Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 2213
Of Doms & Subs Master List
Ellie anticipated a panic attack. It had been some time since she’d been underneath a man, and she expected to feel trapped as she had so often with Will. Maybe it was because there wasn’t much difference in their sizes but was more likely due to the fact that he was the polar opposite of Will. Unlike her ex-husband, he’d shown his teeth from the very beginning. Was that only four days ago? Her wolf didn’t care; she’d found their mate. She let herself settle into that easy bliss and release her human hang-ups, if only for a little while.
Mickayla had warned her that her sex drive would crank up to 11, but no warning in the world could have prepared her for this. A few minutes of a semi-naked make out session and her body felt wound to the breaking point. Heat washed over her like waves lapping at a shore. Excitement, wonder, and love burst inside her, deliciously sharpened by a hint of fear. The kind of adrenaline charged fear she felt when free climbing, knowing that no anchor kept her from falling. Only she wanted to dive off the precipice she teetered on and fly.
She disentangled her leg from his to cradle him between her thighs. Even through their underwear and his pants, he undoubtedly felt how damp her panties were. Though she was too far gone to feel embarrassed. A button on his shirt scraped against a nipple and her breath caught. Angus released her mouth and she nearly whined at the loss. The usual sternness dominating his features had melted away and he appeared vulnerable for the first time, soft even. His thumb brushed over her swollen bottom lip. She caught his wrist to press a kiss to his palm, which made him smile.
Cupping the side of her neck, Angus turned his attention to her breasts, heaving as she panted. The white mounds moulded easily to his hand even as they overfilled it; he lowered his head to a pert nipple that was practically sitting up and begging for attention. She jerked towards him as if a jolt of electricity shot through her. He licked and laved the rosy bud to a stiff peak and then moved to the next one.
When she settled again, he slipped a hand between her legs and brushed her clit. Her back bowed at the light touch. When did she become so sensitive? Was it the werewolf thing? Or was it because it’d been so long? He dipped a finger into her slick petals. Oh God, she was dripping. Her hips tried to follow him on the withdrawal. The need painted across her face resembled a grimace of pain. He stilled and pulled back to look at her.
“Are you all right, mo cridhe?” The hand on her neck moved to stroke her hair.
“Yes!” cried Ellie, squirming around his finger.
“Are you certain? We can stop.” Angus began to withdraw, but she gripped his wrist with supernatural strength, keeping him within her walls.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” she panted.
“Oh? What am I doing?” The hunger on his face was at complete odds with his innocent tone.
“You’re trying to give me an out,” she scowled.
“Well then, while we’re on the subject,” his dark eyes were lit with his sly humour that she was learning how to read, “Do you want this? Because I swear to God I’ll not stop until your legs are quivering and the neighbours are very well aware of my name, to say nothing of the pack.” She bit her lip, torn between arousal and mortification. His finger shifted ever so slightly and either she’d closed her eyes or her vision had short-circuited due to the pleasure from the minute movement.
“If you stop, I will bite you,” she hissed, glaring up at him.
“That’s hardly a deterrent.” The gleam in his bottomless eyes filled her mind’s eye with flashes of fangs and entwined bodies that had her tossing her head back, exposing her throat. He nipped at the velvety flesh and she thrashed under the overwhelming pleasure that washed through her, whining softly. He smiled into her pulse point and added another digit, crooking them and beginning to pump in and out. The knot low in her belly wound tighter and tighter. She gasped when he hit one spot in particular.
“Ah, there we are,” he whispered in a voice like dark chocolate and velvet. Rocking on his hand, she gripped one of his shoulders like it was a lifeline, nails digging into his skin through the shirt.
Her silken walls fluttered around his fingers and her mewls grew louder. He and his wolf were one in their smugness. Her reactions made him wonder if her ex had ever seen to her satisfaction. The thought that he would be the one to give her such pleasure had him grinning ferally.
“Tha gaol agam ort, m'eudail.” Long ago, he’d taught himself to use his voice like a tool: he could crack it like a whip or light fires in people’s hearts. Or he could intimately caress someone. She’d seemed particularly affected by it, especially when she first submitted to him. The carpet still smelled like her. “Cum for me, a leanbh.”
There was no need to draw upon his dominance, even if he was willing to use it in bedroom games. He curved his fingers again and she bowed off the bed with a scream that only died out when she ran out of breath, but her orgasm continued, drawn out by his deft hand. Blunt fingernails dug into his thigh. Though they would heal in moments, he purred internally at the possessiveness of it. In turn, he bit the juncture of her neck and shoulder, almost breaking the skin, but not quite. He laved at the small hurt as she came down, his strokes slowing.
Sitting up, Angus drank in her ample curves, her arms flung around her head, and unbuttoned his shirt. She drew one leg up so she could turn and ogled him in kind from a better angle. He stood and reached for his belt; white teeth nibbled a slick, pink lip. The way she watched him, as if in need, was a seduction unto itself. A faint clink of the pants falling to the floor and he was nude before her.
Werewolves quickly learned to shed any discomfort they had with nudity, but pink still spread across Ellie’s face, slackened in awe. He smiled with certain amount of male satisfaction in knowing that she was with him because she wanted to be, and not because she wanted to jump the hierarchy. Knowing that she worried about the pack and for him, even challenging his arguments, filled him with a pride and admiration.
“Hmm, I’m not terribly familiar with the mating habits of wolves.” Her voice was husky from screaming and hunger. “But how long are we supposed to stare at each other?”
“You’re going to have to learn to watch that mouth,” he rumbled and slunk across the bed with eyes that glowed wolf.
“Oh?” The shape of said mouth as she formed the sound made him wonder if she would manage such arch coyness if that same mouth was wrapped around his cock. In reply, he sank his teeth into her bottom lip, lapping at the crimson beads that welled up.
“You bit me.” If she was trying for indignation, her tone was far too breathy to be effective.
“You threatened to bite me first.” His shrug was met with bright laughter. She spread her thighs in welcome and he settled into the cradle of her hips, which pressed up against him when his length fell against her crease, brushing her clit. Panting, she threw her head back with a low moan.
Looking into her caramel apple coloured eyes when she could focus again, he pressed into her wet heat. Impatient, she wrapped her legs around his hips and squeezed him deeper into her channel. He resisted and chuckled at her frustrated pout.
“This is our first time together,” he smiled, propping himself up on one elbow and stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “There’ll be plenty of time for animalism in the second round.”
“S-second round?” she blinked.
“Supernatural stamina means a refractory period of minutes.” He took advantage of her open mouth to caress her tongue with his, pushing deeper into her until he was fully sheathed. She snaked her arms around his neck and writhed under him, trying to coax him into moving faster.
Ellie rolled her hips, savouring the perfect fit as if they were made for each other, returning his kiss with interest only to pull away with a gasp as he moved again. He rocked into her aching core, kneaded the meat of a thigh curled around him, and the way he licked his lips was downright indecent.
Their slow, smooth rhythm soon had her squirming with bliss; Angus watched with a face slack in awe and lust, an expression which she no doubt mirrored. Yet he maintained a firm grip on his self-control and she wanted to snap the leash. Clenching around him as tightly as she could, she dug her feet into his marbled ass for leverage to drive herself up his shaft. He snarled at her impatience. Once, she would have shrank from the aggression; instead, she did it again and arched her head back to flaunt the line of her throat. The way he’d reacted whenever her neck was vulnerable hadn’t gone unnoticed.
With a roar, he sank his teeth into her sensitive flesh and slammed into her, the bed thumped into the wall in time with the snap of his hips. The knot in her lower belly snapped and she came with a scream, gouging furrows in his corded back. He didn’t let up, pounding into her quivering pussy, forcing her to climax again and again until it all blended into one. Only after she was a trembling wreck did he delved as deeply as he could, pulsing as he filled her to overflowing, their combined fluids painting her folds.
They lay there for awhile to catch their breath, still connected, foreheads pressed together. She shook occasionally, her inner walls fluttering around him.
“I think I love you,” whispered Ellie.
“You’re still capable of thought? Then I haven’t done my job properly,” he smirked. She laughed throatily; he kissed the bite mark, which was already fading. “If you change your mind and want to leave, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to watch you walk away.”
It wasn’t a flowery speech, or a grand declaration of his affection. He all but admitted weakness. To her. A wolf who’d been told since her Making that she would never have any power in their world. And an Alpha had placed himself in her hands. That knowledge stole her breath, her thought, and most of all, her heart.
The next day, Angus mobilized Ian, Jim, Mickayla, and Shane to pack up her little apartment. They picked up her brother, Peter, from Vancouver (Washington, not British Columbia) to help. He’d volunteered even after she’d confessed that she turned furry every full moon.
“She’s been through hell.” Peter’s growl was worthy of a werewolf, unaware that she overheard through the open window as she packed. Apparently, not all of their attributes were public knowledge otherwise he would have lowered his voice. “If you hurt her, I will pump you full of silver.”
Ellie peered down into the packing lot where they were supposed to be loading the SUV. Her brother loomed over Angus, using his larger size in a blatant attempt at intimidation. Angus nodded solemnly, and she had to stifle a laugh. Her Alpha could eat him for breakfast. Literally.
Later, she thanked him profusely for not murdering her brother for his temerity. He said something about “not disciplining foolhardy pups” for trying to protect their family, but he accepted her gratitude with fervour.
Her meager belongings looked shabby in Angus’s- their- condo, even with her new, albeit small, wardrobe. Yet he didn’t bat an eye at her tablet with the cracked corner, or her ancient laptop, instead placing them next to his own shiny devices to charge. Nor did he hesitate to place her dog-eared novels next to his first editions. He returned her keys and her lime green jalopy received a place of honour next to his Tesla.
The following days passed in a whirlwind and before she knew it she was standing in a conference room of sorts in the pack’s warehouse. Framed by a skylight, the luminous face of the full moon watched from above while she ritually consumed his flesh and was bound to the pack.
While they prepared to shift, several members handed cash over to Mickayla. Ellie arched a brow in her direction.
“They thought you’d mate our fearless leader tonight,” she shrugged and forked over a portion of the winnings, which disappeared into a back pocket.
“There’s no need to rush.” Ellie’s smile lit up her face as Angus came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. “We have forever ahead of us.”
Of Doms & Subs 12: Her Stripper Name is Luna Licious
Pairing: Angus Hopper x OFC
Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 672
Of Doms & Subs Master List
Stripping in a car isn’t the easiest of tasks. My last change I’d managed to view clinically due to the injuries, but without that context I felt far more exposed. It was exponentially more awkward because I was acutely aware of the two men in the car, even though Shane’s view was thankfully obstructed by the seat between us.
Angus kept his eyes on the road, and his presence firmly contained as usual, it still felt far more intimate than simply getting naked. His body heat brushed against my side like an affectionate cat, teasing my skin into pleasurable goosebumps. Too bad that same flesh was about to be essentially ripped apart. I shoved aside the urge to rub up against him to concentrate on another animalistic aspect.
Coaxing my furry side to the surface was easier this time knowing that there was no one here to injure. Not that I thought that I would hurt Angus even at my most out of control, and possibly not even Shane. And it wasn’t because they smelled like family, not even because Angus was Alpha. He smelled like home until it felt like he’d settled into my subconsciousness, and I trusted him to prevent me from doing anything stupid.
According to how Mickayla and Alan explained the pack bonds, there would be an even stronger connection between him and me. The thought of having him even more in my head was more than a little terrifying. It was bad enough that I felt like I was in heat every time we touched, which was evidently common and not necessarily sexual amongst werewolves. And everybody could sense it. Before I could follow that train of thought any further I allowed the pain of my body reshaping itself to derail it.
I grasped the steering wheel so tightly I half expected it to crumple under my grip. All I could glimpse was flashes of white flesh from the corner of my eye, a pair of well-formed legs, strong from an active lifestyle before the Change. It took all of my not inconsiderable willpower to resist reaching across to stroke the curve of her thigh, brush my fingers along the arch of her neck, tangle my hands in her thick hair. I shifted to hide the effect she had on me and prayed she hadn’t yet learned to scent more sensual cues.
My feverish imagination provided images of the night before when I checked on her after she’d retired for the evening still on four paws. She had shifted back at some point in her exhausted sleep and lay curled into a ball on top of the covers, naked as a jaybird. I wanted to nip at her flawless skin gleaming like a beacon in the dim light, wrap myself around her. Instead, I covered her with a quilt and shut the door firmly on my way out.
As she shifted the urge slid to a no less primal one. I wanted to pull over and stand guard over her as she changed. I even wanted to drive Shane away from her while she was so vulnerable. As much as I wanted to protect her against all other males, she still wasn’t completely at ease while alone with anyone other than Mickayla or Alan. Thus why I insisted on Shane riding with us.
Ellie finished by the time we reached the trailhead. The trails here were ribbons of mud after the rains and were largely deserted, leaving off-trail areas and game trails free for us without needing to consider humans.
The speckled grey wolf flowed gracefully out of the vehicle behind me and pressed close to my leg, unaware of the signals she was sending. She was small in her wolf form, too. I doubted that her weight even doubled. Shane smiled at my silver shadow until I bared my teeth at him. She only left when I began to disrobe, but not wandering far, as if she could sense my need to keep her in sight.
Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 2086
Of Doms & Subs Master List
Blood. Meat. Standing hurt, but hunger pulled me forward. I devoured the cool flesh. Tastes better hot. Still squirming. I licked my muzzle clean and searched for an escape. A box that smelled of Pack. Alan. Mickayla. Angus. Mine.
“Ellie.” My ears swiveled toward the door. Alpha. I answered with a yip. “Stop pacing or you’ll hurt yourself.”
He was out there. I wanted out. I scratched at the door. “Ellie, calm down.” He was closer. I could smell him. He smelled so good. Like home. I threw my good shoulder into the door to show what I wanted. Sharp twinges ran down my sides in protest.
“Stop,” the Alpha said sharply. I whined and pawed at the door again. Light flooded in when it opened. He crouched to look me in the eye. I stared for a second before shoving my head into his chest to inhale his scent. Mine.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered and buried his fingers in my ruff, quickly finding all the itchy and good spots that soon had my tongue lolling out of my mouth in sheer bliss. “Who knew you’d be more biddable as a wolf?” He laughed when I gave a cursory growl, my thumping tail giving me away.
“Well, you did eat all your dinner. Are you going to be a good girl?” He chuckled when I pulled away from his wonderful hands to stare at his nose in disdain. “Remember, no eating the humans.” He stood and I bumped his leg with a hip in agreement. My stomach was full anyway.
My Alpha patiently slowed so I could limp up the stairs, leaning on him as needed. The pack was playing a card game in the living room. I pressed my unhurt side against him when they fell silent to stare at me. Someone gave a long whistle that sent my ears back. My Alpha glared at the offender.
“Hey gorgeous,” Mickayla called out. “Come sit by me.” I glanced up at him. He nudged me towards her with a knee. “We should put your name on your collar as ‘Comet’.” She drew a line down her nose.
“Or Pepper,” someone suggested.
“She’s silvery grey with a teardrop of black on her nose and some on her rump like someone dumped pepper all over,” Tom explained to the witch, who laughed.
The pack smelled different. More scents. Couldn’t sit still. It was like I’d never met them before. They laughed, ignored, nudged, or petted me as I circled to sniff everyone in turn. Even the human mates. Mickayla and Alan taught me that belly rubs are wondrous things. When I carefully rolled to my feet again, I looked for my Alpha.
The witch was touching him. Her hand was on his arm. He was mine. A snarl lifted my upper lip and my legs tensed under me. A hand grabbed my ruff firmly. So tight I couldn’t turn to snap at it.
“Stop it,” Mickayla hissed. “Unless you want to go back in time out?” I lowered my head and rolled my eyes up to her in contrition. She held my gaze until I looked away, then released me. The witch was no longer touching my Alpha. I yawned, but didn’t fully relax until the witch and her mate left.
A vibration in my pocket notified me of an incoming call. One glance at the screen and I quickly strode outside. Not that I was concerned with the pack overhearing the conversation. I was more concerned with Bran being subjected to the game of Cards Against Humanity that was happening in the living room.
“Good evening, Marrock,” I answered respectfully.
“Charles and Anna tracked the Lone out of the mountains, where he appears to have taken a vehicle,” he said without preamble.
“You believe he’s following Ellie,” I said, trying to ignore the ice quickly filling my veins. Sometimes, in the beginning, wolves are drawn to the people they Change. The strength of the bond can vary according to the strength of the people involved and any pre-existing relationship between the two. If John was using this connection, then it wouldn’t be difficult to trace her steps until within range to sense the link and find her.
“They’re following the route that she took,” Bran said in echo of my thoughts. Some believed him to be a mind reader. I preferred to think of it as clever deduction. “It would be foolish to assume that he hasn’t heard of the new wolf simply because he’s been in the hinterlands.” The online message boards and email lists were full of this latest gossip. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if news of the day’s events were already circulating.
“I’ll put the pack on alert,” I assured him. “But not Ellie.”
“You think she might run again?”
“Quite frankly, she’s difficult to anticipate,” I said dryly.
“Such as doing donuts with a blind witch behind the wheel?” the Marrock asked in amusement, confirming the speed of the rumour mill. “Colin’s recovered from his fit of pique after hearing of her escapades. I believe his exact words were ‘Good luck to the poor bastard.’ Perhaps it would be best if she came to Montana after Charles finds the Lone.” That manipulative old wolf wanted to use her as bait to catch John. My hackles bristled at the thought.
“She’s settling in quite well, despite her impulsive nature,” I replied as smoothly as I could manage. “After all, she’s hardly climbing giant cranes or ‘borrowing’ Lamborghinis.”
“But she is growling at humans.” I was going to dock the ears and tail of whomever spread that tale.
“I believe it was protective instincts coming into play as I was escorting Moira to her seat.” At least, that was what I hoped was the case, yet there was no way of knowing for certain until morning. “You know how the smell of magic can trigger these sort of things in those who are unaccustomed to it.”
“I see.” Although his expression would undoubtedly be impassive, I desperately wanted to see his face to try and determine what was going on behind those two words. “Keep me updated,” he said before ending the call in his customary, if abrupt, manner.
Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 712
Of Doms & Subs Master List
Angus kept watch over me as I changed back at the trailhead. Dressing quickly, I returned the favour. While I was confident that no one would challenge when he was unable to fight back, I followed the urge, even though the thought of me fighting off anyone while on two legs was laughable.
Tearing my eyes away from the rippling, sweat-sheened lean muscles of his back, I forced myself to walk to the other side of the SUV while he dressed.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, turning at the sound of gravel crunching behind me. I had to avert my gaze from the ridges and valleys of his chest as he pulled his shirt on. “I wasn’t trying to run off. If I’d known John would… I’m sorry,” I finished lamely before I said anything I’d regret. And before my human psyche could focus on the danger he’d been in. My furry half was revelling in his strength and protection and wanted to bind us to his pack. To him.
He stared at me for a long while with those unfathomably dark eyes before speaking. “Why didn’t you call for help?” I blinked in confusion. Of all the responses, I was not expecting that.
“I didn’t think of it,” I shrugged. “He was my problem to deal with.” That was obviously the wrong answer when his face fell into the customary scowl he wore when I was around.
“He trespassed on my territory and attacked a submissive, unmated, female who’s also a medic. That makes it Pack business, the matter of him forcibly Changing you aside.” The growl of his voice rolled over me, dark, dangerous, and sensual like a blade wrapped in velvet.
“John didn’t force me, it was an accident,” I frowned.
“You recall nothing of the accident.” I shook my head. Memory issues around the Change weren’t uncommon. Angus had said so himself before. “Are you confident that you weren’t attacked instead?”
Dusty pink lips parted as Ellie absorbed my words. Her hazel eyes widened and she sagged against the Escalade in realization. “He wanted a mate, so he made one,” she said flatly. That was one potentiality I hoped to conceal from her.
“Quite possibly.”
“I wanna go back up there an’ kick his face in again,” she pushed herself off the vehicle with a growl, accent thick with anger. “I’d say thank ya for savin’ my bacon, but ya suspected this all ‘long.” Now she directed the anger at me.
“The people the Marrock sent to find John reported that he had come down off his mountain and headed southwest. Assuming that he found your ID, if you didn’t tell him yourself, he knew where you lived. A quick check of the message boards would tell him of the exploits of a new, mysterious female in Seattle, as well as where we were hunting this weekend,” I shrugged and leaned against the SUV.
“And ya didn’t think to warn me?” she cast her habitual glare my way.
“And add more stress to your already considerable load?” I cocked a brow. “While you have demonstrated a remarkable level of control thus far, I saw no need to worry you unduly. However, I didn’t expect you to go off on your own.” Or for her to have slipped out from under everyone’s noses when the entire pack was looking out for her. Either everyone had suddenly been stripped of all their senses or she was stealthier than she let on, failed escape attempts aside.
To my astonishment, the anger abruptly ebbed from her scent as she stopped in her pacing to spin towards me. “All right,” she conceded, the Southern twang fading as well. “You have a point. But from here on out, if something affects me then I deserve to know so that I can act accordingly. If you have my best interests at heart, as you say, then keeping me ignorant not only puts me at risk like it did today, it also pisses me off as you can right well imagine.”
“Permitted that the knowledge doesn’t put you at greater risk, then we are agreed.” Her eyes narrowed at the caveat, but I continued before she could speak. “I assume that means you intend to join us?”
Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 480
Of Doms & Subs Master List
The loam of the forest floor was springy under my paws as they dug through the layers of pine needles and underbrush. I wanted to stay close to my Alpha’s side, to run and play with him through the trees. Since it was my first hunt with the pack, I trailed behind to observe and learn their tactics. I wasn’t fast enough to keep up with his longer legs, anyway.
The myriad of aromas was overwhelming. I caught a rabbit! More fur than anything. It was surprisingly fast. I was faster. The blood was hot and sweet on my tongue. Another smell tugged at my nose. Something small and furry. And probably tasty.
We swiftly brought down a four-point black-tailed deer without any injuries worth mentioning. After its last death throes, I stopped to ensure that the newest member got a portion. The speckled female was conspicuously absent from the roiling mass of feasting wolves. No scent, meaning she had split off some time ago. Since she was not yet bonded, I had no means of knowing what had happened. If she was running again, doubling back to the vehicles while the Pack hunted was a clever and effective method.
I met the golden-brown gaze of the chocolate coloured wolf who was my second before slipping away. He would mind the Pack while I retrieved my wayward wolf.
My nose led me on a merry run, following the intricate layers of scents left by the inhabitants of the forest. Panting, I stopped to drink from a wide, shallow stream that tumbled down a short ridge a little way downstream. The water was cold and pure like a glacier on my tongue.
The pool at the base of the waterfall looked perfect for playing in. Maybe my Alpha would enjoy it, too. I hadn’t heard or smelled the Pack since they brought down their prey, yet they weren’t far. Turning to climb back up the steep bank, a rust coloured wolf with black socks on his forelegs blocked the path.
I picked up her scent quickly, entwined with that of a squirrel. I soon discovered the carcass. From there, I barely needed to track to the stream I heard in the distance to which she had beelined after her kill.
The smell that ghosted her steps lifted my upper lip in a snarl. A strange male with a sour undertone that seemed to coat my mouth with its taint. My hackles rose higher and higher as I silently raced to the river.
Bursting through the treeline, I only paused long enough to see that the male had backed the small female into the deepest part. She was obviously tiring from fighting the current and dodging her assailant. Hurtling down the embankment, I leapt between the rocks that broke the surface here and there. He met my spring attack with bared fangs.
Summary: What’s a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 1905
Of Doms & Subs Master List
Getting slammed by four hundred pounds, give or take, is painful no matter who you are. Being caught between this freight train of flesh and a stone wall, such as the one surrounding the grill setup, is taking the term “between a rock and a hard place” to its most agonizing extremes. Once the tweety birds spiraling my head dissipated, Alan and Mickayla filled my gradually returning vision. Angus stalked off to go bash some heads together, judging by his face.
“Anybody get the number o’ that Mac truck?” I groaned, my accent thick from the pain that was already setting in. Where’s shock when you could really use it?
“Can’t be too bad if she’s making bad jokes,” Mickayla said to Alan. Then to distract me from his poking and prodding, she said with a roll of her eyes towards where I assumed Ian and Gordon were. “They’re just like teenage boys when they’re trying to show off.”
“There’re easier ways o’ getting’ my attention. ‘Hey, you’ works fine.” I hissed through clenched teeth when Alan inspected my shoulder. “Dislocated, probably torn rotator.”
“Amongst other things,” he agreed mildly as he did something that should have been a violation of the Geneva Convention. “Couple of cracked ribs, mild concussion. Ever dislocated anything before?”
“Nope, but’s gonna hurt like a mother.”
Alan nodded to Mickayla and before I could react, they set the joint back in place with a sickening crunch. The world swam in a nauseous haze, but I didn’t pass out. Woo!
“Lemme know when I can return the favour,” I groaned. “In spades.”
“The rotator’ll heal on its own in about a week. Compared to months for a human.” Let’s hear it for regeneration. “But your scapula’s split, and even if your joint’s set, your shoulder’s still messed up.”
“That the medical term, doc?”
“Recovery will still take weeks. If you shift, you’ll heal faster.”
“No.” I shook my head too fast and the world wobbled.
“Tell me, is this normal?” Alan carefully lifted my right, injured arm. Around the blinding agony I dimly hard disturbing sounds that should be coming from a cereal bowl instead of a person.
“Fuck all ya’ll,” I panted when I could breathe again.
“No thanks,” he said blandly. “Cute as you are, I don’t want to fight the others over you. The longer you take to shift, the more you’ll heal wrong.” We both knew that improperly healed rotator cuffs are a bitch and can take a year or more of PT to correct. That’s not even taking into account complications from broken bones knitting without being set right. Logic and experience said that he was right. The only problem was that the wolf wanted to come out and play too much. And there were too many humans. Pain and panic, exacerbated by the wolf coming to the fore, paralyzed me till I could only shake my head faintly.
“Don’t make me use the Dommy voice,” Mickayla said sternly. I opened my eyes to let her see the fear that chilled me. Or maybe that was finally shock. Could werewolves go into shock?
A pair of familiar suede loafers stood at the edge of my vision. A moment later Angus crouched to fill my field of vision, which was threatening to narrow again. “Ellie, stop this nonsense and shift.” There was no power other than the natural force of his personality, but the order allowed me to stop worrying. His casual tone of authority reminded me that they would keep me from gorging on a human buffet instead of potato salad and burgers.
“Come on, you don’t need an audience for this.” Mickayla moved to help me up. Angus beat her to it, scooping me up in his arms so that my shattered shoulder wasn’t pressed against him. This unnatural strength still took me by surprise. Of all the places, he took me inside the house and downstairs where he set me on the edge of a bed. There were shining metal bars over the narrow windows set high in the wall. Pretty comfy digs for a cage.
“My safeword’s ‘apples’,” I panted as my body settled into its new position with no small amount of complaints.
“Good to know.” The dry bit of humour coming from Angus was so unexpected that I giggled and immediately regretted it when the motion rippled through my battered body. Alan and Mickayla helped me undress while Angus stood over us, a statue of controlled rage. I tried to protest the men’s presence, but was immediately shot down by all three. Resoundingly so.
“Please be gentle, it’s my first time,” I said tightly as they drew off my pants and underwear. You never realize how much you move any part of your body until it’s injured and you try to move it. Once I was naked, that was when I freaked out. “I can’t.”
“Sshh,” Angus said soothingly as he carefully held me against his chest. It was like a warm brick wall, but far more comfortable than the one I’d just been introduced to. My mind and hormones swung back and forth between embarrassment and pleasure at being naked in his arms until I sensed Alan crouching on the bed behind me. Damn, he still had to set the shoulder blade. I didn’t even have time to tense before his deft, quick hands crunched the pieces back into place.
After awhile I realized that Angus was saying my name and stroking my hair. “To shift you have to let the wolf take over. You’ll not likely have control, nor will you be able to change back for several hours. We’re going to have to lock you in so you don’t hurt anyone, or yourself.”
So many things had been spinning out of my control I wasn’t ready to relinquish any of it. But the wolf didn’t care. She wanted to come out and meet Angus and the pack. The instant I seriously thought about passing off the reins she seized the chance. I quickly closed my eyes not only because it hurt like a bitch, even worse than my short lived career as a wrecking ball, but because I couldn’t stand watching my own flesh ripple as muscle and bone crunched and reformed. I almost wondered if letting everything heal relatively slowly wouldn’t have been preferable.
They were making soothing noises and urging me to be quiet at first, then they realized I was cursing under my breath in between soft whimpers and whines. “Son of a mother biscuit eating cracker” made them laugh. You can’t curse in front of patients, even if they’re coding. Instead you get creative with alternatives to four letter words. At some point the torture ended and everything went black.
“What were you thinking?” To an outsider, my voice would be deceptively soft. Ian and Gordon, as did the rest of the pack, knew better. The two males knelt with heads bowed and necks bared. My wolf wanted to rend that soft flesh. They were dirty and still battered from when they were separated with more force than was strictly necessary, but was entirely appropriate. “I’ve known newly Changed wolves with better self-control than what you displayed today. If you had hit Moira instead, she could’ve lost full use of that arm.” They winced as my voice sharpened and cracked across them like a whip.
“Because of your stupidity, Ellie is undergoing her first intentional shift locked in the safe room after everything I’ve done to disprove the half-truths that crazy Lone fed her.” I leaned in close and whispered, “If she chooses to leave because of your idiocy, I’ll take it very personally.” Their already white faces blanched even further before I straightened.
“You will beg Ellie for forgiveness. You are her slaves for the next week. You are not to look her in the eye. I don’t want to see her lift anything heavier than a glass of water. If she asks you to jump, one asks how high and the other holds the hoop. You will wash, dry, iron, fold her laundry, and shine her shoes. You have one week to arrange for repairs to the barbecue. For the rest of the weekend, the two of you are on cooking and dish duties. The pack cars, Ellie’s Jeep, and my car could all use detailing. Oh, and I expect the house and grounds to be spotless by the end of the weekend.” They’d be so busy they wouldn’t have the time nor the energy to lose their heads again. And by working their tails off, everyone would be reminded that this was a warning for anyone else who might do the same.
“If the rest of you find yourselves at the mercy of your instincts, you will take it elsewhere and handle it in the usual fashion. If not, then you are a liability and will be dealt with accordingly.” I glared expectantly at the two boys, who were old enough to know better. They quickly muttered, “Yes, Alpha” before scrambling to their feet and scattering for one of the many tasks given. I desperately wanted to give chase and slaughter them for injuring what was mine.
I gave a brief nod to Tom, who acknowledged with a bow from the neck before herding everyone inside. Once everyone was gone, I stared at the broken bricks and patio stained with Ellie’s blood until Ian and Gordon approached hesitantly with a hose, soap, and stiff bristled brushes. I snarled at them as I strode back towards the house.
Alan was sitting in the armchair outside the safe room. A man with an impossibly large sword faced a dragon on the corner of the paperback he was reading. Only the delusional would fight something like that with a melee weapon. The alleged “hero” would be barbecue before he got close enough to swing that tool of overcompensation.
“Hey.” He set down the book and sat up from his slouch. “Passed out still, but she’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t hurt it again any time soon.”
“Thanks. Go on up. I’ll sit with her.” I scrubbed a hand through my hair and touched my pocket to ensure that my phone was there. Nervous habits that I’d never quite managed to shed.
“Sure thing.” Alan looked like he would offer to stay until he saw my expression. “Too bad they couldn’t spare the brain cells if you knocked their heads together.”
I smiled despite my murderous mood. That was the magic of a submissive, although I never felt calm around Ellie. Frustrated, annoyed, fiercely protective, half-crazed, yes. At peace, no. Then again, she had yet to feel entirely safe or comfortable since the Change.
“Alan.” He paused on the stairs. “Have Ian and Gordon bring down meat and water.”
“Aye, aye.” He’d been spending far too much time with Mickayla.
I settled into the chair and picked up the dog-eared novel he left behind. The main character had barely finished his backstory when Tweedledee and Tweedledumb placed their offerings in the safe room before locking it back up. Ian set a cup of coffee, two cream, on the small table beside me before slinking away. They stank of fear. Good.
The handsome, virile Chosen One had just met the feisty ingénue, who was of course a princess in hiding, when Ellie woke up.
Summary: What's a submissive female to do when she fights her nature and goes on the run as a Lone wolf to avoid being assimilated into a pack?
Word count: 730
Master List
Holy crap, that’s a lot of wolves, I thought as I entered what could only be described as an entertainment room. I’d followed my ears and nose to the basement, which wasn’t really a basement, per se. Only the half of the lowermost floor was built into the hill upon which the house sat. The far wall was mostly a huge flat screen TV. Underneath the screen was a media center full of movies and video games and their consoles. The thickly carpeted floor was terraced to allow for more seating than would normally be feasible, and most of those seats were occupied.
Somewhere underneath a mound of pizza boxes I assumed there was a large, low table. The only problem was that the food was up front and center, which was worse than sitting in the back of class and then having to get up to give a report. Someone paused the football game when I walked in, even though the door was at the back of the room, and everyone turned to look at me. I suddenly empathized with the rabbit I’d hunted the only time I’d run on four legs, which only reinforced the junior high flashbacks.
“Hi, my name’s Ellie and I’m a werewolf. I’ve been fur-free for a week now,” I said solemnly with a little wave. Chuckles cut through the expectant tension, a few droned out in unison the requisite, “Hi, Ellie.”
Mickayla waved me over to where she and Matt were sitting near the back. I took the armchair next to their loveseat and someone started the game up again. She handed me a plate piled high with pizza. “I grabbed you one of everything so you could avoid the walk of the shame.” She cocked her head to indicate the pathway to the front before pointing out the several cans of soda on a low end table between our seats.
“Thanks,” I said with genuine gratitude as I shifted the piece of Hawaiian to the bottom of the stack before it could contaminate anything else. Fruit does not belong on pizza.
“Welcome to a bi-weekly ritual that lasts from September to January,” she said dryly. “That’s twice a week, not once every two weeks. Normally I’d leave them to it, but I couldn’t just throw you to the wolves.”
I snorted at the pun. “My family worships at the altar of the pigskin. Heck, I was a cheerleader in high school.”
“Still got the outfit?” asked a guy in front of us. In unison, Mickayla, Matt, and his neighbours on either side hit him with some pretty good whacks upside the head and elbows in the ribs before I could even arch an eyebrow.
“I think so, but I’m afraid it won’t fit you. You’re a little too big in the hips,” I said sweetly.
Damn, I’d forgotten the pull of an unmated female. When Jim made his crack, I wanted to teach him some manners in front of everyone. It would have been overkill after the others, and Ellie’s barb, but the urge was still there. Few of them had any experience with a submissive female, so it was best to set behavioural expectations early.
Privately, I agreed with the females, if it wasn’t such a strong bonding activity for the pack, as well as a safe pressure valve for some of their aggression, I’d rather be doing nearly anything else. But either Tom, Alan and Matt, or I had to be there in case the things escalated beyond trash talk.
Now that she had washed away the residue of her trip, her signature scent stood out amidst the pizza and pack members. If anything, it was more noticeable because she didn’t smell like pack. Yet. The hints of sunshine and cedar seemed to be a part of her instead of remnants of her time in the mountains. There was no sign of the fear that had filled her so recently, despite the occasional lewd comments, which she deflected or ignored with aplomb. I was pleased to note that when one of them tried to cross her lines, she turned her sharp tongue on the offender.
I was disappointed when she retired early for the night, even though she had deep circles under her eyes. Watching her verbally hold her own against the men was more entertaining than the game itself.
