by Odessa Lynne
“Sweat pants? Fuck.”
He hadn’t worn genuine sweat pants since he was sixteen and he’d only worn them then because he’d been desperate. When you were cut off and homeless, you wore whatever the hell you could find. When the first heat season came, his father had been in Tokyo and his mother in New Texas, and at sixteen, Cam had lost access to every privilege he’d grown up with as the economy collapsed around him. It had taken almost a year for his mother to find her way back to him and one more after that before he’d seen his father again.
He cautiously climbed to his feet. His balance wasn’t bad, but he gave himself a moment just to be sure. The wolf strained in the shadows against the chain, his breathing harsh and his movements agitated.
Cam continued to watch the wolf as he pulled on the too-short navy blue sweat pants and carefully slid his arms into the gray flannel. The sleeves were too short too and he had no doubt the shirt would be tight across the shoulders. He didn’t bother with the buttons. Although he was still shivering, his skin felt hot to the touch and he suspected he had a fever. He needed to stay cool, even if he was uncomfortable while he did it.
“You make fun of me in this outfit and I’ll piss on your boots,” Cam said to the wolf.
The wolf growled at him and snapped his teeth.
“You’re going to be a pain in my ass later, Pa’tar’k’ille.” Cam knew he’d mangled the name, but he also suspected he had hit the important notes, because the wolf’s harsh panting seemed to stop for a moment.
He would eventually have to start calling the wolf Rick, but he needed to settle into the name first. With the memories of Henry already floating around loose in his head, he didn’t need to start dwelling on the shit that had gone down with Rick too.
“You’ll get to fuck,” Cam continued, “unless I get damn lucky.” Meaning he needed to start looking for that way out soon.
Water first though.
His stomach growled.
And maybe a bite to eat.
“Your scent . . .” the wolf said, speaking hoarsely in the wolves’ language. “I taste it in my soul.”
Cam understood easily enough. He’d used the wolves’ advanced learning technology many times over the years since the wolves had come to earth. They’d shared the language tech right away, so their species could interact and talk trade with as much ease as possible. The problem for most humans was that the wolves had a greater vocal range and much better hearing, so despite the learning tech, a lot of humans still found the wolves’ language difficult to understand and impossible to speak.
Cam happened to be better at it than most. His birth mother had been addicted to a particularly nasty drug while she’d been pregnant. He’d been born with several major issues that medical science hadn’t been able to take care of while he was still in the womb, although they had managed to save him from some of the worst complications. Still, he’d received an experimental cochlear implant for each ear that had allowed him to grow up with an almost normal sense of hearing. He’d been fifteen when the wolves came and he’d benefitted from their technology before their first heat season changed the world. His last team of doctors had made some additions to his implants that had sensitized his hearing to pick up a much broader range of sounds, and the next time he’d used the learning technology, he’d discovered he could pick out inflections and variations that most humans hardly noticed when the wolves spoke. The wolves’ language was a complex workhorse of a language and yet, he’d also discovered just how much he’d been missing.
The first time he’d heard Henry speak after that—
Cam’s chest tightened again, and he deliberately turned his attention to finding the water the wolf had claimed to have brought down for him. The dream had loosened the reins of his memories and he needed to take them in hand while he still could.
Cam scoured the room and discovered several jugs of water, a box of assorted snack foods including more apples than he knew what to do with, and a loaf of stale bread.
He spread out the blanket and plopped down on the floor, back propped against the wall across from the wolf. “Looks like it’s going to be a cracker sandwich for breakfast, buddy.”
A harsh breath and glowing eyes were his only response.
He’d moved the solar lantern closer when he’d searched the cellar. As soon as he’d eaten a few bites, he flicked the light off, plunging the cellar into total dark.
“Nice,” he said softly. The cool damp air seemed even colder without a light. He looked in the direction where the wolf sat. The glow of eyes had faded, but the rustling and rattling sounds of movement had only intensified. “I know you can see me, Rick.”
Maybe if he said “Rick” enough times, his stomach would stop clenching every time he heard it.
“The lantern’s already weak,” he continued. “If I don’t save the power, I’ll be blind in here before the next nightfall.” He paused, thinking. “Hell, it might already be nightfall again. I don’t have any idea how long I was out.”
He tilted his head. No thunder, but he hadn’t heard any since he’d woken up in the cellar. Maybe they were too deep underground; maybe the storm had ended before he’d woken up here with the wolf. No way to know.
Fatigue had soaked into his bones much like the water had soaked into the corner of the blanket under him. Another shiver rattled through him and he crossed his arms over his chest. The movement put an unexpected pressure on his knife wound and he grunted.
“Yeah. Fun times ahead,” he said.
He wasn’t sure when he drifted off, but he woke to the sound of the wolf speaking harshly through the darkness.
“Touch me,” he said, a growl underlying his words. He was still speaking in the wolves’ language, and he repeated himself at odd intervals as Cam straightened against the block wall.
Cam breathed through his mouth and stared at the spot where he could hear the wolf moving restlessly. He wasn’t that worried about the wolf getting free. He’d already thought through the worst-case scenarios and decided what he’d do in each case. No point in being afraid of any of them.
He glanced down at his hand, still unable to see anything in the dark. He wasn’t ready to waste what power the lantern had left so he just sat there and listened while trying to take stock of his injuries by feel.
His head didn’t hurt any longer. He felt groggy and his back twinged when he shifted, but it wasn’t the pulling, deep pain of earlier. No particular aches or pains, just a fatigue that made him want to close his eyes and slip back into sleep. He had a tender spot on his thigh, but nothing worth worrying over. His bladder was full from the water he’d drank earlier.
Cam wondered if he’d release the wolf when the time came or if he would hold out as long as possible before the inevitable.
Assuming he couldn’t find a way out of the cellar of course.
Of course.
He sat in the dark and listened to the unsettling noises coming from the wolf and debated his next move. What if submission turned out to be the only option he had if he wanted out of here?
Every time he tried to imagine what was going to happen when he released that chain, his stomach lurched. Contemplating submission felt like betrayal.
Cam shifted positions just a bit so his ass didn’t go numb and realized he could no longer ignore his bladder.
He didn’t want to risk walking in the dark, so he crawled across the floor in the direction opposite the supplies. He didn’t bother going too far. He knelt upright and dropped the waistband of his sweat pants and relieved himself against the block wall. The sharp scent of urine wafted in the air but faded quickly under the damp, musty smell of the cellar.
“I used to know a wolf,” Cam said, staring at nothing in the unrelenting darkness. He shook the moisture off his penis and tucked himself away. “Called him Henry. Couldn’t even understand his real name when we met.”
Chains rattled.
“He used to tell me stories about his alpha.” Cam worked his way backward
until he felt the edge of the damp blanket. He sat back and pressed his shoulder against the cool block wall. “You’re an alpha, huh, Rick? I’ve been wondering if you might’ve known him.”
“Touch me,” the wolf said again, his voice deep and dark, and the sound shivered along Cam’s spine.
Cam’s dick seemed attuned to that particular pitch and he started getting hard again. It’d been a few weeks since he’d had the opportunity to get off with anything other than his own hand. He sighed and adjusted his dick so he would be more comfortable.
After another moment of listening to the harsh rasp of the wolf’s breathing, he said, “Maybe after I have another nap, I’ll give you a hand job.” And give himself one too.
“Submit!”
“Yeah. Maybe I won’t then.”
The wolf made a sound that might have been a sob. But then he roared, and Cam cringed and covered his ears, but it was too late. His eardrums throbbed painfully, the ringing in his head intensified by his cochlear implants.
“Son of a bitch!” he yelled. “Stop your damn roaring!”
Chains rattled and something slipped. Cam heard the grating scratch of the bar as it dragged along the floor and then the low whoomp as the wolf’s forward momentum came to an abrupt stop.
Fucking—
He didn’t even have time to finish that thought.
The wolf roared again, even louder than before.
Chapter 6
Yelling at the wolf might have been a mistake.
Cam scrabbled to his knees, a muscle in his back twinging hard enough to make him catch his breath. He went lightheaded for a few seconds before the pain faded.
“Shit,” he said. He flicked his thumb against the side of the solar lantern and light flared painfully bright.
The wolf kicked out with his legs.
Cam lurched to his feet and approached the wolf cautiously. The chains were holding—if they hadn’t been, the wolf would’ve already been on him, he was sure of it.
The wolf kicked out again and Cam jumped back.
“You want me to touch you? Stop kicking at me!”
The wolf stopped kicking. At his sides, his claws dug into the flooring. Multiple gouges carved deep into the synthetic wood; he’d obviously been at it a while. The blood soaking the fabric covering the wolf’s thighs hadn’t dried, a clear indication that he had continued to gouge his own flesh even after being chained to the column.
“You keep those claws away from me,” Cam said.
The wolf didn’t respond in any overt way, but Cam still had the feeling he’d understood. He studied the wolf’s position for a few minutes, his heart thudding hard in his chest, and finally made a wide circle around him so he could get a better look at the chain.
The solar lantern didn’t do a good job of cutting through the darkness on the backside of the column, so Cam had to lean in close to see that the bar holding the chain tight to the column had shifted position, but not by much.
“I need to . . . mate . . . now,” the wolf said.
“Henry told me what kind of submission alphas are used to getting from their betas. That what you’re looking for in a mate, Rick? Someone willing to do anything you say?”
Cam studied the bar for a moment.
“I need . . . you.” Then a harsh breath and a sudden stillness. The wolf’s chin raised and his head tilted. A second later, he said with a disturbing alertness, “Release me.”
“Forget it.” Cam wrapped his hands around the cold metal, took a breath, and twisted. He struggled to move the bar back to its original position, but he’d made a mistake thinking he had enough strength to pull the chain tight while the wolf wasn’t feeling cooperative.
The bar slipped, almost yanking right out of his hands. His knuckles slammed into the concrete column as the wolf lunged forward.
“Shit!”
One end of the chain slipped free of the bar. The rattle of chain hitting the floor turned Cam’s blood to ice.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He didn’t move, didn’t even breathe.
The wolf dragged the bar free of Cam’s resisting fingers and caught both the chain and the bar and eased them to the floor at his feet.
Cam licked his bottom lip, his mouth so dry he had trouble swallowing. Slowly, Cam said, “The chain was your idea.”
The wolf brought his clawed hand up to the side of Cam’s face. A tremor in the wolf’s hand caused his sharp claws to tickle along the side of Cam’s ear.
“Quiet.” The wolf’s voice had an edge to it that shivered down Cam’s spine.
Cam didn’t acknowledge the wolf’s order, just continued to stare at him in the faint light of the solar lantern.
The wolf’s breath had slowed and he held himself with a stillness that unsettled Cam. And then—
Cam heard voices.
Faint, low, echoing from somewhere nearby. If not for his cochlear implants, he wouldn’t have been able to pick up the sound. He turned his head and for the first time noticed how the damp air wafted across his cheeks.
Ventilation.
That air had to be coming from somewhere. And those voices too.
The low murmur came closer and after a few seconds Cam started to make out what was being said.
“ . . . going to do with Chris’s body?”
“ . . . heard that howl.” A woman’s voice. “That wolf’s still nearby, I’m telling—”
“Over here!” The shuffle of feet and something banged against metal loud enough to make Cam startle. He didn’t take his eyes off the wolf’s face.
“ . . . going to find that goddamn wolf and gut it.”
“Not now. Liam said . . .”
“Liam’s not my goddamn boss. If he gets in my way, I’ll gut him too . . .”
The voices faded away, giving Cam a moment to consider what it all meant. They were probably on the farm of the guy that had been trying to kill Cam. The guy’s name was Chris and whoever these guys were, they knew him and they’d found his body. At least one of them wanted the wolf responsible for killing Chris. If they found Cam with the wolf, they’d probably try to kill him too.
Cam broke the silence with a whisper. “We’re safe enough if they don’t know we’re here, right?”
The wolf shook his head.
Cam’s eyebrows furrowed. He jerked his head toward the stairs. “You told me you locked—”
The wolf’s teeth flashed in the dark. “I lied.”
Cam clenched his fist against the cool column and glared at the wolf. “There’s no fucking lock, is there?”
“No.”
“So if they decide to take a quick look down here for any reason—”
“They’ll find us.”
“And we’ll be trapped.”
“Yes.”
The wolf leaned forward. The sudden move startled Cam. He leaned back, away from the column.
The wolf slid his hand around the back of Cam’s neck and jerked Cam forward. “Submit,” he growled, low and quiet, but still fierce enough to make Cam’s breath hitch.
Cam stopped resisting.
The wolf buried his nose against Cam’s throat, the hard bridge digging into the soft spot under Cam’s jaw.
“I want to mate,” the wolf said, in such a dark and demanding tone that Cam had to fight against the urge to tell the wolf to just go ahead and fuck him. “I burn for you . . .” Hot breath feathered across Cam’s neck. “. . . but we have to escape or you will die here. When we are safe, though . . . the lust craze will return and I will have you.” The wolf pulled away just enough to look into Cam’s eyes. “If you don’t feel well enough for what’s to come, I am sorry.”
Cam believed him. He gazed across the short distance between them, the shadows heavy on the wolf’s strong features, and he accepted that he was going to have to fuck this wolf before the day was through.
Henry would have said it was Cam’s duty to submit. He wouldn’t have considered Cam’s submission a betrayal. None of those
thoughts made Cam feel better. His chest felt tight and his throat heavy and he pushed the tips of his fingers hard against the concrete to distract himself. “Escape sounds like a good idea.”
“You belong with me,” the wolf said, his hand tightening around Cam’s neck—not painfully but firm enough to make a point. “Don’t try to escape when we’re free of this place. I will find you.”
“I won’t run.” Not a lie. Running at this point would just get him killed. He had to think of Ava and the boys. “I know this area. I can get us away from here safely if you can watch our backs.”
“Are you well enough to travel quickly?”
“Probably not, but I’ll manage.”
“I can’t carry you without risking damage to your injury.” The wolf brought his other hand up between the open front of Cam’s flannel shirt and smoothed his fingers over Cam’s bare chest with a surprising gentleness. Cam sucked in his breath. The wolf’s claws had disappeared under his dark fingernails and the pads of his fingers were hot and firm against Cam’s chilled skin.
Cam tried not to get distracted. “I’m as big as you are. Carrying me would be awkward.”
“I had no trouble carrying you earlier.”
“Weren’t you worried then—”
“I carried you in my arms. I can’t carry you like that and cover a great deal of ground quickly.”
Cam nodded his understanding.
The wolf nodded in return. “Your submission gives me strength. We’ll leave these people behind and we’ll mate. Then we’ll find our way to my people and you’ll submit to Traesikeille and seek forgiveness for your crimes.”
“Sure,” Cam said, “that’s what we’ll do.”
The hand at his chest fell away. “That is what we’ll do.” As if he knew Cam lied.
Cam raised his hand and gripped the wolf’s fingers at the back of his neck. “You’re going to have to let go.”
Those fingers curved inward in what seemed an involuntary movement and then the wolf released him.
“You are mine,” the wolf said. “Remember that.”
Cam had a choice how to respond. Go to hell or fuck off weren’t reasonable replies at the moment, not while in his current predicament, so he changed the subject. “Are they still too close? I want out of this cellar before they decide to start looking around.”