The Wolves of Arnoux Manor- Volume 1

by Kiana

  I glared at her angrily. My face burned. I knew it was my face elongating. I could only partially shift. The more dialysis I endured, the greater my powers would become.

  “Lystra it what was best for you. You would have become some evil meaning creature.”

  “You poisoned me, and it had nothing to do with what was right.” I could see through all of the bullshit.

  “You wanted to torture me because you could no longer torture my father for his choices. You could’ve killed me with that potion!” She stood to her feet indignant with purpose.

  “And it would’ve been better for you to die than to live a life as a slave to the moon.”

  I lunged at her, hot tears burning my face some. I’d partially shifted again, and my claws scrapped my mother’s arm. Anton felt my rage but was in better control of his beast. He pulled me away from her.

  “Look at me,” Anton voiced. I continued to reach for my mother. She stayed on the floor horrified. “LOOK AT ME NOW, LYSTRA!” he repeated more forcefully this time. I whined and brought my attention to his face.

  “She isn’t worth it. If she wants to be rid of you, give her that. It’s her loss.”

  I knew he was right. It cut deep to know she was never really there for me. I didn’t even give her a final look. I wanted to remember how she was a few minutes ago. I wanted to remember her for the monster she truly was.

  After the battle with the vampires, Anton was around less. He was always out trying to find new info on our foes. He was sure they would attack again. Cara would visit occasionally, and the ladies of the compound would bring me treats. They would bring me herbal remedies for pain and nausea and occasionally food from their hunts with their mates.

  I was envious of them. I wanted to hunt too. It was something I was supposed to do with my mate, but the circumstances had changed everything. I still couldn’t shift all the way. Sixty percent of my body was still human and resisting the ability to shift. I couldn’t hunt until I could shift completely.

  Whenever he was home, I was dog sick from the dialysis. I sometimes wondered if he was really busy or just avoiding me. I didn’t look the same anymore. I was much more frail. My skin was dull and grayish brown now. I didn’t exactly blame him for not wanting to see me.

  I walked my sore frame to our king-sized bed and wrapped the heavy blanket around me. I heard the door open and close. No one ever locks their doors here. As Mila puts it, locked doors mean secrets and the pack hides nothing from one another.

  He entered the room, and I turned away from him.

  “Hello to you too. I thought you’d be happy I was home.”

  “Does it matter? You will be leaving again anyway.”

  “We have a serious matter on our hand, Lystra. The sake of the pack depends on us handling it quickly.”

  “Anton, I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “That’s good because we’re not going fight. We’re going to talk like two grown ass adults.” He sat on the side of the bed and pulled me towards him until my head was in his lap.

  “Talk to me. I know the dialysis is making you sick, but I feel like something deeper is wrong.”

  “I should’ve listened to you.”

  “About?”

  “The treatments. I knew I'd get sick, but I didn’t think I’d look like this. I look terrible, and I smell worse. No wonder you don’t want to be here.”

  “Is that what you think?” I nodded my head. Anton carefully removed my head from his lap and placed a pillow in its place.

  He walked over to his dresser, removed his watch and dog tags. He rushed to remove his clothes. He helped me out of my own. Anton took a minute to look over my body. I grew insecure and tried to hide my now visible ribs.

  “Move your hands. I want to see you in all your glory.” I did so reluctantly. A smile spread across his face. I didn’t mean to, but I blushed.

  He kissed my fingertips, the palm of my hand, and my wrists. He kissed me, holding on to the sides of my face. I tried to sit up but got dizzy.

  “It’s ok. Lay on your side.”

  I turned on my right side. He came into the bed behind me. He held on to me as I caught my breath. His fingers locked with mine and with few adjustments, we became one. His breath warmed the nape of my neck.

  “Mine.” He kissed my shoulders before stroking me again.

  “Mine.” He kissed my mark.

  “All mine.” His strokes became more fervent, and my body responded in long powerful orgasms. I grasped him tightly. I need all of him. He came along with me. As he filled me, I felt sated.

  “I adore every part of you. You’re mine and mine alone. Nothing can compare to you.”

  We made love until I could no longer stay awake. Anton was determined to wear my body out. Mission accomplished.

  14

  O

  She has not spoken to me since we slept together. I should be grateful for the peace of mind. Instead, I feel sick. I have gone half-crazy. I want to hear her voice so badly. I’d sleep in my bed, but I awaken on the floor right outside of her door. Her scent is soaked in my sheets. It stains the walls. I need her to come home.

  “Cara?”

  “I’m reading O. What is it?”

  “We need to talk.” I heard a door slam. I walked out of my room and looked over the banister into the foyer.

  “Yes?!” she screamed up at me.

  “Why are you so crossed with me.”

  “Please explain to me what woman on this planet, likes finding out she was just a friendly fuck?”

  “How-”

  “You basically made it very clear that all I am to you is something to do until I can be freed from here.”

  “You have been free for a while now Cara. No one is making you stay. If you feel like a prisoner, then leave.”

  “Gladly, it’s what you wanted anyway.”

  This conversation turned left fast. This was the exact opposite of what I wanted. I hopped over the banister and landed on the first floor without injury. She took a step back, fearful and angry.

  “Have I rejected your company since you’ve been here?”

  “No.”

  “Do not project your insecurities on to my hospitality. I have told you since the moment you stepped through those doors. Whatever you wanted would be yours. Stop acting like a child and tell me. What do you want?” Her chest rose up and down in a panic. She looked as though she might cry. I didn’t mean to scare her, but my patience was wearing thin.

  “Tell me what you want, Cara,” I softened my voice. I closed the space between us. Her arousal held us both in place. It was thick and seemed to hypnotize us both.

  “I want you.” She hopped up and wrapped her legs around my waist.

  Denial had a time and place, neither of which was now. I sat on the edge of my bed with my hands up her dress. Grabbing a handful of warm flesh, my tongue committed her taste to memory. By the time I finished with her, the very memory of this moment would make her come. She paused long enough to pull her panties off. Both of us were too hungry for semantics. She was so wet it coated the inside of her thighs. My entry was tight but not discouraged.

  Deeper I pushed. Later I would make love to her. Right, now I would make this hurt. I remembered the fantasies she sucked me into. She needed it to hurt, to push her over the edge. She would understand why she could never separate from me. She was mine.

  Her body wrapped around mine. Her breath caught as she adjusted to the sensation.

  I held her head to my own. I needed to breathe before I did something I would regret. Her hips continued to rock slowly. I could feel my fangs slip out. Her pulse rang loudly in my ears. She came crying as I slowly stroked her from underneath.

  “Uh!” Her body grew limp. She squeezed tighter trying to pull an orgasm from me. I nuzzled my face into her neck. I felt possessed to bite her. I was losing control of everything.

  “Bite me.” My tooth grazed her skin nicking it in the process. The sight of her blood
shocked me. The reality of the situation was clearer.

  “This is not right.”

  “What?” she asked. I picked her up off me. My dick was covered in her juices, but I placed it back into my sweats the best I could.

  She grabbed at me. I could hear her pleads in my head. I wanted nothing more than to take her and push her in pleasure, but the timing was wrong. My beast protested. I felt my blood boil. This wasn’t good. He wanted control and cared nothing of the consequences.

  “Get out of my home!” She didn’t move. Her leaving the room wouldn’t be enough. I was losing control of my wolf by the second. She had to be as far away from me as possible.

  “Now!” my voice shook the windows of the room. She ran out of the front door, and I shifted.

  I ran out of the door and through the double doors of my home. I ran as far into the forest as I could. Pawing at the dirt, I rolled in the mud. Her scent was all over me. I had to get it off, or else I’d just hunt her down.

  I stayed in the forest even as the twilight began. I was a danger to everyone in this condition. After hunting not one but two deer, my beast finally subsided. It was exhausted but so was I. So much so that I laid right there amongst the trees and rested.

  “What did you do?” Anton said, standing over me. The sunlight burned my eyes. I was in human form again. He stood over me with clothes and a small brown bag. I took the pants and began to dress.

  “Lystra is fuming. She and Cara talked this morning, and now my mate is giving me the silent treatment.” He handed me the brown bag. There was a hot sandwich and a brownie, clearly made by Hailey. The sandwich foil had smiley faces on it.

  “I am sorry brother. Things got very complicated very fast. Cara asked me to bite her.” He didn’t seem shocked by the news.

  “And you refused?”

  “It wasn’t genuine. She is attracted to me sexually. It was all lust.”

  “I mean no disrespect O, but you are very wrong.”

  “When Lystra started dialysis, Cara was free to go. Lystra could have visited her of the compound, mind you I would be there. Why didn’t she leave?”

  “Because she didn’t trust us with her friend,” I answered, but I questioned my own response. Why did Cara stay?

  “For the sake of Nasha, she stayed for you! She wants you! Why do you think she spends so much time studying us? Why do you think she is determined to make a good impression with our pack? She wants to be your mate.”

  Images of Cara with my pack and in my home flooded my mind. All of the signs were there. I was only hurting myself and my love. I’d accepted that I wanted her just to turn around and deny that she wanted me. The games needed to come to an end— now.

  “Prepare the pack for a ceremony. We have two days.”

  “Finally!” Anton exclaimed.

  “Also, offer my apologies to your mate.” I know it wouldn’t mean anything to Lystra, but I still needed to say it.

  “Will do. She’s still going to be pissed though.”

  I was wrong to yell at her. She gave me permission to bite her, but it wasn’t the right time. When I bit her, it had to be in ritual only. I’m an Alpha, so I had to mate with her directly under the moon, which was two days from now.

  I wanted her so badly in that moment that I was ready to risk it all. If I had bitten Cara at that moment, the serum would have killed her. Alpha serum is powerful. Only in the full-moon’s light is it tolerable for humans. If she were naturally a wolf, it wouldn’t have done as much damage, but it would have crippled her.

  Yes, I’ve had sex with other wolves and humans, but I didn’t have the urge to bite them. I couldn't touch Cara without wanting to bite her. I wanted to claim her.

  It wasn’t hard to find her, especially since she was driving my car. A candy apple red GTR sticks out like a sore thumb. I stayed in my Aventador waiting for her to come out of the art supply store. When she did, I pulled up behind her blocking her. When she saw my car, she grew frustrated.

  I should have just walked to the main streets and caught a damn Uber, she thought.

  I got out of my car and stood in front of her. Heat radiated between us. It would be that way until we mated. I had to stay focused when speaking to her. She didn’t speak to me. She just stood there tapping her foot. She tossed me my car keys and began to walk off.

  “Cara, wait!”

  “No, I am done. I signed my NDA. You have nothing to worry about. Just leave me alone, Ok?’

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Actually I do. I know that you couldn't bite me, Ozni. It wasn’t the right moment, but what we're not going to do is pretend it’s ok for you to talk to me like that. You kicked me out of the house! I felt so rejected. If you didn’t want me, you could have just said it. You didn’t have to hurt me like that.”

  “If you didn’t leave you would be in danger. You make it hard for me to control myself. I wanted you more than I wanted air. You're incredible. How, the hell could I not want you? I could not leave my pack, so I needed you to leave instead.” She considered my pleas then crossed her arms and sucked her teeth before speaking.

  “Why me, O? I’m only human. What can I offer you?”

  “You. You can give me you, and I promise that’s more than enough for me. I need you.”

  “So you still want to do this?” she asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Ok.” I pulled her into my embrace and kissed her lifting her off her feet. I had wanted to do that since I saw her walk out of the art supply store.

  “We have two days left. In forty-eight hours, I will have my driver pick you up. The women will prepare you for the ceremony, and then we will mate. I cannot wait to make mine.” I pulled away so that I could avoid her lusty gaze. Her arousal flooded my senses.

  I made my way back to my car but didn’t pull off until she did. I rode a car behind her to make sure she got into her apartment safely.

  15

  Cara

  Two days later

  At three o'clock this afternoon, a big black Mercedes van arrived to my home along with two moving trucks. Per O’s request, the men would pack and move my belongings to my new home. Once I reached Arnoux Manor, the preparations began. I had gotten a wax and pedi the day before thinking that would be enough. I was so wrong.

  I was given a warm bath of chamomile leaves, milk, and an oil made with ylang ylang, cardamom and orange. I had to bathe in it for an hour. Once I was floral but pruny, I was dried off by multiple women. Hailey explained to me that I had no reason to be bashful. When I shifted, I'd more than likely come out of it naked. That didn’t make me feel better, but you know what did? The massage, I received. Well, at least until the massage reached my nether regions. Since I was human, she massaged my labia because “beasts are more endowed than humans.” I thought back to the first time I saw O’s dick, and it wasn’t even erect. She could be on to something. They allowed Lystra to style my hair. It gave us some privacy.

  When I was teen, I imagined what it would be like if she helped me on my wedding day. I never thought it would be like this. I looked my ceremonial gown. The sheer white fabric left little to the imagination, and I wasn't so kosher with everyone seeing me in it. I would have to go through a long hall containing all the pack members before I reached O. All of them would present me with a blessing before I could see him. It would be a simple tap on the shoulder, but everything seems different when you are naked.

  “I wore one on my mating night too. It wasn’t as detailed as this one though, and I didn't get a crown,” Lystra went on as she curled my hair. A ceremonial crown made of silver moonflowers and diamonds adorned my head. It was beautiful, but all of this felt like a bit much. I did my research about the ceremony, but being in it seemed way different.

  “Are you nervous?”

  “No, but do I have be naked?”

  “Yes, I was too.”

  “But nobody saw you except Anton.”

  “And O.”

  �
�What?!”

  “C’mon now you know O isn’t looking at me like that. He just had to give us his blessing.”

  “Ok yeah, but you weren’t naked in front of the whole damn town, Lystra!”

  “Cara, look at me. Why are you here?”

  “Because of O.”

  “Then he is the only thing you should be thinking about.”

  “Ugh, you right.” She adjusted my crown and then smiled at me.

  “Take a look.” I got up and walked over to the full-length mirror. I traded my full robe for my sheer one.

  “Wow! Ok, I see what you mean now!”

  “Lystra!”

  “I’m fucking with you. You look beautiful. Now suck it up and go marry my alpha,” she joked, slapping me on the ass. I shook my head in annoyance.

  She left the room and gave me a minute to gather myself. When you really looked at the gown it was magnificent It flowed out towards the ground and pooled about a foot or so behind me. Embroidered into the lace were various faces of wolves. It was a magnificent piece of work, even though you could see my nipples through it.

  The door opened to reveal Anton.

  “It’s time.”

  The walk past the members of Arnoux Manor was not nearly as awkward as I imagined. To them, this was a serious moment in the history of their people. Some were crying, and others were elated as they blessed me. Not too long after, I found myself in front of two large, black, ornate doors.

  The room was like a grand ballroom. At its center was a large round skylight. At the end was a fireplace un-lit. The only lights in the room were the dimly lit sconces. At midnight, the moon would shine through the skylight pouring it essence down us making it possible to mate. Under the skylight was a small circular bed. On the ground were symbols in white paint.

  O did not wear a robe. He wore a usekh. Engraved in its center was an onyx wolf with silver eyes. We stood just inches apart. I am used to O’s cool demeanor. He seems to always be in control of himself. In this moment, he was vastly different. His elation was evident, but there was something else there. He looked at me as though he was hungry and I was the biggest piece of steak on the menu. A wave of heat ran down my spine. His hand ran through my curls.