Three: The rejection

Delia's POV

I gaped at Graeme, shocked at his revelation. My boyfriend? A Vampire? Come on. That was impossible.

“No… you're mistaken, he can't be.” I argued but even then as I took in Zack’s beautiful face twisted with an unholy rage and the red ring around his light blue eyes, and I wasn’t so sure. A moment ago, I didn’t even know werewolves existed and now I was being told my boyfriend of the past year is a freaking vampire. I needed to catch a freaking break.

“Come Delia.” Zack ordered and my body seized once more, my desperation to get to him keeping me in frenzy.

“Get her away from him. He’s got her under a thrall. Head to the pack. I’ll finish him off and follow behind.” He said self-assuredly and a bone-chilling laugh fell out of Zack’s mouth.

“Oh, I'd like to see you try Wolf Boy.” Zack hissed and then they flew into action. One moment they were eyeing each other, several feet apart. The next Zack moved with lightening speed I’d never known he was capable of, swiping at Graeme with his hands in what looked like a fatal blow. My jaw dropped, shock weakening my body so that I stopped struggling with whichever one of Graeme’s men was holding me as I stared at the grappling men.

Graeme dodged the blow, another incredible feat I couldn’t help but marvel at and then launched an attack of his own. “Don’t hurt him!” I yelled but I didn’t know who I was referring to. I just knew that I didn’t want any of them to get hurt. Not over me.

A scream of horror tore out of my throat, as clawed fingers tore into skin, blood and flesh meeting the cool evening’s air. They held no weapons but their hands yet still managed to inflict such damage on each other. Still, neither of them flinched nor relented. I struggled once more with my captor but he ignored me, carrying me to the car to carry out Graeme’s instructions.

I couldn’t leave. I wanted to understand what was going on with Zack but no matter how I pleaded, the man holding me wouldn’t let me go. Time begun to slow, my vision blurring as my consciousness wavered. I was powerless to stop it, going under

I had no idea what was happening anymore. My mind was focused on the stench of violence, the exploding flesh and scent of blood strangely appealing. I wanted to go to it but I couldn’t feel my body well enough to move it to do what I wanted.

“What’s wrong with her?” The man holding me queried frantically but I didn’t know. Were those rabid growls coming from my mouth? Or Graeme’s?

“Shit! Alpha, we’re losing her! She’s turning!” I heard a moment before my mind blanked.

I heard someone calling my name and opened my eyes to see Graeme’s face before me. He looked different, in a form halfway between man and beast and it pleased me somehow to see him like that.

I opened my mouth to say something, eyes widening when instead of words, a whine came from my throat.

“It's alright girl. He's gone. The vampire can't make you do anything you don't want to anymore.” He said and I begun to feel agitated again, my heart racing anew.

Zack. Zack was the vampire he was speaking of. And he had fought with Graeme. And I'd blacked out during the fight after feeling such intense pain and now… I looked down at myself, startled by the fur and paws I saw down there.

Guess there was no need to wait a month then. I was now a wolf!

Panic filled me and I looked up to Graeme, his steady, assuring aura calming me instantly. He held my gaze intently, an odd expression on his face. I felt so drawn to him. So safe in his presence. I wondered if it had anything to do with him being an Alpha, but I didn't ask. Instead, I leaned into his body, rubbing my furred cheek over his thigh. Pleasure welled within me when the muscle tensed beneath my skin.

“Good girl. You're going to turn back human for me now. Okay Delia?”

He murmured, gently stroking my fur. If I could make the sound, I would have purred. As it was, I could only whine and whimper my appreciation for his hand on my body. I wanted more. My body throbbed with a basal sort of need I’d never experienced before and I started to shift.

“No!” Graeme’s powerful aura washed over me, dampening the flames of my need but not successfully extinguishing it altogether.

I paused, my mind feeling slightly clearer even though some part of me sulked. It was odd, feeling two completely distinct emotions at once. It was almost like there was someone else inside me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on the strange occurrence. All my attention was stuck on Graeme and the powerful strands of need that kept pulling me to him. What was this sensation? Was this what it meant to be a wolf? I hadn’t even know him an hour ago and now my body felt like it wouldn’t survive if it stepped away from him. How was that possible?

“Dammit Delia! I said no! Turn now!” Graeme snapped, suddenly seeming angry with me and eager to please him, I allowed my body do whatever he commanded.

It was painful, but not unbearably so and eventually, I shrunk, my bones rearranging as I turned back to my human form.

The first thing I noticed was that I was naked. I squealed and looked up to beg for a jacket, my words dying on my lips when I saw Graeme towering over me, a dark look on his face as his eyes trailed up and down my body. He had switched back to fully human like I was, yet he looked positively ravenous as he stared down at me. I held a breath, watching him back as if trapped by his gaze. Without breaking eye contact, he took off his suit jacket, and dropped it around my shoulders, then picked me up, pulled my body into him and kissed me.

Heat exploded in my belly, the embers of my need flaring to full form the moment is lips met mine. His tongue dipped in my mouth and I opened, a moan falling from my eager lips. I had been kissed before, but never quite like this. This wasn’t the expression of affection or even desire that I was used to. This was a claiming. A possession of my body that had me consumed in a way that I could never come back from.

His hands roved down my body and I trembled from the feel of his fingers caressing over my skin.

“Alpha!” I heard someone call distantly, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the man who was claiming me. All I could think about was how I wanted him to do more. With his teeth, with his seed. I turned my lips from his and found a spot in his shoulder then sunk my teeth deeply.

“No!” He yelled suddenly, pushing me away before I could sink too deeply. I stumbled back several times and managed to right myself from falling.

He stared at me wideyed, like he’d seen a ghost and I stared back with the varying degrees of shock and confusion. That was the best thing I’d ever felt in my life. Why did he stop?

“No. I’m sorry, but I can’t do this with you. This isn’t the time, place and you’re certainly not the one.” He said with a shake of his head. I wasn’t even sure what he was talking about, but my heart had already started to break. He straightened, a determined look on his face.

“I reject you and our mate bond.” He thundered and I gasped as something shattered inside me.

“No, wait!” There was a gaping chasm in my chest. One that threatened to swallow me whole if I didn’t get rid of it quickly. He had filled me so completely and now he was taking it away. Why would he do something like that. “Please. Don’t leave. I don’t… I don’t understand what’s going on. But it had felt so good. Didn’t you feel it? I know you did. You kissed me!” I was rambling but I couldn’t help it. I was desperate. I was about to lose him and I could tell. It didn’t matter now that I didn’t know him. It didn’t matter that I had a boyfriend or that I’d just found out I was a wolf. This thing between us, it was the most important thing in the world to me. He couldn’t

“Take her. Take her to Wilburn pack. Tell Alpha Oswald that I need him to watch her for me for now.” Graeme growled at his man standing next to me.

“What? But I thought she was to remain with us.”

“I can’t… She’s not… Argh! Just do as I say! I’ll handle her when I get back!”

“Alpha? Where are you going?” He called, but Graeme already began to step away, shifting in the process.

He turned into a large black wolf and disappeared without another word to me or my shattered heart. I didn’t know much about being a wolf, but I did know a bit about broken hearts and mine was shattered at the fact that I had found someone who seemed to be my other half— and he had rejected me.