Pawn Among Wolves Ch. 02

"But surely - that's - good. Can't we work it out somehow?"

"No."

"Mac! Why not? At least try!" They'd spent enough time together - they knew, he knew - surely friendship and attraction on this scale was worth-.

"Wolves and humans don't mate." He was so damn obdurate. So sure he was right.

"Then make me a wolf," she growled angrily.

"I can't," he ground out again, frustrated.

"What do you mean, you can't, you almost had done a minute ago!" she was snarling into his face now. A tear escaped from a corner of her eye and she dashed it away impatiently. This wasn't only about sex. Not any longer.

"Werewolf, Gemma," he snarled back, rising abruptly to tower over her. The angry power looming above her should have made her afraid, but all Gemma felt was frustration. He wouldn't accept her.

"A werewolf - especially a female, eventually loses all humanity and goes insane. Wolves are born wolves and stay that way, balanced between the loup and the human. It is illegal, callous and exceedingly dangerous for a wolf to create a werewolf." He growled out the explanation.

Gemma stayed motionless, staring up at him. Her breath seemed to have been beaten out of her lungs by his words. She had almost become -.

"Like the legends - the horror stories?"

"They arose from the days when it was more common for us to - for werewolves to be created."

She gulped. His eyes had softened, and he looked down at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Gemma. Sorry you ever got involved, but Nick had never dared- before - I had been safely living among humans for years. Why he decided now to try and push further -. But I'll go, and you'll be safe. Fine. Forget about us. Forget you even knew me."

She swallowed. Eyes shadowed, looking down, she whispered, "Won't he just come back and bite - change me?"

Mac shook his head, reaching out his warm palms to cup around her jaw and lift her eyes back to his. Reassuring deep green. She loved his eyes. Mac said, "He can't. He's not an alpha. Hasn't the discipline." The edge of his lip curled in a slight snarl as a thought darkened his expression, "He used to try, before he was - stopped. He knows it won't work."

Gemma shuddered, and Mac pulled her forwards, resistless, into a comforting hug.

"What did he want?" she asked softly.

The warm chest against her heaved a sigh. Gemma leant further into it, resting. The sadness was contagious. He was going to leave. She couldn't stop him, couldn't persuade him, couldn't convince him. Tears began to leak silently from her closed eyes.

"He came here to collect you. New werewolves are very vulnerable and easy to control, they find it almost impossible to disobey. It's only as they get older that they start to - fight back." She shuddered again and burrowed into the comforting strength of his arms. But why was he undressing me? she wanted to ask. Remembering the predatory look in Nick's eyes, she was pretty sure she knew. A girl who couldn't say no, despite wanting to. Another shiver and Mac's arms tightened in a brief hug.

"No, I mean - back home. What did you say no to? What set him off?"

She felt a light rumble of displeasure in the chest she was leaning on. Could lean on for a few minutes longer. Just a few more minutes. Mac.

"He wanted me to change someone," he replied shortly.

"But -, you said it was illegal, that it was -. What made him even think you would -," surprised, Gemma looked up into Mac's face, and saw the distance, the shadows lengthening between them.

"He has a - hold. That was why I agreed to the exile. But now he's overstepped the agreement, and I'm back home." This, she could see, was as much as he would tell her. She was not part of this. Not part of his life, his real life. His home.

"He has no reason to come back now I've healed you, Gemma. It would be futile, there would be no point - just for spite, to mess with a human would raise the wrath of the warlords. He wanted to get at me - god knows why, suddenly - and get me into trouble, but pushing this with you any further - it would rebound on him. Nick is very calculating, and so his spite will be outweighed by his reason. He and I'll be gone from your life, picchu, you can breathe freely again."

Mess with a human. That's all any of this was. She dropped her eyes back to the notch at the base of his throat, the tears forming again in her eyes. Then she leaned forwards slowly, and rested her forehead against his chest, wishing. Longing.

A moment longer. Please.

She felt a sigh stir her hair, and then the soft brush of his lips against the crown of her head. He straightened and stepped back, holding her shoulders as he looked deeply into her eyes before dropping his hands. His sad green eyes.

"Forgive me?" Mac asked softly.

Gemma looked at him. Looked deep into those lovely, loving green eyes, and felt drained. Weary. She didn't owe him anything. As far as she was concerned he no longer needed forgiveness, but - he thought he did. The idiot didn't deserve it, for being so obtuse and unyielding, but this was Mac. He was going. Would leave in sorrow, if she didn't -.

Damn that.

She reached up her hands and pulled his head down to kiss him deeply on the mouth, savouring it this last time, the sensations rippling outwards through her body from where their lips joined. Then she nipped his lip sharply with her teeth, drawing blood. He flinched slightly and pulled away, licking the drop up slowly as he eyed her with an amused expression. He was a wolf, he knew body language, knew what she meant. Forgiven, even if you're an obstinate idiot.

"Told you I could bite you if necessary."

She didn't even see him move, but flinched back herself with a disgusted, "Eugh!" as that warm tongue slurped a wet trail from her chin to her forehead. Swiping at him, he was already out of reach, chuckling, and she saw a blur circle the room swiftly. Triumphal lap. She snorted a laugh and heard, "Still so slow, Gemma. Bye," as Mac leapt casually out of the window. Just like that. Gone.

Her eyes blurred again and she sank slowly back onto her bed, curling over to bury herself under the covers. He was gone.

Gone.

***********

Thanks for all the support for chapter one -- it's difficult to write into a vacuum and the feedback is very much appreciated! Please let me know -- better or worse?

For those of you who might worry -- no, this isn't the end, unless I'm asked to stop. I have about 12 chapters in my head -- should take about a year at this rate.

Thanks again!