by Ava Frost
Raven pursed her lips and tried to twist out of his grip, but he refused to let her go so easily. He liked the way she felt in his arms, but he liked the way she fought him even more.
“I will never join you Maddox, I’d rather die,” she ground out.
He cocked an amused brow and gripped the back of her head. With a fistful of her hair in his hand, he tugged her head back, forcing her to look at him. She meant every word she said, but he was not going to give up. He wanted her. He inhaled her scent and scraped his nose up against her elongated neck. Her pulse was racing, but not with fear. He could smell fear from miles away. It was a mixture of adrenalin, rage and passion. When he reached her hair he inhaled her sage scented shampoo and groaned.
“Sacrificing your freedom will be a lot easier than committing suicide, darling,” he whispered in her ear.
“Fuck you Maddox,” she ground out and kicked her knee up into his groin.
Maddox doubled over, but he still had his hand wrapped firmly around her wrist. She used her other hand to dig her nails into his arm to break free, but instead he grabbed her other hand.
“You fucking bitch,” he seethed, “You’re a real piece of work!”
“And you’re a dick,” she shouted, sinking her teeth into his forearm.
Maddox let go of her one hand and spun her around, fisting her hair in his hand as he slammed her face down on the table, with his weight baring down on her.
“You put up one hell of a fight for a woman, I’ll give you that,” he chuckled as he pressed his cheek against hers, “You may refuse to sacrifice your freedom, but I doubt you’ll sacrifice your friends.”
Raven tried to push herself up from the table, but he held her down. If she wasn’t going to play nice, he wasn’t going to give her any other choice.
“I give you until noon tomorrow to decide. Join me and sacrifice your own freedom, in return for the freedom of your friends to come and go as they please.”
“You can’t be serious,” she said in a croaky voice.
“Try me.”
“You don’t even like me, what about one of your own?”
He leaned in and dragged his tongue along her neck, “I want you.”
Her intake of breath made him smirk and he ground his aching hard-on against her ass, then pushed himself up and stepped away from her, releasing her unceremoniously.
“Noon, you know where to find me.”
With that Raven stormed out of the dilapidated building and Maddox gingerly picked up his whiskey and downed it.
“So that’s how you get a mate?”
Maddox growled and slowly turned around, Kiara had been trying to float his boat for ages, and although she was a reasonably good fuck, there was just no chemistry.
“That’s none of your business,” he said and flopped down on the chair.
“She’ll never do it,” she replied, as she traced her fingers along his arm before straddling him.
“You underestimate me,” he said flatly and effortlessly lifted her off his lap, “Run along now.”
Kiara growled and hissed at him, “You’re making a mistake; Caleb will come for you if he finds out.”
Maddox rose to his full height, towering over Kiara. He was still the Alpha, and it would take not hair of his balls to end her life here and now.
“Don’t test me. If Caleb does find out, I will know where to find you and your little brother.”
Kiara’s shoulders slumped and she bowed her head, “I’m sorry Maddox, I-I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Maddox didn’t respond, he simply turned his back on her and walked over to the window. He was playing a dangerous game, but it was a risk he was willing to take.
Chapter 3
Raven was furious, not only has she landed herself in a serious predicament, she had some really hefty choices to consider. For the life of her she could not see herself attached to a narcissistic pig who thinks women are objects for his pure pleasure. But if teaming up with an alpha meant that her people would have safe passage to go where they want, it was a small price to pay.
“You cannot seriously be considering his proposal?” Joan said as she poured Raven a drink.
“Believe me, if I had any way out of this, I would take it in a heartbeat,” Raven said and tossed back the amber liquid that burned right through her.
“Raven, I swear to you, no one would expect that from you. We can coexist with them if we must. All we need to do is steer clear when they are in town.”
“And live like refugees in our own town, how can we call that living?”
“At least we’re not being hunted like those in the cities, the shifters are not as blood thirsty as those blood suckers; they still cling to the basis of their humanity in some farfetched way,” she insisted.
As always, Joan insisted on looking at the bright side of things, but she wasn’t there when Raven had to threaten those no-good jackasses. Sooner or later, the shit was going to hit the fan and then no amount of positive energy would save the humans from becoming dinner.
“Not yet anyway,” Raven sighed and lowered her head to the table.
Maddox was an arrogant ass, and even with his movie star good looks, she simply could not even dare to think about his hands all over her. From the day they arrived in town to claim Wolf Hills, he and Raven had been at each other’s throats. Barely able to spend more than five minutes in one another’s company. It was a miracle there was any form of an agreement between the humans and the pack.
Raven methodically knocked her head on the table groaning. In a few more hours, Maddox was going to expect her to waltz into his liar and either sacrifice herself for the cause, or declare war. The question was, would either choice help her predicament.
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
Raven looked at the quote that was stuck on Joan’s kitchen wall. Chief Seattle’s own words of wisdom struck her like brick between the eyes.
“We are but one thread…” she whispered, more to herself.
“Excuse me?” Joan said frowning.
“We are but one thread,” Raven said this looking at Joan.
“I don’t like where you’re going with this,” she said raising a brow.
“Nor do I, but I think I have just experienced an epiphany.”
Raven hugged her friend and then headed for the door.
“Raven, what are you… don’t do anything impulsive!” she called after her but Raven only turned to walk backwards, blew her a kiss and then spun around and sprinted to her place.
If a mate is what Maddox wanted, a mate is what he’ll have, but on her terms. There had to be more to his proposal than meets the eye. He didn’t want her, okay maybe he did. Remembering how hard he felt against her, but he’s a beast, anything female could do that to a man, considering her compromised position being pinned face down over a table. But even if he wanted her, he had to have his reasons and she was determined to find out what they were.
As she reached her house, she noticed a lone figure at the edge of the forest looking towards her. She stopped and raised her hand, shielding her eyes against the bright late afternoon sun, but the individual had disappeared. A nervous shiver ran up and down her spine and she quickly ducked into her house to prepare for the meeting with Maddox. If she was going to make a lasting impression and have her voice count by agreeing to this wager on her terms, she was going to have to dress for success.
After her shower, Raven exited the bathroom and knelt down on the round rug in the open space in front of her bed completely naked. She reached for the small chest with the raven and the wolf engraving on the lid. She was not going into the wolf’s lair alone she decided, and although it had been a while since she communicated with the ancestors, she knew they would not let her down. She struck a match
and lit one of the sage smudges allowing the smoke to purify the air around her and clear the negative energy from around her while she chanted, scooping the smoke from the sage smudge towards her. The spicy smell permeated the room. A short while later she could feel herself being shrouded in an energy that was born from the four elements and her entire body began to sway in motion with the wisps of smoke that curled their way up in the air. It was like a deliberated dance between the elements of air, fire, earth and water and Raven could sense the power from the ancestors fill her and give her strength.
She was finally ready to face her demons and overcome her fears. “My terms”, she repeated over and over. With the help of the spirits she was going to take on this challenge in order to save her people. Maddox might inevitably take her flesh, but her heart and her mind would remain hers until the day she died.
Chapter 4
Maddox was growing impatient as he once again looked up at the clock on the wall. Raven should have come to him by now, he had been so confident that his terms would sway her decision, her life for her people. Maybe he had underestimated her after all. If she was not going to show, he was going to have to consider his options and take Kiara as his mate, but then this town was his. Wolf Hills had been the wolves’ territory long before civilization - as the humans would call it - took hold of it and turned it into their home. They stood up to them once before, when their kind were mere mythical creatures who lurked beyond the range of vision, hidden in the nightmares of children.
He was about to give up when the door swung open.
“Maddox,” Raven said flatly as she stood in the doorway. With the sun behind her all he could see was her silhouette, shrouded in darkness, her expression hidden from him. But he knew she did not come of her own free will. She was a lamb led to the slaughter through obligation, but that was something he could live with for now.
“Raven, it’s about time. I was starting to wonder if I was wrong about you,” he said and smirked as he approached her.
Raven stepped into the house and closed the door behind her, “You are wrong about me.”
“Is that so?” he challenged stopping in front of her.
Her eyes were like pristine, onyx black pools, a bottomless pit and he was determined to find the bottom. There was fierceness behind the windows to her soul, a pride respected by his human self and his beast.
“I’m here, so now what?” she said blankly as she stood with her arms by her side.
Here in the dimly lit room he could take the time to admire her fully, her skin was flawless and so was her bone structure. The way her long lashes framed her eyes and her full lips pursed in a tight line made his cock jump to attention again. She was wearing a plain black vest with a denim fringed skirt and deerskin mukluks. Even in such simple attire she was breath taking.
“Do you accept my proposal?” he asked huskily.
“Do I have a choice?”
“There is always a choice, it’s whether or not you make the right one,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“And the choice here is to save myself or my people, it’s really a catch twenty-two isn’t it?”
Maddox chuckled and reached for her, wrapping his hand around her upper arm and tugging her against his chest, “That sweetheart, is subject to interpretation.”
He took her hand and led her down the passage to one of the rooms and closed the door behind them. Somehow, taking her this way felt wrong, and it irritated him. He wasn’t a rapist, he was a man with needs, but if she was not willing to give her body to him now, he would have to come up with a temporary arrangement.
“We have to consummate our union,” he said as he tore off his shirt.
“Have sex you mean?” The words sounded cold.
“That’s what is expected, you’re not foreign to our ways.”
Maddox waited as they stared each other down. Raven had made no attempt to show him that she was willing, and he was growing more and more impatient. Not to mention the ache in his balls that started to shoot up into his stomach.
They stood like that for what seemed like forever, and then Raven simply bent her knees, pulled her skirt up, tugged her panties down and turned around, planting her hands on the dusty dressing table.
“Get it over with,” she said blankly.
Tempted as he was, Maddox didn’t like what he saw, but if he was going to convince the pack that she was his, his scent would have to blend with hers and this was the only way that would be possible. His beast on the other hand couldn’t wait to claim her, so instead he channelled his wolf’s energy and dropped his pants.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he whispered as he curled his hands over her shoulders to make her look at him in the reflection of the mirror.
Raven looked back at him and twisted in his arms, shoving at his chest until his legs hit the bed and he flopped down, sending dust swirling into the air.
“You’re a coward,” she spat out and kicked her panties aside, straddling him until his cock was buried deep inside her tight pussy.
Maddox smirked and gripped her hips as she started to rock back and forth, and although there wasn’t a single fragment of emotion etched on her face, her body told him a different story. She was soaked, so she did want him.
“I’m not a coward, I’m just not a rapist,” he said between gritted teeth, holding on to the last thread of control.
“Call it what you want,” she bit out as she picked up her pace.
Maddox had enough; he was going to break down her defences, one by one, until she eventually saw him as something other than the enemy. He twisted his hips and flipped her onto her back, pinning her hands above her head. Her jaw locked tight as she glared up at him.
“You will be mine Raven, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but eventually you will be mine.”
“Never,” she breathed.
Maddox glowered and thrusted into her, over and over while he looked at her, her lips had parted and soft pants escaped her each time he drove into her. He would make her cum, and she will love every moment of it. He shifted his weight to one arm and reached between them. He could feel where they were joined as he licked his finger over her clit. Her soft pants turned to moans and grunts and he could feel her body respond to his touch.
“That’s it baby, just let it go,” he whispered as he continued his ministrations.
Although she refused to touch him, keeping her hands beside her and clutching the sheets, her legs hooked around his as she drew him in. There was still a flicker of anger dancing in those dark pools, but it was that anger that excited him. He groaned as he thrusted harder and faster, burying his cock to the hilt with each powerful thrust until his own resolve crumbled and he flooded her with his essence, spurting his seed into her. And at the same time Raven moaned and arched her back. Her body trembled and shook as her orgasm washed over her. Like a woven thread, their union was consummated and he felt her. Her emotions, her anger, her hatred and her sorrow…
When he finally let her go, she sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed reaching for her panties. In the silence of the room, her heartbeat was deafening to his ears.
“Raven…” he started.
But she stood up, fixed her skirt and walked to the door. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but her expression deadly.
“If that’s all, I’d like to go home now,” she said icily.
“You can’t. A queen stays with her alpha.”
She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, taking a few steady breaths, “I will stay on one condition. You never get to touch me again.”
Maddox’s beast raged within, but he nodded, “Unless you ask me to, I won’t lay a hand on you again.”
She looked at him and then simply walked out.
Raging, he pulled his pants up and dragged his hands through his hair before flinging the dressing table across the room, sending it crashing and splintering against the wall. She was going to be the death of him.
Chapter 5
She stormed into her house tearing her clothes off and headed straight for the shower. His scent still assaulted her senses and she wanted to wash it all away. She turned on the water and stepped into the shower, her mind a mess. If only she could wash her memory clean with soap and water. Raven closed her eyes as the water jetted down over her skin and images flashed through her minds-eye like a motion picture on a never-ending reel that just wouldn’t stop. His eyes when he looked at her, those golden honey colored eyes that shone like a polished amber stone, bore into the deepest recesses of her soul. It was as if he could see all the hopes and fears she fought so hard to suppress. The warmth of the water reminded her of his heat, rubbing against her skin and she immediately turned off the hot water, but even the icy water could not change how her body still felt. Her body wanted more, more of him and she simply could not allow that to happen. It was not part of the plan.
Frustrated she stumbled out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it firmly around her body. She had to pack a few items, but she was not ready to give up her home yet. If she had to sneak out at night to come sleep in her own bed so be it, but Maddox was not going to keep her prisoner.
She had finished packing her overnight bag, and was sitting in her kitchen, conjuring up the courage to walk the green mile to the end of her life when a knock on her door drew her from her thoughts.
“Come in,” she called.
The moment her visitor, who she hoped to be Joan, entered the kitchen the hair on her neck stood on end and she felt her insides quiver like jelly. She gripped the handle of the kettle with such force her knuckles grew white and she held her breath as she slowly turned to find Maddox leaning against the door jamb wearing a pair of ripped jeans, no shirt - and on top of that - barefoot.