6
Clothesline opened his eyes. Her voice had called to him and he sat up expecting to see her there beside him.
She wasn’t.
He was in the heart of a damned cold forest, following a lead on the man that would have been Harmony’s husband. Line had thought he’d killed him in his first raid, but somehow, he’d gotten away. Pete would bleed this night. He would bleed, and it would all be over.
It was taking him too long. He hated it. He felt his wolf fighting him, wanting his mate, but he had to finish this first. He had to make her safe.
He’d left Pie in a whore house outside of Tucson. He would pay for that, but he needed to do this alone, everything in him screamed for him to do it alone. He rolled out of his bedroll and stretched like a cat. His back was sore and he was anxious. He didn’t understand it. He wasn’t in any danger. These freaks couldn’t hurt him, so why was everything in him telling him to turn back.
“Fuck. he’s the last one and then I can go the fuck home.”
He looked up. The moon was nearly full, that had to be what was making his skin itch.
He shook off the feeling and cleaned up his camp. It was a five-mile hike into where the little asshole was hiding out. He would hike up and wait or maybe he would do it during the day, no one to see. May as well get it over with. If he hurried he could do it before the sun came up and then hit the road. He could be back for the full moon and debrief and onto see Harmony within twenty-four hours.
The need for her was driving him like a man with a whip now. He needed her more than he needed air in his lungs, water in his belly. He needed her.
His chest burned.
She needed him.
He could feel her tugging at him through their bond and he wanted to drop everything and run to her. She was afraid, and she was hurting, but he would be home soon and then he would never have to worry about her, she would be safe.
He packed up his gear and started out at a run. The quicker he got it all done, the better. The trees blurred as he ran at a speed he usually didn’t allow. There was no one to see him, no one who would live to see the next sunrise, so he ran, and it felt good.
He reached the glade where the shabby little house sat faster than he’d thought he could. Sweat beaded on his brow and he wiped it away with an impatient hand. His nostrils flared as he scented the air.
Nothing.
That made the fine hairs stand up along his body.
There was always something to smell, rabbits, squirrels, something, but he picked up nothing alive. What had scared them all away?
Pain blinded him as something shot into his neck at the base of his skull.
He screamed in agony and jerked the dart from his neck. It had a purple plume on the end and was made of solid gold.
What the hell?
He hit the ground writhing as he felt whatever had been shot into him burn through his blood. His wolf howled in pain along with his human.
Line opened his eyes to see a blonde woman dressed in a very provocative dress standing over him.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the rabbit you’re hunting has been dead for some time. We only dropped the hints to bring you to us, where you belong.” She used one pointed shoe to lift his chin. Her golden eyes ran over him like he was a prize she’d won. “You are going to give me impeccable cubs. Stay.” She pointed one red tipped finger at him.
He fought what was happening, but his body refused him. He wasn’t paralyzed, but something inside him was refusing to disobey this woman.
“Good boy.” She said, and he felt something vibrate in his throat. His body warmed as if he were pleased with her praise.
It made him sick.
“Bring him.” She said to someone he couldn’t see, and he was lifted, and half dragged to the house.
He smelled them then and everything inside of him screamed out. He’d fought his whole life to stay away from these people and now he was at their mercy and there was nothing he could do about it.
The monsters that had haunted his childhood, kept him on the run.
“Bathe him and make sure he’s clean before you bring him to me.” The woman spoke and the men who held him nodded.
“Aww don’t look at me like that my pet. This won’t hurt a bit and you may even like it. Just think, you will sire cubs with me, your queen. It’s an honor. One you do not deserve, but one I give to you because I need your bloodline to secure my position. You will be my king.”
She ran a red tipped nail down his chest.
“You are mine.” She said, and the words gripped his heart and his head until he fell to his knees. He was fighting her hold on him, but he was weakening.
“I’d rather die than touch you. You are not my alpha.”
Her head tilted, and she watched him like a cat watching a bird. Her grin was wicked.
“I like your spirit. You are strong, but I will break you.” she leaned close. “And I will enjoy it.”
He could smell her excitement. She was turned on by his refusal.
“Clean him. Hurry. I want him.” She hissed.
Line fought the men holding him, but whatever he’d been given was making him weak.
He was scrubbed and clothed in only a linen cloth tied at his hip.
“Lie down.” The woman spoke in a voice he couldn’t refuse, and he obeyed.
He felt shame as she looked at him. He was helpless in the presence of her desires and he hated her for it.
He thought of Harmony and how she’d lived for so many years. She had suffered this humiliation more times than he could fathom, and she’d lived through it. She was so strong.
He was seeing just how weak he really was.
The woman slowly stripped off her clothes and stood before him in feminine perfection. She was perfect in every way. Her breasts were perfect globes sitting on her chest. Her mound was bare and he could see the sheen of excitement on her lips. Her belly was flat and her skin was the color of sand. She was beautiful in body, but her soul made her ugly.
She reached and untied the tie at his hip and he felt air on his body. He clenched his teeth and tried to force his body to move, to strike her, but he was helpless.
“I’m going to need you hard if this is to work.” She scowled when his cock lay limp and unmoving. “I can’t have cubs without a hard cock!”
He snarled at her.
“Make him hard!” She screamed, and a mousy woman ran in and grabbed his cock in soft hands.
It took all his strength of will to keep the damned thing soft.
“Use your mouth! If you don’t make him hard I swear you will suffer. I will beat you. I will strip the hide from your worthless bones!”
The woman’s golden eyes begged him as she lowered her quivering lips to the head of his limp cock.
He had fucked hundreds of women, what was one more? But no, things were different and his wolf was scratching at his bonds. He wouldn’t, couldn’t be with anyone but Harmony. She was his mate and that meant something to him. His wolf wouldn’t allow it.
In that moment his wolf broke free and he changed in an instant. They might kill him, but they would never make him betray his mate.
Nothing would ever make him betray Harmony.