BRINLEY’S POV
I was numb. I'd gone into town, as required, and returned with the list of supplies Lena had given me. It was dark. I trudged up to the two bedroom rundown house. Lena stood in the little kitchen and barked, "Once you put away the supplies, strip and be on your way. Your clothing will remain here.
Each morning, you will report to me, get dressed and go to work. When finished, you will return, get undressed and get out of my sight."
"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled. I kept my head down. I didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking. She was thrilled not to have to deal with me anymore and even more excited at my suffering. She took special satisfaction in my pain.
Silently, I put the supplies away and walked into the small bedroom I used to call mine. Tears washed down my cheeks as I realized there wasn't anything in there that I cared about losing or leaving behind.
Except one...
I reached under the bed and pulled out a small teddy bear. It was a gift from my mother. I slept with it every night but always kept it hidden from Lena. If she knew I cared about it, she would have destroyed it long before now.
My belly growled. I hadn't eaten today. I pushed the hunger pain out of my mind. The only thing left was to remove my clothing and leave. My hands trembled as I unbuttoned my shirt and shrugged out of my jeans. My underwear and bra were the last things to go. I grasped my bear and let myself out the back door, closing it quietly behind me. The night air was crisp, covering my skin with goosebumps.
I let the change happen, falling onto all fours as I shifted into my wolf. I gingerly picked up my bear in my jaws, careful not to puncture the soft fur with my canines, and quickly made my way into the forest. Thankfully, the shack was on the outskirts of the pack, so I wouldn't have to pass anyone coming and going each day.
I let my Wolf guide me. Her instincts were much stronger than mine. And we were going to need every bit of intuition and determination to survive. She moved stealthily with her nose down to the ground, sniffing for prey. I noticed we were headed toward one of my favorite spots to play as a child, a beautiful valley with a crystal clear rushing stream that flowed down from the mountain. When we reached the water, I dropped the bear carefully on the ground and waded into the water, drinking deeply to sate my thirst.
My belly growled again. We needed to eat.
We will, my Wolf communicated with determination.
She stepped out of the stream and shook the water from her coat. My Wolf held her head still, tasting the scents on the wind and then spun around and headed north. Small game -rabbit, maybe a fox.
Silently, we made our way into the trees, tracking the scent. It was getting closer. She slowed down, taking each step carefully to avoid making a sound. Slinking forward, just as she launched to attack, the rabbit bolted into the thick undergrowth. We chased after it, snapping powerful jaws further into the brush, trying to upheave the animal, but it successfully evaded her efforts, leaving us with a mouthful of foliage instead.
My Wolf spit the grasses and weeds from her mouth, only to continue again. Scenting the air, tracking the scent, darting to attack, but to no avail. Attempt after attempt failed.
We panted, tongue hanging out, under the exertion. Finally, after four hours of unsuccessful hunting, I was so tired, I could barely walk.
Making our way back to the teddy bear, my Wolf gathered it into her mouth and headed up the mountain. There was a ledge not too high up, where, at least, we would have the rock at my back, reducing our vulnerability to predators.
I looked out at the night sky. The moon shone down brilliantly, casting silver hues on the landscape. I used to love watching its beauty, but now I had to turn away. It just hurt too much. Everything hurt. My stomach hurt from hunger. My body ached from exhaustion, and my heart suffered from all that I had lost.
Images of Coal's face flashed before my eyes. His words cut me again and again as they played on repeat in my head. He didn't want me and he never would.
I collapsed back on my haunches, raised my head to the sky and released a pain-filled howl into the night.
I heard only silence in return.
Pulling the teddy bear between my front paws, I dropped my head onto its rounded belly, inhaling the familiar scent. Defeat and rejection washed over me hard and sharp. But tomorrow I would try again. I thought as I drifted off to a fitful sleep.
~~~~~~
Dawn came quickly. And with it, the realization that I needed to return to the pack for my work responsibilities. I looked to the right and left, searching for a safe place to keep my bear. There was another small ledge higher up with some foliage.I'd have to scale the cliff to reach it, but it would be safer there. I shifted into my skin and shivered in the cold fall weather. Clenching the bear between my teeth carefully, I used both hands to pull myself up the rock, working to find footholds.
When I reached it, it was only a few feet wide, but the bear would be safe tucked inside the foliage.
I gently pried the greenery apart and set the bear inside, letting it close behind me. I shuddered hard when the wind blew harder, my teeth chattering together. I began the climb back down and froze when I heard a branch break in the distance.
Still clinging to the side of the mountain, I spun my head around, my eyes searching the landscape. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a large dark figure sitting in the distant trees, watching me.
One of my hands slipped on the rock. My heart raced in my chest as I scrambled to catch myself. When I finally made it down, I turned again, only to find nothing there.
Maybe I had just imagined it...
Another long week passed. My new schedule was becoming routine. Alpha had decided I would no longer clean the packhouse, thus eliminating me from Coal's presence altogether. Instead, I was sent into town on a daily basis to gather supplies, clean homes or run errands for pack members who lived there. It was a ten-mile trek each way, but I didn't mind the walk, and I was thrilled to be away from the pack.I was weak, but thankfully, my Wolf had been successful in hunting a few rabbits. We didn't eat every day, but it was enough to keep us alive.Today, the last house on my list, belonged to a member of a neighboring pack, Onyx Moon. Frankly, I'd been surprised to get the assignment, because relations between Ravenswood and Onyx Moon were not always the best, aggravated by a fierce rivalry for land. And their alpha, Alpha Wilder, was known to be a ferocious man. Of course, I couldn't imagine a man worse than Alpha.I pulled the address out of my pocket, checking it again and turned righ
BRINLEY’S POVMy head hurt. My world was a haze. I struggled to bring myself to consciousness, but couldn't quite grasp it. I was lying on my stomach, but my body was limp, I had no control. Abruptly, hands from behind lifted my hips. I startled in the strange male's grip, but my effort was pitiful as the drug-induced haze pulled on me. With shocking horror, I realized I was naked with a gag in my mouth. My heart pounded in my chest. No, no, no!! Rough fingers invaded my body, entering where no one had ever been before. Pain shot through me. My back arched of its own accord. A scream ripped from my chest, but no sound came out, muffled by the gag. His fingers withdrew, and claws dug into my sides as he pulled my hips back, thrusting himself into me at the same time. Red hot searing pain tore through me. My insides felt ripped apart. Torture so intense, I couldn't even scream. I desperately willed my body to work, trying to scramble away from the monster behind me. But it was n
CoalI had to stay away from her. I told myself that a hundred times a day. And a hundred times a day, it was just as hard as the last time to keep from seeking her out. My muscles ached from the constant tension in my body.I turned up a beer, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. It did nothing to quench my thirst for the one thing I couldn't have- Brinley.Daylight was waning. Vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows followed the sun over the horizon, fading away into the dusk of night.Another day without her.My Wolf whimpered in my head.She should be returning from work right about now. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to see her from a distance......I just wanted to smell her sweet scent. That was all. I told myself. And then I would leave.I pushed up from my chair and stealthily made my way toward Lena's, careful to stay in the line of trees, covered in shadows. I didn't want to catch that old bitty's attention.When Brinley came into sight, I sucked in a deep breath, my gaze trans
Her tears finally ended. Still, we didn't move. She lay completely relaxed beneath us. After several minutes, he began to lift. She whined and rolled onto her back to face him, her fingers twining into his fur to keep him close to her.He froze, entranced by both of them as her Wolf surged to the surface, mossy green eyes darkening into deep pine.She slid her fingers through his thick fur.He'd never been touched by a female in skin.He shuddered, deeply affected by her tender ministrations. He tolerated other females when we were in my skin, but he had no use for them when he was in control. But not so with Brinley. With her, he craved her skin side to touch every part of him.She continued to stroke his face gently, gazing up at him. The transparent love in both her and her Wolf's eyes tore through me.Because she loved him......not me.I would never get to see her gaze at me with the same softness. She would never show me the vulnerability she gave to him, laying beneath him nake
CoalI walked away from Brinley in the woods. There wasn't anything else I could say. Shoulders hunched forward and footsteps heavy, I trudged back to the house.My thoughts tumbled over and over with the story of her assault. I'd demanded details, and she'd given them to me, not holding back. It was what I'd asked for, but now the images of what that bastard did to her, rolled through my mind on repeat.I entered my room and slammed the door shut, the hinges shuddering with force. I needed to take a shower, and then I wasn't sure what I was going to do. My Wolf was equally on edge, pacing back and forth in my mind, growling his desire to hunt. We both wanted to taste the coward's blood.Making my way into the bathroom, I stepped into the shower and let the liquid rain down on my flesh. The water was cold. There was no other option. I scowled.My horndog of a wolf just hadn't been able to contain himself, licking the heat between her legs. Between the scent of her arousal and tasting
He took a swig of his drink. "It's been more recently. I think I didn't want to believe the rumors of what he's capable of, what he's done." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "But I'm older now. And I'd be a fool to ignore the proof right in front of my face. Including how he's treating you."I stared at him dumbfounded.A waitress interrupted my confusion. She sidled up to the booth, looking us both over like something she'd like to eat. Older, probably in her thirties, or maybe a hard life had aged her prematurely. Her blonde hair was swept up in a ponytail. She pushed a stray strand out of her eyes as she purred, "Can I get you another?"Hell yes, I wanted to scream. Instead, I just gave her a stiff nod without taking my eyes off of Ryder. He shook his head, "No, I'm good."But she couldn't seem to take a hint and persisted in a wheedling tone, "Are you sure there isn't anything else you want?"I didn't have the time or patience to let her down easy and growled, "Not in
It didn't matter what this madness was, I was going to put an end to it. My skin shifted to fur, and my Wolf charged forward, his sharp teeth snapping, trying to find purchase in their flesh. We clamped down on one of the male's arms, tearing muscle from bone. He howled in pain.I twisted and bucked.If I could just get my canines into his neck...But, once again, I was tossed across the room by the dark-haired beauty. I cursed and scrambled to get back on my feet, my attention searching for my brother.Ryder's head dropped to his chest, his breath coming in heavy pants. His hands clenched the edge of the table. The vamp, behind him, continued to rock his hips against Ryder's ass. At the same time, I noticed he had released Ryder's rock hard erection from his pants and was aggressively stroking him up and down his shaft.Ryder's moans filled the air. His hips jerked forward, eagerly pushing himself into the vamp's hand. It was as if the world around them ceased to exist. I wasn't sure
BrinleyWithout another word, Coal shifted back into his beast and walked away. My heart hurt as I watched him leave, once again turning his back on me, once again rejecting me. I sat on the forest floor, unable to move, my mind replaying every moment with him.My Wolf tugged at the back of my mind. She was hungry. We needed to hunt. She had gotten much better with her hunting skills and had even caught a couple of foxes, but it had been a few days since we'd eaten.My chattering teeth woke me from my stupor. It was foolish of me to stay in my skin in this climate. Winter was upon us and snow would fall soon. I let the change happen, fur covering skin.We hunted for several hours, but it just wasn't our night, and once again I trudged back to our ledge on the mountain, too exhausted to continue.I shifted into my skin, braving the cold night air, and pulled myself up the side of the cliff. I needed the comfort of my bear. My hands felt empty after having twined my fingers in the soft