by Sam Crescent
She rolled her eyes as her mother disconnected the call. This was her only contact to the outside world.
Calling the authorities wouldn’t help. Who would believe a werewolf pack had kidnapped her with the intention of mating? It sounded ridiculous even to her own ears.
****
Drake stood at the window, watching Kelly. Part of him wanted to believe that this was a total nightmare, the worst thing that could ever happen to him, but the truth was, he didn’t think or feel that way. Yes, he and Kelly didn’t have the best history. Over the years since they’d been kids, he’d been a total bastard to her. But he didn’t hate her, far from it.
She held the cell phone in her hand, dropping it down to her thigh as she stared up at the sky. Her hair cascaded down her back, and he couldn’t look away, nor did he want to. In that moment, he wanted her to turn around, look at him, and smile. She never did smile at him.
He’d seen her smile of course, so many times before, but then he wasn’t the guy or girl she’d look at.
They had a complicated relationship. He didn’t like being told what to do, so he’d fought every single thing his parents had said. Everyone had said that Kelly would be his, so he’d made sure that she despised him.
Even though he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, he’d called her ugly. Her curves had made his cock ache in ways no one else could, but he’d called her fat. Everything he’d done, it had been a rebellion to be his own man.
The process had made Kelly hate him, and at times made him not be able to look in the mirror.
For the next year they were going to be alone with each other. The only company for the other. Part of him was thrilled, but another hated it. Everything had led to this moment.
The elders had called it, and so had his parents and Kelly’s.
She entered the front door and sighed.
“Who were you talking to?” he asked.
“My mom called.” She rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t seem to think this is all that big of a problem. It’s natural, and we have to roll with it.”
“Just out of curiosity what usually happens during this one year … gap? It can’t just be us, can it? There’s couples all over the world.”
“Did you never pay attention?”
“It was a class about mating. I was a guy who wasn’t interested in one girl,” he said, lying easily.
She sighed, running fingers through her hair, which for him seemed to make it glow even more. The life in it called for him to run his fingers through. He fisted his hand instead.
“Everything is supposed to happen in this one year, Drake. We’re here, together, and no one else can interfere. Yes, this includes sex and love. By the time we leave, we’re supposed to have this union, this bond that’s magical.”
“Not all pack members do this though, right?”
“No. Some are mated before they’re chosen. The elders are only supposed to send those that have a special connection.” She air quoted the last two words. “I don’t know. I think I’m doomed.”
“You’re not doomed. We’re not doomed. One year of walking around in the woods, hiking, eating, watching television.”
“And reading. I have my music, my e-reader. We can make this work.” She clicked her fingers. “I am hungry, and seeing as the sun is starting to set, I’m going to make dinner.”
“Okay.” Drake didn’t have a clue what to do.
He followed Kelly into the kitchen, taking a seat at one of the large chairs as she stood at the fridge.
“Are you going to be mean to me right now?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Say something about the amount of food I eat, or what I look like?”
“Nope.”
“We need boundaries,” she said, slamming the door to the fridge and stepping up close to him.
“I’m all ears.”
“Good. You don’t take all of the hot water, and I want half an hour every evening in the bathroom. You will not enter, and you won’t demand to use the bathroom. If you need to take care of your … needs, it will be before or after my time, okay?”
He smirked. “What’s the matter, Kelly? Does the idea of holding my cock get you hot?”
“You’re a pig!” She turned her back to him.
“If you ever need me to handle a few of your needs, let me know.”
“I wouldn’t let you touch me with a barge pole, Drake. It’s never going to happen. Stay out of my personal space, keep your distance, and if you don’t have anything nice to say, stay quiet.”
“I’ve been really nice. You’re the one that has been calling me a pig.” He held his hands up, trying to appear all innocent.
“Yeah, it doesn’t work for me. I still don’t like you. You’ve proven me to all the years before now that you’re a horrible person.”
Drake didn’t say anything. Instead, he sat back in his seat, prepared to watch her as she began to work her magic in the kitchen. He loved to tease her about her love of cooking. This time he kept his thoughts to himself.
There was no need for that fire in her eyes to be directed at him. One year alone with her. It was like a blessing and a curse all mixed into one. His father’s warnings years ago had gone unheard, and now he had to try to make the most of it.
Did he want to mate with Kelly?
The idea didn’t repulse him. He watched as she removed her jacket to get started on the stir-fry. The crop top she wore clung to her curves, enhancing her hips and large tits.
His dick began to harden.
He had a feeling it was going to be a long fucking year.
Chapter Three
Kelly was stuck in the bathroom wearing a long bed shirt. None of her pajamas were packed, and the fancy stuff that had somehow made it here was not going to be worn tonight. They’d gotten through half a day. It was nighttime now. Dinner had been eaten in silence, and she was sure she had felt Drake’s gaze on her through most of it. She’d been so tense waiting for some shitty snide comment. He’d kept silent, not saying a single word.
Finally, when she couldn’t think of a single reason as to why she should remain in the bathroom, she opened the door, and made her way toward the bedroom. In the doorway, she stopped. Drake was already in bed, and he held a book in his hands, reading.
The moment he saw her, the book was placed on the bed, and he smiled at her. “Hello, darling, why don’t you come and join me?”
“What are you doing?”
“I feel I’m in one of those perfect worlds that you’ve heard of. You know the ones you’ve seen in the movies. Usually around the nineteen fifties. We’re not here to have sex, dear, so come and sleep in a completely different bed.”
She tucked some hair behind her ear, and stared at him. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Not yet but the night is young. I’m in bed reading. I think I’m sick.”
This got a smile from her. “What are you usually doing?”
“Out partying, or I don’t know, doing something, but reading is never high on my list. I found this in the drawer. It’s a crime one.”
“You’re going to figure out a way to strangle me?” she asked, climbing onto the bed.
“Nope. That would be way too easy. Doesn’t bode well for us that someone here before us wanted to read crime while being forced to be with his beloved.”
“You know my parents never went through this,” Kelly said. “They mated on their own terms.”
“Mine did as well. Sucks really. They don’t have to spend an entire year together. I think my parents would kill each other before they did that. Weird, huh?”
“I don’t know if my parents would have killed each other, but it does make me wonder if they would be as content to live with each other.” She shrugged. “We’ll never find out.”
She didn’t get underneath the blankets as it was quite warm. She laid her head on her pillow, and tried not to think about the heat coming from her left. Grabbing her e-reader, she flicked it
open, and began to read. Even as she read every single word, clicked the pages, nothing was going in. She couldn’t focus, and she knew for a fact it was because of Drake. She’d never been this close to anyone before. At twenty years old, she’d never been with a man before, and right now, her virginity was rather telling.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. I’m just thirsty. I’m going to go and make some hot chocolate.” Before either of them could say another word, she got out of bed, and marched toward the door. She stood in the kitchen, and frowned.
What the hell was she doing here?
Her parents wanted her to mate, and she didn’t even know what it felt like to be with a man. The last person she had ever imagined being with was Drake, and now she was scared. She was a virgin, and she just knew deep down that he’d been with loads of women. They were wolves, so neither of them carried diseases, but still.
This was a nightmare.
She jumped as Drake touched her shoulders, and she turned to look at him. “What are you doing?”
“You looked a little freaked out.”
Placing her hands on her shoulders where he had been touching just moments ago, she shook her head. “I’m fine, really.”
Grabbing a saucepan, she put it on the stove, and began the process of making a hot chocolate.
“You’re safe in the bed, Kelly, I’m not going to hurt you.”
She looked at him. “I know that.”
“Oh, just the way you’ve been acting. It looked like you were scared.”
“I’m not scared. I’m just … everything is going crazy right now. No, it’s not going crazy. Thinking about our parents, and then the people that have come before us. Do you realize we could be the only two people in history who don’t end up together with this?” It was thinking about that kind of pressure that had her nervous. Running fingers through her hair, she laughed. “It’s stupid, but I feel like we have a responsibility to our elders, and to our parents, but at the same time, I don’t want to do this. I didn’t ask for this. They did.”
He grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “We can make this work.”
Kelly shook him off. She wasn’t ready for his touch. “Right now I just want to make a hot chocolate. Do you want one?”
“Love one.”
She nodded, released a breath, and then started the process again. Cooking was something that grounded her, gave her focus on other things. This was something that came easily to her, naturally.
Once the chocolate was made, they sat at the small table in the kitchen, and they drank in silence. This time, though, it wasn’t awkward. It was peaceful.
“This is really good.”
“Whoever stocked the kitchen made sure we had good chocolate. That’s one consolation I guess.”
“Everything is going to be okay, you know?”
She nodded. “Of course it is. Everything is going to be okay. How could it not be okay?”
They were alone for one year, destined to be mated.
No pressure at all.
****
Drake was trying to focus on the book in his hand, but he was distracted. The island where they were had a nice little free flowing waterfall. He wore a pair of swimming boxers, and the costume that Kelly was wearing kept distracting him.
They had been alone now for one week. One week of walking through the forest together, playing the odd board game they had found, watching some movies, and then of course eating dinner, sleeping together.
Those rare moments in the late hours of the night were his favorite. Kelly always fell asleep before he did, and as such, he got the chance to watch her sleep, and to be himself. He’d reach out and stroke the hair from her face, and just bask in the time she wasn’t cursing at him. She had every right to. He’d been a horrible bastard to her.
She didn’t snore, and she looked so peaceful in sleep.
“What are you doing?” he asked, seeing Kelly on one of the rocks that was protruding out of the water.
“Playing around. Jumping from rock to rock.”
“You know you’re going to hurt yourself. It’s not fucking funny.”
“It is. I think it’s hilarious,” she said.
His heart jumped as she did. Her arms went straight out, balancing.
“You’ve got to stop that!”
“It’s fine. I’m not going to hurt myself, see.” She jumped again, and this time any reading he intended to do was done. He ran into the water, and stood in front of her, holding his hands up to stop her from making the next jump.
“Move out of the way,” she said.
“Hell no. I don’t know if we can have medical assistance here, and seeing as we can only heal during a change into wolf form, I’m not willing to risk you trying to tear my heart out.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m fine.”
“I mean it, Kelly. I won’t let you risk your life like that.”
She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. “Are you for real right now? You’re going to be a buzz kill.”
Climbing onto the stone, Drake stared at her. “I’m right here. You want a buzz, let’s have a buzz. You’ve got five seconds’ head start or I’m coming for you, and when I do, I’m going to kiss that smart mouth.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Try me. I would dare, and I will be running. One!”
“This is not even funny. You’ve been reading your damn book!”
“Two.”
She glared at him, and as he said three, she took off and began running. He heard her cursing his name, but he didn’t mind at all.
Yelling the last two seconds, he started running toward her.
She wasn’t that far ahead, and he was faster than she was. Within seconds he was on her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and he spun her around pressing her against the tree.
“I didn’t want to play this stupid game. I was more than happy to jump from rock to rock.”
“Breaking your neck in the process.” He kept his hand at her waist. Loving the feel of her body beneath his touch, he struggled to stay focused right now.
“If I break my neck you can get out of here and we don’t have to keep on doing this!”
That made Drake pause. “You think I want you to die to get out of here?”
Neither of them spoke. The only sound in the air was that of their breathing.
Reaching out, he pushed some of her wet hair out of her face, cupping her cheek. “The last thing I want is for you to die, Kelly.”
“You don’t want to be mated to me.”
This made him smile. “You really think that.” Before she could say another word, he slammed his lips down on hers, silencing any more protest from her, and taking what he wanted. He wanted her kiss, needed it.
Like a drowning man, he consumed her lips, sinking his fingers into her hair to hold her close.
His cock thickened, and he stepped closer to her, letting her know without a doubt that he wanted her.
She pulled away, and he stared into her startled blue eyes.
“But you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Kelly. I never did.”
“No, wait, I’m confused. This can’t be happening. You hate me, I know you do.”
A chuckle escaped his lips, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Keep telling yourself that. I don’t hate you.”
Moving away from her, he went back to collect his book. His cock was tenting in his boxers, and he tried to think of something to gain control. When it came to Kelly he had no way of stopping his reaction to her. She aroused him so much.
“For years you’ve been mean, bullied me, made it clear that you and I are never going to happen. Even when our parents said that we were destined to be together.”
She was close. He felt her behind him. Holding the book in his hand, he turned toward her.
Her gaze ran down his body, and she saw the evidence of his own arousal. Eyes wide, she looked
at him, shaking her head.
“Do you want this mating?” she asked.
Drake could lie again, or he could tell her the truth.
“I’ve enjoyed this past week,” he said.
“That doesn’t answer my question. Do you want to mate or not?”
“Yes, I do, and I’m not afraid to admit that.”
She was frowning once again and shaking her head. “No. This isn’t possible. You hate me.”
“I’m going to keep on saying this so you’ll finally realize the truth. I don’t hate you. I never have. I’ve hated how our parents seemed determined to throw us together. To make us like each other. I hated how they were always talking about it, but I never hated you.”
“All these years you’ve been mean.”
“It kept you away, didn’t it? Stopped my folks telling me how I’d live my life.”
She took a step back. “I have no idea what this means.”
“Neither do I. The elders had their say, and I don’t have a problem with it. We have this year, Kelly. By the end of it, we will be mated, and I’m happy about that.”
Chapter Four
For the next week, Kelly did everything to avoid to Drake. She woke first, and was out of the small house as fast as she could. Her days were spent hiking and exploring the island. Only when darkness threatened did she make her way home. Most of the time he was asleep, which was how she preferred it.
Even though she was exhausted and felt like she was losing weight as the week was going on, she didn’t feel being around Drake was a much better alternative.
Entering the second week, she woke up, and was about to climb out of bed when she realized that no one else was inside it.
Drake wasn’t there.
“Going somewhere?” he said.
He stood in front of the closed door.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.
“For a week I’ve been waiting to talk to you. There’s no point in avoiding the obvious here. You don’t want to talk to me.” He burst out laughing. “It can’t be any other reason really, can it? No one else is here but you and me.”
“I don’t want to do this.”
“Clearly we have to do this. Something has to happen here, Kelly. You’re going out all day every single day. You’re covering your tracks so I can’t find you. What did I do?”