Bitten, Beaten, & Loved

by Catherine Banks

  BITTEN, BEATEN, & LOVED

  CATHERINE BANKS

  Bitten, Beaten, & Loved

  By Catherine Banks

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Catherine Banks

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Just write. Creations

  Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher of the book.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized printed or electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

  Turbo Kitten Industries™

  P.O. Box 5012

  Galt, CA 95632

  www.turbokitten.us

  Catherine Banks

  www.catherinebanks.com

  www.turbokitten.us/catherine-banks

  DEDICATION

  Thank you:

  Jackie, for being a great fan and respectfully bugging me for more.

  Professor Weinshilboum for fostering my creativity in fiction writing class.

  Avery for being the Moon of my Life and providing me light in my darkest times.

  PROLOGUE

  Some acts scar us more than others. Some cruelties can never be forgotten. Some men should not be allowed to live.

  And yet…

  And yet there are those that torture, abuse, and neglect and nothing happens to them. The victims are forced to go on and attempt to repair themselves. I’ve learned that repair is not always possible. Sometimes you need another to help repair your broken mind and body. Unfortunately for me those that could possibly repair me are also those that would hurt me more. Life is a cruel bitch.

  CHAPTER ONE

  I stared at the obese Caucasian woman across the counter from me and wished she would explode. She was angry and wanted to speak to her lawyer now. I smiled at her as sweetly as I could manage.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, but Mr. Smith is in a meeting right now. I can take your name and number and let him know that you wish to speak with him, but he’s busy at the moment. If you would like I could schedule an appointment for you to speak with him.” I glanced down at the calendar in front of me for a moment. “He has Tuesday at three thirty available.”

  The woman glared at me knowing I was irritated and dismissing her, but she also knew that she couldn’t prove that Mr. Smith was really sitting in his office watching television and not in a meeting.

  “I’ll take the appointment,” she said in a shrill voice.

  I nodded my head. “Mr. Smith will see you on Tuesday, ma’am. Have a nice day.”

  She stormed out of the office and I fought the urge to chase after her. Stupid human. I waited until she had waddled away from the building before I walked into the large office behind me. A fireplace that was never used occupied half of the left wall, while a large conference table occupied the right wall. The cabinet on the front wall could be opened to reveal a television and bar, which was used more frequently than anything else in the office. The office was decorated in warm red tones to try to soothe the client’s minds, but it only made me think of blood.

  Richard Smith was a late-thirties, athletic and somewhat attractive man. He knew the law better than he knew his own hands and he was the best lawyer in town. He turned away from the television and smiled at me as I came in. “Who was it this time?” he asked, guessing about my irritation.

  “Ms. Lucille Shamus has scheduled an appointment with you for Tuesday to discuss her case,” I said through gritted teeth.

  Richard pointed to the seat across his desk and I sat down in it. “You’re always on edge this time of month. You need to lighten up, Rose.”

  I mumbled, “If your clients weren’t such idiots I wouldn’t get so upset.”

  Richard stood up and poured scotch into a glass with ice. He looked at me and I nodded my head. He pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it to me. I’m not a drinker because alcohol smells too horrendous for me to be able to drink. Richard smiled. “You always bring a smile to my face, Rose. Take the rest of the day off. I’ll fend off the leeches today.”

  I smiled back at him and stood up. “Paid day off?”

  He laughed. “You’ve definitely been around me too long. Yes, paid day off. Now go on.”

  I left quickly before a problem could come up or before he came to his senses. I started walking down the street and smiled as the irritation from the rude woman disappeared. It was a warm day for Northern California, but not hot, at least not yet. April proved to have fewer showers then it should and now May brought a warm streak that didn’t look like it was going to end anytime soon. Warm in California was better than cold or hot though. I inhaled the air and smelled exhaust, sewage, and blooming flowers. Sometimes having a good nose takes away from the pleasantries of life in the city. I walked down the concrete sidewalk, ignoring the other people around me. Mondays are busy days for the downtown area and I reveled in the energy of those around me.

  The crosswalk sign changed to the little white man and I walked quickly across, fighting the urge to skip in my giddiness. A man in his twenties started to walk by me and I caught myself checking him out. As he passed me I caught his scent and all of my cheerfulness died. I kept facing forward, hoping he hadn’t smelled me. I turned to look back once I’d reached the other side of the street and saw him standing in the center of the crosswalk sniffing the air, searching for my scent.

  I turned back around and hurried to my house. My heart beat as fast as a hummingbird’s wings as I fought the fear trying to overtake me. I slammed the door behind me and bolted it closed.

  “Too close,” I whispered.

  It was the closest to another of my kind that I had come in over a month. I locked the three chains on my front door and smiled. It may not keep another of my kind out, but it would slow them down and alert me to their presence. I could be out the back door and hopping over the fence before they had finished getting into my living room.

  I walked to the fridge and stared at the void where food should have been. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that lunch had been missed and if I did not buy some groceries, dinner would be as well.

  “Shit.”

  I needed food or I wouldn’t be able to control myself. My control was already wavering since I could only afford a human’s amount of food a month. I walked to my bedroom and turned my coin jar over, dumping the change on to my bedspread. I separated the coins and counted them quickly.

  “Twenty-five dollars. It’s enough to buy a few groceries.”

  I found an old purse and scooped the change into it, cringing at the loudness of the coins clanging together. I changed quickly out of my slacks and blouse and into hip hugger jeans and a System of A Down t-shirt. I checked my hair then walked out of the house carrying my change-filled, noisy purse.

  I tested the air for any scent of the man I had seen, even though I doubted that he would have been able to track me in the city, but found none. Our noses may be good, but not that good. I waited at the crosswalk with two other women and felt their glares like a hand pressing against my side. Even underfed as I was, I still ha
d a much better body than any of the average human women could attain. Fast metabolism and higher body temperature helped to keep my body at fifteen percent body fat constantly. I also ran every night to keep the jitters away.

  The light changed and I walked past them, sashaying just a little more than normal to show off my curves. I knew I was attractive, with caramel brown hair, green eyes and a swimsuit model type curvy body, but I usually didn’t try to flaunt it. That’s what had gotten me into trouble before. I walked five more blocks past old houses until finally coming to the grocery store. The grocery store was cool, releasing a sigh of contentment. I couldn’t run the air conditioner as cold as I liked because I couldn’t afford the bills. If I could have, the house would be closer to the arctic than the desert.

  I poured my change into the coin machine and waited as it counted it all. People milled about the grocery store and though I faced the coin machine, I kept them all in my peripheral. I could not afford to let anyone sneak up on me.

  The receipt printed, I grabbed a shopping cart, and rolled it towards the first aisle.

  Everything looked so good that I had to force myself to only grab the basics; meat, bread, milk and chocolate dipped ice cream pieces. The ice cream was my only vice and I didn’t indulge often, but I was in need of ice cream after the close encounter with the male in the crosswalk. It was irritating how attractive the males were. If only they weren’t such misogynistic, abusive jerks, I might be able to deal with them.

  I walked to the cashier and put my items on the conveyer belt. The cashier was an average looking human, fit due to hours in a gym and strict dieting. He smiled at me and I smiled politely back. “Twenty-four dollars, please.” His voice held a hint of a British accent and I reprimanded myself before I asked him to speak again. I was a sucker for men with accents.

  “Here you go.” I handed him the receipt from the coin machine and he handed me my change. I winked at him as I pushed my cart away. “Have a nice day.”

  I didn’t usually flirt, but he was human and I would never date one so I figured, what the hell. Not like he could overpower me even if he wanted to. I grabbed my four bags and walked out of the grocery store, groaning when the heat slammed into me outside. My phone started vibrating, so I set the bags down and answered it quickly. “Hey, Richard.”

  “I have an urgent meeting tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. I need you here at seven thirty to set up. There will be four of us and they’ll be drinking water.”

  It was very unusual for him to set up a meeting this last minute, but I knew better than to question the boss. “It’ll all be ready when you come in,” I assured him.

  He sighed and I could hear his nervousness. “These are very important clients, Rose. They are the ones that allowed me to buy my jet last year. I want everything to go perfect.”

  “I understand completely. I’ll dress up and even put some makeup on,” I said as seriously as I could.

  He laughed softly. “Thank you, Rose. I needed that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He hung up the phone without saying goodbye or allowing me to. “I hate waking up early,” I muttered, put my phone away, and then picked my bags back up.

  The walk back seemed to take twice as long, but that was just because of how hungry I was. I set my bags down at my doorstep and fumbled with my keys for a moment. The stench of foul body odor filled my nose and when I turned around, there were two bums eyeing my bags of food from the sidewalk in front of my porch.

  I growled loudly and watched as their eyes widened in shock at my animal-like growl. “Mine,” I said.

  They backed away slowly before running down the road. I gripped the porch beam to keep myself from running after them. Never run from a predator. The humans never learned that lesson though. I felt my wolf settle down inside of me again and sighed. The moon was close to full and I would need to find someplace to change. I had found a few promising state parks, but everything was far away. I knew I would have to talk to Richard about taking some time off, but I didn’t want to bring it up yet. I really hoped his meeting went well tomorrow so he would be in a good mood when I asked him. He had let me off every other time I asked, but then felt the need to remind me every day the rest of the month about having let me go. I’d learned to deal with it because I had to do it every month, but I still dreaded it.

  After getting the groceries put away I made a human’s portion dinner and sat in front of the television to eat it. The crappy survival challenges were dominating prime time and I soon lost my desire to watch anything. I rinsed my plate off and changed into sweatpants and a sports bra. My tennis shoes were getting worn, but I couldn’t afford new ones yet, so I slipped them on and prayed they’d last another week. The sun had set an hour ago and I knew it was my best chance to go for a run. I locked up the house and started jogging down the sidewalk towards the park.

  Dogs barked from their pens nearby and I felt pity for their confined state. Living in the city was a sort of confinement for me, but nothing as awful as what domesticated dogs had to deal with. I needed the forest, the open land only confined by trees. That was heaven to me. I could have lived in the forest forever, but I hated hunters and decided to return to human cities. I had restrained myself for the past four years since becoming a wolf and not killed anything other than rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional cat. Man, I hate cats. They are nothing more than stupid fluff balls of evil.

  I inhaled and smelled trees only a half mile away. I increased my speed to a moderate run for a human and kept that pace as I ran through the park and underneath the trees. It wasn’t the forest, but if I closed my eyes and focused really hard I could pretend for a few moments. I made three circuits before a light sweat started to bead on my forehead. I could run longer, but I didn’t want to be out too late and risk fighting a bum. I walked back towards my apartment basking in the moonlight. If only every night were as peaceful as this.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The alarm buzzed next to me and interrupted my dreams of chasing cats in the forest. I growled and smacked it just a little too hard, smashing the snooze button. “Dammit,” I groaned, sitting up in my bed. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, feeling my bones cracking and my muscles stretching. After showering I got dressed in the nicest outfit I had for work, a form revealing black and hot pink dress with a bow that tied on the side. It was sexy and yet still work acceptable. I grabbed the makeup bag from under the bathroom sink and started applying a thin layer to my eyes and lips. Once I was satisfied with my appearance I slipped on my tennis shoes and grabbed my high heels. Although I could walk the ten blocks in high heels, I didn’t want to risk breaking one of the heels. I walked quickly down the sidewalk and pressed my identification card to the pad opening the front doors of the office.

  The office was wonderfully quiet in the mornings and completely void of human life. I turned all of the lights on and set my bag down before walking to the conference room and starting to set up. A pile of packets sat on one end of the table so I moved the chairs around evenly and set one packet in front of each chair. I grabbed three bottles of water and set them down in front of three seats before starting the pot of coffee for Richard. He wasn’t fully functional until he had a cup of coffee in the morning. The room smelled stale and even though a human wouldn’t be able to tell, Richard said he wanted everything perfect. I grabbed the can of peppermint spray we kept under the kitchen sink and sprayed it around the room, just enough to be present, but not overpowering. Once I was satisfied that the room was set up perfectly, I rushed around the front office tidying everything up and spraying a little peppermint in the front as well. Richard walked in just as I was adding water to one of the flower vases.

  He looked around the office then walked into the conference room and nodded his head, “Perfect. The peppermint is a nice touch.”

  I bowed my head at the neck. “Thank you.”

  He walked into his office and I made his cup of coffee, two sugars and one cream, and hurried in to gi
ve it to him. He sipped the coffee and sighed happily. “Delicious.” He looked my outfit over and then at my tennis shoes. “Rose…”

  I held up my hand and ran to my desk quickly changing shoes and hiding the tennis shoes in one of my drawers. I adjusted my dress and walked back into his office. “Better?”

  He looked my outfit over again and smiled, nodding his head. “Great. You look very nice.”

  I blushed a little before I turned away and said, “Thank you.” I shut his door so he could prepare for the meeting and sat down at my desk to wait for his clients.

  I was staring longingly at the forest picture on my calendar beside my desk when a male voice asked, “You go to the forest often?”

  I jumped a little and looked up at the handsome man standing in front of my desk. I hadn’t even heard the door open or close. I inhaled and my throat instantly closed up at his smell. Shit. He was the guy from the crosswalk. I shook my head. “Only been a few times,” I whispered.

  He smiled, showing perfectly straight, even, white teeth and I flinched. His smile wavered as he sat down in the chair across the desk from me. “I’m Mr. Wright, here to see Mr. Smith, but I’m a little early.”

  His hair was spiked, but somehow still looked professional. His eyes were mesmerizing and I wondered if his lips were as soft as they looked. Then I wondered how often he beat his mate for simply existing.

  I recomposed myself and smiled politely at him, trying to keep from baring my teeth. “That’s no problem. Let me go see if he’s ready. Are you waiting for your other partners?”

  He shook his head. “Just me today.”

  I stood up slowly and walked to Richard’s office, shutting the door behind me and trying not to freak out. “There’s a were…there’s a man for your appointment here, but it’s only one person.”