by Mikea Howard
She stared at the door in the dark, waiting, expecting he'd come back. Maybe she just misunderstood . . . maybe it isn’t possible to see love in someone's eyes. Maybe she just had cold feet and he’d stop being angry once he figured that out? When he didn't return, she rolled onto her side with knees tucked up under her chin and cried.
What did I do?
Warm arms pulled her closer. One went under her head, wrapping across, and the other came from her hip, the hand creating a loose cup around her breast. Soft lips pressed to her scalp. She cried harder, this wasn't what happened. Soft reassurance from her mate would never happen. She gave her one chance, her one mating to a sociopath. Sadie gripped the arms around her finding flesh, no mecha. Taking a deep breath, she scented it . . . sandalwood and evergreen.
Chapter 11
“Wake up, little rabbit. You’re dreaming.” Domek eased a hand up to wipe away her tears, but made sure to still hold her tight. “I’m sorry.”
Dammit! What in Gaia’s name is wrong with me?
He’d pushed her too far. He shouldn’t have taken her last night. But when the pain from the shift doubled her over, he couldn’t help it. Something inside broke and screamed that she needed pleasure with the pain. As though something else drove him, he plowed into her mid shift, like a rutting beast. He’d never had a problem watching another werewolf shift, not even those he sired . . . never felt any desire to divert their minds from the agony with sex.
Sighing, Dom squeezed her tighter, hoping he hadn’t damaged Sadie, or her trust. He liked her in his arms, and enjoyed that his scent masked all others while she slept. Some flash of satisfaction filled him at having marked her with his completion, temporarily blending his scent with hers. The rogue had been right; any light smell of Eridon that still seeped out of Sadie drove him mad, howling that it didn’t belong there. The reminder of the bastard almost pushed him over the edge of rage when he took her.
“I see sunlight cresting the horizon, signaling that we need to get going. I have work to do today.” He always had work looming over him. Sighing, he’d not been with another female since forcing Eridon from Blue Wolf, moving focus from all female forms to protecting their borders from the rogue. Maybe that’s why I want her so badly . . . the reason is just because it’s been so long since I took pleasure in a soft body. Domek had to dismiss the possibility when his cock deflated while imagining being with any other woman.
He hated letting go, but needed to get dressed. Finding it increasingly harder being around her while unclothed, Domek fought to tamp down urges to mark her with his completion again. This time I will lay her back, marking her chest while she’s still flushed from multiple orgasms. Closing his eyes tight he brought himself back, tucking the blanket snug around Sadie.
He walked over to get dressed by their stack of clothes, picking up hers. Determined to get the two of them back quickly, he returned to her and removed the blanket, helping Sadie up.
“Do you remember what I told you last night?”
Sadie glanced at him. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Okay. You will stand quietly”—he knelt—”with your arms straight at your sides, eyes grounded as I dress you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Good.” He caught her gaze fixed on him, darting to his lips then the ground. A genuine smile crossed Domek’s face as he slid shoes onto her feet. Leaning back, his gaze traveled over her body. Sadie stood steady and proud, not an ounce of fear, or quiver of uncertainty showed. So no appreciable damage from last night, not that it fully excused his actions.
“I like the way you look in nothing but shoes.” Head cocked, he reached for the blouse, and stood.
Moving around, he took hold of her hands. Bringing each one behind to ease them into the sleeves, he glided the shirt up her arms and onto soft shoulders. He pressed his front against her back, closing any gap between their skin. Domek threaded their fingers together, spreading Sadie’s arms wide.
“Relax and bend your elbows.” He guided her hands. “Lock your fingers together behind your head.”
She did as directed. Her heartbeat sped up, visible at her neck as he meandered back around. He adjusted the blouse so it remained unbuttoned, draping wide down her torso. The pull of her body drawing him to her, unlike any other he’d help dress after a shift. Leaning down, he brushed her left nipple with his tongue, drawing the entire thing in, sucking the sensitive flesh to a tight peak. An audible pop sounded with its release. Dom lavished identical attention upon her other breast.
Stepping back, he sat down, placing his legs in a casual position out straight. His feet mere inches from hers, crossed at the ankles. Leaning back, he just took the image of her all in. The blouse’s hem rested down her sides, framing firm breasts, a slender stomach, and pussy beautifully. Early morning light streaming through surrounding trees danced across her skin as leaves swayed with the light breeze.
“So beautiful,” he murmured.
He took another moment, memorizing Sadie’s body. Moving to kneel before her, Domek arranged her skirt on the ground. Guiding her with light pressure behind each knee, he maneuvered Sadie into the ring of fabric. She took cues perfectly, without any verbal direction. Once standing in the center, he grabbed her skirt by the waistband easing it up, stopping just as it reached her curls. Placing a kiss on the soft hair, Domek inhaled the mouth-watering smell, and licked his lips. This woman split him in two, pulling at his desire when he should be focused on his duty.
“Spread your legs. I want your feet shoulder width apart.” He pressed his knees against her feet.
Sadie slid one leg out, followed by the other. He forced her legs wide ensuring they couldn’t be brought back together. He lowered his head into a better position before her mound. While still holding the skirt’s waist high against her thighs, he used both thumbs to pull slick folds beneath dark curls apart, easing a kiss on her clit. The small bump throbbed hard against his lips. Her speeding pulse in such an intimate area drove his want of her beyond his need to focus on duty. Opening his mouth slightly, just the tip of his tongue darted out sampling her essence. He’d intended to take only one small taste. But her honey caused him to squat deeper, spreading her glistening folds wider. His chin pressed atop the waistband, moving it out of the way with ease. Plunging his tongue into her core, Domek lapped from back to front three or four times, having to force himself to pull away.
He stared up at her as his body spread with the heat of his desire to have her. Nostrils flaring, eyes wide, she glanced at him for a moment then diverted them. Damn it, Domek! Get a grip. Control yourself. With Sadie involved, all moral fortitude crumbled. Reminding himself that she’d already mated another, and he just had to help her transition into the life of a werewolf. However, he discovered that keeping their interactions platonic got harder each time he and Sadie were together.
Bringing her skirt the rest of the way up, he eased his hands around her waist. With a palm pressed against her butt cheek’s curve, keeping everything in place, he drew the zipper up. Standing, his hands refused his resolve to keep this non-sexual and he let his thumbs brush across hardened nipples as he brought the edges together, securing each button. Always watching her reactions to his attentions, Domek knew that regardless of his driving need to touch her, she may not have the same desires. He tucked the blouse in, running his hands over every inch of Sadie. Domek made sure to straighten and put everything in place. Turning, he headed toward the supply bag.
“I give you permission to move and speak freely again.” Opening the bag, he cursed under his breath. The coffee pot stared right at him. Her favorite drink would have to wait for another time. He had to get back to Blue Wolf, and drop her off with Kara before he could wash up and eat.
Most importantly, he needed to talk with Marek about Eridon’s visit.
Sadie’s first shift
had been exhausting, so it didn’t take long for her to fall into a deep sleep after Domek dropped her off. Thankfully her schedule at the smith’s workshop started later this morning, since movement proved impossible until nine o’clock. She ached from head to toe from not only the change, but Domek’s titillating assistance.
Sadie fought perceiving his attentions last night as anything more than what he would do for any other new wolf. Fear of being perceived as different propelled an overwhelming desire to prove her worthiness within this new family. Wanting to be treated as every other Blue Wolf member drove all current thoughts and actions. So fantasizing about being special to Domek would be the only option for her.
Her head insisted that every ingrained diesel virtue had vanished since she seemed to behave like a share crop and struggled with the urge to spread her legs every time Domek was around. Her soul insisted life revolved around serving him. Sadie had no idea how the pack viewed these things, though she hoped less judgmental than city folk. Because she knew, with much misery, that she and Domek could never be mates. More misery than I thought possible.
Sadie cheered up the instant Smitty greeted her with an enormous smile. Near giddy, he presented her with boys’ boots. They laced from toe to knee in standard military fashion. Holding a pair of Mary Jane's with one-inch heels in his other hand, he said, “Me and Helena thought you needed another pair too. These belonged to our daughter, from when she was twelve, so they're not new—”
Sadie wrapped him tight in her arms, overwhelmed by how much she missed Pop. Sniffling away tears on the precipice of falling, while exclaiming, “Thank you!” She caught Smitty's scent, and frowned. “You with Helena, I don't know how I missed the connection yesterday.”
“Yeah well, meeting an entire pack the day of your first shift . . .” Chuckling, he added, “I'll let the error pass this time.”
He gave her some items that needed crafting. After working for a while, he would come over as though it had just dawned on him that an apprentice sat across the room. He would chat while looking over her work. As they shared stories she learned that he’d been without any apprentices for years, in due course, he became accustomed to working alone.
By shift’s end she loved the smith’s workshop even more than expected. Impressed with her skills, Smitty inadvertently boosted confidence she didn’t even know had waned. Sadie, while more than proficient in metalsmithing, confused him with diesel based ideas for improvement however. Reorganizing priorities as well as methods would be imperative, because what worked for her in Eureka could not work today. She knew this, but the adjustment came hard.
“So internal combustion engines are the problem? Is the issue fossil fuel pollution combined with noise?” Sadie remembered Smitty mentioning something about maintaining the water mill. “What about external combustion like steam?”
“We integrated fine until diesel engines and power came. That was when most breeds started noticing problems. Weres and Shifters thought moving further out would help, but were still affected by smells and noise.” He chewed his bottom lip in thought. “We do okay, but we could experiment with some external combustion machines . . . if you can make ones that run quiet enough for us. We went to extremes protecting ourselves after the wars but . . . I'm just not sure, Sadie,” he stated, shaking his head, turning.
She sat at the bench as Smitty rummaged through some boxes stacked nearby. First pulling out stacks of letters tied up with simple string, Smitty set them aside, pulling out a hat next. Sadie had come across the same hat style during Diesel War history studies in school. Walking over, she picked the old hat up, holding the edges with care while examining it. The officer’s cap had an emblem on it, identifying the wearer as belonging to the Were Army, Blue Wolf infantry. Turning the item over, its owner’s rank and name inside was listed as CPT Fennon Bluewolf. Realization hit that Smitty’s dad, Big Finn, fought in the war.
Smitty turned around holding old yellowing newsprint. “Here it is.”
He cleared some space. Using his free hand to reach into a box below them, he pulled up a clean cloth, laying it out over the work surface. He eased the brittle paper on top, turning pages like they could crumble at any moment until finding what he wanted.
“Come here, Sadie, look at this article. What it reports may help explain why so many are traumatized by the war. Why so many fear any change that may remind us of our species past.”
Filled with curiosity, Sadie walked over. Placing her hands wide on either side, making sure they pressed on cloth, not the newsprint Smitty valued so highly. She lowered her eyes and began reading the article.
The Gray Wolf Observer
Wolves Storm Greeville Prison, ending Diesel War
North America, April 30 (Canis Lupus AP)—Greenville prison, North America’s most dreaded Shifter research and extermination camp, has been captured. Its surviving tortured inmates freed by outraged Wolf Enforcer S.O. agents who killed or captured the prison’s brutal garrison in a furious battle.
Troops were joined by prisoners working outside the barbed wire enclosures. Mountain Lions and Sun Bears, grabbing up weapons dropped by slain diesel guards, acted swiftly to exact full revenge from their tormentors.
Important Captives Moved
Sorting liberated prisoners was still underway today, but the CL Associated Press learned from officials that more important captives had been transferred to a new location, possibly in Fairview. It is feasible that these included Mountain Lion Marshal Silny’s son, Jakub, who was captured last year; former Sun Bear Chancellor Kazimir Svec and his mate; wolf army infantry CPT Fennon Bluewolf; and Druid Milko Noe, the Great Gray Owl who was arrested when he defied attempts to control his preaching to American diesel pacifists.
Thousands of Prisoners Die
Prisoners with access to records said that during the camp’s operation over 2,000 captives had died from hunger, Tyzzer disease, or were shot. The city’s water supply had been contaminated by drainage from 6,000 graves nearby. Casualties ranged in wereanimal regiments and rank, from snow leopard rangers Pt. Lojza Benes, to Franek Lekso of the Franklin Pard. Mate bond related mortality numbers were still not available at the time of this article.
When this reporter reached the camp a short time after the battle I saw an 18 cattle car train. Boxcars were loaded with hundreds of bodies containing at least one pitiful wreck that still clung to life. These victims were, for the most part, Cheetah that had starved as the train stood there idle for several days.
Bodies were found in many places. Here also were Nazi style gas chambers along with the prisoner research dissection rooms. Huge stacks of clothing bore mute testimony to their owner’s fate.
Sadie, hit hard by what she had just read, backed away, as she blinked back the tears that threatened. Eureka’s schools never taught these historical facts. Her instructors never mentioned what atrocities had been performed in the holding camps. In fact they’d never been called prison camps, or research facilities. But torture camps are what they had been.
“I’m so sorry, Smitty. I didn’t know. You're right. I’m sorry for even suggesting the use of machines. It’s just . . . I just want options if the need arises. Knowledge of what all wolves see as safe. I want to be useful, someone Domek can be proud of.” She glanced up hoping that he didn't read too much into the last part. But shame for the human race torturing this sweet man’s father paired with an overwhelming need to help the pack, let all of her desire to please her alpha slip out.
His eyes crinkled up over a broad grin. “He is proud. Heck, every Blue Wolf member has found themselves quite taken with you, Sadie.” Picking up the newsprint, he folded it gently, packing everything away again. “Don’t be discouraged because I showed you that story. I’m just helping you understand. Remember, Sadie, sometimes it’s good to shake things up a bit.” Turning and winking, he chuckled. “Now get g
oing. It’s time for molding young minds. That’s where real seeds of change can be planted.”
Chapter 12
Sadie left the smith’s hoping her time with the pups would be just as nice or at least less complicated. Children are children, right? Not that she had much experience with kids, but loved them and wanted her own one day. She’d wanted to be a teacher, but Pop needed her with him after losing mom. Goddess, I hope he's remembering to eat. Sadie never regretted working with him but now that returning to the city or her old life became impossible, Kara’s daycare suggestion awoke old dreams. New endeavors with the tiny ones may be good for her.
Walking into the main entrance she spotted Kara waiting, holding a package of food.
“I suspected you’d be too busy to eat so I switched my shift to feed and orient you here today. Come on, the pups are having lunch now, so we’ll join them.”
Sadie didn’t miss the irony of how she used to make sure her Pop ate, and now needed reminding herself. “Thanks, I guess I forgot,” she said, stomach growling loudly.
Kara laughed. “You have werewolf hearing and you forgot through that noise?”
Where Sadie would usually blush, today she didn't, laughing right with her as they sat down.
Story and naptime came after lunch. They read a tale about the goddess’ creation of werewolves, impossible pack folklore. She’d never heard the story until now, but the children knew it well and wound down with the book’s familiarity. Once settled into sleep Kara admitted curiosity over Sadie’s first shift.