CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Valeria emerged from the bathroom, her towel tight around her body, trying to brush the tangles out of her hair. She was still alone, the door remaining closed. After hours of sitting and sleeping in that big bed, she had decided to take a shower. Blood had clung to her skin and made her so uncomfortable, her skin was itching. The water closet had been larger than she expected, including a large open-space shower stall, and the floor had been warm under her toes. Gently unwrapping her wrists, Valeria was glad to see they had healed quite nicely, at least enough to wash them without risking reopening the wounds.
Unknowing when the blonde werewolf would come back, she made it quick, although it was almost a sin not lingering a minute more under the multiple spray heads. In the room, she abandoned the idea of putting her clothes back on. The t-shirt was torn and bloody, as were the jeans. She could have stayed in the towel but didn’t like the idea, making her more vulnerable than she intended. Instead, she decided to see what she could find in the drawers and closet. The man’s clothing was as big as him, but she found a white shirt that would do if she rolled up the sleeves a thousand times and a pair of dark gray sweatpants that had seen better days. The sports bra was reusable, thank goodness. At least she was decent.
For the first time since she was in this room, Valeria risked a glance through the window. A forest. She seemed in the middle of thick woodlands. Tall, majestic trees all around. The forest looked like an old one, with centennial trees. It explained the soothing energy she had felt since her arrival. The sky was blanketed with swirling clouds, calling for rain. There were no bars on the window, but she saw forms moving not too far from the house. Guards, no doubt. And shifters, by how she saw them blending through the trees and bushes.
Valeria examined the room once more. There were not many personal items around. No pictures. Plenty of books, though. It seemed that her jailer enjoyed reading. Not only reading but old editions too. And some relatively rare. Nothing on the desk, although she saw the power plug for a laptop. Three drawers, all locked. And above the door, the same ominous and useless signs as in her jail downstairs.
Patience being the only way to go, she grabbed a book from the shelf and went to sit in the oversized leather chair by the window. Valeria curled up comfortably and started reading. It made her remember happier times in the Lancaster home, when she was a little girl, pouring over magical documents in her father’s study. Sometimes, she would sit in his big, tall chair by the fireplace and read while her father was working. The memory was bittersweet, and Valeria preferred to push it aside for the moment. Instead, she leaned back and blanked her mind from everything else, except for the history of English kings and queens.
Time passed, the sun sank over the horizon, and Valeria lit up the lamp beside her, bathing the room in a soft glow. That’s when she heard someone unlocking the door. Part of her braced for another attack. Who had access to this room after all?
An inaudible sigh of relief escaped her lips when she spotted the blonde werewolf entering the room. Why would she be relieved? After all, he had vowed to kill her.
He nodded at her as he entered, a tray under his arm. He closed and locked the door again. “I see you’re awake. And that you have borrowed clothes without my consent.”
His consent?
“Yes, I fear my clothes are beyond repair. And as I suspected you wouldn’t be too happy coming in with me only wearing a towel, I preferred to find something more suitable to wear. Fear not, I will do everything to give them back to you without a single stain or tear. Unless I’m under attack again.”
The man didn’t say a word and put the tray on a small table beside her. Again, she recognized Ellen’s broth and some crackers with a cup of black tea. Her stomach growled, and a wave of nausea rose at the same time. She didn’t realize she was hungry, but her body wasn’t keen on eating anything. Probably being wounded again and unconscious did that for her system.
“Eat.”
And on that sharp word, the man went to the bathroom and closed the door. Valeria stayed put, the book on her lap, her eyes on the tray. The shower started. She couldn’t remember any stranger situation she’d been in. Or not a so intimate one. Not since James. Her life with her dead fiancé now seemed coming from another time, of another life. She had mourned him with all her heart and wished him a peaceful afterlife. It just seemed weird to be in a room of a strange man while he was taking a shower close by. How domestic.
When the door opened again, and the werewolf walked back into the room, gloriously naked, she gaped for a moment before looking away. Werewolves and shifters were always physically fit, it was in their DNA, a natural perk due to their outstanding metabolism. But she wasn’t prepared for the undeniable heat spreading through her and the lust making her sex clench reflexively at the expanse of golden skin and muscled body. His kind was not prudish by nature, she remembered.
“You haven’t eaten.”
His voice held a hint of reproach and sliced through her hazed mind.
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
As he spoke, he donned a pair of loose black sweatpants that seemed to hang by mere illusions on his hips, and nothing else. “Why? My aunt is a good cook, and she won’t poison you.”
“What Ellen cooks is beyond delicious, but…”
He stood there, a silent force, waiting for her to continue. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him about the last two years of starvation and the many years to come if she came out of his grasp alive. Her body revolted against food, especially when she was tired. And her mind feared to push that barrier to be hungry and eat again, her future too uncertain.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“For the last two years, I haven’t eaten much, my stomach doesn’t hold it well…”
“Start with the tea, it’s strong. It will help with the nausea.”
Valeria arched an eyebrow at his comment. “And how would you know about nausea, I thought your kind immune to such malaise.”
“We are, but our females when pregnant may experience nausea in the first few weeks. Black tea helps. As per my own mother, anyway.”
Valeria turned her gaze to the sturdy white mug and stared at it for a while.
“Unless you know a trick to drink it through the eyes, staring it down won’t work.”
Was it sarcasm? Ignoring it, she grabbed the mug and held it in her hand before drinking a tentative sip.
“Good. Now drink!”
Valeria licked her lips and carefully took another sip. The strong taste was strangely soothing, and she dared another one. The blonde wolf sat on the bed, his elbows on his knees, watching her. Her stomach clenched.
“You’re not helping, you know that, wolf.”
“You’re drinking tea, so I say it’s working, witch.”
Valeria didn’t know why, but his answer made her laugh. The sound surprised her but she took another sip and looked at him. It was the most relaxed she had ever seen him. Not that he didn’t still ooze danger, but she didn’t see the glowing anger and resentment in his blue eyes anymore.
“You have a very impressive library. Very old English literature with many first editions.”
The wolf nodded. “It was my father’s. His pride and joy. How did you know they were first editions?”
“My father also collects old books and manuscripts. I learned from a very young age which books needed more care. I was raised in a dusty library.” The wolf didn’t add to her comment.
Valeria put the half-empty cup on the table and ignored the bowl of broth and crackers. Instead, she unfolded herself from the chair and stood. “I’m ready, wolf, whenever you are.”
The man remained seated but straightened up. “Ready for what?”
“For the trial. I’m tired of waiting for my fate. And I know you’re sick of keeping an eye on me, waiting for me to escape, betray or kill you.”
Slowly, he got to his feet. She had almost forgotten how tall he was as well as the sheer power emanating from him, almost forcing her to hunker down. Almost.
“You know what will happen if you lie. If I find out you have killed my sister.”
Valeria nodded, taking another step toward him, peace flowing through her at her decision. “I know, wolf. You will tear my throat out on the spot. And I’m going to let you, although for the sake of your bedspread I will even wait for you to take me outside to do it.”
Her captor looked into her eyes and nodded. “Stand near the bed.”
Valeria did as he directed, standing, the back of her knees against the pale bedspread. In this position, she could see the setting sun barely visible through the swirling clouds and the hope of the rising moon. Twilight. Where magic danced, and everything was possible. A sweet reminder of her mother who told her stories of gypsies and moon warriors when she was a little girl. Far away memories.
The wolf blocked her view of the window, but she kept her eyes forward. Even though she wasn’t afraid, her heart beat fast. Anticipation probably. Part of her hoped she didn’t kill that girl, not to avoid death, but because she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
He came so close, pushing his muscled body against hers, almost making her fall onto the bed. When his voice growled in her ear, she shivered and still avoided looking up at him.
“When I ask a question, you answer immediately, without hesitation. And then I will perform the trial, understood?”
Valeria nodded, unable to say a thing, her heart in her throat, feeling engulfed by the man. She waited for his question, immobile. His head lowered to hers, his bearded cheek lightly rubbing hers, and she closed her eyes. He was unmistakably close, his skin radiating heat like the sun. She felt him move as if sensing her, assessing her. It was unnerving and arousing. His energy was so different than all the men she had been with before. All the men she knew for that matter. It must have been the animal in him. The wolf roaming close to the surface. He wasn’t human, she reminded herself, he was a beast, with the same instincts and reactions. The thought of James, of his contained tenderness, popped in her mind, but she pushed his image away. Not out of disrespect, but only for the feeling of being alive again.
Out of reflex, she wet her lips. The wolf growled, and before she could react, he was kissing her. It wasn’t tentative, it wasn’t soft or tender. It was all consuming. Lust flared up inside her, heat pooling between her legs, surprising her by the sheer intensity of it. Instinctively, she responded to the kiss and opened her eyes. His attention was on her, assessing how she would react, what she would do. If this was her last kiss on Earth, Valeria decided she would make it count.
She circled his shoulders, letting her hands feel the muscles under the naked flesh before tangling her fingers in his blonde mane. It acted as a trigger for him, and he grabbed her hips to pull her against him. His touch was bruising, but she didn’t care. Part of her mind wondered if this was part of the trial, another didn’t care.
There was nothing sweet in his touch, and Valeria whimpered when he pressed on. Part of her brain wanted to analyze her reaction, how she could let her jailer touch her, take her like that. But her body denied her request.
At her pained moan, the werewolf relaxed his grip, and his fingers became more caressing as he trailed down her spine. When he inched up her shirt to let his hands explore the skin underneath, she pressed herself even harder against his tall frame. Letting go of his shoulders, Valeria let her palms trace a path down his chest. His heart was thundering beneath her fingers, and as she was starting to descend lower, it was his turn to emit a rumbling groan. He moved quickly, grabbing her thighs and lifting her up. She didn’t have any other choice but to grab his shoulders again and circle his hips with her legs. He lowered them both to the bed. Valeria admired his strength as he didn’t break the kiss the entire time. Once on the bed, the werewolf grabbed both sides of her shirt and ripped it open, unhooking the front of her bra in almost the same movement, revealing all of her to his gaze. Their connection was broken as now his mouth was on her throat, teeth scraping and lips licking her skin inexorably toward her naked breasts. When he latched on to her nipple, she arched, her hands in his hair, pushing and pulling his head to her at the same time.
As she twisted under his ministrations, her pants slowly rode down, and the wolf suddenly inhaled sharply. One look up at her, his blue eyes on fire, his face the mask of a conquering lover, he steadied her hips and kissed a trail lower on her body. As he was kissing her navel, he hooked his fingers into her waistband and pulled it down. Before she could even react, she was completely naked from the waist down as the wolf hooked his arms around her thighs, spreading her wide. Never feeling so vulnerable in her life, Valeria tried to get away, but she couldn’t fight against his force. When the flat of his tongue licked her sensitive folds, her mind went blank with pleasure.
Again, the man between her legs was demanding, using brute force to wring every ounce of pleasure out of her. She was helpless, and her only ability was to hang onto the crest of increasing pleasure the best she could. Her eyes couldn’t look away from the blonde man who was watching her, evaluating her reactions, judging her expressions. Then, as she was almost able to catch her breath, he started sucking on her sensitive nub. Her body skyrocketed as she screamed, overtaken by her orgasm, blind to the world. Pleasure took her so abruptly, she didn’t notice him changing position, flipping her onto her stomach. His hands took her hips again, lifting her up. She had the reflex to put her hands on the bed for balance as she felt him pushing his thick cock inside her.
Valeria was thankful to be wet and relaxed enough from her last orgasm, as she didn’t think she would have been able to take all of him without serious foreplay. He stretched her to the limit, hot, pulsing and unyielding. Once embedded in her, he stayed immobile for a moment. She could feel him breathing hard against her. He pulsated inside her, growing impossibly thicker before he started moving. The sensation was electric. He was stretching her and rubbing her channel in all the right places at an increasing pace, and the pleasure she thought had died, crested again. Her sensitized tissues clutched him and she was close to losing herself once more. Soon, his hands rested on her hips, caressing, before tracing her ribs to cup her breasts. The calluses on his hands teased her nipples, making her back arch, pushing him even deeper inside her. The wolf emitted a guttural sound she had never heard before, primal and wild, arousing her further.
She felt him hunch over her, his hands leaving her breasts, settling beside each of her hands on the bed. He was searing hot, and she was utterly possessed. Valeria didn’t exist anymore, she was part of a whole new entity, a living and breathing beast. The wolf groaned again, his breath in her ear, fanning her hair. The rhythm changed and quickened. His thrusts were on the verge of punishing. Valeria gasped and her hands fisted on the bedspread as she came again. Her pleasure triggered the wolf’s, who froze and bit her neck, lost in his own orgasm. Pain mixed and enhanced her pleasure, making her tremble and quake.
Minutes passed before he released her neck. The bite stung, but she didn’t care. He could bite her again anytime, anywhere he liked. They breathed erratically, and as Valeria’s arms couldn’t maintain her upright anymore, the wolf banded her waist, keeping her in place. Valeria thought for a moment that he would disengage and let her fall to the bed, but instead, still deep in her, he flipped them both on their sides, spooning.
Valeria didn’t know what to think at first. Her first instinct was to move even closer to him, but she knew he was her jailer who had probably let lust overcome him for an instant. He wouldn’t want his prisoner to cuddle. She started to roll away. Immediately, the wolf pulled her back to him and held her in place in a firm embrace.
“Don’t.” His voice was low, a barely discernible rumble.
She bit her lip. “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d want to cuddle afterward.”
His voice had a hint of laughter mixed with frustration. “We’re not cuddling, witch.”
“Well… I beg to differ, wolf.”
“You don’t feel it, do you?”
“Feel what?”
The wolf sighed. “We have to wait. Just wait a few minutes.”
Now she was lost. “Why?”
“If I try to pull out, I will hurt you. Wolves swell up after orgasm, trapping us inside you. It’s a canine thing.”
“We’re … trapped?”
“Only the swelling goes down.”
Tentatively, she wiggled her bottom and realized he was right. What she had felt before was nothing compared to how he was inside her right now. Valeria heard him wince.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll stay still now.”
His hold around her relaxed slightly, but he didn’t let her go. Again, as an uncomfortable silence started to settle, Valeria didn’t wait for it to become completely bizarre.
“This was the trial by blood? I’m sorry, I think, I didn’t hear the question.”
The wolf hummed behind her. “This wasn’t the trial.”
“But you did bite me, didn’t you?”
“You can’t stay silent, can you, witch?” He sighed, evident exasperation in his voice.
“You know I'll only make it worse when you avoid a question, wolf.”
He groaned again. “I did bite you, but it wasn’t a trial. Are you satisfied?”
“You didn’t taste anything?”
Valeria refrained from laughing as he cursed behind her. Patience was not strong in this wolf.
“I find you quite courageous in your current position, witch.”
“And again, you’re evading. Is it a natural reaction for wolves too?”
He paused a minute. She sensed his breath against her neck, close to the bite mark. “I can only taste what you feel at the moment I bite you. And the only thing I tasted was lust and arousal.” His voice changed to become deeper, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Are you cold?”
Before Valeria could answer, he grabbed the comforter behind him and put it around them both. She leaned against him and relaxed. Human contact had been so scarce in the last few years, she decided to enjoy every minute, storing every memory of it for the future. It took a moment, but he relaxed behind her, his breathing slow and warm against her skin, his free hand slowly tracing a circling path over her stomach. The room was dark now, the moon replacing the sun. Her thoughts circled back to James, but despite her sorrows for having lost him, she was surprised not to feel guilt or betrayal for him. For the promises she had made to him. Of course, he was dead, which obliterated all those promises, but nonetheless, it felt unsettling. Had she moved on? This tryst, was it the signal that her mourning was over? James would always hold part of her heart, there was no question about that. But the wolf behind her had moved something. Shaken parts of her back to life, out of pain and shadows. And now she would have to decide what to do with it. Thoughts swirled some more before sleep took over and shut down her brain.
Valeria woke up with a start when she felt the wolf gently pulling out of her. His arm was still around her waist, and she didn’t dare to breathe in fear of breaking the moment. Unfortunately, it didn’t last as she heard hurried footsteps down the hall followed by frantic knocks on the bedroom door.
“Are you in there? Damn it!! Come quick, Ian has escaped.”