Arctic Bound Read online

  Werewolf.

  Werewolf.

  Rinse and repeat.

  Werewolf.

  There were a thousand possibilities going through her head as to how she came to be burn free, but never in a million years did she think she’d hear the words werewolf.

  “Wait… does this mean that I’m now a werewolf?” Because if it did, well, Oscar and his band of mafia killing idiots were in for a surprise if they ever found her.

  “No, there would have to be three bites or blood exchanges, and so far I’m the only one that has given you blood. I haven’t taken yours. It’s frowned upon to change a human into a werewolf. Besides, you would be the diluted version, and my Pack would reject you on those grounds alone.”

  “Well your father already dislikes me, as do you. So I think that about sums that up.” Something was kicking around in the back of her head. A movie she saw, maybe even something she read on the internet. She was all for the Sci-Fi and Paranormal. She just never thought any of it was real. Didn’t werewolves originate in Europe, and Anubis was the God of mummification and the afterlife. He had the head of a jackal. Nerina was fascinated, which prompted her to ask Victor more questions.

  “Werewolves are European not Egyptian.”

  Victor slanted his head as if to get a better look at her.

  “No. All descendants come from Enil and the first members of the Shadow Werewolves. The European version is a result of a union between a Werewolf and a human. Diluted the blood, changed the form. In our true forms our heads are in the shape of a jackal-wolf hybrid. That’s how we tell each other apart. There are only five Packs left from the original twelve of The Secret Order of Anubis. Everyone that has come after that is a mutation.”

  He said the last part with a sneer as if he were better than the others.

  “So racism is alive and well in Werewolf society.”

  “It’s not about race, or even species. It’s about purity and strength of the Packs. The more diluted, the weaker the wolf.”

  “Same difference. You know there was a man who thought the same way once, started a world war over it. Ever heard of Hitler?”

  His eyes narrowed and Nerina could see it then, they weren’t human eyes at all. She wondered if he processed color the same way humans did. Or because of his animal side, were his eyes better suited for the dark. His eyes weren’t really a true green either, but a green-gold and his pupil wasn’t a solid black. In the fire’s light it looked almost luminous. From the center of his iris, the color flared and expanded from green to gold and there was even a bit of blue interlaced in there that gave the overall effect of a human’s eyes.

  Oh my God! I’m talking to a real live fictional beast. Who’s not even fictional but real! And how was it that she could see that much detail in his eye anyway?

  “I’ve heard of Hitler. My grandfather even helped fight against him in the war. It’s different in our society. Purity lends to strength. Anything else is considered weak. Weakness causes death. If our blood is diluted, our offspring is susceptible to things like a bullet, silver or not, it wouldn’t matter. Our blood bleeds just like everyone else. You may think it’s racism, or selection, but I assure you it’s not. Animals prey on the weak. Over the centuries those that are from a bloodline that is less pure have sought out darker forces in order to ensure their survival. To humans that may seem harsh, animalistic. In a way that’s exactly how we live. Like animals, we communicate with our bodies, and through smell. Words, although they mean something, they are not binding like our actions are. By keeping our bloodline pure, my grandfather ensured our strength would outlast any of the others when it came time for the great battle.”

  “Great battle?”

  Victor shook his head.

  “I’ve said too much already. What you need to know is that I’m a werewolf. I gave you my blood, which in turn healed you. You’ll notice that you can see better, hear better, and your strength is ten times what a normal humans would be. And now you’re completely healed. Be thankful of that Nerina Simpson.”

  Fine.

  She was good at keeping secrets. She had a few of her own.

  “So I take it Mistress Red is on to your secret, which is why she sent the girls after you to begin with. If your bloodline is pure, and you’re…” she air quoted her next words, ‘super strong,’ then why were we decked out in silver. It wouldn’t hurt you, would it?”

  “Pure silver does in fact cause us harm which is what you were wearing. Everything in life has a negative to its positive. For us it’s silver, pure silver. It doesn’t kill, but it leaves a nasty mark. And yes, I think that’s why your girls came dressed in silver. What I took from them, as I said before, belonged to my people.”

  Well the girls weren’t going to give up so easily. Since she’d been home, Raven had called her a total of six times and each time the phone conversations were the same. Accusations and blame. She could only imagine what was going through Raven’s head now that she wasn’t even there to answer the other woman’s call.

  “They aren’t going to give up so easily. They don’t know we’re neighbors but that could all change.”

  She’d need to leave. Raven didn’t accept that she’d given Victor and Colin the slip. She thought the opposite. She believed Nerina was in league with them. After the storm she would have to try and talk some sense into Raven, otherwise she’d have to leave.

  “Is there a chance they could come here?”

  Nerina nodded soberly. She wouldn’t be surprised if the girls were trying to mobilize now. Even with the storm they would find a way.

  “I’d have to leave, and you and your brother would need to lay low for a couple of months. Possibly your entire family. If they know about you and Colin, then they know about the rest of your family.”

  Victor growled.

  “I’m not going to move my family because some woman wants what is rightfully ours. We will deal with them, should they come here. It’s my fault more than it is yours. I obviously was followed. What I don’t understand is your ties with them.”

  Victor stood, his form imposing as he walked to the mouth of the cave looking out into the storm.

  “Get some rest Nerina. We have at least another two days here. The cave should be warm enough now that you no longer require my body heat.”

  Well if that wasn’t being dismissed she didn’t know what was.

  “I guess our conversation is over?”

  “For now.”

  

  Victor woke to a loud scream. He turned and watched as Nerina’s arms and legs flailed violently in her sleep. He sat up, turning to shake her. He tried to pull her from whatever nightmare she was in. She grabbed his arms, dug her nails in deep causing blood to well up from his skin.

  “Nerina wake up, you’re dreaming.” Still she fought him. Even as he pulled her into his lap, cradling and rocking her back and forth. Her body tensed as she tried to fight the demons in her sleep.

  “Nerina, it’s me, Victor. Wake up.” This time he shook her harder, jostling her body back and forth. She clutched onto his neck, burying her head into his shoulders as a loud sob spilled from her lips. Her entire frame shook in his arms the more he tried to console her.

  “You’re alright. The dream is over now. I’ve got you and everything is fine. Just hold onto me, Nerina. I’ve got you.” He tried rubbing the warmth back into her body as she began to relax. Light brown eyes stared up at him in confusion. Sleep still clouded her vision and seconds passed before her eyes cleared from their panic. She was scared, that much was clear. But scared of what? She was hiding from someone. Had to be. Victor knew it wasn’t from the women back at the club. No, this was something more. Something that had to do with the scars she no longer bore. There was no doubt in his mind now. There was no way she could be a Hunter.

  “Who are you running from, Nerina?’

  She chewed on her bottom lip and he knew she was deciding her next move. Her body once pliant in his
arms was now stiff with apprehension. He never got the chance to call her out on her bullshit, because her lips were suddenly devouring his in a kiss that was meant to control him. She wanted to steer the conversation to other topics. Yeah, like no talking. She was trying to shut him up. Victor tore his mouth away, trying to catch his breath and talk some sense into her. Whatever it was, she really didn’t want to talk about it. Her lips moved, latching on to his jaw, then his neck. She bit him hard making him groan. Her mouth conjured up many lurid images of where he wanted them touching, sucking and licking. He wanted her mouth any and everywhere. Her lips were magic. Weaving a spell of seduction that he couldn’t say no to. He’d always been the aggressor, never the one to be docile. His body shuddered under the onslaught of her kisses. His erection was now painful as the blood from his body centered all its effort into the area of his groin. Her nails scrapped over his thighs. Nerina’s breath whispered over his skin, warm like the sun. Victor had to grab a handful of her hair so that he could stop her onslaught and gain her attention.

  “If you don’t stop now, things will go a lot further than you want.” He focused on her eyes, making sure there was no misunderstanding between them. If she continued to touch him, he was going to fuck her. Consequences be damned. He knew his eyes were glowing. His wolf was ready to take her. Hard and fast. Victor struggled to be gentle, but it was not to his advantage. She shattered his control when she licked her lips. Her eyes were darker, warmer and staring up at him with unchecked lust. He knew without a doubt she’d accepted her fate. Depositing her away from his body, he quickly stood, but still had hold of her hair in order to control her movements. When she tried to stand up, he stayed her with his other hand.

  “Don’t move. Stay on your knees.”

  She looked up at him wide eyed. But she did not move.

  He released her hair and cupped her face in both hands, smoothing his thumbs across her cheek in a way he hoped conveyed how pleased he was that she listened.

  “Beautiful.” Victor bent and placed a soft kiss against her forehead. Sweat beaded on his upper lip and coated his back in a fine sheen. She had all the power and didn’t even realize it. He had barely touched her, and already he was weak in the knees. That had never happened with any other female. Caressing the side of her face with the back of his hand, Victor smiled as her body swayed towards his movements. Their bodies were in perfect harmony with one another.

  “You will surrender to me, Neri.”

  Her gaze was full of desire and he watched for signs of weariness in her body language as he circled her. Victor enjoyed the image of her on her knees. She didn’t respond to his statement, but her eyes told him what he needed to know. Turning to stand in front of her, Victor took a series of deep breaths. Calm and control. His cock was heavy weight that strained to be closer to her mouth.

  “Grab my dick with your hand and squeeze me.” She lifted her hand slowly and firmly grasped the girth of his cock. Her hand barely surrounded all of him. Tentatively at first and then harder, she gripped him. A sound raw with need rumbled past Victor’s lips. His thighs tightened when her hand firmly stroked him from base to tip. She was eager to please him and that only made him want her more. His body was on fire. A wave of heat rushed from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet as she continued to work him with sure strokes of her hand. Stepping away from her grasp, Victor tried to reign in his hunger. Their eyes clashed, both of them overly eager. She’d been too into the act of stroking him to realize how on edge he was. His wolf already clawing at the chance to devour its prey. Victor wanted her mouth on him. Needed to put his mouth on her. So many options and no one around to interrupt. He needed to take full advantage of the situation. First, he needed to get himself under control. Just a few sucks. A few wouldn’t do him any harm. It wasn’t like she could enslave him to her will. He was in complete control of the situation.

  Victor moved the head of his dick to her lips and gently rubbed. At first, she didn’t open. He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger and raised her head to look directly at him. The brown in her eyes melted into an entrancing gold when he again tried to gain entrance into her mouth.

  “Open for me sweet Neri.” Her eyes closed at the use of the name. He’d meant to call her Nerina but shortening it made the moment more intimate. Something that was only between them. Her mouth parted slowly, giving him minimal access. She swirled her tongue over the head of his dick, dipping her tongue into the slit. Slowly she allowed him to slide into the heated depths of her mouth and Victor swore he could hear music. Slow, alluring, deep music that touched the pit of his gut as she pulled his length deeper into her mouth. It was torture as she took him deep and slowly released him. He found it hard to breathe as he tried to concentrate on what she was doing. His hands tangled in her hair when she grabbed a hold of his thighs and pulled him to the back of her throat. Fingers enmeshed into her satiny hair, Victor tugged harder. Nerina moaned, sucking faster. Sliding up and down his shaft, she worked him into a temporary madness. He didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to hold out, but he didn’t want her to stop either.

  “Harder, suck me harder.” He guided her with his hands, increasing her speed, and when she didn’t protest, he pushed harder. No female had ever respond to his demands so quickly. His spine tingled as the need for release surged through him. His skin pebbled with goose bumps and he knew without a doubt that she was going to be the end to everything he once believed true. The thin thread on what little control he had left was going to snap. There was no way he could keep her but everything inside of him screamed that she was his.

  Mine. His wolf co-signed.

  He’d do anything for her and it wouldn’t matter what it was. Kill, maim, and pillage if that’s what it took to make her world a better place.

  Chapter 10

  All Nerina wanted to do was distract him so that she wouldn’t have to tell her story. But her distraction backfired in a way that promised an unforgettable night in the arms of a werewolf. How fucking cool was that? She hadn’t actually seen him change, but she knew it to be true, otherwise, where did all her scars go? This wasn’t a dream. It was really happening. Now she had his cock sliding in and out of her mouth, and if she was going to be honest with herself, it was sexy as hell. Everything about Victor was hot. When he’d shortened her name to Neri, she’d melted. The muscles in his thighs were taught with his impending release and she wanted more than anything, to take him over the edge. She was eager to please him.

  His shaft hit the back of her throat, triggering his release. It was hot, as she swallowed. His taste bold and spicy. Victor pulled tighter on her hair. A growl slipping from his lips. Nerina’s breasts were heavy as heat gathered between her thighs. Her knees were digging into the unsympathetic ground and she didn’t care. She wanted to taste him. Feel his dominant strength as he continued to pump mercilessly into her mouth, stretching her lips to a painful bliss. She never got off on pain, but with Victor she was receptive. Her stomach pitched into a freefall from the anticipation and her gut clenched from the reaction. Nerina was so turned on she was practically dying to get out of her clothes. She watched as his eyes widened slightly and his nostrils flared. They were pitch black, his eyes now fully dilated, swallowing his irises like a junkie high on drugs. Only it was her that was causing the reaction. She was the stimulant.

  A bone deep ache settled in her core. Pulsing in a way that left her breathless. She would have stood, but stayed in place because he hadn’t given her permission to move. It wasn’t because she was shying away from what she wanted. She wasn’t doing it because she lacked the will to do for herself, or because of an alternate or conflicting need. No, she stayed kneeling because if she did move, it would relinquish the power she had over him, over the situation.

  “You’re fucking amazing Neri.” His voice hitting a low pitch , she felt the vibration in her clit.

  The warmth from his body surrounded her, wrapping her in a trance-like state.
She could feel his closeness. Hear his heart as it beat a steady cadence in his chest. It soothed her own rapid pulse as she tried to slow her heart to match his. There was something about him that lay waste to her insecurities. It wasn’t because she could feel his blood coursing through her veins, it was him. He was the reason she felt powerful and unafraid. One thing occupied her mind, pulling her back from her state of bliss. Was he into her now because her scars were gone? Was it because they were closed off from the rest of the world where no one could comment on the status of whatever it was they were sharing? Nerina cleared her thoughts, throwing herself back into the moment. She was going to relent this one time. Be free of any choice and contradictions. She was going to bask in the now, live in the moment. Everything else would have to be sorted after their time together was over. She didn’t think this meant they were going to be each other’s one and only. Happiness was for those who believed in a positive outcome in all things. It was for the ones that accepted the true challenge of life’s obstacles, and worked hard to carve out their slice of life. Nerina was a cynic. She knew what dangers lurked behind closed doors, or hung out on street corners. Hell, she was danger. Nerina Simpson was the one you didn’t bring home and introduce to your family. She wasn’t someone, anyone could be proud of. She’d done horrible things. Truly grotesque in nature if she chose to dig deep and look inside. She didn’t do hearts and flowers. She believed in the here, and now. All wrong doings committed in the past or in the future would never be wiped clean. And she wouldn’t regret a thing. Especially this.

  Was Victor in control? Yes he was, and she was too. It was an equal exchange of power, and now that her mind and her body were in sync with her most basic needs, she was free to feel what only he could give her. The texture of his callous fingers as he caressed the underside of her jaw caused Nerina to shiver involuntarily as he gave her his approval. Not with words, but by the way he touched her. Victor’s fingers were firm, but soft. His touch, all-encompassing as his hands tangled in her hair to bring her face up to meet his.