“You think you are stronger than me?” Luca shouted pounding his fists to his chest. “Let's see who lived and who dies!”
Tobias didn’t need a second invitation. He charged with all his might as dirt flew up behind him. Luca remained firmly planted to the ground welcoming the charge. A clap of thunder startled me, as Tobias rammed Luca’s new body. It was a battle of Titan against Titan and only one would come out alive. I had seen Tobias fight before. He had the strength and the speed of Hercules, but Luca was a trained killer. He wouldn’t go down easily.
“Watch out!” I screamed. I covered my eyes and turned my head as Luca’s fist made contact with Tobias’ muzzle. Tobias whimpered in pain, but it didn’t stop him.
“Maybe you should be the one looking out for danger.” I opened my eyes to find Lola standing over me. There was a jealousy burning in her that nothing could quench, save for the object of her obsession.
“I should kill you right now,” Lola sneered wrapping her fingers around my throat and pulling me up to my feet. The grip around my throat blocked off the air and I started to drift into darkness.
“One little snap of my thumb and it will be lights out,” she said. “I don’t know what he sees in you. I am stronger, faster, and more animal than you could ever be.”
“Maybe …” I coughed trying to get the words out. “That’s what he likes about me. I’m not all animal.”
“No. You’re human,” Lola said pulling me closer to her face. “Tell me, something sweetheart, why did you come with him?”
“I didn’t.” I gasped for what little air I could get as Lola dropped me from her grip. I coughed and heaved as air returned to my lungs and stared up at her in utter shock. She could have ended me right then and there, but she didn’t.
“What are you doing?” I asked trying not to get further on her bad side.
“He claimed you,” she growled. “You are untouchable to our kind.”
“What does that even mean? I don’t belong to anyone, let alone Tobias or Luca.”
“It means he loves you. You, a human of all creatures. He has given himself to you and if I kill you, I kill him.” Lola’s eyes darted to the giant dire wolf. The hatred in her eyes faded briefly as she stared at him.
“You love him don’t you?” I asked trying to climb to my feet. “That’s why you are letting me go. Because you think you can win him back.”
“I know I can,” she hissed turning her vengeance back on. “But, don’t think for one second I won’t fight for him, because I will.”
“Then maybe you should help him. Luca is a trained killer. He has fought many battles for the Roman Empire. Tobias needs your help and I don’t have the strength you do. It’s like you said, I am only human.”
Lola nodded as a smile drifted over her plump lips. She was a mighty goddess in all her raging glory and I was nothing compared to her. I could see that now. No matter how dainty she had appeared to be before, she was far superior to me. Tobias needed a woman like that. He needed someone strong enough to fight by his side instead of cowering in the shadows.
Lola sprang over the fallen log and shifted into a large white wolf. Even in her monstrous form, she was magnificent. I ducked behind the tree and listened to the battle as Tobias and Lola fought against Luca. I knew with Lola by Tobias’s side the battle would be over quickly.
My mind raced as Lola’s words fell on me, crushing all hope that I had that Tobias could be mine. Lola was the better choice and with me around, others would come after us. Tobias had a better chance to survive with Lola by his side, not me.
“Forgive me,” I whimpered as I pushed off the log and raced into the dead of night, putting as much distance between me and the supernatural as I could. With each step my heart shattered. I could easily see a life with Tobias. He would give me the freedom I had always imagined. I didn’t have to live in a city. I could survive in the wilderness with him. But, that would mean I would be a constant threat to him. I wasn’t as durable as Lola, or as fast. Or as beautiful. Running away was the only option to give Tobias back the life he wanted.
I pushed through the brush and crumbled as the pain in my chest got the better of me. Never in all my years had I thought there could be a worse pain. But realizing you aren’t good enough for someone and releasing them was by far the most hurtful thing I had ever felt.
Darkness shrouded me and I crawled to the nearest tree clinging to it for dear life. As the moon drifted through the canopy, I heard the long howl of a wolf.
Chapter 14
Luca stood with his eyes glowing as intensely as the fire. A low growl rumbled through my body as I lunged at him sinking my teeth into his flesh. The sound of his scream filled me with an unimaginable pleasure. I didn’t care if he walked away from this fight or not.
“Tobias.” I could hear Lola’s voice in the back of my mind, but I didn’t care to listen. I couldn’t pull myself away from the kill, as I crunched down on Luca cutting off his life with a single bite.
“Athena is gone!”
The news snapped me out of my blood lust and I turned my large head to gauge her facial expression. In the depths of her eyes, there was something alarming. The pull of the wolf faded and I transformed back into my human form, shuddering as if I had just jumped into an icy pool.
“Lola,” my voice was weak. It didn’t matter how many times I shifted, coming back was always disconcerting. Being human should be natural as breathing, but there was that part that remained free and wild. The part that ripped Luca to shreds to protect the human I loved.
“Athena, she was right behind the tree stump, but she’s gone.”
“Lola, where did you put her?”
“I didn’t touch her,” Lola said rolling her eyes. “Okay, so I touched her, but I didn’t kidnap her.”
“She wouldn’t have run away on her own.”
“Are you sure about that? What if she saw you like this,” Lola waved her hand up and down allowing me time to take stock of the blood dripping from my face and neck. I shook my head and grunted.
“What if you scared her and she took off? Really, Tobias, you should find someone who is comfortable with your animal nature. One who won’t run when things get heated but who will be there to stand by your side.”
“Is that what you told her to make her run? That you would be better for me than she is?” I scolded scanning the trees in hopes to see her in the shadows.
“You and I both know that it's true. You need to be with someone who is like you.”
“No. I need her.” I said sucking in a deep breath, hoping to catch some scent lingering in the air that would direct my path back to Athena.
“Tobias, please,” Lola stepped closer to me and placed her hand on my bare chest. Her touch was like fire burning my cold skin. “You have to realize that I am a better match for you. All this time, I have hunted you because I believed you needed someone to help you move past your grief. I hoped that I could bring you back to the pack and we could be together.” Her fingers traced down the valley of my chest to my stomach before going back up. Her touch sent chills racing through me.
“No one blames you for leaving, after what happened to your family. We all knew you needed time. But, you shouldn’t have exposed yourself the way you did. You know that is one of the few rules we can’t break.”
“Lola, I know you want me to come back, but that was never my intentions. There is nothing left for me there.”
“I am there,” she whimpered as her eyes filled with light and hope.
“I’m sorry, but no,” I reached out for her hand as I shook my head.
“You can’t bring her back. You can’t be with her the way you can with me. Don’t you see? The human world is not our world.”
“You’re right, it's not. But, with Athena, I don’t have to choose which side I am on. She accepts me just as I am: both human and beast.”
“Tobias, please see reason. Every moment you are with her, you risk killing her. She will ne
ver be good enough for you, not unless you plan to change her into one of us.”
“That will never happen. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
“Tobias, you always look at this as a curse, but it is a gift. We don’t have to conform to society. We live beyond the laws of man. We live by our own laws and rules.”
“What is the utmost law of our kind?” I posed it as a question as I glared at her.
“To never harm one that has been claimed or imprinted upon,” she said begrudgingly pulling her hand away.
“Athena is my other half. I see that now. She is the one who brought me back from the edge of insanity. She is kind and sincere. If I find out you are the reason for her leaving, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” I snatched her by the wrist and yanked her closer to me. “Do you understand?”
She nodded quickly and I held her gaze. It didn’t take her long to advert her eyes, submitting to my orders. I paused a moment longer holding her by me before tossing her hand away.
“Where was the last place you saw her?”
“Cowering behind the fallen log,” Lola said pointing to the large spruce tree on the ground.
I raced to the tree and pulled in a deep breath. My nose tickled from the lavender lingering in on place. “Athena,” I moaned jerking my head up to the trees. There was nothing but silence. For a split second I thought I heard the snap of a branch, but the sound was far too muffled for it to be Athena.
“Lola,” I turned my attention to her and glared at her. “You will help me find her.”
“Of course,” Lola mumbled. It was clear she didn’t like the order, but she had no choice but to obey. I could have added the double command, but taking away her free will wasn’t something I wanted to do. The choice had to be hers.
“Whatever it takes,” she conceded. I nodded before turning back around. There was no way I was going to be able to track Athena in my human form. The sounds weren’t as magnified and the smells weren’t as crisp. I climbed over the log and began to pull the animal out of its cage.
“Take the west; I’ll head east. Maybe she circled around and one of us can cut her off.” Lola’s smile stole the warmth from me.
“Oh and Lola, if she comes back in less than perfect condition, you will pay for it,” I warned as she watched me shed my human body and transform into the wolf. The look she held was that of pride, but that wasn’t what I felt.
Hold on Athena, I’m coming for you.
The moment all four paws touched the ground I sat and pulled air in to my nose catching every scent. From the musty scent of feathers high in the trees to the sweet hint of rain coming off the mountains, everything around me filled me.
From the east the wind shifted, and I caught the lavender that Athena wore drifting into my nose. I didn’t hesitate. I took off in a full sprint towards the scent, following it like a compass. There was no way Athena could have gotten far, and I wasn’t about to let her be out here alone at night. All I could do was push myself to go faster than I ever had before.
Suddenly, the wind shifted, and I lost the scent. I dug my nails into the dirt stopping to take in the area. Everything appeared the same, from the trees, to the shrubs, even the rocks.
“Give me some sign,” I pleaded knowing she couldn’t hear my thoughts. I needed something more to go on. Without the wind leading the way, I was running blind and I could easily run right past her without her even knowing.
I cocked my head back and let out a long howl. The sound rumbled the sleeping creatures causing them to take flight above me. Far in the distance I heard the return howl of Lola. The sound was painful and uncertain but it was clear she too had had no luck.
“Where are you?” I thought as panic began to set in. A subtle cough came to my ears, and I spun around in a circle. Narrowing my sight, I spied a tree with a hole in the trunk, through the dark veil of night. The cough sent hope striking me like lightening and I shifted back into my human self and slowly walked over to it.
Peeling back the bark of the tree that masked most of the hole, I found her. Shivering and afraid, Athena was curled up into a fetal position.
“Athena!” I gasped reached down into the hollow and pulling her out. She curled up into my body, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You are so cold,” I whispered as I sat her down and rested beside her.
“What were you thinking? You shouldn’t have run off like that.” I rubbed my hands over her frigid body trying to help with her blood circulation.
“You came for me.” Her voice was weak as she chattered her words. “Why?”
“You crazy girl, I thought it was obvious. It’s like you said, we’re stuck with one another.”
“But, Lola … she loves you … same …” her words faded as her eyes rolled back into her skull.
“ATHENA!” Fear gripped me as she went limp beside me. I shook her vigorously trying to revive her, but nothing worked. “No you can’t die on me now.”
I wanted to howl for Lola to come to my aid, but then stopped. What good would she do? She would probably rejoice at the fact Athena was dying. Then there would be nothing stopping her from bringing me back to the pack I so long ago abandoned.
“Why did you have to run away?” I grumbled as the night’s events played back in my mind. “Why did you have to build that fire and bring Luca right to you?”
It struck me like a swift kick in the gut. The fire was how Luca had found her. She had built it because she was cold. My eyes darted around the area. Every where I looked I saw chunks of wood and dry kindling. I slowly and carefully rested her head onto the ground. Looking at her but for a brief moment, I brushed away the wild strands of hair from her face.
“Hold on,” I whispered as I leaned down kissing her tenderly on the forehead. She moaned ever so slightly as I sprang up and started gathering the twigs and whatever else I could use to heat her up. As the pile grew higher, I stopped and picked up the limestone rocks.
“Here’s to hoping this will work,” I said striking the rocks together. Fires were never necessary for me. My body was constantly warm and the elements didn’t bother me. But, she wasn’t like me. Athena was human and needed these comforts to survive.
I struck the rocks again and again until the sparks danced into the dry kindle and set the whole thing ablaze in a matter of seconds. I marveled at the fire as the smoke rose high into the air.
“Come here,” I said moving over to Athena and hoisting her up into my arms. The closer I got to the fire, the more she whimpered and moaned. The sound of her in my ear thrilled me unexpectedly. Just the very thought that maybe she would be okay was all I ever needed.
“Rest my love,” I said as I leaned my head down to press my lips to her forehead. In a sudden turn of events, Athena cocked her head up and crushed her lips to mine. My eyes sprang open to find her tongue parting my tight lips. With a smile I opened my mouth allowing her to do as she wanted.
“I’m cold,” she panted pulling away from me.
“I know, that’s why I have the fire going. You’ll be warm soon enough.”
“The fastest way for me to get heated is by taking my clothes off,” she said as a spark of passion brightened her face.
“Does that really work?” I teased. I didn’t care if she wanted me right then and there. All I cared about was that she was going to be okay.
“Why don’t you find out,” she said playfully as she reached her head up further and nibbled on my ear lobe.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“But,” I started to protest as she lifted her finger up to my lips to stop me from speaking.
“Please,” she begged as her eyes filled with lust. I couldn’t deny her anything, not even if she wasn’t fully alert.
Carefully I dropped down to my knees and placed her on the soft ground closest to the fire. By the orange light dancing around the wooden branches, she was remarkable. Her golden hair shone like the sun and her eyes pulled me from the dark
ness. There in the dead of night, I whispered in her ear, “I love you.”
“I know,” she said tugging at her torn dress and pulling it up to expose her legs to me. “Now, show me how much.”
Epilogue
Tobias gently pulled my ratted dress off my shoulder before leaning down and tenderly caressing my skin. My skin tingled with every kiss as his hands roamed freely over my body. The sound of the crackling fire reminded me of home and I realized that was precisely where I was. I was home, here in the middle of the forest far from civilization and the restrictions of my family life.
I ran my fingers through his hair and tugged at the roots forcing him to lift his head up. As our eyes locked on to one another’s I could see he felt the same way. There was no other place in all of Roman Empire he wanted to be, more than right there with me.
Leaning forward I met his lips as his hand slid between our body’s and opened my legs up. He moved carefully between me, inserting his cock between my legs and nudged it ever so gently into my body. I arched my back up as he entered me. Although we had done this before, there was something different about it now. I felt a connection between us that hadn’t been there before. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved me. Time and again he had proved that he cared for only me.
Sure, he could have left me in the cell to battle whatever horrors my father threw at me, but Tobias came back. He could have left me in the forest alone, but he didn’t. He returned even when I thought all hope had been lost. Every time, Tobias was at my side.
I moaned as he filled me up. His body touched every inch of mine inside and out. Wrapping my legs around his hips I clung to him for all I was worth. There was no way now I would let him go; no way I would run from him. Not after all he had done for me.
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