Taken

by Gwendolyn Casey

  When the others began to move away, Charles declares, “Miss, I think it is best that you come with us.”

  I feel Donovan’s muscle tense beneath my fingers.

  “Why?” I ask.

  He glances at Donovan for a moment before answering me. “For your own safety. According to the police report, he kidnapped you from your campsite.”

  “That is not wh—,” I start, but Charles cuts me off.

  “You don’t have to lie for him. We all know he forced you.”

  Donovan takes a step forward, forcing me to drop my hand from his arm. “I will admit to the crime and accept my punishment as the council decrees,” Donovan growls. “But do not think to keep my mate from me.”

  Warmth spreads through my chest at his statement, but they have it wrong. I step forward so I am even with Donovan. “He didn’t rape me. There has been no crime,” I say to Charles.

  “Quiet, Mackenzie,” Donovan snarls. I look up at him, about to protest, but he shoots me a dark glare. “It may not have been rape, but we both know I didn’t give you a choice in becoming a werewolf,” Donovan says.

  I gape at him. Why is he telling them this?

  “See. He admits to being a monster,” Charles grunts.

  “He is not a monster,” I yell.

  Charles scowls at me. “Yes, he is. You should have seen how he tore apart my son. He left him in pieces.”

  Donovan does not deny it. He just stands there accepting Charles’s lies. I suddenly realize that Donovan believes what Charles is saying. Donovan thinks he is a monster and that is why he is willing to be punished. Charles is the reason that Donovan isolates himself from his pack.

  “What is this, Charles?” Marcus questions. “You said you wanted to make sure the girl was okay. She is fine. Everything else can be handled tomorrow.”

  Charles still doesn’t move and neither does Donovan.

  “Marcus, it’s okay,” Donovan utters. “It’s clear that Charles is looking for revenge and was using my mate to convince you to take me down.”

  “Is that true? Is this about revenge?” Emmitt says, looking at Charles.

  “No, it’s justice,” Charles answers and then he shouts, “Now.”

  Suddenly, cracks of gun fire fill the air. The men near the vehicles are all holding guns toward the council members.

  I rush over to Emmitt as he falls onto his stomach, trying to find the wound. I look for blood, but all I find is a dart in his back.

  Tranquilizers?

  They’ve all been knocked out.

  Next thing I know Donovan is grabbing my arm and shoving me behind him.

  “Get in the house,” he shouts as the others start to approach. The men approach with their guns raised.

  “Don’t waste the darts,” Charles says. “They won’t work on an Alpha.”

  Donovan takes a defensive stance as the men drop their guns. “You know the rest of the council will put you to death if you kill me,” Donovan tells him.

  “My death is worth justice for my son.”

  “You killed your son. He was ready to yield. You were the one who kept pushing him,” I scream.

  But my comment is ignored as the fight begins. The first attack comes from the left. Donovan ducks the man’s punch and then delivers his own uppercut. The man falls to the ground a few feet away from me and stays still.

  The remaining two men attack Donovan at once, tackling him to the ground. One man tries to pin his arms while the other punches at his face and chest.

  I want to help, but I’m scared for the baby. What can I do? I’m about to stand, but I immediately fall to the ground, my muscles too weak to hold my own weight. My strength is leaving me rapidly.

  I look to where the fight continues and Donovan is struggling to defend himself.

  I curse myself and my stupid wolf. How can we help if we can’t move? I yell at her.

  My eyes burn with tears, but then I hear a growl coming from the fight and then a deafening roar.

  Suddenly the two men on top of Donovan are thrown into the air. They go so high that I close my eyes when they fall and crunch into the ground.

  How could he be so strong?

  But then I remember what Donovan said earlier. We can share our strength. He must be using mine to help him win this fight. I suddenly feel bad about yelling at my wolf. She knew how to help when I didn’t.

  Donovan is on his feet again. It is just him and Charles standing among the bodies. Donovan’s back is to me, but I can tell he has transformed partially. His nails are claws and his muscles are bigger.

  Charles takes off his coat.

  “You stand no chance, Charles. I will kill you.” Donovan’s voice is gravelly as he speaks, like the wolf is growling every word.

  “I am a full-blooded wolf. You are just a half-breed,” he says. Charles is truly blinded by his hatred. Donovan just threw two full-bodied men into the air, but Charles still believes he can win the day. In this moment, I feel real pity for him.

  The rest of his clothes fall away as Charles transforms into his wolf. He is large and menacing, his hatred coming through as he snarls and barks at Donovan.

  But Donovan doesn’t move, he simply stands his ground.

  Suddenly, Charles lunges for Donovan.

  Donovan reaches out and grabs the wolf by the neck as it descends on him.

  Snap!

  The carcass falls to the ground with a thud.

  After a few moments, Donovan drops to his knees and I feel my strength return to my limbs. I slowly crawl over to Donovan and put my hands on his shoulders.

  “Donovan,” I ask softly. “Is he dead?”

  “Yes,” he utters without looking at me.

  “And the others?”

  “Just hurt. They will recover.”

  I lean my cheek against his neck. “So, it’s over.”

  “No,” he grunts. “I am a monster. They will always hate and fear me.”

  I lift my head. “You are not a monster.”

  He stands suddenly, shoving me away. “Yes, I am. I just killed an elder. I could have wounded him and kept him alive, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to kill him.”

  “He wouldn’t have stopped until one of you was dead. You are not a monster for wanting it over with.”

  “And what about you? That police report was right. I did take you against your will. You tried to resist me but I wouldn’t let you,” he rumbles at me.

  I stand up, wiping my hands. “I thought you didn’t regret taking me.”

  Donovan suddenly grabs my arms, lifting me up against his strong body and glaring into my eyes. “I don’t,” he thunders. “I would do it a million times over to make sure you were mine.” Then he looks away and sets me on my feet with a heavy sigh. “That is what makes me a monster. I don’t regret anything,” he says, his voice much softer.

  I cup his cheek and turn his face back to mine. “So, you feel guilty for not feeling guilty?” I give him a soft smile. “You are a good man, Donovan. And I understand why you took me the way you did.”

  He looks down at me, confusion marring his handsome face.

  “You didn’t want to give me the chance to reject you, like the rest of this town has.”

  He cups my hand in his and looks down at me, his gaze dark and sad.

  I bring my other hand up to rest on his shoulder. “But there was no need. I know everything now and I still want to stay. I love you.” I didn’t plan on saying it, but it seemed like he needed to hear it. I needed to hear it, too. It was like I was finally committing myself to this man, to this life.

  But Donovan pulls away from me suddenly. “You don’t have to say it back,” I comment quickly.

  “Of course, I love you, Mackenzie. That is not—.” he stops abruptly, running a hand through his hair. “You can’t love me.”

  I glare at him. “You stole me in the night, you took my virginity like a mindless beast and you held me against my will.” Donovan’s eyes never leave mine and I can
see his nostrils flare as I recount his crimes. “And it has been the most exciting and erotic seventy-two hours of my life,” I add.

  I cover my cheeks as I give a small giggle. “I have never felt more loved and wanted in my entire life like I do when I’m with you.” I approach him and put my hands on his chest. “Your love is rough and crazy, but it is not bad. And I want more.” I bit my lip waiting for him to respond.

  When he doesn’t say anything, I decide to try a different tactic. I begin to step away and tell him, “If you don’t believe me, I guess we can just break up—”

  “No,” he says, that possessive voice coming back. He pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “You are mine,” he states and I cuddle into his chest, relieved that he is back to his caveman self.

  I know it won’t be easy, but I will make Donovan see that he is worthy of love, no matter how long it takes.

  The other elders wake up a few minutes later and they have a long discussion with Donovan about what happened after they were knocked out. While they seem perturbed, no one was condemning Donovan for his actions. I hear Emmitt tell Donovan that they will talk about the fall-out later and then he helps Donovan with Charles’s remains and take the other guys to the hospital.

  When they pull away, I link my fingers with Donovan’s. “Let’s go back to bed.”

  “I can’t. I’m too worked up,” he says and then looks down at me. “And I’m pissed at you.”

  “Why?”

  He snarls again. “You should have stayed in the house like I told you. And I did not call on your strength. You should have kept it to protect yourself.”

  “Blame Lola for that,” I tell him. “I didn’t even know what was happening until after it was over.”

  “Lola?” he asks confused.

  “My inner wolf. I have to name her something since she is causing so much trouble,” I giggle.

  “She does need to be punished,” he utters and I shiver.

  I bite my lip. “What kind of punishment did you have in mind?”

  He growls.

  Chapter Eleven

  One Month Later

  “Is this serious?” I ask Donovan as he removes his shirt and boots.

  “No, babe. The younger kids just like to box to blow off steam. Drake is too big to fight the boys his own age so he thought he would challenge me to impress the girls,” he says.

  It is the night of the full moon and the pack has gathered around Donovan’s house for a bonfire after the pack run. It has become a new tradition in Wolf’s Head.

  Donovan gives me a quick kiss before he heads down toward the fire. I sit back down next to Tanya on the porch. “As Alpha, Donovan will be challenged the most even if they never win against him,” she says. Tanya has become my new pack buddy. We’ve spent a lot of time together seeing how we are both left out of the running parties due to pregnancy.

  “Then what’s the point?” I ask.

  “To see who can last the longest. The girls like a wolf who can handle himself.” She lifts her eyebrows quickly.

  I giggle. Tanya has become a good friend in the past few weeks, along with a lot of the other pack members. I never had a lot of friends, other than a few in high school and Rachel, but this community welcomed me with open arms.

  After Charles, the elder council called a meeting to explain the circumstances of his death to the pack. I worried that it would turn out badly for Donovan, but most of the pack did not agree with Charles’s way of thinking and they were happy to see more of their Alpha. The current generation had no problem with his bastard status. And seeing how Charles betrayed them all, the elder council decided not to prosecute Donovan for his death.

  Since then, I have found a local university where I can finish my degree and Donovan is sure I’ll find a job close by when the time comes. But he mentioned that raising twelve children was a full-time job also. He laughed after the comment, but I have no doubt that he was serious.

  I still haven’t worked up the courage to tell my parents or Rachel that I’m pregnant. They all believe that I have lost my mind over Donovan and will eventually come to my senses once I’ve had my fill. But I will never have my fill of that man. Just seeing him with his shirt off has got my pussy warming up for later.

  “Ugh, here comes Jennifer,” Tanya says, pulling my attention away from Donovan. Jennifer is the one female in the pack that I don’t get along with. She is standing at the edge of the make-shift ring, cheering on my mate.

  She and Donovan had a thing a few years ago, but he swears it was just sex. Now that Donovan is in charge again, she has begun “wagging her tail at him”, as Tanya calls it. With her long blonde hair and a tight but curvy body, I’ll admit that Jennifer is a very attractive girl. But I have no worries when it comes to my mate.

  Donovan has been teaching me to connect with my inner wolf so she would stop making decisions for me. I found that silence and concentration was the only way I could truly connect with Lola without physically changing into the wolf. But to think of my wolf as another entity was wrong. Now I understand that Lola has always been a part of me. She is my instinct and intuition, and being a werewolf makes those feelings more powerful. Now that I know the source of my powers, it is easier to sense the emotions as they come so that I am in control. I’ve also learned to trust those feelings and let them guide me when necessary. They are there to protect me and my growing family. Connecting with Lola has also brought me closer to Donovan. It is easier to understand him now and what drives him.

  I turn my gaze back to the fight, which by now has lasted a few minutes. I can tell Donovan is winning, but the kid seems determined to put on a show. Both already have bruises and cuts but werewolves heal fast.

  I must admit that I am getting wet watching my mate fight. He is just so strong and virile. I lick my lips as I see the sweat glisten over his muscles. If I wasn’t already pregnant, I think I would go into heat just from watching.

  Right as I have that thought, Donovan’s head turns and his eyes find mine. Drake takes advantage of his distraction and manages to land a punch right on his jaw.

  Donovan stumbles back a couple steps. When he recovers, you can see the anger is his eyes. He quickly throws a punch of his own, rendering Drake unconscious.

  “All right, that’s enough. Time to call it a night,” Donovan says as he heads toward the house.

  I watch as Jennifer plants herself in front of him. “Do we have to stop, Alpha?”

  I roll my eyes when I hear her accentuate the word Alpha.

  “Yes,” Donovan says and moves around her.

  He still has the anger in his eyes and I think I know why.

  After I say goodnight to Tanya, Donovan is dragging me into the house.

  “You need to learn to control your urges,” he says as he pushes me against the door. “I could smell your lust.”

  I’m not sure if he is serious but I can’t help but smile. I drop my voice a little and say, “I’m sorry … Alpha. Did I distract you?” Then I turn around and present my ass to him, putting my hands against the door. “Have I earned a punishment?” This game has become my favorite.

  He narrows his eyes on me as his hand reaches out and caresses my ass, then slides gently to my pussy, teasing my folds through the fabric of my jeans. “You have earned a punishment,” he states.

  Suddenly he is carrying me to the couch and bending me over the arm. I bite my lip as he shoves down my pants and then I hear him undo his zipper. He pulls me back, jamming his cock deep and hard. “Yes,” I cry out. The pregnancy has made me so horny. I need it often and not softly. My body won’t accept anything but Donovan’s rough love. He is pounding me exactly how I need it.

  He spanks my ass a few times and I whimper, loving that sweet burn. I can feel my orgasm on its way when he suddenly pulls out. “Hey,” I say as he stands me up and then shoves me back on the couch into sitting position.

  “Now for that punishment.” He approaches me, still in his jeans
with his hard cock standing tall and large. I can see my arousal glisten all over it.

  “Suck it until I come down your throat.” My inner muscles clench at his words, loving his dominance. He grips the back of my head and brings his cock to my mouth, practically forcing it in. I moan at the taste and the feel of him on my tongue. He is so big that I have a hard time taking him all, but I’ve been practicing. I relax my jaw and try to take in as much as possible.

  “That’s it, baby,” he says, and I look up at him, giving him my eyes as he goes deep. I gag a little before he pulls back, only to shove in again.

  My pussy feels so empty and I’m still dying to come. I let my fingers find their way to my clit but Donovan growls. “Don’t you dare touch that pussy. This is a punishment, remember. You’re not allowed to come until I say so.”

  I whimper around his cock which has him pushing it harder and faster into my throat. Before I know it, he is fucking my mouth like he does my cunt and all I can do is hold on to the waist of his jeans. The grip in my hair is painful, but my body is literally on fire with what he is doing to me.

  Soon I can feel him expand on my tongue and I know I’ll taste his come soon. He keeps up his brutal pace and I moan around him. I look up at him, begging for his come with my eyes. It’s not long before he holds himself in my mouth and I suck furiously while using my hands on his length, wanting every drop.

  He lets out a roar and I quickly swallow, loving his salty taste. “Good girl,” he grunts. I take the head out of my mouth, but keep stroking him. I know my mate. He won’t go soft until he has truly been drained.

  “Please, Alpha,” I beg as I begin to lay down on the couch, wanting him inside me again. Instead, he picks me up and carries me to the stairs.

  “Donovan,” I whine. He can’t be serious about no orgasm for me. That is not how the game is played and he knows it.

  When we get to our bathroom, he puts me down to turn on the shower. I quickly prop myself onto the bathroom counter and spread my legs wide. “Please, Alpha,” I say in the same sultry tone that I used earlier.