by Kassie Cox
She was quick, I’ll give her that, and that thick leg met my ribs. I cried out as I grabbed ahold of the foot, jerked her to me, and smiled at the wild look in her eyes.
“A fucking warrior indeed,” I say, pulling my last blade from the holster in my boot and jamming it straight into her chest right where the beating of her heart would be.
Screams of pain and anger followed as I pulled the blade from her. She clutched at me. Her mouth gaped as she stared up at me with more terror than I’d ever seen in anyone in my life.
“Next time don’t kick someone while they’re down.” My voice was deep and taunting as I plunged the dagger into her once more.
The woman was ripped from me, and my body kicked to the ground again. But this time, I went down with a triumphant smile on my face. I would die with their blood on my hands, and that was fine.
Hits, kicks, bites. That’s all I felt as the beasts beat me. One latched its jaw onto my right leg, putting enough pressure to break the bone as they dragged me a few feet. They weren’t trying to kill me, and I knew the worst pain was the one in my ribs and my broken leg.
The hits still hurt, but my laughter was the only sound I gave to them, even though the pain radiating only made me want to scream.
A long roar finally stopped the wolves in their attempt to ruin me. My laughter still rippled as they backed up with looks of terror on their faces. Even through the blood covering most of my vision, I could see their fear. Such hardcore creatures these were. I rolled over from my stomach, holding back my groan of pain as I looked around for the man I’d come here with.
Draven was passed out beside his horse, blood running down his nose as if he’d been knocked out cold with one punch. Instant knock-out was probably a better option than the shit I’d endured.
I can hear the man’s heavy steps as he approached me, but I didn’t care enough to glance toward him. Instead, I turned my head to the side and spit the mouth full of blood at whatever animals happened to be standing there. Sounds of disgust followed my action.
Deep breaths hit my face once he had bent to my level.
“If your Luna dies, I will kill each of you with my bare hands.” The sound is almost magical, that man’s voice. With every bit of will power I had; I moved my gaze upwards. I wanted a glance of the man who’d just sounded of a thousand angels with that simple threat given to his people. I was unaware of the threat’s meaning, and I didn’t want to know.
My eyes finally landed on the man in front of me. A feeling of warmth spread through my chest when big golden eyes met mine.
A smile turned the corners of his mouth upwards, practically stealing more of my breath away. I was very attracted to this male, and he knew it. I tried rising a bit, barely getting to my knees as the wolf man looked over me with worry.
When his hands came out to grab me, I took the opportunity.
My fist landed on his throat with every bit of strength left in me. My laugh was almost mechanical as he choked on the pain of my hit, his body hitting the ground as I rolled onto my back and grinned at the sky.
I was prepared for whatever form of death he chose for me.
Fingers laced themselves into my hair and began dragging my body upward. My own hands flew upwards to grab at the beast’s large hands.
I’m thrown into a world of confusion as a thick forearm was put around my neck, cutting off my airway as I kicked my feet and scratched at the limbs holding me. The pain from my leg was almost forgotten as I struggled for my life. Each time the injured limb made contact with his body; the pain completely dissipated.
“My Little Fairy has big wolf teeth, doesn’t she?” I could feel my eyes closing as he spoke the words softly into my ear. His breath hitting my neck made chills run down my spine, and I went unconscious as the warmth once again filled my chest.
Chapter 7
My body rises quickly, trying to get my feet under me as I search the dark room around me. I’d felt the hard stone against my back and the memories of being in the Guild had flooded through me.
The breaths leaving me are labored, confusion clouding my head for a moment as I try to determine where I am. My feet are bare, my clothes are ripped and bloodied and my leg barely holds me up as the pain shoots through the lower region of my body.
As my eyes adjusted, I made out the room I’m being kept in, which was more like a cell honestly.
I was surprised they hadn’t killed me, but I understood their desire to torture me instead. They’d be lucky to get a scream from these lips.
“How is your leg?” The small whisper made me jump, wincing at the movement but spinning around to look at the frightened male who seemed to be huddled in the corner, the resemblance to child hiding from a monster. I didn’t walk towards him; instead, I continued my survey. I doubted I’d have any luck finding an escape route but was aware that it was worth the time to search.
“There is no true reason for them to keep us alive.” I ignored him; from the corner of my eye I saw him getting to his feet. Instead of speaking to him, I limped my way to the iron bars of the cell, my hands gripping them as an attempt to keep myself upright. My breathing labored, all my strength going into keeping myself upright. Stupid dogs, biting a woman while she’s down. Such honorable creatures they were.
Our cell seemed to be the only one occupied. No other people were in this dark hole they’d trapped us in, and I had no doubt that we’d rot down here.
The only chance one of us had of living was if they sent Draven back with my head, a true warning for the King to stop messing around with the creatures roaming the forest. The beasts who’d killed so many men of ours sought their own revenge for those I had killed.
Their loyalty seemed to sit deeper than most, which I could get behind in a way. But they didn’t understand that their ties and their decisions would lead to their brutal end once the King marched our army this way. He’d burn the entire forest down for this matter, as he cared very little for the life of others.
Valor liked to imagine me as an innocent, even when he had one of the darkest minds I’d ever come across. His regard for human life was less than mine, which was not an easy feat.
“Should we chain you before we get you out of that cage, or will you behave today?” The female voice was mocking, the short haired woman showing her pearly whites in a dramatic manner.
Neither Draven nor I responded as we continued our search of the premise. That agitated her, so the female dog growled out lowly to us as a sly smile fell on my face. I didn’t mind the anger she displayed, as I feared none of the possible consequences for my own actions. I imagined they’d threaten Draven’s life in order to get my cooperation, if it was some type of information they were chasing. In that case, they’d have a corpse and a pissed off woman to deal with. We’d pledged our lives to the King, for our Kingdom. It was our honor to give it up for the cause.
“Our Alpha is currently beating the shit out of half our pack for you, so perhaps you can stop being a little bitch and respond when spoken to.” I felt the fire fill me, the name calling brought a rage to the surface that I hadn’t felt in a long time. It wasn’t often that I had this type of reaction or the ability to emotionally release something into this world, but as the anger flowed from my pores, I crashed into the bars. My grin widened as I stared her straight in those golden eyes. Being challenged was never something I enjoyed.
“Don’t put me in a cage and talk shit, Mutt. Let me out-” The woman laughed, a loud annoying sound that made me scowl. I did my best to calm down, dragging my gaze away from her as I took deep, soothing breaths. Her horrendous noise came to a slow end, sounding almost as badly as nails on a chalkboard.
“Well, Elias, she sure does have the spirit of an Alpha female.” I quickly turned to watch as the man who’d brought me warmth walked to stand in front of the cell I was being held in. His golden eyes raked over me, and his expression seemed pained enough to clench his sharp jaw.
The next few minutes were spen
t in what should’ve been an awkward silence, but I felt incredibly peaceful as I studied the large man before me. He was thick in every direction, with the face of a god. The look of hunger radiated from his gaze. I’m sure I smelled atrocious and looked worse. My hair felt matted to my head, and I could feel the swelling in parts of my face. I’m sure the bruises would look wonderful with my hair, as Valor used to find it hilarious when I’d come in from a fight with big marks similar in color to my mane.
“Did I not tell you to leave her be, Beta?” The smooth voice that left his full lips made my stomach clench in excitement. The way he moved was an overall seduction. If he weren’t a savage, I’d have thought more deeply about a night of fun with him. I was sure it would be a memorable experience. Instead of replying, the woman walked closer, inspecting me just as her friend had. I wasn’t sure of the hierarchy for these creatures, but I was sure the woman had high status in this pack.
I wondered what they meant by Alpha female, as I’d often been told I was a dominant woman. That was no shocker, but it felt different in the way they said it more as a title instead of a personality trait. It made little sense to me.
“Would you like to explain your reasoning for keeping us, or do you plan on letting me die from the infection that will soon enough take place in my leg.” The male, Elias as she had called him, looked down to the bloodied limb. The pain had yet to subside and the longer I tried to put weight on it, the worse it became.
It appeared he had not seen what his dogs had ravaged, nor had he addressed why he’d beat them for such an action. I was, after all, a stranger on his land who had killed one of his own, and then proceeded to brutally murder another one on their territory. Granted, I had not initiated the violence. If anything, it was the most peaceful approach I’d ever had upon enemy land. They should’ve been grateful I hadn’t come in guns blazing, as that would’ve ended with quite a few fatalities.
“It was safer for you to be locked up than be easily accessible to the pack. They should be better now and won’t give you any more trouble.” Elias murmured this to me, still eyeing my leg. “We do have a question or two for you.” I decided to plop myself onto the ground, tired of standing when it clearly didn’t benefit me. Slowly, I dragged myself nearer to Draven, seeking the familiar man I’m sure was about to shit his pants. He knew more of these creatures than I did, but I wasn’t scared of dying at one of their hands—he was.
My confusion only grew as he mentioned this being for my safety, as if the death of a human would be of any concern to this dog. They were savages, and yet these two were acting like rational adults. It was almost infuriating. I itched to see the big man in action—to see his eyes light up with anger as I ruined his pack just as I had ruined the last. Chaos, that’s what I craved—and it didn’t appear he’d give that to me easily.
“What is your name?” The woman asked, her body pressed against the bars—staring inside as if inspecting an unknown creature.
“That’s a disappointing question.” I deadpanned, a hit to my arm making me scowl at the only other human in the room. Draven looked at me like I’d lost my mind, as if not answering that question would be what insured our timely demise.
“Do you not understand what I am to you?” The dog’s voice was small, not demanding or deep as I’d like it to be. Instead, it sounded as if the weight of his world depended on the answer he desired from me. I kept my eyes away from him, choosing to look over the man I had arrived here with. He had a busted lip, but other than that and dirt on his clothes, he seemed fine.
“Keres here,” Draven gave me a weak smile as he continued, “has a bit of a problem when it comes to feelings. She’s also not aware of your traditions.”
“What do you mean she has an issue with feelings?” The woman looked baffled by the words, and I could not blame her. It was strange to hear.
“What he means to say is that other being my captor, you are nothing more than another thorn in my side.” Another hit made me hiss at Draven, my anger visible in my sneered. In that moment, I was sure that he’d choose sides with those wolves. “You want to hit me again?” I asked lowly, eyes burning into him as I waited for his reply. I received nothing more than a shake of his head.
“Have you never done any research or spoken to our kind?”
“The only thing I care about is getting rid of you beasts, so no—I never found the time to learn of your lore.” I was impatient, the pain in my leg mixed with the agitation of having to be civil with these creatures drained me. I was no longer in the mood for their games. “Now either kill me or get me to your pack doctor.”
The only answer was the sound of a key clanking around, before the unlocking of our cell commenced. I felt a weight leave my chest as the man approached me slowly making his way toward my tired frame. I should’ve fought, kicked and punched him until they had no other choice than to put me down. I ignored that urge as his arms slid under me, and I realized how cold I’d been on that stone floor. My body relaxed against his despite the raging thoughts of murder going through my head. The beast breathed me in, his face a bit too close for comfort as a soft growl left his lips.
“Is the doctor going to sniff me for diagnosis, as well?” I spit at the man carrying me from the room. We walked into a hallway; Draven followed closely behind the tall woman who seemed to pay him no mind.
It took a lot of willpower not to lay my head on the savage’s chest and go straight to sleep, as his warmth cocooned me. My eyes stayed aware, despite the urge for a nap, and watched as we passed the wolves who’d tried to beat the life out of me. Each one stood tall, making a show of meeting my eyes as we made our way down the hallway. My teeth spread into a knowing smile as I saw many of the bruises that had been inflicted upon them.
“You’re not in a great position to have an attitude.” The words were spoken coldly, but I could easily hear the humor behind them.
His expression was void, eyes staring straight ahead as his frame put him a few inches taller than anyone else around him. The tanned skin peeking out from his shirt made me crave more contact, and instead of giving in, I tensed up a bit. I was no longer comfortable with the position as a different kind of warmth filled me. An attraction deep and raw seemed to seep into my bones. My mouth practically watered at the thought of this man, and my body flooded with heat.
“Is there a reason you won’t be killing us?” Elias chuckled, the sound drifting through my ears and making me regret my question. I could feel his fingers stroking at the parts of me they held onto, and I did my best to ignore the tingles that it sent through me. I felt like a little schoolgirl getting her first crush, and if I could have been—I would have been embarrassed.
“We’ll explain everything once Doc gets that leg all fixed up, how does that- Stop scowling at me, Little One.” My brows furrowed even more at the man who was withholding important information from me. I was not impressed with his usage of nicknames nor was I a patient soul.
“I’ll tell you something, if you answer a question for us.” The tall woman grinned at me, a look of triumph on her face. I raised a brow at her, and she continued, “Why’d you burn that entire pack?”
I weighed the question, the answer almost nowhere to be found in the space around us. To admit that my reasoning was as simple as a few choice words and them refusing to give up what was rightfully theirs didn’t seem like a worthy enough excuse. I didn’t care what they thought of the explanation, but I wanted to get my leg fixed and that response would surely hinder the process.
“The King wanted the land, and it’s my job to help meet his demands.” The answer was short and to the point, but I could tell it satisfied no one.
“Hear that, Alpha? She’s a little lap dog to the King.” As we approached the door to the house and began the walk outside, I chose to ignore her statement, as she understood very little. I did what I had to do for the Kingdom that I pledged my life to. Meaning, I’d gladly burn anything or anyone who happened to get in the way.
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“How much land do you have here?” I questioned, curious about the pack itself.
The land was extensive. I had discovered that on my way into the pack. Now that I had a moment to look around, I was able to see that the territory itself was larger than any I’d ever seen. The large house, surrounded by cabins, didn’t take up a quarter of the property. The ones who roamed around were a mixture between skin and fur. Some walk around in human form, doing menial things while those in fur ran. Occasionally knocking into some one and giving wolfish laughter before sprinting away. The way they spent time with each other in both forms was interesting, an kept my attention long enough for me to forget that I was being held by the leader of the beasts that surrounded me.
My gut was telling me I should trust the fool who’d been so willing to have me within such close range of his vital organs, as if I hadn’t killed with my bare hand’s many times before. I wasn’t going to do that, however. My body was seeming to betray me; with each small touch the male had the covering of my body humming. Every fiber alive and awaiting the next stroke of his warm hands. Only when he’s setting me onto a cold, wooden table do I realize we’ve made it to the Doctor.
“Enough to house over a thousand wolves along with any packs who wish to visit.” Elias practically whispers the words, moving only a few inches away from me as a man wearing scrubs approaches us. Immediately I am cautious. He was shorter than most men in this pack seemed to be, a little scrawny looking with a big smile. I was not very impressed by the man and had the urge to hit him as soon as he reached for my neck.
“Should I sedate her? She looks a bit vicious!” The man jokes, but no one finds the humor.
“You’ll cast her leg, clean the wounds, and otherwise not touch her.” His whispers quickly turn into a loud command, eyes ablaze as he glares at the small distance between the doctor and me.
“Distract me from this by telling me that little secret, wouldn’t you?” I give the only other woman in the room a smile that was beyond faked. A shit eating grin takes over her face just as the first bit of disinfectant reaches my wounds.