chapter 3

Chapter Three

My heart was pounding in my chest. My breathing sped up the faster I ran. I could feel every pound of my paws on the forest floor. The wind ruffled my fur as I picked up speed. A part of me was afraid, yes. I could hear his footsteps miles behind me. I could hear that he was not running as fast as he could, which meant he was toying with me. I’d never been a particularly fast wolf when compared to others like Melissa who was the fastest wolf in our pack, so I knew for sure that he could catch me. I just didn’t think he would try. I underestimated his pride and anger.

‘You should stop Anne. If I catch you myself you would not like what I do to you,’ he drawled in my head. While I was panting, he sounded calm, as if we hadn’t been running for miles. We had been running for almost an hour now, how could he sound so unperturbed?

I ignored him and pressed forward. He could order me to stop at any time and I wouldn’t be able to resist as long as I could hear him, which was why I wanted to get as far away from him as possible, to escape his range. This was why packs had territories. Their territory signified the range in which their Alpha could connect with his or her members. Our territory was expansive because our Alpha was powerful and it was rumoured that it would be extended once Louis officially became Alpha because he was more powerful than his father.  Fortunately for me, since he was toying with me and hadn’t figured out that that was my plan, I would use that to my advantage.

‘This is pointless and will only prolong your suffering. Stop’ his voice had more power in it than I suspected he had meant to put in and I stumbled for a second before I regained control of myself and picked up speed again. I could feel it, my connection with him, with the pack lessening the farther I went. I would soon be out of range. Just two more miles, one more…

I felt the exact moment that he realized my plan.

And then he began flying through the forest at unnatural speed. I increased my pace. I would make it. I would!

He slammed into me just as I arrived at our border.

‘Transform’ he said with such power and anger that I transformed in less than a second without my brain even comprehending it until I lay naked under a very naked and very pissed Louis.

“You thought to go outside the border after being attacked at the edge? Are you crazy?” was he worried about me?

I struggled to stand up but he pinned my hands over my head.

“Please let me go,” I said, my voice breaking with the fear I felt.

“I warned you, Anne. I told you to stop while you still could” he leaned into my neck and sniffed.

“I love the smell of fear on you, it’s lovely”

I shivered. “I’m not afraid”

He chuckled. “Yes, you are little Anne. I can smell it; I can feel it”

“I’m afraid because you’ve got me pinned naked to the damn floor” I snapped. His eyes widened, then darkened as if just processing my statement.

“And what are you afraid will happen?”

My breath quickened. I tried to ignore him but it was hard when he was all I could see, all I could smell, all I could feel, and God could I feel him. I could feel every ridge of his muscles, every bend and dip, every single part of our bodies were intertwined. I could feel his erection pressing hard into me and I was working hard to keep from bucking into it, to keep my wolf at bay when all I wanted to do was submit, fall into his embrace, and let go. But I knew he was doing this because he was mad and bored. Once he returned to his senses, he would remember that my family was a pariah and that he’d sworn he wouldn’t take me as his Luna. 

“Answer me, Anne,” he said. When I remained silent, he pressed closer, grinding into me and traced his lips lightly across my neck. “I couldn’t sleep last night you know. I kept tossing and turning. All I could think about was you in that towel. And you out of it”

I was breathing faster and faster until I was panting. My hold on my wolf was loosening and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on.

“Please” I whispered, unsure what exactly I was begging for. My heart raced and my blood boiled as his lips made their way to my collarbone and kept going lower.

“Please what, Anne?”

His tongue teased my skin and my hold snapped. I arched into his touch with a hungry moan.

“That’s it” he whispered on my skin, then traced his way to my lips. Our lips connected with a hungry ferocity that surprised even me. He caught my lower lip between his and sucked in a way that felt like my lip was directly connected to my clit. I panted and pressed even closer to him if that was possible. He nipped on my lip, then soothed it with his tongue. His hand teased my skin, moving lightly across until I was arching in, trying desperately to get more, so much more.

“Oh God, please,” I said again. This time what I was begging for was a little more obvious.  More, I wanted more; I needed more.

” I told you you’d regret not stopping” he whispered against my lips. His tongue lightly teased my lips and then slipped in as I panted. Our tongues tangled in a battle of wills that left us both breathless. I couldn’t think straight, all I could think of was him. The feel of his lips, his hand slowly inching up my body, his tongue wrestling mine, him, him, him.

The sound of a twig snapping brought us out of our trance.

Louis was up in the time it took me to blink.

“Get dressed!” he hissed. Was he serious?  That was what he was worried about?

“What clothes? In case you didn’t notice, we ran thousands of miles into the woods in wolf form. My clothes are back at the training ground”

“Well find something. The entire warriors of the pack are headed this way on their morning run and if they see you this way, I will slaughter every last one of them” The possessiveness in his voice made me shiver until I registered his words.

“What do you mean kill them? Wolves transform all the time; we see each other naked”

He growled. “Not anymore. If you don’t get dressed in the next ten seconds, I won’t be held accountable for the eyes I gouge out”

He was actually serious. I stared at him in shock for a second before I looked around frantically. Werewolves usually stored a lot of clothes on trees so that if we were ever in a pinch, we could get them. Almost every tree in our territory had clothes stored on it. I personally hadn’t stored clothes in this part of the forest but at this point, I would take what I could get. Even though I hated every member of my pack apart from my family and friends for what they were doing to me and my family, I still couldn’t handle someone getting hurt because of me, especially in such a gruesome way as the look on Louis’ face suggested he intended.

I spotted some clothes on the highest branch of a nearby tree and hopped onto the tree. I was dressed and down in five seconds. Just in time too because the pack broke into the part of the forest we were in and paused in surprise.

One transformed immediately and Louis growled and shoved me behind him. What, he didn’t want me looking at naked men now? That would be hard considering I was a werewolf surrounded by a freaking werewolf pack.

“Louis, what’s happening? Is there trouble?” the man I recognized as the leader of the pack warriors, Caleb asked.

“No. Just leave” he snapped. Caleb glanced behind Louis and nodded in understanding. Shit. He could tell that we were mates. Worse, he could tell what we’d been up to. My cheeks heated up.

He transformed and led the wolves away and Louis finally released his grip on my hand.

“He knows,” he said simply. He sounded furious and I felt my blush receding and being replaced by deep pain. I’d let myself get carried away. He didn’t want me and he never would. It was a momentary lapse in judgment but now he was back to his senses and regretting the fact that someone knew about us.

“I’m sorry,” I said bitterly, not sure why I was apologizing or whom I was apologizing to: him or me.

“Let’s go” he said and began walking.

“Go? Go where?” I asked dumbly.

“Where else? Back to the pack. Try to keep up” and then he sped off. I groaned and followed behind him because he used a bit of his Alpha command and my wolf was still close enough to the surface that I had to obey. We sped through the forest at a pace slower than when we were in our wolf forms but still fast nonetheless. I could tell he was going much slower than his actual speed for my sake and I was grateful because I wouldn’t be able to keep up otherwise. We arrived at his house and I halted in front of the door despite his command compelling me to go in.

“Why did you stop?” he asked.

“What are we doing at your house?” I asked. He stared at me with a raised brow.

“Get in,” he said. He didn’t use his Alpha command but he seemed so compelling that I stepped through the threshold anyway.

I had never been in his house before. I avoided it like the plague. He didn’t live at the main pack house and had an entire mansion to himself. Although his father was often there so it wasn’t exactly to himself. Regardless, I had no reason to come here because I wasn’t wanted. And now I was waltzing up the stairs with Louis.

He stopped at a large brown mahogany door at the end of the hall and pushed it open.

“Get in” he said gruffly.

I walked in after him and looked around. His room was what I expected. Dark muted colours, and a glaring lack of pictures and personal paraphernalia.

“Take this” something hit me in the face and I hurried to grab it before it could fall to the ground. When I held it away from my face, I saw it was a large button-up shirt. Devon’s button-up shirt.

“What is this for?” I asked, confused.

“Take those freaking clothes off, take a shower and put that on.

“What?” It seemed like that was all I could say today.

“You smell like someone else and if you don’t take those clothes off and get that scent off you I will rip the clothes off and do it myself”

“You can’t just-“ “Strip” he commanded. Even though I fought his control with every aspect of my being, my hand still rose to my chest and began unbuttoning the shirt I was wearing. One by one until I was on the very last button. I was shaking with the effort to hold myself back from stripping in front of him. I didn’t want to be naked in front of him again. Look how the first time turned out. I certainly didn’t want a repeat.

His gaze heated my skin where he followed my fingers as if hungry for each inch of skin exposed.

“Stop, please” I begged desperately. I couldn’t do this, not again. This time we were in his bedroom. What would happen if we didn’t get interrupted this time?

I pulled open the last button and his eyes followed my hands as they pulled the shirt open.