Sweet Submission

by Desiree Gelsi

  Sasha stared at Kita. He didn't know what to say at this moment. His world had been pulled out from under his feet and he was left hanging. He watched as Kita shifted. There was pain in her eyes.

  "I'm so sorry, Sasha. I never meant to hurt you...” Kita whispered, dropping her eyes away from him.

  She shuddered. She was still cold and wet. Her body was becoming numb and her lips were turning blue. Stiffly she started to pull away from the trunk of the tree. She had to get away from Sasha's incriminating gaze. Ramsey would punish her, he would try to hurt her, but nothing would compare to the hurt of seeing Sasha exposed and wounded.

  She had taken one step before her back was crushed violently against the tree, and the wind was knocked out of her. She felt like she had just been pounced on. She gasped. Sasha had just pinned her back against the trunk of the tree, and he wasn't letting her move. Anger and fury were dancing dangerously in the gold of his eyes.

  Sasha was livid, and he threw his voice to the hunter, “if Kita is the one that you wanted then why were you killing my pack mates?"

  Ramsey sighed, “You know, Sasha, I hated to do that. But the thing is, I wanted information from them, and they proved useless. I have a theory about things that are useless to me ... I get rid of them."

  Sasha glared at Kita, “Keep that in mind when you marry him."

  Kita looked down. She was hurting enough already, Sasha didn't have to rub salt in the wound like that.

  "Actually, Sasha, you know it's funny, this last female of yours, I really hated to kill.” Ramsey informed from his hiding spot across the river, “She really liked you. Gina, she said her name was. She was drunk, though. Did Gina have a drinking problem, Sasha?"

  The Alpha heard him, but he didn't respond. He just leaned against Kita, keeping her pinned beneath him as he stared coldly into her eyes. He wanted to see her reaction to her fiancé's words. He wanted to see the pain that he felt mirrored in her eyes.

  Ramsey shifted, “Anyway, when I see a woman sitting beside the river bank, drunk, cursing at the water, I get a little curious. All I had to do was approach her and ask if she had seen my little sister, Nikita. Wouldn't you know she fell right into my hand? Apparently you werewolves lose all sense of rationality when you're drunk.... So, long story short, she starts telling me about this horrible little blonde bitch that Sasha found, and how Sasha is completely infatuated with her. He doesn't even notice when poor Gina is even around anymore."

  He sighed uninterestedly, “Anyway, I got tired of hearing her gripe about how Sasha ignores her, and he can't love anyone, blah, blah, blah ... I slit her throat just to shut the bitch up."

  There was silence. Sasha still hadn't eased his hold on Kita, and if anything else it had become tighter. He glared at her, not knowing what to do with her. He couldn't kill her, but he couldn't just let her go, either. He had lost too much to just let her leave like that. She had to be punished.

  Ramsey, meanwhile, was becoming impatient, “Sasha, just give me the bitch and I leave. You can go back to chasing tail, hunting deer, howling at the moon, whatever it is that you do."

  Sasha eased his hold slightly, but his eyes never left hers, even when he called out to the hunter, “Fine, you want her, come and get her...” he felt Kita's breath catch beneath him.

  "Now Sasha, you know I can't do that. You're a werewolf, you never travel alone. That means for all I know you could have your whole pack there with you in the trees."

  "It's just me and Kita.” Sasha tilted his chin, staring deep into her eyes and daring her to move, “be a man, get over here and take the woman you love from me."

  The hunter scoffed, “the woman I love? That's a bit of a stretch. She's a deal sealer in an agreement between me and her father, and that's all.” Ramsey chuckled absently, “I'll tell you what, Sasha, if you think she's worth fighting for then come on over here and we'll fight for her. If I win, she leaves with me, if you win, she's all yours, and you can deal with her and her hot temper."

  Sasha grazed Kita's throat with his thumb. As infuriated as he was with her, he still thought she was worth fighting for. It didn't make sense. A part of him wanted to shake her madly and cause her the same pain that she was causing him, while the other just wanted to claim her for his own and protect her. Her lips were gray, and her face was ashen. She was shaking unconsciously. Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it soon before she collapsed.

  Sasha released his hold on Kita and stepped back, “deal."

  Kita gasped sharply and her hand lashed out to grab his arm, retaining him desperately. He whirled around to face her, inadvertently seeing the panic and fear in her eyes. To see the horrified expression on her lovely features was enough to make him soften.

  "Sasha, please don't...” Kita was begging of him through shaky breaths, practically on her knees, “you don't understand, he's not what you think he is."

  Fury clutched at Sasha's stomach and he reached down, prying Kita's hand off of his arm, “The man just referred to you as a ‘deal sealer,’ and you don't want me to hurt him?"

  "It's not him that I'm worried about! He'll kill you, Sasha!” She cried.

  "You think I won't win?” Sasha was hurt by her insinuation, and it showed in his face. He was born and bred to fight, and even the toughest human was an unworthy opponent.

  "I know you won't,” she pleaded, “not until you know what you're dealing with and what he's capable of.” He glared at her and she trembled inside, feeling the hatred that he held in check so close to her, “he's a were-cat."

  Sasha felt sick. It was as if a bomb had gone off in his gut and his heart had plummeted to his feet. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, and he couldn't think. All at once missing pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and realization struck him like a hard blow to the stomach. He knew why his murdered pack mates had been cut apart so cleanly. It was claws, not a knife that had slit their skin. He knew now why the hunter always seemed so aware of him. He was inhuman, just like Sasha. He felt a shiver of dread trickle down his spine. This was a whole new adversary to him. He grabbed Kita by the elbow.

  "What's your fiancé's name?"

  Kita winced under his bruising grip, and her teeth chattered when she spoke, “His name is Ramsey, but he's not my fucking fiancé."

  "Ramsey!” He yelled across the river, all the while maintaining his grip on Kita, “When you're ready to come over here and get her from me you know where to find me. Until then, she's mine."

  "Fine, keep her, Sasha. Just remember it's only a matter of time before I kill you and every single one of your pack mates.” He chuckled distantly, “Oh, and Kita, you might want to start putting up more of a fight over there, kitten. Do you remember when you were younger, and you heard a story about an eye-commander named Sasha Lucian who killed his own brother?” he paused, giving Kita time to digest his words, “Well, kitten, look at the man who's holding onto you. Now let me introduce you to Sasha Lucien..."

  CHAPTER 8

  Kita gasped as Sasha drug her into the house. She was fighting his grip, trying to get him to release her but to no avail. He was hell-bent on keeping her and no amount of rationalizing with him would change that. She felt herself being pulled along the hallway by her arm, and she screeched when he roughly yanked her into a foreign room.

  He released her and she backed into the wall, trying to catch her breath in the darkness that surrounded her. Her hands molded to the planks against her palms and she looked around anxiously, catching shadows and outlines in the darkness. She had never been in this room before, she was sure of it. A flame flickered in the far wall and a slow trickle of fire and smoke crawled upwards. Her gaze darted around. The light from the fire began to illuminate her surroundings.

  The room wasn't all that big and the firelight easily collided off of all four walls. Her eyes did a double take, shooting back to the corner of the room. There was a large oak bed pressed against the wall in the corner. It was covered by heavy blankets and lavish furs.
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br />   Her gaze dropped downward. Animal hide rugs were stretched over the floor, and she mechanically wiggled her toes, feeling coarse hair beneath her feet. Her gaze drew back up. She saw deer and elk antlers mounted on the walls, offset by a larger, heavier rack from a moose. She continued to search the room, seeing unlit candles against the wall, a large oak dresser that matched the bed, and a bathroom off to the side.

  The door was open to the bathroom and she could see the shower, as well as a large gleaming white porcelain tub to the side. She scowled. Sasha had the amenities of modern living, but he still preferred a blazing fireplace to a furnace, candlelight to electric lighting, and timber to mortar and concrete.

  "Take off your clothes and get in the bed."

  The voice seemed to echo off of the walls and she snapped her head sideways, seeking the source of the sound. She saw Sasha leaning against the wall across from her, his arms crossed his chest as he watched her expectantly. She couldn't think. She had completely forgotten that he was here still. It was like her mind was numb. She didn't know that shock from the cold was finally beginning to settle in.

  She swayed when Sasha stepped towards her. He impatiently grabbed her and swung her around to stand beside the bed. He reached down to grab her shirt, and the feel of his warm hands on her cold skin caused her mind to suddenly snap back to consciousness.

  She slapped his hands away from her, “don't you dare, Sasha! I have to leave and you know it!"

  His jaw jerked violently and he grabbed her arms, “You aren't going anywhere right now, Kita. You're on the verge of hypothermic shock. Now take off your wet clothes and get under the blankets."

  Her mind went numb again and she shivered, staring up at him helplessly.

  "Damn it, Kita, why do you have to make this so damn hard on me?” his voice had softened now.

  Sasha sucked in a breath of air. She was making everything hard on him, she made it hard for him to hate her, hard to keep his hands off of her, and she was just plain making him hard. He grabbed the bottom of her soaked t-shirt, peeling it effortlessly from her body. A groan of pure exasperation left his lips. Her breasts were so rigid, the nipples on them so firm from the cold. He wanted to put his mouth on them, warm them with his tongue and his lips.

  He stepped away, as if that would keep the temptation of her body at bay. He looked into her eyes. They were fading, and she was looking back at him dully. He thought she even looked like she was swaying. He growled to himself, stepping towards her again as he grabbed the lip of her jeans. He pulled them down her hips easily enough, but when she went to step out of them she collapsed.

  His breath caught, and he reached out to catch her just before she fell backwards. She feebly tried to clutch at him but her hands were numb and useless. He lifted her smoothly onto the bed, climbing over her as he positioned her. He did his best to ignore her naked body beneath him, but the feral being inside of him refused to. Her breast brushed his chest, and to feel them icy cold against him made him want to envelop her with his own body heat. He felt her stomach. It was the same frigid cold and clammy feeling.

  He looked away, deliberating to himself. He should just let her freeze, it was what she deserved. If she hadn't gone to that bastard Ramsey in the first place she wouldn't have gotten like this. He looked back at her. Her blue eyes were dim and watching him ruefully. His heart jerked. He couldn't stand to see her like this. He wanted to see that same woman that he had saved back, the one that was fearless, that challenged him when no one else would ... the one that turned him on like none other had.

  He took his jeans off. Blankets would only keep body heat in, body heat that she didn't have. The only way to get her body heat back up was to give her some of his.

  "I hate you for this,” he told her as he slipped into the blankets with her, “you owe me, big time."

  His arms reached around her frigid body, and he pulled her in tightly to him to make her warm. Her curves fit him so well that it was easy to conform to her and give her his body heat. She trembled in his arms.

  "Sasha?” She strained a whisper, “what about the hunt?"

  "Kiser knows what to do, he's in charge now."

  "Oh...” she murmured, “Sasha?"

  "What?"

  "Thank you,” she snuggled into his arms.

  "Get some rest, Kita."

  "Sasha?"

  He growled impatiently, “what, Kita?"

  "You're a good man..."

  He tensed, “No I'm not, I killed my own brother, remember?"

  She shivered against him, “Sasha?"

  "Kita, I swear, if you don't go to sleep I'm going to leave you here to freeze, alone.” He exhaled, “What do you want?"

  "You're a good man..."

  He sighed and rested his cheek into her hair. There was no use in fighting with her, even sick she would find a way to be stubborn. Her hair smelled pleasant, like fragranced shampoo, a blend of rose hips and jasmine...

  * * * *

  Sasha opened his eyes. He had never meant to fall asleep. There was something about lying cuddled next to her though that felt so comfortable, so right. He clutched his arms. The bed was empty beside him. Confusion swirled in his mind, just seconds before panic and fury took hold.

  He flung the blankets from his body, stumbling as he pulled his jeans up over his hips. Still buttoning the pants he left the room in a rush, marching purposefully down the hallway. He heard her voice in another room, she was yelling at someone to let go of her.

  Sasha turned through a doorway, stopping abruptly when he saw Kiser and Micah. Each had a hold of one of Kita's arms, and they were struggling to hang onto her. She wasn't making it easy for them. She kicked and swung with her fists whenever she slipped from their grasp, all the while threatening them with bodily harm as she cursed and swore at them for refusing to release her.

  A surge of possessiveness raced through his blood. The sight of her being held by any man other than him made his blood boil. He stepped towards them, grabbing Kita away from them as he brought her possessively to his side.

  He glared at his pack mates, “What the hell is going on?” He barked.

  Kiser rubbed his sore jaw where Kita had knuckled him, “She said she was leaving. I told her that she had to wait until you had agreed to it."

  Micah was rubbing his arm, and when he pulled his hand away Sasha could see that teeth marks lined his bicep.

  "The bitch is fucking crazy. She bit me, Sasha!” Micah announced loudly.

  "Hey,” Sasha snapped, “don't ever call her that again!"

  "What, bitch or fucking crazy?” Micah was stunned.

  "Neither!” the Alpha snarled tetchily.

  "She bit me!” Micah protested stubbornly.

  Sasha rolled his eyes. He looked down at Kita, who even now looked ready to spring on either man if it weren't for his hold on her, “Why did you bite him, Kita?"

  Her eyes narrowed at Micah, “he wouldn't let me go."

  Micah flinched and grabbed his arm reflexively. He threw her a disparaging glance, “you should have listened to us when we told you to wait for Sasha! Crazy woman, tasting me like I'm a goddamn venison flank...” he griped.

  Sasha sighed, pulling Kita with him as he left the room, “why do you have to be so difficult, Kita?"

  She tried to refuse his hold, tugging and jerking to no avail, “you're the one being difficult. Why won't you just let me leave? You're being irrational and domineering."

  He brought her effortlessly back to his room, impervious to her struggling, and he turned on her when he had shut the door behind them, “for one thing, you can't just leave. In case you forgot, you betrayed me and you lied to me, and in my pack that begets you punishment. Secondly, you're the one being irrational. You're engaged to a killer, and you want to go throw yourself right into his arms. And lastly, sweetheart, you haven't seen anything yet. I plan to dominate you into a submission that will make you beg to run into your precious killer's arms."

  She took a de
ep, conflict preparing breath, and then she let her words fly, “how dare you! You can't punish me! In case you forgot, I am not a member of your pack, Sasha. And stop telling me that I'm engaged to a killer! I will not marry that man. Why in the hell do you think that I was running from him?"

  Her breath was coming rapidly now, she hadn't meant to tell him that. She inhaled again, stepping closer to him, looking up into his eyes with deliberate challenge, “And by the way, nothing, absolutely nothing that you do to me will make me submit to you or make me want to run to Ramsey's arms."

  Sasha stared down at her, matching her eyes for all he was worth. He stepped closer to her, nearly on top of her, expecting her to back down. She didn't. Instead she held her own, daring him to trespass on this little piece of the floor that she called her own. He couldn't help himself. He admired her fight, her refusal to be intimidated, and it turned him on like nothing else. His loins tightened with need, and impulsively he leaned down, wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around her as he pressed his body and lips to hers.

  She pushed against him, unsuccessfully resisting him. Her hands were pinned against her sides, leaving her defenseless. The vulnerability made her tense with resentment.

  Sasha slid his tongue along her lips, gliding over the gentle curve of her silky sweet mouth. Her lips tasted sweet, smooth like honey, parting ever so slightly when he caressed them. The tip of his tongue darted between the narrow part of her lips into the welcome heat of her mouth, and she clamped down mulishly with her teeth. He smiled against her. She was determined to take control, and now she had it. She had him firmly against her, his tongue was trapped beneath her teeth and she wasn't letting go.

  He pressed his mouth harder against her, and she responded by biting harder. The only way out of this was to appease her, before she bit his tongue clean off. He slowly released her left arm, knowing that it was her weaker one, and whatever punching she chose to do with it would be less effective than the other.