For The Love Of The Wolf

by Harmony Raines

  It was a good plan, his brother was older and wiser than Till, he would be the next pack leader, and no one deserved it more. Till did as he was told, turning and leaping off into the forest, and heading towards the cottage.

  His brothers moved away from Alissia's cloak, carefully obscuring their own tracks, but leaving the trail of Seb’s footprints easy to see. They tracked now by scent, not sight, and it was not long before they caught up with the kidnapper. His progress was slow, the weight of carrying his captive through the snow, and denser trees, beginning to take its toll.

  ***

  Till reached the cottage, changing to human form as he leapt the steps, just as he had the day before when he had met Alissia. The thought of her, the touch of her and the smell of her, came crowding in, taking over his senses. He unlatched the door and pushed it open. Grabbing the clothes he had left there, he dressed quickly.

  While he pulled on his pants his eyes fell on the note she had left. He read it quickly, placed it back on the table and raced back out of the door, pulling it to behind him. Taking the steps in his stride, he was off into the forest, cutting across to get to where the villagers would now probably be finding Alissia's cloak.

  He got there just after they had, there were about ten of them, some he recognised from the times he ventured into the village to trade, others he did not know. Some were armed with axes and knives; the villagers did not come together often for such a thing. Everybody trusted each other, they all knew each other, and rarely did anything happen above a bit of drunkenness that got out of hand. This was different though, they had heard Alissia scream, and knew it was serious.

  They looked up as he drew nearer, an old man spoke, Till knew him a little, having traded with him in the past. “Till, did you see what happened? We heard a scream, Alissia's father here, said she had come looking for you.”

  He indicated a well dressed man, who Till had seen with Alissia once or twice, Till had never met him before though. The man looked worried, he was eyeing Till suspiciously, of course he would, Alissia had told him that she was coming to see him, and it was his name she had called. The blame would automatically fall on him, unless he could show them otherwise.

  “No, I heard a scream, it sounded like Alissia, so I came as quick as I could.” He glanced at the cloak; Alissia's father had it in his hands. He gripped it hard so the whites of his knuckles showed.

  “There's blood on the ground, and her cloak.” The old man carried on, “But no sign of Alissia.” He turned back to the scuffled footprints in the snow, Till bent down to look at them. Of course he knew where they headed, but had to play the part of studying them.

  “The blood is still fresh, one set of tracks lead off that way. If we are quick we should find her.” He stood up, following the tracks in the snow, relieved that no one had spotted any wolf tracks, his brother's had done a good job of hiding all trace.

  “One set of tracks?” Alissia's father was speaking now. “Why only one set?”

  “She maybe being carried,” Till answered.

  “Or she may have run away from someone.” Alissia's father did not hide the accusation from his voice.

  “When we find her, you can ask her.” This was not exactly how Till would have liked the first conversation with his future father-in-law to go, but all he wanted to do was find Alissia. He could not risk giving anything else away, he had to act human, so he said nothing more, instead turning back to follow the tracks.

  There was a murmur of voices behind him, it did not last long though, and soon they were following behind him, just about managing to keep up with his pace. Till wanted to run, run as fast as his human form could take him. A powerful need to find Alissia, as fast as he could, filled him.

  The only thing that kept him from doing exactly that was the knowledge it would be better for them to find Seb together. To make sure that he got the blame so that it could not be twisted in any way that would implicate Till. Being an outsider it would be easy for Seb to make them believe he only wanted to save Alissia from Till, and they would believe Seb over a common man, Till knew that.

  So they hurried along, Till clinging on to the hope that Alissia was all right, that his brothers could prevent Seb hurting her. He thought he caught sight of wolf fur in the trees, and he wondered if they were getting close. Seb had not had that much of a head start, and judging from the tracks in the snow, he was struggling under the added weight. His tiredness given away by the dragging of his feet in the snow.

  Then he thought he saw someone through the trees, still quite a way in front of the group. He stopped, pointing to where he had seen Seb. The men looked, but could not see anything. Till motioned for them to be quiet, and they all carried on at a faster pace, footfalls lost in the snow, trying not to let anyone know they were coming for fear it might make Alissia's captor hurt her.

  A few minutes more, he caught a glimpse again, this time one of the others did too, they pushed on, the sight of their quarry spurring them on faster.

  ***

  Consciousness started to return, Alissia could feel a swinging motion, this coupled with the headache that thumped at her temples made her feel sick. She tried to piece together what had happened, remembering how she had left the village this morning, and trying to work out where she was now.

  As she became more awake, everything that had happened returned to her. Seb! Seb had hit her, and was now carrying her through the snow, which explained the swinging motion, and the headache.

  Alissia did not know if she was in a fit state to get away from him. If she overbalanced him, would she be able to get up and run? He had caught her before, but she could tell by his slow pace how tired he was.

  “A few more minutes,” she thought, “I will feel better then, and he will be even more fatigued.” So she lay still, letting him carry on, and feeling him struggle as he trudged through the snow.

  He stumbled. Now was her chance, she shifted her weight, they both rolled forward, he grunted as he hit the ground. Alissia hoped he was winded, as she pushed herself away from him and to her feet. His hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, dragging her back to him.

  “You can't run from me. I will find you. I'll always find you,” Seb shouted at her.

  Kicking him as hard as she could with her free foot, she tried to get him off. Her foot connected with his head in a sickening thud, his grip loosened and she got to her feet and ran.

  “Alissia! Alissia!”

  She turned to her father's voice. What was he doing here? Then she saw the small group of men. At the front was Till, behind him her father began to run towards her. Till stood still, Alissia's father came to her, while the other men ran to Seb, picking him up off the ground, then binding his hands behind his back.

  He was rambling on about saving Alissia from Till, but the men had seen enough with their own eyes to know he had taken Alissia by force.

  Till felt like an outsider, as he always did with the villagers. He was different to them. He saw now what a sacrifice Alissia was making to be his mate. Perhaps he should just let her go, let her be what her father had raised her to be. Did he have the right to ask her to lead a different life with him?

  Alissia hugged her father, and then turned to Till. She held out a hand to him, he could not refuse her, and he needed to touch her, feel her skin, and know for sure she was safe. He walked towards her, her face lighting up as he drew near.

  Despite the dried blood on her face, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. However, the sight of the blood, and the thought of what Seb had done to her, nearly conquered him. If the others had not been there, if he had found Seb alone, he would have killed him for hurting her.

  “Till, this is my father,” she introduced her father, who had placed the red cloak protectively over her shoulders. She looked her father in the face, trying to read his expression. “Father, this is Till.”

  For a moment the two men stood, neither of them knowing what to say, then her father held out his
hand to Till. “Thank you for helping to find my daughter, Till.”

  Till shook his hand, something he was not used to doing. “I would do anything for her.”

  “Yes, Alissia has told me, and now I have seen it for myself.” He turned back to Alissia, giving a long sigh, before looking at Till. “Alissia has also told me you plan to marry.”

  Till was taken aback. “Yes.”

  “I have given Alissia my blessing. When she has recovered, we can all discuss it. For now, let's get you home.” He kissed Alissia on the head, pulling her into a tight embrace, full of relief.

  Between the two men, she managed to walk most of the way back towards the village, until finally exhaustion crept over her and she stumbled. Till picked her up and carried her the rest of the way home, her father voiced no complaints, his face a mask of worry and concern for her health.

  The others were already some way in front of them with Seb; they were taking him to the magistrate's office to be dealt with there. She knew there would be questions to be answered, but for now, they took her home, Till placing her carefully down in front of the fire in the little sitting room of her father’s house.

  Mrs Donald made hot drinks, and Till helped Alissia sip hers, holding it against her lips and encouraging her to drink. She caught a glimpse of her father, a mixed expression on his face. Her heart ached for him, he now saw how much Till meant to her, and how much Till cared for her. With that knowledge came the realisation that he was going to have to let her go. Their conversation of the previous night now a firm reality.

  At some point Till carried her upstairs to bed. Mrs Donald came and helped her undress, and she slipped under her warm covers and went to sleep. Her last thought was whether Till was now downstairs asking her father for her hand in marriage. She only hoped her father would say yes and then she would be under Till’s protection for the rest of her life.

  She did not allow the thoughts of what Seb might have done to her invade her dreams. Instead, she pictured her wolf and the little cottage in the woods. It was spring and the windows were open, the blossom was on the trees and she was happy, sitting on the steps watching him come to her his, fur catching the sunlight as he approached before he changed into a man. Her man.

  Chapter Five

  “So my love,” Till said kissing her gently. “What does it feel like to be married to a wolf?”

  They had been married for over a week now; she still could not quite believe it. Every morning she woke up thinking it had all been a dream and she would find herself back in the village without him. Then she would catch sight of him lying next to her and know it was for real.

  Her father had arranged everything, and his acceptance of them being together had meant the village had accepted it too, on the whole. There were still some who were prejudiced, and she guessed they always would be. People were afraid of the unknown, and Till and his family had always kept themselves to themselves.

  The funny thing was, in a strange way, Seb had made things easier for them. People had shown great concern for Alissia, and how she had suffered at the hand of Seb. Most people now thought she needed a man to protect her, and Till was indeed a man in every sense of the word.

  She smiled to herself at how the young women of the village could not help but flirt with him. The same could be said of his brothers, at the wedding they were in demand all evening, with women queuing up to dance with them. Alissia was pleased there had been no trouble. Although the flirting might have bothered her if she did not know that Till loved her, and they were mated for life.

  Till pulled her close to him, and she enjoyed the kisses he rained down on her face, his arousal obvious in the press of his cock against her thigh. They had made love so many times since the wedding she had lost count, and she wondered if she already carried his child.

  They lay in the bed in the loft of her grandmother's old house, Till had altered a few things, and now it really felt like home, her home, their home. Soon she hoped it would be their children's home too. That would complete their happiness, but until that time, she was determined to make the most of every moment they shared.

  He was moving down her body, kissing her, stroking her skin, igniting her need for him. Becoming more awake, she ran her hands through his hair, revelling in the feel of him, her man, intent on giving her pleasure. Over the flat of her stomach he moved, down the inside of her thighs leaving a trail of kisses, which burned her skin.

  He was teasing her, knowing she wanted him inside her, and yet hanging back, making her writhe under him. Till lifted his head to look at her, as she craned her neck to watch him. He smiled at her, and she shifted her weight so his hand brushed the sensitive bundle of nerves between her legs. However, there was no relief, if anything it made things worse, now she felt as if her whole body was screaming out for his touch. He simply took his time, watching her every move.

  “What big eyes you have,” said Alissia. Teasing could go both ways, and she hoped to goad him into touching her where she needed him to most.

  “All the better to see you with, my love.” Till said, spreading her thighs apart and looking at the pink wetness of her sex.

  “What big hands you have.” Alissia could feel the heat rising in her whole body as he gazed at her.

  “All the better to touch you with, my love.” His hand moved towards her, sliding up and down her wet slit. He dipped one finger, then another inside, watching as they disappeared inside the slick heat of her pussy,

  Alissia groaned at the feel of him inside her, pushing her body down so he went deeper. He looked up at her, enjoying the way she responded to him.

  “And what a big tongue you have.” Alissia laughed, knowing what was coming.

  “All the better to taste you with, my love.” With that, his head disappeared between her thighs. Alissia almost came straight away as he licked the length of her slit, pushing just inside the lips of her labia, then it travelled to her clit where he licked her with the flat of his tongue before doing it all over again.

  She squirmed as he carried on torturing her with his tongue; it was the sweetest kind of pain, and one she could withstand for eternity. He was an expert at making her body respond to him, and she thrust her mound forward, offering herself to him. Pushing his fingers deeper, he hooked them slightly, sliding them in and out until he found the spot inside her that always made her come.

  Her orgasm overtook her; his tongue licked her clit, adding to the powerful waves of pleasure washing over her. She cried out, her hands clutching at him, pushing into his hair and scratching his back like some wild animal. This was what he unleashed in her, a creature that longed to be freed by him.

  He touched and tasted her until she was spent, and then he kissed her thighs, allowing her some time to compose herself before he raised his head and moved to lie by her side. Alissia turned and looked at him, tears of joy pricking her eyes; she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, before sliding her hand down his body to find his thick rigid cock.

  He groaned when she wrapped her hand around it and began to stroke him, her hand sliding up and down him. The first drop of pre come appeared, she felt it sticky on her hand, for a few moments she carried on stroking him, and then she stopped, wanting him to come inside her.

  There was no objection from Till, she lay on her back and spread her legs for him, and he slid between them eager to enter her. Knowing she was wet and ready for him, he did not take his time, wanting to fill her swiftly. He guided his cock to her slick entrance, and pushed forward, her sex gripping him tightly while he moved until he was buried up to the hilt.

  She felt stretched, her sex struggling to yield to his girth so quickly, and yet it was a feeling she enjoyed like no other. He was inside her, they were joined, mates for life. There was nothing like this in the entire world, and she was thankful every day that things had turned out the way they had.

  When he moved inside her, she felt her orgasm building, he could make her come so quickly, but this m
orning he wanted it to last. His thrusts were gentle; he slid out of her and then filled her again, taking his time, watching her face enjoying every expression of intense pleasure flitting over it.

  He was in control, setting the rhythm and the pace, and in this one thing, she loved giving power to him. He controlled her pleasure, yet his ultimate goal was always the same, to make her come hard around him.

  She placed her hands on his back and dug her fingernails into him, spurring him on. Again, he ignored her insistence and kept to his own pace, slow and steady. Her sex slick with her arousal allowing him to move easily.

  Alissia used her mouth, tasting his skin with her lips, and then nipping him with her teeth, but he remained in control.

  To tease her further he lowered his mouth and covered her nipple with it, sucking the little bud in hard, and rolling his tongue over it. Her hips bucked, she wanted to come, for all these sensations to join together in one mind blowing event.

  Yet he did not speed up his rhythm, taking things leisurely. Alissia rose to her orgasm, painfully slowly, normally she did not mind but now her body craved release, and her frustration was starting to peak. She lifted her hips, her clit rubbing against his body, this helped, but she wanted him to be stronger and rougher with her.

  Leaning down, contorting her body a little she used her ultimate weapon, moving her body so that she could cup his balls in her hand and fondle them. Squeezing them gently, and then digging her nails into the soft sacks, just a little was enough.

  He grabbed her hand, pulling it up and placing it over her head, and then grasped the other one to join it. Now fully in control again he rode her harder, his thrusts becoming more urgent. Again, his mouth sucked on her nipples, his teeth grazing them until they were quite sore.

  She moved under him, her clit craving attention, he knew, he always knew what she needed, and so he lifted her leg and changed the angle of his body, his fingers now able to brush her clit. He pinched it, in an exquisite way, the pain too much and she crashed over the edge of her orgasm, her hands straining against his as she arched her back and cried out.