by Godiva Glenn
When Sky picked out a spot and adjusted the collar’s range to give them each a little more comfort space, he nearly collapsed.
He sucked down the drugged water, ignoring the voice in his head that guessed that Sky couldn’t possibly be monitoring his dosage at this point. Meaning he could probably easily overdose on the wolfsbane, even in its “cultivated” formula. Perhaps it was a risk worth taking, though. At least then he wouldn’t give his captors the satisfaction of any live torture.
The empty bottle crinkled in his hand as he sat on the hard ground and watched Sky build a fire. Would she torture him? Likely. She seemed the type for revenge.
As if she could read his mind, she glanced in his direction. Resolve crossed her serious brow and she dug through the pack. Some rustling later and she held up what he’d now determined to be some protein-slash-energy bar infused with what could only be pure magic.
There was no other explanation for her ability to walk all fucking day. The determination fueling her could be bottled and sold.
She tossed the bar to him and at first, he thought he’d imagined it. He reached down to his ankle where it had landed.
He bit back a ‘thank you’ because she didn’t deserve it and turned his back to her as he broke the bar into small pieces to avoid swallowing it whole. Nevermind that he wasn’t a huge fan of fruit. The dense and stale blueberry flavored chunks were instantly the best thing he’d eaten in his entire life.
After a few minutes, he stood and stretched. He wasn’t exactly energized, but he knew this was it for the day and aimed to sleep a little better than the previous night, if that was at all possible. So maybe they weren’t magic. That didn’t make his situation less precarious. It made it terrifying. Somehow, Sky was pushing past limits that even he found difficult. What was she? A robot? She smelled damn good, though.
Sky had a small inflatable mat and blanket, and used her jacket and pack as a pillow. It wasn’t perfect, but obviously, it did the job well enough to keep her going. Being lupine made roughing it a little easier, but not enough to continue the daily hikes, even if he got a few protein bars along the way.
He poked around the perimeter while she pulled out her notes and slipped on her headlamp.
“Do you write about me?” he asked, though he could guess the answer.
“Only what I think is relevant.”
“Isn’t relevance subjective? Seems like an incomplete report to file.”
Her face turned his way for a moment. “Expected behavior is hardly worth recording.”
“Then I’m behaving unexpectedly?”
The headlamp switched off and she put the notebook aside carefully. “You aren’t as violent as I anticipated. As I was briefed to prepare for. That first night, sure. But now…”
“Probably because I’m not a monster. I’m not a beast that needs to be put down.”
“You are. But you play human very well. Your occasional cordial demeanor is just an adaptation, nothing more. Your civility as much an act as your human form is a lie.”
His brows raised at her assessment. “I’m not a lie. In this form, I’m no different than you.”
She made an amused sound. “Right. Except that human males don’t ooze pheromones that cloud women’s minds and morals.”
He knew that all lupine gave off something that made them more appealing to humans but didn’t buy it completely. Most lupine were also attractive to a fault. It wasn’t just pheromones that made women talk to him. And even so, it’s not like he’d never struck out.
“Is that the new excuse, then? That night you just fell into my arms because I smelled good?”
“Hardly.” She crossed her legs and leaned toward the fire. “I’m immune to that.”
“Right.”
She ignored him and nudged at the still growing flames with a long stick.
“Why is it so easy for you to call me a beast? “
“We both know what you are. You have a fancy term for it, but mine is simpler and more accurate.”
“Lupine and humans can exist together peacefully.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t have to hide.”
He rolled his eyes. The truth was that humans had an inherent fear of the unknown and different. The lupine had tried again and again to live with humans. As wolves, they were hunted down to near extinction. In their true form, they were feared and often attacked out of that panic.
But to his knowledge, even the packs that thought of humans as inferior garbage didn’t hunt them down. Didn’t kill them for sport or out of boredom. Not that Sky wanted to hear any of that.
“If you think that and think that me being a decent guy is a ploy, then I suppose I can’t win you over no matter what I say or do. Seems a bit unfair.”
“Unfair? Unfair is the kids that grow up without parents thanks to beasts like you,” she said in a faint voice. Her demeanor had changed, and she stared forward as if haunted. “Pretending to be a victim and calling yourself a decent guy is a slap in the face when I know your true nature.”
The dark twist on conversation confused him and he squatted down to see where it went. “How is that?”
“Beasts murdered my parents,” she said.
“What?” He shook his head. “I rather doubt that.”
“Why? Because you can usually cover your tracks? It was witnessed. They did nothing and a lupine tore them apart for fun.” Her voice shook and she stared at him across the fire.
“But did you see?” Accidents happened, sure, but it seemed unlikely that any lupine would murder humans for fun. That would put every lupine at risk for exposure. And even if it were true, chances are that individual had been long since handled by their pack or whatever pack caught them. “Killing isn’t acceptable in our world any more than it is in yours.”
“So? It still happens in both.”
“I’m sorry for your parents, I am,” he insisted. “I can’t imagine the circumstances that would lead to them dying at the hands of a lupine.”
A silver sheen flickered across her eyes, making him sit back. It lasted only a moment but had startled him. A trick of the fire?
“There weren’t circumstances. You’re all beasts. You have strength and tricks and you use them against us. The Wardens only wish to remove your advantage. Give humans a fighting chance,” she said firmly.
He held his tongue. He wanted to know more about what happened with her parents, mainly because it sounded like bullshit to him, but hounding her for details wouldn’t help his case.
She stood and retreated away from the fire. The discussion was definitely over. His collar hummed, indicating that he was now too close for her comfort. He backed away and settled on the flattest patch of dirt he could find without going beyond his allowed distance.
A new plan was in order. Talking with Sky was getting him nowhere, and it was increasingly difficult to play nice with a brainwashed lunatic. He needed to find a way to get her physically close.
FOUR
Three years ago, Kalle had been next in line to be alpha of the Edon pack. Several disappointing alphas had all but run the pack into the ground, but Kalle was positive he could turn things around.
He had plans to get their finances back in check and move away from the hubris that got leader after leader into trouble. He never bought into the idea that there was such a thing as a pure bloodline in the lupine community, but his alpha and most pack mates disagreed. Not that their pristine heritage kept them from gambling the pack’s money away. Likewise, it didn’t keep the pack’s territory from being sold away to cover debts.
By the time the Edon pack dissolved, they had nothing. And to the other lupine packs, they were a joke.
Kalle and his sister were dumped into the Sarka pack, which was led by Ian. Ian was every bit as ridiculously obsessed with bloodlines, except his pack flourished. He didn’t suffer the grand delusions of Kalle’s previous alpha.
As a result, Kalle realized too late that his sister Sierra had b
een brainwashed into thinking that there was only one true way to be lupine. She went from being sweet and quiet to violent and brazen. Her boldness elevated her within the Sarka pack, but not enough to make the males willing to court her.
She and Kalle were considered trash. Their pure blood was tainted by the Edon pack’s failure.
Watching Sky made Kalle wonder what his sister was up to in this very second. Walking beneath the shadows of dense forest canopy behind her felt like a procession that would end in his death, and his biggest regret was that he’d never see his baby sister again.
“Can we take a break?” he asked.
Sky glanced over her shoulder but didn’t reply.
He stopped and crossed his arms. After a moment she turned and exhaled with annoyance.
“This again?”
“Aren’t you tired?”
She brushed a hand through her hair and shrugged. “Yes, but I can rest when the mission is done.”
“That’s great, but I don’t think I’ll be getting any rest then. So, could I have it now?”
“I’ve been gracious enough.”
He laughed under his breath. “Right.”
“You get enough breaks,” she said with a glare. “As if you need to pee every hour on the hour. Don’t think I’m not on to you.”
She had him there, but he wasn’t coming clean. “Probably a side effect of drinking wolfsbane day in and day out.”
She turned to continue walking.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to freshen up?”
She glanced back.
“There’s a stream nearby. Are you going to pretend you wouldn’t appreciate some cool water to splash on your face?” He smiled innocently. “May be easier to sleep at night if we didn’t smell so ripe, too.”
In his mind was the bliss of cool water between his toes. He assumed she had to be imagining the same, as her expression grew distant and relaxed.
“How do you know there’s a stream?”
“I can hear it.” He pointed to the east. “It’s not far from us. We can clean up some.”
She shifted on her feet. “We’re almost out of water. I could refill.”
“You have a filter?”
“Of course, I do.”
He wasn’t concerned for himself, of course. Whatever bacteria lurked in the water was null to his lupine tolerance. But if she keeled over from whatever hidden nasties she ingested, he’d be more than a little inconvenienced.
“Is that a yes to some splashing and relaxation?”
She grumbled under her breath. “Lead the way. This better not be a trick.”
It only took a few minutes to find the source of gently flowing water. Sky hurried over and fussed with a bright green patch in one shallow area by some rocks. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Watercress?”
“Yes.” She pulled out a bunch and inspected it while looking around. Her fingers brushed a tall, darker plant aside. “But this is water hemlock.”
“You must spend a lot of time outdoors,” he observed. He knew a fair amount about edible foliage and could identify a handful of mushrooms, but he had reason to. He grew up in the woods. He yanked his shirt off and kicked his shoes to the side.
Swirling a hand in the water, eyes still on the plants she was picking over, she gave a nod. “I’ve had to. Though I’ve always felt uncomfortable out here.”
He stripped down and entered the stream at the deepest point. The water barely hit him mid-thigh, but it was refreshing. He’d managed to splash himself over completely before Sky realized.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she screeched.
He poured a handful of cool water over his shoulder. “I’m getting clean. I assumed you would too.”
Her cheeks blossomed with bright red and she looked away from his naked body. He watched her as he continued to remove the last few days’ worth of dirt and sweat. Occasionally she’d glance over her shoulder, and when she did, they’d make eye contact that seemed to infuriate her.
“You can rinse off. I won’t look,” he promised.
She scoffed. “Sure, you wouldn’t.”
“I know what you think of me but I’m not a voyeur.”
“Are you saying I am?”
He laughed and ran his hands through his wet hair. “No. Though… shouldn’t you pay attention in case I’m up to no good? Don’t you still fear this is a trick?”
She turned to face him and kept a straight face as she stared into his eyes. “I didn’t think so before, but now I do.”
“I didn’t think my nudity would bother you,” he said. “You think I’m a beast. You call me a dog.”
“It surprised me,” she said. “It doesn’t affect me at all. You are a beast and you’re definitely not my type.”
He arched a brow. His hand gripped his length—which granted, was a little shrunken compared to his usual splendor, but was still magnificent—and gave it a tug. “I’m tall, dark and handsome, complete with a six-pack and thick cock. I’m everyone’s type.”
Her eyes flickered down to where he touched himself. Quick, but he caught it.
“You’re delusional.” Her voice lacked a bit of conviction.
“The water is nice and deep here. We can share.” He took a step to the side and motioned beside him. “Since I don’t affect you, what’s the harm?”
She looked beyond him in an obvious effort to keep from staring. He knew what he looked like. He wasn’t truly vain, but he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t handsome and in peak physical shape, just as most lupine males were.
He sank into the water, crouching low until he was up to his neck.
“Stop that,” she said.
He ignored her, planning to milk this break for all he could. He closed his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath and lowered himself completely under the water, reveling in the gentle flow through his hair. Opening his mouth, he took a gulp. It wasn’t exactly clean but at least it wasn’t laced with drugs.
An arm reached around him, and startled, he opened his eyes. Sky yanked on him, pulling in vain. He straightened up, grabbing hold of her lean arms and shaking her.
“What’s wrong with you?” he growled.
“I thought you were trying to drown yourself,” she hissed.
He groaned but in that same moment realized he had her. He held her tight against himself. “Release me.”
“What?” She twisted against him, but he kept her arms pinned down. She was strong—deceptively so—but he was stronger.
“You heard me. Let me go. Don’t make me hurt you.”
“No! Hurt me if you want, but I can’t let you go.”
His hand slid down her wrist but stopped at the bracelet. A single swipe of her finger was enough to shock him. He didn’t want to risk touching it and rendering himself unconscious. “Don’t test me.”
“You can’t go free,” she said between clenched teeth.
She struggled against him, and out of nowhere, his wolf wandered forward. He froze as he felt the connection, but even as he acknowledged the strange appearance, he became aware of Sky’s body against him. Her wet shirt now translucent. Her breasts pushed against him. Her legs tangled with his as she still fought to get loose.
“Tell me how to remove the collar and you can go,” he hissed.
“Never,” she said through clenched teeth.
His hand was massive around her slender arm. Even without his lupine strength, he could snap her wrist. Crush her hand. He’d at least have the bracelet then, and she’d likely be in enough pain to talk.
Closing his eyes, he took her trembling hand in his. He pressed against the flat side of her thumb. All it would take to slide the bracelet free was to break this single bone. It didn’t have to be messy, but it would be painful.
“What are—oh god,” she whimpered.
The pain vibrated in her voice, and he’d barely done a thing. He looked down to check her face, but her face was turned away. They were so close. In a twisted
way, it was intimate. He was naked. She was flattened against him. And he was trying to fracture her hand. It made him sick.
He leaned down, hoping to whisper a reassuring lie. That it would be okay. That it would be over quickly. Instead, his lips brushed the top of her head and kissed her wet hair. Beneath the sweat, beyond the scent of earth and stream and fury and fear, she was sweet.
Everything had fallen apart in the last few seconds. He couldn’t hurt her. His wolf seemed to agree with the decision, even if it was one that had been made in an instant. He took a deep breath and fought the urge to nuzzle her wet hair.
Stunned by his own reaction, he shoved her away. She hurried to the bank, hand fumbling over her bracelet, but no pain came to him. “I don’t understand,” she muttered. “I don’t…”
“Sky?”
“We should continue on.” She turned away, but he saw the tears shining in her eyes as she pretended nothing had happened.
He muddled through the confused thoughts bombarding him. Why wasn’t she yelling at him? Threatening him? He’d almost hurt her. All he could do was join her in the denial. “You should dry off, first.”
Nodding, she glanced down at herself. “You made me wet.” Her mouth became a thin line as her words dawned on her. “You know what I meant.”
“Why would I drown myself?” he asked, changing the subject.
“To trick me. Or to escape.”
He swiped down his body, flinging away the excess water as he joined her on the shore. “No. I was getting clean, as I said.”
She turned away and his collar buzzed. The range was back. He side-stepped, giving her distance.
She waited long enough to let him grab his clothing then walked quickly back in the direction they’d come from.
His wolf was gone. Gone too was a large sliver of his anger. He still wanted freedom, but he was having a tough time blaming her for his situation, which was insane since she’d put him into it. Yet someone else had put her here. Sky didn’t simply decide to hunt him. She’d been tasked and convinced it needed to be done.
