He wasn’t sure how long they lay there, out of breath, blood smeared on their faces. Sophia rested her head on his chest while he caressed the soft curve of her back. He was at peace, content. She was his, and he was hers. They were part of each other like the very air around them. He would make sure that she never danced in a cage again.
“My mate,” he whispered, combing her hair with his fingers. Sophia purred.
“My mate,” she repeated, kissing his chest.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Sophia glanced up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.
He sat up, bringing her with him. “I want to take you home and have you dance for me, privately.”
“I can’t.” She hesitated. “I have work to do.”
Glancing around him at the awful Doll House, he bristled at the thought of Sophia returning.
“Do you really want to work here?” He clenched his teeth and kept his growl of frustration at bay as she pondered the question. After what seemed like hours, she shook her head, her blue hair tumbling over her eyes.
Gently, Markus pulled the locks away from her face, forcing her to look at him. “I want to see you move, gloriously naked and free. No more constraints, no more bonds, both inside—” He placed his fingertips over her heart. “And out.” He swept his hands in a gesture that encompassed the room and beyond.
“But what will I do?” Sophia asked softly.
Markus smiled, relieved that she didn’t oppose the idea of leaving the Doll House.
“We’ll figure it out, but for now, you’ll dance for me, princess.”
Her blue eyes sparkled as a smile crept over her face.
“All right, but this time, I’ll pick the music.”
The End
www.inadreambeyond.blogspot.com
EXTINCTION
Jorja Lovett
Copyright© 2014
"I really wish you would reconsider your decision, Mr. Forbes. The foundation meant a great deal to your father, and vice versa. His financial support enabled us to purchase the extra land we needed, but there is still a lot of work to be done." Holly refused to beg. If the tall, dark, and irksome stranger withdrew their funding, she'd simply have to look elsewhere for another sponsor to help with their plans. It wasn't as if they could simply release the entire wolf pack into the wild.
"I appreciate that, Ms. Turner. However, my father is no longer with us, and I have no obligation to you or your little project. In fact, after this weekend I doubt I'll ever set foot in Scotland again." Standing in his dark gray business suit looking down his nose at Holly, Lucas Forbes mocked her life's work in a crisp English accent.
She wasn't amused.
"I'm sure the nation will breathe a collective sigh of relief. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my 'little' wolves to feed." Holly walked out of the sterile front office to where she was most at home, outside in the beautiful Ayrshire countryside.
She hoped her parents would have their visitor packed off back to London before her temper got the better of her and she fed him to her furry friends waiting nearby in the trees. Who the hell did he think he was, swanning in here like he owned the place anyway?
Mr. Forbes senior had been such a compassionate man who understood what they were trying to do here by raising wolves in a natural habitat, free to roam the large national park instead of being caged in a zoo for people’s entertainment. He took an interest in studying pack life and often visited, content to sit on the porch and listen to the howling of his summer neighbors. Most importantly, he was a fellow Scot and not some southern posh lad who obviously liked playing God with other people's livelihoods.
"It's nothing personal." He sneaked up on her as she threw dinner out for the pack.
With any luck he'd put his shiny black shoes in something unmentionable.
"Obviously, for you." Holly turned to face him. He was standing too close for her comfort, with no escape from the dark eyes pinning her to the spot.
She took a deep breath. This was her territory. Lucas Forbes was the one out of place here with his perfectly coifed black hair and expensive clothes. Not her, with her make-do ponytail and practical fleece and wellies ensemble.
"This was his hobby, not mine. I am merely doing you the courtesy of telling you in person."
"You're too kind." She gave him the smile equivalent of a two fingered salute. "Well, message delivered and understood. There's no need for you to stick around."
"Perhaps, Mr. Forbes would like to read some of the research you've done into pack behavior, Holly?" Her father, the patron saint of lost causes, approached from the house.
"As I've already explained to your daughter, this is nothing personal. I'm simply tying up all the loose ends my father has left up here. I wish you well for the future." Lucas shook her father's hand and reached out his large palm to her.
She contemplated turning her back on it, but a warning look from her parent told her to act her age.
"We are sorry for your loss, and we appreciate everything your father did for us here." It wasn't in her nature to kiss ass, but they would genuinely mourn the loss of their benefactor. So, she resisted kicking the messenger in the shins and shook his hand like a grown up.
With a curt nod of his head, the bearer of bad news dismissed all ties with the foundation and walked away.
"Now what?" As usual Holly's father looked to her for the answers. Cecil Turner was a natural with animals, but when it came to financial matters he was as useful as a chocolate fireguard.
This sanctuary was his baby. He'd reared the wolves from cubs, and they almost looked to him as the Alpha of the pack. But, without her help and commitment, Holly knew the whole place would've gone to pot long ago.
"Perhaps I'll do another one of those cheesy magazine shoots. ‘The Wolf Lady' and her fur babies is usually a quick way to make a few quid." As much as she hated the spotlight, the media seemed fascinated by a twenty-five-year-old woman who lived with wolves. At least, more than they were with her middle-aged parents.
"And then what? I think you were too quick to put Lucas offside when we need his money to keep things ticking over here. Maybe you should've asked him out to dinner or something and charmed him into picking up where his father left off." Her father's eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Over my dead body." There was no way on earth she would entertain the idea of seeing that man again. Especially under the pretense that she would actually enjoy his company.
Besides, they both knew she wasn't capable of charming anyone. She was a straight talker who didn't give a shit about minding her p's and q's, whereas Lucas Forbes was probably the sort who preferred his women to be seen and not heard. It was for the best that he turned out to be such a skinflint, so she didn't have to spend another minute in his presence.
An airplane roared across the grey skies, and Holly could only pray he would be on board the next one out.
****
Lucas had known it wasn't going to be an easy conversation with Cecil Turner, telling him he was withdrawing his support for the foundation. He hadn't counted on the feisty daughter making him feel even more of a heel doing so. She certainly wasn't prepared to let him walk away with a clear conscience like he did after every other business decision. This weekend trip was supposed to be about remaining objective and keeping an emotional detachment so he could sort out his father's affairs without blubbing like a baby. How could he do that now when he had the image of Holly's baby blue eyes looking at him with such naked hatred? He was beginning to wonder if his father's love of the place really was about the wolves, or had more to do with his penchant for spirited blondes.
Lucas thumbed through the sketchbook sitting on the dining table where his father had left it. Page after page was filled with pencil drawings of the wolves and the part of their lives they clashed over so often. He never shared the same enthusiasm as his father for that side of his nature—that inhuman, animal tendency he could never rid himself of.
&
nbsp; That was part of the reason he never came here anymore. This place was somewhere his father liked to indulge, when it was all Lucas could do to forget who and what he really was. The house was too quiet without his father's booming voice echoing down the hall in his broad Scottish brogue, and suddenly he wasn't sure if he could last the whole weekend here on his own.
He opened the front door to let some fresh air blow through the still atmosphere, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. The clean, crisp breeze was a welcome change from the traffic fumes and fast food smells he was used to. After his mother's death, Lucas was aware of his father's wish to return to his homeland, but he'd always resisted. Regardless of his parentage, he would always be a stranger here. And yet, he'd never really fitted in anywhere. As far as he knew, he was the last of his kind.
A mournful howl sounded in the distance, echoing his sorrow. The hairs on the back of Lucas's neck bristled, and it took everything inside him not to reply. There was no escape from this particular legacy his father had left behind.
The remote cottage was perched high in the hills, bordered by the forest, and far enough from civilization for the Forbes's family to explore their dark side. For the first time since he was a hormonal teenager, Lucas was overwhelmed by emotion. Perhaps it was the loss of his remaining parent finally hitting home, or the sights and sounds of his true birthright, but Lucas couldn't fight the powerful urges coursing through his body. One last run, to honor his father.
He stripped off his clothes and left them in a pile by the front door, before walking out into the open, stark naked. There was something liberating about the cold wind blasting around his nether regions, something primal. He could understand the whole kilt wearing deal a bit better from this perspective.
Lucas freed his mind from all his problems and unleashed the beast within. It had been so long since he turned. The transformation wasn't without pain, but it was quick. His father would have been proud to see him finally shift into his wolf guise. There wasn't much opportunity in the busy streets of London for him to shift whenever he felt the need. Despite his father's assurances, he doubted there were others like him, and he'd spent most of his adult life trying to suppress his true self. Now, he wanted to explore it.
He took a few steps to stretch his new limbs and dug his claws into the hard earth to get purchase. Like a frisky pup, he leaned back on his haunches before propelling himself at full speed toward the border of trees in the distance. Despite the dim evening light, his heightened wolf senses picked up every slight movement in the branches, and the sounds of every woodland creature in the vicinity.
He lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air. So many exciting scents, too. One in particular drew his attention, and he hurtled full pelt in the direction of the familiar smell. In his human brain he recognized the proximity to the wolf sanctuary, but the pull of the pack was too powerful to resist. He wanted to be part of a family, be it wolf or human. He howled a lament for his father, a desire to belong, and was rewarded with a lupine chorus calling him home.
He wove through the trees at breakneck speed, focused on reaching the compound. The woods thinned out, and Lucas bounded down to where the road dissected the hills. I'm coming. A flash of light blinded him, and put an end to his journey. The air was knocked from his lungs, and then everything went black.
****
"Oh my God! We've hit something!" Holly slammed on the brakes and brought the jeep to an abrupt halt.
She jumped out and rushed around to see what had run out in front of the car. The blazing headlights illuminated the large body of a wolf lying lifeless on the road. Bile rose in her throat. She would never forgive herself if she'd killed one of the pack. They were like family to her.
"How the hell did he get out?" Her father stood over her as she knelt down to check for signs of life. Although its eyes were closed and there was blood on its fur, the wolf was still breathing.
"We'll figure that out later. For now, it's more important we get him home. Give me a hand to get him into the car." Holly lifted his hindquarters leaving her father to lift the slack at the other end. Between them they staggered the dead weight of the black wolf onto the back seat of the car.
She wasted no time in getting back to the house and maneuvering the wolf into the annex where she lived, a flat attached to the main house. There were fewer things for him to destroy here when he came to in unfamiliar surroundings. They laid him on a blanket under the light so she could tend to his wounds. She'd grown up alongside these wolves and knew they didn't present a threat to her safety.
"I don't recognize this one, Dad. Do you?"
"I, er, I'm sure I've seen him around. I think he's an Omega, prefers to be on his own." Perhaps it was the shock of the accident, but her father seemed to be acting more odd than usual as he paced back and forth in her living room.
As she cleaned away some of the blood crusted on his fur, the wolf opened one eye to study her. There was something familiar about him. If he was the outcast and kept to the shadows she probably wouldn't have seen much of him. When she moved her hand across his body, feeling for broken bones, he lifted his head and curled his lip.
"It's okay. Nothing broken." She soothed him by stroking his head, and he lay down and closed his eyes. No doubt he was nursing a few bruised ribs, but she didn't think there was anything serious to worry about.
"Are you happy to keep him here for the night?" Her father was already edging towards the door, passing on the responsibility of the wounded animal to her.
"Sure. A night's rest will probably see him back on his feet by the morning."
"If there are any problems, or, um, you need to talk about anything, you know where we are." Mr. Shifty frowned at their house guest one more time before he finally left, and Holly was convinced he'd finally lost the plot.
She locked the door after him. "Well, Shadow, it looks like it's just you and me for the night. I hope you're going to behave yourself."
They didn't usually give names to the wolves, but he suited that one. He'd come from the shadows, and once he was healed he'd probably slink back into the trees without a trace. Sometimes Holly envied them their easy existence away from the stresses of work and finances.
She sighed and unzipped her fleece, peeling away the layers of her troubles. On days like this there was only one remedy for all that ailed her. She walked through to the bathroom and ran a bath. When the tub was filled with hot water and bubbles, Holly stripped out of her work clothes and stepped in. She wasn't prone to bouts of self-pity, but after today's bombshell it was difficult to stem the tears. They were in big trouble, and this time she didn't know how to fix it. Holly sank down into the bath and let the water wash away her sorrow.
When she came back up to the surface and wiped the water from her face, she found her injured wolf staring at her from the doorway.
"You don't know how lucky you are, Shadow. I bet you don't have to worry about bills or losing your home because of arseholes like Lucas Forbes. Although, technically if we can't afford to run this place you will be homeless. We'll probably have to split you up and send you to whatever zoos will take you." Another errant tear dripped down her cheek, and she was quick to swipe it away.
Shadow padded in to stand beside the bath as if he sensed her distress.
"Ach, I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. Just don't tell anyone I'm having a crisis of confidence. We don't want it getting out that Holly Turner can't cope."
****
Lucas watched her sink back under the bubbles, hiding her perky cleavage beneath the suds. He'd unintentionally turned into some sort of peeping Tom but he hadn't been able to take his eyes off Holly since she'd rescued him. Who knew she had the body of a goddess underneath the bulky outdoor wear?
Bone weary, he lay down at the side of the bath. His ribs ached, his head was foggy, and he couldn't shift back now even if he wanted to. Putting two and two together he figured out she must have hit him with her car. If she'd rea
lized who he was underneath the fur, she probably would've reversed over him and finished the job. He hated to see her distress knowing he was the one who'd caused it. Maybe tomorrow he could crunch a few figures and come to a compromise that would keep them both happy. This emotional detachment wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.
Holly stepped out of the bath, flashing Lucas a quick peek at her peachy backside and slender legs before she wrapped a towel around her body. He followed her into the bedroom and watched as she dried her wavy blonde hair. She looked so much prettier with her hair loose around her bare shoulders, and he could quite happily spend the rest of his days as her house pet.
When she dropped her towel to pop on a black silk chemise he had to resist howling like a hound dog. Unlike the city women he usually dated, Holly had a natural beauty, which appealed to him more than the heavily made up clones that never held his attention for long. His father had never approved of any of his relationships either, always hoping he would find one of his own kind to settle down and have wolf babies with. Perhaps Holly and her adopted pack were the closest he'd find to a suitable match. If only she didn't hate his guts.
She plumped up her pillows and climbed under the bed covers. "Night, Shadow."
Lucas looked at the hard wood floor and back at that comfy bed. He really didn't think he'd be able to stand in the morning if he was forced to sleep down here like an actual mutt. He gave her his best whimper and puppy dog eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not about to let a wolf into my bed. I don't know where you've been."
Alpha's Claim Page 16