Chapter Eleven

Blythe was running, but to where, she didn’t know. She knew someone was following her. Her breathing was labored and her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She tripped, crying out as she landed hard on her hands and knees. She quickly climbed back to her feet, chancing a glance over her shoulder.

A dark shape darted out of the shadows and knocked her to the ground. She screamed and scrambled to get back to her feet. A weight rested on top of her. She felt hot breath on her neck and something growled.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” she cried.

The shape and weight on her back shifted. Then strong hands flipped her over. She stared up at a faceless man. The shadows kept her from seeing his true features. She screamed and fought. He just laughed at her.

“You’re so weak,” he growled, his voice unfamiliar.

Just as Blythe went to speak, his hands wrapped around her throat, keeping her from uttering a sound. She struggled to breathe and her fingers clawed at his. He kept laughing at her, the sound echoing loudly through the eerily quiet forest. She started seeing black and her hands quit scrambling to free herself. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, the man’s face shifted into a tiger and his mouth descended toward her neck. She gathered what breath she had left and screamed.

Blythe sat straight up in bed and screamed. The sound continued on, reverberating throughout the room. She screamed again and again. Hands touched her arms and someone said her name. She fought against them, jerking backward. She looked around and saw only darkness. Was she blind? Where was she? She kept her arms swinging as she started scooting backward. All of a sudden there was nowhere else to go and she felt herself falling. Someone grabbed her flailing arms and pulled her into strong arms.

“Easy, I have you,” Killian’s voice finally got through to her and pulled her out of her state. What happened? Memories of the dream came rushing back and she shivered. It had been about to kill her and rip out her throat to do so. She felt tears come on and she buried her face in Killian’s chest. His arms wrapped around her as she shivered. She felt so cold.

“He was going to kill me. He was laughing at me, calling me weak. I couldn’t get free. He had his hands around my neck. The shadows hid his face from me. And then, right when I was drifting off, the faceless man morphed into a tiger and attacked me.”

“It was just a dream,” Killian soothed. Blythe shook her head.

“It felt so real,” she told him. This was the second time this had happened to her. She had to stop waking up in Killian’s bed to a nightmare. Realizing that he was still holding her, she jerked out of his embrace and moved up the bed. Her back hit the wall and she grabbed a pillow to place it between them. Was this her subconscious telling her that she still didn’t feel safe with Killian? Would he end up being the tiger from her dream? Or even the faceless man that wanted to squeeze the life out of her?

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Killian snapped. He could tell that Blythe was pulling away from him. “I would never hurt you like that, Blythe. I may yell at you, but to physically hurt you? I can’t even imagine. You’re my mate.”

“After last night, I don’t trust you,” Blythe muttered. Killian sighed.

“It’s still really early in the morning. Let’s go back to sleep. I’m tired,” Killian told her. Apparently he wanted to drop the subject, but Blythe would be thinking about it all day. She had a lot on her mind. There was only one way to get her mind off of it.

“I can’t go back to sleep after that. I’m going to the kitchen to cook. It helps relax me. Shayne said I could use the kitchen whenever I pleased.”

“Whatever. I’m going back to sleep,” Killian rolled over on his side and started breathing softly. Blythe got up and walked over to her stuff. At least she had her own clothes. She grabbed something to wear and eyed Killian on the bed. He wasn’t really sleeping. She’d felt his eyes on her as she turned her back to him. She sighed and turned away from him.

Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. She had blood streaked on her pajamas, probably from Killian. She tore them off and threw them on the ground. She didn’t know where Killian’s garbage was, so she just left them there. She wasn’t even sure how they got fresh towels every day. Killian must get them when she wasn’t paying attention. She was glad she didn’t have to use a dirty one all the time. She turned to the shower and turned it on. Preparing herself for the cold water, she stepped under the spray.

It didn’t take her long to take a shower. She quickly washed her body and hair. She grabbed the clean towel and dried off. She hung her towel back up to dry and pulled out some clothes. She chose a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from her old school. She braided her hair, wanting it to be curly later that day.

After brushing her teeth and finishing her hair, she opened the bathroom door. The room was dark and she thought about leaving the bathroom light on so she could see. She studied the path to the door and then turned off the light. She set her bag down outside the bathroom and then started toward the door.

Blythe gasped when she ran into a hard chest. “Killian?” she asked, not being able to see anything in the dark.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry for what I did last night. That was uncalled for and I’m sorry I pressured you,” Killian mumbled softly. Blythe was shocked. He was apologizing again? At first, she didn’t say anything and she felt Killian move away from her.

“Wait,” she reached for him, guessing where he was in the dark. Her hand latched onto his arm. Taking a deep breath, she moved toward him and hugged her arms around his waist. “I’m glad you apologized. I know you think you can never love me, but can we at least give us a try?”

Blythe was going to try to help Killian. He was like a walking time bomb. He could explode at any moment, and he needed a constant in his life. She would show him that love wasn’t a bad thing, and that it didn’t make someone weak. It actually made them stronger. She knew it would be hard, and probably impossible at times, but she would love Killian, faults and all.

“Why this sudden change? Yesterday you hated me, now you’re going to let that go so easily?” Killian asked suspiciously. His hands came out and grasped her arms securely.

“Me changing? First, you act all sweet to me and then you hate me. Then this morning, I wake up to another nightmare and you’re all nice again. You keep jumping all over the place emotionally and it’s messing with me.”

“I react badly to things that confuse me and my body wants to fight. You just happened to confuse me by coming to my room last night and, instead of a fight, I tried to seduce you. My body was amped up with a bunch of energy and I had one of two ways at the time to get rid of it. I could fight or fuck.”

“I’m tired of fighting, Killian. But I do want to set some ground rules.” Blythe’s face had heated when he mentioned fucking. She wasn’t ready, but it didn’t mean she didn’t wonder what it’d feel like.

“What kind of rules?” his tone soured.

“Stop pressuring me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean like last night. When you took my hand and placed it…”

“Yea, I can try,” Killian sighed. “It’s so fucking hard. You smell so good and you’re beautiful. I haven’t been with a woman in years. You’re supposed to be my mate and my tiger is constantly pushing me to mate with you. It hates that you only bear its mark and not our scent. Others can still take you away from us.”

“I’m new at this. You were my first kiss and I have no idea why my body responds the way it does sometimes. I’m learning. I want to take things slow. Please do this for me. Let me investigate stuff.”

“Like I said, all I can do is try. But listen to me, Blythe. If I ever, for any reason tell you to run, you better run as fast and as far away from me as you can.” Killian’s hands tightened almost painfully on her arms, but she ignored it.

“You won’t hurt me,” Blythe argued.

“You don’t know that. I can’t control myself sometimes. After a fight, I get hornier than hell. All that adrenaline and rage gets transferred to sexual need. I’m just warning you. I have to let my tiger out every now and then, and normally I do that in a fight. Lately, he wants out to claim you. I don’t want to hurt you. I see the way you flinch when I say certain things. I really don’t think I can love you, but I’m willing to give us a try. At least you will provide me with a son.”

“Please don’t think of me as a breeding tool. If all you want from me is a son, then we need to stop this before it begins. I want you to care for me. Maybe not love me, but at least come to feel something for me,” Blythe pleaded. She needed some affection. She was used to her family telling her that they loved her. She would sit on her father’s lap and he’d tell her about his day. Her sisters would all gather around and they’d braid each other’s hair. Her mother would bake with her and they’d have flour fights. She missed them and if Killian wasn’t going to show her any affection, she’d have to find it somewhere else. She craved it.

“I will try to love you. I already care for you. Trust me, if someone tries to take you away from me, I’ll kill them. You are mine, Blythe. Don’t betray me and try to sleep with another man. I’ll rip out his heart and give it to you.”

“I would never cheat on you. I can promise you that.”

“I don’t trust easily. You’ll have to show me.”

“I will,” Blythe promised.

“Don’t touch other males. My tiger can’t handle it. I’ll kill anyone that leaves their scent on you. Stop being so friendly with my brother. Don’t let him hug you,” Killian growled.

“I won’t stop being friends with your brother, but I will try not to hug him. Sometimes I can’t help it. I’m not used to your ways, Killian. You’re going to have to have some patience or this will fail at the very beginning. I’m used to hugging and touching others. Accidents happen. What if I trip and someone grabs my arm to steady me? Are you going to kill them?”

“I won’t kill them, but I will probably grow angry. I can’t help it. Until you bear my scent and you’ve been claimed fully, I will be possessive and dangerous.”

“I need time,” Blythe reminded him.

“I’m trying to give you time. But you are my mate, Blythe. Remember that. I can’t wait forever,” Killian told her. She nodded.

“I’m going to the kitchen. Are you going back to bed or would you like to join me?”

“I’ll shower and then join you in the kitchen. Go ahead. Watch out for the guards. They’ll be swarming this place today to make sure nothing happened over the weekend.”

“Of course I’ll be careful. But they’re human. They shouldn’t hurt me.”

“They’ll see you as a shifter whore. Trust me, just stay away from them.”

“Okay.” Blythe pulled out of his arms and headed to the door. She opened it and let the light hit Killian. She smiled at him and then stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She glanced up and down the hall and didn’t see anyone. She shrugged and started toward the dining hall.

When she opened the door, her eyes widened to find it full of men in uniforms. They had guns strapped to their sides and backs. They were wearing all black and looked intimidating. She froze and the dining hall grew really quiet as they all stopped their conversations and turned to face her. She gulped and moved toward the kitchen.

“Hey, whore, what are you doing here? Your shifter lover kick you out of his bed?” one of the men called.

“Not good enough for us men? Had to stoop so low as to bed a shifter?” another called. The men started laughing and Blythe’s face turned red. She quickened her pace and almost ran to the kitchen. She pulled the door open and then closed it quickly behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Killian wasn’t kidding.” Blythe couldn’t believe how rude the men were. Shayne wasn’t in the kitchen yet, and only one faint light was on. Blythe looked for the light switch and found it to the left of the door. She turned on the rest of the lights, took a deep breath and walked over to the counter.

Recalling all of the places that Shayne showed her where stuff was, she began searching for ingredients. She had almost all of the stuff out to make some muffins, but was missing the milk. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. The milk was toward the back and she reached for it.

Someone cleared their throat and she almost jumped out of her skin. She grabbed the milk and brought it to her chest so she wouldn’t drop it. Spinning around, she closed the door with her foot and came face to face with one of the soldiers. Blythe gasped, having expected it to be Shayne or Killian.

“Who are you?” she asked, glancing around for a weapon. The man noticed her gaze and held up his hands.

“Easy now, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Get out,” she took a step backward.

“My name is Ben. What is yours?” he asked, stepping backward to put some space between them. Blythe set the milk on the counter and eyed the door. She’d never make it and all of the other guards were in the dining hall.

“Please leave. You can’t be in here,” Blythe told him. “My mate will be here any second and he won’t like you this close to me.”

“I can actually be anywhere in this entire building. I’m not afraid of your mate,” Ben replied with a smile. “I just came in here to get a drink and to make sure you were okay. I’m sorry about what they said. I had a cousin that was in the Running and I know you have no choice.”

“Which Running was she in?” Blythe asked, her curiosity now piqued.

“Two years ago. She made it back home, though.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Are you going to tell me your name now?”

“My name is Blythe,” she replied reluctantly. He seemed nice enough, and so far he’d been decent enough to her. Suddenly he stepped forward and held out his hand. Blythe looked at it and shook her head. “I can’t touch you.”

“Oh, yes, your mate. He’d get mad, wouldn’t he?” Ben asked.

“Yes. He doesn’t want me touching other males.”

“I understand. I’m going to get a drink. Please don’t freak out,” Ben moved toward the fridge. Blythe moved around the counter, placing it between them. Just then the double doors flew open and Shayne came storming in.

“Stupid mother fuckers. Can’t stand humans,” he mumbled. He looked up and saw Blythe and his eyes went wide. “Blythe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you.”

“It’s okay, Shayne. Those guards are dicks.”

“Hey, now,” Ben frowned.

“Who the fuck are you?” Shayne moved closer to Blythe.

“His name is Ben and apparently he’s thirsty.”

“Well, he can’t be in here.”

“That’s what I told him.”

“And like I told her,” Ben replied. “I can actually be anywhere I want in this entire building.”

“Cocky sons of bitches. I’d like to see you try to come into my room. I’d rip your heart out.” Shayne moved toward Ben.

“All right, gentlemen. Let’s not fight. Ben, would you please leave now that you have your drink?” Blythe asked, trying to keep things pleasant.

“Let me find a cup and then I’ll leave,” Ben said, wasting time. For some reason he didn’t want to leave. “Is this your mate?”

“No, I’m not her mate. But let me tell you this, kid, if her mate shows up and you’re in here, I’d be scared if I were you,” Shayne threatened. Ben just smiled and shook his head. He started digging around in the cabinets. Neither Blythe nor Shayne tried to help him. They just watched him. Eventually he found some plastic cups. He pulled one out and poured himself some juice. Then he left the cups and the juice on the counter and headed toward the door.

“Thanks. It was nice to meet you, Blythe,” Ben called. Just as he was about to walk through the doors, they burst open again and Killian stepped inside. Blythe held her breath to see what would happen next. Killian growled at Ben, but let the man pass. Ben disappeared and Killian’s eyes immediately found Blythe.

“I forgot that the guards meet up here in the morning and eat. Did they bother you?” Killian walked over to her and looked at her, and then at Shayne.

“They said some things, but no one approached me,” Blythe answered honestly. Killian growled.

“They think they’re better than us. In reality we’re smarter and stronger.”

“I’m sorry you guys get treated like this. I had no idea,” Blythe replied, feeling ashamed. Didn’t people know what it was like for the shifters in here? Did they really not care? It was mortifying to think that her family didn’t even know anything about the shifters.

“Man, Killian! You ruined my fun. I told that kid that when you got here, he’d be scared. You let him go without another word. I think he likes your mate,” Shayne commented. Killian growled and his eyes went black.

“He can’t have her,” Killian snarled. “She’s mine.”

Blythe wrapped her arms around Killian’s waist. “I’m right here and I’m yours.”

“What are you making?” Shayne looked over her ingredients.

“I was planning on making some muffins. Any flavor you want?” She pulled back from Killian.

“Blueberry!” Shane shouted, clapping his hands together like an excited kid on Christmas.

Blythe laughed. “I think I can do that.”

“Will you marry me?” Shayne teased. Killian growled and shot Shayne a look. “I was kidding, dude. Calm down.”

“Killian, would you like to help me?” Blythe asked hopefully. She wanted to spend some time with Killian, now that they were trying to be civil.

“I was just coming to see if you were okay. I have to go talk to some people. I’ll be back for some muffins, though,” Killian smiled at her. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Blythe smiled up at him.

“Okay. Stay out of trouble.”

“You know me,” Killian shrugged. He nodded at Shayne and then left, leaving the two cooks alone.

“I didn’t think you cooked breakfast,” Blythe commented.

“I don’t. I was coming to make sure those bastards didn’t mess anything up in my kitchen. Do you want some help, though?” Shayne replied.

“Sure. You don’t have any aprons, do you?”

“I sure do!”

Shayne walked over to a drawer on the other side of the counter and opened it. He pulled out two aprons. His was solid blue and hers was red. She smiled and pulled it over her head. She tied the strings around her waist and then started mixing the ingredients.

“Just so you know, I’ve never used this apron before in my life,” Shayne told her.

Blythe laughed. “I won’t tell your secret.”

Shayne scoffed and rolled his eyes.

After a while, Shayne and Blythe had a good rhythm going and had two batches of muffins into the oven. “Who brings you supplies?” Blythe asked after loading the last two batches in the oven. The smell of fresh muffins filled the air, causing her belly to rumble.

“The guards bring supplies every Monday and Thursday.”

“How do they know what we need?”

“They don’t care. They bring the same things every time. If we never use the stuff, we end up just throwing it out. Most of the stuff we need more of, but they only give us a certain amount. It’s why I have to fix mainly the same things. It’s dumb.”

“Who’s in control? Can’t we complain?” Blythe asked, her fury growing with each thing she learned about how the shifters were mistreated. It sickened her.

“We’ve tried in the past. They killed one of my buddies because he became too vocal. They thought he’d cause a riot. It ended up causing a riot because they killed him. The idiots don’t realize that by killing us, it only angers us more.”

“I feel terrible that you guys are locked up in here. Why can’t you be free?” Blythe asked the main question.

“The humans fear us. We’re stronger, smarter, and deadly. We are hard to kill and are super fast. Everything that they lack is enhanced in us. Our eyesight and sense of smell are amazing. It would never work. The humans overpopulate us anyway. Our numbers have shrunk.” Shayne acted like it was no big deal, but the shifters were basically living in a jail. They didn’t even get to see the sun all that often.

“Maybe we should befriend one of the guards. Ben seemed friendly enough. If we get him on our side, maybe we can change things around,” Blythe suggested.

“I wouldn’t do that. Killian would get pissed if you started being cozy with one of the guards,” Shayne told her.

“But what if it benefits everyone?” she sighed.

“I’m just telling you, I wouldn’t do it. Plus, I think Ben likes you. Just be careful,” Shayne cautioned.

“I will,” Blythe replied. She grabbed a plate and then one of the muffins. She took the knife and stuck in the butter. She coated the top of the muffin with butter and then started toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Shayne called.

“To talk to Ben,” Blythe called back.

“That’s a bad idea. Don’t do it,” Shayne cautioned again. Blythe ignored him and exited the kitchen. Most of the guys were gone, but Ben was sitting off by himself. Blythe walked toward him and sat down across from him.

“Hi, Ben,” she said, making sure to keep her arms to her sides so he couldn’t accidentally touch her.

“Hi, Blythe. What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Ben, we need to talk.”