by Melissa Haag
Around us, the rest of the wolves started to do the same. My eyes widened in shock, and my hunger stirred at the sight of all the exposed torsos. I quickly looked at the ground before my vision could sharpen.
“Hopefully, I’ll see you soon,” Jenna said, handing me her bundle of clothing with a phone on top.
In my peripheral, I saw her form shimmer. A sleek wolf stretched out beside me, and I felt myself smile.
“Good luck, and have fun, Jenna.”
She bobbed her head and joined the group gathering near Raiden. Unlike the others, she didn’t stare at the trees. She wove her way through the crowd, spreading her scent.
Anticipation built. Finally, Raiden sighed.
“Go. She had her chance.”
The gathered pack of wolves darted forward. Their yips and howls followed them into the trees. The few older wolves who remained drifted away from the fire, disappearing now that the young were gone.
Spotting a log near the fire, I went to settle in for a long wait. Raiden sat nearby. Neither of us spoke. I was too angry and knew he was too stubborn to listen, anyway.
The second group started to gather a short time later. It was bigger than the first and had a few more males. Raiden stood and spoke to a few within the group, greeting the older wolves who accompanied a few of the younger ones. I ignored the lot of them and tried not to notice how my fingers were starting to get cold.
When the mass striptease started, my hunger did more than stir. It clawed at me. I kept my head down and focused on Jenna’s jeans. Surprisingly, the weave of the fabric never sharpened into focus, even though the collective lust in the surrounding area called to me.
I would either need to feed soon or find a blanket.
Given where I was, the choice was an easy one to make.
Me: Could I borrow a jacket or a coat?
Willow: Yep. I’m heading to the fire in a few minutes. Where are you?
Me: At the fire.
“Good luck,” Raiden called, signaling the second mass exodus from the clearing.
Another shiver racked through me, which Raiden noticed.
“Are you all right, Eliana?”
“No. I’m not. I had to give my jacket away to Aubrey, and since she doesn’t need one, I didn’t get one in return.”
He sighed like I was being the most unreasonable person on the planet.
“I’m not keeping you here, Eliana. If you’d like to leave and feed so the cold doesn’t bother you, you’re welcome to return later.”
I didn’t bother replying to that. Of course, he wanted me to leave. He still thought that I was somehow influencing Fenris’s interest in me.
The woods filled with a series of howls that drew Raiden’s attention. Snarls broke out nearby. He raked his hand through his hair in a move that was eerily similar to Fenris. I had to look away. All the pain and frustration Raiden was causing hurt too much.
“He’s willfully evading all of us,” Aubrey said, marching from the woods. What was left of my clothes hung in shreds from her body. “Order him here. Forced matings aren’t unheard of.”
“You’re going to what? Rape him?” I said, standing. “Don’t even think about it, Raiden. If you do that to your son, he will never forgive you. He will leave just like he promised.”
Aubrey snarled at me. That dark thing moved sluggishly inside of me, settling before it rose at all.
“Girls, that’s enough. Aubrey, you’re wasting time. I suggest you return to the trees and use what time you have left wisely.”
She pulled what remained of my clothes from her body.
“This is my home. My pack. It will never be yours,” she said as she glared at me.
With a shimmer, her form collapsed into a wolf, and she took off into the woods once more.
“Why do you love her so much? She’s awful. The rest of your pack can see that. Why can’t you?”
“She’s strong enough to hold them together.”
I snorted.
“She’s violent enough to tear the pack apart. Don’t be blind.”
A whisper of noise behind me announced Willow’s arrival.
“I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said, quickly looking at Raiden. “I brought a coat for Eliana.”
“Thank you, Willow,” I said. “I really appreciate it. Aubrey shredded mine.”
Willow gave me a sympathetic wince.
“She does that sometimes.”
“Do you want to sit and wait with me until it’s your turn to run?” I asked.
She nodded and joined me on the log. Like the last time, it didn’t take long for more people to gather. They milled around and chatted, and the lust clouding the air grew. My stomach rumbled.
“Do you want a cookie?” Willow asked softly. She produced a fold of parchment paper from her pocket and unwrapped the cookies Jenna’s mom had made. “Jenna thought you might be getting a little hungry by now.”
I took a cookie with a small smile of thanks and nibbled on it. The chocolate did little to soothe the growing hunger. We were only two-and-a-half hours into the pack run, and I was already struggling. What would it be like in four hours? In seven? I knew what would happen if I waited that long. I’d snap and probably—
No, the druid’s spell would keep me from lashing out. But did I really want to let myself get that hungry? I’d fed discreetly from Fenris several times without affecting anyone else. I glanced at Willow. She was watching the others around us. Her gaze lingering on a few males, which caused her sexual energy to rise tantalizingly.
“Would you mind?” I asked.
She looked at me, confused for a moment. Then understanding lit her gaze.
“I don’t mind.”
I reached out to touch the back of her hand. The contact wasn’t necessary, but I was hoping it would be less noticeable. However, when I called the lust to me and tried to breathe it in, I couldn’t. It didn’t respond to me in any way.
My eyes widened, and I tried harder. Nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“You don’t look good. Are you okay?” Willow asked.
Letting go of her hand, I shook my head and stood.
“I’ll be right back.”
Raiden was standing by himself, watching the woods, when I found him.
“I can’t feed,” I said. “Did you know the spell would do that?”
He sighed and glanced at me. “Yes. It blocks all of your abilities.”
I stared at him, too stunned for anger. He’d known I would go twenty-four hours without food and hadn’t batted an eye about it. That meant his suggestion that I leave to feed had been solely to get rid of me.
“You are so many things to me right now. A good leader isn’t one of them.”
He finally turned his head to look at me.
“I understand that you’re important to the Quills and your mother, but Fenris is important to me. He matters just as much. They might be willing to sacrifice him to your hunger and be indifferent to his future, but I can’t turn away. He needs to find his mate, Eliana. He is the future of this pack.”
“Do you know why Fenris and I are so perfect for each other? We both were raised by parents who refused to try to understand us. He won’t forgive you for this.”
I turned my back on him and headed back to my seat, ignoring the angry glares sent my way.
“I’m sorry,” Willow said when I rejoined her.
“Don’t be. You didn’t do this to me. I know who to hold responsible.”
I knew it was getting close to the next hour mark when more of the nearby people started to strip. As the bundles of clothes on the ground increased, my hunger climbed higher. I struggled to look away from all the nudity.
A howl and a yip came from nearby, drawing everyone’s attention. When I turned, I saw a pair of wolves tumbling between the trees. The smaller of the two overpowered the other, pinning the other one underneath its body with a firm bite to the neck.
My eyes widened as the top wol
f jostled the backside of the bottom wolf. Averting my gaze, I did my best to ignore the sounds, the cheering, and the growing lust around me.
Willow didn’t ask if I was okay. Instead, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and leaned into me. The comforting support helped a little. The wolves didn’t mate for long. Once the yips settled, those gathered congratulated the pair.
“Do you know them?” I asked without lifting my gaze.
“The girl’s a year below us. The boy’s from another pack. He looks like he’s barely old enough to run. Fourteen, maybe?”
My stomach churned at the thought.
“You’re nice. Laurel’s nice. Jenna’s nice. You’re all the same age as Aubrey. Is it really the age of the person or the personality that causes a wolf to lose its humanity?”
“It’s a bit of both. Some of us can hold out longer. Some can’t. Aubrey’s in the can’t category. That’s why the elders are worried about her. The elders aren’t sure what to think of Fenris, though. They see his behavior over the last four years as withdrawn and erratic. That’s why they’re pushing so hard for a mating. They know he’s trying to hold out, but they’re worried he’s closer to losing his grip than anyone knows.”
“Fenris is eighteen. Just barely old enough for a full-time job in the human world. How is a fourteen-year-old supposed to support his new wife?”
Willow grinned at me.
“The human world isn’t the only place with jobs. They’ll be fine. When you think of your family, you probably only think of your mom and dad. Maybe the Quills, too. When I think of my family, it’s everyone here.”
“Even Aubrey?”
“She’s that cousin who nobody likes. But, yeah. She’s family, too. And we all pitch in and help with cubs or money or housing or whatever. That’s just how it works. We’re not human.” She gently shoulder bumped me. “And neither are you. Don’t forget that.”
She stood and quickly undressed. My hunger was a living, breathing thing, and it was tearing at my insides. I couldn’t ever remember it hurting that bad before.
While the main body of the group moved closer to the trees, the newly mated pair made their way to Raiden. Closer to me. The lust crawled under my skin, calling to me. I was on my feet before I knew what I meant to do. I tried to breathe it in. To take what they would never miss. I was so hungry. So desperate. But nothing happened. I pulled. I inhaled. No flavor coated my tongue. Nothing settled into my stomach to quiet the hunger.
“It’s your time to run,” Raiden called before the pair reached him. “Good luck.”
Howls echoed off the trees, muting the whimper that escaped me as I collapsed back onto the log and started to shiver with a ferocity that clacked my teeth together.
The girl’s voice carried over the fading noise.
“Raiden, this is Dean from the Rathlin pack.”
“Rathlin? I didn’t think there was still a pack there.”
“It’s a small pack to be sure. But a growing one after today.”
Something in Raiden’s expression shifted. I didn’t know the girl, but the way he looked at her made me think the news that she’d be leaving hurt him. He opened his arms to her, and she was quick to hug him.
“Go talk to your parents. They’ll want to hear the good news.”
He gave her an extra squeeze and released her slowly.
“Come back and visit any time.”
“We will.”
Hand in hand, they walked off together. Without the distraction, the pain in my middle consumed me. Raiden spoke, but his words sounded like they were coming from underwater. The movement to my right wasn’t enough to pull my gaze from the ground.
How could I be this hungry? I needed to eat. I needed Fenris.
Something gripped my hair and tugged so hard my head jerked back. Aubrey’s twisted expression swam into view. Her lips moved, and she pulled harder.
At the stinging pain in my scalp, the dark thing inside of me slithered under the barrier of the druid’s spell. I could almost feel it. That thin layer separating me from what I was.
“Where is he?” Aubrey demanded as the heaviness in my ears shifted.
“Aubrey, what are you doing?” Raiden asked, striding toward us.
“I’ve been in those woods for hours. There’s no scent trail. There’ve been no sightings. Nothing.”
Raiden’s steps slowed, and he withdrew his phone from his pocket. Aubrey’s grip on my hair only tightened. That thing inside of me surged at the barrier, stretching it thinner.
“The druid’s tracking spell is working.” He turned the phone toward her, showing a dot on a map. “He’s in the woods, not far from here.”
Her zealous gaze swung back to me.
“Scream for him, Eliana. As if your life depends on it.”
Something sharp scraped along my exposed throat. The dark thing inside of me seethed, crashing against the barrier.
“Aubrey, that’s enough,” Raiden said sharply.
“She still has her claws in him. Don’t you see? He’ll stay hidden until she calls out to him. This is all part of her plan.” Her burning gaze held mine. “Call him. Now.”
I laughed.
“And then what? Do you think he’s going to lie down for you and beg you to ride him like the dog in heat you are?”
“Aubrey, release her now or I’ll command it.”
She snarled at both of us but released my hair. I stood as soon as I was free, whirling around to face her. Anger fueled the moves even as shivers stole my strength.
My gaze raked her naked body, and the crazed sexual energy rolled off of her. I didn’t care that it was Aubrey. It didn’t matter that I never wanted to know what crazy tasted like.
I was too cold and so very hungry.
“Walk away, Aubrey,” I warned.
“I don’t think so. I can smell how hungry and desperate you are.” An evil smile curled her lips, and she slid a hand down her bare stomach.
My cheeks heated to crimson, but I couldn’t look away.
“I’ve always wondered. Does a succubus smell sex like a wolf does?”
She toyed with herself. I could sense her growing energy, and my stomach cramped with need.
“Stop her, Raiden. Now.” The words were barely audible through my clacking teeth and pain-tightened throat. However, Raiden’s next words only provoked Aubrey further.
“He’s closer.”
Aubrey strode toward me, grabbed the back of my head, and kissed me hard.
I groaned into her mouth, not because I liked it but because the pain in my middle was tearing me apart. The sharp talons of my hunger ripped at my insides, pushing that dark thing inside of me to the brink of frenzy. It whispered to me that I’d die if I didn’t eat soon. It slithered against the barrier, stretching it taut as its need to escape the confines grew.
A snarl echoed nearby, and Aubrey tore her mouth from mine.
“Back away, Aubrey.”
The sound of Fenris’s voice was a mix of pleasure and pain. I hungered for him but couldn’t sense him. Couldn’t taste him.
Turning my head, I found him standing near the edge of the trees where the pair had mated earlier. A whimper of pain escaped me, and I shook harder, noting the difference in him. Gone was the playful friend with the easygoing smile.
Jaw clenched and muscle ticking in his temple, he glared at Aubrey, who still held me by the back of the head.
“She’s weak, Fenris, and not meant for you. But I am. Mate with me. With me at your side, Uttira’s pack will be the strongest our race has ever known.”
I snorted.
“Strongest,” I rasped. “No one wants to follow you, Aubrey. They want you to leave.”
She snarled at me and twisted her hand in my hair until I fell to my knees in front of her.
“You asked how I’ll manage this,” she said softly, leaning down to me. “With strength.”
Her hand closed around my throat, and the first stab of her claws bit into my skin.
The rapid thumping against the ground was the only warning Aubrey had that Fenris was coming for her.
“Fenris, stop.”
The way Raiden’s words carried in the clearing and the power behind them halted Fenris in his tracks. The anguished sound he made broke me.
They could starve me.
They could humiliate me.
They could make me bleed.
But by the gods, they would not harm what was mine.
That thin barrier inside of me gave way under the pressure of that dark thing that would no longer be denied. I howled with pleasure and relief as it broke free and hunted for what it needed.
Aubrey’s lust was closest. I stole it all, disregarding her resistance as easily as she’d disregarded mine. Fenris’s sweet lust flooded me. My heart. My soul. My purpose for existing. I took what he willingly gave.
“You want strength? I’ll show you strength,” I purred as my hunger called to those farther away. “I was made in the image of a goddess most loved to incite the folly of man. No one will stand in my path and survive. Kneel before me. Kneel before your mistress.”
Aubrey fell to her knees, hate lacing her features. It grew as more wolves entered the clearing and witnessed her fall from power.
“Your violence isn’t your strength. It’s your weakness. You proved that when you succumbed to the urge to eat human flesh.” I breathed in more lust. The shaking stopped. The coldness went away.
Around us, wolves started to pant and yip. A few paired off.
“This will be the strongest pack of your race, but not because of you, Aubrey. It will be because we—Fenris and I—will change things to make it stronger.”
Fenris’s desire to come to me shook him as he fought the command Raiden had given him. I raged at his father’s abuse of power. My gaze sought him out.
“Release him.”
Immediately, Fenris strode toward me and wrapped me in his arms. I breathed in his lust, then took it a step further. Setting my hands on his shoulders, I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. His hands drifted to my legs, gripping me and holding me in place.
“I’m yours, Fenris. Will you be mine?”
“Always and forever.”
I kissed him hungrily, feeding as I gave him what he most desired. I publicly staked my claim to him. When I pulled away, he groaned but released me.