Anahid swam up slowly from sleep. It was nearly impossible to open her eyes for how warm and protected she felt. She nuzzled into the thick fur around her, searching for its warmth. The fur shifted and then she heard the heartbeat against her ear. She flipped her eyes open, took in the huge wolf she lay curled against.
She jerked away from him with a screech, but he simply yawned and stretched on the fur blankets. He laid his massive head down between his paws, dark gray eyes calmly watching her.
Her heart thrummed. Her mind screamed at her to turn and run. But...though he'd startled her, some deeper instinct told her he meant her no harm. This was Kaev. Her captor. The insane man who thought she was his mate. This terrifying shape-shifter. But he would not harm her. At least. Not today it seemed.
She studied the wolf. He was more broad than a natural wolf, more muscled, the size of a bear. As he stretched relaxed on the blankets she saw he had an almost feline-grace to his limbs as well. He was rather lovely, when he wasn't panic-inducing.
"I have to empty my bladder. I'm NOT trying to escape," she said primly then turned from the camp. She moved only a few yards away and found a bush to hide behind. Did he really believe she would turn into a creature like that tonight? It was impossible. Impossible in its insanity.
And yet...she remembered her mother's face. Her round kind face with its dark brown eyes. Her father, similarly short and good natured. Her brother, cut from the same cloth as her kind parents. And then her. Anahid. The weird girl that stood inches taller than the rest of her family. That had strange bronze hair when everyone she knew had dark brown or black hair. She'd always known she was different. She just hadn't understood why. Her heart ached. All these years her parents never told her the truth, why had they kept it from her?
She returned to the camp, found Kaev back in his—nearly as—imposing human form. He caught her eye as she returned and smirked.
"I'm almost sad you didn't run."
"Why did my real father just abandon me? What happened to my mother?" she asked, in no mood for small talk.
He sobered, nodding as if he knew these questions must come. "I don't know about your mother, but your father...Hayk..." he swallowed, as if debating what to say. "Well, our kind we don't often mingle with humans. I imagine your mother was just a passing impulse. Hayk though was very solitary, he never kept a pack for very long. So when he found me after he'd been attacked by...others he was already near death. All I know is his last thought was of you. And like I said I owed him a debt so I've been away from my pack for years now trying to find you."
Anahid shook her head. It wasn't good enough.
"What if you're wrong? What if I don't turn into...a monster tonight?" she asked.
He crouched in front of the fire, but let his eyes slide up and down her body. She shivered at the hunger in his eyes. "It's Lycan. And I'm not wrong."
Anahid moved back to the furs, she still wore only his large shirt and the chill of the morning air left her shivering and covered in goosebumps.
Kaev stoked the fire, glanced back to her. "I'll find you some better clothes today. I'll be gone a few hours. You can try to run again if you'd like, but now that I've got your scent, I'll find you," he grinned at her and she saw the excitement plain on his face.
"How far ARE we from my village?" she asked.
"Several hours on two feet. Less on four," he again smiled knowingly. But then his face turned serious. "You don't want to go in that direction. When the change takes you tonight you'll be...dangerous to humans."
She shuddered, his cool gray eyes watched her, and she felt suddenly naked again.
"I still don't think I believe you."
He shrugged, suddenly rose from the fire and brought her a mug of tea. "Your belief isn't required. Drink that, it will warm you a bit while I'm gone. There are a few bags of dried food when you're hungry. I'd just relax today, stay warm by the fire. You'll need your energy for tonight."
She gritted her teeth, looked up to him as she held the warm mug to her chest. "Are you going to rape me?"
He blinked, crouched down in front of her again. He reached that giant hand of his to her cheek and this time she didn't flinch away, knowing it might only provoke him. "It's not like that Anahid. It won't be how you're imagining." She swallowed as his rough fingers tenderly caressed her face. And she nearly believed him. Her body did at least. The feel of his fingers against her skin sent a ripple down her spine, awakened the dull ache between her legs. She squirmed, pressing her thighs together, trying to push away the confusing rush he elicited in her.
And he knew, of course he did. He smirked at her as she squirmed and brought his hand to the back of her head. Gently he pulled her face to his and planted the most tender of kisses to her lips. The feel of his surprisingly soft lips sparked the fire in her and before she knew it she was returning the kiss. Leaning into him, parting for him. His tongue darted into her mouth and she was reminded of the delicious things he could do with that tongue. A moan escaped her lips and he pressed more urgently into her. His mouth consumed her, his tongue insistent and demanding.
With a gasp he pulled away and stood.
"I should be going," he rasped out. He pulled his shirt off, quickly stepped out of his breeches.
The blood rushed to her face as a suddenly naked Kaev stood in front of her. Unable to stop herself she slid her eyes to his heavy cock and a shiver of dread and anticipation ran through her. She suddenly felt the damp heat between her own legs. Blinking she looked back up to meet his intense eyes. They were nearly black with lust and she felt the air between them still as they eyed each other.
He grinned and then his body rippled. The black hair sprouted with abandon across his muscled skin. He fell forward with a snarl as the wolf leapt up within him. Within only seconds the monstrous black wolf crouched in front of her. With a low growl he turned and fled into the woods.
She was alone. Achingly alone.
~~
Kaev ran through the trees on his way back to Anahid. He was cutting it closer than he'd like but he'd had a hard time finding just the right clothes for her. If he were in his human form he'd laugh at himself. At what his Anahid had done to him. Kaev, King among Lycans creeping through villages searching for a fetching dress for his lover.
His mind wandered as he ran, imagining how the night would go. Wondering what her wolf form would look like. He imagined her coat would match her lovely bronze locks.
He sensed the others too late. A silver tipped arrow struck him in his hind leg and he howled in rage as he stumbled, immediately casting around for his attackers. He cursed his distracted mind as he grabbed at the arrow with his teeth, ripped it from his flesh.
There were four and he heard the second arrow and danced quickly out of the way just before it struck him. The vampires slipped from the shadows, circled him. He growled as he studied their movements. How long had they been tracking him? His mind raced. Anahid. Was she safe? Had they followed his trail to her? Fear and hot anger warred within him.
With a howl he leapt at the most dangerous looking one, knocking the vampire to the ground and ripping his throat out with a spray of blood. A sword slashed across his shoulder and he twisted, springing from the fallen vampire and away from the other three. Another arrow flew and pierced his leg again. He ran and the three silent vampires dashed after him. He hoped to lose them and then circle back around and pick them off one by one.
Stupid! He was so stupid for running into this ambush. He narrowly dodged another arrow and continued to run, away from camp, away from Anahid. It was his only thought, he must draw them away.
~~
Anahid watched the sun sink below the trees. Something was wrong. She sensed it, deep in that primal part of her self.
Kaev should have been back by now. Not that she was hoping for her insane captor to return... But he should have been back. She was alone in this strange forest and something wasn't right. Worry coursed through her. She didn't believe him, couldn't believe him. But the moon was beginning to peak above the horizon and she suddenly felt it in her bones.
Perhaps she was going mad? It was the only explanation for the strange feeling that rose within her belly. For the craving that arose in her throat.
A surge of heat erupted within her chest, coursed outwards, into her spine, into every bone, into every pore. She screamed and fell backwards on her blankets. The fire rose in her. She was dying. Kaev was wrong. She wasn't changing into a monster tonight. She was simply dying.
The agony ripped through her and she convulsed, thrashed on the ground as her every bone broke, lengthened, reformed. Another howl rose within her as she flipped onto her stomach, panting and sweating with the blistering pain. She tried to dig her hands into the soft furs, tried to ground herself but the sight of fur only sent her mind reeling away.
