Sweet Submission

by Desiree Gelsi

  "I was patrolling, like I always do in the morning.” Micah groaned weakly.

  Sasha's voice came urgent now, “Where is the bullet? We have to get it out now! Kiser get in here!"

  "I took it out with my bare hands already.” Micah informed them through pained breaths, “it was a silver bullet and I didn't have the time to wait."

  "Goddamn it, Kiser, get in here!” Sasha yelled.

  "We have to get the bullet fragments out first, and then we have to draw out the silver.” Kiser said as he rushed into the room, “don't move him, just let him bleed!"

  "I'm going to kill him. I'm tired of dealing with him. As soon as we get Micah stable that hunter's ass is mine,” Sasha growled angrily.

  "I'll come with you,” another man piped up, followed by several others.

  "No, this one is mine and mine alone,” Sasha replied crossly.

  * * * *

  Kita blinked. She felt ill with guilt. This was all her fault. She had to get the hell out of here, before Sasha had the chance to go after Ramsey. Ramsey wouldn't fight fair, he would kill Sasha the moment that he had the chance, and she couldn't let that happen. Sasha had everything to lose here, and she cared about him too much to let that happen. She looked about herself. The room was dark due to the lack of windows, and the fireplace had died out hours ago.

  She couldn't just walk out the door. There were too many people going in and out of rooms in the excitement and someone would see her. Her eyes grazed the fireplace again, and a flicker of hope started to grow inside of her.

  She crawled on all fours over to the hearth, still too dizzy to stand as she looked up into the vast brick chimney. Carefully she climbed into the ash, feeling lingering warmth on her feet.

  Kita braced her feet and her back against the brick, taking advantage of the tight space. She carefully pushed herself up, all the while feeling like she would gag on the smell of smoke and cinder that burned her lungs. Slick soot covered her back and tainted her clothes, but it was only a minor irritancy, and nothing that would make her change her mind. She kept climbing, forcing herself upward until she was free of the airless smokestack.

  She sucked in a deep breath of welcome fresh air, dragging herself from the brick chimney with every ounce of strength that she had left until she was sitting awkwardly on the roof, still clinging to the chimney with her right hand. Her eyes scanned the area around her as she deliberated on her next move. The air was nice. It was still unseasonably warm, and the snow had all but melted away. Her eyes panned away from the forest, focusing on her immediate goal. There was only one thing left to do. She had to jump down from the roof.

  Softly and without making too much noise she edged to the corner of the rooftop, dropping down with agility onto the ground below. The impact shook her knees, and for a moment she wobbled unsteadily. She regained her footing and quickly slipped into the protective shadows of the trees.

  Time was against her and she knew it. The moment Sasha had the opportunity he would be going after Ramsey, but the were-cat would be ready for him. He would kill Sasha with a lethal bullet before the werewolf could even get within a hundred yards of him. Her heart lurched and she ran faster through the trees, ignoring the soreness in her stomach.

  Tears were stinging at her eyes by the time she reached the meadow, and she braced herself on the massive trunk of a tree for a moment to clear her vision. She dried her eyes, refusing to let Ramsey see her tears. She raised her jaw and walked quietly across the exposed meadow. She knew that Ramsey wasn't far. Her feet reached the border of the river and she walked into it, tensing with the cold. Despite the balmy temperatures the river remained like ice.

  Her eyes dropped down, catching her reflection in the rippling water. Her cheek was smudged with tear streaked black soot, the tips of her blonde hair were coaly, and her clothes were dark and ashy.

  A soft click made her eyes dart upwards. Black eyes were glaring down a gun barrel at her.

  "Nicky, what the hell happened to you?” Ramsey asked with an amused grin as he lowered the gun.

  She glared at him. The mere sound of his taunting voice made her want to spit in his face.

  "Well, come on, kitten. Get wet.” He suggested the river, motioning for her to wash off.

  Her glare never left her face, even when she dunked her head into the water. She scrubbed at her body and her cheek, rinsing her hair as best as she could. Finally she climbed out of the water, standing in front of Ramsey. He didn't offer to help her. He just stood there appraising her happily.

  "I leave you in Sasha's care and this is what happens? You return to me all covered in dirt?” He chuckled at her, “I don't think your father would approve of this, Nicky."

  She gritted her teeth and brushed past him, “My name isn't Nicky ... just take me home, asshole."

  He watched her pass him, and he quickly spun to follow her, “What's the matter? Don't tell me that you're sour because I just shot one of Sasha's Beta's?"

  She ignored him, giving him the cold shoulder as she let her anger towards him stew silently in her veins.

  "You don't know where you're going, kitten. Walk with me, instead of in front of me.” He ordered sternly.

  She looked back at him with narrowed blue eyes, her wet blonde hair sending droplets of water cascading away from her shoulders when she turned, “you're the man, why don't you lead the way, chief?"

  He laughed distantly, seizing her arm roughly as he came up beside her, “And turn my back on you? I don't think so. You're a very slippery little bitch, Nicky. The last time I turned my back on you, you took off on me and I had to chase you down, right into an eye-commanders territory.” He pulled her along with him as he continued to walk, “you're going to pay dearly for your treachery, soon to be mate of mine. Every day of your life you're going to live to regret this, I'll make sure of it. You're just lucky you finally came to your senses. Any longer and I would have been infuriated instead of just irritated."

  She sneered at him, “I didn't do this for you, Ramsey, so go ahead and be infuriated...” She tried to tug away from him, but his nails bit deeper into her skin with every trace of resistance.

  He gritted his teeth in resentment, “don't tell me that you're falling for that worthless dog. Christ almighty, Nicky, you were raised to have better judgment than that."

  "You don't know how I was raised!” She spat, “and he's twice the man that you'll ever be and you know it.” She lowered her voice as she glared deliberately at him, “I don't blame you for being afraid of him. You should be!"

  His nails sunk deeper into her arm, and drops of blood rose to lick the surface, “You know, Nicky, you just don't know when to shut the fuck up.” He jerked her violently towards him until his hot breath was burning inches from hers, “I'm not afraid of Sasha. I'm not afraid of your father, and I'm not afraid of you. But I am afraid that I'm going to have to kill you pretty soon if you don't start behaving like a good little bitch."

  Her lips slanted into an amused simper, “I don't think you have the balls ... or the time. If you don't leave this forest soon you're as good as dead. Sasha's going to be coming for you after all the trouble you've caused and I don't think he'll want to talk or bargain.” She leaned into him, so close that that her lips nearly grazed his, “he's going to kill you."

  He lashed out suddenly, gripping her around the neck, “he's not going to do anything to me!” He hissed, spitting venom onto her cheek, “when I'm done with him there'll be nothing left but bits and pieces of him."

  He squeezed tighter around her throat, and she scratched vainly at his grip. She couldn't breath. Her lungs were tight, and her chest was pounding.

  He drew her in close to him, “Don't worry, Nicky, if you keep it up you'll be joining him in hell.” He shoved her away, releasing his bruising grip on her throat.

  Kita gasped, clutching her aching neck as she fell back into a tree. Her eyes became slits and her teeth tightened painfully. Her whole body lit up with rage. She wanted t
o kill him, to tear his heart from his chest. She pushed off from the tree, thinking only about the gun over his shoulder.

  His eyes caught hers the moment that she looked up, and awareness registered within them. She flew at him and he stepped back, shoving her sideways brutally.

  Kita felt the air rush from her lungs as her body rolled into the hard base of a tree. She gripped her ribs as pain surged through them and robbed her of breath. Unmitigated fury coursed through her veins and she unsteadily righted herself. She stepped forward, ready to continue her attack when a large pitch black beast came airborne at her throat.

  She was slammed with wicked strength against the trunk of a towering conifer. The power of the blow forced the breath from her lungs. Her back and her shoulders were alight with pain as bark tore her shirt and ripped at her skin. Her eyes rounded in horror to see a black panther's face before hers and she gasped sharply. Claws braced her shoulders to the tree base, barring her from escaping.

  The panther's eyes were ominous with hostile intent and its short, broad mouth opened wide to reveal long dagger-like canines. A hiss of sheer vehemence poured from its dark mouth and off of the thick pink tongue, sending a shiver racing down Kita's spine. The beast's claws bit into her skin on her shoulders and she sank lower to keep them from becoming buried within her flesh. Pain as warm blood crept over her skin.

  Out of the corner of her eye Kita could see the long black tail twitching irately. Suddenly the panther reared its head back, emitting a deafening scream that echoed throughout the forest. Birds flew from the trees in their alarm, shaking the heavy branches overhead.

  Kita trembled, squeezing her eyes shut to the outside world. A voice made her eyes snap open. Ramsey was half naked before her, back in his human form.

  "Don't ever test me again, Nicky. I can shift faster than any werewolf, I can cut deeper than any knife with my hands, and I can rip your throat out with one bite. Let that be a lesson to you."

  She exhaled, realizing that she hadn't breathed since he had attacked her. Her heart was pounding and she was torn between the rage that still held her and fear. Her anger ruled supreme, and she was unable to keep her tongue in her cheek when he finished dressing.

  "Don't you ever do that to me again,” she warned through ragged breaths. She knew that she should stop there, but she didn't, “you can threaten me all you like, but it doesn't change anything. You're still going to die if you don't hurry. You're forgetting something, Ramsey. Sasha has teeth and claws, too."

  He glared at her, “Not nearly as sharp as mine though, kitten."

  She cocked her head perceptively, watching as he took several deep breaths, “you know, Ram, you're very fast. When you want to attack you do it. And you do it quickly. I think I know why now. You have to be quick, because you can't last..."

  With two long strides he was suddenly before her, breathing down her neck while daring her to challenge him.

  Kita licked her lips and looked away pensively, “wolves aren't terribly fast, but they have unbelievable endurance. They hunt by wearing down their prey. Did you know that, Ramsey?"

  He didn't respond, but she could see his fists tightening into little balls with his ire.

  "There's something else, Ramsey. Wolves hunt in packs. It won't just be Sasha coming for you ... it's going to a group of them. How many bullets do you have in that gun, Ramsey?"

  His demeanor abruptly changed, and a cruel grin slid across his lips, “All I need is one right now, Kita."

  She raised her chin defiantly, “Shoot me then, Ramsey, and get it over with already."

  He laughed, but it was empty and sardonic, “You know I can't do that, Nicky. That's just too easy and way too good for you."

  She backed away from him. She had never really been afraid of him, but he was scaring her now. It was his morbid little chuckle, the suggestion that being shot was too good of a death for her. It all made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle with fear. Her heart sank. Already she missed Sasha.

  Ramsey grabbed Kita's arm, yanking her with him as he walked through the forest. She squirmed and wrestled against him uselessly, protesting as he tugged her along like a rag doll.

  He finally stopped in front of a little log cabin and Kita went silent, ceasing her struggling and her cursing for the moment.

  CHAPTER 11

  Kita stared at the little cabin in confusion. It was nestled between the mountains, right in the pass that was the only exit to civilization. She remembered it vaguely when she went through the valley. A lone woodsman lived here. He had been chopping wood when she slipped by unnoticed.

  "What are you doing?” She cried when Ramsey pulled her towards the cottage.

  She didn't understand. Surely he didn't expect this man to help them.

  "Don't worry, kitten, it's only temporary."

  "Will you stop calling me that? I'm not your goddamn kitten!” She huffed, jerking free from his grasp, “And as far as I'm concerned you don't have the time to just stop in and have tea with one of the locals, Ram. Do you really think that Sasha is just going to stop at the edge of his territory and go, ‘huh, I guess he's gone now, oh well'?” Ramsey watched quietly as she did some little theatrics with her hands, “Sasha wants you dead! You need to get out of here."

  He shook his head, “I think you're trying to scare me, Nicky. You think if you keep reminding me that Sasha is hunting me that I'm going to be in a hurry to leave. Guess what, Nicky?” He leaned in close to her, his hot breath searing her ear, “I want him to find me."

  She swallowed and backed away, “why didn't you just stay at the edge of the river then? He knew right where you were."

  He opened the door to the cabin, “I couldn't keep all of my supplies at the edge of the river, kitten, that's just not practical."

  He reached out to take her hand, but she just looked dumbly at it. Her eyes flicked from his palm to the door. Through the open crack she could see a box of bullets, provisions, and even a vile of clear viscous liquid. There was no sign of the man.

  "Where is the woodsman that lived here?” She asked, beginning to back away. “There was a man here, I saw him..."

  "He doesn't live here anymore,” he replied.

  "Where is he?” Her pitch wavered slightly as shock and unease drew through her words.

  Ramsey saw her backing away. She looked like she was going to turn and run at any moment. He could sense it, he could smell her fear, and he could taste her distrust like a thick smoke in the air around him. She whirled away from him and he was ready. He lunged after her, seizing her elbow in his hand before she got away. She screeched as he pulled her through the door of the cabin, bolting the door shut behind him.

  Kita stared wide-eyed at him. Her skin hurt. She was scraped and bruised from skirmishing with him all through the forest, and now he had her locked up inside of this cramped cottage with him. Staring at him now he could have been the devil. His eyes were dark with something hidden, deep, dangerous, and deadly. His sharp defined features hardened his expression, and in the shadows he looked, sinister. He reached out deftly, scraping a match against a hard wooden table before lighting a lantern that sat resting on it, all without tearing his black eyes from hers.

  The light flickered softly across the small space, ominously splashing across his dark jaw. Kita swallowed, determined to gain control of the situation.

  "What do you think you're doing?” She snapped crossly, “Let me go, now, Ramsey. I'm leaving, with or without you ... I'm not going to stay here while you play your little stakeout game waiting for Sasha."

  "Oh, but you are, Nicky. You're going to bring Sasha right to me..."

  "Like hell I am.” She said tersely.

  Ramsey smiled just to goad her, “I want you here when I kill him. Maybe then you'll start respecting me like you should."

  She shook her head and shifted for the door, “You're insane, Ramsey, and I'll never respect you for being a killer."

  He grabbed her around the waist, forcibly
thrusting her back up against the wall, “That's rich, coming from a woman who's falling for a man that killed his own brother."

  Kita glowered at him, “why are you doing this, Ramsey? You have what you wanted ... why don't you just take me home and forget about Sasha? He didn't do anything to you."

  "The thing is, Nicky, I've made an enemy out of Sasha. I've killed some of his pack mates and I have taken the woman that he wants back.” He grabbed her hands, pinning them to her sides, “if I don't finish this now I'll always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if he's there, waiting to kill me."

  "You deserve to die.” She snarled bitterly.

  He shrugged as he grabbed a piece of rope from a nearby table, “You're probably right."

  "I'm not going to let you do this, Ramsey."

  "There's nothing you can do to stop me, Nicky."

  She seethed, “don't count on it, Ram."

  Kita saw what he was doing with the rope, and there was no way in hell that she was going to just stand here and let him tie her. She clenched her fist and caught him squarely in the jaw with a right hook before darting away from him. She rushed for the door, frantically working the locks with trembling hands and sore knuckles. Her head jerked backwards as she was thrown to the floor. In an instant Ramsey was over her, trying to pin her down as she thrashed beneath him.

  She screamed, wildly worming around under his body weight. He was too powerful, too determined though, and she couldn't shake him. With every muscle in her body quaking, her heart pounding, and her breathing labored she finally succumbed to his power. She was panting beneath him as he held her arms over her head. He glared down at her with his coal black eyes.

  A sudden grin of satisfaction spread over his lips, “Maybe we should start the honeymoon early, kitten. All this wrestling is turning me on."

  "Don't even think about touching me if you want to keep your dick, Ramsey.” She threatened angrily.

  He sneered at her, “you aren't in a position to make threats, Nicky. I own you, remember?"