Joining the Pack Ch. 14

His eyes had changed though. Where before he'd looked at her with lust, with tender attraction...now he was cold. The passion that she'd seen when he looked at Anahid had faded now that he turned his eyes to her. Atalanta frowned. She ran a hand down his body, the feel of his muscled chest left her weak kneed. She caressed the trail down to his manhood and licked her lips.

"Have you missed me at all?" she asked softly, praying the pleading didn't inch into her voice.

"If I did, it was the woman you once were. Not this monster you've become," he whispered.

Atalanta ground her teeth as she held his eye. "The monster you made me."

Kaev's eyes softened just a bit. "Yes."

Atalanta pressed into him, set her cheek against his chest as she dropped her hand lower. As she moved her fingers along the base of his shaft she felt another shot of lust for him. But then...something was wrong. She eased back, glanced down. His impressive member seemed to be dozing. She glanced back up to Kaev's face, his eyes were far away. She tried again, wrapped her hand around his cock. Nothing.

With a growl Atalanta leaned back and found Kaev's eyes. "Has she neutered you?" she hissed.

Kaev stared at her, his expression unreadable. "Maybe you just have to try a little harder."

~~

Cassian shoved Anahid into the cell then turned to find Dymion following at his heels. He raised an eyebrow at the smaller man.

"Atalanta said I could have a turn," he went on before Cassian could protest. "I know. I won't hurt the welp in her stomach."

Cassian grunted, "You sure you don't want to watch the show with the lycan king?"

Dymion shrugged. "That's your and Atalanta's war. She's the only vengeance I need." He motioned with his head into the cell. Cassian shrugged and tossed him the keys. "Want me to help shackle her to the wall?" He glanced into the cell with a grin. "She's a fighter."

Dymion matched his smile. "I think I can manage."

Cassian snorted and smacked him on the shoulder before brushing past to hurry from the dungeon.

Anahid watched her brother step into the cell. He fingered the key as he avoided her eye. Then he glanced behind him and Anahid heard the scraping footstep. Serenity stepped into the doorway.

"We have to hurry," Dymion said quietly. He finally met Anahid's eyes. "I'm sorry." He stepped towards her tentatively. Slid a key into the manacles around her wrists. As they unclicked she shot her hand up, slapped him across the face. He flinched, but stiffened his back and moved to the collar around her neck. "I know I deserved that."

"Why help me now?" Anahid whispered, her voice harsh with emotion as she glanced to Serenity. Her mother.

Serenity stepped towards the two. "Dymion and I had a long talk--"

Anahid snorted.

"--and I let him know his parents would be ashamed of him," Serenity went on.

Again, Dymion flinched, and then the collar fell from Anahid's neck. And she felt her wolf rise in her breast. With a snarl she again shot a hand towards Dymion, she lifted her brother by the neck and slammed him into the wall. He went limp, his eyes wide.

"Anahid." Serenity placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"He deserves to die for Ash," Anahid growled.

"Perhaps. But he can still help us."

Finally Serenity's words reached Anahid and she loosened her grip, let her brother drop to the floor. "What do you mean about our parents?" she turned to Serenity.

Dymion coughed on the ground.

"I knew them. We lived in the same village. I knew Dymion when he was a boy of two. I never considered that they'd come looking for me after I disappeared. That they'd find my little girl and protect her. They were good, kind people, and I reminded Dymion of that."

Anahid glanced to her traitorous brother. He sat crumpled on the ground, tears quietly fell down his cheeks. "She's right. I thought I was avenging them by hurting you. I know that's not what they'd have wanted though."

"So, what's the plan then?" Anahid asked.

~~

Atalanta was displeased. As she snapped the whip against his back once more Kaev stiffened, gritted his teeth against the pain. Without the silver that bound him he'd heal in no time from the shallow gashes that crisscrossed his back...but for now they stung and he felt the blood begin to drip down his back. And then he heard a murmur ripple through the watching vampires. He looked up, followed their attentive eyes... to Anahid. She was being shoved forward, a stocky, dark haired vampire held her wrists as he dragged her back into the courtyard. No....

Atlanta stopped, whip held high in the air behind Kaev. "I didn't call for her to be brought out yet." she snapped.

The vampire shoved Anahid forward, sent her sprawling on the ground across from Kaev. "I heard you were having a hard time with him. I figured...incentive," the vampire said loudly. He stepped back, looking please with himself.

Atalanta stepped from behind Kaev, eyed Anahid on the ground. "Clever Dymion," she finally said, then crouched in front of Anahid. "Isn't your brother clever?" she asked softly. Kaev jolted, glanced to the boy that now stood several paces back. "Cassian," Atalanta commanded and the hulking blond vampire stepped forward, grabbed Anahid by the hair and wrenched her to her feet.

Kaev snarled and tried to lunge forward but several other vampires darted forward to hold him. Atalanta glanced back at him, a slow smile forming on her face. "Yes. Like that Kaev. That's the lycan I remember." She motioned to Cassian and the vampire tugged Anahid forward, pushed her directly in front of Kaev so they now knelt in front of each other. Kaev studied her lovely face. Long scratches ran down her cheek. There was a vicious bite mark on her neck and one eye was black and swollen. Rage sparked through his limbs as he took in his mate. He tensed again against the manacles, felt them creak on his wrists. He might take out a dozen of the vampires before they took his human form down. But if he couldn't remove the collar on his neck....

He leaned forward and Anahid caught his eye. The green pierced him and everyone else in the courtyard fell away and time slowed to a halt as his mate tilted her head up to him. And then she winked.

He felt Atalanta's hands on his shoulders, she caressed along his back, leaned into him. "So, you're mates. Show us what that looks like," she said. Kaev knew that tone. She tried to sound seductive, but he sensed the anger underneath.

Anahid looked up, her eyes going wide in confusion. At Kaev's back, he felt Atalanta laugh and she leaned down to wrap her arms possessively around his neck. She pressed her cheek against his as she held Anahid's gaze. "Show me she-wolf. Show me how Kaev here craves you. Show me why you're his mate. What you can do that I cannot," her words were like an icy breeze on Kaev's cheek and he tried to jerk away.

"No," he met Anahid's eyes. "You don't--" But Anahid had already leaned in. Her gentle fingers traced along the base of his shaft and Kaev twitched with arousal. Suddenly the only thing was Anahid's scent. The feel of her skin against his skin. Against his cheek, Atalanta hissed, but then he felt her quickened breaths as she watched Anahid work. As his member quickly stiffened.

Kaev closed his eyes, tried to keep his wits about him. As Anahid's fingers moved against his swelling cock his mind could focus only on her though. He opened his eyes, spared a glance down to her working hand. The silver chain on her wrist pressed into his skin and Kaev stared at it. Something...there was something off. He glanced to Anahid's face and she nodded slightly. He studied the collar on her neck. It looked...different. Before his eyes the wounds were knitting across her skin. The silver on her...it wasn't silver.

As Atalanta leaned against him, her breaths now fast with arousal Kaev watched Anahid tense. And then she was changing. The fake collar and chains on her fell away as she expanded. Her wolf erupted from her with a howl of gleeful rage. She was magnificent.

Kaev was already dropped and rolling, he wrenched at the chains that held his wrists, his legs. It would do for now, though the collar still held his wolf down. Atalanta screamed and then the courtyard collapsed into chaos and a freed Anahid fell upon the vampires. Kaev leapt after her in his weaker human form. And then he heard the howls.

He looked from a rampaging Anahid to the main gate. The stocky vampire--Anahid's brother--was pushing the gate open. Kaev did a double-take as a thin, bronze wolf led his pack through the gate. Variya, Cobb, all the others charged in after her to the terrified screams of the vampires. Kaev turned back to Anahid, she had two arrows in her shoulder and was circled by Atalanta and the blond vampire. Kaev roared and leapt towards the three. He slammed into the large vampire, knocking him to the ground. Even collared, Kaev felt the fury of his wolf as he grabbed the other man's head. He crushed it like it was a melon.

Atalanta screamed in rage and turned to flee. But Variya and her lycan teeth were there. She slammed Atalanta to the ground and Kaev turned away, his eyes only for Anahid. She was unsteady on her feet from several arrow wounds though her eyes were dark with manic hunger.

The sounds of fighting fell away as he stepped towards her. Sensing him, she turned her huge wolf's head and eyed him, her eyes slowly focusing. She panted, then collapsed on her side.

~~

Anahid woke a day later. She lay on a soft, fur blanket under the trees. Swimming up from sleep she tried to remember how she'd come to be there. Was it a dream? Was she still chained in Atalanta's dungeon. Then she felt the fur at her side move. Turning on the blankets she found Kaev's wolf form curled next to her. He watched her with those intense gray eyes, then slowly nuzzled his head into her. Anahid smiled, leaned against him and glanced around the small clearing. They seemed to be alone...and yet she sensed a dozen wolves stalking a wide perimeter around them. The last day seemed like a blur. Burning the vampires and their citadel down. Her brother, Dymion, had disappeared in the chaos. Serenity had disappeared as well, though Anahid still sensed her out there, in her wolf form, running and running and running. She was free. Anahid imagined she'd see her again. They had all the time in the world.

She turned back to Kaev, ran her fingers along his massive snout. Her mate. Suddenly she felt a moment of panic and dropped a hand to her belly. She tried to sense if her child was all right. Kaev chuffed next to her, dipped his head down to her belly, gave it a gentle lick as if to say, "She's fine. Our child is fine."

Anahid lay back down on the blanket, one hand on her belly as the other caressed Kaev's thick fur. It seemed he planned on staying as a wolf. As her protector. She didn't mind so much anymore. It was late afternoon, the ground was warm and a late sun filtered down through the tree limbs. Kaev curled around her, laid his head on her belly as he nuzzled into her. Eventually he ran his long tongue up her belly, up to her breast. Anahid shivered, surprised at the sudden arousal it stirred within her. She glanced to Kaev, his massive wolf form dwarfed her. His tongue continued to move, lapping gently at her skin, her breasts, raspy and delicious against her nipples.

With a low growl he stood, standing over her then collapsing down to cover her entire body with his. She laughed, feeling swallowed by a warm, fur blanket. He chuffed again and swiped his long tongue across her face. Then he inched back, down he moved and traced that tongue across her body, down, down until his wolf's head was positioned over her mound. He glanced up and Anahid swallowed, then she slowly spread her legs.

Kaev dropped his head, burying his snout in her folds. Anahid gasped and bucked instinctively against him. It was so foreign, so wrong. But then she melted as Kaev's tongue swiped up her slit. Anahid gripped at the furs she lay on as Kaev devoured her. His rough tongue lapped hungrily at her folds as his nose pressed against her swelling little nub. Higher and higher she rose as her mate took care of her. Pleasured and protected her. She bucked against him, arching into his excited tongue until the only thing that existed was her tightly coiling pleasure and Kaev's harsh breath against her skin.

Anahid climaxed with a scream and the sound echoed through the trees, was returned by a dozen lycan howls of joy.