A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt

Amira

After breakfast, Miles took me to my new room, showed me around, then left me to go to the gym.

I’d often wondered how people on the surface world lived and, even as I peeped around my new room, I was having a hard time coming to grips with all the neat, wooden walls.

There wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen anywhere. The coziest queen-sized bed sat in the corner of the room with fluffy white sheets. Even Beta class wolves didn’t have rooms as nice as this.

There was one thing I couldn’t figure out though. What was that small black box attached to the wall opposite the bed? I walked over to the strange device and knocked on it.

“Smart holographic TV 201, at your service. Would you like to watch a movie?” the box spoke, and I jumped back in fright.

A projector switched on just then, and a hologram of a woman and a man speaking to one another switched on. I’d seen a TV a few times in the hole, but none as advanced as this one.

After a few minutes of watching the movie, I reached for the tray of cleaning supplies Miles had left me.

I took the tray into the bathroom and left it on the tile outside of a tub with a curtain around it.

Hells bells. What was this now? No matter where I looked in the bathroom, there was no bucket nor stool to be seen. All I saw was this pretty pink curtain draped around a tub.

How could I clean myself without a bucket filled with spring water? Even the toilet in here looked funny, it was filled with water. In the hole our toilets were made from very deep pits.

During Miles's tour of the room, I’d admitted I’d checked out a few times as he spoke, getting lost in his eyes at the expense of the valuable information he was giving me. I tried to remember and thought I’d heard him call this thing a shower.

I pulled back the curtain and saw a metal rod that trailed the wall leading up to an odd looking nozzle at the top. Was that how people bathed themselves on the surface?

I undressed and took the long, coarse sponge and soap Miles had given me into the tub.

Holding the sponge and soap bottle with my left arm, I turned the handle with my right hand.

A jet of ice cold water pelted my skin like an act of war on my every nerve ending. I screamed to the heavens and fell to the floor of the tub.

“Gah! What is this dark sorcery? Make it stop. For the Goddess's sake, make it stop!”

Just when I thought I’d lose my life to this vicious device, something I’d never expected happened. The frigid liquid transformed to a gentle, warm delight.

Cautiously I rose to my feet, unsure if it would turn on me again.

After waiting a minute I scraped the sponge and soap bottle off the floor, and lathered the sponge.

I scrubbed along my arms and legs, slowly cleaning every inch of my body while the soothing waters splashed away the suds with its heavenly stream.

After I’d finished that surprisingly enjoyable shower, I hopped out of the tub and wrapped a white fluffy towel around myself.

I reached for the bathroom door knob and turned it, entering the bedroom.

That was weird, I didn’t remember it being so drafty in here befor-

“Um, I knocked before I came in and didn’t hear you answer,” a startled voice said and I turned to see Syrus standing by my door, his face pink as a strawberry.

“I was washing myself. I didn’t hear you.”

Syrus merely gawked at me, unable to form the simplest words, as his eyes grew wide as dinner plates.

Instinctively, I glanced down, only to see the towel had fallen below my chest and both my breasts were on full display, nipples and all.

I gasped and covered them with the towel. Embarrassed, my gaze shot back over to Syrus. The look of utter shock he’d borne only a second ago was replaced by something a little harder to read.

In the depth of his sparkling blue eyes I saw a burn of desire so strong, it lit a series of flames under my skin. It felt like he was devouring me with his dark gaze.

I’d never been seen naked by a man before now and it was like Syrus’s eyes on me had awakened something dormant inside me, something that both thrilled and terrified me.

“Get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes,” he said stiffly before turning and exiting the room.

Trying to take my mind off what just happened, I switched off the TV, pulled on the fresh clothes Syrus had left for me, and left the room.

Downstairs, I entered the kitchen to see Syrus talking to Miles. Miles had a towel over his shoulder and was still sweaty from the gym.

For some reason Miles seemed tickled pink by whatever Syrus was telling him.

“What are you talking to Miles about, Syrus? Better not be what I think it is.” I shoved myself between the two men.

“I was just telling Miles, here, about a funny thing that happened to me in the bar the other night. Was there something else I should be telling him about? Perhaps something involving a towel?” Syrus spared me a wink and a wicked grin.

“Nope.” The word fell from my lips like vomit and this only seemed to pique Miles's interest.

“Towel? What happened involving a towel? Tell me, tell me!” Miles hopped up and down.

Syrus side eyed Miles, amused at his friend's interest, and I gave Syrus the stare of death so there would be mistaking what I’d do to him if he told Miles about my accidental peep show.

“Well, anyway. It’s best to not dilly dally. We’d better be going.” Syrus stretched both his arms in the air and yawned before showing me out the front door, leaving a disappointed Miles to mumble to himself in the kitchen.

“Where are we in such a rush to go anyway, that Oracle of yours?” I asked as he entered the sprawling forest in the front of the house.

“No, I figured you might enjoy meeting the pack today,” Syrus said as he led me through the thick green foliage of the forest, down a cut stone walkway through the trees.

“And you figured that, why?”

“Come on, if you have to stay here for a while, why not get out of the cabin?” Syrus took my hand and helped me over a small stream in our path. I landed on the other side and his eyes met mine and his eyes wrinkled mischievously. “By the way, you look very nice today. Even with your shirt on.”

“Well aren’t you the sweet talker. I shouldn’t expect anything less from a master of deception.” I turned up my nose and took back my hand, taking the lead on the path through the forest.

Syrus looked as if I’d actually hurt him with that one, but how could he be after all he’d pulled?

“Master of deception? Is that anyway to address your new Alpha? I demand you take it back.”

“My new Alpha?” Incredulous, I swung around to face him and bared my teeth.

He straightened his back, somehow making himself look even more frightfully tall than he did a second ago. His expression was firm and dauntless. “That’s right, your new Alpha.”

“Let’s just get one thing straight here, pal. You are not, nor will you ever be, my Alpha.”

A few silent moments passed as Syrus sized me up. He then nodded as if accepting a challenge.

“We will just have to see about that, little wolf.”

After about half a mile of walking through the dense greenery, the forest began to clear, opening up to a small town, tucked away right in the middle of the trees.

“Well then, are you ready for your tour of my pack’s private town?” Syrus asked as I eyed all the small shops and buildings like a kid in a candy shop. I’d never seen anything like it in real life before, only heard about them..

“Mhmm.” I nodded, unable to hide my joy. Syrus took my hand and led me through the town square.

“So, right here are some shops where you can buy groceries, clothes, and hiking equipment.” Syrus pointed to the three stores on the right. They all had glass windows and on the inside they were filled with hundreds of colorful items, most of which I didn’t even know the names for.

“That over there is ‘Mary’s Place’. It’s a restaurant that makes the best burgers and fries for a hundred miles.” He pointed towards a cute little building with a shiny red roof. It had a brick chimney and eggplants were growing in the window boxes.

My mouth watered from the sweet and savory scent that came from the chimney.

“What’s that over there?” I pointed to a large two-story building with a swing set and jungle gyms in front of it.

“That’s the basic school,” he replied, his tone seeming less enthusiastic than it did a second ago.

I didn’t know why until I caught sight of a nicely dressed she-wolf walking toward us while holding her little one’s hand.

“Hello, cutie.” I waved at her son as we passed them and she drew her head back in dismay, and picked up her child. She then gave me a nasty look before nodding to Syrus respectfully and walking off.

“And this is the pack you want me to meet?”

“They’ll come around, they just need to get used to you being here is all. Once they see your powers in action they’ll soften right up.”

Right, my powers.

As we ventured deeper into the town we came across larger and larger gatherings of people, and without fail they all shot me nasty looks, glares, and made comments under their breath that I was sure were anything but nice.

And yet they all showed the utmost respect to Syrus, greeting him warmly while whispering about me the moment they walked off.

A group of five teenagers approached us on our left, walking in the opposite direction. They eyed me like I had an extra head growing out of my neck, and I heard one of them mumble the word ‘mongrel’ under his breath.

“That’s right, I’m a mongrel. Is there a problem with that?” I said bluntly, making eye contact with the teen.

“My mom says half-breeds are dirty.” One of the girls in the group said, sticking out her tongue at me.

“That’s enough, Angela,” Syrus warned, his voice lacking any humor.

The girl and her friends apologized, dipping their heads and running away.

And I was actually having fun, too. But we’d had to have passed almost a hundred wolves by now and not a single one of them were nice. Why were they like that?

“Syrus, how did your pack get cursed?” My question halted Syrus in his tracks and his hand left mine. He slowly turned to face me and gave me that angelic, luminescent smile he always did before lying to me.

“That’s top secret, little one. Perhaps I will tell you when you break the curse.”

“Well that’s not suspicious at all,” I goaded.

“Tell you what, if you accept me as your Alpha and obey my every command, I will tell you then.”

“Oh nice try, pal. Only an idiot would agree to that.”

“Fine then, I guess you’ll never know.” He fluttered his lashes at me and I couldn't help but feel warmed by the cute gesture from such a beautiful man, even if he couldn't be trusted.

We continued our walk through the town, passing dozens more shifters; all eyeing me with suspicion and unease.

I glimpsed Syrus’s face, beaming a shining, regal smile at all the shifters who passed. They returned his smile in turn, hypnotized by his charm and good looks.

I finally realized something about the man beside me, something I could never unsee.

“So this is why you smile so much.”

“Hmm?” He seemed startled by the sudden statement.

“It’s a form of manipulation. You pretend to be the sweetest, most caring man alive. And you use your good looks to trick people into trusting you, worshiping you even.” His casual expression darkened but I refused to stop. “The truth is you're a two-faced pretender. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s why you pretended to be nice, so you could catch me, and now you're threatening to send me back to the hole if I don’t break your curse. And your pack! I bet you're only Mr. Nice Guy to them so they will obey you and worship you like a god.”

Syrus closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath before reopening them to speak.

“First of all, there is no sheep in me.” He seemed offended by the comparison. “I am all Alpha. And I make no apology for this. It’s a wolf eat wolf world out there. Charisma makes wolves loyal. You scratch their bellies and they respect you. I’m the more popular Alpha in the pack for a reason. Unlike Callum, I think it is better to be loved than feared.”

“But if you're only being nice so the wolves will obey you, then you're not really a nice person, are you? It’s just an act. Which is why you're so two-faced!” I pointed my index finger between his eyes and he scowled before grabbing my finger and moving it from his face.

“Your words displease your Alpha. Stop calling me two-faced or I will be forced to discipline you.”

“Oh please, I would like to see you try.” I flipped him the bird and he growled.

“I wouldn’t need to try,” he grounded out, bringing his face right into mine. “I would just fold you over my knee and give you a good spanking. One for every rude word you have uttered to me.”

“Typical Alpha. You think you rule the world, don’t you?”

“Not the world. But I rule this pack and I rule you, too.”

We exchanged glares at each other as someone approached us.

“So this is our new savior?” a burly he-wolf with jet black hair, a thick beard, and what seemed to be a permanent frown said as he stopped in front of us. He didn’t seem like the other wolves, bowing and scraping to Syrus. This man had status.

“Amira, this is Beta Derrick, Callum’s beta,” Syrus said.

“Then Miles must be your Beta?” I asked and Syrus nodded.

By the aggressive, arrogant energy rolling off this Derrick guy, it was obvious the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

“You don’t look that powerful to me.” He turned his head to the side as if he was expecting more of me to magically appear.

“Well, neither do you, buddy, but you don't see me complaining.”

“Why you insolent, little-” Derrick drew his hand back high in the air.

“She will be breaking our curse soon and I would appreciate it if you would show her the respect that is due, Derrick”

“Yes, yes,” Derrick mumbled miserably, lowering his hand. “Well, in any case, if she proves useless, my wolf would take great pleasure in killing her.”

“That will not be necessary,” Syrus’s brows drew in tightly.

“Yes, yes, as you wish, Alpha.” Derick bowed his head to Syrus and went on his way, glancing at me from the side of his eye as he left.

“Great, now there's one more person looking to slit my throat.”

“His bark is worse than his bite. Don't worry about him.” Syrus watched Derrick go, seeming to grow happier with every step he took away from us. “Look, why don't I get us both some ice cream. What flavor do you like?”

Syrus pointed at a small ice cream cart sitting in front of a restaurant nearby.

“I’ve never had it, you choose,” I replied.

“Dragon’s milk chocolate it is then.” He smiled and, like a fool, turned his back and went over to get the ice cream.

From the moment we'd left the cabin I'd been waiting on my golden opportunity to get the fuck out of here. Now, with one more person just waiting to kill me, I was even more determined to leave than before.

Syrus’s back was turned and I crept away, sneaking past the shops and bolting into the thick forest.

I shoved a few branches from my path but before I knew what hit me, Syrus grabbed me by the back of my neck and tackled me to the forest floor.

We struggled for several seconds and Wolfy stirred.

“Shift!” Wolfy demanded and I could feel my back muscles start to expand and contract as the shift began.

“Don’t you dare, little wolf,” Syrus boomed, pressing his hand deep in my belly, pinning me under him so I couldn’t run. “I can see it in your eyes. You are trying to shift. But if you do, I will shift too, and then nothing in Dominion will be able to save you from my feral wolf. Not even me.”

The surge of power illuminated his eyes making them look like precious stones in sun light. His wolf had also been awakened.

“Maybe I should just take my chances,” I panted between heavy breaths. “Who knows? Maybe- I can escape your wolf. But how can I survive in a town with an Alpha and Beta who want me dead?”

“I would never let them touch you.”

“No, you’ll just send me back to the hole.” I struggled beneath him but his heavy body was rigid and unmoving.

With every move I made I could feel Syrus’s wolf rising within him. His eyes went bright crimson and his teeth grew in size until they were monstrous fangs in his mouth.

“I warned you about pulling out my wolf.” His voice sounded labored and distorted like a beast.

Everything within me wanted me to run but even if he weren’t holding me to the ground I knew I couldn't.

His wolf was communicating with mine. It was crying in pain and suffering from the feral madness imposed on it by the curse. I could even feel it’s pain in the ache of my bones, a heartbreaking pain that no one should ever be forced to feel, not even Syrus.

This was his curse.

My connection with Syrus’s wolf broke and I came back to the present. Syrus pressed his nose into the curve of my neck and took a deep inhale. Heat came alive under my skin from his touch.

His eyes in a daze, he slowly traced his lips softly down my neck to the valley between my breasts. He eyed the mate mark on my breast and licked it as if trying to erase it.

Hot sensation shot between my legs and I moaned. What was this feeling and why was I getting so wet?

Dragging his face over my skin, Syrus ran his tongue savagely over the top of my breasts.

I arched my back, leaning into the sweet motion of his tongue caressing my eager flesh. I licked my lips, unable to process all the sensations that now radiated from my chest like a surge of electricity.

My entire upper chest now wet from Syrus’s relentless licking as he maneuvered himself higher, to hover his lips over mine.

He peered into my eyes. Past the pain and darkness that drowned out the beautiful blue, I saw light, and a longing so strong it pulled me in and refused to ever let me go.

He paused, his eyes peering so deeply into mine the blue imprinted on me for all time. His warm sweet breath fled his parted lips and I greedily inhaled it, savoring the smell.

His lips came closer until he was only a hair’s breadth away and I puckered mine, eager to feel them touch.

Syrus jerked his head away, raising himself off me, and seeming astonished at his own behavior.

“I apologize for losing control like that. It’s never happened like this before.” He shook his head, as if trying to shake awake his daze, before offering me a hand and helping me to my feet.

I wish you’d lost control for a little longer, I thought but didn’t say.

A part of me was glad to hear he’d never been like this with another woman, but I knew I shouldn't think that way. I could never allow myself to get attached to Syrus, let alone like him.

“I’m always in perfect control in human form,” he continued. “But when I’m around you, I…”

“You what?”

He broke my gaze and turned his back. “It’s not important. We need to get back to the cabin to freshen up. I need to be at Callum’s training session tonight."

“Well, don’t let me stop you.” I elevated my hand, gesturing that he could go ahead. “I’ll be right behind you.”

He cut his eyes at me and took an audible breath.

“Nice try.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me along in front of him all the way back through the forest and up toward the cabin.

Along the way, I thought about the moment Syrus and I shared on the ground. What were those sensations I felt? They were incredible, otherworldly even. Worryingly enough, I also wondered what other sensations Syrus could make me feel.

No, Amira. You can’t afford to think that way. You’ve got bigger fish to fry at the moment. Not only did my first breakout attempt fail. Now, I needed to go watch Callum’s little cursed wolf training exercise and hopefully not get eaten in the process.

I’d prayed to escape my entire life, and now I was finally learning why they said you should be careful what you wish for.