“I’m not going back, so the three of you can just fuck off. I have no need for mates. No need for the three of you. You already brought in a replacement omega, so you no longer need my magic,” she says, walking away. I catch up to her in three long strides and grab her by the arm. She doesn’t fight me, but her eyes meet mine. Just like every other time, the magic pools around us making the air thick and viscous. My wolf gains strength and I take a deep breath pulling it all in.
“Clara, we need you. Not your magic. Our wolves call to yours. You can’t deny the bond. Look inside yourself. Find your magic and see the bond. Pull on it, know that it leads to us,” I say stepping closer. Her proximity is doing wonderful things to my body, and a thrilling chill races up my spine. My arousal is visible, and floats through the air. The guys react to it right away, taking a couple of steps forward. Nile comes behind me, and places a hand on my shoulder digging in, massaging it a bit. Ralph stand on the other side, and all three of us see her shock, her surprise for what we truly are.
“You’re mates, aren’t you? That’s why you’ve never taken a female, because you have these two,” she says, the shock still there.
“Yes, we mated a long time ago. While it’s not traditional to have a group of mates, it’s what we felt best to keep you a secret. But being able to release our sexual tension with each other, our wolves wouldn’t look for you as much,” Ralph says, running his hand up and down my arm. My cock jumps at his touch, and Clara widens her eyes.
Rubbing her face up and down in disbelief she turns to us and says, “I’ve never even kissed someone let alone had sex. I’m a virgin. No one has touched me in years, not even a hug from a friend until last night, when Colt grabbed me.”
I don’t know why I’m taken back, but it’s the truth she speaks. My heart breaks then, for all the denying we have done. A crack splits open, and my emotion leaks through the bond. This causes her to fall back a bit, and I’m there to catch her. Her eyes gaze into mine and with us all touching forming this circle, the magic blasts into us all. I see and feel everything. Her life flashes before her eyes, as mine, Ralph, and Niles’ does to her. The magic chose to complete the bond, we didn’t even have a say.
“What was that?” She asks, watching all of us.
“The mate bond completed itself,” I say, very slowly. I don’t want to spook her more than she already is. A pang hits my chest, and I realize it’s her sadness. Now that the bond is complete, I can feel them all. Feel exactly what they want or need. I can feel their emotions, and hers right now is gut wrenching.
“No, it can’t be. I didn’t even have a choice. I didn’t choose this. How do we undo it?” She asks, her heart rate is picking up and if she doesn’t calm down the shift will overtake her, and her wolf will take control.
“You can’t. I’m sorry. We are stuck like this until the end of our existence,” I explain. She took one look at me and the guys and shifted. Her black wolf was a blurry dot before we could even chase after her.
Chapter Seven
Surprises and Death
Running as fast as I could, I take off for the only place I know they won’t follow me, the Ridgeback land. I need to process what happened, and I don’t need those three to try to confuse me even more. My wolf is elated. She’s still mad about the whole alpha thing, and the fact that they kept the mating from us, but she’s ecstatic to have not one but three mates. I feel the exact opposite.
The trees are dense in this part of the woods. There’s hardly any sunlight streaming in through the canopy. Putting my nose to the ground, I start to sniff around for any other wolves. I don’t need to end up in a fight for trespassing.
It’s all clear, and I follow the scent to a water source. There is a stream running along two sides of the woods. I approach it to take a sip of the clear water. It cools my throat down as I lap it up greedily. Running away from three wolves is hard work.
I lie down in the sun and try to close my eyes. Today has been the most difficult day of my life. I’ve been in some pretty bad situations, but those where nothing compared to this. My heart beats in tune to theirs. I know where they are and what they are feeling. I know how happy all our wolves are. I am the only one holding us back from our happily ever after. But how can I not? How can I just fall into the arms of the three men that have tortured me half my life?
Rolling onto my back, I let the sun beat down on my fur. My body temperature is higher in wolf form, but I still love laying in the sun. A cool breeze flutters over my skin, and I exhale a sigh of contentment. I love being out here by myself.
My solace is interrupted by rustling in the bushes, and a loud stamping through the forest. I flip over and place my nose in the air. I sniff and a scent comes toward me on the wind — bear. Not a bear shifter, but a big huge brown bear with paws the size of my head, and claws as sharp as my teeth. He doesn’t notice me yet, so I creep up slowly and try to make for the tree line without him looking over here.
The wind betrays me, and my scent is carried over to him. I can see when he notices me. His nose switches and his lips quiver with an exhaled breath. He swings his beefy head toward me, and when our eyes meet, I know I’m fucked. He lets out the loudest roar I have ever heard and comes stampeding for me. I take off quicker than I’ve ever run before. My legs propel me forward, and I thank the universe that I’m already in wolf form.
Hearing him crashing the plant-life behind me, my adrenaline raises. My heart is pumping so loudly in my chest that I can hear it thumping in my ears. A howl sings out in the distance, and I can feel the guys on their way, but will they get here in time?
I jump over a log and land hard on my front paw. It gives out on me and I go tumbling into the air. I land with a thud on the packed dirt and try to get up, but my leg is broken. The pain is immense and immediately travels all through me. I can see the bone sticking out of my fur. I let out a howl to let the guys know where I am. If they are late, I’m not going to be of this world much longer.
The bear crashes through the brush and over the log with ease. He sees me and I swear gives a smile. A shudder runs through my system with a heavy dose of pain from my leg. I try to make myself as small as possible, as I scrunch into the tree.
He tumbles over to me, knowing he has me. His body dwarfs over mine, making me feel like an ant. He could snap me in half with a crunch of his jaws. Lifting up on his hind legs he gives a roar that shakes the surrounding trees. He swipes at me with his massive paw, and cuts lines down my hindquarters. I let out a yelp; growling and biting at him. The momentum causes me to roll a bit, and he takes another swipe at my stomach area. He catches me and I try to pull back, but there is so much blood. I growl again and raise my lips to bare my fangs. There’s no way my last thought is going to be one of fear.
As he pulls back to make the killing blow, a blur of white comes into my vision followed by a sandy and a grey wolf. The guys found me. I let out a sigh of relief, but my wolf is still on guard. I don’t think I can hold on much longer. The wound in my belly is pretty deep, and blood is starting to pool around me. I’m starting to get light-headed.
The bear takes notice of the guys and swings his attention to them. They circle around him, growling and snapping. Spit flying in all directions as they begin to salivate with the excitement of the hunt. He’s now more interested in them than the wounded wolf in the corner. They’re the real threat.
Bruno’s growl is the most impressive. It sounds like a drumbeat in an empty cavern, hollow and long. Echoing off the trees and throwing my body into a chill. His alpha powers pulse around us, but somehow, I know it’s not enough. I need to get to him and make eye contact.
Nile takes his chance when the bear is distracted. He moves in and nips at his legs, this causes the bear to turn around and roar at Nile, but it gives Ralph a chance to jump on his back and try to take out his neck from behind. If we had four more wolves, this would be possible. With three wolves and one injured, there is really no way we are going to win this.<
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I put as much pressure on my hind legs as possible and use my good front leg to come to a standing position. Blood is still pouring from my body, but the need to protect my mates overcomes me, and adrenaline shoots through my system. I beg my wolf to walk over to them.
I want to shift, but I’m afraid the attention it might bring would hinder their progress. I slowly make my way to where Bruno is. He’s standing in front of the bear, and I somehow have to get him to make eye contact with me. I’m quiet while I make my way over to him. It’s agonizingly slow, and every time I see one of them falter, or land wrong from an attack, it pierces my heart. I’m so scared.
When I’m in 10 feet of Bruno, I shift. The magic comes over me, and a shimmer comes across the forest. My arm is hanging at a weird angle, the pain intensifies as I try to support it with the other. My belly has a huge gash across it, but thankfully not deep enough to have my organs hanging out. The shift doesn’t go unnoticed, and the bear turns his attention to me. His evil eyes focused on all the blood and soft parts of me.
“Shift!” I yell, to Bruno. He must feel my urgency, because he starts the shift. We’re the most vulnerable when we transition. I happen to be the exception to the rule when it comes to shifting times. Because I have the most humanity in the pack, it’s easy to go back and forth. I control my shifts, my wolf does not, much to her chagrin.
The others stand in front of Bruno while he makes the transformation. It takes too long. With every second fear pours out of me, and the bear advances. His chuffing and growls fill the air. He’s tired, bloody, and looks injured, but it’s in no way safe yet. The killer look is still in his eyes. Spittle flies from his lips, and his roar this time is one of completion. He’s going to end me.
“Clara, look at me,” Bruno commands, and for the first time in my life I’m grateful to hear it. I take my eyes off the bear, trusting these three to protect me, and I lock gazes with him. The air intensifies with our magic, and all the air is sucked out of my lungs. I double over in pain and fall to the ground. This is so much more than it ever was. It must be the completion of the mating bond. It’s making us stronger.
His eyes light up with the yellow of his wolf, and he begins to shift. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to hold his human form enough to use the power juice I just gave him. His body ripples and morphs into something other. He’s partially shifted as both man and wolf, and he’s terrifying. He looks like a man who is caught between a savage beast and human. His body is muscular, and he’s gained a foot of height. His claws are extended from human fingers, and his white wolf hair dots his body in some places. He’s a killing machine.
Wasting no time, Bruno dispatches the bear with a few killing blows. One to the head where his skull splits open and blood and tissue leak out, and other slash to the throat that pours his life essence all over the forest floor, and the final when he leaps up and rips the bears spinal cord out of its body.
I twist around taking my eyes off the gruesome scene in front of me and vomit all over the floor. It causes my belly wound to scream in pain. Since I haven’t eaten much today, it’s mostly stomach acid while I heave to get my body back to normal.
“Clara!” Nile calls out. He comes running over to me and crashes to the floor where I am. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and can tell concern is glittered on his face. It's a good look on him.
"I'm fine, it's just gross, ya know?" I say, trying to get my stomach to stay intact enough to be able to get up.
“You are not fine. If we don’t get you to a healer you’re going to bleed out,” Nile says, and reaches out a hand. He helps me to a standing position, and I don't look behind me at the mess I never want to see again. It's different when we kill on a hunt. That's clean efficient and for food. This was carnage, this was death.
"Are you alright?" Ralph asks, coming over to us. His brow is furrowed, and he looks a little pale. I wonder what could have him so scared.
"Where's Bruno?" I ask, chancing it and looking behind me. Bruno is standing on the edge of the trees still in the partial shift. His chest is heaving up and down. He feels out of control. His wolf is stuck in limbo. I walk over to him holding my arm close to my chest and hoping the bleeding has slowed a bit with my wolf healing.
"Bruno?" I ask, tentatively taking steps in his direction. His gaze snaps to mine, and our power clashes together, but this time it's not an explosion it's subtle like a caress over the skin. It causes goosebumps to form all over my body, and my nipples peak in response. I can see he's affected also because he closes his eyes. When he opens them back up, his piercing blues are looking back at me, and his body starts to transition back into his human self.
"Thank you," he whispers when he's fully back to himself. He takes a step forward and reaches out to me. I don't want to need him, but I'm broken in this moment. I'm in pain, exhausted, and my body aches from so many changes in a short period of time. I lean into him.
A cascade of scents smothers me, and I inhale deeply. All the things I love are rolled up into his scent. The forest after a rainstorm, baked cookies, and a bit of freesia. It's magical. I involuntarily lean further into him, and his hands come around my back, careful not to squeeze too hard and press the arm that's in between us.
I hear feet scuffle behind us and feel the heat of two other bodies drape across me. I haven't been touched in so long. All this contact has my body responding in ways that I didn't think were possible.
Ralph and Nile smell different, but just as good as Bruno. It's like my own personal brand of perfume. Everything that I love all rolled into one. My skin is slick with sweat by the time they break away and the cool air floats over my skin. I can't believe I shared a group hug with these three.
"We should probably get you to the healer, your arm looks like it needs to be set properly before the healing kicks in and that stomach wound looks like it could need stitches or at least a bandage to prevent infection," Ralph says, looking at my arm. I nod my head and allow him to carry me to the cabins. I’m too weak to walk all the way back. His arms are strong around me, and his footfalls light on the ground. He’s trying to not jostle me too much.
The healer had to re-break my arm and set it properly because my healing kicked in faster than normal and it would have healed improperly. I did need some internal stitching, but they would melt as my body healed itself. She gave me something for the pain, and the last thing I remember is Bruno carrying me some place.
The sun streaks in from the curtains and fills my eyes with light. My body feels horrible all over. I take an assessment of my pain level and notice it's not something I can't handle. I open my eyes and realize I'm not in my bedroom. I'm lying in someone else's bed. White fluffy sheets are underneath my naked form and a huge down comforter is draped across the front of me. I bring my hand up to my line of sight and notice that the gauze has been changed. There is no blood. I flex my fingers and find everything in proper working order. I lift the blanket a bit and examine the bandage wrapped around my middle. There is no blood there, so I take that as a good sign.
"Morning," Bruno says from across the room, his room. Why would he bring me here?
"Morning, why am I here?" I ask, trying to sit up. He rushes to my side and helps prop me up so that I can get comfortable. The sheet slides down between us, and I watch it pool around my stomach. My breasts are exposed, and even though we've been naked together before, this feels different. It feels intimate.
"I needed to watch over you in case you woke up in pain," Bruno says, grabbing the sheet and pulling it up over my breasts and tucking it in. The heated glare he gives me does not go unnoticed.
"Why? You've never cared before. Just because this stupid bond chose to snap together on its own doesn't mean you have to start caring," I say, the coolness in my voice effecting even me.
“Clara, it's....I... listen. What we did in the past is never going to be okay. It was one stupid move right after the other, and I will regret it for as long as I live.
There’s only the present and the future for us. You now have three mates that are willing to do everything in their power to give you what you want, what you deserve. I want to take care of you. Please, let me get you something, do something. I need to start atoning for all the fucked up mess I've caused in your life.”
I stare at him in quiet thought. It's the most he's ever said to me without it being an insult. His eyes seem sincere, but I don't know if I can trust him. Bruno or any of the other guys. My stomach takes that exact moment to let it be known that I haven't eaten since before the attack and then I threw it all up.
"I'm hungry. Can you get me something to eat?" I ask, watching him for any reaction. Trying to gage how he's going to follow through on my first request.
"What would you like? I can have Sarah make you something?" he says. My laugh is so loud and long, that I think I've scared the wildlife outside of the window. It causes me to wince in pain. I suck air between my teeth and clench my eyes shut.
“You really think Sarah of all people is going to make me something to eat? She hates me, just as the rest of the pack does. You have let everyone treat me like I’m nothing more than a slave, just because you and your mates decided that I was not worthy. You need to pull your head from your ass, and think about the damage you’ve done,” I say, opening my eyes. There’s venom in my tone. Now that we’re mates, whether I wanted it to be or not, I can speak to him in any manner I choose.
“I’m sorry,” he says, looking downtrodden, but I can’t feel bad for him. I just can’t.
“Don’t apologize, go make me a sandwich,” I say, turning toward the window and closing my eyes. My arm has almost fully healed and my stomach wound is slowly closing, but the sedative they gave me is still working its way out of my system. I hear the door close as I drift off to sleep. The last thought I have is...I wonder if I’m really going to get that sandwich.
Tormented: A Bully Romance Anthology Page 24