Angelika Rose Ramirez POV
Her cryptic yet kind words startled me. Before I could respond, I felt her place something in my hand before hurrying away. Looking down I realized I held the handle of a large basket. “It is wine and cakes to help appease the wolves,” said one of the robed women, answering my unspoken question.
Obeying their command, I followed them out of the chamber down a narrow corridor which opened into a wide antechamber. Two massive iron doors dominated the space.
“This sanctuary shares a wall with the wall which surrounds the village. The sacrifice will move directly into the clearing never to step foot in our village again.”
“Please—” I whispered in fear as I watched the women pull on the iron rings that opened the heavy doors. My whole life I had been taught to fear the clearing, to never venture beyond the safety of the village walls, and now I was to be cast out as if I didn’t matter as if I were not a human being…as if I were only a sacrificial animal to be slaughtered and forgotten. The doors made a horrific screeching noise as they opened. Outside all was still and quiet. If I had not been taught otherwise, I would have thought it was nothing more than a placid pasture bathed in moonlight. A hand placed between my shoulder blades gave me a shove.
Stumbling, I gripped the handle of the basket before sliding my foot forward. The moment the thin leather slippers they had given me touched upon it, I could feel the soft squish of the earth, a sharp contrast to the stone floor. I took another step forward. Despite my fear, my deep longing for the freshness of the rich smell of grass coupled with the crisp clean scent of the night air, compelled me forward. Leaving the oppressive chamber behind, I felt as if I were being bewitched…pulled forward by the moon and the call of the forest. The stillness of the night was broken by the reverberating sound of the iron doors slamming shut. The spell was broken.
Dropping the basket, I turned to bang my small fists on the door.“Have mercy! Please! Don’t do this! Please! Open the door!”Cold silence greeted my impassioned pleas. I banged on the door and screamed till my voice was hoarse. Pressing my back against the cold metal, I slowly slipped to the ground. Scalding tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to figure out what to do next. As I stared across the clearing, I could see the outline of the forest shift and move. Shadows detaching themselves from the darkness. Breathing heavily, I pushed myself upright as I strained to see past the trees. Was it fear or my imagination?
No. The shapes were taking form. Stepping into the clearing from the edge, I could see five distinct outlines. The wolves. No. They were men. Men! I knew from my lessons that the dark force, although never named, was like a black, creeping cloud. An evil rising smoke. Never the shape of a man. The five men stalked forward. As they walked more fully into the clearing, I could see them in the bright moonlight. Five large, beastly men. Their brawny bodies were barely covered with fur pelts. Their amber eyes glowed in the dim evening light.
Not wolves. Men. Completely confused and frightened, for some strange reason being faced with five beastly men seemed far worse than a pack of wolves. Turning, I desperately banged on the door. “Help me! Help! You must open the door. These aren’t wolves.”Through my cries, I could hear a low, collective growl. Knowing my salvation was my own, I gave up all hope of rescue and did the only thing I could. I ran.
The worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. That no matter how fast I ran, they were coming. The beasts were coming. I could hear them—their heavy breathing closing in on me. I could smell them—an animalistic scent so powerful I could barely inhale fresh air. I could see them—out of the corners of my eyes, I saw them closing in on each side of me. I could taste them—taste the blood on my tongue from biting my lip in order not to scream as I ran. I could feel them—a strong hand on my upper arm, seizing me, flinging me backward, capturing me, and ending any chance of hope that I had. Yes…the worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. I should have heard growls. Maybe even low, guttural sounds belonging to creatures of the forest. Not words. I should not have heard words from the two-legged demons behind me.
“Do not run from us,” one demon roared as he pulled me hard against his chest. This was a man. A man. Not a wolf. Not a beast. A man. I turned my head to look up into amber eyes. Piercing eyes were so fierce and similar to eyes belonging to a wolf, but instead, they were the eyes of a man. Four other men with the same amber eyes, and the same fury present within them, stood on each side of us.
“The wolves,” I said, not much louder than a whisper. “Where are the wolves?”
The man who held my arm asked, “Can you hear me?”
I nodded my head as I looked at each man, all of whom appeared both confused and terrifying at the same time. Cloaked in furs, with unshaven faces and long, wild hair, these men had wolf characteristics but were not animals. They studied every inch of me from head to toe, anger seeming to stem from more than just my running away. The man holding me squeezed my arm tighter.
“What do you see? Tell us now!”
His hot breath fell upon my face as he shook me slightly. “Do you see wolves?”
I shook my head, unsure of why he would ask such a question. “I see men. I see nothing but five men surrounding me.”The man’s grip eased up, and I could hear his breath hitch.“Glenn,” a man from the left of us said, “If you don’t claim her, then one of us will. The…need…is strong regardless of what she sees or hears.”
“Resisting her…do something now or I will,” another man added. “I don’t know if it’s the fucking curse but her smell…the fucking pull is too great.”
“The hunger,” another said, stepping in closer to us. “My body feels as if it is starved.”
“Move out of the way. I want her,” the last of the men said, getting close enough that Glenn snarled at the man in warning.“No,” Glenn roared. “She’s mine. I captured her first, so she’s mine before you all.”
The words from his fellow men were all that Glenn had needed but to strip me of my clothes. Fast and furious, like how I imagined a wolf would claw at his prey, I felt every remaining shred of garment that stood in the way of what he planned to claim being ripped from me. I wanted to fight or offer some sort of resistance, but the pure terror and shock of what was occurring paralyzed every quivering muscle in my body. The humiliation caused by my nudity was nothing compared to the suffocating fear I felt as I waited to be devoured by the man before me in the worst ways possible.
He might not be a wolf. He might appear to be a man. But, make no mistake…this man was a beast. I saw it now. I saw the animal unleashed in the way he stared at me with hungry lust. He was not gently disrobing me as I’d pictured my wedded husband doing on the night I offered my maidenhead. He did not care as my white gown fell to the ground with the red cloak piled beside it. Glenn was nothing more than a predator, I the prey, my red cloak acting as the blood I shed in this war already lost. I stood naked before five men. Five men who, although they weren’t wolves, were more brutish than anyone I had ever encountered before. Who would do this? Who could do this? Who could stand and stare upon a naked, shivering female, with no expression or sign of feeling other than the tenting of their manhood against the fur of their kilts?
Animals. They were truly animals.
As I was positioned on all fours, I knew my path had been laid before me. The clouds looming were about to unleash a storm strong enough to rip apart the woman I once was. The ground was wet beneath my knees and palms and gave slightly with my weight. The cool air against the bare flesh of my most intimate places made all the more obvious by the position I was in, was a jolt to my soul. I had to fight. I couldn’t just let this man take me like an animal mate with another. Attempting to crawl away before Glenn mounted me from behind, my feeble attempt was met with a harsh slap to my vulnerable behind.
“There is no choice in this,” his deep, husky voice said from behind me. “Accept the fate that has been presented before us. What is done is done. What has to happen, has to happen. You can’t fight this and win. We are all cursed.”
He slapped me one more time to accentuate his point, but I had already stopped trying to crawl away. His stinging correction was a warning, a warning that I didn’t want to ignore. “Please don’t do this,” I pleaded.
Trying to flee was a lost cause, but maybe begging would cast some light on the man’s shadowed conscience.
“Now, Glenn! Before we make the decision for you, and not wait our turn,” a voice from one of the watchers called out.
Glenn took hold of my hips as he positioned himself behind me, spreading my legs wide as he kneeled between them. I didn’t need to turn my head to know that his bottom half was bare. I felt the hardness of his sex press up against my ass, demanding so much more.“Some things must occur,” he said as his hand dipped between the folds of my sex, rubbing up and down in a soft caress.
“We stopped resisting a long time ago. You should as well ” calm before.“
"This does not have to happen,” I argued, wanting to slap away his hand, but also feeling as if my palms needed to remain where they were. His touch didn’t hurt, but it violated everything I’d once believed to be right. He was a stranger. No vows had been made. No promises of forever. No commitment in a ceremony.
And as my pussy seemed to welcome his touch, I gasped as the realization hit me that my body was betraying me. This demon and his dark magic had taken hold, and a wicked delight throbbed in ways I had never experienced.
“Yes, my village sacrifices. Get that pussy nice and wet for me. The readier you are, the easier this will be for you.”His vile words only seemed to make my sex pulsate more. The slickness of my arousal was spread all around. Without warning, Glenn’s finger penetrated my opening. The shocking invasion had me crying out, though the cry wasn’t one of pain or even disgust. It was unfamiliar just as the sensations sizzling over my body were witchcraft, Sorcery? The darkest forces were clearly at play. In and out, his finger pumped and spread my tight little hole. The stinging, but also delightful, bite forced a soft moan from my lips. I wanted him to stop. No…I wanted him to continue. No…stop. No…continue.
“Why?” I squeaked. Why was my body reacting the way it was? Why was I no longer afraid? Why was I consumed by sinful thoughts? Why did this devil have a hold on me, and why wasn’t I convinced that I wanted to ever be released?
Glenn pulled his finger out of my pussy, leaned over me, and placed his fingertip on my lips. I could smell my musky scent as he pressed it into my mouth.
“Why?” he said in a low voice, so low I thought only I could hear it. “Because we all do what we must to keep the darkness away. Even if it means allowing the darkness to swallow up our souls.”
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Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POVFeeling his finger move along my tongue, I tasted the depraved nectar caused by the mastery he had just performed on my body. It was so wrong and shameful, yet my pussy dripped even more.“And because we are beasts. Though you may see us as men, trust me, we are as from from being men as any could be. Whether you like it or not, each one of us will claim you in all ways. The urge is too strong to deny.”“All ways?” I asked as he pulled his finger out of my mouth, rubbing the wetness along my lips.“Yes. We will claim this hole”—he plunged his finger back into my mouth—“and we will claim this hole.” He then moved his wet finger to the entrance of my anus. He pressed hard enough to apply pressure but didn’t break the surface. “And then we will claim this pussy of yours. Each one of us.”Not giving me time to process his words and what they all meant, Glenn repositioned his member at my pussy and began to press inside. My traitorous body welcomed him but m
Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POVGlenn spoke first. “You are here as the blood moon sacrifice from your village. Do you understand that?”I nodded.“You are payment for our protection and, as such, will bend to our will and serve us in any manner we demand. If you do not, the innocent lives of those in your village will suffer.”Again, I could only nod.“I am Glenn. This is Elias, Daniel, Darius and Donald.”During the chaos and fear of the night before, they had all seemed as one to me, brother beasts, with glowing amber eyes. Now, in the morning light, I could see the subtle differences. Glenn was the oldest and the clear leader of the pack. He was tall with ink-black hair tinged with silver and had a forthright manner. Elias was the brawniest of the five and by far the angriest. His massive chest was covered in thick swirls of chestnut hair. He seemed the most beast-like. Donald had yet to speak. He was tall and sinewy. His hair was a light brown which only emphasized the amber of h
Red Rose Ramirez POVThe awful pressure increased. I tried to clench my body tightly closed. He pushed harder. I could feel my body weakening. My hole began to stretch open. His cock started to slip inside.“No,” I moaned. There was a sharp biting pain as the pressure built then seemed to ease. I could feel him inside of me. I breathed heavily through the pain, thinking the worst must be over. I could feel his body shift behind me, then the pressure increased again. He was pushing his hips forward. I could feel his cock penetrating my body deeper. My inner passage stretched and strained to accommodate his bulk.“Stop!” I screamed. “It hurts! It hurts!”He gave a small thrust forward before leaning over my body.Grabbing my hair, he forced my head back. “Does it hurt? Good. I want it to hurt. I want you to feel pain. I want you to feel helpless.”Hurt. Pain. Helpless. Elias thrust his cock deeper inside me. Punctuating each word. Hurt. Pain. Helpless.“Why? I don’t understand. Why?” I c
Red Rose Ramirez POVHe reached out and took hold of my hair once again. The sting from the pull had me crying out, but that only made it easier for Donald to lower my face down upon his rod. My open mouth was instantly filled with his girth as he shoved my face down upon his lap. I gagged as the tip of his shaft went down my throat, and I panicked, thinking he would surely choke me to death. I tried to back off, but his hand on my head held me down. I pressed my palms down on his thighs to try to gain any type of leverage I could. I would suffocate by the size of this man pressing against the back of my throat.“Shhh, my sacrifice. Shhh. Calm down. There is no reason to fight this.”He pulled out enough that I was able to catch the breath I worried I would never be able to obtain again. Donald didn’t pull out all the way, however, only pushed back in once again. He did this a couple of times until I ultimately realized I would not truly die from lack of air or choke on his cock, and
“You’re hurt,” I said as we entered the cave and I saw a large bloody gash down Darius’ back. All the wolves had switched back to men, and in all their nude glory had walked back to the camp to gather their furs and leather clothes.“It’s nothing,” Darius said as he bent before me to grab his pants.The firmness of his ass bent right before me, caused my breath to catch in the back of my throat.“I think I should clean that up,” I offered. “You don’t want that wound to get infected.”“It won’t,” he said as he turned to face me. “As wolves, we heal quickly.”His cock was large and on full display. I knew he saw that my gaze fell upon his manhood because he said, “But if you want to pay attention to my body in other ways, I won’t argue. When I opened my mouth in surprise, followed by wide eyes, he was quick to give me a wink to show his jest.“Let her clean the wound,” Glenn said. “You know the slashes caused from the battles hurt like hell. Let her try to ease it for you.”Darius made
“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.” Glenn stopped speaking and just stared into the fire.“When we returned to the village, the gates of the wall were barred to us,” continued Daniel. “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 beh
Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POVBefore I could finish, Ben 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 refuse to obey my command immediately. I 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 sank into the soft earth.Looking around, I could see we were in some sort of a 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 Rose.”My h
I looked around Glenn’s broad frame at the other men, and added, “Please forgive me. Believe me when I say that I meant no harm to any of you. I just didn’t think it all the way through before I acted.” Glenn gave a small smile. “Good.” He pulled away and looked at all the men and then back at me. “We have the smoked deer that we have been working on almost ready. Our friends, the huntsmen, left us some boar meat stew that Vanessa made for us. Let us go about our chores today, and then we can all have an early feast in celebration of yesterday’s victory and Daniel’s successful fight today.” I wouldn’t exactly say that I was a good cook, but I knew the basics of a kitchen. My baking skills were in need of improving, and I struggled sometimes at being creative with what meager food items I often had. But I knew enough about cooking to know that something was off about the stew the minute Elias removed the lid of the pot. The slightly pungent odor had all the men sniffing at the pot i
Thalia grinned and nodded, biting her bottom lip. Donald opened the door for them. “Allow me.” Darius gave him a look that said everything about how he felt, that his best friend was finally on board for his happiness. “Thank you.” He received a small chin dip in response. As the group filed in, another couple was leaving, big smiles on their faces, too. Darius watched them go. Elias stepped around to practically attack the County Clerk. “Hey! We’re back!” The man’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes darted around the approaching faces. He lit up with recognition. “Ah yes! How could I forget?” A big smile spread. “I was wondering if we’d see you again,” the female employee said. She served as witness and recorded the events as well. She flushed as Elias remarked on her new hairstyle. Then he turned around and grabbed his wife. “Look baby. We left an impression. They remember us.” Daniel snorted and entwined his fingers with Alessandra’s. “Could have been us who left t
Daniel smiled. “I knew what you were going through. Remember?” Darius nodded. “That’s what’s been on my mind. I’m sorry we weren’t there to help you.” Daniel shrugged and glanced around his friend’s faces. “There was no choice.” “Yeah. Now I understand.” Darius took a sip of Guinness. “I want to go see her.” “Well, let’s at least finish our beers first.” Elias clinked his bottle of Bass Ale against Darius’s pint. “Remember just days ago how you were complaining we never spend any time together?” Darius laughed and a huge weight lifted. “You’ve got a gift, Elias.” “Thank God I’ve got one,” Elias said, dryly. So they stayed for another two hours, like the old days. Daniel yanked out his phone and called his driver. “Nigel, buddy. We’re hammered. Come get us.” They climbed out of the dark booth and headed for the door. Elias and Daniel led the way, Donald behind. “Hey, D. I idolize you, just so you know.” Donald cocked an eyebrow sideways. “Is that right?”
Three very different guffaws trailed off as the others left the room, talking amongst themselves about how strange that had been for them. The last one she heard was Elias. “So, Donald, you’re saving it for a special woman, huh?” and Donald’s reply: “Fuck off.” Darius loosened his embrace but kept her close. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her. “You said you love me.” She flushed. “I was having a moment.” “A moment?” “Yeah.” A small frown pierced his brow and he lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply. Every cell in her responded to him, and then he moaned against her lips, “I love you, too.” Soundless tears trailed her cheeks before she even realized how much emotion had been waiting under the surface. All her life she’d wanted to meet the guy and here he was. Finally. He kissed some away, picked her up and carried her to the couch. “We have to talk business now.” She nodded and picked up the blanket to wrap around her waist so she could hike up
He dropped the hand and turned back to his friends and packmates. They were speechless, too, their moment of entertainment usurped by the bold pronouncement. They’d seen it coming, but that he’d said it aloud, outright and so soon, shocked them all. Maybe even him a little, too. There would be no stupid debate. Not anymore. He’d heard enough arguments from Donald. What good were they? Not only had he dreamed of saving her life before it actually happened, thereby telling him she was a part of his destiny, but today his wolf had taken control for two reasons: how he felt about her, and also because there was another wolf inside the ‘den’ when she arrived—Donald. The beast inside Darius’s soul who knows what is best for him more often than he knows, took her immediately to mark her as his. She’d gotten her instinct right about his bite. His wolf needed to ensure there was never any question as to whose mate she was. That she’d accepted him so readily affirmed she felt the same. Who has
Thalia had been climbing out of her skin. Underneath everything she’d done was the nagging desire to check up on him. She hadn’t mentioned the robbery to Jonas. The air of secrecy among Darius and his friends combined with her aiding the hero of the day in his odd escape, made her keep her mouth very, very shut. How would she explain to police what had happened, if they ever questioned her? The fewer people who knew about what happened the better. And Jonas wasn’t exactly the quiet type. Nor were his friends. They lived big, and a story like this? Too hot to keep mum about. She was loath to admit that she didn’t just want to check up on his well being, she wanted to be around him again. She missed the connection she’d experienced when they were alone in the ally. She’d replayed those intimate moments with him over and over despite her desperate desire to let it go. She hesitated with her fist in the air and ready to knock. Her heart slammed in her chest. She didn’t even know if
Fuck it. She leaned in and softly kissed him. His lips parted in surprise as she pulled away. She whispered in his ear, just for him, “Thank you for saving my life.” “Thank you for trusting me.” She arose and headed for Elias who was by the door. She didn’t need him to tell her, “I’ll take you home.” She nodded and it struck her that he seemed like a statue. She glanced back to Daniel, then grazed a glance over Donald’s solemn countenance. They suddenly seemed… inhuman. “It was nice to meet you.” They nodded and murmured the same. Rihanna and Alessandra looked the most uncomfortable. Don’t make me go home. Let me stay here and take care of him. Let me tell him I’m here for him. I’m here. I’m here… Makati City sparkled outside the limo’s window as they drove west to her small apartment, flashes of blurred color zipping by. She couldn’t see any of it. Her mind was on him. “You’re awfully quiet,” Elias said after they’d been silent for a long time. She glanced ov
Donald sighed and said with more control, “We don’t do the stuff.” Drugs have a different reaction on werewolves than humans. But he couldn’t explain that. At her confusion, Daniel interjected with authority, “It’s not ego. We don’t take pain meds. Just accept it.” Darius watched Thalia glance around his packmates’ faces. He couldn’t blame her for not understanding. How would he feel if he were on the other side of this? She tightened her jaw and shrugged with defeat. “Fine. If you’ve done this before, I’m sure you have twelve inch long tweezers?” “I’ve got better than that.” Donald returned a moment later with a kit that made Thalia pause, full of surgical tools, gauze, Aloe Vera gel, and wood clamps to bite down on. They even had teeth marks in them. “I’m not even going to ask,” she muttered, choosing a very slender metal piece that looked to be an advanced type of tweezer. “You ready?” “Over my dead body you’re doing the removal,” Donald growled. Darius grabb
Fear-charged shouts came from the woman and the boy, begging to know if he was okay. The woman yelled to the man behind the register, “Call the police!” “I’m calling an ambulance!” He shouted back. “No!” the wounded man groaned, speaking only to Thalia as if he needed her to understand. “Don’t let him,” he whispered, leaning down to her ear. She pressed her hand over his, adding more pressure to stop the bleeding. “We have to get you to a hospital.” “No,” he whispered, closing blue eyes against the pain. He bent at the knees, and she caught him. Years of working with patients had prepared her for his collapsed. “I’m a nurse. I know what I’m talking about.” “Then get me out of here,” he whispered in her ear, again so low nobody else could have heard. She stared into the future and the immediate past, making a decision. He’d saved her life. She owed him. He seemed desperate not to go. Praying she was doing the right thing, she called out to the others, “Don’t call
The buzzer from Room 321 had been quiet for a long time. Too long. With her eyes on the room, Thalia rose from the desk and headed to check on Dorothy. Janet called over, “Is that old bitty at it again?” “Why don’t you crawl back under the house,” Thalia shot back. Lacking a witty enough response, Janet just sneered. As she walked into the room, Thalia’s heart exploded. Paler than a sheet of paper, Dorothy stared lifeless into the distance. Thalia pulled back the hospital gown and started pounding on Dorothy’s frail chest, screaming loud enough the entire third floor could hear, “JANET! GET A DOCTOR! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!” Her eyes darted to the monitor. It was off, the plug lying on the floor. “Come on Dorothy! Don’t you die on me!” Thalia leaned down to blow into quiet lungs as Janet ran in with a defibrillator machine. Bitch or no bitch, when shit hit the fan, Janet was ready. She charged the machine while Thalia pounded an artificial heartbeat into Doris’s chest, pe