Joining the Pack Ch. 01

Kaev could smell her. He almost couldn't believe he was this close. It seemed impossible. For nearly twenty years he'd followed lead after lead. Hunted through these foreign forests and valleys and finally he could smell her. It was real. SHE was real. As he stalked closer the scent grew stronger, threatened to overwhelm him. Though now it mixed with that dull odor of humans.

He crouched at the edge of the trees and watched the small village. Less than fifty humans scrapping out a life with their little fields, their herds of frantic goats. He smirked. He saw the humans just as they saw their own livestock. He could still smell her, but hadn't spotted her yet. Somewhere she moved within this village. A breeze tickled his nose and his head snapped to the field on the far side of the village. There. He moved silently through the trees, circling the village until he had a clear view of the field.

He knew her instantly. How could he not? She was his. How could she not see how different she was from the small humans she toiled next to? Her bronze hair fell long and wavy down her back and she kept swiping it from her face in annoyance as she worked.

He could see her father in her stature. Tall—compared to a human—with broad shoulders and coiled muscles under her lightly tanned skin. He wished he could see her eyes. But he was surprised to see a bit of that human softness to her, likely from the unnamed mother of hers. He had no idea who the woman was, but she must have been pretty. Even from his vantage he could see her delicate chin, high cheekbones. She was magnificent.

He watched all day, crouched in the shadows of the trees. Every move. Every time she bent to harvest the barley she moved through. Every time she stretched her back and turned her weary face to the sun. The hunger grew within him as the sun crept across the sky. He knew he could charge forward, take her then and there. These small villagers she thought she belonged to couldn't stop him.

But she hadn't yet been awakened to her true self. He knew he must have patience. For someone who'd lived as many centuries as he had he knew he should have mastered that by now. He generally had. But when his quarry was so lovely, so deliciously close it took every bit of his considerable strength to keep his body motionless.

~~

Anahid stood slowly, felt every inch of her spine ache as she arched her back and threw her head up to the sky. It was a brutal blue. The blue that smacked you in the face with its unrelenting brightness. She glared at the sun. Still barely passed its high point. Still hours of work to be done. She sighed and dropped her basket. She needed water.

Nodding to her brother who toiled a few yards away she moved out of the field toward the well at the edge of the treeline. She pulled up the bucket, took a gulp of the cool water. Dipped the rest of the bucket over her head. She giggled as the rush of water finally cooled her burning skin, snapped her mind back from the threatening despair. She hated that field. Hated the stupid barley. She glanced to the forest edge, back to the field where her family worked. She moved slowly into the shade of the trees. Just for a few minutes. She just needed to be out of the sun. Needed the comfort of the shadows of the deep forest. It seemed the only place her mind could finally still. The only place her shoulders could un-tense.

Moving through the trees she let her mind wander. Eventually after walking several minutes she sensed something was off. She stilled, glanced around the trees. It was silent. She shivered. Where were the calling birds, the sounds of scurrying creatures? Unsettled, she turned to head back to the village.

A man stood in front of her. For a moment she thought it was an apparition. It was so unexpected. So unlikely that her mind rebelled at the sight.

He was huge, her head would barely reach the top of his massive shoulders. Short cropped black hair, a sharp nose that dominated his intense face. But it was his eyes that held her motionless. Almond shaped and slate gray, they watched her. Curiosity and hunger warred in his expression and she took a terrified step back, unable to break his gaze.

"What's your name?" his voice rumbled through the space between them. Though she sensed the danger, sensed this man was a threat to her, his voice was like velvet against her ear.

Anahid finally broke his gaze, glanced around for an escape route, if it came to that...

"I'm Anahid," she said, flicking her eyes back to him. "Who are you?"

He stepped towards her. She stepped back. He stilled, running his eyes up and down her body before coming back to her eyes again. She knew then. Saw the hunger was winning out within him.

She turned on her heel and dashed in the direction of the village. She knew what dangerous looking men like this were capable of. There were even a few within the village her brother warned her to steer clear of. But even those men she didn't fear. She could handle herself. She knew this stranger though was like no man she'd met before. And he meant her harm.

She raced through the forest. She knew this place as well as the paths of her village. It was her haven. Her safe haven, no longer. She heard him barreling after her. Too fast. Though she was quick and knew this forest he gained on her within only a few strides.

The weight hit her from behind and knocked the air from her lungs as they fell. He followed her to the ground and she landed heavily with him on top of her. She gasped, struggled to crawl from under him but he was too immense. His hands too strong as he grasped her, pinned her underneath him. Terror rippled through her as she felt him against her back. Felt that dangerous bulge against her bottom. Tears sprang to her eyes as she continued to struggle against him, knowing but refusing to accept it was hopeless.

But then he flipped her over underneath him, quickly pinned her wrists in one of his massive hands above her head. He stretched her out, let his eyes—nearly black now—travel hungrily down her body. With him now straddling her she stilled, his entire length pressed against her body, his face only a breath from hers.

"I just wanted to see your eyes," he said gruffly. He moved his free hand to caress her face and shock quaked through her at the touch. It was...gentle. Affectionate. She turned her head and bit his hand. Felt her teeth sink into his skin. He remained motionless. Completely unconcerned that her teeth now dug into his hand. Then he chuckled. His massive chest shook against her, rubbed roughly against her breasts. She sucked in a breath, moved her eyes back to his face. He grinned savagely at her. Impossibly, his eyes darkened further as he met her gaze.

"Anahid," he whispered. Unsure and seeing he was unfazed by her angry teeth she released his hand from her mouth.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"You."

Anahid shivered and immediately felt his body respond. The bulge in his pants pressed against her inner thigh, and she wanted to jerk away from it, but found that any movement from her only made his breath come faster, only made that terrifying bulge twitch and throb against her. She resolved to stay completely motionless.

He moved his hand to her neck and she immediately betrayed herself as she trembled and tried to flinch from his touch. His strangely gentle fingers traced down her neck, back up her throat. He moved his fingers against her skin like he'd been waiting for this his entire life. And her body betrayed her. She felt her nipples stiffen against the rough texture of his chest against hers. A confusing throb grew between her legs. And still his hand moved, he cupped her cheek, brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, traced the line of her jaw. Eventually they moved to her throat again and the massive hand closed around it, fingers nearly meeting at the back of her neck. She gulped. There was no fighting back. He would rape her. Kill her. She would die here in her forest.

He turned her head with only the slightest pressure of his thumb against her jaw. She closed her eyes, felt the cool dirt of the forest floor beneath her cheek. His scorching, insistent hands still against her skin. Then she felt him lower his body even closer to her. His brawny chest pressed into her and she whimpered as she tried to ignore the sensations against her swollen nipples.

She felt his hot breath against her neck. Then he nuzzled her, his nose and lips pushing away the loose fabric of her shirt from her collarbone. As his lips touched her skin she again jerked. The feel of his lips against her skin set a jolt that raced down her body, set fire to the ache between her legs.

"My Anahid," he murmured against her neck.

She weakly tried to struggle again, knowing it was pointless but needing a distraction from the way her body ached to rise to meet him. Angry tears fell from her eyes as she tried to pull her arms from his vice-like hands.

And still his lips moved against her neck. She gasped as his tongue touched her, moved slowly against her skin as if he was just sampling his dinner. She again whimpered, tried to shrink from his touch though the throb between her legs grew unbearable. She hated the way her body responded, the way his tongue sent arcs of lightning straight to her belly. The way she jerked every time he moved slightly on top of her and her tender nipples sprang to meet him.

~~

Kaev didn't know if he could resist. She was too perfect. Too beautiful and he could sense the way her body responded to him though her mind fought. He could appreciate that. Her body knew it belonged to him, but he liked the fierceness of her spirit. If anything, it made it even harder to resist taking her right then.

But he had to resist. Had to just take these few small tastes for now. He grazed the skin above her collarbone with his teeth. Was delighted by the way she bucked underneath him. He could smell her response and his cock throbbed angrily at him. He tried to ignore it. Continued to swirl his tongue along her neck, bit down ever so lightly on her jaw. He smiled, his lips still against her, as she moaned and tried to buck him off, which only excited him more. She was not making these easy. Anahid was trembling and he knew the war that raged within her. He supposed he should put an end to this. Their life was about to begin.

He moved his mouth to her shoulder, letting his teeth graze along her skin.

He bit down, not softly this time. She gasped and her struggling began anew against him. As he bit harder she began to thrash underneath him and he felt a moment of guilt. It was the only way though. Still deeper he bit until finally her skin broke under his slightly sharpened teeth.

He tasted her blood then and nearly lost a grip on his tightly wound control. She screamed, writhing underneath him as she tried to wrench away from his teeth. He held her to him though, pressed his body and his teeth into her. Still she screamed.

He pulled his teeth from her skin and turned her face back to his in the same moment. Still tasting her blood on his lips he kissed her. Smashed his mouth hungrily against her to quiet her sobs. He released her arms and pulled her into him.

She weakly tried to strike at him with her newly freed arms but he held her face to his. Forced his mouth against her, sent his tongue questing past her gasping lips. She was his now. Forever. She was his.

Though he wanted nothing more than to run his hands along her body he made do with cradling her face as he consumed her mouth. Patience. There would be time for that later. All the time in the world. But then he felt her hand move to the back of his head and her mouth tentatively returned his kiss.

He growled, felt his throbbing cock jerk within his pants at her touch. At the way her lips reluctantly opened to him. He wanted to howl with triumph. She might not understand now, but her body knew where it belonged. Knew who it belonged to.

But then she went limp, her hands falling heavily to her sides, her head lolling in his hands. He sighed, resigned disappointment sitting heavy within his chest. It had begun.

He slid from her, crouched over her as he looked her over. The hair that had been bronze in the sun was full of dark forest shadows now. He could see how it would change color depending on how she turned her head, how the sun hit her. It lay in thick, tangled waves around her. Her body fit perfectly against him, like she was made for him with her delightfully plump breasts on a lithe and strong frame.

And she had the most expressive green eyes he'd ever seen, though now her eyes were closed, and she panted in her unconsciousness. The change was beginning.

He tenderly picked her up like she weighed nothing and moved back through the trees. Back to his pack. He grinned, he couldn't wait for them to meet her.