Red and the Wolves Read online

  He pumped his finger in and out of me as he continued to suckle my breast. I turned my head to the right in the throes of my growing passion to see the other men were going about their business as if Canis claiming me in the cave was completely ordinary. This was their way of life, and I was simply their mate. Not one looked on with jealousy or envy. Not one of the men anxiously awaited their turn. No. They were fine with it being Canis’ time with me, and it was then that I realized how much of a pack they truly were. What belonged to one, belonged to all.

  My attention went back to Canis when he added a second finger to the one already inside of me. The forceful thrust was all it took for my body to explode. My pussy pulsated as an intense sensation rocked my body. Crying out, my voice echoed off the walls of the cave, but I didn’t care. I could release with wild abandon with these men. There was no shame in my pleasure. I felt they demanded it. They craved it as much as I did. Yes, they gave me pain, but with pain came so much pleasure to follow.

  “Yes, Red,” Canis growled. “Cum all over my hand.”

  As my vaginal walls milked his fingers, I pleaded, “Claim me, Canis. I need you. I want you. I need more.”

  I didn’t recognize my own voice. The primal lust inside of me was foreign, but powerful. I knew what I wanted, and that was Canis. Now.

  Without hesitation, Canis positioned his body on top of me, guided his cock to the entrance of my pussy, and pressed in. I gasped as his girth spread me wide. Over and over, he pumped in and out of me as he placed kisses on my neck and face. Aggressive thrusts by his cock were countered by tender affection of his mouth. As his dick drove as deep as he could go, I had no doubt that Canis was just as savage as the other men, yet his kisses showed he had a loving side as well.

  The hard fucking, mixed with the gentle caresses was all it took to toss me over the edge again. I thrust my hips up to meet his as my pussy tightened around his cock, making the stretch of my tight hole even more obvious.

  “Fuck yes,” he growled. “Tighten that pussy of yours around me. Grip my cock with that tiny little hole. Fuck!” With a beastly moan, similar to some of the sounds I’d heard the men make in battle, Canis thrust one final time, filling me with his seed.

  The full weight of his body on mine was followed by another soft kiss to my cheek. “The minute I first saw you,” he said huskily, “I knew you would be mine. I knew I would claim you. What I didn’t know was how you would claim me as well. How you would claim each one of us.”

  I closed my eyes as I tried to regain my breath and allowed Canis’ words to sink in.

  Claim me.

  Claim him.

  Claim them.

  6

  Still curled in Canis’ arms, I took a deep breath and finally asked what I had dared not earlier.

  “Can you tell me about the curse?”

  I could feel his body stiffen. He started to pull away. I held on to the arm wrapped around my waist. “Please don’t. I want to know.”

  “It is not only my story to tell. If you are to be told, my brothers must agree.”

  Wrapping me in furs, he lifted me high. We moved out of the cave closer to the fire. I smiled shyly as Beo handed me a carved wooden cup with some warm broth. The fur slipped off my shoulder, exposing my upper body to their gaze, but I found I was not embarrassed or uncomfortable. It felt natural to be sitting before these men in my own skin as we shared a meal before the fire.

  “She wants to know,” said Canis. The others nodded, not needing more.

  Beo stroked the back of his knuckles down my cheek. “Are you sure, my little Red? It may change your opinion of those who raised you…of your own kind.”

  I thought of my grandmother and the other elders who forced their selfish moral idea of what was good and just on the villagers. I then thought of the mother I’d never known. The mother who’d fought against those ideas.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Beo nodded. They then all turned to Grimm.

  His amber eyes seemed lit with sadness as he started to speak. “When the dark force first came, the village was unprepared. We tried to fight them off with fire and scythes. Nothing worked. It was obvious we were fighting some kind of evil magic. The elders said they had found a book filled with ancient wisdom which had a way to repel the dark force. They needed six men.”

  “Six? I was told there were only five wolves,” I interrupted.

  Clearing his throat, Rood responded softly. “One did not survive the transition.”

  Lowering my eyes, I resolved to stay silent till they had finished their tale.

  “So we did our duty and volunteered. The elders told us only that it would be dark magic to fight dark magic. At first it was magnificent. We all felt more powerful than we had ever before in our lives. We could see and hear for far distances. Run to the horizon and back without tiring. It was as if you were one with both the earth and the beasts. That time when the dark force came, we were ready. It is hard to describe what happens when we fight them. It is as if the wolf in our beings takes completely over and the small part of our soul and conscience which is still human never fully comprehends.” Grimm stopped speaking and just stared into the fire.

  “When we returned to the village, the gates of the wall were barred to us,” continued Beo. “It was then we learned we had been betrayed.”

  “Would no one help or speak to you?” I asked angrily.

  “Not at the village. Anyone we approached ran screaming from us. Anytime we tried to leave this realm, to leave the forest and the village behind, it felt as if our blood was on fire. The pain excruciating.”

  “So here we have stayed. Forced by some cursed instinct to protect those who have betrayed us. Unable to return to our human form and unable to leave to learn why,” finished Canis.

  “But I see you in your human form,” I offered.

  “We know. Until you, we were the only ones who saw one another for our true selves. We cannot explain why you see us in our human form.”

  “Perhaps the forest witch could?” offered Helm.

  “No my brother. It is too dangerous,” snapped Grimm.

  “Who is the forest witch?” I asked eagerly.

  “An old woman who lives on the edge of the forest in a protected glen just past the waterfalls. The whispers in the forest are that she has been around since before the trees and lakes formed. I have even heard tales that Merlin was an apprentice to her. She is extremely powerful. If anyone could break the enchantment, she could,” explained Helm.

  “Then why have you not asked her?”

  There was a chance of a cure for them all.

  I wasn’t sure what the future would hold but some small light lit within my breast at the thought of them returning to human form and then perhaps we could…we all could…no I wouldn’t think on it. No one in the village would ever accept such a scandalous arrangement as one woman with five men. Still. If we could overcome such a dangerous and powerful curse, would we really care what others said? As my thoughts spun and twirled in different directions, I realized I had been thinking of the men and me as a we. When did we become a we? Is that what I wanted? Giving myself a mental shake, I pushed all thoughts of a future out of my mind. There may never be a future for me as human and them enchanted beasts unless I could figure out a way to break the curse. The forest witch must be the solution.

  “We have,” said Beo.

  My heart sank.

  Seeing my obvious disappointment, Beo gave me a tender stroke to the cheek. “You see, the witch is powerful enough to break the spell, but what then? Who will protect the village from the dark force?”

  “You have been doing so for hundreds of years!” I cried out belligerently. “Let someone else volunteer!”

  “And would you condemn them to our same fate?” asked Rood, as always his voice quiet and low. “Would you have us make that decision? To put our own needs ahead of those of another soul?”

  Helm took a pull from the flagon of wine at his s
ide, wiping his mouth he shook his head in sorrow. “No, Red, we have accepted our fates and have done our duty with honor and conviction. We will not tarnish that with such a selfish ignoble deed no matter how much the injustice and anger may eat at our hearts.”

  “Still, I—”

  “This is none of your concern, Red,” Grimm sternly replied.

  Grimm’s reply stung. Once again, I was reminded that they were the pack, the enchanted beasts who had fought time and time again side by side becoming brothers if not in blood than in deed. While I? I was the village’s offering. The sacrifice. Their reward.

  Despite their possible anger, I refused to be brushed aside so easily.

  “Well fine. What about the villagers? It has been several hundred years. Perhaps they have learned some new knowledge which could free you? I’m certain if they were told that you are still human and not the enchanted beasts they think you to be, they would help.”

  “The answer is no, Red. This is our fate. We accepted it long ago. Now it is time you slept,” said Grimm sternly.

  Disgruntled, I stood up. Wrapping the furs around me, I stomped back into the cave. Grabbing some furs from the other piles, I created my own bed, not willing to sleep nestled against one of the wolves like I had grown accustomed. This was not right. The villagers were living their lives, safe in the protection the wolves were offering, unaware of the sacrifice these men were still making for them. It was not right. I resolved to go in search of the forest witch myself. Perhaps if she heard an appeal from a woman on the wolves’ behalf, she could think of something to help that would not require the sacrifice of another innocent.

  The thought of adventuring into the vast forest on my own to find a magical witch did give me pause. If I were to be taken over by the dark force again, there would be hell to pay with the men…that is if I survived the encounter. No, seeing the witch would be my last resort. I would go to the village first. I would plead with the elders. My grandmother might be deaf to my plight but she wasn’t the only one who wielded power in the village. I would head out tomorrow at my first opportunity. I would make them listen to me. I had to at least try.

  A twig snapped.

  I froze, not daring to breathe.

  Nothing. All was still.

  I took another hesitant step. Then another.

  When I was far away from the den, I stopped to put on the simple skirt, blouse and leather slippers the wolves had provided for me. Wrapping myself in my red cloak, I drew up the hood as protection against the frosty morning air. Rubbing my numb hands together, I took a moment to get my bearings, then headed in the direction I thought led to the village. It was so silly really. It had come to me last night. The wolves couldn’t approach the villagers for help because all they saw were their beast forms. But I could! I would simply tell the elders that the men still lived inside the beasts. I would impress upon them the correct thing to do was to break the curse. The thought of my grandmother’s reaction when I returned sent a shiver down my body which had nothing to do with the chilled air. There was no doubt in my mind she’d sent me away with the hope I would never return. Well, this wasn’t about her. This was about righting an injustice. Somehow, somewhere, I felt as though my mother would be proud of me.

  I continued to walk for what felt like hours. The warm yellow glow of the sun could be seen peeking through the tree tops, but none of its warmth reached the forest below. My soft leather slippers were becoming tattered and torn, offering little protection from the rocks and branches littered about.

  Beginning to doubt I had chosen the correct direction, I crawled atop a high boulder and looked around. The dark, gnarled branches of the trees seemed to move and shift. It was probably the wind, and yet…it wasn’t just the branches. The trunks of the trees grew wider, closer to one another. Slowly the small glimmers of sunshine through the trees was blocked out. It was as if the trees were closing in on me.

  The trees were moving!

  With my heart in my throat, I tried to will my body to move. As I searched below for a soft spot to jump off the rock, a dark mist began to slither and swirl across the ground. Black with streaks of sickening green, the mist became thicker.

  The dark force.

  The air was filled with a foul stench as the mist turned into a thick smoke. Swirling and churning around the rock. Pulsing and writhing, the forest echoed with a horrifying hissing sound as the dark force crept closer…became stronger. I could feel its insidious effect on me. My lungs started to seize. Looking down at my hands, I could see the faint blue outlines of the veins beneath my pale skin start to turn a bright glowing green. The dark force was invading my body. Death would soon follow. I couldn’t suppress a gasp of pained regret and horror for what was to come. Despite the protection of the wolves, there were times when the dark force took a villager. When they were found, their bodies were covered in green bulging veins. Their faces frozen in twisted pain. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the evil out with good.

  My only thought was of the wolves. They may be gruff and stern and even frightening at times, but all I remembered at this moment was the feeling of having their strong arms about me, of feeling safe and warm and protected. As death claimed me, I would cling to that thought. Grasp it tight within my mind. The vision of me nestled inside a cocoon of warm furs with my five wolf protectors leaning over me.

  Just as I was feeling the cold touch of the dark force mist around my ankles, there was a hellish roar.

  Beo broke into the clearing. Large and powerful in his wolf form. I knew it was him from the dark gray color of his pelt and the wide set of his shoulders. His amber eyes pierced the clearing till they alighted on me. Seeing the dark force surrounding me, he growled. The low rumbling sound made the very earth vibrate. His dark lips curled back, baring sharp white teeth. I could see the sinews in his body curl and bunch right before he pounced into the fray. The dark force swirled around Beo’s neck as his jaws opened on another deafening roar. Beo flipped over and over. With each powerful swipe of his paw, the smoke seemed to break apart and dissipate. Till finally, there was nothing left.

  Over my harsh breathing, I heard the call of a bird. I hadn’t realized till this moment how silent the forest had become the moment the dark force crept below me.

  Turning my gaze back to the forest floor, Beo was once again a man.

  A tall, powerful, very angry man.

  Stretching my hands before me in a feeble placating gesture, I tried to explain. “I wanted to help. The villagers need to know that, inside, you are still men.”

  “That is not your decision to make,” he ground out as he stormed toward me. “You broke the sacred vow of the blood moon sacrifice.”

  “I didn’t mean to. I promise. I was not trying to run away.”

  “That doesn’t matter. We would have every right to tear through your village and devour each and every human.”

  “Please! Don’t do that! Please! Don’t punish them. Punish me,” I begged. While I may have never been shown much love or care by many of the villagers, there were still innocent children and families behind those walls.

  “Then come down here and face your punishment.”

  Still perched on the boulder, I towered over Beo. Yet I knew the moment my feet touched the earth, the top of my head would barely reach his shoulder. Beo was the one wolf who had yet to claim me. Knowing how primal and intense those other experiences had been, I was terrified what it would be like when one of them was as angry as Beo was at me now. What I had done was far worse than refusing to eat the meal they provided, so I knew my punishment would also be far worse.

  “I…I…”

  “Red, I am losing patience.”

  “Please, I…”

  Before I could finish, Beo took a threatening step toward me. Grabbing me by the lower legs, he flung me over his shoulder and began to storm off deeper into the forest.

  “You refusing to obey my command immediately will now add to the severity of your punishment
.”

  I could only whimper. A curtain of red curls obstructed my view as I tried to swallow the dizzying nausea caused by his shoulder pressing deeply into my stomach. He did not carry me far. As he placed me upright, my feet sunk into the soft earth. Looking around, I could see we were in some sort of grotto. The bright green leaves on the trees seemed to glow as sunlight shone through them. There was a small spring, its bank covered with purple and white flowers. The ground near the spring was soft with moss and leaves.

  “Take off those things.”

  Wanting to show I was being obedient, I quickly undid the clasp at my throat and placed the crimson cloak over a nearby log.

  “Everything, Red.”

  My hands covered my stomach in a protective gesture. “Everything?” I asked as I tried to swallow past the dryness in my mouth.

  “Everything,” he repeated, hands on his hips.

  “But, I’ll be…I’ll be…”

  “Naked. Yes. Now do as I command.”

  Knowing I had no choice, I tearfully worked the buttons of my blouse. I knew if I hesitated, he would probably just rip the fabric off me and they were the only items of clothing I had. With no underthings, I made quick work of it and soon stood bare before him. Using my arms and hands, I tried to cover my breasts and core. I spared a glance at him through my lowered lashes. His bare chest still glistened with sweat from his earlier exertions. The fur kilt covering his hips was raised in front. I trembled knowing what was awakening beneath it. Training his golden eyes on me, he reached above him and tore down a branch from the nearby birch tree. Methodically, he stripped the branch of all its leaves. My mouth fell open when he swiped the thin branch against his own palm. It made a horrible cracking sound.