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Bringing the scalpel I had hidden to my chest, he continues driving in and out as he carves into my chest. The pain brings my fears to new heights. Screaming, pleading for him to stop only cause him to drive into me harder. Reaching his orgasm, I watch his face in awe of the beauty of this monster. Mykael wraps his free hand around my throat, cutting off my airway. Clawing and thrashing do nothing as the world fades, my vision going black.

When I wake I’m not in the tent anymore, the warmth and soft sheets under me let me know that I’m back in Mykael’s home. I feel used, weak, and as if I will lose myself here. The door creaking pulls me from my thoughts. Nadine is walking into the room, looking out of the door apprehensively before she closes it tells me he didn’t send her. Sitting up, I reach for the blanket that has fallen uncovering my chest for her.

Eyes wide, she looks at the carving above my right breast, “You little bitch!”

Gasping in horror, I dive out of her reach as she tries to grab me. I don’t understand her sudden need to hurt me, I haven’t done anything since the other night, and that wasn’t intentional. The pain of my hair being ripped from my head causes me to stop. Trying to break her hold, I grab the lamp next to me. Swinging around, I hit her with the metal stand as hard as I can. The door slams open with Chloe and Mykael rushing inside. I look at Nadine lying on the floor, at her blood puddling like a halo around her head. Her chest isn’t rising. The sight causes me to rush towards the open bathroom.

Vomiting, I pray she isn’t dead, just unconscious, but I know better. Rinsing my mouth, I look at myself in the mirror to see what caused her to act that way. The carving has nearly healed, which doesn’t make any sense. There, on my chest, is the single word. The word is already scabbing.

MINE.

Chapter 10

Chloe is the one to find me. I take her in as she sits next to me against the wall. She does look pregnant, more than she should from the last time I saw her. I don’t understand it at all since it was just yesterday.

Rubbing her stomach, she smiles at me. “Want to feel?”

Before I can respond, she reaches out placing my hand on her stomach. The baby is kicking. I can’t make sense of it all.

“How? And how long have I been asleep?” I question, pulling my hand back.

Sighing, Chloe starts by saying, “I’m thirty-eight days. We don’t have normal pregnancies. Did you ever question how we move quickly and quietly?”

Shaking my head in response, she continues, “Mykael is a werewolf. Well, we all are, but he is our alpha, our leader. You’ve been unconscious for three days... we weren’t sure if you would make it.”

I scramble away in fear as the words register with what I do know. Run little girl, don’t let the big bad wolf catch you. There, there now. I won’t bite. Actually, that’s a lie. Rubbing the inside of my thigh, I think of the bite and the carved flesh on my chest.

“But… no, it can’t be true!” I cry out in disbelief.

My stomach picks that moment to rumble. Standing, Chloe offers me her hand, pulling me to my feet. I immediately turn to where I left Nadine lying on the floor, but she’s gone. Chloe notices where my gaze has landed yet she doesn’t explain what happened to her. Leaving me to get dressed, she walks out of the room.

Sitting at the table, I look around the room noticing the wolf figures.

“What about the Park Ranger?” I ask as she places a sandwich in front of me.

“Jackson? Oh, he’s a friend of Mykael’s. He watches the cabin for us,” Chloe replies, not at all fazed by my questions.

“Nadine? Is she dead? Where is she?” I whisper, worried I have just committed murder.

Before she can answer, a wolf walks into the room from outside, but she doesn’t seem scared.

“I got rid of her body. She’s dead.” Mykael answers from where the wolf was just standing.

Screaming, I flee the house, running into the snow.

Chapter 11

I’m running.

Running towards the creek I saw on the map days ago. I needed some time to think, so I came out to the cabin my family uses to take vacations. My best friend Gary came out here with me, but he’s dead now. I saw his body in the living room of the cabin. No one’s body should be contorted that way.

The snow is coming down heavy now, and the cold is settling in my bones. I don’t know who the people are, but someone has been following me, chasing me for over a day now. I saw the beams from their flashlights earlier. I can hear the creek close to where I am. Turning towards the sound, I make my way towards the stream of water. In my rush to get away, I didn’t grab anything, not even my phone.

Rushing out into the clearing by the creek, I’m surprised to see a woman sitting by the fire alone, she doesn’t seem dangerous, but I know better than to trust people.

“Hi there. Are you alright? Please have a seat and get warm,” the woman directs, pointing to the single log beside the fire when she sees me.

Sitting on the edge of the small piece of wood cautiously, I smile. “Hi, I’m Melissa. I’m fine, I just got separated from my friends.”