking for Dare.
“He’s in the shower.” I supply weakly. She grabs my arm and pulls me towards the couch forcing me to sit.
“Look, I know I told him to wait to explain things to you but I think you should know you can’t run from him.” At my gasp she waves her hands around. “No, I don’t mean he will hunt you down, which he totally would by the way. I mean you seriously can’t. You have no choice but to finish this thing with him. You have already chosen, Marnie. There is no going back now.” I let out a frustrated sigh.
“I didn’t even know what I was choosing. I thought it was a dream. I didn’t ask for this. I don’t want to be here, Angie. I want to go home.” I sound every bit of my twenty years as I wine to her.
“I know, honey. But that is impossible now. Don’t worry, Dare is a man who prides himself on his control. He would never lose it with you like those men in your dreams did. He isn’t like that.” I snort. In the course of the last twenty four hours I had seen him loose control three maybe four times? I didn’t believe her for a second.
“Is that right? So the man who stood in that hallway and grew fangs because I was in a towel doesn’t lose his control? Yeah right.” Unable to help myself I let out a mirthless laugh at her bewildered look.
“His fangs dropped against his will?” She asks then cocks her head similar to how Dare did when we were running through the woods.
“By his reaction, I’d say that was a definite yes.” She begins to giggle. Again, I wasn’t finding things very funny.
“Oh, man. This must be so hard on him.” I quirk a brow at her. Hard on him? “You have to understand Dare to understand what you just said means. I have known that man for a hundred years and have never ever seen him loose control. From stories I’ve heard normally after The Choosing happens, The Claiming follows it pretty quick. Making him wait must be playing hell on him.” At my confused look she continues. I was still trying to process her knowing him a hundred years. How old was the man? Obviously not twenty five like I thought.
“I can’t explain it all to you, he has to. But let me put it this way. Have you ever gone shopping and found the perfect dress for you. I’m not talking ‘oh I really like this’ perfect. I’m talking ‘I cannot wait to wear this, maybe I’ll just wear it while I read a book tonight just because this dress is me’ perfect. Like you go home and call every girlfriend you have to see who will go out with you that night just so you can wear this perfect dress.” I give her a small smile and nod. Hadn’t every girl done that at least once?
“Marnie, you are the perfect dress he wants to wear. You are meant for him in every way and he is going crazy because he can’t put you on and strut his stuff in the club. You following me?” Oh. My. God! Yes, I was following her! My face turns three shades of crimson. “Oh, girl it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Patronus men are something else in bed, let me tell you. Mmm-mm-mmm.” She fans her face like it’s hot in here then giggles. I glance towards the hallway then back at her. When had the water stopped? I couldn’t hear Dare moving around or coming down the hall, so I quickly ask what I need to.
“Patronus men?” I question on a whisper but my eyes betray me by glancing to the hall again.
“Oh.” She covers her mouth with a slap, her eyes bulging out. “You don’t know that yet, do you?” I shake my head. Like a fire has been lit under her ass, she jumps to her feet and sprints to the door.
“I didn’t tell you that. You don’t know that word. Oh, by the fates, Dare is going to be pissed if he finds out I told you that.” My eyes grow panicked with her reaction. She stops abruptly then comes back to me. “I don’t mean it like that. Like I said, he enjoys control and I just took a small amount away from him by telling you that simple word. It’ll aggravate him and the man might give me the silent treatment, for like an hour, but nothing more.” She grins. “He can’t ignore me for long. Who do you think fixes him when he gets hurt?” Despite myself I laugh. I found myself liking Angie, a lot.
“Now, wait till he explains tomorrow before you make any snap decisions. Trust me, you will enjoy this life, Marnie and Dare will take care of you. He will never be like those men were. He doesn’t have it in him. Under all that control is a gentle man. I just know it.” She winks then runs out the door to leave me alone in the front room still holding a pile of clothes.
The door shuts behind her.
****
I have to say, Marnie not knowing what I am has its advantages. I heard her fleeing footsteps pass the bathroom and was on my way out to grab her when Angie knocked. I held myself behind the door with my hand on the knob waiting to see what would happen next. I didn’t particularly appreciate all the words Angie said but I did need to thank her for somewhat easing Marnie’s mind.
I stand waiting inside the door with a towel wrapped around my waist as her footsteps retreat back to our bedroom. She either realized she couldn’t get out of the door now that Angie left or she was planning on staying for an explanation. I sure hoped it was the later.
I didn’t want to force her to stay here but she had to know that she no longer had a choice. She handled her talk with Angie fine, maybe she could handle a little more. With determination in my stride I make my way into the room. She is sitting on the edge of the bed holding a pile of clothes to her breast. Her chin is tucked to her chest, her eyes closed, her shoulders slumped in defeat. For reasons I didn’t want to examine to closely, I didn’t want her to know I saw her like this.
On silent feet I back out of the room to the bathroom. I grab another towel and sling it over my head then walk back into the room as if I was drying my hair and making as much noise as possible. When I look up to her this time she is sitting with her shoulders back, her chin raised and the clothes neatly piled in her lap. Much better. I nod to the clothes before slinging the extra towel over my desk chair.
“Did Angie bring those?” I ask as if I didn’t hear their conversation. A small smile graces her lips as she nods. “Looks like you are in a little better mood. Did you have girl talk?” I try to joke with her but her smile falters, her face turns beet red. I have to turn away from her to hide my smile. How did I not see how innocent she was before now?
“Um, yes. We did. Please do not get upset with her but she let slip a word I would like to know the meaning of if you would be so kind as to give me an answer.” Her formal tone rankles me.
“And what word did she let slip, Marnie?” I question in the same tone she used.
“Patronus.” Of course, I knew it was coming but I was kind of hoping she had picked up on ‘The Claiming’ words instead. That was something I was going to enjoy telling her about, part of it anyway. I was already prepared for her cute little blush.
“Patronus, huh? And how did she let that word ‘slip’?” I turn to face her then lean back on the dresser stretching my legs in front of me, crossing them at the ankles and my arms across my chest. It does not escape my attention how her gaze takes in my barely covered body before she looks away, another pretty blush spreading across her cheeks. Damn I wish I could read her mind.
“Um…..She said something similar to, Patronus men are good in bed.” She clears her throat and fidgets with the clothes in her lap trying her best not to look at me.
“Did she now? I wish I could have been a fly on the wall of that conversation.” I chuckle. Of course I had been, sort of, I wasn’t a fly. That was one of the few forms shifters did not take, therefore I couldn’t either.
“Where would you like me to put these?” She asks in a voice way too high for her. I bite the inside of my lip to keep from laughing. Her embarrassment shouldn’t be this amusing to me.
“Let me clear you out a spot.” I push off the dresser then squat in front of it to move some of my clothing. Behind me she inhales sharply when the towel falls with my movements. Leaving it on the floor I look over my shoulder in time to see her wide eyes scanning what was revealed. Finished, I stand to my full height and turn to face her. Immediately her lip is sucked into her mouth, she begins to gnaw on it as she takes in all of me. And all of me turns hard instantly with her innocent wide eyed expression.
“Like what you see, Marnie?” Her eyes whip to mine, her face turns the reddest it’s been so far, and she bites down harder on her lip but doesn’t answer. We stay that way, eye to eye, for almost five minutes before she finds the courage to speak.
“Please, Dare. Cover up.” She gulps hard, her gaze flits down to the towel on the floor, pausing only a brief second on my groin as it goes. With a deep chuckle I turn back to the dresser and pull out a pair of sweat pants then slide them on before facing her again. She visibly relaxes.
I leave the empty drawer open for her and head for my side of the bed. The minute my body hits the mattress she jumps up and runs to the dresser, placing the meager amount of clothes in the drawer.
“Tomorrow you can use my computer to order any clothing you need online.” I state as I get comfortable on top of the covers. I wasn’t ready to let her off the hook yet. I liked her nervous and edgy, it kept her questions at bay.
“I would like to go home to my house and my clothing, please.” She places her hands on the dresser and leans forward as if wishing for patience, her back still to me.
“That’s not possible Marnie but I can arrange your things to be brought here if you’d like. Anything you want that has special meaning to you or all of it if you prefer.” She shakes her head minutely.
“You can’t bring my house. That’s what I want, my house, my things, my furniture. My bed in my room, my mother’s necklace in my jewelry box on my dresser in my room. Why do you want to keep me here against my will?” If she would have yelled this at me I think I would have understood her issue, but her voice stays even and unemotional. The ‘my’ the only word that changes infliction.
“Because you are mine.” She whips around to face me, her eyes heated with anger.
“No. I am mine. I belong to myself. I don’t need a man. I don’t want a man. I hate men. Men have been nothing but trouble for me. Nothing but lies and pain! Do you not understand this, Dare?” It’s the most honest verbal reaction I have heard from her yet. With a set determination I pull myself from the bed and stalk to her. I don’t miss the minute widening of her eyes or the way her hand settles against her chest and how her breathing picks up. I stop directly in front of her, so close her breasts brush my chest when she takes a breath.
“I understand your fears, Marnie. I saw what they did to you but I am not like them. I will not hurt you. I do not make promises, they are too hard to keep, but I can and will promise you I will never lay a hand on you in anger. Real men do not hit women.” I gently brush the hair away from her face. She recoils. “I also will never lie to you. I might be skirting your questions at the moment, with good reason I might add, but I will never lie.” I place my hand over hers on her chest and try to ignore her flinch. “Your chest is hurting again and your breathing is too fast. Come to bed and calm down. I will explain it all to you tomorrow. If you cannot sleep I can get Angie to give you something if you like.” She shakes her head furiously.
“No. I don’t like drugs of any kind. My uncle used to drug me at night after a bad beating to keep my sobs quiet so he could sleep. Please, don’t drug me again.” The last is a whispered plea.
“I won’t. Now come lay down.” I take her hand and lead her to the bed then wait for her to climb in and cover up before I go to my side. She tenses as I climb in beside her. The bed trembles with her fear. “Nothing is going to happen tonight, Marnie. Only sleep.” I pull her into my arms then reach up and flip off the light with the switch by the bed. She lies stiffly in my arms for a long time before her body finally relaxes into sleep.
Chapter Five
I wake in strong arms, my head resting against a hard chest, his hand tangled in my hair, my hand gripping his thigh to hold him closer to me. My breathing stops as I realize what I’m doing. I was cuddling with the enemy. His hand begins to move soothingly over my hair, his other tightens minutely on my waist where it rests.
“Don’t move, don’t think, just enjoy the morning, Marnie.” His sleep filled voice mumbles above me, the sound vibrating his chest tickles my cheek. I let myself give in to his demand and relax onto him. However, I slide my hand off his thick thigh to grip the sheet in a fist. His bare chest against my face sends the same electrical sparks through my body as his touch had previously. Desire, plain and simple, pools in my belly and growing stronger the longer I lay here touching him. Under my hip I feel something else growing which causes my breath to catch.
“I can’t stop my body’s reaction to you but until I explain things I can control whether I act on it or not.” Was that supposed to reassure me? It didn’t. His stomach grumbles loudly and I forget all about other parts of him.
Did he drink blood for breakfast? Would he drink mine? They had real food inside the tent that night but was that for them or someone else? They would want to keep their food fed and fat, right?
