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8

Marcella

W hen consciousness slowly came back to me, I instantly realized I wasn’t alone. I didn’t open my eyes, just continued to act asleep because everything came rushing back, letting me relive a nightmare.

Being in the woods. Feeling as if I weren’t alone. Then being chased by that—that— thing .

I repressed my shiver of fear as the image of the creature slammed into my mind. It was a literal monster, and the only thing I could think about was that it only wanted me for a meal.

How I wished what had been chasing me had been a bear, because that was less frightening than whatever creature had taken me.

I could hear it close by, and the very ground beneath me vibrated slightly every time it took a step. I tried to note my surroundings while I laid absolutely still. The last thing I wanted was for this beast to know I was awake.

Whatever I was on was soft, but I could feel things scratching at my skin. The blanket—I assumed that’s what it was—that covered me, smelled funny and was heavy and warm, feeling almost like velvet against my skin.

I realized, although still clothed, I was no longer wearing my boots or my jacket.

The heavy shuffling sound became louder… closer, and involuntarily I tensed. I tried like hell to feign sleep, but there was no getting around how absolutely terrified I was, and how that showed outwardly.

And then came the huffing. Puffing. It felt like hot air was moving along my arm.

The monster inhaled deeply as it dragged that inhuman furry snout along my limb and up to my throat.

I clenched my eyes tightly and couldn’t hold in the whimper that left me when I felt the warm, wet feel of what I assumed was its tongue licking at my neck.

“You wake,” the creature said in a harsh tone that was deeper and scarier than anything I’d ever heard. “You don’t have to open your eyes for me to enjoy this.”

I whimpered and tried to move away subtly, but a low growl rumbled from it and it gripped my upper arm. The beast’s touch wasn’t painful, but it certainly was one that told me I wouldn’t get away.

It licked my neck, then ran its nose, which—good God felt wet—along the spot it had just licked. I shivered, and it hummed, clearly liking that reaction from me.

I clamped my back molars when it slid its massive hand—paw—God, whatever the hell it had, down my arm. As it came closer, I could feel the fur covering its entire body.

The thing was huge, and it used its hold on me to jerk me back toward it. I felt tears slip down my cheeks.

The scent of it was strong, a mix of pine, wilderness, musk, and something almost familiar.

“Keeping your eyes closed won’t change the fact you’re here with me and mine.”

I could hear its voice right beside my ear, felt the deep vibration settling into every single part of me.

I realized then what that familiar scent was. It had been in my room. I gasped, shock filling me. This thing had been stalking me and had watched me sleep.

“This isn’t a dream, Little One, so you may as well open your eyes and see your fate.”

I didn’t obey right away. I just kept my eyes closed and wished all of this away, told myself this was a bad dream and that I’d wake up and be back in the cabin.

But the way it kept running its big, furry paw up and down my arm, and the gentle scrape of its claws along my exposed skin, made it impossible to focus on anything else.

I kept replaying the image over and over again. This wasn’t a human behind me. I didn’t know what it was.

I slowly opened my eyes so I could fully grasp the reality that I was now in. Although the creature was behind me and couldn’t see my face, especially with all the darkness and shadows, it purred as if pleased I had listened to it.

I wanted to tell it to fuck off, but when it slid its paw over my hip and placed it on my belly, its palm was so massive that it encompassed my entire abdomen.

The urge to squeeze my eyes shut again and just block all of this out was strong, but when it jerked me back toward its massively huge body, my mouth went slack at the feel of something hard, long, and huge pressing against my lower back.

I made a startled sound and tried to move away, but its clawed paw was still pressing on my belly, keeping me in place with zero effort.

“Hush now, my little female. I have no intentions of using this—” he rolled his hips forward, digging what was clearly an enormous erection against my body “—on you until you beg me for it.”

I shook my head, biting my tongue because I wanted to scream that I’d never want him or that .

And then it curled its big paw around the flesh of my belly, squeezing it, and letting out what could only be called a purr.

It moved to my hip, doing the same to the flesh there before releasing it and slipping down to my thigh. The creature curled its palm around my upper leg, giving it a little jiggle before growling low.

“Your body is perfect.”

My mouth dried, and I felt something move through me. I couldn’t describe it, but hearing him praise my form in that totally inhuman voice made me feel hot and tingly in places that had no business feeling that way.

I was in that weird mental state of processing its words when suddenly its big paw was covering my breast. I squealed out when it gave the mound a squeeze at the same time it thrust against me, digging that steel rod into my back and pulling a gasp from me.

“Do you like the feel of your mate?”

My heart was jackhammering in my chest. Mate? The fuck?

It was pure instinct that had me slapping his furry paw hard enough I felt his entire body tense. I realized I may have just screwed myself over.

Before I knew what was happening, I was flat on my back with this beast hovering over me. I’d known and felt how massive he was well before now, but having him crowd me like this had me feeling minuscule.

I shrank back from his wolfish face when I spied the rows of sharp teeth in its mouth.

“What are you?” I whispered, horrified.

“I’m yours,” he said with finality. “You are my female, and I am your male.”

I shook my head, denying what he said.

It— he —placed his hands on either side of my body, caging me in with all that muscle and fur and unworldly appearance.

It was hard to make out the details of what he looked like because the cave, which I assumed we were in, was so dark. But when he lifted an arm, I flinched.

With my eyes shut and my head turned, I expected a strike. When nothing came, I slowly opened my eyes and tentatively looked back to see him staring down at me, but I couldn’t read his motives.

He looked between me and his raised paw and then back at me. I could imagine his brows—if he even had any—lowering in apparent confusion.

“What is this?” He rumbled out and then slowly lowered his hand to his side. “You think I would hurt you?” His tone took me back because it was so… gentle, if that was even a word I could use to describe him. “You think I would ever harm my mate ?” He sounded almost aghast.

There was that word… mate. I could tell just by his tone it meant a hell of a lot.

Oh God. This beast has taken me because he sees me as what, his girlfriend? His wife? His fuck toy?

When I didn’t respond, he leaned back, his gaze almost softening. It had my defenses lowering just marginally.

“I’m not yours,” I whispered.

The grin he gave me was slow and almost ominous. He didn’t have lips, didn’t have a mouth like a human would. But the flash of his teeth once again had me laying as still as possible. All I could think about was not making any sudden moves.

“Oh, Little One, you are mine. And,” he leaned in close, and I once more smelled that musky, wolf aroma that made me feel all kinds of things . “You have nothing to fear from me because I would kill anyone who even thought of hurting you.”

I slowly lowered my arms but kept them pressed to my chest, terrified of what this creature would do, even if it was very clear he wouldn’t hurt me.

For a moment I just lay there as he still hovered over me, his body so much bigger that I couldn’t help but feel like this little doll beneath him.

My eyes had since adjusted to the darkness and I could actually see a little firelight flickering around his shape.

“What are you? What do you want with me?” I didn’t expect him to answer, but I had to ask. I wanted to pretend like I was dreaming, thrust into some nightmare where this big sinful creature crawled out from the deep woods and snatched me away.

He cocked his enormous head to the side, his ears twitching. The creature didn’t have blunt teeth, but sharp ones I envisioned he needed to tear into the flesh of his prey. Dark fur completely covered him. He had a long snout, pointed ears, and large, round black eyes.

His shoulders were impossibly broad, his arms muscular, bulging and thicker than my thighs.

I refused to look any lower than his defined abdomen, but I didn’t have to notice that what he was sporting down below was huge and very hard. I snapped my gaze up to his face to see him looking at me almost inquisitively, as if he were just as curious about me as I was about him.

“What are you?” I whispered, asking again because he hadn’t responded. It was a prolonged second before he huffed out a breath.

“Wolf,” was all he said.

I pushed myself up and scooted all the way back until the rocky wall stopped me from retreating. After pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my knees, I just stared at him, trying to make myself as small as possible.

All I kept thinking was, don’t make sudden moves, don’t make him mad. And then, on the heels of that thought, I remembered the look he’d worn when I thought he was going to strike me.

“I am me,” he said matter-of-factly.

“You’re not human,” I stated the obvious. “What are you?”

He didn’t answer for long moments, just stared at me, and I could tell by looking into his dark eyes he was highly intelligent. It was the way he watched me with this probing stare, like he could pick up every single little nuance that made me... me, and dissected it all.

“My kind has always been here. Since the beginning of time.”

I let that sink in. Okay. So he was just different from me. Although it might be hard for some to accept that, how could I deny it when he was a living, breathing wolf-creature right before me? I hadn’t seen a lot of things in my life, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

“I am what I am.” If he was the type to shrug, I had a feeling he would right now, as if what he said was the simplest of facts. “I've seen humans come and go through these parts over the decades. I learned their language, listened to the stories they told each other, and learned about their world. They would call me a monster, but the things I’ve heard these men say, the way they spoke of their females… and they are the ones that are the beasts.”

I felt something tighten in my chest and it wasn’t unpleasant.

I didn’t know how long we stayed silent, but never once did he take his gaze off of me. He still crouched on his haunches, that gigantic body blocking the only escape. Although I wasn’t stupid. I knew that even if I tried to run, he would catch me. He was a predator, that much was obvious.

“Why did you take me?” I felt like I'd asked this question a million times, but it was like he couldn't—more likely wouldn’t—answer.

He made this noncommittal grunting noise before he turned and stalked toward where the firelight was flickering.

I exhaled roughly, not realizing how much I’d been holding my breath intermittently.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, assuming he wanted me to follow, but I stayed put long enough my ass felt numb. I would have stayed here the whole time if not for the thought that he’d come back in here and haul me out like a rag doll.

I was on some kind of pallet that was covered in thick furs on top, and pine needles and dead grass underneath.

The smell that surrounded me was damp and heavily smelling of earth. Although I knew I didn’t want to go out there, and didn't want to follow him, I also was very aware he’d just hunt me back down.

So I stood, knowing I should probably figure out what the hell was going on.