Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 06

Light streamed through the windows as the birds began chirping outside and Valery was unwillingly pulled from her deservedly restful sleep. She was not an early riser nor a morning person, but she was a light sleeper and the very active birds outside were beginning to get on her nerves even as she briefly imagined shaking the trees they were in to scare them away; if only she could. Wondering why Hector hadn't bought thicker drapes, she finally gave up any attempt of going back to sleep and opened her eyes as she shifted her position. She felt hands move across her abdomen and begin to withdraw slowly, making her stiffen in surprise. Vincent, she thought and suddenly the memories of what had happened the previous day rushed into her conscious mind, making her sit up suddenly. Uncertainty flooded her as she tried to figure out how to feel about the events that had occurred; she had sleepily tried to seduce Vincent and in response to that, unbidden embarrassment was flowing through her system but it was the forceful mating bite that she was unsure of.

Valery's wolf had overwhelmed her once more, biting Vincent with the intention of finally mating him and she was confused about the whole matter. Betrayal or frustration were feelings she'd had before every time her wolf had taken over forcefully in the past weeks but this time, she really had no idea what to make of it. Granted, Vincent had said he wanted to be mated to her but she distinctly remembered disappointment taking over his surprise after she'd bitten him and the mating bond had solidified between them both. His emotions had flowed to her, unbidden and they'd been in synch for a moment or so, before her fatigue had taken over once more and she could barely keep her eyes open. She must have slept off at around that time for she remembered nothing more of the previous night. Valery was hesitant to explore the issue, scared that she'd find Vincent unwilling to be bound to her once more and she'd be forced to feel his contempt for her daily. As her luck would have it, she felt Vincent shift behind her as he sat up and placed a hand on her back, suddenly making her aware of her nakedness.

"Hey, are you alright?" a deep and husky voice inquired and Valery felt her heart beat a little faster at the sound of it.

"Yeah...I'm ok," she responded without even thinking about it.

A jolt went through her as she felt a bit of melancholy pierce through her emotions and she turned sharply to look at Vincent, knowing that the emotion was not her own.

"Don't lie to me, Valery," he said when her eyes connected with his brilliant green ones and she found herself getting lost in their depths once more, forgetting briefly the serious look on his face and the sadness she'd felt flowing from him.

Valery didn't know how to respond to that; how was she to express her fear that he'd not want her again? It was the very thing she'd run from in the first place and she wasn't eager to go through that uncertainty again. Knowing however, that she wasn't the most convincing liar, she simply just stared at Vincent, deciding to not respond at all.

"Do you want to talk about what happened last night?" Vincent asked when the silence stretched too long, a frown marring his perfect brow.

"I'd really much rather not," Valery responded, turning away from him and deciding it was about time to get out of bed, after all.

She'd only just leaned forward to pull the beddings away when she felt Vincent's coarse hands take ahold of her and in a blur of movement, she found herself pinned underneath him. Valery felt like the breath had been knocked out of her lungs and she looked up at Vincent in surprise, ready to demand that he let her go before the fiery look in his eyes stopped her short and a feeling of longing flowed through her, followed by anger.

"I'm not going to let you run away from me again," Vincent said, his look piercing through her for a moment before he bent his head and kissed one of her cheeks. "So tell me, Valery, what is it you'd rather be doing, then?"

Valery found herself unable to respond as Vincent placed his lips over hers, kissing her shallowly and briefly but leaving her breathless nonetheless as a wave of desire shocked her system and her arousal followed immediately after. She'd never felt like this with him before, not even during their first encounter and she found herself briefly wondering why she was suddenly responding this way to him before her wolf woke up and growled deeply within her in lust. Vincent at that moment had decided to move along, however, placing feathery kisses on her neck and heat flowed through her with each touch of his lips on her bare skin, culminating between her legs and making her center start to throb. Valery fought down a series of moans that threatened to come out unhindered and turned her head slightly to look at Vincent only to find the passion within her increase at the hungry look in his eyes, its intensity flooding her core with almost painful arousal.

"Vincent," she found herself whispering, her tone sounding needy to her own ears.

The need to claim Vincent fully clouded Valery's thoughts and she stopped caring about her wantonness, arching her breasts into his chest and gaining a little satisfaction at the low growl he let out. A quick view of his sharp fangs was all the warning she got before he suddenly sank them into her neck, making her blood rush out. The intensity of the arousal that engulfed Valery at Vincent's actions was dizzying and she closed her eyes, moaning repeatedly, unable to hold back anymore as her hands gripped his hair. Vincent drank from her for a short time and she writhed beneath him, her need for him increasing and dominating her so completely, her only thought was that of him burying his hardness within her.

She felt an overwhelming sense of loss when Vincent slid his fangs out a few seconds later and licked the puncture marks before he withdrew from her completely and she opened her eyes to find him sitting back on his haunches making her involuntarily let out a whimper of protest. Valery slowly felt sanity return to her as Vincent continued to look down at her and she took in the puzzled look on his face, all desire gone from his eyes.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice still husky and she felt embarrassment engulf her, extinguishing the last vestiges of her desire for him.

"That was me wanting you...though it's clear the feeling isn't mutual," Valery mumbled before she decided to get out of the bed once more.

Vincent was having none of that again, however and he stopped her, pushing her legs closed with his knees and pinning them there as he held down each of her arms on her sides. She glared up at him in anger and he stared back at her, a determined look in his eyes as frustration flowed through her, from him.

"That is not true, Valery and you know that. Why is it that I always have to fight and hold you down before you can face me and have a serious discussion with me?"

She looked away from his accusing eyes and tried to ignore the waves of contentment that flowed from her wolf as Vincent held her down. It wasn't like her to enjoy being restrained but her wolf seemed to like any displays of dominance and strength that the vampire put out.

"Well, what is it you want to discuss then?" she snapped, not appreciating his enforced control and wanting to do anything else other than discuss their current situation with him.

"Do you still want to run away from me, Valery?" he asked and the sudden tenderness that she felt coming from him made her look at him in surprise, finding his eyes filled with something that she wasn't comfortable naming.

"Why don't you stop restraining me and see?" she asked him back and watched him hesitate, knowing that he probably wouldn't listen to her.

Vincent suddenly smirked however and released the pressure on her arms, removing his whole presence from her body and getting out of bed, making her realize he wasn't as naked as she was when she saw his boxers on. She sat up and watched him as he paced a couple of times in front of her before he stopped and sighed, looking straight at her.

"That's twice that I've lost control with you, Valery," he started saying before he paused, frustration crossing his face as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. "That never happens with me, you have to understand. I don't just...feeding from..."

Valery watched him as he started forming sentences and left them incomplete, his frustration flowing through her once more. She shuddered slightly, still not used to the nearly constant invasion of her emotions, but waited for him to gather his thoughts together.

"Feeding from someone is something that I don't do often or recklessly. That being said, I almost never feed during sex...I know what it does and yet here I am doing it twice to you, invading your privacy. It's incredibly...uncouth of me," he finally let out, speaking quite fast.

"Well, it doesn't beat me forcing a mating bite on you," Valery responded and watched him stiffen, looking at her blankly before he sighed again.

"You might not believe me, but that's something I actually wanted. I'd been quietly hoping that you'd want me enough to mate with me...it's sudden, I know but the desire had been increasing every day. I was looking forward to it and well, I know the wolves tend to mate during sex and I was looking forward to that too," Vincent said, giving her a wolfish grin and making her blush.

"But just now, you...didn't want me," Valery argued, trying to overcome her embarrassment at the whole issue. "And yesterday when I bit you, I felt your disappointment; it was clear."

Vincent looked at her, confusion crossing his face and started walking towards the bed. He sat down and angled himself to face Valery, a frown knitting his brow together.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about when you say you felt my disappointment," he started, speaking slowly as if he was trying to recall what had happened. "What I remember is feeling surprised at the suddenness of the action. I didn't even know that wolves could mate outside of sex and when I felt the bond I had with you strengthen, I was taken aback, but then you-"

Vincent paused and fixed her with an intense look and she felt the same melancholy that had pierced her earlier, begin to invade her system once more.

"What?" she asked, feeling rather lost.

"You hadn't meant to bite me," Vincent said, looking away from her and running his hand through his hair again. "I felt it then, even after you bit me, you were surprised and regretted the action."

Valery studied him for a long minute, silence filling the room as she took in his tortured expression and tried to gain meaning from all the emotions she was feeling coming from him. It was uncanny that he'd figured out her uncertainty and disapproval of her wolf's actions but then again, if he was feeling her emotions as clearly as she was feeling his, then perhaps it hadn't been that hard for him.

"You're right, I wasn't exactly thrilled when that happened, but that's because I had absolutely no say in the matter," she said, breaking the silence and drawing Vincent's gaze to her. "I don't hate the fact that we're now mated and I...don't regret it either."

She bit her lip nervously, wondering what his reaction would be to her response; sure, she wasn't exactly jumping for joy over the mating but she wasn't loathing it any more. If Vincent had been speaking truthfully when he'd said he'd actually wanted her to mate him, then perhaps he would be thrilled at the progress. She wasn't feeling joy coming from him though and his face was impassive, impossible for her to read. Not wanting to wait for his reaction anymore and realizing that she wasn't ready to deal with it if it wasn't positive, Valery decided to change the subject.

"I didn't get a chance to uh...thank you for rescuing me from those wolves yesterday. You saved my life and I'm really grateful for that," she said, giving him a small smile which wavered when he didn't react and just continued staring at her, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Without breaking eye contact, Vincent moved towards her, leaning forward and she instinctively tried to shift away, feeling the headboard of the bed against her bare back as he moved in a little too close for her comfort. The look in his eyes pierced through her and she glanced away shyly, unable to keep up with his intensity before her eyes were drawn to his again.

"Are you serious, Valery, you don't regret being mated to me?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"No, I don't. It feels strange but not unpleasant," she said, her voice coming out in a whispery fashion as Vincent's intensity coupled with his proximity, started to get to her.

Vincent descended on her, capturing her lips with his own and gently cradling her face in his hands. His kiss was anything but tender however and his lips moved over her own, coaxing her mouth open as he confidently invaded it with his tongue, making bold strokes against her own. He explored her mouth thoroughly and tipped her head back, demanding everything from her as she gave it to him freely. Her tongue flicked against his and what sounded like a moan rumbled in his chest, making her fingers itch to grab at it. The flames that had been extinguished earlier were rekindled and she felt the liquid heat within her throb, its strength rising to elicit a muffled moan from her. She wasn't sure how it began but suddenly, Valery was aware of a euphoria seeping through her, its strength increasing steadily until she felt like she was engulfed by it. The emotion was so strong, filling her completely and she wasn't sure from whom it came, as Vincent continued expressing his passion and she rose up to meet it. All too soon, however, the passion began to cool and Vincent's tongue started to retreat from her mouth, his strokes shortening and becoming lighter until he moved away from her, leaving her breathless even as he breathed in gasps as well.

Valery felt flushed, heat simmering underneath her skin and she opened her eyes to look at Vincent, finding him already watching her with that fiery gaze of his as his chest heaved repeatedly to give him back the oxygen his body needed. His eyes softened after watching her for a few seconds and a wide smile split his lips, showing his teeth and lightening the intensity of the mood. Valery felt herself flush even more in a blush at his boyish and genuine smile and she smiled back at him coyly before glancing away from his eyes, once more, not wanting to read accurately what she saw in them.

"You have no idea what your acceptance means to me," he said seriously, a smile still lingering on his lips.

"I have an idea...I feel the same way," she responded boldly, still feeling the euphoria swirling within her and unable to fight back the smile that graced her lips.

"And all it took was a couple of weeks of excruciating pain and shame," Vincent said, reaching out to untie the scarf that was holding her hair and sweeping the locks off her face to hold them in his hands briefly before gently cupping the back of her head. "I'm glad it is you."

Valery felt a shiver go through her as his fingers played against her scalp, occasionally massaging it before he moved his hands through her dreads. The intimacy of the action had her rather locked in place and she looked back at him, unsure how to express all she had begun to feel and all she hoped she would experience with him.

"I thought I'd lost you, you know," Vincent said, his tone grave and a pinched look back on his face. "When I felt your pain and heard your desperate call, I ran as fast as I could to find you, only to arrive when you..."

She watched him take a deep breath and close his eyes as he frowned briefly before looking at her again. Valery could feel his fear and regret, the emotions flowing from him through her and she had her hands wrapped around him before she realized what she was doing. Vincent's hand tightened in her hair, the other one moving to stroke her back as she let him continue to express his thoughts.

"There was so much blood and you looked dead, I just...I lost it. I hadn't given into my savage nature since...since that time I found my friend and most of his family killed in their home because of my involvement. I'm sorry."

Vincent's voice was coming out raw and she felt the hoarseness graze at her emotionally as her hands tightened slightly. She'd been the cause of his pain numerous times but she wanted to soothe him, trying to find a way to ease the pain she could feel within him before she placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"I am never going to let you go, Valery," and she could hear the promise in his words as he held her tightly. "I was a fool to not see it before but now that I do, I will hold onto you for eternity. Even if you were in another reality, I would look for you tirelessly until I found you. So...so, you don't have to thank me for yesterday, you're the one that saved me."

Valery felt his words warm her and she was rendered speechless once more, a little frustration going through her at her sudden inability to express herself. Vincent pulled away from her and took one of her hands in his, stroking the fingers lightly.

"Do you know why those wolves attacked you?" he asked, his tone lighter but she didn't miss the edge in it.

"I am...uh..." she paused, trying to push back the uncertainty that flickered through her as she tried to explain what she was. "I am not a pure wolf...I was turned when a rogue wolf bit me about 30 years ago."

"Is there a difference?" Vincent asked, looking at her, his expression not changing or showing any revulsion at her revelation.

"Yes, actually. Turned wolves are considered an abomination amongst Weres," she started, gaining strength from the constant movement of his fingers against hers. "It's forbidden to turn anyone against their will and so, I'm viewed as something impure."

Vincent grasped her hand and a slight sneer played across his lips as a sliver of contempt flowed from him down their bond.

"Those damn wolves and their ridiculous rules. Does your pack feel the same way?" he asked, a frown forming on his brow.

"Some of them do, yes, but the Alpha and his second in command don't. They have been my family and support," Valery responded, not feeling hesitant anymore.

"So you're telling me that some wolves organized a raid and hunted you down because you were turned against your will?" Vincent asked, disdain and anger marring his tone.

"Well, not pack wolves, no; these were rogue wolves. There were reports about them a month ago when I was at home."

Vincent looked at her, studying her for a while with a pensive expression on his face and she waited for whatever question he wanted to ask.

"Does your family know about me?"

"Yes, they do," Valery responded with a light chuckle. "The Alpha female was actually the one who'd pushed me to meet you as quickly as I did the first time round. She said that the mating call was probably torturing you and that I shouldn't make you wait any longer."

"She was right; I had very...intoxicating dreams of you almost every night since I met you," Vincent said with a grin that had Valery's stomach doing a little dance. "Couldn't they have helped you with the situation when your wolf lost control?"

"I didn't want to involve them...I was going insane and didn't want to accidentally hurt them," she said, avoiding his gaze that was back to being serious. "But...I also knew they'd insist I try to patch things up with you and I-"

"You didn't want to after my abhorrent behavior. I can't blame you," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence. "I just hate that on top of everything I did to you, you were forced to get away from your family and shack up with Hector."