by G. Bailey
"Like you want to hurt me or fuck me. You just don't know which," I tell him, being brutally honest, and to my surprise, it makes him laugh. A deep, barreling laugh that I surprisingly like. It's pure, sensual, and it somehow makes me shiver.
"Women around here don't speak like you do, Red," he remarks, and he gently picks up a strand of my hair, staring at it intently for a moment, and the loss of eye contacts gives me a second to breathe. I only get a tiny second before he is looking at me once again.
"I used to hold my tongue, but then someone much eviler than you taught me there is no point. You might as well say what you want," I tell him, and Tiryn seems very interested once again. I’m getting to predict his words before he even asks them. He might be an alpha; he might be cold and brutal, but he is as predictable as most men. He reminds me of my king’s son, the nicer one of the two he has. Though he was cold and cruel, I saw moments of kindness when he thought I wasn’t watching. Or I was passed out.
Even the cruelest man in the world can be kind sometimes. It’s a trick, a way to make you think they are going to change when they never will.
"Is everything okay?" Jath tensely asks as he comes into the room and Tiryn just laughs, walking past his brother and patting his arm.
"We invited trouble into our pack by the looks of it. Keep an eye on her; she is our slave now," Tiryn tells him. “I never want her left alone, and if she is caught alone, she goes straight back in that dungeon.”
"I'm not your slave," I protest, crossing my arms. “I will leave if you see me as that.” I will not be a slave again. I was a queen in title but a slave in every other sense. This is my first chance at freedom, and I won’t give it up to these wolf shifters. I can run pretty fast if I need to, fast enough to escape them and try to make it alone.
"You are my slave until you tell us who you are," Tiryn growls at me. “And you are not free to leave. I will hunt you and drag you back here.”
"Ty—"
"Unless you want to challenge me, brother, my rule sticks. I found her, and it is my duty to protect the pack. You told me to “fucking have the pack,” remember?" Tiryn tells Jath, who keeps his eyes firmly fixed on Tiryn. Both of them shaking with anger.
"I remember," Jath tightly says, shoving his brother's hand off his arm and they both stare each other down for a long moment. I get worried they are going to fight when Jath looks away, and Tiryn looks back at me.
"I am the alpha. Be careful, Red," he warns me. In a matter of seconds, he goes blurry, his body soundlessly changing into a big black wolf. The wolf is extremely fluffy, larger than any I've ever seen, and he has a mouth full of sharp teeth. The wolf huffs at me before running down the stairs, and I take a deep breath.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. He is very like much like one of our dads, and he can't stand to be challenged over anything," Jath says with a long sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.
"One of your dads?" I ask, wanting to change the subject and learn more about these alpha wolves and their world.
"Come on; we can walk and talk," he says, offering me his hand.
"Before we go, can I ask why you gave up being alpha?" I ask.
"Tiryn has never shared anything in his life, and he wasn't about to share the pack we had both had been given by our parents. It was step down or lose my brother, and I didn't want him out of my life. I like the bastard, and it would have started a war that my parents would have ended," he tells me. "But I won't let him hurt you. You are not our slave, no matter what he says."
"Maybe the word captive would be better?" I say with a chuckle.
"I like the word free much more," he tells me, linking his fingers with mine and before I've over thought it, I lean up and softly press my lips to his, tasting Jath in the brief kiss. I don't look back at him to see his reaction before I walk out of the room. I can't answer any questions on why I did that either.
Maybe just because I wanted too; it's been a long time since I've done something, I've wanted... and it felt good.
Chapter 7
"My mother, Elodie Masters, was what the wolves used to call a no claim. They treated her like trash for her entire life until my fathers—her mates—invaded her pack. Mother doesn't talk much about those times, only once did she tell me she fell in love and it was all worth it in the end," Jath explains to me as we walk down the stone pathway toward the houses at the bottom. The houses are all made of stone like the footpaths, and there are trees everywhere, blocking the breeze from the trees.
"How many fathers do you have then?" I ask.
"Four, and three of them are brothers. The alpha brothers who founded this pack and found this island," he explains to me. “They actually grew up with my grandmother, Mary.”
"How does that work?" I ask, and he frowns at me in confusion. "I mean a relationship with five people."
"Three of them are brothers, so I guess that helps. Honestly, I know little of relationships to comment, but my parents are happy. That is all that is important, right?" he asks me.
"Right. I’m sorry, it’s just not the way of my people," I say, looking at the market we have walked into. Everyone seems to stop, staring wide-eyed at me, and it takes me a few seconds to realize how different I look to them all. My red hair is like blood on the sand here, surrounded by blond and brown-haired people. My skin isn't tanned like all of theirs because I've spent all my years being awake at night and the moonlight has kept me pale.
"Alpha Jatheod, I have new apples from the stock. Would you like one?" An older woman calls out from the stall nearest us. Jath tugs my hand and walks over the stall, smiling at the blond woman who wears a simple, white dress.
"Petera, this is Arilee, a new member of our pack," Jath introduces us, and Petera bows her head before smiling at me.
"Welcome, Arilee. I do love your hair; it is very beautiful and nearly as red as my apples. Would you like one?" she asks, lifting a shiny red apple and offering it to me. Only I don't see a sweet, older woman offering me an apple; instead, I only see my king on the first day we met.
"Would you like an apple sweet, little princess Arilee?" the brute of a man asks me, and I can't look him in the eye as I stare at the red apple. His hands are covered in blood, his fingers leaving bloody marks on the apple as he holds it.
My parents’ blood. I can't look over at their bodies on the floor by the throne, but I still hear their screams as they died trying to protect me. I hid behind the glass throne, wishing it wasn’t see-through so I couldn’t watch them die.
I always loved the color of my hair—my parents’ hair—until now. Red means only death.
All they wanted was to save me from the monster offering me an apple.
"No." I lift my head and meet his eyes as the single word leaves my lips. "I never want anything from a monster like you. You may wear my father's crown, but you are not my king. You will never be that."
The monster laughs as he chuckles the apple away, and I watch it roll across the wooden floor until it hits my mother’s blood, and it slows down until it is resting in the blood.
"I am your king. Don't worry sweet Arilee; you are going to be my queen." I focus on the apple as he grabs me and lifts me, slamming his teeth into my neck.
Pain was just the start, and my screams soon became so normal that I forgot anything else.
"Arilee, are you alright?" Jath asks, and I blink a few times, feeling tears falling down my cheeks.
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, I just remembered something," I say, accepting the apple and tightly smiling at Petera. "Thank you very much." To my surprise, Petera comes around the stall and places her hand on my shoulder.
"I know that look, pain and fear are sometimes conditioned into us so deep, we feel we cannot escape it. That feeling is a lie because there is a way to escape it," she whispers as a man catches Jath’s attention, talking to him about the fishing docks repairs.
"How?" I whisper back, and she places her hands on my shoulders, hugging me ever so briefly.
&
nbsp; "I realized the longer I let fear and pain control my life, the longer I would never be able to enjoy the freedom I earned. The way to be free is in your heart, Arilee," she tells me and lets go. "Whenever you need a friend or anything at all, I am here, and my house is near the beach. Number forty."
"Thank you and goodbye," I say, and Jath offers me his hand to take again before we walk away. I look back once more at Petera, who nods in encouragement. I feel like I've found a friend with her.
"We rescued Petera from her pack only five years ago. The packs are all united and had been for years until a group of rebels made their own pack in memory of their alpha who my mother killed because she challenged her for pack alpha. They are called the Dark Paw pack, and they have a small island like this one off the other side of the main island," he pauses to wave at two women who seem excited to see him until they see me, and their gazes become less friendly. We head through a gap between two houses and come out on a long path with trees lining the path on each side. "It was our first real fight, and we soon realized it would be a long fight. Eventually, Mother made a deal with the alpha, letting them keep the island but they had to make a truce with us and let anyone who didn't want to be in their pack, leave. Petera was one of the people that left with us."
"So alpha is like a king here? And your mother is the queen?" I ask.
"Is that what you have back home? A king and queen?" he asks as the footpath turns to sand under our feet. I look forward, seeing the sea waves as they brush against the soft sand.
"Yes..." I say, not wanting to talk about this anymore. “But can we not talk about my home?”
"Of course. Actually, talking of home, there is something else I wanted to tell you—" Jath starts to say as we come out of the tree line and see the giant ship being built on the sand.
"A ship!" I say with wide eyes, interrupting what Jath was going to tell me.
"Yes, it's mine. It's nearly done, but this is where I live," he explains to me, smiling as I grin back.
"My father used to take us on his ship often, and I would run around it with my mother," I tell him. My fondest memories were on the royal ship, the only ship ever made in Arlen. It is massive with many floors and five sails, so it flies through the sea quicker than any ship could do.
"You speak as if they are gone," he gently says.
"They are," I quietly say, feeling the sadness that comes with admitting that. “I miss them dearly.”
"I'm so sorry for your loss. Is that the pain you need to overcome? The fear of dying?" he asks, clearly speaking of mine and Petera’s conversation. I want to tell him the truth of how dying is never something I feared; it was something I prayed for on many occasions.
"Yes, but I'd rather not speak about it. Can I see the inside of the ship?" I ask, and he smiles, nodding his head. We head over to the ship and climb up the wooden steps onto the deck, which is half built on the one side, with a box of tools resting in the middle, next to the pole for the sail. Jath nods his head over to the double doors, and he goes over, pulling a key out of his trousers and unlocking the doors. He pulls them open and walks down the steps on the other side. I eye the blue sail on the floor; the color is a dark, deep blue and there is some stitching on it, but I can't see the shape from here. I walk past the door, running my hands over the wood before heading down the steps into a small bedroom. There is a big, blue stained glass window, which shines blue light into the room, where there is a large bookcase on the wall and a big double bed with white sheets on the other side. A brown fur rug is on the ground, and Jath is sitting on the edge of the bed as I look around. I walk to the glass, placing my hand on it and feeling how warm it is.
"This might be my favorite place in the entire world, and I've never let anyone in here. What is it about you, Arilee?" Jath asks, standing up off the bed and walking over to me as I turn around, pressing my back against the glass. Jath doesn't touch me, but it feels like his eyes are caressing every inch of my body as he looks down at me. "I feel like you stole my heart, my soul, and my mind when you first looked at me."
"I didn't... but you did the same to me. I've never felt like this for anyone, for anything. Love was too forbidden, too dangerous," I reply, and I know I’m making him more confused.
"Nothing about this is going to be easy, but there is a chance for love. I will fight for that chance," Jath tells me. “I’ve never wanted anyone like I do you.”
"I'm not who you think I am," I warn him.
"I know that. You have secrets, and I've not told you everything either. We are two messed up strangers who can't stay away from each other. I don't want to stay away from you, Ari," he gently tells me, brushing his soft lips against my jaw.
"I don't want you to either," I reply to him.
"Prove it," he dares, and I move an inch closer, so my breasts press against his chest, and his eyes get a tiny bit larger. I lift my hands, placing them on his shoulders and keeping my eyes locked onto his as I lean up and brush my lips across his. My teeth naturally ache from the close contact to him, and they sharpen as he kisses me back, taking full control. His hands grab my ass, lifting me and pressing me harder into the glass. The kiss is brutal, all-consuming, and unforgettable. I sink into him as he gently bites into my lip and sets my feet on the floor. I feel confused as he lowers himself to his knees, pushes my dress up, and widens my legs. I moan as his hot tongue swirls around my clit, teasing me and feeling incredible. I hold onto his shoulders as he moves his tongue quicker and slowly inches a finger inside of me. All too soon, I'm crashing into an orgasm as my eyes open and lock onto Tiryn who is leaning against the wall of the stairs, his arms crossed tightly and his eyes widely fixed onto my face as Jath stands up, and I look away with red cheeks for more than one reason. Jath kisses me and picks me up once more, carrying me to the bed, and when I open my eyes, Tiryn is gone. He was as silent as a ghost.
"Are you okay?" Jath asks.
"Yes, I've just never had anyone do that to me before," I decide to answer, keeping Tiryn my secret for now.
I don't know why he was watching, but a secret part of me liked it.
“Good. It won’t be the last time I do that if I get my way.” I grin at Jath’s comment, liking that idea a lot. Jath kisses me as we rip each other's clothes off and he slides inside me, groaning into my ear. He thrusts in and out of me, our moans filling the room. I grab his shoulders and roll us over, surprising him.
"You're stronger than you look," he comments, though I can tell he likes it.
"Vampire strength," I smile as I roll my hips, and he groans louder, digging his nails into my hips.
"Be a vampire then. Bite me," he asks me. Demanding almost.
"Are you sure?" I ask, feeling my teeth lengthening already. I’m not strong enough to ignore how much I want to taste him once again.
"Fuck, yes, I am. I want all of you, and I fucking loved it last time," he replies with a growl.
"Even the nearly-dying part?" I reply.
"Even that," he says, groaning as I lean down and lifting my hips, letting him take control, thrusting in and out of me hard. I kiss his neck once, just gently, before slamming my teeth into his neck and drawing out his blood. The sweet taste explodes into my mouth as an orgasm bursts through me, and I feel Jath thrust a few more times before filling me up with his hot seed. I unlatch my teeth and rest my head on his chest, listening to his fast heartbeat. Jath rolls us over and kisses me before leaning back. He parts my legs with his thighs and smiles at me as he starts kissing a line down my chest, pausing between my breasts to look up.
"I hope you're hungry because we are doing that again. And again," I don't get a chance to reply as he lowers himself down the bed and does that thing with his tongue once again.
Again, and again never sounded so good.
Chapter 8
"I will be fine with her while you meet with the council. You haven't told her the truth yet, have you?" I hear a voice say as I slowly wake up, stretching my body out in the smooth s
heets, feeling the warm sun shining onto my legs from the stained glass window.
"Hurt her, and I will never forgive you, brother. Don't you fucking tell her either. I will find a way to later," Jath says as I become more aware, he isn’t in the room with me anymore.
"Later sounds like a long fucking way off at this rate," I hear Tiryn say, becoming aware it is him that is speaking. I hear a loud thump a second later and someone walking off the ship. I pull my dress back on and go to the bathroom, using it quickly before walking up the stairs and onto the deck, covering my eyes from the blinding sun. I feel like I should still be sleeping, but then it might be more than a week before I will get used to being awake in the daylight. I keep waiting for everything to go wrong, for my blissful happiness I have found with Jath to be destroyed into nothing but blood and pain.
But it doesn't happen. For seven days, we have stayed on the ship and the beaches around it, loving each other and enjoying the peacefulness that can be found here.
"Jath?" I ask, looking around for him and finding someone else instead. Tiryn. He leans against the banister on the other side of the deck, the salty breeze of the sea blowing against his hair which is loosely tied at the back of his neck.
"My brother had things to attend in the village," Tiryn explains to me. "Seems we need to get to know each other a little better now you are staying to fuck my brother. I had planned to send you to my parents with a note about how you attacked Jath."
"I thought you had made your mind up about me, so what is there to learn?" I remark, walking across the deck and resting against the banister at his side, watching the ocean waves.
"No, I couldn't figure you out, and I do not like that. I have come to the conclusion that the only way to understand you is to spend time with you," Tiryn remarks. “Even if I do not wish to do that.”
"I'm easy to understand, Tiryn. I just want somewhere to be free," I reply to him. “Just like you.”