Curves & Courage

by Christin Lovell

  Swanson appeared as edgy as Dom, though it seemed he had a better grip on his wolf. The man looked directly at me, assessing me until I met his scrutiny. He gave a curt shake of his head, indicating for me to proceed, to move forward.

  That’s what this was about, right? …moving forward; facing my dad, getting closure on my past so I could start a new chapter, a new storybook.

  My wolf stirred for the first time, nudging her nose against me, as if to encourage me. She wasn’t brave, but she was strong. And sometimes, it was strength that got you through, not courage.

  One swift scan of the crowd behind me proved this was the best time. I’d procrastinated long enough; I’d allowed him to control me, to abuse me, long enough.

  I drew in an unsteady breath and strolled towards the door, towards the furious giant.

  Swanson moved past me and with one slide of a lock, he invited the giant in.

  The door flew open and my dad stomped inside. He was in my face faster than I could process his moves.

  “You’re a fucking pussy! I didn’t raise a weak bitch.” His breath reeked of alcohol. His words weren’t slurred, his mind wasn’t impaired, but he’d clearly been indulging.

  I turned my face away from him, scrunching my nose.

  His hand closed around my bruised skin before I could react. A screech flew out my mouth as a sharp ache flamed from his grip.

  Swanson’s hand went around my dad’s bicep, drawing his attention from me. “Hands off. Now,” he snarled. The menace in Kris’ dad’s voice sent chills down my spine.

  “She’s my child, mine to handle how I please,” he snapped, shaking my head to prove his point. His fingers pressed into my flesh.

  Behind me, I heard Dom scrounging. His energy carried towards me. I sensed his anger, sensed his fury. Based off the rising volume of his growls, I knew he was close to shifting, close to fighting.

  Swanson moved in closer, pressing his chest against my father’s arm. “I said hands off the girl.”

  “I said butt the fuck out.” My dad shoved Swanson away.

  Swanson’s eyes illuminated immediately; his muscles fluttered, primed and ready.

  Anxiety wormed through my chest. I didn’t want a fight. I didn’t want this. I couldn’t watch this. “Stop!”

  Both men swung their attention to me. I wrapped both hands around my dad’s wrist. “Let me go.”

  His jaw was cinched tight. Faintly, I heard his teeth grinding together. His nostrils flared with every huff and every rapid exhale.

  As if finally wrapping his mind around the situation, as if finally acknowledging a tiny portion of his conscience, he sighed. Reluctantly, he released me. “What the fuck are you doing, Sophie?” This time when he spoke, his voice was softer, more of a harsh plea than a booming demand.

  “I should ask you to the same question.” I was surprised my voice didn’t quiver because the rest of me was.

  “Don’t get smart with me. You’re in deep shit for this stunt.”

  “I think you already gave me enough punishments for one lifetime.”

  His face hardened; his fist flew faster than I could catch. I heard the thick thud before I felt the impact of his blow.

  I heard Dom’s wolf, not him, roaring behind me. Someone was bravely holding him back though.

  In the blink of an eye, Swanson had my father in a chokehold, surprising us both.

  Throbbing pulsated the left side of my face. Bruised flesh cried over newly bruised flesh. He’d punched me. He actually punched me in front of them. He’d never done anything in front of people before. He always hid his actions; ensured walls protected him from shame and persecution for his cruelty.

  I was surprised by my wolf’s snarl. She rose up, circling inside me. For the first time, I felt her pain; I understood her heartache as my own. I wasn’t the only victim here. If for nothing else, I needed to fight for her. She didn’t deserve this. We both didn’t, but her more than anyone.

  Unknowingly, I’d suppressed my wolf; I’d subjected her to oppression. I allowed my father to diminish me, and, in turn, I weakened her. I was the one who pushed her into a corner; I was the one who didn’t allow her to stand up for herself, for us.

  We chose whether or not we took a stand, regardless of the force we were up against. I chose whether to stay or go. I chose whether to fight or flail. I chose to surrender every time. I’d chosen to give up my soul rather than battle for its possession, for its life.

  Men, werewolves, my fellow pack members stood behind me, ready to fight my battle. Dom was fighting hard to be set free so he could fight my battle. Dan had a tight reign on his pack, and his son, giving me what I didn’t know I needed until now: the chance to fight my own battle.

  Come on girl. Get up. It’s time. It’s time to fight for our freedom.

  My wolf’s strength grew as I allowed her uninhibited access to me, to my body, to our body. Slowly, her moves became bolder. The natural predator within surfaced; her instincts took over, long dormant but not lost.

  I pinched my lips together, brushing the ache in my face aside for the moment. I allowed my emotions to consume. I allowed myself to feel what I’d repressed for too long. I allowed my anger to build, my shame to bubble. Wrath surfed through my veins as I thought of every punch, every hit, every kick he unleashed upon me. Ire washed through me, ready to be released upon my prey, the very man who had made me his prey for the past five years.

  My muscles rolled beneath my pudgy exterior. My limbs shook with anticipation as my wolf got closer and closer to my surface, demanding her turn.

  My vision blurred briefly before returning. Color no longer painted the scene before me; my wolf was watching.

  “Let him go,” I stated, menace lacing my voice.

  My wolf and I became one, our emotions fusing, our bond reigniting after years of separation. All these years, we were roommates, but not friends. We were acquaintances, not blood. We knew, but we didn’t share.

  Not anymore.

  Our desires aligned; our voices were one, and they spoke with vigilance. “You beat me to a fucking pulp regularly for no reason other than you wanted to.”

  Sensing my progress, Swanson stepped away, releasing my dad.

  His hands fisted and unfisted at his sides. He hunched over a bit, a sneer distorting his face as he tried to intimidate me with his height.

  It wouldn’t work this time. We didn’t deserve to be bullied. My wolf and I didn’t deserve to be treated with anything but respect, something we always had given him.

  I leaned into him, thrusting a single digit into his chest. “You never treated me like a daughter. I was just a convenient slave for you. You expected me to do everything for you and then disappear. You never did anything to better my life; in fact, you made it a living hell. I didn’t deserve your anger. It’s not my fault you keep messing up.”

  “The only thing I messed up was not leaving you when I had the chance,” he growled.

  I threw my arms outwards, gesturing to the pack behind me. “Well, here’s your chance, Dad. You can turn and walk right out that door, no strings attached, and I guarantee you’ll never see me again.”

  He jeered at me. “Poor little ignorant twat. You think I get off free from this shit? I’m not a fucking idiot. If I walk out that door, they’ll report me so fast I won’t even make it to the corner.” He leaned in close, meeting my gaze intently, dropping his voice to a faint whisper. “The only way they can’t do anything is if the proof is gone.”

  A lump formed in my throat. My resolution wavered as I looked up at him. I studied his weathered features. His lifestyle had aged him considerably beyond his true years.

  The haunting truth stabbed my chest. He was serious. He wasn’t exaggerating. He really planned to get rid of me, to get rid of the proof.

  The error of my ways was like a bucket of cold water. This whole time I’d been defending him. For years I’d been covering up his abuse, I’d been dancing around his lies. For years I’d bee
n sacrificing who I was for a man who didn’t care, who would never care. As difficult as it was to admit, I was fighting for the enemy; I’d been giving up everything for a narcissistic asshole.

  I’d fought harder to protect my dad than I ever had my wolf or myself.

  Fury swallowed me. No longer was sweet Sophie present. I was a bitter ball of rage ready to spit fire at whoever crossed my path.

  Adrenaline coursed my veins, heating my flesh, fueling my hatred for the very man whose DNA I shared.

  What switch went off in his head? What made a parent turn on their own child, their own flesh and blood? What was wrong with someone that they could bury their conscience, ignore ethics and destroy their own home?

  I was surprised to find my body shaking violently, much like Dom’s was before.

  I glanced back over my shoulder to find five men holding back my determined wolf, my loving mate. His sharp teeth were barred, his eyes glowing honey darts piercing my father. He was a beautiful wolf. Soft caramel fur was being pressed and pulled as the men continued to shackle him.

  His muscles rolled beneath his shiny coat. His lungs battled for air between vicious growls.

  My heart beat a little faster; my wolf worked a little harder.

  Dom wanted so bad to make this right for me. He wanted so much to avenge the wrongs against me. He was willing to do whatever it took for me, the ultimate proof of his love.

  The legend says you fall in love with your mate before you ever claim them. We loved each other. He taught me what love was, what love was supposed to feel like.

  It’s a sad, bitter reality when you don’t learn that lesson first from your parents.

  I spun back to my father. His focus was on Swanson. The beta lurked beside me, intent wafting from him. I knew the moment my dad so much as breathed wrong, he would be beneath Kris’ father.

  “Go, Dad.” My voice was cold, devoid of emotion yet flowing with threat.

  His head jerked towards me. His eyes narrowed, spearing me with the array of emotions that passed through me, most of which were dark and deadly. The one that stood out though was sadness. He was actually disappointed that I’d unleashed myself.

  “You don’t get to walk away until you’re eighteen,” he stated.

  “I’m not walking away. I’m telling you to walk away.”

  He puffed up his chest. “I’m not a weakling. I don’t walk away from shit.”

  “You walked away- No. You ran away pretty darn easily from our pack all those years ago.”

  My wolf sat below my surface. She’d never looked more beautiful. I’d never felt more in tune with her. We were one. I spoke for us both. I was trying to save him from us both.

  “You’re a fucking bitch,” he roared. “I didn’t raised you-”

  “That’s right!” I angled my body into him, primed and ready for a fight.

  Oh my God. I actually wanted to fight my father.

  Bitterness clouded my senses; rage demolished my discretions. My breathing labored as my eyes widened, as I returned his glower. “That’s right. You didn’t raise me. I raised myself. You were nothing but a sperm donor turned slave driver. You were never the role model I needed; you were nothing but the disappointment you always claimed I was.”

  My pulse thundered in my ears as a growl rumbled from my chest. She was ready. We were ready.

  “You can either turn and walk out that door, safe and sound, or you can fight me because I will never willingly be your slave again. I will never be anything more than the daughter you didn’t deserve. You’re not my family. You never were. My family is standing behind me, and they would never raise their hand to me.”

  My gums throbbed; my bones ached. An unbearable pressure built in my ligaments as my anger took over, as my wolf began to surface.

  “Make your choice!” I cried as the first snap of bone echoed around me.

  He glared out at the pack behind me. His jaw clicked as he worked he ground his teeth. “You want a fight?” He snarled, his eyes illuminating with his wolf. “I’ll give you a fight, but only to prove how weak you really are. I’ll be the parent you claim I’m not and teach you a hard earned lesson.” His face was inches from mine.

  In the blink of an eye, black out shades dropped down over the windows. I took several steps back as my father shifted on the fly.

  It’d been a while for me. I hadn’t shifted since I was young. It was harder to concentrate on freeing my wolf with the commotion around me.

  Come on, girl. Take over. I can’t remember. I’m panicking because I can’t remember.

  Chapter 34

  Dominick

  Sorrow sieged me. She was doing so well. Her spirit amazed me. Just as I suspected, Sophie was so much more than met the eye. She would keep me on my toes; she was full of surprises.

  But she’d choked. I could see the panic in her eyes; I smelled her fear as she slowly backed away from the roaring beast.

  Why weren’t they letting me go, dammit? Why wasn’t my father letting me defend her yet?

  I lunged my body harder, fighting, struggling to break free of their harsh grips. The men and my best friend worked to keep me where I was. Their clutches were like iron shackles.

  Dammit! I needed to get to her!

  Her father stalked towards her. I watched helplessly as she shivered. Her wolf was there. She was so close, yet so far.

  She needed me, dang it!

  I snarled at my father, demanding his attention, commanding he tell them to release me. I wasn’t the fucking prisoner. Her damn dad deserved to be.

  I didn’t want to hurt my pack, but desperation was eating away at me the closer her father got to her. Soon, my conscience would fade and I would be a victim to instinct. My instincts would always be to protect her, even if it meant shredding my own to reach her.

  I heard another snap followed by several bones cracking. Pain contorted her face as she fell to her knees. She didn’t cry out, but I knew she wanted to. She refused to prove him right.

  Her dad’s wolf howled a laugh as his daughter struggled through her shift. His reaction alone made me want to tear him apart limb from limb. I suppose, though I knew he wasn’t a great man from her bruises, a part of me hadn’t believed how cruel he was. I hadn’t known a brutal parent; I hadn’t known an irresponsible prick. I’d only known my father, who was proving far better a man that I’d ever given him credit for.

  My wolf’s anger surged, heating our body. I felt hair being plucked from our coat as we fought harder to break free, to get to her.

  She was vulnerable dammit! She was open. He could pounce on her at any point during her change, a shift made more difficult since she had to strip her clothes along the way.

  My heart raced. My wolf’s growls shook me. Fear drove me; frustration propelled me.

  It was my job to protect her, dammit. She was mine!

  …and then it happened.

  Chapter 35

  Sophie

  Come on, come on, come on.

  My body screamed as it slowly morphed. Sharp pain shot from every part of me. Excruciating pressure blinded me, blackened my mind as my wolf worked her way to freedom.

  It felt like my body was being ripped in half. Ligaments tore and re-stitched themselves together. Bones broke and re-shaped themselves. Muscles shredded and rotated before gluing themselves to fresh tissue. All my old wounds disappeared as my body perfectly, if but slowly, reformed.

  My teeth and nails elongated. My hands and fingers shortened into paws. My nose and mouth grew into a snout as my clothes slowly were expunged from over me. Hair sprouted from every pore as the pressure began to fade.

  No sooner had it begun to dull than an abrupt burst of agony worked through my jugular. A solid, powerful entity knocked me backwards as my vision cleared. A heavy paw pressed into my chest crushing my lungs.

  I stared up at my father’s black wolf. Never one to stray from his true character, he’d taken a shot at me before I was ready.

  His
teeth had pierced my fur, were inches from my life source, from the pulsing vein in my neck. If he tore it, I was dead.

  He leered down at me; he mocked me, boasting his power.

  Had I really come all this way to fail? How could this be happening? The bully never won in the movies. Bravery was always rewarded in books and movies. Where was my reward? Where was God now? Where was Nature now as I stared into the pits of hell?

  Suddenly, I caught a flash of motion out of the corner of my eye before my father went flying across the room.

  Dom stopped to give me a cursory look, to ensure I would be okay, before he charged my father. My heart hammered in my chest as my past and present collided before me.

  I rolled over, getting up on all fours. My wolf and I were stricken by the sight before us. Swirls of caramel and black flew around. They moved so quickly, so bluntly. I struggled to keep up even with my enhanced senses.

  I heard the tear of flesh. Like confetti at a parade, fur rained down over the floor as they moved over and under each other.

  My heart beat wildly because there was no clear winner, because no one was stronger than the other. I was shocked and in awe of Dom’s strength. He was far more than I gave him credit for. He was a force to be reckoned with. He was my dad’s equal. He was my mate. He was mine to be proud of.

  But this was still my fight.

  I crouched as they bounced around on the floor. The vicious sounds of war, the haunting echoes of a rough fight that was bound to end in death carried through the room. Those sounds wrapped around my heart. Those noises reignited me; they slipped past my defenses, draping themselves around my soul and forcing me forward, pushing me back into my own battle. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t help win this war. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t help my mate fight. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to my love because I wasn’t brave enough, because I wasn’t determined enough, because I didn’t try hard enough.

  Glimpsing a gap between, I lunged forward, clamping my mouth around my father’s chest. He was momentarily stunned, giving me the advantage to dig my teeth deeper into him until I tasted his bitter, foul blood. His blood reflected the man, the wolf, it pumped within.