Now!
Maddy launched herself up and sprinted for the door, only a few yards away. She could hear Gareth's howl from behind her as she gave up her hiding space. The sound sent chills down her spine, and she slammed through the door, hearing him only a few footsteps behind. Without pausing, she rammed the door shut and took off across the room. There was another door on the far side, a large set that seemed to lead into a stairwell; perhaps she would find an exit at the bottom of it-
Wham!
Something caught her ankle, and Maddy let out a cry, tripping forward through the air. She shrieked as a metal pipe clanged noisily across the floor, smashing into another pile of junk and causing it all to spill on the ground. She hit the cement and rolled, curling into a ball to take the impact.
A second later a fierce growl rent the air, and suddenly there was a body on top of her, rolling with her across the ground and then pinning her down, hot and heavy and solid.
“Caught you,” he smirked.
“Let me go! You're hurting me!” she screamed, though in honesty he wasn't really hurting her; his grip was firm but not painful. He was just scaring the shit out of her.
“No!” he growled back. Then suddenly she heard her shirt rip, and his hands traveled from her arms to her chest, tearing the t-shirt off of her and then ripping through her bra. She gasped, crying out and squirming to get away, fighting him, slapping with her hands and kicking with her legs. He didn't seem to notice; instead he grabbed her pants, tugging them down until he had stripped them off her ankles. His hands went roughly to her breasts, rolling them around, playing his thumbs over her nipples. She groaned at the feeling, and suddenly her fear warped into another emotion, fueling a serge of pure sexual energy. She gasped and he kissed her open mouth. He tasted of something forbidden.
“What are you doing to me?” she gasped, already delirious from his kisses, her body throbbing with need.
He grunted but didn't respond, and it was then that she realized his pants were off too, and he was bundling her up against him. Suddenly he picked her up, swung her around, and pressed her back against a cold wall. Her legs immediately went to grasp him around the waist, and his hands cupped her bottom, squeezing her butt. He pressed his hard length against her. She felt it unfold, sliding along the entire length of her wet slit. It was smooth, rock hard and burning hot. She could feel it pulsing against her sensitive cunt. She squirmed against him, unable to hide her lust.
“Do you want me?” he whispered hotly against her neck.
“Yes,” she groaned back.
“Because I'm two seconds from fucking you senseless,” he growled.
She cried out as his head dipped down and he took her nipple into his mouth. He sucked on it for a long moment, sending streaks of pleasure straight down to her clit. His hand traveled between them and pressed her there, flicking her swollen nub as he slid his cock back and forth against her slit. He was fractions away from pressing his thick head inside of her. He kept rubbing it against the hole, pushing the head almost inside. She trembled, anticipation mingling with fear. She wanted him bad, wanted him to the point of pain, but his roughness made her wary. Sex was supposed to hurt the first time, after all. Would it hurt with him?
He was panting and heaving above her, sweating from self control. She could see the strain in the tight skin of his face, and he raised his head for a moment, letting it bathe in moonlight. Maddy's mouth dropped open, stunned. His skin was perfect, warm, edible — his long lashes splayed over glowing yellow-green eyes, his fangs barely visible through his firm lips. She had never seen such a beautiful sight.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered, and then he thrust his hips forward....
“Gareth!” The voice was Isak's. It rang out through the room as though over a loud speaker, briefly making Maddy's ears ring, waking her from her aroused stupor. “It's time!”
Her lifemate paused, the head of his member pressed hard against her opening, straining against the hole. If she had been looser, he would have slipped in easily. His muscles tense, he slowly lowered her to the ground, sliding his cock away as he settled her on her feet. His sudden gentleness amazed her.
“Here, wear my jacket,” he said, passing the coat to her as Maddy tried to right the ripped pieces of her clothing. She found her jeans and made to slide them on, but he held up a hand, stopping her. “Just the panties.”
“But, Gareth-”
“Now!”
His bellow shocked her, and she pulled the panties on without her jeans. Now she was practically naked except for his oversized leather jacket and the striped cotton underwear. She couldn't go out and watch the fight like this. Perhaps everyone would be changed into their werewolf form, but they were still somewhat human. It would be humiliating.
“Come,” he growled, and grabbed her hand, yanking her behind him. She snatched her pants at the last second, dragging them along behind her so they wouldn't get lost, and followed him out the door into the room they had first entered. Then he turned, pulling her through another door and into another passage. Isak was nowhere to be seen and she figured that he had gone on ahead. The howling was more intense than ever now. It polluted the night air, a ghostly, never-ending wail.
With each step he took, Gareth's hand on her tightened, until she knew it wasn't really him pulling her along, but rather the wolf. His grip became purely possessive, his body shielding her even as he walked. Finally they reached the end of the long corridor and she could see a glimmer of firelight dancing against a brick wall. They stepped through the opening.
Maddy's eyes widened.
Nothing could have prepared her for this sight.
Chapter 13
The wolves were on every side of them. There had to be eighty at least, forming a giant ring in the middle of a hollowed-out room. Empty oil drums were in all four corners, casting firelight up onto the walls, and the light glinted from the wolves' eyes, like glints of magic.
Gareth could see perfectly – in fact, better than perfectly. His eyes, already transformed to his wolf-eyes, were crystal clear and pierced the darkness with a detail that no human could fathom. That wasn't his only sense working, however – the energy in the air was intoxicating, the scent of his entire pack around him, a hazy mist of heat and frantic bodies. His ears could pick up every scratch and shuffle, every yip and howl from the throbbing room. Even more extreme was his reaction to his mate; he deposited Maddy in a corner near the wall, the only place where there was a gap in the circle of wolves. He could sense her fear as though it was a part of him; feel her feathery heartbeat, her racing thoughts and the pounding arousal between her legs. The longer she was around him, the more she responded to his presence — the trait of a lifemate. Whether she knew it or not, she was bonding with him; his very blood was tying her as no normal human could.
Isak was the closest wolf to her, though he doubted she would recognize him. The giant white wolf was growling and snarling along with the rest. Their eyes met and the flash of understanding was instantaneous. Gareth was still human enough to feel relief; he couldn't believe what his old friend was willing to sacrifice. They wouldn't kill Isak if Gareth lost the fight, but his pack membership would be more or less shot.
The room suddenly hushed, punctuated only by a few yips and yowls. Gareth turned from Maddy, hackles rising, just in time to see Kane enter the room.
The current Alpha was dressed in regular clothes, though his clothing didn't matter since they would both soon be in their wolf forms. His eyes, however, had a pink tinge to them, one that Gareth recognized.
His throat thick from the coming Change, Gareth called out – “Wolfsbane again, Kane? I thought you knew better this time.”
The wolves around the ring howled and yapped. Many were lost to their wilder natures, but those who weren't stopped to listen. A hushed murmuring fell over part of the group. More and more wolves turned to look at their leader.
“It is true,” a woman's voice spoke up, and Gareth was surprised
when Yvonne stepped out of the ring, still in human form. “He used wolfsbane in the last fight and again he is using it again now. Look at his eyes!”
Now the wolves in the pack were all listening. Gareth glanced at Maddy and saw her fearful eyes dart to him. There was distrust in her gaze, and more than a little anger when she glanced over Yvonne. He couldn't blame her... though he wished she would trust him.
A cloud moved, high in the sky above them, visible through the broken windows. Then suddenly the moon was visible. The silver light filtered down upon the congregation and brought a rush of power to Gareth's veins. The wolves all turned as one to look up at it. There was something entrancing about the light of the full moon — something rich and tangible, like silk against the skin. He had to exercise tight control to overcome the magic that was coursing through him. He wanted to Change so badly that his body hurt.
What shall we do? one of the werewolves said. Their language was a full-body experience. Not a psychic power but something deeper, something in the bones; a mixture of body language, expression and stance, whisks of the tail, scents and smells. Gareth turned to the old gray wolf.
“I'll fight him anyway,” he said thickly, and felt his long fangs glide over his tongue. “You're not walking away this time, Kane.”
“No!” Yvonne gasped.
You can't! Isak's outraged growls punctuated her words.
You don't need to risk it, young one, he is too strong, the elder said worriedly. There is always the next Moon....
“I have to do this now,” Gareth growled. He was maddened by the moon, seething with power. When he breathed in, he could smell the stench of fear and piss from Kane's body. The other wolf was scared, and with good reason – Gareth had been close to beating him during the last fight, even with the wolfsbane. Now Gareth was stronger, older, more experienced... Kane was a powerful opponent, but Gareth was bigger, and in the wolf world that was all that mattered.
“Let's go, pup,” Kane grunted as he fully entered the ring. The man stripped off his shirt and flung it into the pack, where it was then ripped to shreds in a small, wild frenzy. “Let's draw some blood.”
“First I must initiate a right,” Gareth called out, once again drawing the wolves' attention to him. “This human female is my lifemate. I will evoke a right of passage at the end of this fight; she will eternally be joined with the pack. Any to harm her before the joining... I will rip out your throats.” His eyes glinted as he looked around. Although the pack was still in their wolf-forms, he could smell their understanding and acceptance. Maddy was looking at him in confusion, curled up in his jacket, her little panties barely visible through her crossed legs. A surge of heat lit his blood and he couldn't hold back anymore.
“You're mine, Kane,” he growled, and then felt his body thrust forward, fall toward the ground, shrink and crunch in sweet satisfaction. The Change felt so good that it was like a drug.
And then he was standing on all fours, his senses heightened to the point of pain, every heartbeat and breath around him intensified a hundred fold. He looked at the wolf across from him, a burly, stout beast with small, cruel eyes. Although naturally the eyes would have been yellow, they now glared red. It was the same as the last fight had been seven years ago, except seven years ago everyone had been so consumed by the pack frenzy that it had been impossible to point out the wolfsbane. This time he had exposed Kane in time. There was a new flavor to the pack's energy during this fight - anger, rage. Even if he won, his Alpha status would be in question.
But Gareth wasn't going to give him that chance.
The two wolves began to circle each other, sizing the other up, smelling and studying. The light from the fire glared intensely and a nervous energy ran through the animals. Gareth grew tense, the moon's power crashing over him in a wave. His teeth ached, he wanted to sink them into Kane's flesh so badly, taste the blood, chew on the flesh.
Kane suddenly lunged forward, throwing his large body through the space between them. Gareth dodged to one side and leapt, crashing into Kane's ribs, sinking his teeth into the thick fur — he missed flesh by millimeters. He felt Kane's sharp claws on his shoulder.
The fight had begun.
* * * *
Maddy tucked herself into a tighter ball if that was possible. She was alone, confused, and scared shitless – the jacket didn't cover her hardly at all, despite being comfortable and soft and still-warm from Gareth's body heat. It smelled like him, and that was the only thing keeping her from a full-on panic attack.
The wolves danced and paced on every side of her, yowling and nipping at one another, nuzzling and barking. A large white wolf stayed close to her side, though still a good yard away, and she was thankful for that extra room. These animals were not the tame, fluffy beasts that she had read about in stories, but rather wild, vicious monsters. She wanted to duck her head and disappear.
The fight was in full swing now; she could barely watch. The idea of Gareth fighting Kane despite the other's use of wolfsbane struck terror in her heart, because now there was an even greater chance of him losing. And him losing meant....
She couldn't think of that now; it made her sick. She wouldn't be able to stay if he lost – she would have to run before seeing the horrendous sight of his body ripped to shreds by a hundred wolves.
Gareth and Kane circled each other slowly, one large and black, the other smaller and thick-set, a dull gray color. She recognized Gareth's wolf-form from when he had saved her in the cabin, though this time he seemed bigger, more vicious. The moon was shining full through the broken skylights and she wondered if it effected his Change, making him stronger, faster. Certainly more wild.
There was a roar. Kane lunged at Gareth, though the black wolf smoothly sidestepped and then smashed into Kane's side. The two went tumbling across the floor, ripping and growling, teeth and claws glinting in the firelight. Maddy had to force herself to watch, because all she wanted to do was clamp shut her eyes at the vicious sight. The wolves howled around her, some of them snapping their jaws in excitement.
She heard the sound of skin ripping and blood spilled across the ground, though she couldn't tell who was bleeding — everything moved too fast. The two dodged back to the other side of the circle, jaws snapping at each other though they kept about a foot of distance. The length of their fangs was terrifying. Gareth snapped at Kane's throat but the smaller wolf dodged back; then Kane tried to get a hold of Gareth's leg but he slipped loose. Another stand-still. The two glared at each other, fangs displayed. She watched, transfixed, as Kane started pushing Gareth backwards, making small lunges and snaps at his legs. Finally they were almost pressed against the far wall.
Then Gareth leapt backward onto a box and sprang over Kane's head, landing on the other side of him, burying his teeth into his back. Kane howled, twisting in pain, swiping Gareth's face with his paw – more blood spilled. He reached back and the two went in circles for a moment, Gareth refusing to let go, but then Kane kicked his throat and the black wolf released him, wheezing and ducking away.
Bad move. Kane whirled faster than Maddy had thought possible and lunged on Gareth, smashing the black wolf to the ground and rolling on top of him, growling and tearing at any part he could reach. Gareth roared, a sound of anger and frustration, and tried to reach for Kane's head, but it was at a bad angle. Flesh tore and a chunk of fur ripped from Gareth's side, opening a gash that trailed down his rib cage. Maddy cried out, her hand flying to her mouth. Kane was trying to reach his gut, to bite into the soft side of his underbelly, but Gareth writhed and twisted. The two wrestled, blood spilling across the ground, until Maddy didn't know who was winning anymore. It seemed to be a fight based on both wolves utterly destroying each other.
They toppled over piles of metal pipes and boxes of old junk, each throwing the other back, trying to bash him against something deadly. Then they were rolling again, locked together, their saliva dripping in the firelight. Maddy pressed her forehead against her knees – she couldn
't look anymore, she felt sick, wasted, small. Kane's glowing red eyes had focused on her more than once, and she got the feeling that as soon as Gareth was finished, she would be next. No matter what Isak's orders were, no one could stop the rabid wolf from tearing her apart.
There was a final, shattering crash of metal, then abruptly the howling of the wolves fell silent. The shuffling went still. Maddy looked up, terrified of what she would see, yet knowing that she couldn't hide from it. She could already see the picture in her head – Gareth's body broken and bleeding, impaled on some sharp spike, the life seeping out of him across the ground. She felt in his jacket pocket and found his car keys, just in case.
But the sight that met her eyes stunned her. She could hardly believe it.
The large black wolf was standing over Kane, his teeth sunk deeply into the other's throat, holding the twitching body still as blood gushed from the wound and onto the ground. Gareth's coat was matted and stiff from blood, his eyes wild, gazing down at Kane with what could only be pure hatred. Kane, meanwhile, shook and trembled. The body convulsed, but it seemed that the Alpha had given up struggling. A dull whine leaked from his throat; an unintelligible gurgle of air.
Maddy wanted to be sick, but she couldn't help the surge of relief that met her heart. Gareth had won. She wasn't sure what to expect next, but one thing was certain – they were both going to be okay.
* * * *
Please let me live, Kane whispered through his eyes into Gareth's head. It was a plea for his mind alone; the rest of the pack could not see his begging. I fucked up, I know it, I'll leave and never come back. Just please... please don't kill me.
It's the Law, Gareth replied steadily. The coppery-sweet taste of blood drenched his mouth, making him insane with fury and primal instinct. This was his favorite part of the fight, of the hunt. Standing still over the body of his prey, feeling the pulse lessen against his teeth, the warm blood slowly drain from the body, the life go out in the prey's eyes. Kane was no different – except perhaps more pathetic.