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He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 106
Ferrara“I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you. I have read every single one of your papers. I’m sure you don’t remember this, it was a few years ago, but I reached out to you when I wrote my dissertation on rapid gene mutation,” Makayla gushed as she pulled out a key. The healer looked to be in her early twenties, and from the moment we walked into the infirmary, her eyes held stars.All for Saul. I knew he continued his research and submitted papers, but from the way this young woman was reacting, he was a little bit of a rock star in his field.“I do remember,” Saul smiled. “If I recall, your dissertation was about gene mutation during the mating habits of certain mammals. It certainly caught my eye.”Immediately, her cheeks flamed. “Yeah, that was kind of the point. I really just wanted to ignite some interest in my field by making it a little bit spicy, you know? I mean, I think science is sexy, but it’s a hard sell for young students, and sometimes you find that grad school is
Last Updated : 2024-12-28He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 107
ViolettaA sudden and uncomfortable invisible tug jerked me to my feet. Spinning around, Finn was immediately on guard. I’d dropped the thick file folder off in my room, and we’d explored some of the territory before we’d stopped for a drink at the Snake River Valley brewery.Around us, the other wolves, most who’d been friendly, but a couple who’d watched me with narrowed eyes, stopped talking.“It’s not them,” I told Finn as I rubbed my chest. “It’s Ferrara. Something is wrong. Where’s the infirmary?”Everyone started murmured at once until an older man stood. “I can take you.”It was a short run, one that I was able to do on foot, and when we arrived at the infirmary, Ferrara and Saul burst out. Upon seeing me, they stopped short. “What’s wrong?” I demanded. “What happened? Are we fighting?”“We were locked in a closet.”“You…what? You were locked in a closet?”Ferrara nodded, and I rubbed my chest again. “I felt panic from you.”His handsome face lit up as his lips curved in a slo
Last Updated : 2024-12-28He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 108
FerraraThe infirmary was a very different scene when we arrived. It was surrounded by guards, with Cruz and his men hauling the crates out. At the sight of London, they stopped. He murmured a few words to them, and they continued. A few shifters in the infirmary had gathered to watch. From their eyes, I had a feeling that they hadn’t even known the crates were in there.“Maria, I apologize for the inconvenience. If you and the others working here could just stay for a few minutes, Cruz will have a few questions for you. Then you’ll all be allowed to take an hour-long break while we do some maintenance around the facility,” London announced.An older red-headed woman nodded and immediately began corralling some of the others. Cruz joined them, and London led us to one of the offices. He closed the door and used the phone to call his tech guy. It only took a few minutes for Saul to login.“Are you sure we don’t need to bring him down here? What if she tried to hide the files?” London s
Last Updated : 2024-12-28He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 109
ViolettaI was so upset with Ferrara that I could barely look at him as I stormed back to our room. He followed behind and smartly didn’t say a word until the door was closed. Then, I rounded on him.“What is wrong with you? She is scared and she has no one and you’re just going to kick her out in the cold? You don’t make every wolf pledge their loyalty to you when they visit, so why are you making her? Can’t you see how fucking traumatized she is?”“You are correct that I do not force a bond on wolves tethered to another, but I absolutely make rogue wolves swear a temporary oath with me when they stay on my lands, and I’ve gone as far as to create temporary bonds with one,” he said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Cindy is a rogue wolf now, and she is not coming to stay for a couple of weeks. Her stay as no expiration date, so I will absolutely have her bond with me.”The fire continued to roar inside of me. “She doesn’t even know what it means to be humanely rele
Last Updated : 2025-01-04He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 110
FerraraIt was unusually quiet the next morning. I opened the blinds to the stillness outside. Our window faced the courtyard, so usually, in the morning, there was a flurry of activity. The table of bagels, muffins, fruit and coffee had been set up, but no one was using it. Yesterday, I’d watched staff moved back and forth, using the courtyard as a shortcut. Guard members were constantly streaming in and out until the food and coffee were gone.Today, it looked like the table hadn’t been touched since the food had been placed out there. An inkling of unease slithered through me. Generally, this kind of still meant that the guards were all busy with some emergency, but I suspected London would have alerted me if that was the problem.Maybe I was just making a problem in my head because we hadn’t been able to catch a break. I was tense and waiting for the next shoe to drop.In the bed, Violetta sighed and shifted. Closing the blinds, I put all my attention on her. A weight in my chest
Last Updated : 2025-01-04He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 111
Violetta“It wasn’t me,” Janelle repeated for the hundredth time as we all stared at the damage done to the trees.I wanted to be annoyed with her, but I knew what it was like to always be on the defensive. To know that if anything went wrong, everyone would be looking at you.That didn’t mean that I trusted Janelle, but in this, I trusted her. She didn’t see any lingering magic, and neither did I.Ferrara and Amelia were trying to pinpoint London’s whereabouts. We’d been to what looked like the start of whatever had happened, although none of the evidence made sense. The woods were completely normal until whatever happened in this spot. Had a car dropped the beast off? There were no tread marks.Had something dropped it from the sky?“Nobody thinks it was you, Janelle, but if you keep saying that we might have a different opinion,” Finn snapped.Janelle’s eyes narrowed in his direction. Good. I was happy to see the witch with a little backbone.“This is weird,” Kenzi said as she wrin
Last Updated : 2025-01-04He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 112
FerraraLondon snarled at Saul and prowled around the small lab, occasionally muttering something under his breath. Violetta stood protectively on one side of Saul, and I leaned in the doorway, watching it all unfold.“Why didn’t you come to me immediately,” London snapped, and I watched as Violetta narrowed her eyes.“I had several theories about what the drug might do,” Saul explained, still as calm as ever, although his eyes were bloodshot red. “But as I’ve explained, I wasn’t sure what these two compounds were. I was still diving into the research when I fell asleep. It wasn’t until Violetta’s discovery this morning that made me put it together. Well, put most of it together.”“This is dangerous and important. You should have notified me at every step!”“I had planned to give a report this morning.”London opened his mouth, and Violetta stepped forward. “Enough! It is not Saul’s fault that you got some weird drug, and someone is using it to turn themselves into Mr. Hyde!”Saul loo
Last Updated : 2025-01-04He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 113
ViolettaShe was still alive.I didn’t know anything about the woman who lay shivering on the table in the infirmary, but relief swept through me anyway. I was so tired of people dying around me. So tired of being involved in death. It would be nice if this time, everyone lived.Although, if Makayla pulled through, London might very well kill her anyway. He practically vibrated next to me as we watched through the window while Saul did an exam.Naked and pale, she acted as if she knew where she was and who she was, but every now and then, she would give a little cry of warning, and her eyes would turn green. No one thought anything about it until London told us that Makayla’s wolf’s eyes were amber-colored.Now, as she cried out, Saul slowly inched toward the door. Holding my breath, I watched as the young woman fought to control herself. Irons were wrapped around her wrists and ankles, chaining her to the wall. They were supposed to be strong enough to hold a werewolf.No one was sur
Last Updated : 2025-01-04
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He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 205
ViolettaI did as much good at Indigo Peak as I could while I was there, but few of the wolves were happy to see me, so I spent most of my time in my room reviewing Maeve's books in an attempt to help Finn get organized. I ignored all the massive journals the crazed woman had collected. I was no longer the ternary, and they had nothing to do with me.Lunessa, Irene, and the other witches helped identify the small faction of witches who'd been working against Maeve. Most of them were imprisoned. Some were in the field when Lunessa stole their magic. And some were dead. There were enough that, in a few months, the land might be healed enough to start growing again, just in time for spring.At least, that was the hope.Leaving Finn was difficult. I didn't know where he was mentally, but I knew Indigo Peak needed his help, and he would provide it.And when Amelia returned with us, tears in her eyes, I tried not to get involved. Finn was making a mistake, but he would realize that. In due
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ViolettaImmediately, I stepped inside the circle and felt the magic drain away. "I don't have magic anymore, but even if I did, none of this is for me. It was for a deranged woman to hold on to a memory of when she thought she was in control. She's dead now, and I don't need this place to know that I had a happy family once. And I don't need to bring any of that up. I have enough happiness in my immediate past."Finn stared at the home as the flowers started to wither and the wood started to break down. Its age was catching up to it. "I could burn it to the ground," he said darkly."I think you should. I love that you wanted to give me a choice, but this place doesn't mean anything to me, and it's a symbol of Indigo Peak's troubled past. Burn it and make way for the future. You're going to be an amazing alpha, and if you'll let me, I'll come visit often to check in on you. I'm going to miss you and Amelia.""You're more than welcome, Violetta. I'll demand your visits, seeing as how I
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 203
ViolettaI woke up alone. For a moment, I thought I was back in Maeve's grip, chained to the wall, listening to Finn's cries as they tormented him. Tears pricked my eyes until I heard a voice in the room."Violetta."The hoarse whisper calmed me, and I took a deep breath. I was not alone. Maeve was dead. I'd been certain that Ferrara had been in the room with me at one point, but he was gone now. Sitting up, I looked over at the other bed. Lunessa looked only marginally better than she did before as she smiled at me. "You did it."When she started to cough, I rolled out of bed and made my way to her. Snuggling up next to her, I grabbed her water and held it up to her. "So did you. Lunessa, the amount of magic you displayed was insane. How are you?""Depleted," she admitted as she sipped her water. "And scared that I might not bounce back.""How did you do it?"She sipped the water more and leaned against me. Less than a year ago, she was the Maiden, a witch who'd saved my life once, e
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 202
Ferrara"Ferrara," London said in a low voice. "You are growling at the kitchen staff."Immediately, I pulled myself back. A dozen wolves stared at us, frightened. "My apologies. My thoughts are elsewhere," I told Finn. "Please continue."The staff cleared their throats. "We have access to large herds here, and we used to use the witches to magic the land to provide for the wild game so we could eat fresh all year. With the magic repurposed," one wolf said carefully, "much of the game fell ill. We tried to preserve meat, but our previous alpha believed in eating fresh and shut us down."Finn frowned. "I believe in eating fresh but also storing when prepping for leaner months. I'll speak to the witches about healing the land once more, but I won't know how long that will take. Do you have the supplies to cure the meat?"One wolf nodded. Finn looked over at us. "Do I have your permission to use some of your soldiers for an immediately hunt before you leave?"We all nodded, and the staff
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 201
FerraraFinn's eyes were red, and his wolf's power still spilled out of him as he sat stock still in the chair at a large conference table. Food was spread over the table, but it didn't look like he'd eaten any of it. Blood was still dried on his skin, and his clothes barely fit him.Two submissive wolves hovered uncertainly at the table, and as soon as we walked in, he dismissed them. They'd scurried out of the room like they'd been shot, and the doors slammed shut behind us."I cannot be alpha," Finn growled. "Not of this pack."I met his gaze head on and lifted an eyebrow. "It's a little late for that. You killed the previous alpha and slaughtered anyone who challenged, which, from what I can tell, included her second, third, and at least ten of her top guards.""I didn't realize that they were challenging me," he said tightly. "Do I have to die to relinquish my new position?"London, Elonso, and I exchanged looks and pulled out chairs at the table. I sniffed at the food. "Doesn't
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 200
FerraraPulling free from our captors, London and I raced up the hill. He got to Lunessa and yanked her from the stone before I could reach Violetta. A large, mutated wolf pounced at Violetta, and I dove into him. Teeth and claws raked into the flesh of my human form, but I ignored it. There was only one truth. If I didn't get to Violetta, she would be torn limb from limb.Shifting faster than I'd ever shifted in my life, I turned and raced back to her. With a roar, I pulled her chains from the rocks with my paws and turned back to her."Ferrara," she whispered and sank into the ground. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can walk, let alone shift. Help Finn."Finn didn't need my help. He was ripping through wolves at an alarming rate. I wasn't even sure he knew what he was doing.Violetta flinched, and I turned as another wolf tried to pounce. Ripping my claws into their flank, we tumbled, but as soon as I found my footing, I returned to her side.If she couldn't shift, she would be vulnerab
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 199
ViolettaThe outer ring of rocks on the hill were etched with symbols and held offerings to the elements. Water from the largest river on the mountain. A feather willingly given from a bird. Earth enriched and blessed. And fire sparked from the kindling of the land.Words from the spell rose up in my head as I was marched through the circle. Below me, an enormous audience had gathered. Most of the wolves were grotesque and foaming at the mouth. It seemed to take all of their energy to be still. Those who weren't mutated seemed so small, but there was nothing innocent in their gaze as they watched.In the silence, I heard someone roar Lunessa's name and then mine. Turning my head, I watched in horror as Ferrara and London were hauled to the front of the audience and forced to their knees. My gaze locked on to his, but there was nothing either of us could do.My chains were attached to one of the inner rocks, and on the other side, Lunessa, also dressed in white, was chained to the same
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 198
ViolettaI hadn't seen Finn all night, not since they dragged me away. I was taken to a completely different part of the building, three floors up, and chained to a different wall with a bed.Cozy.Instead of resting for the ritual, I pulled myself as close to the window as I could possibly get and stared outside. It was the same side of the building, the same view of the ritual circle. No new information presented itself, but while I was trying to find an escape, I was also searching for Ferrara.I could feel through the bond that he was close. Alive. Getting stronger every hour that passed. Hope flared inside of me.When the sun rose, the door opened. Three wolves and three witches stood before me. "Time to prepare," one of them said, her voice laced with excitement. She put a white dress on the bed.I glanced at it and snorted. "If you're hoping this is some kind of virginal sacrifice, I have bad news for you. I have been well-loved and well-fucked.""Don't be ridiculous. The magic
He Hurt Me, But He Needs Me 197
FerraraThere were at least fifteen dead wolves at our feet. Adrenaline surged through me, but I was losing too much blood. London could barely stand. A familiar male werewolf loomed over us."Ferrara. London." He spoke with a harsh rasp that further identified him. Dolan. Maeve's second-in-command. We never interacted much because Dolan rarely left the territory. Normally, her third traveled with her, something most alphas practiced, but Dolan was a different breed of wolf. Apparently, he enjoyed disciplining. There were rumors that Maeve had wolves in confinement for lifetime prison sentences, and Dolan liked to make them bleed, wait for the heal, and then rip them open all over again."I see you left your whipping station," I said hoarsely as I stood. My legs shook so badly that I nearly fell over again. "Just how many wolves did you bring to take us?""I have twenty more rogues on their way here," he said in a bored tone. "My alpha has commanded me to give you a choice. Continue t
