Touched by Oblivion (The Fourth Pack Series Book 1), page 17
Blackfire’s voice drops. “Are you going to stab me in the foot with that, Hopeless?”
“Stop calling me that. You know my name,” I all but snap at him. “And I’m not doing what you tell me to anymore. Go fuck yourself, Blackfire.”
His smirk is nothing but taunting. “Go on. Do it. Stabbing me might give you one minute to run before I get you. I like my prey scared and running with foolish hope.” He pushes himself closer to me, his whole body pressing against mine, and it’s scary how well he fits against me.
My breath hitches, and I know my eyes are blown wide. I push the dagger slightly closer to his neck, and it’s so sharp, a drop of blood trickles down his throat. “I will do it. I’m not the weak human you have me down as.”
“Something that you don’t know about me is that I like it. Pain, that is. Push harder.” He grunts, his eyes darkening to an impossible red. I feel him against me, and he isn’t joking, as something very big and hard presses into my stomach. “Make me bleed, Hopeless. I’ll bleed for you, and I’ll fucking enjoy it.” With a yelp, I stumble backwards as he disarms me in one swift move. “Next time, be quicker. Hesitating will get you killed in this world.” He slides the dagger into one of the spare clips on his waist. I’m surprised he has any space when he is armed to the teeth. “When I gave you the weapon, it wasn’t to use on me.”
“You were never specific.” I shrug. “Can I have it back?”
He ignores my request. Shocker. “Here’s what we are going to do, lass. You’re going to walk up to that door, knock on it, and run back to me. They’ll follow you out of the house, and I’ll kill them while you stand there and do nothing. The house could be a trap, so no one goes in. Understood?”
“Fine.” I mentally blacked out after he said I’d walk up to the house full of wolves that are likely going to try to kill me, and knock on the door like a fool.
“Remember your little drake friend and your deal with my uncle? You’re doing this to give her years of life, remember?” He reminds me of the deal, of the mark on my neck. I feel his eyes looking at it right now. “No one escapes the magic of that mark, or the promise you make to him.”
“I’m doing this to give her a complete life as a human.” I straighten my shoulders. “I haven’t forgotten, and you don’t need to keep reminding me of when you burned the mark into my neck and used my only family to manipulate me. I remember how we met. I always will.”
Something flashes in his eyes, and he growls low. “Just go.”
I shake my head and turn around and stomp through the forest. The smell of smoke is thick in the air as I keep an eye on my surroundings, just in case they are outside. Still, my traitorous mind focuses on Blackfire liking pain. Who likes pain? Psychopathic wolves that I happen to be living with, is the answer. How did this become my life?
I nearly slip and fall down the trench that leads to the front door, but my dignity somehow keeps me upright. I square my shoulders and lift my hand and knock. The door is wrenched open within seconds. One of the chosen that I don’t particularly recognize answers the door. Two other voices shout out, “Who is it?”
His hair is blond, eyes bright hazel, and they widen as he looks at me and then behind me in suspicion. “Lost, pretty girl?”
I barely hold in the urge to roll my eyes. “Nope.”
“You’re the human. We’ve been looking for you.” The blond grins. “You’re prettier up close; no wonder the heirs are protecting you. I bet you’re a good fuck for a human.”
My nose scrunches in disgust. “Blackfire’s out there, and he’s hunting you. Good luck.” I pat his shoulder and jump under his arm, sprinting straight through the house.
“Hopeless!” I hear roared from the forest. I don’t know whether he’s saying it as my nickname or whether he’s actually saying I’m hopeless for not listening to a word he said. Probably the latter, knowing him. I don’t even get far in my plan to escape back to my cabin and hide. A man I don’t see grabs me by my shoulder, and he throws me straight into the wall. I smack into it with a yelp, tasting blood in my mouth, and my ears ring. I crawl backwards, away from the man as he reaches for me again.
Blackfire’s grunt echoes, and I risk looking, spotting him fighting two men. The blond, who is throwing water about, and another man who has flames dancing up his arms. Blackfire moves as if it’s a dance, swift and well-trained, and they barely touch him. This is the general of the Crone Pack; this is the feared warrior I was warned about. He pounds into them with no weapons or magic, and their cries soon echo loud enough for the goddesses in the sky to hear.
“We’ve been looking for you,” the man I’d almost forgotten about murmurs. His head is shaved, tattoos like waves on a shore cover his face and neck, and his eyes are hazel like his blond friend. He is big enough that I know I’d die in a fight with him. Blackfire, hurry the fuck up. I don’t even have my dagger to defend myself with.
“Yeah, your blond friend said that.” I cough, tasting blood in my mouth. I crawl backwards across the floor into the kitchen, towards where I can see a door that leads back out to the forest.
“If I kill you, then I’ll be rewarded by my alpha.” He sounds so pleased with himself, like I’m already dead.
“I don’t know who told you that, but it’s very unlikely you will be. Alphas aren’t the good guys, buddy.”
The smell of smoke starts building in the air, and he lifts his hand up at me, and I start choking. He doesn’t need to fight me, I realize with horror, not when he has magic. Water fills my mouth, fills my chest, and I try to cry out, but no sound leaves my mouth. The water has appeared out of nowhere, and I struggle, dribbling on the floor as I convulse. His smile is nothing but horrid as he leans down and touches my face. “I will cut you up and take a part of you back as proof. You can thank your master—” His eyes go wide.
“Death will not thank you for touching what is mine.” I know that voice from my dreams. He is here. My monster steps out from behind the man, holding his heart in his palm. There is now a hole in the man’s chest, and he coughs blood once, just before my monster sinks his teeth into his neck. I watch in horror as he drinks from him before pulling his mouth and teeth away with a rip. The man falls onto the ground next to me.
I cough immediately, throwing up all the water in my chest onto the floor next to the body. Two men run into the room, and I’d guess they are the selected. My monster looks down at me, his wings spreading out to block their view of me. “Run, I’ll find you.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I stumble to my feet as my monster takes on the men, and I run to the back door. My feet pound across the ground as I head for the trees, and I slam right into Blackfire. He grabs my shoulders, steadying me, and I push away from him. I take a few steps back. There is so much blood on Blackfire, dripping from his leather clothes and the heavy mask, and the air is tinged with the smell of amber and fire.
“Don’t run from me.” His growl peppers over my skin. A threat. A warning that sends heat coursing down my spine.
The problem is, Blackfire never sounds this worked up. He is always in control, painstakingly so. I cock my head to the side. “Or what?”
Why is my voice like that? All breathless and strange.
The air feels thick with tension as his jaw clenches once. Twice. “Hopeless, don’t you fucking dare run when my wolf is this worked up. We will hunt you.”
He should know by now I’m not going to listen to him. I’ve been running from him since we met. I might have grown up with humans, but even I know running from a wolf shifter is a bad idea. Still…better than staying with the wolf who nearly got me killed. With a whoosh of leaves, I sprint out of the forest and into the thick grass field to our left. I hear him, like an echo chasing me in the wind. One single word, followed by a long growl. “Fuck.”
I don’t get far before a massive black wolf slams into me, taking us both down, and I roll over to face him. His fur is thicker than I thought, and softer, even as black flames like wisps dance between his fur. Several of them leave his fur, dancing down my arms and into my golden hair. His wolf sniffs my chest with his wet nose, and I freeze, unsure what to do. Will he hurt me? Likely. Is getting eaten by a wolf a good way to die? Nope. Nope. Nope. Luckily, it isn’t a problem I have to worry about because Blackfire’s wolf is thrown off me, and my monster stands at my feet. He leans down, picking me up into his arms, his wings stretching out wide. Blackfire growls, and it’s so loud it hurts my ears. My monster looks down at him and smirks. “Don’t hunt what is mine.”
He shoots up into the sky with me, and Blackfire roars.
Chapter Nineteen
The monster of my dreams gently places me down on the rooftop of the cabin, and his hands clutch my arms. “Careful. It’s icy. You could fall.”
“Thank you. I thought you couldn’t interfere,” I respond on instinct, really looking at him. In the sunlight, his grey skin almost seems silver, and he is just as gorgeous as I remember. Even with blood covering the muscles of his chest and his jaw. His sharp teeth just tip over the edge of his lips as he watches me. “Unless our dreams aren’t real. If they’re not real, then I’m just crazy.”
“They’re real, love.” He strokes his hands up my arms, and I feel like I can’t breathe. “Give me permission to end their lives. I have seen they are more of a danger to you than protection. I will serve you their heads as a gift and their furs as a rug for you to keep.”
“It’s not me who’s crazy,” I joke, trying to distract him from murdering the wolves. “Thank you. If you didn’t…”
His eyes sharpen. “The black wolf put your life in danger, and he will be punished for it. I will not forget.” He looks behind him, tensing slightly. “I cannot stay, but I’ll see you in our dreams.” He puts a finger to his lips, whispering to keep us a secret, before flying off straight into the sky with his impressive wings. I stand on the roof for a little while, looking down at my clothes that have blood on them and water from where I threw up, and I shiver at the thought of what could have happened if my monster hadn’t come for me. I’m not sure what Blackfire’s going to say when he gets back, but I imagine none of it’s going to be good, and considering he nearly got me killed, I don’t care what he says.
I look around the edge of the roof and spot the highest windowsill. Carefully, I climb over and lower myself down to it, crouching, before unlocking the steamy window to get inside. I hear the pounding of a shower as the steam brushes against my skin, but nothing really prepares me as I slide into the room with a soft thud, and my eyes widen. Reed is in the shower, naked. Very naked. His head is bowed, one arm leaning against the shower wall as his hand fists his cock, moving his hand up and down. My body tightens and my stomach fills with heat as I watch and don’t move.
I should leave, or tell him I’m here, but I don’t. I listen to his groan of pleasure, and I trace my eyes over every inch of his muscular body. His body tenses right before he comes across the shower wall. It’s not the sight of him coming that leaves me shocked. It’s the single name that leaves his mouth.
“Meredith.” He moans my name like a prayer.
I squeak, and his head whips towards me, slowly looking me up and down. His eyes are glowing the brightest blue. “Are you here to join me, little human?”
My mind seems to combust because I nearly jump. No response comes out of my mouth. As I open and shut my mouth, instead of saying a single word, I rush out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Reed’s chuckle follows me, and I shake my head. Of course he would find that funny.
My cheeks are burning as I walk to my room, chuck off my boots, and collapse into my bed, pulling the sheet over me. I barely even register that Tannith is here until her eyes blink at me. “Why do you look so red?”
Everything explodes out of my mouth, and I close my eyes. “Well, I nearly died today, and I saw a man come for the first time. He said my name as he did too, and I liked it. I’m not sure which of those two things made my face red, but probably both.”
I think she’s gone silent because she doesn’t know what to say back. It’s rare that I leave her speechless, but I’m not proud right now. I’m embarrassed. “Okay,” she says, “explain it all and start at the beginning.”
I open my eyes and explain the forest, the house and the monster from my dreams—that I’ve already told her about—saving me. I can tell she is surprised about the monster more than my near death, but she doesn’t speak as I tell her about climbing through into the shower room and seeing Reed in the shower.
“I knew it!” Tannith sounds joyful, and I don’t get it. “I knew he wanted you, and he has a crush. It’s perfect.” I can only groan at her. “Well, the monster thing is slightly concerning, but you’ve already said that he’s hot, so it is what it is. That’s fine. We all have weird kinks.” I laugh with her. Apparently, I do, as I know I have a crush on my monster, and I can’t explain it. “As for Reed, yes, it is a good thing. The shower only confirms my suspicion, and you don’t see it. They are always watching you when you’re in the room, and they are weird about it. You don’t see it, but I do, and so does Elizabeth. I would tell you to go for it, but I don’t know. I don’t trust them, but also your choices are limited.”
“That’s the most insane thing you’ve ever said. They could have anyone, and it’s likely just because they are horny and alone here. They are heirs; I imagine they have hundreds of female wolves throwing themselves their way at home and they never go a day without sex,” I remind her, even as the thought tastes bitter in my mouth. I hate the thought.
The truth is, I don’t want random sex with anyone; I want more. I want love, as silly as it sounds, and I doubt they can give me that. I would never be accepted in their packs, and I will die long before they will. They can’t offer me anything but fun, and I know I’m not that kind of girl. I’ll fall in love with them, and it will break my heart when it’s over. I wish I was like Tannith, who doesn’t want love and happily enjoys men for a short time.
“But also, you need to lose your virginity, so if it’s the monster, who seems like the best pick at the moment, then go for it. Ooh, I wonder if he has a monster cock.” She sounds so excited about that thought, and I don’t know what to say back. Reed’s cock looks like a monster to me because it’s so frigging big.
The sheets are ripped off me, and I don’t know if I’m thankful or not that I don’t have to ask Tannith about how big cocks usually are as Blackfire stares down at me. He’s covered in blood, which is not surprising considering what he’s been doing, and he looks furious.
“Get up,” he snarls, picking me out of the bed, not really giving me a chance to even do what he says. He throws me over his shoulder and storms out of the room. I don’t bother fighting him. I’m too tired to argue with his back either. “REED, ORION, GET DOWN HERE!”
My head spins as he runs down the stairs quickly and throws me onto the sofa. His dagger is out within a second, the dagger I used on him, and he holds it against my neck this time. I don’t move, and I don’t like the maddening darkness in his red eyes.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Reed growls, moving to grab Blackfire’s arm, but Blackfire snarls, making him pause. Reed stays close to us.
“She’s lying to us,” Blackfire growls.
“What are you talking about? Get the dagger away from her neck, and we can talk about whatever happened. Calmly.” Reed tries to make Blackfire see reason. It fails.
“As much as I’d probably enjoy seeing you kill her…” Orion drawls, walking into the room at a leisurely pace, eating a tub of…
“Is that ice cream? Have you been hiding ice cream, you absolute bastard?” I feel so betrayed. I don’t even care about the dagger at my neck. Kill me, but feed me one spoonful first. Please, goddesses.
Orion grins at me. “Maybe the goddesses like me more.”
“Ugh, I hate you so much,” I hiss.
“Shut up, both of you. You didn’t see what just happened!” Blackfire grumbles. I keep my eyes fixed on the ice cream. I want that. Now.
Reed pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why are you covered in blood, Blackfire?”
“We found someone’s house. I told Hopeless to draw them out as bait. Instead, she ran inside and nearly got herself killed. As I was fighting them, trying to get to her, it wasn’t me that saved her in the end. It was one of those creatures. In fact, a specific one I’ve seen before.” He stares into my face, but I keep my gaze on the ice cream. “It was the same one that bit her and took her into the sky on the first day. His scent is familiar too; I’ve smelt it in her room on some mornings, and I didn’t know where it was coming from until now. She is working with the creatures.” Blackfire grabs my jaw and forces me to look at him. “Why is he helping you? How did you get them to work with you? Are you fucking him?”
I laugh. “If I’m hopeless, then you are clueless, big guy.” He snarls into my face, and the dagger presses deeper, threatening to cut me. I decide that taunting him might not be the best idea right now. “I don’t know why he is helping me, but he turns up sometimes. I don’t even know his name, and I’m not fucking him.”
“You’re lying. Your scent is mixed with his somehow.” Blackfire’s face is inches from mine.
“No, I’m not lying!” I protest, getting annoyed.
“I don’t believe a single word that’s coming out of your mouth. First, you’re a human that’s in the Folkland, and that’s never happened before. It’s suspicious, to say the least. Then this monster is protecting you, and you are meeting with him in secret somehow. No, something doesn’t add up, and you are lying.” Blackfire is so furious and I don’t know what to say to him.
So something stupid slips out. “Well, at least he saved me. If he wasn’t there, I’d be dead and it would have been your fault!”
Reed pulls Blackfire away from me as he loses it. “You are not his, fucking hell, he is a monster! I am going to rip him to pieces!”
