Her Wolf’s Demands by Rachel Medhurst

Chapter Two

 

My footsteps were as fast as my beating heart as we headed into the woods to check the boundary spell. Malone had finished his speech with an order to go to bed and accept that I was staying for now.

The pack had begrudgingly done as they were told, knowing that he wasn’t going to back down.

“That went well,” he muttered to Manual who had accompanied us.

Ignoring him, I wandered into the trees, digging out my phone. The pack had given me my old broken one and a new one, saying they’d cloned everything except the number. Apparently, Emiliah had insisted that I be allowed to contact my brother. I was indebted to her for showing me kindness.

Malone’s huff was loud as I dialled my brother, determined to hear his voice. I had missed him, and I needed to know that he was okay.

“Hello?” his croaky voice answered.

“Drake!” My throat almost closed as emotion squeezed it. “How are you?”

His yawn was a smooth balm, calming the anger that threatened to spill over. Malone was lucky I hadn’t kicked his arse already.

“Della, where have you been? Why haven’t you rung me?” His concern made me teary.

Turning away as Malone came closer, I pushed my fingers into the corner of my eyes to try and stop the tears from spilling over. My shaky breath would’ve been a giveaway, but I couldn’t help it. “I’ve been sorting everything out. It’s okay, you’re safe from the wolves.”

His sigh was long and loud. “I’m feeling a lot better,” he said, “although I’m not quite there yet. I’ve been painting a shit-ton to ease the paranoia.”

The tension in my body relaxed as I kicked the leaves and twigs underfoot. “I’m so pleased to hear that. I’ve missed you, bro. More than you’ll ever know.”

“I’ve missed you, too. Are you safe? Did they get you?”

I had to tread carefully. If he knew what had happened to me, he could easily take a step backwards. It was best to keep him in the dark until he was in a more stable place. “I’m fine. I’ve had a nice break and plan to get back to normality soon. I’ll come and see you.”

“Yes. It’s been weird not seeing you for so long.”

Another yawn reached my ear. Smiling to myself, I watched the tip of my white shoe as it got covered in dirt. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ll be with you in the next couple of days, I promise.”

A low scowl sounded behind me, making me look up. Malone watched me, his thick arms crossed over his even thicker chest. What? He couldn’t stop me from visiting my brother. If he tried, I would trap him in his cabin, keeping him prisoner until I returned. If I returned.

“I’ll let you get some sleep,” I said quietly, smiling into the phone. “Mushbrain Head Number One.”

He chuckled briefly before signing off.

When I’d found him one night, hiding in the cupboard under the stairs, he’d told me that he’d become a member of the Mushbrain Heads. I’d had no idea who they were, but I’d climbed in with him and insisted that I was Mushbrain Number One.

An argument had ensued with Drake claiming that I was in league with the enemy because they would want me to rule, not him. I’d allowed him to have the title instead, opting to be number two, his second in command.

The nostalgic memory strangled my windpipe, making it hard for me to breathe.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, the touch reassuring. As tempted as I was to bury my head in Malone’s encompassing torso, I resisted, instead, stepping out of his grasp.

Extending my arm, I punched him in the tummy, snarling when he frowned down at me. “How dare you offer me up as a weapon?!”

Okay, so violence wasn’t the answer, but my pathetic excuse for an attack was so mild, Malone hadn’t even flinched. Plus, the bastard deserved far worse.

He glanced at Manual, waving a dismissive hand to him. The other wolf disappeared, blending into the shadows as he left. Good, at least I could really have a go at him without an audience.

Running a hand over his face, Malone shook his head. “It’s a good solution.”

“Solution?” I spat, almost choking, “is that all I am to you?”

Fucking hell, I’d been stupid enough to believe that our mating would ease the tension between us, maybe even bring us closer together. He’d trusted me enough to tell me about his sister, why was he pushing me away now?

“You’re ruthless,” I whispered, turning away and marching towards the dirt track to check the boundary.

His hand grabbed my arm, spinning me towards him. “Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you.” His nostrils flared, his white teeth flashing as he snarled.

My heartbeat raced, the blood pounding through my veins. The rush of heat was confusing. It started as fury, melting into desire as it pulsed between my legs. “Fuck you,” I muttered, staring up into his face.

“Fuck me?” he bit back, his voice lowering at the same time as his head. “Is that what you’d like to do?”

A strangled gasp escaped me as he wound his fingers into my hair and tugged, forcing my head back. I swallowed, refusing to let him intimidate me, despite the tingles of lust that sparked under my skin, begging for him to lower his lips to my neck.

“Don’t try to distract me from your dick move.”

The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek in a smirk. “Your aggression certainly makes my… dick… move.”

Shoving him, I cast a freeze spell on his boots, smirking to myself when he couldn’t move his feet from the ground. He held his arms up in surrender and rolled his eyes.

“I mean it,” I snapped, “I will not be your weapon. I will bind the wolf within me.”

His face hardened, the line of his jaw tightening.

He hadn’t had the decency to ask if I would help them rebuild the pack. He’d just stormed on, alpha-headed, making decisions for me. He was so used to everyone doing what he wanted, he’d lost the ability to ask nicely. Not only that, he knew that I wanted to be with my brother. I wouldn’t be a prisoner in a place where no one wanted me.

“I find a way for us to be together, and you want to throw it in my face?” His words were bitten through his teeth.

Broody, angry Malone was back. Hadn’t he just won his pack over? He should’ve been happy that he had half persuaded, half ordered them to accept me.

My eyes closed briefly, the heartbreak seeping from my pores. “You’ve been forced to accept me into your life. As powerful as the bond is, we don’t know each other. You haven’t been able to talk to me for a whole week, let alone tell me that you planned to sway the pack with the promise of my magic. You think I want to be with someone like that?”

Air sucked into his lungs, the sound just audible. I’d hit him in the gut with words, which were obviously more powerful than my fist.

My own stomach clenched as he shook his head. “It was the best solution for everyone. We get to be together, the pack is expanded, and you get to live.”

“Live?” I snorted. “Do you really think I want to live half in and half out of your world? An outsider? If the alpha can’t respect me enough to include me in his decisions about my life, how will the pack?”

He watched me, his intense gaze delving into mine. I stayed firm, holding my ground as he stepped forward, his throat bobbing in a swallow.

“What do you want then?” he asked, his voice raspy.

Licking my lips, I crossed my arms over my waist. “I want,” I whispered, trying to hold on to the tears that threatened, “to bind the wolf so I can leave. I need to start again, away from you, away from Brighton.”