18 comments/ 23020 views/ 74 favorites Wolfblood: The Price of Loss By: Boobearer The new moon was barely visible in the sky as he dropped his bags unceremoniously to the ground and thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking for his house keys. It would be a nice night for a run and he was anxious to release some of the stress that had managed to accumulate over the past few weeks of his mission. It had been hard being away from his family but travel had been necessary and he was just genuinely glad he was back. "Ah, finally," he whispered as he found the keys in one of his back pockets. He smoothly slid the key into the lock and opened the door quietly, stopping it before it gave that particularly annoying creak when opened too wide. It was almost 3am and he did not want to wake his mate, she was sleeping and in the late stages of her pregnancy; she needed all the rest she could get. He was loathe to leave her in the first place but there had been some disturbing rumors coming from their cousins in the North and he'd been tasked to find out what the problem was. The safety of the pack came before his own needs. Placing the bags on the carpet at the bottom of the stairs, he walked to the kitchen, absentmindedly pouring himself a glass of juice and placing it in the sink after he was done drinking, before walking back to close the front door. The news he'd found out from the Morgan Pack in the North had him unsettled and he was anxious to inform Jonathan, but that would have to wait until morning and he hoped letting his beast run free for a while would release some of that anxiety. He started stripping, removing every single article of clothing until he was stark naked. Walking back to the kitchen, he slid open the large window and smiled at the thought of what he was about to do. His mate always preferred that he use the door but a good leap just before a run was always what he'd preferred, even as a pup. He did not need to do anything more than concede control to the animal within him and in seconds, the form of the man disappeared, being replaced by one of a large brown wolf which quickly and gracefully leaped and sailed through the kitchen window to land in the compound outside. Quickly and silently, the wolf ran through the estate and into the woods surrounding it. It had been a while since it'd had the chance to run through the forest and the freedom that came with it was exhilarating. The man did not hold back and gave the reins over to his inner beast, weaving in and out of the trees sharply and letting out small howls of excitement as he left the pack estate far behind. He had not been able to do so for weeks, having been with the Morgan Pack. Changing in the territory of another pack without explicit permission from their Alpha was considered an act of aggression and Were wars had been fought over lesser reasons. He'd had to keep his wolf in check. He was free now however and the fresh wind rushing past his face along with the silence of the forest at night was exactly what he needed to release some of his pent up tension. That was when the acrid scent of fear mixed with that of blood hit his nose. It saturated the area he was in so heavily, he wondered how he hadn't noticed it as he was approaching. He slowed to a halt and listened for movement, all senses alert, ready to attack. Moving fluidly through the dark as only a wolf can, he headed towards the source of the scents. The closer he got, the more his hackles rose and he got a sense of wrongness. Moving closer still, he could detect a distinctly feminine scent and the occasional whiffs of faint wolf scents. Non-pack wolves had been on their territory in full Were form and had had a small scuffle from the smell of it. He felt anger begin to rise, and the wolf snarled; this was an outrage, an act that hadn't been done in decades. He would organize a group and hunt down the wolves the next day, a lesson needed to be taught lest some of the younger wolves got similar ideas and wars broke out again. Their numbers had dwindled enough as it was. Moving closer still, he sought out the source of the fear. He spotted her after a few minutes and approached as quietly as he could. She was lying naked a few paces away, her body still but he could sense the warmth of life coming from her. She was young, no more than 30 at the very least and was lying with her right leg at an odd angle, no doubt broken. Her dark skin was covered in abrasions and clotted blood stuck to the cuts he could see. This wasn't the problem however and he grew restless as the sense of wrongness rose in intensity and he bent his snout closer to her, sniffing around her dark hair only to step back in surprise, a deep growl emitting from him as he inadvertently bared his fangs. This woman was a wolf too, but not pure. She was a turned wolf; the very thought filled him with dread and another growl came out of him. The woman stirred and her fear rose sharply. Her eyes opened and he could read the confusion in them before they focused on his wolf form and terror flitted through them before she passed out again. He suddenly realized that any hopes of stress relief had died the moment he'd found her. Late night or not, it was time to wake Jonathan up. ***** Valery walked quickly as a sense of urgency slowly started to engulf her. The daylight was fading quickly and she had to be back on pack lands before nightfall or else she'd have a repeat of the incident that occurred the night Richard found her. She was a turned wolf and knew the implications of that. 30 years ago, she would have scoffed at the idea that were-wolves existed but there she was, living in their world daily and adhering to their rules. It had been an unfortunate evening the night she'd been turned. Along with 4 of her closest friends, she'd gone for a camping trip in the some of the woods that surrounded the city they'd lived in. They were all soon approaching their 30s and at 27, she wanted to do something new before she settled down into the life of a respectable, married woman like she'd always dreamed. Right off the bat on the first night however, a wolf had walked into their campsite as they were preparing to have supper. It hadn't looked rabid and for a second, Valery had believed it was the most beautiful and graceful thing she'd ever seen. That was before it leaped at Luke and in seconds ripped out his throat. Things had been a blur after that, there'd been chaos as the rest of them tried to get away and she'd gotten bitten. She vaguely remembered hearing howls in the background and the murderous wolf had leapt over her, running off into the darkness. The realization of what had actually happened came a few days later as she lay in the hospital. Luke and Sheila were dead but Sarah and Claire had managed to get away with just a few scrapes and she'd gotten bitten on her left arm. She'd been told that the rangers were looking for the wild animal and reassured that she was out of danger. The trauma of the event was subdued as she couldn't remember much of what had happened, plus she'd healed quickly and was allowed to go home, back to her small apartment and job as a librarian. Or so she had thought. It had started harmlessly enough, sometimes she'd wake up in her bed naked, finding her pajamas ripped to shreds somewhere in the house with no memory of what had happened in the night. After that had happened enough times, she started going to bed in the nude only to wake up in various rooms in her house on different days. She'd tried to look up sleep walking and its treatment but everything she found in books or on the internet suggested that it was passing and probably caused by stress, so she'd let it go. It was when she woke up naked on the stairs leading to her apartment that she'd panicked and sought the advice of a doctor who in turn reassured her that it was nothing to worry about and gave her some sedatives which didn't help much. About a week later, she'd suddenly came to and found herself in wolf form. She'd panicked and tried to run, not knowing what was happening but just finding herself practically flying over fences and bounding up and down parked cars in her neighborhood. She'd finally managed to shift back to human form, cold, naked and terrified. That it kept happening every night did not help matters and she'd barely found anything on the internet about shape shifting that wasn't written by someone high off their asses. That's when the night the incident occurred came. Again, she'd come to and found herself in wolf form and at this point, she knew enough to not panic. So, she left her apartment and ran down the streets, heading for the woods only to find herself being chased by two...three...four wolves. Panicked, she'd tried to lose them but they were faster and gained on her quickly, growling and snarling all the while. She'd headed for the nearest forest covering, not thinking clearly and they, being more agile, had caught up to her easily enough and attacked her. Tearing at her skin and wounding her until she'd passed out. It was then that Richard had found her and he'd helped her, carrying her body back to the pack estate and insisting the alpha allow her to heal there. She'd slowly learned what she was, a werewolf, and not a pure one. Richard had explained that pure wolves were either born or created when a human allowed to be changed into one and was bitten by a wolf. What had happened to her was forbidden; a rogue wolf had bitten her, forcing her into changing without consent. Her human DNA had been warped by the wolf-gene introduced in her blood as a result and what she'd ended up becoming was something of an abomination. Most Weres were not tolerant of turned wolves and cast them out their packs; their scents felt wrong and left a lot of unease amongst the pack members. Richard had explained to her that it was like seeing a man with no head walking around, it was wrong and most humans would not be able to stand it for long. Needless to say, Valery's presence on pack lands had caused quite a bit of unsettlement and after she'd healed, Jonathan Wyle, the Alpha had kindly but firmly asked her to leave the estate. He couldn't let her get off the protection of the pack lands however, lest she got attacked again and had allowed her to live a ways from the estate but still under the protection of the pack. That had been thirty two years back and Richard had stuck around, slowly teaching her and allowing her to come to accept what she was. He taught her the rules of their kind, foremost of which was to keep the humans in the dark. She'd come to understand that wolves were also very territorial and one could not simply just walk onto another pack's territory, which is probably what saved her in the first place as those wolves that hunted her had fled when they found themselves on Jonathan's property. Walking a little faster, she sighed in relief as she spotted the turn off on the walkway that signified where Jonathan's pack territory began. Taking the relevant route, she headed towards the clearing where her cabin was located. There had been quite the commotion when Jonathan had given her the house, a lot of objections were raised in the meeting he'd had with her and a few of his trusted Betas. It had been complicated; she was an abomination, something that caused pity or disgust to flit across the face of any Were who scented her and made the pack members uncomfortable, so she couldn't stay in the official wolf estate. She was a wolf nonetheless though and they couldn't just throw her out to her death. Jonathan's mate, Annet, had come up with the solution. Having only just met his mate at the time, Jonathan had eagerly agreed with her (if only so he could get the meeting out of the way and join with her) and so a cabin had been built for Valery, far away enough from the pack estate but still on the Wyle pack lands. In the dimming light, she saw a figure seated on the front door steps and she smiled, knowing who it would be exactly and not needing to scent him first. "Little Nicky, what exactly are you doing away from your pack?" The figure turned towards her and stood up, towering over her as she approached. "It's about time you started calling me by my full name, Val. I dropped the aunty from yours a while ago. Besides, you are my pack," the figure responded. Valery looked at the pouty look on his face and couldn't help but grin. Nicholas was Richard's son and had been born soon after she had arrived in the pack. It had been hard for her to adjust from being fully independent, leaving her family and what was left of the few friends behind, but Richard had fully involved her in his family, taking her on as a sort of pseudo-daughter. She'd watched Nicholas grow up and was extremely fond of him. He was 32 years old and looked 8 years younger but considering how slowly Weres aged and the fact that Valery herself was coming close to 60 years of age, he was no more than a pup to her. "It's a term of endearment, Nick, come now, you know that," she said, moving forward to give him a hug. He harrumphed in turn and she couldn't help but giggle. "Come inside, won't you? I have a couple of steaks we could grill in the oven." Nicholas' face lit up at the mention of food and he followed Valery into the cabin. He'd spend many days there as a pup and a few nights too whenever his parents had been away on the Alpha's orders. As Jonathan Wyle's Betas, both his parents were used to being obeyed and as much as they loved him, Nicholas admitted that he had not been an easy pup to deal with. Valery however, had always had his back and he loved her very much for that; he'd grown up calling her aunty but the truth was she more like a sister to him. He'd learned of the tragic way she'd been turned from his father and had tried to talk to her about it but she'd just clammed up and that was the last time he'd ever mentioned it. He watched her as she put her keys up on a hook and walked into the small kitchen of the homely cabin and couldn't help but wonder, for the umpteenth time, how she managed it every day. She was an averagely built black woman with expressive brown eyes and small lips. A bit wispy but could hold her own in a fight as he'd learned on many an occasion. Valery had decided to turn her hair into dreads about 7 years back, a style he didn't care for much, preferring open and free hair to her dreads. Her life required a lot of courage to live; being rejected by almost every Were she came across and trying to not get killed if she ever went out at night alone. He always wondered if she'd ever truly healed from the trauma of the attack that had brought her into the pack and his heart bled for her even as his wolf growled in anger at the thought of anyone hurting her. "Well, are you just going to stand there? Come in here and help me with this, I'm not your personal chef." Nicholas snapped out of his reverie and blinked in surprise, had he really just been standing there doing nothing? Recovering quickly, he walked towards the kitchen. "Thank Luna for that, it's a wonder you can eat your own food, Val." She sent him a halfhearted glare and handed him a knife as well as a platter of vegetables. "For that, mister, you're on onion duty." He chuckled and went to work slicing and dicing, looking forward to a good meal after a long day at work. Many of the Weres in the pack worked in pack owned businesses and it was advantageous for them, being in organisations that understood their natures. His father was part of the committee that organized and dealt with pack finances and organisations but Nicholas, having a bit of a rebellious streak, had instead sought work in an independent company. He'd majored in Finance at the in-city university and had always wanted to explore more of the world but until he'd proved that he was Beta material, it would be near impossible to travel away from the pack. That was one of the reasons he felt so close to Valery. She never seemed to be under the hierarchy of the pack even if she'd been living on their land for decades. Nicholas assumed it was because she'd lived a large part of her life as a human and was used to being independent but her need to succeed on her own called to his and many times, and they'd had several private discussions over it. It was rare for a Were to be opposed to the pack hierarchy but for some reason, Nicholas just did not do well with orders. "So what was it you wanted...I assumed you wanted something?" Valery asked, snapping him out of his thoughts yet again. "Can I just not want to see you? It's normal for family to visit each other, is it not?" he replied, watching her face carefully. Valery never referred to him and his parents as family but it was clear how they felt about her. "Come off it Nicholas and tell me what it is you wanted," she said with a small smile, picking up a couple of plates and glasses. Sighing, he grabbed one of the bottles of wine from a shelf and followed her into the living room. The steaks were almost ready and the potatoes were already in a bowl as the gravy simmered over a low fire. He could practically hear his stomach growling in protest at the time left. "Well, remember those investments we'd discussed last week?" he asked her, finally giving in and giving up on trying to get anything sentimental out of her. "I've managed to deal with most of the paperwork but I'll need you to come in and sign a few documents tomorrow." Her face lit up and she gave him a quick hug. "Oh Nicky, you're the best!" she let out in delight. He grimaced slightly at the use of his childhood nickname but was delighted he'd managed to please her. Before she'd had to come to the pack, Valery had invested in some start-up computer companies and had made a small fortune over the years but she could do little with that money considering the restrictions the Alpha had placed on her movements. She was working at a publishing company the pack had started and seemed to enjoy her job there but one day she'd asked him to help find a use for her money and he'd suggested a few business ideas and investments. She'd gone with the latter considering how tricky it was to start something public when one barely aged over the course of 30 years. "What time should I come in tomorrow?" she asked, getting the steaks out of the oven and placing them on the plates. He thought about it for a couple of seconds and decided to go with "about 10:30 in the morning. That would be best, I think." "Alright then; to your brilliance, Nicholas," she said with a smile, raising up one of the wine glasses he'd filled. Grinning in return, he got his own and touched hers with a chink before they sat down for dinner. It was going to be a good evening. **** Valery drove her jeep through the town, worrying about the time. She'd promised Nicky that she'd be at his office by 10:30 but it was already 10:15 and she was still 20 minutes away. How the time had gotten away from her, she had no idea; she'd called in a favor at the printing company and had somebody cover her for the morning, had made breakfast and sat down with one of her favorite books only to end up being late...again. Nicky was so going to have her for this; she was always the one berating him for being even a few minutes late. It would be prudent to call or text him but she didn't have the time to park on the side to do so; she just hoped he'd understand. Trying to not drive like a lunatic, she silently wished she could shift into Wolf form and tear down the streets to save time. Valery could feel her wolf growl in approval, it had been a couple of days since she'd let the animal have a run and it was getting rather antsy. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 02 Richard glanced at the text message for what must have been the hundredth time and frowned once more. The emotions it induced were not altogether the same and he found himself rather unsure of how to react. "Come on Richard, we should be happy for her." He stopped his pacing and turned to look at his mate, despite her words, he could see the same anxiety he felt mirrored in her face. She was a beautiful brunette, slender with brown eyes and had the most exquisite laughter he'd ever heard. Tall like the rest of her family, she stood at a cool six feet and he was only grateful he had 3 inches on her, though his unruly hair and full beard somehow made him seem much taller than he really was. "I know Lyn, I know. I can't help but be worried however, this has never happened before. How can we be certain that it's real?" he responded, running a hand through his long locks in frustration. He felt a little guilty that when Valery had texted him that she'd found her mate, he hadn't jumped in joy but had stared at the phone in disbelief for a few moments before he had the mind to call her. Richard grimaced as he remembered the way he'd grilled her, his Beta instincts kicking in, wanting to find out the absolute truth. From the responses she'd given him however, it really did seem like she had indeed found her mate. Valery had seemed panicked on the phone and he'd realized that his stern response was not helping, so he allowed her to go out for lunch with Nicholas and given her a few hours to calm down, promising her that they'd talk it over when she returned to the pack. What he'd failed to mention was that their 'talk' would involve the Alpha as well. This was a matter Jonathan needed to know about since it was happening in his pack. Richard let out a groan in frustration, not really knowing how he was going to release the tension he felt and wishing he could go for a run. As if on cue however, Lyn got up, walking to him with a small smile playing at her lips. "Do you need me to help you relax?" He stopped his pacing and looked at her, his attention suddenly diverted by her husky tone and he groaned again at the sultry look in her eyes. His woman was certainly going to drive him to distraction and he was going to be led down that road willingly. Lyn's smile widened and that was all he needed to close the space between their two bodies, marking her with a searing kiss. Winding his fingers through her shoulder-length hair, he didn't let up and slipped his tongue into her mouth, the hot cavern opening willingly for him as he tasted her and felt himself begin to harden. Lyn let out a small whimper as Richard completely dominated her with his kiss and her wolf growled in approval. He always managed to get her hot at ready within the shortest time possible and her hands went underneath his shirt, making him growl as they explored his torso. He never played fair however and he broke off the kiss, leaving her slightly breathless even as he kissed and nimbled his way across her cheeks and to her neck. Without warning, he sunk his teeth into the spot joining her neck to her right shoulder, where he'd placed his mating bite decades ago. She cried out as fire flooded her entire body, culminating at the core between her legs and making her much wetter than she'd been a few seconds back. Her legs gave way as he continued to play with his mark, not giving her any avenue for escape as the fire in her body pulsed again and again, straight to her womanhood, making her so turned on it became almost painful. Richard lifted his mate and placed her on the long brown couch in their living room, her wanton moans filling him with a great need to be buried within her. He lay over her and she arched into him with a throaty moan and he resumed his place at her neck, knowing that she wouldn't need much more to send her over the edge. His heart pounded faster as he heard her breath hitch and her tone go several octaves higher, a sure sign that she was on the edge ready to be pushed over and fly. His wolf growled, ever so close to the surface and he bit into his mark again, piercing her skin this time as he drank some of her blood making his wolf howl in pleasure. His Lyn let out a keening cry as she climaxed and he drew his head back, watching her face twisted in pleasure and felt himself throb at the thought of exactly how she'd feel, her walls milking him as she came again and again. She was his and he was hers to the very end. He leaned forward to capture her lips again but was stopped short with the knock on the door. "Shit!" he let out in sudden anger, wondering who was stupid enough to interrupt his time with Lyn. "Baby, it's Jonathan," Lyn let out a little breathlessly and he took in her flushed appearance, feeling a little panic flow down their mate bond from her. They'd completely forgotten about the meeting and he was now acutely aware of the scent of her arousal saturating the air. "Let them in baby, and I'll go clean up," she said, trying to practically flee. He held her in place however, not liking the idea of her being embarrassed about her arousal but she had been from a different pack before they mated and their rules had been different. Lyn's former pack were a conservative bunch and kept any sexual activity behind locked doors. As a sign of respect, they made sure the Alpha was never exposed to their sexual nature even after he'd found his mate and Richard had had a difficult time trying to convince Lyn to give into her more sensual urges after she'd transferred , but some habits just didn't get out of the system. Making her uncomfortable however, was the last thing he wanted and sighing in acquiescence, her let her go, smiling slightly at the way she practically tore up the stairs. Getting off the couch, he went to open the door for his Alpha; Valery wasn't there yet and that was a good thing because some issues needed to be discussed first. **** The sun was making a quick descent and Valery shifted uncomfortably in the car seat as she thought of the meeting they were headed to. Nick had decided to leave his car at the office and offered to drive her back to the pack compound in her jeep; she had been too nervous to disagree at the time, Richard's stern voice still fresh in her mind. Her thoughts drifted over the events of the day and immediately, those green eyes that had mesmerized her filled her mind as her wolf sat up on attention. The vampire had surely made an impression and judging from the way her wolf reacted, it really did believe that he was their mate. Her wolf growled in disapproval at her doubt and she sighed in resignation, the idea was a wildly hopeless one considering what Richard had told her of turned wolves but she really did want the attractive, tall, dark-haired man to be her mate. His eyes flashed through her thoughts again and she felt her heart beat a little faster, remembering the way his nostrils had flared slightly before he'd smiled knowingly at her, looking more amused than anything. It hit her then what it meant but instead of cringing at the thought of the vampire scenting her arousal, Valery felt boldened by it and would gladly have let him take her in that elevator again and again till she could barely stand. The thoughts filling her mind were untamed and sensual every time she thought of him even though she knew she should be wary. Vampires were predators and held allegiance to no one, but unlike Werewolves, did not feel the need to be openly aggressive to their own kind and so had survived over the ages. Most Weres did not associate with vampires, regarding them as some sort of cancer in society but still afforded the deadly night-walkers a grudging sort of respect at the power they held as vampires could tear a wolf apart in seconds. They were the top of the food chain and the wolves knew that but they were also disorganized and scattered all over the world, it was hard to keep track of their numbers. For all she knew, this vampire could simply view her as a play thing and kill her after, refusing to respond to her wolf's mating pull. She'd met a number of vampires and had liked only a few, many of them leaving a bad taste in her mouth, so she had quickly learned to avoid certain restaurants and night clubs, even if she was with company. Valery had managed to make a friend of one vampire over the last decade, though he was rarely in the city and often conducted business in Europe. He, much like her delicious looking mate had the unnatural beauty of an old vampire and could move about during the day, settling her suspicions that he was indeed very old even though he'd mentioned once that the sun gave him a headache. Hector, he'd told her to call him and even if she knew that was not his real name, she'd been happy enough to refer to him with it and had kept their correspondence and little lunch and movie dates a secret over the years. Nicholas had been silent the entire journey and she was grateful for it. He'd originally expressed surprise and then some form of subdued joy at her news and had done everything he could to distract her over the course of the day before he finally decided to leave her to her thoughts. The jeep passed by the turning she usually took off the main road when she was walking home from work and with it went any hope of her waking up from this rather tantalizing but mostly uncertain dream. They continued down the main for about 20 more minutes before he took another turning and headed down the winding road leading into the woods that contained their main pack compound. A few minutes later, they were parked right outside the house they both called home and Nicholas turned off the engine, waiting for her to move. Valery hesitated, not eager to have this meeting with Richard, for some reason, she didn't want to talk about the events of that day and a feeling of dread washed over her. "Don't worry about it Val, it'll be ok," Nick said as he reached out to squeeze her hand briefly. She swallowed, hoping she didn't look as nervous and she felt. "Yeah...yeah. Thanks a lot Nicky," she responded, watching him flinch and them smile slightly at his nickname. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting any longer," he said as he opened the jeep door and jumped out. She did the same and together, they walked towards the house they hadn't lived in for years. Nick opened the door and the warm light that came from the house as well as the glimpses she caught of Lyn and Richard from the living room calmed her down a bit. This place was like home to her and she'd learned to fight many of her fears from here, this too would pass. Valery's confidence lasted all of 5 seconds before she walked into the house and scented the Alpha as well as his mate. She paused in her advance to the living room and the idea of fleeing crossed her mind, but Nick's firm hand gripped her shoulder from behind and she looked up into his face to see a cautionary look in his eyes. "I'm here for you," he mouthed and gave her a quick grin. Valery nodded and with a deep breath, she advanced toward the couples who were waiting for her. "Val," Lyn called as she got up to meet her half way, all smiles and warmth. Valery felt some of her tension dissolve as she luxuriated in the hug of the other woman. Lyn was tall and Valery had to stand on the tips of her feet to lessen the height difference but that hardly mattered as she was always pleased to see the other woman. "Don't smother the girl, Lyn. Let her breathe," an amused voice sounded behind them and Lyn let Valery go with a giggle and a peck on the cheek right before Richard engulfed her in one of his merciless bear hugs. The petite woman let out a squeal in surprise as Richard reached for her and practically crushed her in an embrace. He was a large man and while he gave her similar hugs every week, she always felt surprised by how hearty and genuine they were. This man was a pseudo father to her and she was eternally grateful for him. "Goodness Val, it has been too long. You look thinner," Richard said as he let her go. "Come off it Richard, I was here last Sunday and will be again this one," she said with a smile and he winked back at her. "Still miss you though, you don't call enough." Valery caught the groans and laughter that always followed whenever Nick complained to his mother about his nickname as they walked towards the living room from the entrance. Richard went ahead to hug his son as her attention was diverted to the Alphas in the room. Jonathan Wyle was a huge man and as tall, if not taller than Richard. He had neatly cropped black hair and light shadowing of a beard and did not look like your typical Were but his very presence practically screamed Alpha. Annet Wyle, however, Jonathan's mate was a sweet looking redhead who was pregnant for the second time and had Jonathan wrapped around her finger. She'd been human at the time the Alpha had met her and Valery had always been curious as to how that had worked out between them. "Jonathan," she called respectfully, only to have the large man get up with a chuckle and engulf her in her second crushing hug of the day. "Don't be so formal, Valery," he let out with another chuckle and Valery could feel her wolf almost literally grin in pleasure. Jonathan moved away to let Annet greet her and even though she was at the end of her second trimester, the Alpha female was still light on her feet. "Oh Valery, it has been so long. You really must come and visit us some time," she said with a light peck and a hug. "I've missed you terribly, not to mention Christina. How can I find out that you've found your mate from Jonah and not you?" Valery had always felt a sort of kinship with the other woman and the feeling was mutual as Annet had really helped her through the first months of her transformation, having been human herself once. She had a daughter, Christina, who was about 20 years old that Valery had grown to like but hadn't seen in a while after she'd moved to university. "I'll come by to visit soon, I promise, and it has been a confusing day Annet, I'm sorry." "Not to worry my dear, that's why we're here to support you," Annet said, grabbing Valery's hand and leading her to the couch she'd been on with Jonathan. Richard and his family all took up seats in various chairs and Valery gulped as every pair of eyes turned to her. "So Valery, let's hear it from your perspective," Jonathan said. Taking a deep breath, Valery recounted what had happened in the elevator, keeping the intensity of her arousal rather light and focusing on the reaction of her wolf. When she was done, she saw Jonathan frown and he turned to Richard. "Were matings with Vampires are rare but one with a Vampire old enough to walk in the sun...that's unheard of," the Alpha said, his frown deepening further at whatever thoughts going through his mind. "True," Richard responded, pausing before glancing quickly at Valery. "There are very few of those still around, he'd have to be at least fifteen centuries old. Perhaps we should look around the city and vet him-" "No, no, no! You cannot do that, baby," Lyn cut her husband off as she leaned forward and looked straight at Valery. "It's her right to approach him first without your overprotective interference." "Um..." Valery let out as all pairs of eyes turned to her again. She cleared her throat before she continued. "You all sound so sure that he's my mate...how can you be?" Her biggest fear at that moment was the thought that as amazing and appealing as he was, the vampire was not indeed her mate and that her wolf had just gotten confused. Perhaps the predator had actually mesmerized her into thinking that he was her mate... "How does your wolf respond to these thoughts of doubt," Richard asked her, watching her closely. Valery could feel the growls of anger at her disbelief from her wolf, even in that moment. "Anger...she growls and snarls every time I consider that fact." "Exactly, sweetie. Our mating is a primal instinct that our wolves lead us through, the wolf always knows and is never wrong," Lyn spoke up. " The attraction you feel towards him, the possessiveness and the claim you make to him is in your very being, you cannot resist it if you wanted to. It's like you growing and you cannot stop growth...not without dire consequences anyway." "Dire consequences?" Valery asked. "The wolf goes rogue, wild, unable to comprehend a life without his mate," Nicholas responded. "These wolves have to be put down, Val. It's likely the kind that attacked you in the first place." "So-so, you're saying that the wolf that bit me all those years ago had lost a mate?" "Not likely. Usually wolves that go rogue are those that leave the pack...a wolf cannot survive outside the pack," Jonathan responded, looking at Valery with a deeper meaning in his eyes. "The mating pull is strong, Val, dear," Annet said, reaching for her hand. "It's hard to resist it for both parties, I know I tried and failed miserably. Jonah had me claimed and I claimed him back just 3 days after I'd decided to get away from him." "But I'm a turned wolf, not as strong as a pure one and that could affect my mating pull. What if my mate doesn't feel it or can resist it successfully?" The fear that she might lose her glorious Vampire and be alone for the rest of her life was growing stronger and with it came all the rejections that she'd experienced at the hands of Weres. Could vampires tell turned Weres from true wolves; she certainly hoped not. She didn't want to see the same revulsion she'd experienced for the past 3 decades in those stunning green eyes...it just might kill her. "I'm going to tell you the truth Valery, I don't know. This is the first time any turned wolf has ever claimed a mate and also the first time a vampire that old has ever been claimed by a Were. I think however, that the same rules apply and we will get you through this." Jonathan responded. "But you raise an interesting point. Say that the vampire can actually resist her mating call, wouldn't he then be in a position to harm her?" Nicholas asked right before Lyn slapped his hand lightly and gave him a reproachful look. "We don't mean to worry you Val, but Nick raised a valid point. Perhaps maybe a protection detail should be allowed to-" Richard started before he was abruptly cut off. "No, no! Richard, you cannot do this to me again," Valery stressed. "You taught me well and I'm now more than capable of taking care of myself. No protection." "But Valery, think about it, what if-" "Don't you start too, Nicky," Valery cut him off, resolute in her stand. "I will not have my every step hounded by wolves I barely know." A taut silence filled the air as they all turned to Jonathan, each wanting him to agree with them. "Alright Valery, if you don't want protection, how do you plan on approaching this vampire?" he asked. More silence filled the room as Valery realized she hadn't actually thought of that and really had no idea how to flirt anymore. Was it still the same way it had been done in the 80s? "I have an idea on that actually," Lyn said, interrupting the tense silence. "Annie and I will take her shopping tomorrow." "Shopping? Really Lyn, will a pretty dress and some shoes protect her from a raging vampire?" Richard asked, looking slightly frustrated. "He's her mate, baby, and no matter what any of you are suggesting, I don't believe he could hurt her any more than you could me. On top of that, I bet he'd be less likely to resist her call if she showed up in something that'll make him want to ravage her." Valery flushed at the thought of that and was glad it couldn't show on her dark skin. Oh, she liked the thought of her vampire taking her the moment he glimpsed her and judging from its reaction, so did her wolf. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 02 "Ok, I'm willing to give this a chance, only because I know how upset I'd have been if someone had interfered with Annie and I, at the time," Jonathan said. "But on the issue of safety, we have something else to discuss." "We've been investigating this for a while and were not sure at the start but a pattern is starting to form. Some wolves are attacking turned Weres," Richard spoke up. Everyone in the room sat up a little straighter and frowns appeared across several faces. "Are you sure?" Annet voiced the thoughts of nearly everyone else apart from the Alpha. "Yes, I had suspected as much when I visited the Morgan Pack in the north a few decades back. Their Alpha had reported some of his wolves going rogue and then attacking a small pack of turned Weres that had formed close by under the pack's protection. The pattern has been spreading slowly and a few weeks ago, a couple was bitten and then killed a week later in the woods at the edge of this city." All pairs of worried eyes turned to Valery again and she fought the urge to not squirm this time. It would seem her curse would never let her rest and once again, her life was in danger. "I know you've been careful so far, Valery but you have to be even more so now. These wolves are purists and have been driven a little to insanity without their packs, so there's no telling what they'll do. Try to stay safe and keep your mating call under wraps, we're still trying to find out more information and don't need the situation escalated before we can diffuse it," Jonathan said, his eyes filled with compassion. Valery swallowed and nodded. "Alright then," the Alpha said, "Lyn, I believe I smell something delicious in the oven?" Some of the tension diffused as Lyn let out a light chuckle and Richard held her as they stood up and headed towards the kitchen. Annet gave Valery and quick hug and grabbed her hand as they followed Richard and his mate. "You'll be fine. We'll go shopping tomorrow and you can go after your beau. Let your wolf lead you, I'm sure she's anxious to meet him again," Annet whispered to her. "Tomorrow, wouldn't that be too soon?" Valery asked in surprise. "Honey, if your pull is doing what I think it's doing to him, tomorrow is too far away," the Alpha female let out with a chuckle. Pretty soon, all the tension had been released and they eagerly set the table, awaiting one of Lyn's delicious meals. Valery's wolf calmed down a bit and she started to look forward to the next day, slowly accepting that this was an inevitable route for her. **** Vincent sat in his office for the day, going through some delicate paperwork for his company and failing, for the umpteenth time, to move forward from the progress he'd made that morning. It was entirely unseemly for him to be distracted and the object of his thoughts was even more embarrassing to him and to his kind as a whole. He'd hired out a private office for the day, not wanting to be disturbed by simpering women wanting to get into his bed and the rest practically bowing to him at his orders. Few in the company knew exactly what he was and they were trustworthy enough to keep it to themselves but the rest still knew his name and once word somehow got out that Vincent Servo was in town, they all practically climbed over each other to fall into his good graces. So he'd wanted a quiet environment, not too bright and all the work he needed to sort out before he left the city, before him. He hadn't counted on being distracted however, and by a wolf, no less. His night was spent with images of the delectable woman he'd seen in the elevator lying in his bed, her dark skin making an erotic contrast against his as she clutched at his back and he entered her again and again, making her walls convulse around him. He'd woken up numerous times, harder than he could remember ever being, only to go back to sleep and find her starring in yet another erotic dream, her scent engulfing him with its cinnamon and rose hues. It was preposterous and he felt his annoyance growing as he tried to push the images out of his mind and failed. He'd moved through the city, being assaulted by the scents of various humans and the numerous Weres that occupied it but now there he was obsessing over the scent of one little Were, as sexy as she'd looked in that pants suit, her waist accentuated by the way the jacket dipped in and then flared out at her hips. He could imagine his hands at her hips as he lowered her on top of him, her arousal saturating her completely while his mouth descended on her breasts. "Goddammit!" Vincent let out in frustration, growling as he realized he'd begun to harden to fantasies and images of a wolf...no, a dog! That he should fall so low was tearing at him and he growled in anger without thinking, as his phone rang. "I said I shouldn't be disturbed," he ground irritably into the phone after he'd accepted the call. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before the voice sounded. "I know, but there's a...woman here. She says you'll want to see her." "I'm not interested," Vincent practically growled. There was a time in his life when he took as many women as he could to his bed and luxuriated in the untethered lust that came with the early days of vampirism but that all had faded as the predator he was started to require more of a challenge in his exploits. It had been a while since he'd tried to mesmerize anyone and he didn't care to. It turned out that being rich and powerful got humans to practically act as servants without his trying and he'd quickly grown bored with it. Any need for a quick romp or desire to sate his more amorous needs, was done with his kind...the females always provided a bit of a challenge. "She says...she says," the voice on the other end mumbled and he frowned in annoyance. "She says you'll remember her from the elevator yesterday." Vincent held his tongue back as he was about to interrupt the caller...the wolf from the elevator had tracked him to his office? The very nerve... He didn't know whether he should be impressed or amused at her stupidity. Did she not know who he was, how much power he commanded; was she looking for an early death? He could destroy her without even trying and end her short life...had she not considered that? Revolted as he was at the thought of the wolf going after him, he was still curious as to what had brought her to him...he just had to work on his bodily reaction to her scent. What had happened in the elevator would not happen again. "Send her in," was his curt response and he cut off the phone. The walk to his office wasn't far and he could hear a slight scuffle of steps coming from along the corridor, getting louder. So, she was wearing flat shoes, not the stilettos most women tried to enthrall him with, but if he was being honest with himself, he wouldn't mind seeing her in stilettos either, hands tied above her head as he tortured her with long and slow plunges into her depths, her legs wrapped around him, heels digging into his back. The footsteps stopped just outside her door and he heard a soft sigh. Vincent smiled in amusement; so, she was not as confident as he thought she was. Perhaps there was a little wisdom still left in her pretty little head. There was a knock at his door and without waiting for a response, it opened, letting in the first breeze carrying that tantalizing scent he'd been dreaming about. Almost instantly, just like in the elevator the day before, he felt himself harden. He almost cursed in annoyance but stopped short when she walked into the room. Dear God! He thought as he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. She was gorgeous and was standing there in his office looking ready for the taking. She was wearing a white sundress with sandals and while it flowed and stopped at her knees, giving him a delicious view of a part of her legs, his attention was drawn by her breasts. The dress had a satin upper half covering her torso and her breasts pressed against the fabric, stretching it and making his mouth begin to water at the very sight of them. "Hello," she said softly, almost nervously, drawing his eyes to her face and taking in her brown eyes and full lips. She'd worn very little make up and still had her hair in a bun, making her look sophisticated. This was definitely not a woman who had come to seduce him, so he wondered what she wanted. "Hello," he responded, his voice gruffer than usual. "Please, have a seat." He watched her as she moved past the sofas he had in his office, putting her purse on the coffee table instead and walked towards him, placing her delectable looking derriere on his desk as she turned slightly to place him in her vision, practically oozing confidence. To say he was surprised would be an understatement, this girl continued display large amounts of recklessness where he was concerned. Did she really think he'd let her push much further than she already had? But he'd already allowed actions from her that he wouldn't have tolerated from anyone else; had another woman showed up in her stead, he'd have quickly dismissed her and gotten back to work. His curiosity with this wolf-girl was overwhelming his common sense and he felt himself rapidly losing control of the situation even as he looked up into the pools of chocolate in her eyes. Centuries of walking the world, however, had instilled in him the instinct to close off his emotions when he wasn't sure about a situation and he let his face slip into a blank mask as he leaned back in his chair and appraised the woman invading his personal space. "Anything I can help you with, little wolf," he asked lightly, steadily. She obviously felt comfortable enough to disregard all etiquette and sit on his desk, so he wasn't going to try and involve her in any small talk. Vincent took in the way her eyebrows came together in a frown and the displeased downturn of her lips before she opened them to respond. "Valery; call me Valery." He let a small smirk slip through his mask; ah, she seemed to be one of those who was easily riled. Perhaps a few comments here and there would bring her little game to an end and give him back the control of the situation he felt so uncomfortable without. "Your name is of little consequence to me as is your presence here, wolf," he said, emphasizing the last word and smirking wider as her frown deepened. "But if it will soothe your little ego, then allow me to reiterate: what is it you want, Valery?" He felt he liked the way her name slid along his tongue and that it suited her, this gorgeous enigma seated across his desk. "For someone of your age, I'd expect you to be a little more courteous but it would seem even with eternity at your fingertips, you couldn't learn how to treat a lady." Vincent felt a flash of irritation go through him. As melodious as her voice was and as much as he would have wanted to engage her in conversation, he wasn't one to enjoy being looked down upon, let alone insulted. Her little comment had given him a glimpse of her wit and he felt himself more than pleased with that, but she was pushing even the little freedom he'd allowed her and he felt his grace was running rather thin at the moment. "Calling a woman who barges into my office and plops herself on my desk a lady would be rather generous, don't you agree, Valery?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, still savoring the way her name rolled off his tongue. Pausing a few seconds to see her reaction, he noted some uncertainty and embarrassment pass through her eyes before they flashed in irritation. It seemed control wouldn't be that hard to get back. Vincent suddenly stood up and angled his position so that he was practically towering over the petite woman, making her lean back with a small gasp of surprise. "I'll ask it again...Valery, what do you want?" She looked up at him, her face moving from an open expression of wonder and appreciation to one of uncertainty. Whatever had happened to the confident girl who'd walked through his office, he didn't know and didn't care much, so long as he could get to the bottom of things there and then and get back to work. "To ask you out, of course." Vincent felt shock flash through his system and for a second or so, he was sure his expression was one of open flabbergast. She'd come to him to ask him out? While her expression gave him confidence that the tables had turned in their little situation, her still smooth and steady tone of voice made him doubt that. This little wolf was very, very stupid but he was completely taken by his curiosity of her. Amusement slowly flooded his system as he stared down at her and braced his hand on the desk, leaning closer, his face mere inches from her own. "You tracked me down so you could ask me out? Why?" He practically felt the heat increasing in her body and emanating from her face in what he assumed was a deep blush that he couldn't see on her smooth, dark skin. Her breathing had increased slightly but the biggest sign of how much he was affecting her was the rapid heartbeat he could hear. Good. "If you accept my offer, you'll find that out...and more," she responded, her eyelids closing a fraction and her voice dropping half an octave lower. Vincent stared at the woman, meaning to intimidate her with his presence and unwavering eye-contact but she held her own, her heartbeat racing and her eyes fixed on his. He felt his amusement diminish and something wilder, hotter, slowly start to fill its place as her breathing rate increased and he saw her pupils widen, darkening her eyes to glittering pools of chocolate that reflected the heat he felt snaking through his system. This was not right, certainly she'd caught him off guard and he was now more intrigued than ever about this wolf but he couldn't indulge himself and he should just turn her away from his office and forget she existed. He should, but his body wouldn't move, the liquid heat of the arousal he'd felt at her presence the day before, flooding his system and overriding all his cautions. Without warning, the devious woman leaned slightly forward and brushed her breasts against his arm. He could barely feel them against his skin through his coat but that one little movement, so light and yet so sensual practically seared through his whole system and urged him forward till he captured her lips with his own. She let out a little whimper and twisted herself in his arms, arching her back as she leaned towards him, making her swollen breasts press into his chest. He felt himself harden even further and as her tiny hands clutched at his arms, he lifted one to the back of her head and pressed against her lips in a dominating kiss. Slowly massaging the back of her neck, he slid his tongue against her bottom lip, searching for entry. She freely gave it to him and his tongue entered her mouth, exploring, tasting her intimately with bold, firm strokes, eliciting a moan out of her so needy, he felt his manhood twitch in response. Her musky aroma of arousal started scenting up the room and with a growl, he tilted her head further back and tasted her deeper. The little wolf was filling him with a need for her, greater than any he'd ever felt, overwhelming his senses and just leaving the urge to be buried inside her, making her cry out for him again and again. He'd thrown all caution to the wind what seemed like ages ago and all that mattered at that moment was the raging inferno within him and the petite woman who had slipped through his defenses long before he'd even properly met her. Lifting his other hand, he slid it lightly against her abdomen and moved up to gently cup one of her breasts, his thumb searching for her nipple and sliding across the hardened nub. Valery suddenly stiffened in his arms and pulled away from him with a little gasp. He didn't want to let her go but he also wasn't one to force a woman into anything she didn't want, no matter how much his body screamed at his for letting her go. She slid off the desk and turned to look at him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath and he waited for her to have her say, hoping that she hadn't changed her mind. "I-I don't even know your name, I thought dinner...er...a date would be a good start," she panted, her voice breathy and barely controlled. "Vincent, call me Vincent," he said, alluding to her earlier comment as he slowly rounded his desk, approaching her. "And this is dinner." He watched with satisfaction as his words made her heart beat even faster and she opened her mouth in surprise. "Of course, you can have your food later but there's only one thing I'm planning to eat today, we can talk after," he continued, approaching her and smirking at the little moan she let out. Vincent reached out for Valery, one step away from his arms encircling her before she quickly side-stepped him with a small secret smile forming on her face. He frowned, "Is this a game?" "Hardly," she said, her voice still breathy and amusement showing in her face. Moving a little quicker, he reached for her again only to have her avoid him once more. "Is this one of your wolf dominance games? It's pointless you know, I will catch you," he let out, a little irritation slipping into his tone. "You can certainly try," she responded, her smile growing wider. With a growl, he moved and used his superior speed to get to her, only to find her gone from the spot she'd been in just seconds ago. He heard a little giggle behind him and as wonderful as it sounded, he'd rather have some other delicious sounds coming from that hot mouth of hers. Moving faster than any human eye could see again, he anticipated her move, caught her and placed her on her back across his desk, hands firmly held above her head, making her breasts jut out at him as he leaned forward, standing between her legs that were dangling over the edge. Having her in a position of total submission to him, he captured her mouth as she opened it to say something in protest and ground his erection against her core. She let out a loud moan and he smirked against her lips, satisfied with her reaction to him. Letting her hands go, he moved his hands to her hips, pulling her against him as his mouth descended to one of her breasts, sucking at the taut and erect nubs of pleasure straight through her dress. Valery cried out and arched into his mouth, lifting her legs to wrap them around his lower back. Vincent growled in pleasure and ground into her once more before he moved one hand across her abdomen to lift up her dress and stroke her through her wet lace underwear. A throaty moan escaped from her lips and feeling the need within him increase, he slid her undergarments aside and opened up her lips with his fingers to stroke from her entrance to the little hardened pearl that was the core of her pleasure. She was sleek and wet with need for him and he felt a little of his control slip even more and her moans increased with each successive movement of his fingers. Needing to feel inside her, he slipped one finger in slowly and she cried out, completely taken with her desire as he stroked deep within her, curling the finger in a way that made her practically arch off the desk. She was so tight, he noted, as he added a second finger. He briefly wondered how her walls felt virginal yet wolves were known for their open sexuality before something in him rebelled at the thought of her being with another man. Valery's moans increased in intensity as he continued to curl his fingers and stroke a spot deep within her that made her walls vibrate with pleasure even as his thumb made slow sensual circles against her pearl of pleasure. Her essence slowly dripped onto his fingers and he lifted his mouth from her breasts to watch her pleasure. He felt himself lose his last modicum of control as his eyes feasted on her head thrown back with her hair coming out of its bun, her eyes closed in pleasure as her mouth opened in a wide O when her body tensed for a second before he felt her walls convulse around his fingers. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 02 Without a second thought, Vincent felt his fangs elongate as the blood pounded through her with her orgasm and he sank them into her neck, letting his venom slip into her system, intensifying her orgasm further as her blood rushed into his mouth. He could not remember ever tasting anything sweeter and the inferno within him rose, threatening to burn through him, leaving no thought or feeling except an insatiable need for the woman beneath him. He didn't know how long he fed for but he finally came to his senses, finding her moaning and clutching at his hair, pressing his head into her neck. Control came back to him slowly as well as shock at his lack of control even as he slid his fangs out of her neck, licking the area to heal it closed. Leaning slightly back, he studied the expression on her face. He didn't find what he expected. Instead of the slightly sallow look of someone who'd just lost blood, he found her glowing, her pupils so wide they practically filled her irises and a look of pure satisfaction on her face even as her eyes burned through his, practically screaming possession. "Mine, you're mine" she practically growled, her eyes flashing slightly golden, a sure sign that her wolf was close to the surface as she used her hand to wipe away the blood still on his lips and chin. His veins suddenly felt like they'd been filled with ice water and he stood up quickly, taking a few steps back from her feeling like the breath had been stolen from his lungs. She sat up slowly, her eyes still a little hazy from her orgasm and no doubt his recent feeding but with confusion starting to spread in their earthy depths. "Is something wrong?" she asked, sounding rather lost. He stood before her for a short while, letting his system slip back into control as he effortlessly slid the blank mask over his face and hid the revulsion roiling within him. "Mine, you said. What exactly is that supposed to mean?" he asked, his voice cold, his tone demanding. Vincent noticed a little fear flit across her face before she quickly hid it and he pointedly suppressed any feelings of compassion for her. What the little wolf was trying to do was an insult to him. "This...this is what I wanted to talk about during our date. P-perhaps we could go for some coffee and-" "No, tell me now what it is you want from me," he ground out, pinning her with his gaze. "Please, Vincent, I need to explain this properly," she let out. "You can explain it now," he said, taking a threatening step towards her. Feeling her scent slightly get distorted by the acridness of fear, he felt himself falter in his inquisition and considered apologizing to her for his rude manner but he overrode those feelings and glared at her, waiting for her response. "You...you are my mate," she practically whispered but he heard it clearly, the words increasing the disgust he felt. Turning away from her, he rounded his desk and sat in his chair before fixing her with a cold look and speaking his mind. "Get out." He saw her freeze for a moment before she recovered. "What?" "Get out of my office, your little game is over." She got off his desk and turned to glare at him in return, anger growing in her eyes. "This is not a game, Vincent. You're my mate whether you like it or-" "The very arrogance of your kind," he hissed, cutting her short and letting her finally see the anger in his expression. "To think that you'd think us equal to you and try to bond with us-" "Wolves and vampires have mated before," she cut him off irritably. "Mere rumors no doubt told to you by your Alphas to make you feel more special. You're all a bunch of unruly mutts that will wipe each other out. If you think I will be dragged to your level by binding myself to you, you're mistaken. Having a tryst with a little thing like you is a blemish on my life but you're no more than an insignificant little footnote and I will not tolerate your arrogance any longer." She glared at him, tears beginning to form in her eyes, anger overriding the scent of fear she had been letting off earlier. Seeing her eyes tearing up, tore at him, slowly making a knot of discomfort that sat low in his abdomen almost painfully, but he refused to back down. "How dare you-" she began before he cut her off. "No, how dare you? Thinking that I will let myself be bound to a dog? Your stupidity is staggering, now get out and do not come near me again, you insipid little girl," he commanded before tearing his eyes away from her hurt face and opening his drawers to draw out a file. She didn't stay another second. The moment his eyes left her face, he heard her turning around and begin walk out as his nose picked up the salty scent of the tears no doubt flowing down her face. She didn't close the door behind her and the mixture of her cinnamon and rose scent with that of her tears stuck with him even as her footsteps increased and he heard her running down the corridor. Unable to control his roiling emotions anymore, he picked up the file before him and tore it in anger as he let out an inhuman yell. What the fuck was that?! Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 03 Thank you all for your feedback and votes; they really do help me move on with the story. The complaints that some have are noted as well but then again, the very purpose of story writing is to build a world that the author is happy with and I'm happy with this one, dreadlocks or no. Thank you, again. Now to move on to Ch. 3. ***** Valery ran as fast as her short legs and sandals could let her, she burst through the doors leading outside from the office and ran into the parking lot, tears streaming down her face. She had faced rejection before, most of it at the hands of her Were brethren but something about this one had pierced her so deeply, it was all she could do to get away before she instinctively bent over in pain and cried herself into a mess. She raced towards her jeep through the barely lit expanse in the dark but realized a little too late that she had left her purse back on the chair in his office. "Goddammit," she cursed in frustration, unable to even think of the anguish and humiliation that would involve her going back to get it. A few more drops slid down her face and she struggled with her beast as it tried to exert control and take over her form. Thoughts were rushing through her head and she could barely think clearly even as she considered that there was no way she could simply just walk to wherever she wanted to go. Valery pounded against the car and barely noticed the dent caused by her assault as she finally gave all control over to the animal that had been clawing at her in its agony, trying to take over and tore out of the parking lot in wolf form, letting a sorrowful howl fill the air. The animal raced towards the Wyle Pack woods, her first instinct to get away and go back to a place that was safe. Valery had thought letting the wolf take over would numb the pain that had wracked through her body, affecting her almost physically but she was wrong. In wolf form, she felt all the grief and rage of a wounded beast, with every single snarl and successive whimper of sorrow the wolf gave. 'He doesn't want us!' The thought tore through her again and again as she realized that the one person fated to love her, the one man chosen for her did not want her. She remembered the brilliance of his eyes distorted by the disgust he put out as he called her a dog, angered by the thought that she wanted him. It was too much for her and she tried to recoil from the pain but it overwhelmed her, impaling her from every angle until she screamed in agony and the wolf stopped running to let out a pain filled howl so heart-rending she felt her pain intensify even more. Was the animal feeling the same loss she felt at Vincent rejecting her so harshly? Did the wolf understand what it all meant or was it the loss of the chance to mate that hurt the beast? 'We are his but he has discarded us,' the thought rang through her head. 'No, no, perhaps he doesn't understand what it truly means...perhaps he-' 'He thinks us beneath him! He has rejected us!' the thought cut her off. She tried to think through the haze of pain in her mind but felt more emotions piercing through her; anger, despair and loneliness all raged through her mind as she tried to fight them. 'We should force a mating on him! He is ours!' 'What?! No! No, that's not right...you can't do that, you can't!' She fought through the haze of emotions even as she felt her consciousness start to slip. Her control over the wolf had diminished and it seemed to want to violate their pact, considering doing something as impractical as forcing a mating with a vampire. Valery panicked as she felt the vestiges of insanity begin to crawl into her thoughts and she tried to wrest control back from the wolf in futility. She couldn't shift back to her human form and the wolf walked in circles, growling and snarling as it completely overwhelmed her senses, something dark and empty starting to engulf her, slowly corrupting her and overwhelming every emotion she felt at the moment. 'No, NO!' she tried to scream, still trying to take back control of her form but she didn't shift back. 'Please, please don't!' she sobbed in desperation before she lost all awareness. **** "Why would you let her do that?!" Richard almost roared, trying to hold back his anger and fear as the possibilities of the situation hit him and he weighed the danger of them all. "Why are you so upset? It's what she wanted and I saw no harm in it," Lyn retorted, her tone showing some exasperation with him. He ignored it and they both continued walking in silence for a few paces as he considered how best he could explain his concerns to his mate. She was his life and he had created a family he deeply loved with her, a family that included Valery as well. Lyn was as wonderful a mate as he'd ever dreamed of but she was far too stubborn for his liking some times, disregarding his opinions on some matters whenever she got an idea. This was like the time she'd decided to go after her brother during a particularly difficult time in his life when he'd almost turned rogue. Richard sighed and raked a hand through his already messy hair. "Lyn, this is a vampire we're talking about, a very old one from the sounds of it and he..." he paused in frustration as he searched for his next words. "He could destroy her. She would be nothing to him!" "So what now, are you also getting the urge to rip my head off too?" Richard stopped in shock, turning around to look at his mate with widened eyes that quickly went back to their normal size when he took in her expression. Relief flooded his system as he realized she didn't actually mean what she'd said and indignation started taking its place. "As upset as you are with me now, the idea of harming me can't even occur to you," she said, eyes narrowed as she stepped towards him and reached up to cup his cheek. "He's her mate, baby, he will not harm her, at least not physically." Richard looked into the depths of her brown eyes and felt his agitation ease a little bit. He took hold of the hand on his cheek and kissed her palm, closing his eyes for a second to enjoy her scent up close. "Ok, so even if I assume that he won't injure her, what about if he rejects her? You've read the reports as well as I, the few vampires mated to wolves were less than thrilled with the idea at first. What if he rejects her, Lyn, she will not know how to deal with her Were instincts then." "I don't think that would last, baby. He will accept the mating eventually, they all do." Richard sighed in resignation at her immovable and optimistic view, linking his fingers with hers as he began to walk again. He'd originally headed for Valery's cabin when he'd scented his mate and sought her out to ask how it had gone between Valery and the vampire. Hindsight was a strange thing as he realized that his hopes at the time that both Lyn and Annet would hang around her until they were sure no danger would come to her, were stupid. Lyn strongly believed in private matings and Valery hated being mothered, between the two of them, there was no way his expectations would have been met. He'd moved quickly after that realization struck him, unsettled and wanting to know whether Valery was ok. The tension between Lyn and him had increased gradually, leading to their little argument. Valery's cabin was near and she hadn't been picking up her phone earlier, worsening his worry. He quickened the pace as the trees parted and he entered the clearing, only to stop short in disappointment, his fear rising steadily. "She's not home," he said dully as he took in the dark windows. "What if she-" "What if she's back at his place completing the mating?" Lyn cut him off, her tone insistent but he could feel her sudden worry as well, through their mate bond. "She would have called, Lyn," he said as he headed towards the house, wondering what to do then. It was nearing 11pm and there was no word from Valery and he felt his wolf rear up within him as his protective instincts surged. "We'll have to get a tracking tea-" Richard was cut off mid-sentence as he picked up footsteps in the forest surrounding them, his Beta instincts kicking in but his eyes, as well as they could see in the dark, barely picked up anything. He quickly maneuvered himself in front of Lyn, who in turn grunted in protest as she took up a defensive stance, ready to shift if necessary. The footsteps got louder and Richard caught a whiff of blood as he let out a low growl. Whatever this was, he was not going to like it and his feral instincts were in high gear given the frustration he'd been feeling. He was ready for a fight. He slowly advanced towards the source of the footsteps, sniffing as he went along only to stop in surprise, relief and then confusion flowing through him. "What is it?" Lyn asked, having felt the surge of his emotions. "It's...Valery," he said, his tone conveying everything he felt at that moment. Sure enough, a few moments later Valery stumbled into the clearing, completely naked, with dried blood covering her front and all round her lips to her chin. Richard froze at the sight before him, his brain processing the information but his body unable to move. He sniffed a little more and felt the tension in his body ease some when he realized it wasn't human or Were blood but animal blood covering her. "Valery!" Lyn called out in concern as she ran towards the girl and Richard felt a little guilty that he hadn't done that despite having been closer to her. "Lyn...Richard," she croaked, her eyes widening slightly in recognition as if she was just then noticing them. "Come honey, let's get you inside," Lyn said, her hands around Valery, slowly guiding her towards the cabin as she exchanged a worried glance with Richard. Shaking himself out of his non responsive state, Richard quickly pushed the horrifying image of his daughter covered in blood, her tear-stained face displaying her glazed and unseeing eyes. He headed towards the cabin and got the extra key Valery had given him, pushing it into the lock and opened the door. He went in and switched on all the lights as Lyn helped Valery walk in, all the while whispering soothing words to her as she led them towards the bedroom. "Let me get her cleaned up, make some coffee," she told him and he set to work, closing the front door and headed towards the kitchen. He'd been inside the cabin numerous times and he reached into cupboards, taking out cups and coffee grounds as he started the process; anything to do as his mind processed what he'd just seen. The animal within him was agitated and he felt exactly the same: glad that Valery had looked relatively unharmed but unable to get the dead stare in her eyes out of his head. Just what had happened to her? Various possibilities rushed through his head and he started pacing as he considered each one. It was clear she had been in wolf form, but the blood...perhaps she had hunted down, in wolf form, some animal and eaten it. That really was the most likely possibility and while many Weres did that from time to time, Valery had previously expressed disgust at the very idea and that meant that something had happened to the balance she kept between her human self and her beast. "Shit!" Richard let out in frustration. He'd always had the niggling feeling that this would happen, at the back of his head, every time Valery insisted that having an arrangement with the animal inside her was much easier than accepting it. She'd suppressed her wolf for so long and now came a time when the instinct in her was stronger than her human reasoning; she would not be able to hold back the beast once it decided to break free. The coffee-maker stopped humming and he grabbed the pot, pouring into 3 cups, pausing before he reached for a bottle of whisky and added some to Valery's cup. From the look he remembered plastered on her face, she would need it. He heard the faint opening and closing of the bathroom door as well as feet shuffling around in the bedroom. Richard needed to keep moving so he made himself busy, fishing through the fridge and deciding to make them all some ham and cheese sandwiches, choosing the most readily available ingredients. It helped keep his mind off the images running through his head and the questions whether Valery would really recover from this, whether she understood it. He'd have to wait and see until she came out of the bedroom. He was just beginning the third sandwich when the bedroom door opened and he turned around to see Valery headed towards the kitchen, dressed in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, her dreadlocked hair wet from the bath and held back in a ponytail. She smiled weakly at him, her eyes taking on a gentle look like she was trying to reassure him and headed over to give him a quick hug. His body relaxed a bit when she let go, releasing a great deal of tension he hadn't realized he was keeping in. The dead look was gone from her eyes and while she did look very tired, at least her steps were not dragging and she didn't need support to walk. The sharp smell of blood no longer clung to her though, but she was letting off small emissions of fear which mixed with the shampoo she'd probably used to give off a rather jolting blend. It was time they got down to it. Richard pulled out a chair for Valery, at the small kitchen table and another for his mate before he placed their coffees and sandwiches before them and decided to lean against the counter-top facing their table. "So, Valery, care to tell us what happened?" Lyn turned to give him a wavering look and he spread his hands in a gesture of innocence, silently asking her what it was he'd done wrong. "No, it's okay," Valery spoke before Lyn could say anything glancing from one to the other. "I probably should talk about it." "Honey, we're here for you. Don't push yourself," Lyn let out, reaching for Valery's hand and sending her silent strength. Valery nodded, some of the drops from her wet dreads falling onto the kitchen floor but she barely noticed. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the cup of coffee with her free hand and took a large sip before Richard could warn her of the extra ingredients. As expected, she let out a series of spastic coughs into her hand and Richard winced at his carefreeness; perhaps that hadn't been a very good idea. "Sorry, had added a few shots of whisky in there for you. Thought you'd need them," he let out, avoiding Lyn's questioning look. "You can have mine if you don't-" "No, no!" Valery let out before she cleared her throat again, her voice a little hoarse. "This is perfect, it just surprised me. Thank you Richard." She took another sip and they waited for her, ready to listen whenever she decided she was ready to start speaking. "I...uh...I tracked his scent from Nicholas' office to one of the office buildings next to that park with the large pond. The one on the East side, after Jonathan's grill restaurant." "Wasn't that too long a walk for you? I mean that must have been like 8 miles," Lyn interrupted her. "You must be so tired." "No, not really...well, yes, I am tired but the walk wasn't too long, at least I didn't notice it. I was arguing with my wolf about how we were going to go about it and while the scent was faint, it was also driving me...crazy." Richard heard the slight hesitation in her speech and saw the embarrassment in her eyes before she looked down at the table, suddenly interested in the rim of her cup, and smiled slightly. He knew exactly which kind of crazy she meant, but something bothered him. "What do you mean you argued with your wolf?" Valery glanced up at him and shrugged. "It's like a different voice in my head, like I'm hearing someone speaking to me." "Does it respond to your thoughts?" Richard inquired. "Yes, actually. It's usually like a mental conversation. Started when we first scented Vincent and she told me he was our mate." "Alright, continue please," he said, waiting to hear what had actually happened and taking in her suddenly more subdued state, wondering what had caused it. "Is it something bad? Is something wrong with me?" she asked, looking at the table and ending her second question in a near whisper. Lyn reached for her other hand and squeezed. "Valery, honey, there's nothing wrong with you and you need to stop thinking there is," she said firmly. "Hearing your wolf in your head is perfectly normal but what we want to hear is what happened before you ended up as distraught as you were this evening." Richard loved his mate for her diplomacy and she smiled slightly as she felt his gratefulness for her interruption through their bond. "Uh, after I found out where he was, I just headed over to the mall to change and pick up my jeep, it wasn't much further and I drove to his office. It was evening by that time and I felt ready, I had my mind made up on what I'd do...but...but it didn't go as planned." They both waited for her to gain the courage to continue, watching in silence as she took several sips of her coffee. "It went well to begin with, I asked him out for coffee and things quickly escalated from there...uh, intensified." "Did you have sex?" Richard asked before both women turned to him in surprise, Lyn particularly almost glaring at him. A thick silence passed before Valery broke it. "Uh..no, but we got c-close. He..um...he bit me and-" "Wait, he bit you? Bit you? Just how intense was that sex you were having before he lost control enough to bite you? How much did he drink from you? Are you ok?" Richard asked, question after question tumbling out of him in frustration even if he could see how mortified Valery looked and could feel his mate's intense disapproval morphing into frustration with him. But he'd bitten her...an ancient vampire had lost enough control to bite her while they were in the throes of making love, that was significant, couldn't Lyn see that? "Richard!" Lyn said, loudly enough for it to reverberate in the kitchen. He kept his peace, folding his arms to show his frustration and looked intently at Valery, willing her to answer his questions. Another pregnant silence hung in the air before Valery, once again, broke it. "We didn't have sex and he didn't feed for long, I don't know...I was out of it and ended up telling blurting out that he was my mate and-" She paused as Lyn suddenly stiffened and Richard sighed, passing his hands through his hair. "What? Did I do something wrong?" "That...that," Richard started, trying to find a diplomatic way to air out his thoughts. "That probably wasn't the best way to breach that topic." Valery looked at him, confusion written across her features and he turned to Lyn, silently begging her to help. "Valery, sweetie, vampires tend to be...individualistic and don't like the idea of being bound to somebody. From what we know, most of the vampires currently mated to wolves resisted the mating at first so...blurting out that you were mates right in the middle of your...activities, wasn't the best way to do that." "Oh...well then that explains his condescending and rude manner after that," Valery said, annoyance tingeing her tone. "He actually kicked me out of his office even when I tried to reason with him. He called me a dog and said he'd never want to be bound to m-me!" Her tone had steadily gotten angrier and her voice louder until she was practically yelling, tears starting to form in her eyes before her voice had broken at the end there. Vincent's frustration grew and his wolf reared up for a second, letting out a growl that escaped through his lips before he struggled to control the beast. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 03 "What happened next, honey?" Lyn asked as she soothingly stroked Valery's hand, ignoring Richard's reaction. "Well, I ran out. The emotions I felt were too much and my wolf was struggling to break to the surface, something that had never happened before," Valery said, tears starting to slide down her face as she kept her voice low, trying to control it. "I couldn't believe it; couldn't bear it and when I realized I'd left my purse and keys in his office, I shifted and ran out of there." They waited again for her to steady herself as she reached for her cup and finished the coffee, leaving the sandwich untouched. "I thought my emotions would reduce if I shifted but they just increased and the wolf was screaming in my head...I-I could feel it trying to take over, Richard. It was terrifying!" she continued before taking a deep breath. "I fought against it but it was so...forceful, so wild and when I tried to shift back, I couldn't. that's when I lost consciousness and came to in the middle of the woods, smeared in rabbit's blood with the remains around me. So I walked towards my cabin, scared to shift again and that's when I met you guys." Her tone had become flat towards the end and she'd spoken fast, no doubt wanting to finish narrating the entire ordeal. "Oh, honey," Lyn let out in devastation as she stood up to go and hug Valery. Richard could feel waves of worry flowing down their bond and knew she'd come to the same conclusion he had. "I'm so sorry sweetie," Lyn said as Valery sniffed, trying to get her tears under control. "But this is not the end." "What do you mean it's not the end? It obviously is...it has to be," Valery let out, her voice once again strong but her tears not subsiding. "She means, you have to try and track down your vampire again. You don't have to do it any time soon but-" "No!" Valery cut him short, glaring at him, the effect slightly ruined by an errant tear sliding down her face. "Valery, sweetie, I know you're hurting right now, but we need to be reasonable about this." "No, Lyn; No!" she said, sounding more resolute as she took Lyn's arms from around her neck and got up to move away from both of them. "I don't want this anymore. I don't want to be mated, least of all to somebody who doesn't want me and finds me revolting. You can't ask me to try this again." "There's no other choice here, Val, the consequences are much worse than going through a little pain before you two are mated," Richard tried to reason with her. "A little pain?! Richard, you can't possibly fathom how I feel right now, it's like my entire world has ended and all this for a man I met just 2 days ago. I'm losing control of my wolf and the grief I feel at his rejection is more than I can bear, I don't want to go through that again!" "You're right honey, we can't understand what you're going through right now...Richard and I are both wolves, it was much simpler for us but if you don't do this, then you'll go rogue. Your wolf will go insane and you'll go rogue and die, Valery," Lyn countered, desperation starting to enter her tone and Richard fidgeted at the distress and despair he felt coming from her. "Well death is seeming pretty good at this moment," Valery said, fresh tears sliding down her face. That was it! Without thinking, Richard strode towards Valery with all the speed he was used to using as a Beta, grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her a little, making her look up in surprise at him "Don't utter such stupidity!" Richard hissed in anger. "We've trained you better than that, Valery and stop this pity party!" "Richard," Lyn called in warning but he ignored her. "From the beginning, I told you this ridiculous arrangement you claim to have with your wolf would come to an end and that day is here. You've suppressed the animal inside you so much that now when instincts that you can't suppress have popped up, you're losing control and letting the beast take over. Get ahold of yourself Valery," he let out, anger rising as he gave her another little shake. "I don't know what you're talking about," Valery said, tears sitting in her eyes as she tried to wriggle out of his grip. "Your wolf, Valery, she thinks your mate has rejected both of you and is starting to go insane, that's why you blacked out, her instincts are overwhelming you" Lyn said, walking up to Richard and placing a hand on his arm, making him relax slightly. "Exactly," Richard ground out. "You don't understand this because you've been suppressing the wolf for so long but if you don't get a handle on things, convince the beast that its life-mate is not actually lost to her, then you'll lose all your humanity and be bound in wolf form as it takes over in its rage and agony before even the wolf itself dies. Is that what you want?" "Baby, don't be so hard on her." Richard let out a sigh and stared again at Valery, noting with some relief that she was not afraid of him despite his aggressive display. "How much time do I have?" she asked. "I don't know, it depends on your control, Val. Maybe a month or so seeing as how the process has already begun," Richard responded, letting her go and heading back to the kitchen table, finally sitting down. "So, so, I'll have to track him down again? But...but he doesn't want me," she practically whispered, shaking her head in helplessness. "That's not true," Richard said. "Vampires are...very particular and one as old as your mate must have specific...tastes. They don't just feed from someone during the heights of sexual passion, from what I know, it gives them awareness of the person they've bitten. It's not an exact science and I don't have all the details but if he did lose control enough to bite you, he must have been overwhelmed by the moment as well. He can feel you now, to a certain extent and I don't think he'd have let himself do that if he despised you as much as you think he does." "What do you mean 'feel her?'" Lyn asked. "Well, like I said, I'm not very sure but I think he gets a faint sense of your feelings and your whereabouts...I don't know. It seems to be a personal thing, I couldn't get much out of the vampire who'd told me this." "Who was it?" Valery asked, her voice stable and the tears having stopped. Richard smiled weakly, "It doesn't matter, Val." "How about we go back for dinner at home and forget some of this for a while?" Lyn asked, cutting short the staring contest that had begun between the two stopping Valery from insisting. "But it's past midnight," Valery responded, looking at the other woman incredulously. "I remember you being a late-night eater," Lyn responded. "Come, we'll walk towards the estate, no running tonight." Valery paused, looking to Richard who smiled at her and she nodded her head. "Perfect, let's get going. It's a full moon tonight and I want to enjoy its beauty." Lyn said, ushering them out of the kitchen as for the second night in a row, Valery headed over to the house she'd called a home since her transformation. **** Valery stared at her reflection in the mirror, liking the way her eye-liner and heavy mascara hid some of the tiredness that had begun to show around her eyes since her encounter with the vampire. She sighed as she smoothed out the lines on her dress around her hips. "Vincent," she whispered and felt a slight shiver go through her. She wasn't going to lie to herself that she didn't enjoy thinking about him and saying his name, she couldn't just refer to him as 'the vampire,' but still she tried, hoping it would alienate him a little in her mind. A week had passed since she'd met him in his office and she had since then spent the days at Richard and Lyn's house, working out some control issues with her wolf, having applied for work-leave and been granted 2 weeks off. Nicholas had tried to find out what had happened but Valery didn't want to discuss her situation with anyone else and told him nothing more than that her meeting with Vincent hadn't gone well. He hadn't insisted much after that but had shown up to every training session she had since then, willing her his silent support. Richard had been tough and unrelenting on her during her training, not taking her excuses and insisting she do the exercises again and again until she got them right. Finally, she'd gotten her wolf under control, as it stopped snarling and racing off every time she shifted, in an attempt to get away. She'd been terrified throughout the whole ordeal, thinking she just might get trapped inside the animal again but Richard had been with her every step of the way, ready to subdue her should she get too wild and the wolf had responded to his superiority, listening and bonding with her until they'd been of one mind to try again with Vincent in a few days' time. That would be later though because that night, she was going out and planned to have some fun. She was back in her cabin and well aware of the risks of moving at night, Richard having drilled it in her again, that there were rogue Weres hunting turned wolves but she would not be alone, she'd have protection that came in the form of one of her oldest friends; Hector. He was back in town after months of being away and couldn't have come at a better time; the last time he'd been around, her time with him was spent visiting various restaurants and watching all the movies in the cinema line-up; that she'd grown fond of him would be an understatement. As much as Hector was a vampire and she a wolf, they never really spoke about that and their friendship had lightened over the years after he'd charmed her phone number out of her about a decade ago but she'd adamantly refused to let things go any further with him until he'd settled into having light conversations with her that had persisted over the years. Theirs was not a close friendship but she was grateful for that, not wanting him to know about her personal business and content in not knowing his. Hector had called the day before, on her home cellphone, asking her if she'd accompany him to an evening out and she'd agreed eagerly, needing a distraction from her recent activities and asking him to pick her up at the usual spot just outside pack lands. She looked over her reflection, admitting that the deep purple dress she wore looked good on her, stopping slightly above her knees and plunging with a deep V, showing off a bit more of her cleavage than she was used to. She'd twisted her locks up in a knot and had put on a light sheen of lip gloss, letting her earrings compliment the exquisite little dress. She'd gotten it with Lyn and Annet, hoping to wear it to an evening out with Vincent but since that wasn't going to happen any time soon, she might as well use it. Slipping into her heels, she picked up her purse and headed out of the door, keeping the key after she'd locked the door and heading towards the path that led out of the clearing and onto the main road. Sure enough, just like the other times, there was a black SUV parked just next to the end of the path and she grinned as Hector got out of the driver's seat and headed towards her. "My word, don't you look even more amazing since we last met," he let out, his accent clipped. She never could place it and had long since given up trying to. "I could say the same for you," she let out, looking up at the tall man, his physique trim and fitting quite deliciously in his tux. The universal beauty old vampires seemed to morph into was evident on his every feature and a pang ran through her as it reminded her of Vincent. Hector looked at her questioningly and she smiled at him, leaning up to give him a hug. "It's been a crazy week," she whispered. "Hmm, well, let's try to make you forget that tonight, shall we?" he chuckled, his voice reverberating through his chest to hers and she let him guide her to the car, slipping in as he opened the door for her. "Where are we headed anyway, somewhere fancy?" she asked, looking over to admire how perfect he looked, once more, his dark hair cut just below his shoulders, looking soft and giving her the urge to run her fingers through it. Why had she rejected him in the first place, again? Perhaps if he'd whisked her off to his European destinations, she never would have met Vincent in the first place and wouldn't be in the predicament she was in. That thought made her sadder than she thought it could and she quickly placed it at the back of her mind, reminding herself that like most vampires, Hector had been looking for a quick romp in the sheets that night. "Well, you certainly are fun tonight," he let out, snapping her out of reverie. "Sorry, sorry...it's just been-" "A long week, I know, you said before," he cut her off as he turned the car around and headed to the main road. "I won't press you for details though," he said with a little frown, his deep voice filling the silence. "So, where are we headed?" Valery asked again, hoping to act more normal; needing it more than anything else at that moment. "There's an exclusive cocktail party I set up to celebrate us taking over the Holton cafes. We've been working out the details for weeks now but concluded it a few days ago, so we're celebrating." "Holton? You mean the coffee shops? I thought they were doing well, why did you take over?" Valery asked. "Uh...well, it's a little hard to explain. They're old friends and we'd discussed this years ago." "huh...so not hostile, then?" Hector chuckled as he glanced at her. "No, not hostile." She smiled then, looking forward to the evening. She hadn't been expecting a formal setting but hoped that perhaps she could mix and mingle and forget her whole week for a while, after all, it had been some time since she'd let her hair down and had some fun. They settled into light conversation after that, heading for comfortable territory and she slid her questions about vampires and biting during sex far from her mind, deciding to not let her recently complicated life make him uncomfortable. He eventually stopped at a large black gate, hooting once before it automatically opened, letting them in and they entered into a large drive way leading them through some beautifully lit gardens before he parked close to the entrance of what looked like a large mansion. Valery was well aware of some of the properties outside the city that the rich and powerful owned and she was not surprised to find that Hector had a house there. He was an old vampire after all and must have accumulated quite a bit of money over the years. They got out of the SUV and he linked her arm in his as they headed towards the entrance, humans milling about, dressed up and chattering excitedly. She could not scent any supernatural creatures and turned to Hector, an eyebrow raised in question. "We sometimes prefer it this way...less conspicuous especially in this area where everyone seems to be looking for a reason to start hunting us again. You wolves are not very discreet, you know," he said, grinning at her as he watched her frown at his comment. Leaning in to kiss her forehead, he guided them towards the entrance, unhooking her arm to grab a couple of champagne glasses and handing her one. She smiled and followed him through the large entrance doors, heading through the corridor they opened to, her heels clicking on the marble floors and finding herself in a large open area with numerous well-dressed people about and caterers weaving through them with platters of food. Hector turned to grin at her surprised expression and hooked his arm in hers again, leading her through a various number of people, headed towards a spot, no doubt to introduce her to some of his friends. She felt a sudden reluctance to continue walking however, as a faint scent, wafted towards her, diminishing every other smell in the room and as occasional as it was, it still was all too familiar. Her heart started pounding and she swallowed; Vincent was in the house, somewhere. Hector tugged slightly at her arm, turning back to her questioningly before his expression changed to one of concern, no doubt after he'd seen the terrified look on her face. She was scared and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, ignoring the fact that her wolf had woken up and was growling, urging her to go find their mate. She wasn't ready to face him again, oh God, she wasn't ready. Hector opened his mouth to say something just before a caterer tapped him on the shoulder and leaned in to say something she couldn't hear. She didn't care; she wasn't paying attention anyway. "Not now," she heard Hector let out in frustration, a frown marring his beautiful face before he huffed in frustration and held her shoulders. "Stay here, I'll be right back." She nodded slightly in acknowledgement before his grip tightened slightly on her. "Valery, stay here, I'm coming back," he said again, firmer this time. Her eyes focused on him again and she nodded a little more obviously before he grunted in satisfaction and made his way out of the crowd, opening one of the many doors leading away from the open area and disappearing through it. Her eyes scanned over the crowd but whatever hope she'd had of interacting with new people was gone and all she wanted was to get out of there. Her wolf was not very aggressive at the moment and she was grateful for that but she didn't want to aggravate it. She made her way through the crowd, heading for one of the empty couches she saw at the end of the room, fully intent on following Hector's instructions. Perhaps he'd return shortly and get her out of there; she had no way of doing so unless she shifted and she was not going to do that. Heading towards the chair, she was stopped with a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find a caterer with a tray holding the purse she'd left in Vincent's office. "Excuse me miss, I've been instructed to hand this to you," the short man said and she swallowed again, suddenly feeling like the air was not enough for her. In one swig, she drank all the champagne and placed the glass on the tray, picking up her purse instead before muttering a small thank you to the staff and fingering her old purse with shaky fingers, fully aware of how strong Vincent's scent was on it. Making a quick decision, she turned around and picked up his scent in the room again, following it slowly as she tracked him down. No matter what happened, she was going to face that bastard today and they'd sort their issues out a little better than they did before. Her wolf growled in agreement and she let her irritation with the fact that he'd sent the purse over instead of handing it to her himself, give her the carriage she needed to open one of the doors and go up the flight of stairs it opened to. Moving slowly, her heart pounded harder and the adrenaline rushed through her as his scent got stronger, making a thin sheen of sweat break out on her forehead in nervousness. The pushed herself forward, reaching the top of the stairs and stepping onto a carpeted floor, her heels suddenly silenced and squaring her shoulders, she purposely walked through the corridor, following the very strong scent of her mate. Valery paused for a second when she scented the unmistakable musk of a woman's arousal fill the air, wafting towards her from the bend in the corridor and her heart sank painfully as her wolf growled suddenly, pushing closer to the surface. She started to run, hoping she wouldn't find what she expected but was heavily disappointed as she rounded the corner and found Vincent pinning a woman against the wall, ramming into her with his unzipped pants hanging loosely against his hips, her legs wrapped around his waist and breasts exposed. One hand was pinning her hands above her head and the other was grabbing her ass as he thrust into her repeatedly, making her cry out with each movement, her head resting against the wall with her eyes closed. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 03 Valery stopped in shock and stared at the heartbreaking scene before her, its every detail getting ingrained in her mind as her heart slowed its beating, almost stopping as tears welled up in her eyes. Her lips twisted in pain; anger and frustration roiling within as she clutched at her purses and wondered what she should do in that moment even as her emotions engulfed her and her wolf howled so loudly within, she felt roaring start in her ears. At that exact moment however, Vincent turned his head and looked directly at her, his green eyes flashing before they turned black and his impassive face stared at her as he thrust deeper into the woman in his hands. Valery was sure her heart had stopped and time had halted as she stared into his knowing eyes in a flash of a second before he disappeared, using his vampiric speed to get away from her, taking his human lover with him. Suddenly time quickened to its normal pace and she took her heels off, turning back towards the corridor she come from, running through it as fast as she could. Mating be damned, she was getting away before the tidal-wave of emotions crashed into her again and she lost control. Her tears were flowing down her face again and adrenaline was pounding through her body as she ran down the stairs and opened the door with such vicious force, she heard the chatter on the other side die down. She made her way through the crowd, whipping her hands around and snarling, hitting people with her purses and heels clutched in both hands as the overwhelming desire to get away engulfed her and her wolf growled louder in her mind, its presence growing, starting to engulf her. Finally, she reached the main entrance as everybody stared after her and she fled, running through the doors and into the driveway before her legs betrayed her and she stopped, falling to her knees. Letting out a strangled yell followed by snarling and growling as she braced her hands onto the ground, ready to get up and run again before she involuntarily shifted. Suddenly, rough hands were grabbing her but she fought against them, her tears blurring her vision. "Let go of me," she growled out in warning, feeling the wolf trying to take over. "Valery," the voice called out. "Valery!" it sounded again, louder and sharper when she didn't respond. "Hector, let go of me," she said as she struggled against him with all her might, recognizing the voice at last. "What is wrong with you?" he asked, pinning her hands behind her and leaning in to peer into her face. "Control your wolf, Valery," he said sharply. "I need to get away," she ground out, still struggling against him. "Fine, I'll take you back to the compound," he said, lifting her and placing her over his shoulder as he walked back to the parking. "No, no! You can't do that!" she yelled, kicking her legs against him and trying to get away but managing nothing more than causing a scene as people stopped to stare at the two. Didn't he understand just how dangerous she was to any humans around the area at the moment? Her wolf was going insane and she couldn't bear the thought of biting any unfortunate person, forcefully turning them into what she was. Hector carried her quickly to the car, opening it and practically tossing her into the back before he got into the driver's seat, closing the door and turning to glare at her writhing form. "Cut the bullshit Valery and settle down!" he said, practically yelling out the last words. "What the fuck is going on with you?" She looked at him and wrestled again the animal within her, trying to establish control the way Richard had been teaching her. Finally finding it giving some, she dropped her shoes and purses on the seat and looked at Hector, almost flinching at the steely glare he'd fixed on her. "I can't control my wolf, that's why I need to get out of here." "Why now? You didn't have a problem with this before," he responded, not shifting and still demanding answers with his eyes. "It...we...our mate doesn't want us, he's rejected us," she said, glaring in turn at him. She was in no mood to discuss the hows and whys of what was happening and did not appreciate him forcing the issue. "That's impossible, wolf mates are instinctively attracted to each other." "He's not a wolf!" Valery screamed in anger, letting go of her hurt and giving into the rage. "Just get me out of here, Hector!" "Not until I understand what the fuck is going on, Val! You owe me that much," he snapped back at her. "So, is he human; is he here today?" "No," she said, the rage continuing to rise within her as her wolf snarled and clawed to be let out. "He's a vampire," she said, letting hatred slip into her words. Hector sat back in surprise and studied her for a bit. "Why don't you want to go back to your pack, shouldn't they be able to get you through this." "They can't help me, Hector," Valery almost pleaded with him and she tried to hold onto the reigns of her animal. "My wolf is going insane because our mate has rejected us and all I could cause right now is harm. I need to get away from them...from civilization. I need to get away," Her sorrow was slamming into her again as she remembered Richard and Lyn and all they'd tried to do for her but she'd still managed failed them. Her wolf settled down a bit with that sobering thought, not fighting as hard to take over in that moment. She looked up at Hector and tried to impress the importance of her isolation on him. "Please," she whispered. He turned away from her and leaned forward to start the ignition of the car. "I know a place," he said before he drove out the parking, through the gate and sped down the road, heading further out of the city. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 04 Hector woke up with a start and groaned as the crick in his neck sent a jolt of pain up into his head at the sudden movement. Flexing his head left and right a few times took care of it though, as the sore muscles healed quickly and he sat up on the couch that had been his bed for the past 15 days. His thoughts tumbled through his head at an annoyingly sluggish pace as he realized that he was far from finishing the duty he had assigned himself and was not getting anywhere with his tactics. From the very start, he'd noticed that Valery was not herself and had wondered at her behavior when she ran out of the cocktail party. His caution had increased however when, as he was driving her to the one private and secluded spot he knew of in that area, she'd suddenly shifted and turned into a wolf, ripping her beautiful dress to shreds. He'd been startled and had yelled in surprise as she'd extended her claws to swipe at him, growling menacingly like she didn't recognize him. The SUV had skidded to a stop as a result and he'd practically yanked the doors off their hinges in anger as he got out and opened one of the back doors so that he could restrain her; if she didn't want to behave, then he would have to convince her to in less than savory ways. His plans had come crashing down when, as he opened her door, she'd jumped straight at his face with a snarl, making him duck quickly as she soared over his head and took off from the road and into the darkness, her howl fill the air. Hector had stared after her in shock and growing irritation; he really had little patience for out of control situations. But this was Valery he was dealing with and he'd grudgingly gone after her, racing through the darkness and tracing her scent until he found her, or rather found the wolf, pacing around in circles, snarling and growling. He'd approached her carefully, recognizing the madness he saw in the animal's eyes, having seen it in many a vampire's eyes, on numerous occasions. The wolf had stumbled around in the darkness, pausing every so often to growl as if it was in pain and he'd waited, all senses alert, ready to restrain her if she tried something as stupid as attacking him again. Suddenly the animal had stopped and arched to howl up at the skies, its cry echoing through the night before it collapsed and the fur receded with its form lengthening to turn into Valery. He'd moved quickly then, listening to her beating heart and finding it regular. Hector had taken off his jacket to cover her naked form and carried her unconscious body back to the car, moving as fast as he could with his supernatural speed and driving like a maniac to reach the little cabin he'd had built centuries ago. It was a sturdy structure built just for him. He'd bought the land over two centuries back and had brought his one and only sire to the cabin to teach her how to best control her abilities. She'd learned slowly, often letting her feral nature get the best of her and he'd been glad that the land was vast and isolated with woods to cover their activities as he'd had to restrain her many times. It seemed like the best place to bring Valery to after she'd displayed such uncharacteristic behavior and he'd had hope that he could help her as he did his sire, then. It was 15 days later and while they'd made a little progress, Valery didn't seem to be getting much better. She was moody and changed, nothing like the woman he'd gotten to know before and while they'd established a routine of letting her animal out in the late evening, allowing the wolf to run and roam the plains and the woods as Hector followed at a safe distance, she still had instances where she'd lose control and try to get away from him. On many an occasion, he'd watched her hunt down and devour small woodland animals, an act that bespoke of the increased savagery and wildness of her beast and one he could barely stand to watch. No humans had crossed his territory in the 2 weeks however, and he was grateful that their stay there had remained inconspicuous. The plus side was that she'd managed to establish enough control over her wilder nature and the random shifts had all but stopped, so long as she let the animal out at night. That was when it was most taxing. Granted, his wilder vampire nature loved the chases and the chance to catch his prey, but he hated that he'd often have to restrain her, trying to not hurt her but eventually doing just that as the wolf fought against him, trying to bite and claw its way out of his grip. Its whimpers of pain when he'd finally put a stop to its struggling would eat at him and he found he could barely sleep at night as he heard the girl's own whimpers coming from the bedroom upstairs even when she tried to muffle her crying into the pillow. It was the same routine day in and out and he was getting frustrated. Valery would sleep fitfully whenever she dropped off and her constant tossing and turning was audible to him, frustrated him and ensured that he couldn't sleep as well. He sat up on the couch as he heard her groaning, no doubt still asleep and fighting whichever demons appeared in her dreams. Glancing at the clock in the room, he noted it was coming to 6am and quickly made up his mind, standing up and climbing the short flight of stairs leading to the bedroom which he entered without knocking. He found her asleep, tucked underneath the covers with her hair spread out on the pillow beneath her head but even from his distance at the door, he could see the dried but visible tear streaks on her cheeks. His heart sank at the sight and he crossed the room quickly to sit on the bed beside her. "Valery," he called quietly and lifted his hand to stroke her forehead as she started to stir. She was a light sleeper, he'd noticed over the weeks, and he was loath to disturb her but he couldn't wait any longer. She opened her eyes, sleep clouding them for a few seconds before they cleared and he saw her focusing on him in the dark. "Hector?" she asked with a frown, sitting up and angling herself so she could look at him. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" "Well, yes and no," he said, chuckling softly as he saw the flash of irritation cross her face. She was certainly quick tempered and he found that irresistibly adorable. "You need to learn to speak plainly. Especially if you're going to wake me up at ungodly hours of the-" "It's 6am, Valery," he cut her off. "Really?" she asked with a frown before she sighed heavily. He was well aware of the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tired, worn-out air that followed her around these days and that's what he planned to put a stop to, that day. "Yeah, but I suppose I could have left you to have a few more hours of sleep before I woke you up," he said, feeling a little guilt grab his heart. He'd gotten used to her pulling out uncommon emotions in him. From the time she'd turned his advances down nearly a decade ago, he'd taken a liking to her and had hoped to still stay in contact. While he'd gotten used to women falling into his arms pretty easily over the years, it also hadn't been the first time a girl had been wary of him and turned him down. She'd grown on him and he'd found himself liking their light friendship, even going as far as looking forward to their interactions whenever he was travelling into her city. But there was little he'd ever cared to know about wolves and she hadn't been willing to share, so he'd found himself in a position where he was unable to offer a solution to her problems. "Yeah, I guess so, but I wasn't having a very...enthralling dream so I'm glad you woke me up," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "What's on your mind?" He gave her a small smile, rather glad that he'd found her in one of the rare moments when she was a bit more like her old self and more reasonable. "I have to go back into the city today," he said, watching her face closely for reactions. "Uh, okay. You don't need my permission for that, Hector. I've been fine during the day for nearly a week now." "No, you haven't. You've been moody and quick to anger," he responded, looking directly at her, knowing she'd read his stern facial expression even in the dim light. Werewolves' eyesight was almost as good as that of vampires. "I need to know that you won't do anything stupid while I'm gone." "Yeah...yeah, sorry about that, but I won't. I'm not exactly stupid, you know" she said calmly, trying to be polite but he could see her bristling underneath at his words and the indignation in her tone was audible. "Will you be back before nightfall, though?" "About that," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I don't think our routine is working, your progress is very slow and-" "But I am making progress, Hector," she interrupted him. "I am! I can feel the difference. My wolf is more vocal now and my control is getting better. Please...don't give up on me." Her heartbeat was getting faster and he could see the slight panic on her face. "I know I dragged you into this and I'm sorry but...but I really need your help. I'll make it up to you somehow...I promise, I just need to get through this and I will. I promise." "Valery!" he cut her tirade off, his tone sharper than he'd intended it to be, making her go silent and increasing the panic in her face. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, standing up to start pacing in the small room. "First of all, I am not going to leave you until I am sure that this whole thing between you and your wolf has been settled," he said, fixing his eyes on her. "But even you have to accept that while you have improved, it's only slightly and you're still more savage and wilder than normal. We need a change in tactics." She frowned at him, her whole countenance practically screaming out her disagreement with his words but he stared at her, crossing his arms and waiting for her view. She most certainly was not stupid and would eventually come to the same conclusion he had, even if she didn't like it. Her plan...their plan was just simply not working. He watched the emotions play out on her face, warring against each other before she took a deep breath and let it out, her heartbeat finally settling down. "Ok...so what do you suggest? I'm out of ideas," she said, her tone subdued. He thought about his words carefully, not wanting her to catch on to his plan. "I was going into town today to get some more provisions for us, food and whatnot, including clothes for you. You can't keep walking around in my shirts," he said, pausing slightly to see her eyes following him as he paced. "So I was thinking I could elicit the help of somebody who might be more...suited to help you out of this." There was a pause and he heard her taking another deep breath, no doubt to calm herself, but it wasn't working as her heart rate picked up, racing much faster than before. "Are you going to talk to someone in my pack?" she asked, her calm tone belying the panic he knew she felt. "It's for your own good, Valery. I...I can't bear to keep watching you struggling like this. I have to do something about it if you won't." "Please don't," she practically whispered. "I have to," he said. "Let's think about this rationally, Valery. Does your pack even know what's going on with you? What about at your job, do they know where you are? You can't just disappear without a thought as to how the people who know you will react." "If the pack thought there was something wrong, they'd have tracked me down by now...at least I know Richard would have and wouldn't let me hear the end of it. My job is connected to the pack so they'll understand my struggle at the moment," she responded, arguing against his points. "I don't want to bring them into this...it's complicated." "You keep saying that and I don't want to push you but even you must admit that we've hit a wall with our routine." Hector stopped his pacing and looked at her form, tired and hunched over in sorrow as he forced the very thing she dreaded on her. He couldn't turn back now and she couldn't stop him. They both knew it and he saw acceptance slowly make its way into her eyes. The sun was making a slow rise and the dimness in the room had lessened. She got out of bed and walked slowly towards him. "Ok...ok," she said, her eyes fixed on him. "You do what you must but please, find out what you want without bringing any of them here." "I won't," he said, admiring her bravery. Whatever her mate's rejection had done to the beast within her, needed to be reversed, but they were stuck and needed a solution. He hoped his plan would do exactly that and he walked out of the room after giving her a last smile he hoped was reassuring. He was going to nip this thing in the bud if it was the last thing he did. **** "Can't we just send a scout to go after her, just to make sure she's fine? Heck, I could even volunteer if that'd help," Nicholas said, frustration lacing his every sentence. "It's not our business, Nicholas. We cannot get involved in a wolf's mating," Jonathan responded, his brow furrowed. "But it's been 2 weeks! 2 weeks!" he emphasized, hoping someone would be on his side. "Dad, mom, come-on!" His father turned to look at him, appearing equally frustrated if not more so, but just shook his head and sighed. They were having yet another meeting about Valery except she wasn't there this time. Richard had previously informed them what he'd found when he'd tracked her scent the day after she disappeared and they'd gathered in Jonathan's home on Nicholas' insistence that it was odd for 2 weeks to pass without Valery communicating to anyone. So there they were, seated in their Alpha's living room couches, having a discussion that was very quickly turning against him. "Jonathan is right, Nick, we cannot interfere in her mating," his father said and Nicholas groaned in frustration. "But she would have called, you know that. She can't just disappear like that and not call," he tried to argue. He didn't agree with Jonathan's complacence on the situation and continued to challenge his ruling even though the older man was his Alpha. "Nicholas, dear, you've never been mated before, otherwise it'd make sense that she'd forget to call. You just sort of lose track of everything else except your mate, for a while," Annet responded to him. "I know that's how it was for me." "I'm sorry honey, but I agree. Richard followed her scent from the cabin to the main road and from there picked up the scent of a vampire. Clearly they left together and we have no reason to suspect that she might be in danger," his mother said, restating the facts for him. He looked at her in defeat, losing a bit of the fight in him. It just seemed strange and while Valery usually went about her business without consulting anybody, he felt she'd have called or said something before she went off to mate with her vampire. It just wasn't like her. "I know how you feel son, I feel the same way. The situation doesn't tie together nicely but I need a stronger reason to go and interrupt her mating other than the fact that she didn't call," his father said. Jonathan felt his wolf bristle at the unspoken order for him to back down. He'd never been prone to following orders that flowed down the pack hierarchy but he'd been feeling his rebellion at them growing even more in the past few months. Valery had been the one person he'd managed to bond with over that fact but now that she'd been gone, he'd been left alone with the growing irritation and had formed a theory as to its source. A theory he was just about ready to test out. "Well, it doesn't matter what you say, I'm going to track her down," he said, trying not to glare at Jonathan but sticking to his statement. "Sweetie, you can't do that. What makes you think you can go against your Alpha's instruction-" "Because I'm an Alpha," he responded quickly, cutting his mother off and looking around the room. "Right? I'm an Alpha and you all know it." His father groaned and ran both of his hands through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, staring at his father accusingly. "Because, Nick, it wasn't my job to," his father responded, all of a sudden looking more tired that he'd seemed a few minutes ago. "It's a rare enough occurrence to have an Alpha born outside the ruling pack family, Nicholas," Jonathan said, fixing a stern look on him. "But we'd hoped that you'd realize what you were on your own, though your timing is terrible." "So you all knew? When?" he asked, a little angered at the thought that they'd seen him struggle with orders and being lower in the hierarchy than her felt he should be and had all kept quiet. "It became quite evident in your teenage years, sweetie. We figured it out then," his mother said, standing up from her seat to go sit next to him. "You had to come to this realization on your own but we'd hoped that it'd happen well into your 5th decade." "This is going to be harder than I thought," he mumbled in frustration, his theory having been proven correct. "I still want to go after Valery, though." "That would be a dangerous move Nicholas. You, being an Alpha and having embraced that fact as of now, cannot directly disobey my directives without it being construed as a declaration that you're no longer under my leadership," Jonathan said, interrupting his thoughts of going off on his own. "You have to think very carefully about it. I'm not against you coming out from my leadership but that, in essence, would you be saying that you're no longer part of this pack." "Oh, come on!" he cried out, his wolf practically growling within him. "You can't be serious." "He's right. That's why we'd hoped you'd come into your own when you were more mature and could lead your own pack," his father said, understanding and sympathy softening his eyes. "It might get harder for you to follow pack hierarchy now, but until you're ready to get out, you have to submit to Jonathan." Nicholas sat back in frustration and tried to calm his agitated beast. He'd never felt more tethered by the pack's rules and wanted to be free of their commands more than anything at that moment but he had to be realistic about the whole situation at that point. He couldn't challenge Jonathan's directives at and go off on his own, at least not yet and he'd known that but to have it laid out flatly for him wasn't making him feel better. That was why he was eager to find Valery again; they'd always bonded over their rebellious nature and he'd felt he could stand the stifling hierarchy a little more if she was enduring it as well. But now he had to deal with the current mess at his feet on his own. "So sweetie, what will you do?" his mother asked. "I'll wait, for now," he said, fixing a look on Jonathan before turning away and sighing. This was certainly going to be so much harder than he'd anticipated. **** Vincent sat on the patio, feeling another wave of fatigue go through him, making him take a deep breath before fixing his thoughts futilely on relaxation. Sleep had had little rest for him of recent and he knew exactly why, practically sighing in resignation as the images that had been tormenting him for the past few weeks played in his mind over and over again, like a torture video on repeat, made specifically for him. He remembered the phenomenal wolf that had walked into his office three weeks ago. Valery, her name was Valery; he could never forget that beautiful name, he couldn't forget a single thing about her. He remembered her cinnamon scent as she'd walked towards him with all the confidence her hopes had given her. Her lips and the taste of her had stayed with him all those days and her voice as she'd moaned for him, arching herself into his hands had replayed constantly in his mind. The feeling of her blood rushing into his mouth, revitalizing him with a fierce energy he'd never felt before, her soft body pliant underneath his own...oh God, it was almost too much for him to bear every time. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 04 But with each of those recollections came her horror and ignominy as he'd rejected her the first time, her brown eyes filled with tears he had placed there personally. He felt a jolt go through his heart like it did every time he remembered the disdain in his voice and the disbelief and eventual despair he'd seen on her face before she'd turned away to flee from him. Vincent groaned and shifted in his chair, but the memories would not stop punishing him and the shame he felt grew, as it always did, when he let the memories play out. He'd felt her anger and sorrow roiling within as she'd ran out of the door. He'd bonded her to him with his bite and could feel her discomfort broadcasted to him faintly even when she was with her pack. That was when his sleep troubles had begun and he'd felt angry that she'd come to him of all people. So it had been in that state of mind that when he felt her presence in his house the day of the cocktail, he'd sent her purse over, knowing she'd follow his scent and had staged a little scene for her and her wolf to see, so that she'd give up her claim on him. "Oh God," he groaned again as he remembered the scene. The unfiltered shock and pain he'd caused her had radiated to him in powerful waves through the bond he'd created with her and slammed into him, making his inner beast rear up. He'd turned to look at her and that picture had stayed with him since then. Her beautiful face had been frozen in disbelief, tears gathering in those mesmerizing eyes, put there once more by him and her heartbeat racing, pounding through his ears at the rate of his own. He'd been shaken, letting his feral nature take over and getting the hell out of her damning presence before he keeled over in pain. He'd left the woman he'd been with somewhere in the corridor, forgotten with his Mesmer still clouding her mind as he'd practically staggered into the sanctuary of his bedroom and had stayed writhing on the floor, still feeling the wolf's rage, pain and loss of control overwhelm his own well established control. He'd come to, hours later as her range had finally gotten far enough for him to regain his control over his insanity, tears in his eyes and a feeling of surrender overcoming him. He belonged to her, by all that was true, he belonged to her. With that acceptance had come anguish and humiliation at what he'd done. Dear God, what had he done? She certainly deserved everything wonderful and perfect but he'd instead broken her for reaching out to him. Vincent could feel, even then that he'd damaged her bond with him somehow and had been loath to go to her, shame flowing through him every time he'd even thought of trying to track her down. He was supposed to have left the country a fortnight ago, going back to his English home but found that he couldn't bring himself to. Even with the memories giving him no rest and the nightmares clawing at him every night, he couldn't bear the thought of going further away from her despite his own fear at the damage he'd caused her. When he'd finally gotten up the courage to try and track her down, he'd found that the madness that overcame him every time her pain broadcasted to him, would strike him at various intervals repeatedly, until he'd retreated back into his house, dealing with it daily from there. He faintly heard the door leading to the patio open, briefly interrupting his thoughts and stiffened as he scented the unwanted visitor, his rage rising within him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" the angry voice of his visitor questioned him. "I don't see how it's any of your business," he responded curtly, not even turning around to look at the intruder. "Isn't it? What the hell are you even still doing here? Shouldn't you have left for Europe already?" Vincent turned around at the snide tone and glared at his intruder. "What is it you want, Hector?" he asked, ignoring the surprised look on the other vampire's face as he studied him. "You look like shit, Vincent," Hector said, a layer of amusement crossing over his surprised face. "Good." "What do you want?" Vincent asked again, practically growling in irritation. "Can't you guess? Do you really have no reaction to her scent smeared all over me, dear brother?" Hector asked, an annoyed glint showing in his eyes. "Perhaps you really don't care if I claim her for my own?" Without making a clear decision to, Vincent found himself rushing towards his younger brother, pinning him against the wall in seconds, with a snarl. "If you even dare," he growled, feeling the beast within him rise to the surface. "You'll what, Vincent? Sit here and brood at me?!" Hector practically yelled, shoving him away before turning to walk away from him. Vincent growled at that, anger and possessiveness raging through him at the thought of his own brother touching her, claiming her and he launched himself at his brother again, finally agreeing with his feral nature. "What did you do to her? Why is her scent all over you?!" he snarled, reaching for Hector's neck and squeezing it before his brother punched him in the gut with such force, he let go and stumbled back a few steps in pain. "Do to her?! You arrogant ass, I've been trying to fix your mess all this while!" Hector roared, retaliating and aiming a fist at his face. Vincent leaned back, dodging the fist before kicking out at his brother's legs and landing on top of him to pin him down. They'd fought many times before and their fights had become even more vicious since they'd become vampires but even though he could count almost a century since they last got into it, the anger he felt at that moment had jumbled his thoughts and his only aim was to punish Hector for even so much as touching Valery. "Stop it!" Hector roared, his voice reaching deep within Vincent to a sane part, making him pause in his assault. "Explain," Vincent growled, his hands dangerously close to his brother's neck. "Excuse me?! I don't have to explain myself anymore that you do. What the fuck did you do to that poor girl?!" Hector growled at him. Surprised at the allegation, Vincent sat back, feeling his reasoning returning to him. "I didn't mean to..." he started before he paused in guilt. "She's my mate and..." "And you rejected her," Hector finished for him, disgust lacing his tone before he shoved at Vincent. "Get off of me, Vincent!" Vincent felt the impact of his brother's words go through him and dredge up the anguish he'd struggled with every day since Valery had fled from his house. And he let go of Hector, standing up to let him do the same. "How did you know?" Vincent asked. "She told me, that night of the cocktail. She came running out, her wolf half insane and told me that her vampire mate had rejected her," Hector replied, staring at Vincent with a blank look. "Apart from me, you were the only other vampire in this house and her bags reeked of your scent." Vincent nodded slowly and walked away from his brother, going to lean against a far wall as he processed the information. So the insanity he'd felt that night, had been coming from her. "How do you know her?" Hector studied him for second before moving to sit down in one of the patio chairs with a sigh. "We've had a light friendship over the past decade. I've known her for a while...she reminds me of Siobhan." Hector said slowly, pausing to glance up at Vincent at the mention of his one sire who'd been like a daughter to them both. "I've been helping her with the savage thing her wolf half has turned into since you rejected her...you dick." Vincent winced at that, he knew he was to blame but didn't know just how much damage he'd caused to her. Guilt washed through him again and he sighed, raising his hand to massage his temples. "I know...I've been feeling her...struggles, her pain." "How?" Hector asked him, pinning him with a glare that accused Vincent as much as he accused himself. "I bit her...during our first interaction. I could barely hold myself back and the situation became very sexual, and then I bit her." There were several moments of silence as Hector stared at Vincent in shock, before clearing his throat and looking away. "You had sex? How did she not mate with you then? How could you bite her so soon? What the hell is wrong with you?" "We didn't have sex...not really and I couldn't help myself anyway. It's the one thing I don't regret doing with her, Hector, so don't judge me on it," Vincent responded, his eyes narrowing in anger. "She's...really gotten to you, huh?" "Yeah," Vincent responded with a forced chuckle, having come to that conclusion days ago. "So what are you going to do now?" Vincent stared back at his brother, making his mind up in seconds. He knew what he wanted to do and the ache to see her again rose up in him, overcoming any of the fears and hesitation he'd had before. She was suffering because of him, Hector had confirmed that. It was time to put a stop to that. "Can you take me to her?" he asked, looking intently at his brother for his reaction. "Why?" Hector asked him, almost immediately. "It's been 15 days and you haven't gone to her. Haven't bothered to track her down." "You're wrong," Vincent responded, his voice quiet, laced with pain. "I tried numerous times during the first few days, but I as I was making progress each time, her pain would surge through me at different intervals and I'd lose control of the beast, Hector. It was horrifying each time and I eventually stopped, not sure I could make the entire journey without going insane myself." Hector stared at him for a long time. They'd lived centuries together as brothers, never being too far away from each other and the past century was the closest they'd been. He needed Hector to understand how important Valery was to him but he didn't know how to explain it to him. Luckily enough, his brother understood him without words and nodded at him. "Alright...alright. I'll take you to her." The next few minutes were a blur as Vincent called the one housekeeper he kept, to let her know he'd be away for a while and rushed to clean himself up, an eagerness that he hadn't felt in a long while flowing through him. He'd make this right, he was sure and though it'd probably take a while for Valery to forgive him, he wouldn't give up on her...he was confident in that fact. He was going to end both their suffering. Soon enough, Hector and he were inside the SUV, headed for Valery. The conversation had been scarce, neither of them feeling the need to talk and Vincent feeling his anticipation grow with every passing minute. His relationship with Hector had always been one of easy openness and they cleared any misunderstandings between themselves pretty quickly. It was rare for Vincent to be the one to mess up though, but he admitted that he'd really stepped in it this time and was grateful for Hector letting him fix this mess. About 30 minutes into their journey, he began to recognize the route and smiled in approval at Hector's actions. "This was clever of you; best place you could have chosen," he remarked, feeling his brother relax slightly next to him. "Well, I might be younger but my reasoning has always been better." Vincent scoffed slightly, chuckling at the response and felt a little more of his tension leaving his body. 15 minutes later, they were on the winding road leading to Hector's cabin and reached it within no time. It looked as sturdy as ever, small but very useful and surrounded by an open expanse of grass that was badly in need of cutting. The woods on the far end had grown thicker since Vincent had last been there but he hoped the pond they surrounded was still as clear as he'd last seen it. "You should stay in the car while I talk her down," Hector said, interrupting Vincent's musings. "Why would you need to do that?" Vincent asked, watching his brother shift slightly and sigh. "She doesn't know that you're my brother, I didn't feel the need to tell her going by the less than pleasant way she always referred to you," Hector responded, turning to look at his brother with a frown. "Also, she'd really much rather not see you again...she had this idea that with enough effort, she'll force her beast to calm down and push the insanity caused by your rejection, away." Vincent stared at his brother, feeling his recently improved mood start to diminish. "What's the worst that will happen if I walk through that door first, Hector?" he asked, feeling frustrated at having to wait some more when he was so close to getting to his Valery. "Honestly? I don't know but I think she will try to get as far away from you as possible, even run away in her wolf form if she has to. Let me talk to her first." Vincent paused, thinking about his brother's plan for a few moments before finally agreeing with him. He'd waited this long, what would be a few more minutes? Nodding his ascent, he turned to watch as Hector got out of the car and walked towards the cabin, opening the door. He discreetly opened his own door, sliding silently out of the car and quickly staying down wind, making sure she didn't catch onto his scent. He could smell her scent all around the cabin and he closed his eyes, letting it wash over him for a few seconds, thinking it as glorious as when he'd last sampled it. There was nothing that could compare to actually smelling it and he let out a small breath as he anticipated finally seeing her again. "Hey Valery, how have you been?" he heard Hector say, as his footsteps padded further into the house. "You're back sooner than I thought you'd be. Where is the stuff you'd gone shopping for, let me help you bring it in." Vincent's heart fluttered when he finally heard her voice, as melodious as ever. "We'll get to that in a minute, first there's a couple of things we need to discuss first," Hector said, speaking slowly. "Okay, sure," she responded, as he heard feet moving again before they stopped and he heard the faint sound of someone audibly sniffing. "Oh God, Hector, what did you do?" Valery asked, her voice suddenly panicked and Vincent felt himself stir, holding back a growl. "What I had to, Valery. Vincent came with me to-" "You brought him here?!" she asked, her voice practically squeaking out and Vincent felt the overwhelming urge to go and embrace her, to try and calm her down even as his reasoning told him it was because of him that she was acting that way. "Valery, please, calm down. He's here to-" "No, no, nononono!" she responded and he heard a few scuffled footsteps before she stumbled over something. "I'm not doing this again...I'm not doing this again." With that, Vincent heard an animalistic growl and saw a wolf leap through one of the windows, the kitchen one if he recalled, and race towards the woods. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when she disappeared into the trees, marveling at her beauty even if wolf form. She'd been a blur of browns and greys with a streak of white but her grace had been quite visible even as she ran away from the cabin in panic. Hector came out of the front door and sighed heavily, shaking his head before looking at Vincent. "I told you she'd run," he said simply, keeping his face blank though Vincent could read the slight telltale signs of worry there. "So what do you want to do now?" "I'm going after her," he said, a slight growl making his words harsher than he'd intended. He wasn't letting her go a third time...he wouldn't survive it. He went after her, tracking down her scent and following it closely, using his supernatural speed, knowing she had a head start on him. I'm coming for you, Valery. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 05 A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who has read, commented, and voted favorably; it's truly a blessing to have readers as active as the ones here. I will keep updating weekly, though the days may change depending on how long it takes to get the individual chapters approved, but overall, I think we should be done in a couple more weeks or so. Now, somebody asked for longer chapters and this is my attempt at doing exactly that. Again, thank you. Let's move on to Ch. 05. ***** Valery ran through the sparse woods like an insane animal and pushed herself to go faster with every passing second. She might be smaller than other Weres in her wolf form but she was also built for speed and came close to beating Richard many times, in one of their silly little Sunday games. Richard, she thought, guilt going through her as it had for the past 2 weeks every time she'd thought about him. She would make it up to him, she promised herself but at that moment, she didn't have time to feel guilty or for distracting thoughts. The need to get away was all she had to concentrate on and with any luck, she'd be away from the vast land Hector owned, and end up in the dense forest that it eventually led into. She didn't know the area well enough, but her more lucid runs in the night and the maps in the cabin had given her a general idea of where she was. Valery didn't know where she'd go...perhaps back to her pack. It was her best bet and she'd be able to explain to them what happened. Oh, they'd all be furious with her but she hoped Annet at the very least, would understand her sentiments to deal with this on her own. She had been surprised when she'd detected Vincent's scent on Hector and she had had a brief flashback of the feelings that had overwhelmed her when he'd betrayed their bond. Slowly, she had started to forget them but they had surged forward, pushing through her defenses and she'd responded in panic and horror, wanting to get away from it all again. But Vincent was there, he was nearer than he'd been in weeks and she did not want to see him. When she'd jumped through the kitchen window, his scent had engulfed her and she'd felt her wolf hesitate in its escape. But she'd been in control and had pushed the beast to run as fast as it could, they both needed to get away from the one person who had caused them the most damage with just a few interactions. Would any of them come after her? She didn't know the answer to that and that's why she was pushing herself to get away as fast as she could. Hector had never hesitated in going after her every time the wolf had tried to escape in its anguish and insanity. He'd always followed her without hesitation, stayed just a few paces behind and was quick to restrain her should she go too close to the perimeter or try to attack him. He'd been patient, persistent and unyielding in his duties and she'd expressed her gratitude for that several times. If he were the one to come after her, she certainly had no chance of escape, she knew that, but she would most certainly try. Vincent, on the other hand, had rejected her more than once. What he was doing there, she didn't know; how he'd gotten Hector to bring him to her, she also had no idea on, but she was certain he'd never come after her. He'd already shown she was more than abhorrent to him and even though the thought pierced through her swiftly, making the wolf whimper slightly in pain, she'd accepted that fact ages ago and was not going to hold out any hope for him. Her hackles rose as she detected the faint movements of someone running after her, pursuing her. Valery's heart dropped as she tried to distinguish the almost silent movements of her pursuer which were swift and yet discreet. He was quickly gaining on her and while she was yet to feel fatigue in her body, she was running as fast as she could but nowhere near where she wanted to be. The pace of her hunter increased, as if he'd caught sight of her and despair washed through her; was Hector really going to force her to face Vincent? The faint sounds of her tracker disappeared suddenly and she almost stopped in surprise. One of two things had to have happened: either, Hector had given up on chasing after her, which was highly unlikely given his their recent history, or he had chosen a different tactic of hunting her down. One which she was not familiar with and would most likely get her captured in seconds; he was an efficient bastard when he wanted to be. Incentive renewed, she tore through the trees, finally getting a far off glimpse of the road that ran between the land she was on and the beginning of the dense forest ahead, before it was suddenly obscured by a pair of blue jeans, making her skid to a halt. Her pursuer had quite literally fallen from the sky...no, that didn't make sense. He must have jumped down from the trees above, right in front of her and she hadn't gotten a hint of his scent as he'd so skillfully hunted her down until he was right in front of her. Her wolf paused and then backed up a few steps as Vincent's scent engulfed them, causing a slight shiver to go through the animal's body. She could feel the animal's anger as their supposed mate stood before them, hindering their freedom. The wolf started to growl and they raised their head as one to look at the face of their betrayer. Valery was taken aback when she saw the sadness on his face. He looked...weary and just sad. Nothing like the picture of the arrogant man who had all but chased her out of his office or the beast that had claimed another woman right in front of her. His green eyes darkened when he looked at her and she saw his lips turn upwards slightly, giving her a small smile even if his sadness did not disappear. She felt a brief moment of confusion before the wolf's anger flowed through her. He was sad? He was sad?! Did he have any idea what she'd gone through in the past weeks because of him and he dared to stop her as she tried to find her way out of the mess he'd created? Her growling increased and she heard him start to speak. "Valery, please, I..." That was as far as he got before she launched herself at him, claws extended and mouth open in a snarl. The wolf went straight for his neck, ready to tear at it but he'd anticipated her move, grabbing her front legs in one hand as he pushed the other out to the side of her head, keeping her sharp teeth away from his neck. The momentum of her jump had pushed him backwards suddenly and he stumbled, twisting himself so that he took the full impact of the fall. She twisted herself in anger, trying to get out of grip and it slackened, surprisingly, enabling her to get away from him. He stood in one place, watching her carefully as she glared back at him, a low growl rumbling in her chest. If she decided to stay and fight him, she'd lose, that was a given. He was a vampire and infinitely stronger and faster than her. She wasn't even a regulation size werewolf and didn't stand a chance against him. Her options were slim but there was no way she was just going to back down and let the bastard have whatever he wanted, whatever he came for. She'd sooner hurt herself trying to get away than do that. Her mind made up, Valery turned away from him swiftly and took off in a different direction, hoping she could cut back and get to where she had been going originally, as slim as her chances of success were. Her wolf was starting to put up a little resistance however, and she could feel its hesitation in going along with her plan. "What are you doing? We don't stand a chance against him," She thought in frustration. "He's here, now. We must face him." No, Valery thought firmly; that was not the way this was going to go. She tried to force her dominance over the wolf like she had several times before but she felt it fight back just as hard; it was used to getting its own way. Her progress slowed as she struggled with the wolf, snarling and growling as they both fought for dominance and in a flash, Vincent's scent covered them again, making them pause as they turned as one to stare at him. "Valery, I just want to talk with you, please. I'll let you go after that, I promise," he said with his arms outstretched and palms open, as if he was trying to calm a savage beast. She felt indignation join the emotions that had been warring within her; he thought she was savage? Her wolf growled in response to her thoughts, agreeing with her but it still wanted to fight the vampire who had betrayed them and was determined to get its own way. With Valery distracted, it launched itself at Vincent with a snarl. As prepared as ever, he still managed to restrain her and she felt embarrassment flush through her at how easily he did so. Her wolf was not to be deterred however and fought against his grip, clawing at him and pushing against his grip. Vincent was not so quick to let them got this time and held on as they tousled with him in the forest, her snarls filling the air. He gave her a few liberties sometimes, not restricting her movements that much. That was until she bit savagely into his arm, tearing away at the flesh, jolted at how much she liked the taste of his blood. He hissed in pain and suddenly, was no nonsense, effectively flipping her over beneath him, making the animal whimper in surprise. He clasped her front legs in one hand and curved his body to wrap his powerful legs around the rest of hers. The wolf growled in frustration as he incapacitated it within seconds and brought his second hand over its head, pinning it to the ground. "I didn't want to do this, Valery but you gave me no choice." A shiver went through the animal's body again and its fur stood on end for a few seconds as Vincent's calm voice reached them, his lips close to her ears. She was surprised, almost impressed at how quickly he'd turned the situation around; Hector had never been able to do it that quickly. At that point, she didn't know where her own emotions stopped and the wolf's began as she realized she'd never have been pleased with anybody restraining her. She could feel, however, her wolf's growing contentment with Vincent's strength and tactics...was it turning against her again? A growl escaped and she felt Vincent tighten his hold slightly. "I need to speak with you and I know that you're not inclined to do that willingly after how I treated you and I'm really sorry for that." The animal became silent as he spoke; he had both their attention now. His voice was getting quieter and sadder, she thought; a shard of melancholy pierced her heart at that realization. "I can't express how sorry I am and I don't want to hurt you anymore. I will however, impose myself on you until you let me express myself." She shivered again and the wolf growled once more. "I want to show you what I feel for you; how I feel for you. Please let me." No! She tried to yell at the wolf but it had gotten a mind of its own and she fought with it again, not allowing it to give in to his dominance but it fought her still. They snarled and growled out loud as they struggled against each other and stopped as Vincent flipped the animal again, angling himself to look into its eyes. "Valery, I need you change back," he said firmly, practically ordering her to. She rebelled against his command but her wolf didn't. Her frustrating, disloyal wolf practically laid down for him and stopped struggling with her, letting its presence recede until the fur from her body started to vanish and its form became her human body, naked and restrained by the mate she hadn't asked for and didn't want. Vincent's hold loosened almost instantly as the shift came to an end and he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so that part of her torso lay across his chest and he held her there firmly, not allowing her to escape. She was angry and felt betrayed by her own wolf, she wanted to scream and yell in rage but knew that that would do her no good; her own helplessness was very apparent to her and she felt her eyes prickle with tears at her frustration. "I'm sorry," Vincent said, his deep voice rumbling through his chest and reverberating into her own. She glanced up at his face and found him watching her closely, a frown knitting his brows together and his green eyes piercing into hers with a look so intense, she turned away almost immediately. "Then let me go," she said, her voice coming out in a whisper. She didn't want to look at him, speak to him or face him. She just wanted to be away! He did as she asked and his arms slid away from her body, making her shiver and get a few goosebumps at the feeling of his hands on her naked back. She stood up quickly and glanced at him self-consciously, finding his eyes on her still, roaming over her body. She saw a muscle twitch in his jaw and his eyes suddenly travelled up to look into hers, green eyes darkened and practically smoldering in his heated gaze. Heat flushed through her, whether in embarrassment or not, she couldn't tell but she turned away from him, covering her breasts and the area between her legs with her hands. Valery had gotten used over the decades, to the openness with nudity Weres had and hadn't felt uncomfortable with her own in an age. But all that was stripped away from her with just one look from Vincent; she really didn't want him around. Valery felt the leaves rustle behind her and felt something drape her shoulders a few seconds later, making her jump in surprise. "Here," she heard Vincent say and turned her head to find his shirt covering her. She hadn't taken much notice of it before but it was black, its smooth material sliding over her body almost soothingly as she silently slid her hands into it. She noted the tears in it that her wolf had made and swallowed to try and get rid of the guilt that crept up at the thought of attacking him. The soft cotton material felt good on her skin and she hazarded a glance at him as she buttoned down the shirt, finding him standing and still looking at her with that intense gaze he'd originally given her, the heat that had made her blush, thankfully gone from it. She glanced away quickly again, not wanting to show him the strange emotions his presence, touch and overwhelming scent were starting to create in her. "Will you come back with me?" he asked after a few seconds of silence. "I don't want to," she said, finally fixing a glare on him. "Do I have a choice though?" "I just want to talk to you, to discuss...this," he said, finishing the last word with his hand gesturing between their bodies to hers and then his. Valery looked at the pleading look in his face and her gaze inadvertently slid down to take in his white vest, tucked into his loose blue jeans. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly looked back at his face and found a small gleam of amusement clouding his gaze, taking away from the pleading look she'd found there before. She looked away from him quickly, fighting down the embarrassment and heard him sigh. "Valery, it's quickly becoming dark. I won't hurt you...please." "You don't know the meaning of that statement, Vincent," she said, saying his name like it was a curse and seeing his face slip into a blank mask. "I'll go back to the cabin, but I don't have to listen to anything you say." Without looking back at him, she started walking back to the cabin, realizing how late it had gotten as the sun made its descent. "I could carry you back, it'd be easier that way," she heard him say behind her and lifted her nose in the air in response. No way in hell was she ever going to give him that chance. She stuck to her stubbornness for quite a while even as the leaves crunched beneath her feet and she repeatedly stepped in mud. She was going to end up hurting herself, she knew, but perhaps it wouldn't happen if she was careful and she turned back to glance at Vincent, wondering why he hadn't insisted on carrying her. That thought disappeared promptly as pain seared through her body from her right foot and she looked down to find she'd stepped on a twig with long thorns. In seconds, Vincent was by her side, lifting her to sit in his lap as he sat down on a nearby log himself. She tried to protest against him, telling him she'd be fine and trying to push his hands away but one warning look from him and she faltered in her resolve. "Let me tend to you, Valery. I don't want to have to restrain you again." She stopped and looked away, only flinching and hissing in pain as he suddenly pulled the twig with its thorns, out of her foot. He hesitated then, glancing at her briefly before he grazed his right thumb against the fangs that had suddenly appeared in his mouth. She watched in fascination as he turned his attention back to her foot, rubbing the blood that flowed from his thumb onto her heel. A few sharp pains shot through her foot, making her flinch again but after a few seconds, the ache that had started was gone. She looked back at him and he gave her a soft smile, surprising her when he lifted her off his lap and into his hands like she weighed nothing. "No more protests on my carrying you back, I hope," he said as he stood up, not really asking before he swiftly moved through the trees at supernatural speed, heading back to the cabin. In no more than a minute, the cabin was before her and she was grateful for that fact, wanting, once more, to get away from Vincent's overwhelming scent and the strange feelings of contentment her wolf radiated as he'd held her close to him, well protected in his strong arms, cradled against his almost bare chest. Her wolf might be quick to warm up to him but she was of no such mind and she still wanted to be as far away from him as possible. Instead of putting her down though, he quickly shifted her weight onto his other arm, holding her like she was made of paper and opened the cabin door, walking quickly into the well-lit though small living room where they found Hector seated, flipping through a rather large book. He, in turn, took one look at them and nodded behind them to the stairs. "Clean clothes are in the bedroom," he said simply, going back to his book, but not before exchanging a look with Vincent. For his part, Vincent quickly and quietly carried her swiftly up the stairs and into the bedroom, placing her gently atop the bed. He straightened and she felt a little chill go through her at the sudden loss of his arms and protective embrace. But she was better off away from him, or so she thought and stood up to walk away from him, putting as much distance between their bodies. "I'd like to take a shower," she said pointedly, when he didn't make a move to leave. His lips turned upwards in a slight smile and she heard him exhale sharply as if in amusement, but his eyes were still fixed on her, their green depths quickly unnerving her as she stared back this time, almost unable to look away. "Of course," he said, breaking their staring contest and turning away to walk out of the room. Her eyes followed his form, taking in his well-muscled bare arms and the wide expanse of his back, muscles rippling underneath the vest as he moved. Valery glanced at his narrow waist and the jeans that hung off his hips, curving around his butt. She blushed as she remembered looking at the very same anatomy on the first day she'd seen him in a suit and appreciating how perfect his ass looked. The memories tumbled into her mind after that, one after another, coming unbidden as she remembered the feeling of his arms around her, his lips moving sensually over hers and then to her breasts. Her nipples hardened at the memory as a wave of heat flushed through her at the deeply erotic memory of his fingers buried in her hot wetness, stroking her to orgasm. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 05 She shook her head, trying to clear the memories, but when they didn't go, she forced herself to complete them, remembering his harsh words of rejection and the look of pure disdain on his face. That was who Vincent was to her and she'd never accept him as her mate. Her wolf stirred within her in disagreement and she angrily ignored it, opening his shirt and dropping it unceremoniously to the floor before grabbing a towel and walking out of the bedroom into the one small bathroom in the house. As small as it was, it was clean and had hot running water, which was enough for her. She eagerly stepped into the running shower, feeling the hot water wash away the tension in her body and the filth she'd picked up wrestling with Vincent in the woods. Her wolf really was insane, she thought as she ran her hands through her dreads, rinsing out the shampoo she'd lathered in. Valery had always loved showers, they were the one part of the day where she could be left alone to her thoughts and didn't have to worry about much in that moment. No matter what her problems were at any point, she could always find a little cocoon of relief as she showered and the fact held true for her even in that moment. She smiled to herself as she luxuriated in the hot water before deciding that she'd finally used up a lot of time for a simple shower and she turned the water off. Her time in the bathroom had given her a little relief and she felt ready enough to look at her situation with new eyes and a clear mind. Valery knew exactly what she was going to do about it and grabbed her towel again, walking straight to the bedroom before drying herself off. She looked around the room, finally noting the shopping bags in the corner that Hector had probably left there. Grabbing them, she filtered through, finding a couple of jeans and sweats, a few tops and underwear?! It really was underwear, she realized in shock and more than a little embarrassment. Nothing too lacy or revealing but still, Hector had bought her underwear and she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. Granted, she'd ripped the only pair she'd had apart after her impromptu change in his car and she'd felt practically naked without them for the next couple of weeks, it still was extremely embarrassing that he'd noticed enough to buy her a few pairs. Her face burning in embarrassment, she chose a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbing the strangely proper-sized underwear and got dressed. She picked up the scarf she'd been using for her hair and quickly tied the locks back, knowing they'd drip despite her having toweled them vigorously. Feeling ready enough to do what she had to, she opened the small closet in the room to remove one of her purses, unzipping it to retrieve her phone. Valery switched on the device, waiting for it to become fully functional before she quickly dialed a number. It was about time she got to calling her family and within a few rings, the other line became active. "Valery, thank goodness! It's good to hear from you, I was getting very worried. Where are you? How are you? Are you hurt?! Valery?" "It's nice to hear your voice too, Nicky," she responded with a chuckle, pointedly ignoring all his questions. "Sorry to worry you, I didn't mean to." "Yeah, well, that's what everyone has been telling me; I accepted it a while ago." "Huh? Everyone? What have they been saying?" "That because you're with your mate you're bound to forget about the rest of us for a while and...it makes sense. Glad you called though," Nicholas responded, waiting for her to say something. "Valery?" "Uh, yeah. H-how did you know I was with Vin-my mate?" she asked, anxiety starting to flow through her. Did they know something she didn't? "Well, Richard tracked your scent the night you left and found that of a vampire's soon after. There was no sign of struggle and no reports of any such thing in the area, so we put two and two together and let you be." "Oh," Valery sighed in relief; she hadn't even thought about that. Yes, it was Hector's scent they'd found and they wouldn't know the difference but she was glad that it had all come together somehow and they hadn't tracked her down. She knew she had been very selfish, but she'd make it up to them. "We were correct, right? You are with your mate?" Nicholas asked after she'd been silent for a moment too long. "Well...yes, but that's what I called to talk to you about." "Ah, gone are the days when people just called to say, hello," he joked, chuckling a bit. "What can I do for you, Val?" Valery paused for a bit, thinking her words through before she decided to go ahead with her plan. "Well, I was thinking about coming back and thought I'd inform you, you know, so that it's clear." "O...kay. Well, this is your home and you don't have to report when you want to come back, Val, though I'm happy to hear it. When do you want to come back? Will your vampire be with you?" Nicholas asked, a little excitement creeping into his tone. "Valery?" For her part, Valery could barely speak as Vincent's scent had engulfed her halfway through Nicholas' response, his presence so close to her, she could feel his body heat radiating to her back. She'd stiffened in surprise and shivered when he'd bent slightly to place his head next to her free ear, his arm brushing lightly against her own. "I have no problem with you returning, Valery, but remember that I will impose my presence upon you until you give me an audience. And while I have no qualms with being in a werewolf pack for some time, I'm not sure they'd be as welcoming about my presence on their land," Vincent whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her skin. Valery shivered slightly, recognizing the veiled threat in his statement and tried to quickly recalculate her plan. "Valery, are you there?" she heard Nicholas say on the other line and gave up trying to go down the road she'd originally chosen. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here," she said shakily, feeling Vincent straighten but not back away from her. "Are you alright?" Nicholas asked and she nodded in response before realizing he couldn't see her. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Stop worrying about me." There was a pause before Nicholas spoke again. "So, when will you be coming back?" "I'm not sure, but hopefully soon; hopefully soon," she said, repeating herself wistfully. "Hmm, well, I hope he's treating you well. Rumor has it the vampire matings tend to have some pretty intense sex." "W-what?! Nicky!" she exclaimed, feeling a bit scandalized, even though her breathing had certainly become a touch faster and so had her heart beat. "Oh come now, he must have made you scream for him by now," Nicholas responded and she flushed as she heard him laughing heartily on the other end, unable to find a response. "Ok, ok, I'll keep it in check; it really is good to hear from you, Val. Do keep in touch," he said, after he was done laughing at her. "I will. Goodnight, Nick." "Goodnight," she heard him say before the line went dead. Taking a deep breath, to calm herself, she turned slowly to face Vincent, finding herself unable to step away from him with the closet at her back and him, standing tall so close to her, she had to tilt her head at him. Valery found herself wishing she hadn't as she found his eyes twinkling in amusement and staring down at her, his mouth upturned to form an almost mocking smile. No doubt, he'd heard Nicholas' lewd comments and she felt herself almost wishing she hadn't made the phone call. "May I help you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Vincent's smile widened, now showing some teeth and Valery felt her irritation grow. "Hector said you probably haven't eaten much since morning; I cooked something for you," he said, his voice deep. She paused in surprise at his statement, nodding in response and sidestepping him to walk out of the room as he walked after her. **** Hector sat back, closing the tome he'd been reading as he heard his brother descend the stairs after putting Valery in the bedroom; Russia's history would have to wait for now. He watched the change in Vincent's countenance as the other vampire walked into the small living room and almost smiled at how visibly relaxed his brother looked. The change was not much and he could still see how Vincent's lips tightened as a flurry of emotions passed across his face, but his brother did look calmer, more at peace and Hector was sure Valery's presence had a lot to do with it. "May I ask what your plan is here?" Hector inquired, staring blankly at his brother. Vincent glanced at him and walked over to sit in one of the other two sofas his brother wasn't seated in. "I hope she'll hear me out. My actions are...regrettable but I am certain we can work this out despite everything." "Regrettable?" Hector chuckled in turn, looking at his brother's impassive face. "What a polite term to use for your deplorable actions, Vincent; regrettable, indeed." Hector paused, staring at his brother and watching him frown at his words. The situation Vincent had flung them all in was unpleasant and he wasn't willing to be a part of it anymore. One thing perturbed him however and he went ahead to voice his concerns. "Tell me, Vincent, why did you reject her in the first place anyway? You know the importance of mating to our kind and have seen several vampires couple up in such liaisons, yourself. What is it about her that you found so unacceptable?" Vincent's frown deepened and he raised his hand to massage his forehead slightly, letting out a heavy sigh. Hector sat back, waiting for the explanation; he wasn't going to let his brother off the hook on this one. "We're of different species, her and I, Hector...I didn't think it was possible for-" "For wolves to mate with vampires? That's a bloody excuse, Vincent and I won't accept it," Hector said, cutting his brother off and leaning forward in irritation. "For millennia, our kind has mated with humans, witches and the Fae. Shirley had given herself to a demon, you remember that and there were those twins that had mated with Dragon-kind! Why on earth would it be impossible for you to have a Were as a mate, then?" "Because, Hector, I'd sworn to stay out of the affairs of Were-kind, nearly a century ago, especially wolves. After Ian died and I had to take care of his son...his entire family was nearly destroyed because of my interference, you know this," Vincent said, his voice heated and eyes narrowing. "How was I to think that I'd be fated to have a wolf as my mate? I was very reluctant to accept the idea..." Vincent trailed off, lost in thought and Hector watched him, taken aback and rather regretful that he'd pushed the issue. Over the centuries, they'd lost many people they'd cared about and the pain was as excruciating each time as the very first time, when they'd lost the rest of their family. He watched his brother stand up and begin to pace, wincing at his own callousness at bringing up Vincent's most recent loss. Vincent had grown close with Ian over a century ago, getting involved with the werewolf's family and a few of the other packs had not appreciated that. Weres had fought numerous wars between themselves, killing each other off for the most inane of reasons and consorting with vampires was enough to get Ian and his family killed. Vincent had arrived in time to save their son but not the rest of them and after finding a suitable pack for the boy, he'd left the area to settle in Europe, not willing to let anyone else in. Hector finally understood and let the topic drop, changing the tone of the conversation. "I'm leaving tonight, you know. I don't have much patience left for this drama between you and Valery." Vincent turned to look at him and smiled ruefully, softly sighing in resignation. "I think that's for the best. We'll need to sort the mess I've made of it alone." "She'll fight you with everything she's got, you know," Hector said, standing up to walk away into the small kitchen. "I know," Vincent said, his smile disappearing slowly. There was a pause as Hector walked into the kitchen and Vincent turned away from him, looking up at the stairs while the sound of the shower filled their silence. "I doubt she's eaten much today, there was very little left in the fridge when I left," Hector called from the kitchen, effectively breaking the silence and gaining his brother's attention. "I can hardly recall how to cook human food, but you've been proficient at it for years. Care to make her something?" He heard Vincent chuckle and watched in amusement as his brother walked into the kitchen, quickly grabbing pans and knives, swiftly as he sorted through the recently purchased groceries. Silence settled over them as Vincent started making stir-fry for his little wolf and Hector stood back, simply looking on. They heard Valery step out of the shower some time later; she'd really taken her time in there and as Vincent switched off the gas, covering the freshly cooked meal to keep it warm, they heard Valery start to speak, no doubt on phone with someone. Eavesdropping unabashedly, they both kept silent for a couple of minutes, hearing her conversation until she mentioned something about leaving to go back to her pack. Hector felt, more than saw, Vincent stiffen and in a flurry of movement, his brother left the kitchen and went up the stairs. He chuckled in amusement, shaking his head and moving back into the living room to take up his previous seat. There was definitely no way he was staying to watch the drama unfold between those two. A few minutes later, he heard Valery descend the stairs, followed by Vincent's much more discreet footsteps and braced himself for what was coming. Sure enough, Valery entered the living room, her eyes narrowed and glaring at him as she sat down in the sofa opposite his and folded her arms across her chest. Hector held back a chuckle and stared at her in amusement; he always found her irresistibly adorable when she was all in a huff about something. "Do I have to ask for an explanation, Hector?" she asked sourly, her mouth turned down in a small pout. Vincent had walked in after her and had decided to lean against the wall behind her sofa, his eyes gleaming with the same amusement Hector felt at Valery's sulkiness. It wasn't fair that they were having fun at her expense but she really was adorable. "Well, no, you don't have to, Valery. That's why I stayed here this long, so I could explain my actions to you," Hector responded, successfully managing to keep the humor from his voice. "Stay here this long? What are you talking about; do you mean to leave?" she asked, surprise showing in her features. "Yes, I don't want to get between you and Vincent after all...it's the reason I brought him here." "I thought you said you were going to my pack; you said you'd consult with-" "No, that's a theory you came up with on your own, Valery. I said no such thing, if you'd recall," Hector cut her off. "But you let me believe it regardless," she snapped irritably. "I wouldn't be wrong in saying that you lied to me, would I?" Hector looked at Valery's angry countenance and sighed, his humor was quickly evaporating and a quick glance at Vincent revealed the same about his brother. "No, you wouldn't be wrong, I'll take responsibility for that," he said, watching her frown further at his nonchalance. "But think of it this way, would you have as easily agreed with my plan as you did if I'd told you that I was going to bring your mate to you? Heck would I even have found you here when I returned?" He stared at her meaningfully, watching her shift uncomfortably under his gaze as he remembered the speed at which she'd turned and then fled the moment she'd scented Vincent on him. Hector glanced at his brother and found him frowning, gaze aimed at him. Granted he didn't want to anger Vincent by making Valery uncomfortable but she was asking for his honesty and that was what he'd give her, whether she was happy with it or not. "H-how did you know that...how do you know him?" Valery asked, speaking about Vincent like he wasn't in the room. "Oh, that's easy. Vincent and I are brothers," Hector responded nonchalantly, watching in amusement as Valery flinched, almost jumping in her seat and trying her best not to turn around and look at her mate. "What?" she asked, her voice coming out strangled. "All these years you were...but...so, you've known we were mates for these past couple of weeks? But how could you have known?" Hector watched her calculate the scenarios in her head, slowly putting each variable in its place and smiled when she asked her last question. "Well, you'd told me your vampire mate had rejected you; judging from your sudden response, I assumed it had just happened and Vincent was the only other vampire in that house that day. I put two and two together." "So why did you agree to help me get away only to bring him here later on?" Valery asked, still refusing to acknowledge Vincent's presence and Hector glanced at his brother, finding his face impassive. This was getting troublesome. "It's complicated, Valery. I'll admit I don't know much about werewolves and when you told me you could reverse your beast's insanity, I believed you...for a while," he started, carefully choosing his words. "It soon became apparent however, that it wasn't working as we'd hoped and so I took matters into my own hands. Vincent...Vincent has suffered through this ordeal as well, more than you know. You should give him an audience at the very least." He watched her pout again and had to fight another chuckle down; she was clearly struggling with his decision but judging from how calm she was, he was sure he had made the right one. It was nightfall already and whether she'd noticed it or not, her beast was not wrestling with her to let it out like it had on so many other occasions. He could only hope that Vincent's proximity had something to do with calming the beast. "You were looking for a solution to peace and this is the easiest way. Don't turn down this opportunity, Valery, we already know that the consequences for doing so are inevitably horrific." Hector watched Valery struggle with his words and stood up, heading towards her. It was about time he left, while she was subdued. He stood before her, smiling sincerely at her frowning face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You'll be fine; I'll see you soon" he whispered in her ears before kneeling down and giving her a tight hug that she didn't return. Fair enough. Hector stood up, clapped Vincent on his shoulder and took long strides towards the front door, opening it and stepping out quietly before closing it again. He had mixed feelings about the whole scenario and hoped he'd made the right decision and that Valery wouldn't be so stubborn in the end; it really was a dramatic situation. Shaking his head, Hector climbed into the SUV and started the engine, slowly backing up the car before he turned it around and started driving away from the cabin. **** Vincent watched silently as Valery questioned Hector and fought down the occasional jealousy that rose up within him every time he noted how comfortable she was with his brother. The two had known each other for a decade or so and he really couldn't blame her for not wanting him around; this whole situation was his fault after all. He watched their exchanges silently, listening to the rise and fall of her enchanting voice and finally understanding why Hector liked her so much. Indeed, her quick-temperedness and propensity to sulk was reminiscent of Siobhan, Hector's sire for 2 centuries now and he found it endearing. That's where the similarities ended though, for while Siobhan was like a daughter to Vincent, Valery incited no such sentiments in him but instead her presence stoked a fire within him that had been at a low simmer but was now almost consuming him. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 05 The vision of her standing bare before him came unbidden into his mind and he closed his eyes quickly, trying to get rid of it. He could remember clearly her dark skin practically glowing in the fading light of the sunset and her breasts seated proudly on her chest, the nipples hard. Vincent could never forget the feel of them in his mouth, his fingers on her curvy hips as she'd arched into him. He suppressed a groan and opened his eyes again, fixing his attention on Valery's anger and Hector's occasionally sardonic responses. Thankfully, the vision cleared and he felt the adrenaline in his system subside even as his blood stopped rushing to his nether regions. Before long, Valery's questions were done and Hector was standing up to leave. Vincent studied her subdued form and his heart lurched as he exchanged a look with Hector before his brother walked out of the door and he realized that the ball was in his court then. As the car engine started up outside the cabin, he swiftly moved into the kitchen and prepped Valery's dinner, putting it on a plate and pouring her a glass of wine. Hector really did know how to stock a human kitchen, he thought in amusement. Vincent moved back to the living room with the food and glass on a small tray, moving slowly as he felt Valery's eyes on him, and placed the food before her. "Your dinner, my lady," he said with a small smile, watching her. She didn't respond, her face rather impassive with her full lips turned down at the edges as she stared at him while he took the seat Hector had previously occupied. Vincent stared back at her, his smile disappearing as he studied her face. He could feel her resistance through the bond he'd created with her, but none of the insanity that they'd shared in the past couple of weeks. There were a few other emotions he could feel from her, fear and heartbreak being a little more prominent but still, her scorn for him was foremost and he smiled ruefully, knowing that his work was cut out for him. "You have to eat, you know. Your metabolism is higher than that of humans and that means-" "I know what it means," she snapped back at him, her brow knit in a frown. "But I can also make my own food; I don't need you to do it for me. Besides, how do I know you didn't put something in it?" Vincent laughed then, truly just leaned back and laughed for a few seconds before suppressing his amusement as he let a few chuckles out. This woman just managed to surprise him at every turn...where on earth had she gotten such a ridiculous idea from? "You think that I came all this way, carrying some poison on me just so I could put it in your food?" he asked, pausing to suppress another chuckle. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was, since her irritation was already flowing strongly along their one-sided bond. "Trust me, my dear; I have no intention of harming you. Besides, I wanted to cook for you; taste it at the very least, I'd like to know how you find it." Valery looked at the meal before her disdainfully for a while, before she hesitantly picked up the plate and fork before her. Vincent watched her carefully, hoping she didn't change her mind. His eyes followed her as she used the fork to pick up a portion of the stir-fry before raising it and placing it in between her delicious-looking lips as she started to chew. He continued to watch with a little satisfaction as the frown between her brow faded away and her eyebrows raised slightly in poorly veiled surprise. "So, what do you think?" he asked, leaning forward with a little smile. "Where did you learn to cook?" she asked before she took another forkful as he continued to watch her, unable to tear his eyes away. "Why did you learn to?" Vincent continued to watch Valery, her questions registering faintly with him as he studied all her features, his eyes feasting on her. It had been a while and the peace he'd felt since he'd been in her presence increased as he took in her beautiful face even while she chewed away at his food, ignoring the fact that he hadn't responded to her inquiries. She was so very far away from him and he itched to hold her close to him, breathe in her scent endlessly and untie that scarf that was holding back her hair so that he could touch it and massage her scalp. He sighed, leaning back and accepting his place at the moment. "It was in an Italian kitchen, sometime around 1973 or 74, I forget which. I was...well...I was bored," he said, smirking as Valery raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "It was a boring decade for me, truthfully and I happened upon a young woman who was giving weekly classes. Food preparation has changed a lot since I was human and at that point, I was curious, really. This girl had quite the experience in preparing diverse meals and I took the chance." Valery stared at him, her facial expression blank and while he was glad she was no longer frowning at him, he could still sense the rise in her curiosity. Vincent sat back and waited for her to ask her questions. "Did you...use her?" That was unexpected. Vincent frowned slightly as he studied Valery, feeling out her emotions acutely and identifying a sadness he hadn't felt before, bringing an ache into his chest. She probably thought him a monster. "No. I am not in the habit of...using people, especially humans," he responded gravelly, capturing her eyes with his and not looking away. "Her father had just passed and she'd been learning her culinary skills from him. She didn't have much money to do anything for herself and started the classes as a way to change that. I had time...and money." Valery looked at him a moment longer before she looked down at her plate, slowly eating a little more of the meal. "It was also around the time that I tried my hand at being a writer," Vincent said, trying to take away from the somber mood that had suddenly engulfed them. Valery's face lightened up suddenly and he felt the ache in his chest ease as the beginnings of a smile played on her lips. "Really? What did you write? Did you get published?" Vincent chuckled lightly, remembering the ridiculousness of the entire encounter. "Yes, actually and it caused quite a stir. I don't know what I was thinking..." he paused, shaking his head in wonder at the memories. "It was a trilogy of books about a nanny who killed a number of children in different homes that-" "The Bloody Aprons Trilogy," Valery said abruptly and Vincent raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You've read it?" "Of course! Short but incredibly dark books and the way the deaths were described..." she said, staring at him in wonder. "What inspired them?" Vincent paused for a second, studying her closely before he responded quietly. "I've seen a lot of death, Valery. The idea just occurred to me and I went with it...I suppose my experiences leaked into the writing." Valery looked back at him, nodding briefly, her countenance becoming subdued again. She glanced away from him a while and turned back, fixing him with a small glare. He knew what was coming next but wasn't sure he was ready for it. "Vincent, what are you doing here?" she asked firmly, her look demanding a quick response. "I'm here to stop your pain...your suffering," he said simply. This was going to be a battle, he knew, but he was not going to back down. "That's a lie; you don't care about that, after all you're the one that caused it in the first place. You did it deliberately I'm sure." "I'm truly sorry for that, Valery, I really am. I know it's hard to believe me but I really thought my actions would..." Vincent paused, unsure whether he should continue before deciding to go with the whole truth. "I thought you'd give up your claim on me once you saw I wasn't interested." "I didn't just see it, I know it deep down; you are not interested," she said, placing her plate on the table before standing up, the wine forgotten. "So tell me the truth, Vincent, why are you really here?" He blinked at her slightly raised tone and the aggression in her decision to stand up. She wasn't one to back down either. "I am telling you the truth, Valery. Hector explained what you've been going through and even if he hadn't, I knew it, felt it in my very being," Vincent responded quietly but firmly. He stood up as well and rounded the table, approaching her. "You have no idea what it did to me, feeling the pain you went through...the madness. I was sure I was going insane myself." "Ah, that explains it then," Valery said, a sad smile on her face and Vincent paused in his advance as he felt her pain increase. "You came here because you couldn't block out the insanity my wolf was sending your way. You're not here to stop my suffering or pain, this is about you and your-" Vincent covered the remaining distance between them swiftly, making her pause her tirade in surprise as he stood towering before her, a frown firmly settled on his brow. He couldn't bear to hear her breaking voice anymore and her heartache was stirring deep within him, awakening his beast which tugged at his control. This woman had a way of looking at all the possible interpretations of a situation and choosing to believe the most unlikely one. "That is not true, Valery," he emphasized, reaching out for one of her hands, which she tried to wrest from his grasp almost immediately but he wouldn't let her go. "I would gladly bear your pain daily and go insane too, if it meant that you were spared from that suffering. But you were in anguish and even though I could feel it, I was helpless to try and save you from it because the same torment rendered me powerless as it travelled through the bond I share with you. That's why I asked Hector to bring me here when I saw him; I couldn't venture the journey on my own." He was being rather forceful, he knew, and could see Valery responding to his intensity, stepping away from him, still trying to tug her hand free. Vincent instead pulled at her slightly, letting go of her wrist and almost instantly taking ahold of her upper arm. He stepped forward, reducing the distance between them and he could feel Valery's frustration as she sighed, her resistance against him still resolute. "Ok, so I forced my agony on you, I know, and I'm sorry about that. I didn't know that would happen...I didn't think my wolf's insanity would radiate to you," she said, looking anywhere but at him. "I didn't want it to be forced upon you...I mean, I know you don't want me as your mate but I didn't ask for this either, you know." Vincent's heart sank as he heard the quiver in her voice and he raised his other hand to tilt her chin, feeling his beast give a growl within him at the tears he found in her eyes which she closed subsequently, refusing to look at him. A single tear flowed down her cheek and he sighed in regret. "Valery," he said softly, waiting for her to open her eyes and look at him before he continued. "I feel the mating pull calling me to you, but that's not what I'm talking about. When I drank from you, a bond was formed, one that flows strictly from you to me and it's through that that I feel your woes. But of all the things I've done to you that I say I regret, forming this bond is not one of them." Valery stared at him and he saw more tears gather in her eyes. Surely he couldn't be making the situation worse. "But you said you didn't want to be bound to m-me," she said, her voice breaking at the end and he blindly grabbed her, holding her tightly against him as if he could protect her from the pain. "I know...I was such a fool," he said, knowing his explanation was truly weak. "I didn't mean it." "Then why did you say it?" her voice sounded even as he felt her struggle against him. With a sigh, he loosened his hold slightly and she braced her hands against his chest, tilting her head to glare up at him. "You were angry that I'd identified you as my mate; you acted like it was beneath you to bond with me. Why?" Vincent sighed heavily, knowing that she would not let that go. "About a century back, my involvement with a wolf pack got them killed," he started, his voice heavy and the pain anchored in his chest making his breathing harder. "I swore then that I'd never interfere with werewolves again and I hadn't, until you walked into my office. I found it...disturbing that you should claim me as a mate when I had sworn off the affairs of werewolves." Vincent felt Valery's sadness increase steadily and he continued quickly. "But that was before I understood just how much you mean to me, Valery, and what I'd do to ensure your happiness. Even as I tried to deter you...I really thought...I wanted you to release your claim on me and the pain I caused you almost drove me insane. You cannot be classified amongst the masses...you're here and you're mine as much as I am yours. Now that I have seen you, I will fight for you for as long as it takes; do as much as I can to gain your trust." Vincent paused, sighing again before he continued. "I refuse to let you go." He looked down at her, feeling relief that her tears had stopped and that her sorrow had reduced, even if he could still feel her resistance. Vincent felt an urge to kiss her pain away and he bent his head slightly, moving slowly so that she could stop him if she wanted to and going ahead to place his lips lightly over hers when she didn't resist. His wish was granted for a few brief seconds before Valery stiffened in his arms and pulled her head back, looking away from him. "I...I should go sleep," she said, pushing against his chest slightly. Vincent considered it for a moment before opening his arms and letting her slip out, with a heavy sigh. Valery hesitated, glancing briefly at him before she turned around and quickly climbed the stairs, finally disappearing out of his view. He glanced at her half-eaten food and ran his hands through his hair before picking the glass and drinking the wine, approving of Hector's choice. Picking up the tray, he cleared the room, taking the dishes back into the small kitchen as he heard Valery's footsteps padding in the bedroom. She'd been more receptive to him that he had assumed she'd be and while she wasn't comfortable with his presence yet, at the very least, she'd listened to his reasons and had even endured a slight kiss. It wasn't much, but it was progress and he wasn't about to back down any time soon. **** Valery walked through the woods surrounding Hector's cabin and admired the evening light streaming through the trees, giving her surroundings an almost ethereal look. The setting suited her mood as she felt like she'd been cast into yet another world she didn't want to exist in and this time, Richard and Lyn were not around to help her. Granted she'd spoken to them a couple of times after she'd switched on her phone, but she'd been vague about how her mating with Vincent was going and they'd not pushed for details. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell them everything that was going on between her and the vampire. Vincent; his name echoed through her head and like always, she felt her wolf stir in satisfaction. Valery wasn't certain how she felt about him anymore and was thoroughly confused. How she could go from lusting after him to loathing him and now whatever she was feeling for him, in a month, she didn't know. It had been 3 days since Hector had driven up with him; 3 days since she'd wrestled with him in those very woods and then argued with him later that night. 3 days since she'd let him kiss her. She'd have liked to believe that her emotions were not so easily overturned and that 72 hours was barely enough time to take away from the hate she'd felt for Vincent, but that was clearly not true. Her wolf had settled down a whole lot and while their relationship was still rather broken, the animal had not tried to take over their form since the vampire had arrived. It seemed satisfied with him and Valery fought down a blush as she remembered the sudden desire that had engulfed her and the wolf's urging for them to take Vincent, when she'd woken up in his arms that morning. The whole situation was surreal and it felt like there was a force of some sort steadily working against her. The 3 days had passed by painstakingly slowly as Vincent had involved her in conversation after conversation, steadily finding ways to overcome her sullenness, even when she willed it. He was intelligent and a good conversationalist, almost constantly calling to her curious nature and giving her quick answers to every question she asked, no matter how inappropriate. She was left with little to do after he had insisted in doing every chore in the house, including cooking for her variously ingenuous meals with the available ingredients and she had slowly found herself noticing him. Valery shivered slightly, remembering the light touches he constantly left on her arms, face and back, the timbre of his voice as he complimented her on one thing or the other and the heated looks he sometimes sent her way when she caught him looking at her and found she couldn't look away. It was all enough to slowly begin to undo her hatred for him and she found herself uncertain as to how she should feel. The mating pull was growing stronger each day and that contributed to how she responded to his scent and nearness. Valery was sure he'd noticed her arousal that morning when she'd found his arms around her, holding her body tightly against him with her night gown bunched up around her waist, exposing her butt and legs. She'd felt rather dizzied, like the first time she'd scented him in that elevator and had tried to get out of his grip, but he'd refused to let her go, waking up and sleepily explaining that he slept better when she was close to him before dropping off. Her heart had been racing and she had a sneaking suspicion he hadn't really gone back to sleep as his hands kept ghosting over her lower abdomen and once at the rim of her panties, making her stifle a moan. "He's positively insufferable," she muttered underneath her breath, before turning sharply around at the sound of a twig snapping. Valery stood still, using her senses and scenting the area carefully to find any intruders on her evening walk. A sudden scent engulfed her senses and it was all she could do to shift before a large brown wolf leaped at her, its jaw opened in a vicious snarl. Her transformation had been slower than normal and awkward, making her realize just how deeply damaged her bond with her wolf was. Thankfully though, her wolf was in control at the moment and it used the momentum of the attacking wolf against it, quickly getting away from the attacker. She turned back to growl at the intruder; one wolf, she could handle, Richard had trained her well. Pausing for a moment to gauge the size of the wolf, she leaped at it, clawing at its eyes to distract it before sinking her teeth into the flesh. Vile tasting blood rushed into her mouth as the other animal whimpered in pain and one thought flashed through her mind; rogue wolf! She had to be very careful with this wolf and her guard went up, ready to counter any move the other animal might make as she tore through its flesh, quickly moving away to give it a chance to flee. Instead, the wounded animal growled and let out a short howl, before Valery heard more growling and snarling. He heart started racing, adrenaline increasing in her system as she counted two, four...five wolves at the moment, including the one she'd wounded. Vincent, she called mentally, knowing that her odds were poor; she needed help and she wasn't too proud to call for it, hoping even then that he'd be able to hear her through the bond he'd talked about. Moving as one unit, the animals launched towards her and she turned on her tail, running away from them. She was built for speed and knew the woods better than they did, but rogue wolves tended to be stronger and faster than normal Weres, their inhibitions cast aside. A wolf got close and snapped at one of her hind legs, trying to crush the paw in its jaw. She growled in turn and tried to increase her pace but the wolves gained on her steadily, eventually one leaping ahead to block her path as they quickly surrounded her. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 05 Vincent, she called again, briefly wondering where he was; he should have been there within a minute but even that was too long. The small unit of rogue wolves closed in on her, one jumping right on top of her before she rolled and flipped it off. Almost immediately, another snapped at her neck but she managed to jump away before she felt claws scrape against her and teeth sink into her back. Valery howled in pain and as if that excited the wolves, they attacked her with more vigor, tearing at her and clawing, eager to let her blood flow. As the seconds passed by, she felt her energy diminish and could only whimper in pain as one wolf finally grabbed a leg and twisted its head savagely to break a bone, rendering her incapable of fighting back. Thoughts of death moved through her mind, pushing against her pain as she felt one emotion engulf her; regret. Regret what, she questioned, unable to think clearly through the pain and the savage sounds the wolves were making. She was going to die soon, there was no time for regret. At that exact moment however, she heard a roar of rage that didn't quite sound like anything she'd ever heard before and a sudden gush of wind washed over her, increasing her pain further before darkness passed across her vision. Valery saw the large black wolf right in front of her suddenly get grabbed by its legs and raised into the air by a dark figure before it lifted its knee and slammed the wolf over it, breaking the animal's back with a sickening crack. Vincent; the thought passed through her mind and the figure turned suddenly to look at her. She tiredly gazed upon a face that was not the one she remembered of her would be mate; his eyes were completely black, lips pulled back in a snarl as sharp fangs gleamed in the fading light, giving him an air of death. His hands sported talons which he swiped out, clawing deeply into a wolf that had suddenly dared to jump at him, making it whimper mournfully in pain. This changed Vincent grabbed the head of the wolf and twisted it sharply, snapping the animal's neck efficiently and dropping its limp body to the ground. She heard a few growls and suddenly, the wolves were running away; Vincent snarled and in one sudden movement, disappeared from her vision to chase after the animals. Vincent; she thought again before darkness engulfed her completely **** "Don't fight..." White hot pain suddenly pierced through the darkness and Valery screamed even as she heard her wolf howl loudly in her head. "Valery!" a voice echoed through the darkness, before it became muffled as the pain steadily increased. "Don't fight me, Valery, drink!" the voice commanded again, clearly this time. Valery fought to open her eyes and finally succeeded only for the bright light to suddenly assault her eyes, sending a sharp jolt of pain into her head. She felt like somebody was steadily pounding away with a hammer at her head after he had broken all the bones in her body. She couldn't stand the excruciating pain and it worsened as something hard was forced in between her lips, making it difficult for her to breathe. She fought against it, trying to bite at it, claw at it but found herself unable to do anything but increase her pain further. "Damn it, Valery, Drink!" That voice again. Her eyes slowly started to focus and she blinked painfully through the light to focus on a grim face; Vincent, she thought and finally, the regret she'd felt made sense to her. Valery opened her mouth and tried to tell him that but she found herself chocking instead, her chest heaving in pain. "Come on, Valery, drink," she heard the voice say again, desperation audible in its tone and she suddenly recognized it as Vincent's. Drink what? She vaguely answered before something made her cough again painfully. Her vision blurry, she felt the pressure move away from her mouth and took in a very grateful breath, trying to ignore the lines of fire moving through her chest. "I have to make bigger holes," she heard Vincent mumble before she watched, in confusion, as he lifted his wrist to his mouth, making an odd jerking movement. Suddenly, the pressure was back against her lips and she felt a warm liquid slip across her tongue to the back of her throat and she swallowed quickly, not wanting to choke again. More liquid kept flowing into her mouth and she swallowed in quick succession, grateful when the liquid finally stopped and the pressure was lifted off her mouth. Valery took in some more gulps of fresh air, wanting to move away from the pain and whatever it was that Vincent was doing to her. "Again," she heard the vampire say before the blockage returned between her lips, making her groan in frustration. "You have to suck, Valery. Suck, so that the pressure prevents them from closing too quickly." Suck, a voice repeated in her mind and she did just that, sucking from whatever was producing the fluid and drinking as fast as she could. She did it for what felt like an eternity before the pain in her chest suddenly increased to unbearable levels and she choked against the blockage, suddenly unable to swallow as the fluid went down the wrong way. The blockage was removed from her mouth but that did not help matters this time. Valery felt the pain increase throughout her body, burning through her until she opened her mouth in a silent scream, her body taught. She felt herself being moved before her arm was suddenly pulled, further worsening the pain that ranged within her and she sobbed, feeling like it had been ripped from her body. The fire within her body started to subside though, and she became more aware of her surroundings, feeling arms wrapped around her. Her pain reduced quickly until barely a minute later, she felt normal again, like nothing had happened and she was just...sleepy and drained. Valery tried to turn and felt relief go through her as she noted the active use of all four of her limbs. She found herself pressed against Vincent's chest, his chin resting on her head even as she wriggled, trying to get off of his lap. "Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself," his voice came out, gruff and unfamiliar. Valery stopped and tried to turn again in his arms, this time managing to as his arms loosed around her. She thought about her nakedness for a moment, thinking she ought to be embarrassed by it in front of the vampire, but a yawn flowed through her and she let the thought flip into nothingness. "Sorry my dear, a healing takes a lot out of the body," Vincent said and she looked at him, finding his expression pinched. Before she could ask what was wrong, he stood suddenly, shifting her in his arms and Valery squealed, suddenly realizing that he'd been seated on the floor...no, the ground, she thought, as she looked around. They were still in the woods and her eyes widened as she spotted two mangled bodies a few paces from them. She looked back at Vincent suddenly, adrenaline reducing her fatigue as she noticed the blood splattered on his face, looking down at herself to find dried blood on her naked body as well. "I should have never let you wander on your own," he said before looking away from her and sighing tiredly. "I should have been here sooner." Valery opened her mouth to say something, wanting to comfort him but found herself unable to speak again as he leaned forward and she felt the wind whipping against her bare skin, the surroundings blurring before he came to a stop in front of the cabin. Shifting her again in his arms, he opened the cabin door, closing it with his foot when they entered and quickly placing her on the sofa. Whatever alertness the adrenaline in her system had previously given her, she found gone as she yawned tiredly again. Vincent moved with his inhuman speed, blurring in and out of the room as he switched on the lights, chasing away the darkness. He brought a blanket and put it on the table beside her before disappearing again and she felt a chill go through her as the wind rushed by again. He was gone a while longer before he appeared again with a basin this time, and two towels. Before she could wonder what he was going to do, Vincent quickly dipped a towel in the basin filled with steaming water and moved towards her, starting to rub gently at her face. The towel was warm, almost hot and she sighed in relief at the sensation. When he was done with her face, he moved along her neck, rubbing gently against her skin and she squealed suddenly, realizing what he was doing. Valery reached out for the towel, ready to tell him she could go and take a shower herself before he grabbed her hands easily in one arm and fixed her with a fiery gaze. "We're not going to argue about this, Valery. A healing as intense as the one you've just had would leave you incapable of standing or doing anything for yourself until you rest. That being said, I am not going to leave dried blood on your body and you can either willingly let me do this or you can fight and have me pin you down, either way, I am going to do this. Is that understood?" Valery frowned, irritation flowing through her at his words. His tone was not condescending but rather, firm and his expression resolute, plus he was right about how tired she was, but she didn't like being forced to do something she was uncomfortable with either. "Are we in agreement?" he asked again and Valery looked away in annoyance. Let him do whatever he wanted, so long as he did it quickly. She felt something soft press against her shoulder and turned to look at him suddenly, finding his lips pressed against her bare skin. He moved away from her, with a slight smile, not meeting her eyes before he turned around, washed the towel in the steaming basin and turning back to her, the secret smile still on his lips. Vincent cleaned her quickly and efficiently, not really lingering anywhere or touching her with the aim of stimulating her, but oh, stimulated she got. Valery's mind was slow and the picture of Vincent's hands over her body seemed to be stuck in it. Even though he didn't touch her bare skin sans the towel, she looked at the contrast his pale skin made next to hers as he cleaned her breasts, the nipples raising their heads proudly as they stiffened. She wished he could brush against her center with his fingers, just briefly, to give her relief like he had done almost a month ago...such a long time ago. As Vincent turned her slowly to flip her to her back, she imagined him doing so to perform an act far more intimate. Her body was no longer feeling cold by the time he was done with her butt, moving down to her legs as liquid heat pulsed in her veins. Valery wanted him to do so much more to her and she was ready to tell him so as he finished, when he suddenly grabbed the blanket and swaddled her in it, leaving her surprised. Even as her addled brain tried to figure out his actions, she knew that he knew she wanted him; her arousal was beginning to scent up the room and he of all people, could not possibly miss it. Vincent disappeared briefly, taking the towels and the basin with him before returning to kneel next to the sofa he'd placed her on. He peered into her face with a slight frown on his forehead before leaning slightly back. "You seem even more tired than I expected. I should get you something to eat before..." Valery watched his lips moving with her eyes half closed and a small smile formed on her face. He had such nice lips, thin and yet soft...yes, soft, she remembered from the times they'd been placed upon her own. She wanted them on hers and briefly wondered why he wouldn't just lean down slightly and take her own lips captive. Perhaps he was waiting for her...of course she'd indulge him. With a sudden movement, Valery moved upwards pausing slightly before Vincent's slightly startled expression and capturing his lips. She arched upwards, moving her lips against his and hoping he'd respond. He'd somehow managed to wrap her so tightly in the blanket, she didn't have the energy to try and wriggle her hands out. Valery hoped he wouldn't resist her and she felt elation fill her as his hands softly cupped both sides of her face as he increased the pressure on her lips. It was gone all too suddenly however, as he leaned away from her and gently guided her head back to the sofa. "It's my blood in your system, it'll pass and you'll feel like yourself again in the morning," she heard him say and she frowned. Valery blinked a couple of times and stifled down a yawn as she irritably wondered why he'd refuse her advances. Her brain was foggy and she mentally nudged her wolf, asking it what it thought about the situation. The animal stirred within her and Valery yawned, feeling its growing alertness take a little away from her own. She felt the desire for Vincent run through her body again and she shuddered from her position, glancing at him as he studied her quietly. The deep desire to be mated with him ached deep within her and she sleepily agreed with her wolf before she felt it suddenly surge within her. Valery sat up in shock, wondering what that was; she didn't feel any of the insanity that had been there before, so what was wrong with her wolf? "Valery, what's wrong; are you ok?" she heard Vincent ask before his voice was drowned out as she felt her wolf surge up again and she suddenly shifted into wolf form. Vincent didn't flinch from her and she watched through the wolf's eyes as he stared at her worriedly. She didn't know what had just happened and felt too tired to fight with the animal for dominance. As if that's what it had been waiting for, the wolf suddenly reached for Vincent, opening its mouth to sink sharp teeth into the vampire's neck and shoulder. Adrenaline rushed through Valery again, not doing much for her energy but increasing her alertness and alarm. She heard Vincent hiss in pain as he suddenly grabbed the wolf's head and like the infuriating animal it was, her wolf suddenly retreated with a growl, its presence diminishing until Valery turned back to her normal self, feeling Vincent's hands cradling her head and his blood in her mouth. "Oh my God!" she gasped, rearing back in shock as she stared at Vincent's own surprised face. The puncture marks on his neck and shoulders had already begun to close in healing but there was something deep within her that knew they'd never really go away. Valery watched Vincent's face and saw his eyes widen suddenly in surprise. She felt a small string of connection form, slowly growing stronger as his surprise flooded through her system and she leaned further away from him, not able to comprehend what was happening. Valery felt a sense of loss as she leaned away, watching Vincent's eyes dim slightly in disappointment which flowed from him and surged through her. "No," she practically squeaked in horror as realization hit her. This is what her wolf had wanted all along...goodness...from the very beginning. They had just claimed Vincent with a mating bite and she'd had almost no say in the matter. 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." Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 06 Valery raised her eyebrows in surprise and couldn't help the few giggles that escaped her at the overtly jealous tone in Vincent's voice as he mentioned his brother. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised in indignation and she tried to stifle the laughter. "He was the only one around who could help and I didn't know you two are brothers," she said defensively and tried to hold back a smile when Vincent sighed heavily. "What about your human family?" he asked after a pause. "What about them?" she responded a little too quickly, noting the defensiveness in her tone but not caring, all humor suddenly fizzling out. Vincent studied her for a moment longer, his eyes boring into hers before he spoke again. "Do they know about what happened to you?" Valery looked away from him and took a deep breath to steady herself; the family that raised her from childhood was long gone and it was always a sore issue when it was brought up. She'd never even had a chance to bury her father and that had hurt like hell as it was after the time that she'd been reported missing and probably dead. Richard had gone with her, both of them in wolf form as they'd watched from a distance while her father's casket was lowered in the ground 2 years after her turning. She'd cried for days after that, heartbreak overwhelming her and had lashed out at Richard and Lyn about the unfairness of the entire situation but they had understood, standing by her even as they maintained that rules were rules. Nicholas had been a toddler at the time and would simply just sit on her bed then, giving her hugs as big as his little chubby arms would allow and ask her to stop crying as he placed light kisses on her face. Valery smiled sadly as the memories flashed through her mind before she looked back at the vampire before her. "My mother died when I was young, I can barely remember her but my dad...he raised me. He was 65 at the time I was turned and..." she paused, swallowing repeatedly to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. "He died two years after I was officially declared dead...a heart attack. He never knew that I was still alive and while the family that had adopted me in the pack was understanding, I still never got to bury him. It would have raised too many questions...broken the rules of the pack. I never got to say g-goodbye." She finally broke down, her voice unable to narrate the story anymore and Vincent gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair silently as she tried to gather strength from him. The bond they shared helped root her as she felt his compassion flow through her and the sobs reduced. "What about you" she asked quietly, grateful that her voice didn't break and wanting to steer the conversation away from her. Vincent loosened his hold on her and she felt him take a deep breath as he rested his chin on her head. "Most of my family died a very long time ago; it's only Hector and I left," he said, pausing at the end. Silence stretched for a while and Valery shifted uncomfortably wondering whether she should continue asking about his life. She'd however just revealed her deepest hurts to him and was feeling vulnerable, it was only fair that he respond in kind. Vincent drew away from her and she turned to look at him, finding his face blank. "Ask," he said and she shifted in discomfort again. "Were they vampires too at some point?" "No, that is still just Hector and I," he responded with a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. "We originally lived in Ancient Rome and Nero had been Emperor for about 10 years when I was sired." Valery stiffened as shock flowed through her system; that would make him nearly 2,000 years old! She stared in wonder at Vincent and he looked wearily at her before he turned his gaze to the ground. "We were happy...at least that's what I remember. My father was one of the advisors in the Emperor's Court, he'd just been appointed and we were...happy. It was me, Hector and then the twins; beautiful twin girls who were about 5 years old at the time. Aelia and Aemilia...so innocent." There was a deep melancholy flowing down their bond now and she could feel his heartbreak acutely. She shivered at its intensity and moved towards him, sitting next to him and wrapping her hands across his arm in an attempt to lend her own strength back. "You...you don't have to tell me if it's too-" "No, I want to tell you. You shared your pain with me, I'd like to share mine with you if you don't mind," he interrupted her, turning to look down into her eyes. Valery nodded silently and Vincent turned to look at the floor again, sighing deeply. "Just before I was sired, Hector had disappeared for weeks; he was quite errant at the time and while we were used to his antics, his disappearance was beginning to cause my parents worry. So they came to me, taking me away from my apprenticeship briefly and imploring me to go look for him...I was not pleased." "What were you studying to become?" Valery asked, realizing she'd interrupted him, a little too late. "Sorry." "It's alright, I don't mind your questions. I was studying to become a physician. They were long years and I was yet to marry at the age of 32 but I was determined to be of some use in society, though my father had wanted me to take a more political job," Vincent said, a small smile gracing his lips at his last words. "Looking back on it now, I suppose I should be grateful for Hector's wayward manner at the time for he saved my life." He paused again and Valery let him gather his thoughts quietly this time, not interrupting him as she felt the tension within him increase. "I searched for him for a few days and finally found him in some rundown and disreputable part of town. It was at night and he was staggering along the street like a drunk, his clothes soiled and torn and a wild look on his face. I was angry and tried to drag him out of there but the strength he had was inhuman...I remember the fear in his eyes as he gripped me and begged me to leave him alone and flee instead but I didn't listen. We argued some more before someone attacked me from behind and I lost consciousness." "The following days after that were a blur and I don't recall much; I don't even remember how long I was away for before I finally woke to fire burning the building I was laying in and an excessive thirst. I staggered out of the building, trying to get my bearings but the thirst, what I know now was blood-thirst, was impossible to ignore. People were fleeing from the fire in a panic and without thinking, I grabbed a young man and sank my teeth into his neck, drinking his blood and draining him. I realized almost instantly what I had become." Valery felt the tension in Vincent's body increase and started stroking his arm in a futile attempt to reduce it, not knowing what else she could do at the moment. "I was disgusted and terrified, so I ran, finally finding a familiar road and moving through the streets only to find that large sections of the city were on fire. I still remember the fear that seized me as I ran towards my parent's house, knowing it was too far away for me to reach it in time but still running. My speed must have manifested then because I finally found myself in front of the house in mere minutes, but it had already burnt to the ground, my parents and the twins no doubt dead underneath the rubble." "The flames were raging all around me and despite my grief and despair at the moment, the urge to survive was stronger. I raced through the city but at some point my clothes caught flames and I ran towards the Tiber, plunging myself into the river. The flames were extinguished but I didn't know how to swim...I drowned and then woke up after an unprecedented amount of time, fighting to reach the surface but being unable to. I must have drowned a hundred times, occasionally being pushed to the top by some current or rapids and getting burnt by the sun when it was daylight. It was agony." "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Valery said, feeling a tear slip down her cheek and reaching to wipe it away as Vincent's tortured emotions flowed unbidden through her. He reached out and wrapped a hand around her, holding her tightly. "I was fished out at some point by a reclusive old man, deep in the night, when he saw my body flowing down the river...I attacked him and fed from him until he died. Madness flowed through me and the excessive thirst for blood was one that could barely be quenched. I took up residence in the old man's shack and learned to avoid the sun, only going out at night to feed but still not managing to stop before I killed my victims. Over time, I learned that Nero had ordered Rome to be burned, blaming it on the Christians but some people whispered that he'd done so to kill a much greater evil; vampires." "I drifted in and out of towns in the first few decades, looking for survivors of Rome's fire and finding none that I knew before I finally gave up on trying to find my family. A small group of vampires found me and one of them taught me better control of my thirst and abilities. It was hard trying to stick to a group and after learning what I could from them, I left again, finding my way through different towns and trying to survive. Going through the different cultures was difficult, having to learn things anew every 50 years or so, but I had to survive. I found Hector in what is known as Russia today, around the time I was two centuries old, but that's a story for another day." Vincent wrapped his hands around her and kissed the top of her head before letting her go. "So, when did you start being able to walk in the sun?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "It was a measured process; I started it at about the 500 year mark and gradually became able to spend longer amounts of time in the sun. By the time I was a millennium old, I could do it indefinitely." Valery stared at him, so many questions running through her mind but she battled with them, pushing them down and resisting the urge to cause him remembrance of any more potentially painful memories. They had time, she would ask later. His story really was incredible and she found herself marveling at how resilient he had to be in order to survive such long periods of time, alone and unable to move around in daylight. No wonder vampires were reclusive creatures; she could only just imagine the horror of living such a life and without a mentor, no less. "You're far too quiet," Vincent said, snapping her out of her reverie and finding him smirking down at her. "I...uh...I was wondering how you...uh, how you can store 2,000 years worth of memories," Valery said, choosing to ask one of her tamer questions. "How is it that you haven't forgotten things that happened when you were still human?" "Not 2,000, 1,983 years to be exact; I was 32 when I was sired and I do forget events, my memory is not perfect," Vincent responded with a small frown. "There are decades of some centuries where I can barely remember a single event that happened and can't even recognize the vampires I came across in those periods. What I retain however, are memories of important occurrences, people close to me and those I should be wary of. I seem to also have an uncanny ability to always remember places and names." Valery watched him give a small shrug at the last sentence and she smiled, feeling warmth going through her as she took in and began to accept the vampire seated next to her. Whatever had happened over the past month was slowly beginning to fade and she was coming to terms with her mate and accepting the fact that she actually liked him. As if he could hear her thoughts, Vincent turned to her with a grin, an eyebrow cocked in amusement. "So, what now, Valery?" he asked and she smiled, finally deciding that she liked the sound of her name on his lips. "Well, now I take a shower and we figure this out after breakfast," she responded, unable to resist smiling back at him. "Hmm, well I already had my breakfast," he countered, his grin growing wider. "Unless of course you'd like me to join you in your shower for more." Valery's heart rate quickened and she turned away from Vincent, fighting down a blush and forcing a frown of disapproval on her face. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, turning back to give him a half hearted glare. "You sure? I'd love to show you exactly why vampire matings are rumored to be...intense," Vincent said, the last word coming out in a deeper tone as he leaned towards her. There was amusement in his eyes but layered with a hunger that she'd seen there moments before he'd almost devoured her earlier and she moved off the bed, standing up to let the beddings fall away from her nude form as she walked away from him. Valery didn't turn back to see the look on his face, but instead grabbed a towel and walked out of the room as quickly as she could, ignoring the chuckle she heard behind her. She was more comfortable around him and it seemed the bond her wolf had forced upon the vampire was working to ensure she accepted him; she felt more drawn to him with every passing minute. They were fully mated and she was growing to like that fact more and more but the sudden intensity of her attraction to him was also a little jarring. Valery entered the shower and turned the knobs as she reached for the shower gel. Her skin felt heated and sensitive as she passed her hands over it and she gave up trying to get thoroughly clean with her morning shower as thoughts of Vincent's lips and his touch filled her mind. She held back a soft moan and decided against touching herself, knowing that he'd be able to hear her. Her hand moved up to caress the side of her neck as she remembered his fangs sinking in and the fire that had exploded within her at that action. It was strange, either them being fully mated was the cause for her body's reaction or there was something else at play. She remembered the first time he'd fed from her as he'd stroked her to orgasm, it had been intense but there was something different this time. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he'd just bitten her in the exact same spot he'd used all those weeks ago...she'd have to figure it out somehow. Turning off the shower, Valery wrapped the towel around herself and went back to the bedroom only to find Vincent gone. Feeling a little disappointed, she dried herself and dressed quickly in jeans and a shirt before she walked out and down the stairs. "No, there are a number of them in the woods. About five if I counted right" She turned towards the sound of Vincent's voice and followed it to the kitchen, finding him on the phone, leaning against the counter. He'd been using clothes from Hector's section of the closet and while they were almost the same size, Vincent had wider shoulders and she liked the way the shirts always tightened against his chest and arms. "Yeah, I took care of them but I need them off and identified if possible," she heard him say into the phone before he paused to listen to the other line. "Ok, sure, thanks," he ended the call as he fixed his eyes on hers. "What was that about?" she asked, more than a little curious as to whom he'd be making phone calls to. "The dead wolves on Hector's land. I need them taken care of and that was a friend who said he could help me," Vincent replied as he placed a plate with scrambled eggs and toast on the counter and put a stool beside her so she could sit and have breakfast. "Police?" she asked, her curiosity piqued even more. "Yes, actually. Police Commissioner of this region." "Powerful friends," she muttered in amusement, pulling the plate towards her and accepting the cup of coffee he placed before her. "Thank you." "You learn how to wield power when you've lived a long time," he said with a chuckle. Vincent continued to watch her for a few moments longer, his eyes lingering on her lips every time she put something in her mouth, making her flush. She continued eating however, silence flowing for a few minutes before he broke it. "I have to take you back to your pack, Valery." She stopped eating and stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise at his statement and the sudden rise of emotions within her. Did he not want her anymore, after all that they'd been through? They were supposed to stay together, why was he taking her back? Valery shifted as she tried to calm her wolf down long enough to get an explanation out of him. "Why?" she asked, her voice curt. "I don't want you to get involved in this. There will be an investigation and while select parts of the government know about...the supernatural, I don't want them to find you here and guess your involvement." His reasoning was sound and the grave look on her face made her wonder if he could feel the emotions roiling through her at that moment, but her wolf was beyond reasoning at that point. Vincent had a point but the animal was not accepting it, agitated at the thought of them being apart from him. "What about you?" she inquired. Silence ruled again as Vincent studied her for a few a minute. "I cannot stay in your wolf pack, Valery," he started, speaking slowing and capturing her eyes with his own. "I will be going back to the house, the one we had the cocktail at." He looked at her for a while longer as she waited for an explanation from him; something to reassure her that he was as torn up about their separation as she was. "I'd ask you to come with me, I want you to come with me but...I know about wolves and packs. You need one to survive." "I can come with you," she said, half whispering and trying to calm down as her heart hammered in her chest. "So long as I maintain my bond with the Alpha and my family, I can come with you..." Vincent's face slowly broke into a large grin and he moved forward to hold her in an almost bone-crushing hug, laughing softly and kissing the top of her head. "I didn't know about that; that would be absolutely marvelous. Oh, I keep causing you grief in my folly," he said, still holding her. Thankfully, her wolf had calmed down in the few seconds it took Vincent to accept her terms, she had to find a way to live at peace with the temperamental animal. He finally loosened his hold on her and she looked up at him, grinning back at his contagious smile. Valery briefly wondered whether she could sink her teeth into the area her wolf had placed the mating bite but was interrupted in her thoughts. "You'll need to pack," he said and just like that, the mood changed. Vincent let her go completely and she went back upstairs to pack her few items in one of the small carry-ons she'd seen in Hector's closet, her breakfast forgotten on the kitchen counter. She felt excitement zing through her and wondered at her sudden eagerness. It really felt surreal that a few days ago, she was running away from him and now she was practically throwing herself at him, insisting that she move into his house. Valery paused in her actions, feeling taken aback at the last thought. She hadn't even thought twice as she'd offered to move in with him...this was all getting really strange. Going back to her packing, she remembered Annet and Lyn insisting that she could never fight the mating pull. Annet had insisted that it was impossible because she'd tried to stay away from Jonathan, a little freaked at his intensity and had decided to take a job in another city. She'd been a little light on the details but had said that 3 days after she'd decided to "run away" she'd found herself mated to Jonathan and unable to imagine being away from him. Valery laughed nervously; perhaps that was what was happening to her, for while she really liked Vincent, she couldn't remember exactly when her outlook on him had changed. That was a little unsettling for her and she'd had just about enough of not being in control. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 06 "Are you almost done?" a deep voice asked from behind her and she jumped a little in surprise, not having sensed him approaching. "Yeah, I'm done," she responded, zipping closed the bag and turning around to face him. "How are we getting back?" "Well, I thought that perhaps I could carry you-" "What? No!" Valery said, stepping away from him. "That's absurd!" "Or we could use the car I had a friend drop off," Vincent said with a soft chuckle, amusement dancing in his eyes. He moved past her to get her bag and held her hand so that they walked out of the room and down the stairs together. She actively ignored the feel of his hand on hers, instead focusing on the cars she saw parked just outside the open front door. A middle aged man entered the house and nodded at Vincent, his eyes connecting briefly with hers. "Good morning sir, good morning miss. Anything else you'll need sir?" he inquired, looking at Vincent expectantly. "No, that will be all George. Thank you for the assistance, I know it was a little out of the way," Vincent responded, still holding her hand. "Let me introduce you; Valery, this is George Orwens, an old friend and George, this is Valery, my mate." She saw the older man's eyes widen slightly in surprise before a small smile played across his lips. Now that she was closer, she could scent that he was human. "Nice to meet you, George," she said formally, unable to offer him a handshake as Vincent was still holding her right hand. "The pleasure is all mine, miss, and may I say congratulations indeed. It's about time for him, dare I say it," he said with a light laugh, and she smiled back. Vincent started walking outside before he stopped and turned back, making her almost bump into him. "Oh, George, make sure they clean out the fridge thoroughly but keep the dry food well, you know how picky Siobhan gets." "Very well, sir," George replied and with that, Vincent walked quickly through the door and towards a silver BMW, opening the passenger seat for her and letting her sit before he closed the door and entered the car, placing the carry-on in the back seat. "I'd like to pass by my house so I can get some more items," she said as he started up the car, the engine purring. "Alright, you'll have to show me where your compound is though." They settled into a light chat after that and she found herself almost in constant awe of his intelligence and quick sense of humor. Valery learned that he was in business with Hector and had come into the city to finish up some work involving the merger with the cafes. His last name was Servo, one she could imagine fitting in well in Ancient Rome and that he actually was in agreement with Hector in regards to working with humans instead of supernatural creatures. "If you could park next to the path up ahead," she said as they finally came up to the familiar road that led to her cabin. Vincent did as she'd instructed, the car coming to a smooth stop and he made to get out of the car before she stopped him. "No, you have to stay here. That path marks werewolf territory and there are wolves constantly monitoring the perimeter. The moment they scent a vampire on their lands, they'll come with the intent to kill," she said in explanation, frowning when he scoffed. "There is nothing they can do to me even if they came at me in groups." "Vincent, please, this is my pack," she said, frowning at him. He stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded briefly, clearly not liking the idea. She smiled at his sulkiness and reached for the carry-on, looking inside to find the purse with her house keys. Valery got out of the car and quickly walked down the path, grinning when she reached the clearing and saw her house. She opened the front door and walked through it, doing a little spin, glad she was on familiar ground again. It wouldn't be for long however and she knew she needed to hurry lest Vincent got impatient and did something rather stupid. Moving through the house quickly, she got a few toiletries and moved to her closet to start picking out some outfits before she heard snarling outside. Valery moved quickly to the bedroom window in time to find 2 large wolves race past her house and towards the path that led off the road. "Vincent," she mumbled as she half ran towards the front door. Had he actually come onto pack lands, Valery realized in bemusement, even when she'd explicitly asked him not to? If so, then the shit was most certainly about to hit the fan. **** Richard jumped slightly as the door to his office was flung open with such force, it bounced off the wall. He looked up, ready to give a stern dressing down to whomever had been stupid enough to barge in without going through his secretary when he was stopped short by the fiery look in Jonathan's eyes, the Alpha's form blocking the entrance as he silently seethed. "Vampires, on our territory," Jonathan ground out, fury practically radiating off of him. Richard immediately shut the laptop on his desk and stood up quickly, anger beginning to surge up in him as his wolf growled within him. Jonathan's eyes were practically glowing golden and it was clear he was trying to keep from shifting and Richard understood. The Alpha female was pregnant and now a threat bigger than any Were war was on their land; it was an outrage and the full wrath of the Wyle pack would be brought upon those blood suckers. "Where?" Richard asked, trying to calm the beast within him that kept surging up as thoughts of Lyn and Nicholas ran through his mind. "Valery's cabin," Jonathan spat back making Richard blink in surprise. Without a second wasted however, Richard inclined his head to his Alpha and followed him, walking out of the office and eventually out of the building, into the parking area. The building of offices that was the headquarters of all the pack's finances and businesses was pretty close to the estate and Richard jumped into his car, waiting for the Alpha to get in before he sped off seconds later. His wolf had calmed down some, in confusion when Jonathan had mentioned that the vampires were around Valery's cabin. It didn't make sense; Valery knew enough to never even consider bringing any of those foul predators onto pack lands, whether one of them was her mate or not. He'd ingrained that fact into the girl himself and now... "She wouldn't do this, you know," Richard said quietly, fully noting the tension Jonathan's body visibly increasing at his words. "She'd better not have," the Alpha growled out in anger before he snarled and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I know Valery wouldn't do this knowingly but she has made some stupid decisions in the past." Richard relaxed slightly when he recognized the increased calmness in Jonathan's voice, at least that meant that he wasn't too far gone to listen to reason. They wouldn't truly know what had happened until they reached Valery but he knew Don, one of the Betas, was part of the wolves patrolling the perimeter that day and that gave him some confidence that things would be kept under control until they got there. If the vampires were with Valery, then chances were that they wouldn't be aggressive and neither was Don, the Beta often choosing to negotiate things out first before doing anything too drastic. "Yes, she has; we all have, Jonathan, but she's not stupid," Richard said, airing out his thoughts before he spotted the path that led off the road and down to the clearing with the cabin. As if in synch, the tension in their bodies increased and they both sat stiffly as the car neared the cabin, silence filling the air. Richard parked the car in front of the house, getting out to nod at the 3 large wolves that were slowly circling the house even as he scented the area, picking up the crisp scent that was typical of vampires. He could only detect one scent and it wasn't the one he'd picked up weeks earlier that he'd assumed was that of Valery's mate. Richard sniffed again just to be sure and felt some of his tension ease when Valery's distinct scent hit his nares with no distortion or fear. "How many?" Richard heard Jonathan's terse voice ask and he turned around to see Don approaching their Alpha. "Just the one," Don responded, his large frame approaching them. Without another word, Jonathan turned around and headed for the cabin's main door, opening it without so much as a knock, but with markedly less force than he'd opened Richard's door earlier. Don followed him in and Richard was quick to enter as well, closing the door behind him. He followed the two men before him into the small living room area, seeing Valery seated in a sofa, a small frown on her face, before he stopped in shock as he looked at the vampire standing behind her, recognition running through his system. "Vincent," he let out involuntarily in an awed whisper and all four other pairs of eyes turned to look at him. "Richard," Vincent said, the vampires face not showing any emotion. "You've grown." Richard frowned in confusion and irritation, memories he'd long since buried coming back to the surface as the Weres in the room looked at him in surprise, even Jonathan raising an eyebrow as he sat down. "You two know each other?" Valery was the one to air out the question that was clearly written on Don's face, his eyes glancing from him, to Vincent and back again. "Well, it has nearly been a century but I could never forget that face," Richard ground out as he too sat down, taking the third chair as Don leaned against the wall. Richard looked at Vincent, his eyes narrowed as he took in the way the vampire placed both of his hands on Valery's shoulders and leaned down slightly possessively over her. The same blank expression he remembered being on the vampires face all those decades ago was the same one he wore even at that moment. Vincent's eyes scanned the room and landed on Richard's, holding the gaze for a moment before he frowned and looked back at the Alpha. "Jonathan," Vincent ground out in a deceptively quiet voice, his eyes narrowing as he practically glared at the Alpha. "If I'd known it was your pack that has treated Valery with such contempt then I'd have had a word with you sooner." "Don't patronize me, vampire," Jonathan let out with irritation, practically spitting the last word out like it was a curse. "This is my home and my family, you have no claim here. What are you doing here?" The tension in the room had suddenly risen and both Don and Richard were leaning forward slightly in their postures, ready to protect their own should the situation spiral out of control. Richard's wolf was lying low in the meantime, a small growl escaping it to echo in his head every now and then as he battled with the impropriety of the situation and the respect he still felt for the vampire. "I have a claim to her," Vincent responded, his voice still calm but his lips starting to pull back in a snarl as his hands tightened on Valery's shoulders. "That may be so, but you're still on my territory uninvited, remove yourself or I will be forced to cause you harm," the Alpha demanded. "I'm not leaving until I can take my mate with me; I can't leave her in your prejudiced hands, judging from the way you have so efficiently kept her away from your main estate. And if you presume to take me on, I'd certainly like to see you try," Vincent responded, an arrogant smirk crawling across his face. "Valery is pack and has been so from the moment she became a wolf, Vincent. I myself took her in and helped her through the process," Richard said, irritation starting to grow within him again. "I'm right here," Valery said and all eyes turned to look at her as indignation wafted off her in thick waves. "Richard in right though, Jonathan and he took me in when I turned and they have treated me more than fairly-" "That's not true," Vincent cut her off and Richard saw her frown in annoyance. She opened her mouth to say something but the front door burst open in that exact same moment and a slight whiff of his mate's scent was all the warning Richard got before Lyn practically ran into the house, followed closely by Annet and Nicholas. He groaned within as he practically saw the situation escalate with Jonathan jumping up in surprise and rushing to his pregnant mate, insisting that she needed to leave and get herself out of the potentially dangerous situation. Annet glared at him slightly and shook her head, demanding that she was Alpha too and had to be part of the discussion, making her mate groan in frustration. Lyn walked up to Richard, giving him a soft kiss on the lips that released quite a bit of his remaining tension before she walked up to Valery, and sat on the arm of her sofa, taking the girl's hand in hers and completely ignoring Vincent. Nicholas for his part, headed straight for Valery and glared at the vampire before he leaned against a wall, hands folded across his chest. "You didn't say you were coming back, Val," Nicholas said as he eyed her warily. "Are you ok?" "Yes, Nick, I'm fine. This is all just a misunderstanding simply because Vincent here, followed me down onto pack territory despite my asking him not to," Valery responded with a slight glare upwards at the vampire who in turn moved a hand and stroked her hair while placing a kiss on top of her head. "I wouldn't have followed you if it was clear to me that you were safe, but since the Alpha here, keeps you away from the safety of the pack, then I had to make sure you weren't attacked again," Vincent said quietly, his head next to her ear but was loud enough for everyone to hear. This got everyone's attention and for the first time, Don spoke up. "What do you mean attacked again?" All eyes shifted to Valery and she looked down at her lap, fidgeting uncomfortably as Vincent stroked her arm. "Valery dear, what happened?" Annet asked, breaking the silence while Jonathan led her to the chair he'd been sitting in. "Some rogue wolves must have tracked me down and they attacked me yesterday. It's part of the reason we came back so early." "So you claim that we can't protect her and yet she gets attacked right under your nose, vampire," Don said, a sneer across his face. "At least when she was with us, she never got assaulted even once in these past 30 years." Vincent turned an icy glare to the Beta and Valery reached up to take one of his hands as Jonathan let out a heavy sigh. "Ok, enough. This has gone on long enough. Valery, are you alright-" Jonathan started to ask before Vincent cut her off. "Of course she is fine. I take care of my own, Jonathan." The Alpha bristled in his seat as Annet, Lyn and Nicholas turned to look at him in surprise. "You know each other?" Annet asked. "I'd just become Alpha when Vincent here brought a teenage wolf whose family had been slaughtered in a war, to me. I took him in, of course, but that was a close to a century ago," Jonathan responded, taking his mate's hand in both of his and giving it a light kiss. "Who was the new wolf?" Nicholas asked, finally speaking up after a long time. "It was me," Richard responded, his eyes fixed on Lyn. "Vincent had been a friend of our family for years before the slaughter of our pack. We were few and couldn't hold off a much larger group of wolves." There was a pause of surprised silence as Richard looked at all the faces in the room, not really liking the pity he saw reflected in there, even as his mate stood up to walk towards him and sat on the arm of his chair, taking his hand. Seeing his family die at such a young age had changed in and it was only through the help of the couple that had adopted him in the Wyle pack that he'd learned to get over it. Vincent had arrived just in time to save him as a wolf had sunk its teeth into his leg. Richard closed his eyes and tried to suppress the memories but they just kept surging up. He'd been 15 at the time and hadn't yet learned how to shift, which made him useless in the fight. When Vincent had come, he'd been relieved to see the familiar face, but after the vampire had taken care of the attacking wolves, he'd carried Richard for miles, moving with his supernatural speed and had presented him to Jonathan on the pack perimeter. Jonathan had accepted to give Richard asylum and Vincent had left in that moment. Richard had often hoped to see the vampire again, thinking that perhaps he'd just pass by to say hello but had eventually given up hope as years had gone on without so much as a whiff of the one person that reminded him of his family. And now there the vampire stood, mate to the woman he called daughter; how ironic fate was. "What caused the war?" Nicholas asked, snapping Richard out of his reverie. "The attacking pack didn't agree with us...fraternizing with a vampire, so they deemed us fallen and tried to take over our land," Richard let out, his voice hoarse as Lyn wrapped her arms around him. "I agree with Don, why would you say we weren't protecting Valery when it seems that people get hurt whenever they're involved with you?" Nicholas asked, anger evident in his tone as he glared at Vincent. "Nicholas, please don't-" Jonathan started, before he was cut off yet again. "I don't agree with you either, Jonathan, you're so stuck in your traditional ways, you didn't really care that the pack treated Valery differently all these years. I should have spoken up before but did it ever occur to you that perhaps they would have come to accept her if you'd shown that you didn't give a shit and simply just let her leave in the pack estate?" "Nicholas, that's enough," Richard let out in warning as he saw Jonathan's lips tighten in anger. "No, dad. Have we even thought about how Valery is going survive now? Vampires are not welcome on our lands, Jonathan is pretty clear on that so that leaves her with two options, either she becomes constantly separated from her mate, or she leaves the pack and tries to survive outside it." Nicholas was furious and his words were coming out at a great speed. The tension in the room was rising and Richard cast a worried glance at Lyn before turning back to his son. Despite everything he wanted to believe, Nicholas was right. Valery wouldn't survive long outside the pack and yet he doubted Jonathan would be willing to let Vincent live on pack lands or if the vampire himself would want to as well. "Am I wrong?" Nicholas asked and everyone in the room shifted a little uncomfortably. "You have to understand, son, I enforce these rules for the safety of the pack," Jonathan said tightly. "I don't think Valery has ever been a threat to this pack," Nicholas retorted. "Nicholas, please, stop. I can go with Vincent and still survive so long as I maintain my alpha bond with Jonathan, right?" Valery said, uncertainty tingeing her tone as she glanced between Richard and Jonathan. "It's not that simple, Valery. The alpha bond is key, yes, but your wolf also needs to bond with other wolves. If you leave the pack, then those bonds will be broken," Richard said gravely even as he saw both Valery and Vincent stiffen at his words. "I'll go with her." Silence filled the room once more as every pair of eyes turned to Nicholas, shock on many people's faces at his words. "Y-you can't do that, Nick. We'll both just die," Valery stuttered, surprise written across her features. "No, we won't. I was waiting for you to come back before I told you but I am an Alpha, so I can survive for a long period of time without a pack. But if you were to form an alpha bond with me, I could help your survive because I'll also be close to you, so your wolf won't be lonely." Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 06 "Honey...are you sure...sweetie." Richard could hear the hesitance in Lyn's response as she tried to not question their son too much but he felt the same way. If Nicholas left, they'd be losing their son...their child and while they'd known the day would eventually come when he gained a pack of his own, it was too soon. "Nicholas, are you sure?" Richard asked, his voice breaking slightly at the end. "I'm sure dad, mom," Nicholas responded as he looked solemnly at his parents. "Very well then, I give you my blessing," Jonathan said, turning to look at Richard and Lyn briefly. Richard wrapped an arm around Lyn as hers loosened around him. Dear God, they were losing both their children in one go. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 07 A/N: so we have now come to the conclusion of this story. Thank you for sticking with me through these past couple of months, even if my updates became rather irregular at the end there...life sometimes gets in the way. I'd like to point out that while I'd originally intended to have this as a short 5 chapter story, it got away from me but thankfully, not by much. Thank you for enjoying the story and the characters (and not being too pointy about the typos) please, enjoy this last chapter as well. ***** Moving quickly through her bedroom, Valery tried to pack as much as she could in the few bags she had. Two trips could be made, yes but she didn't want a repeat of the incident that had just happened and something told her that were Vincent to escort her to the cabin again, he would not hesitate to walk onto Were territory and they'd be back to where they'd begun that evening. She had been stubborn over the years and had never really liked adhering to werewolf hierarchy, fighting it with everything she had, at the very beginning, but now she understood a little more, exactly how important it was to the pack's wellbeing. That did not mean that she liked automatically submitting to the other Weres, so she had tried to mostly stay out of their way. For 30 years however, Jonathan, Annet, Lyn, Richard and Nicholas had been her family and Valery suddenly realized what it would mean for their relationships when she left the pack and accepted Nicholas as her new Alpha. She'd be losing her family...again. Valery sat down on the bed for a few minutes, trying to rein in the emotions that were roiling within her, not really wanting them to be broadcasted to Vincent. As memories of their times together as a mini-pack flowed through her mind, she tried to fight back the uncertainty she had regarding the situation she'd been cast into, consoling herself with the fact that she wasn't going so far away and really liked Vincent, looking forward to getting to know him even more...intimately. Her wolf shifted and let out a low growl in excitement and she felt her face start to heat at the erotic images that suddenly flooded her mind, not entirely sure where they came from. It was at that moment however, when the door opened and Vincent's scent wafted through, announcing his presence. He'd been in the living room area still talking to Richard when she'd decided to leave and go pack her bags, so she could give them some privacy. Lyn had invited them over so she could get to know exactly what had happened but Valery had turned her down, agreeing with Jonathan that a vampire in the estate would cause more panic than they could effectively deal with. Jonathan had given them the grace of staying the night but she had no intention of taking up his offer, knowing that her mate wasn't truly welcome. There were so many new connections she had to learn to deal with, but all that faded away as she looked into Vincent's fiery eyes, the green of his irises markedly darkened. He closed the door behind him and started moving towards her deliberately, not breaking eye contact and she felt her heartbeat quicken even as he stopped right in front of her so she found herself having to tilt her head to look up at him. Valery felt her wolf growl in approval and she had to agree with it as her eyes slipped down his form for a few seconds, a small shock of arousal flowing through her as she imagined what he could do to her with those hands and his powerful hips. "Looks like we'll have to work on you not broadcasting your emotions so strongly all the time," Vincent said suddenly, a small growl in his tone as she looked up at him, her mouth suddenly dry. "W-what?" Valery asked, noting the stupidity of her response but feeling slightly faint headed as she looked at the intent in his eyes. "I could feel your desire coursing through me and it was all I could do to close the door behind Richard before I got to you," Vincent said as he moved closer, parting her legs so he could stand between them before getting down on one knee and leaning closely so he could whisper in her ear. "And now, I'm getting ideas. I can't even begin to tell you all the things I've been thinking about all day...thinking about doing to you." Almost immediately, the desire within her soared at his words, flooding her system and a small whisper of his name was all she could get out before he cut her off, capturing her lips with his own. He branded her with his lips and tipped her head back, removing the scarf that held back her hair before invading her mouth with his tongue as he buried his hands in her hair, gently massaging the scalp. Valery let out a slight whimper and he growled in return before he broke away suddenly, starting to kiss his way across her neck, nipping and licking at the skin occasionally. "Vincent, what are you doing?" she moaned, trying to get her mind to remember why it was so important for them to leave in the first place. "What I've been waiting to do for too long a time. I am going to worship your body before I devour it and make you come until you can't breathe," Vincent said, holding both sides of her face and practically singeing her with his look. "I can almost taste you on my lips already." Valery opened her mouth to tell him something about how they could wait to do this until they were off the compound but all that came out was a surprised moan of pleasure as his teeth grazed the exact same spot he'd originally sank his teeth into several weeks ago. Fire engulfed the core between her legs and her womanhood throbbed in response to all that was Vincent and his sexuality as she felt her center begin to get wet. She barely noticed when Vincent moved her and laid her towards the center of her bed, her eyes fixed on his and practically feeling the scorching look he trapped her with. He removed his shirt in one fluid motion before he got on the bed and placed his knees between her legs as he leaned down and kissed her. Valery slid her fingers into his hair and clutched at the strands repeatedly as he moved from her mouth and placed open mouthed kisses down her neck and onto her sternum, down to her stomach as he opened her shirt and exposed her torso. Her breath came out with small shudders as Vincent continued to kiss down her stomach and place feather-light caresses at her waist, just above where her jeans began. Vincent looked up at her and grinned wolfishly before he moved so fast, she could barely see him as a startled cry tore from her throat before finding him holding her suddenly naked legs apart as he kissed the inside of her thigh, his eyes fixed on hers with an amused gleam. Valery noticed with a start that he'd managed to remove her jeans and panties in one go without her feeling anything and now she lay exposed to him. Her heart raced even faster as she watched him moving slowly towards her wet center, the nectar now flowing out of the lips of her womanhood. She'd had sex before, while she was still human and even though it had been more than 3 decades since then, she could remember finding cunnilingus rather bland. Her friends had talked about it like it was the ultimate sexual experience but she'd never really enjoyed it and had learned to avoid it during sex so she didn't have to pretend to. She didn't want to fake anything with Vincent and had a feeling that he'd know anyway. "Vincent, wait. I-I don't think you should ah ah-hah-hah...please, I ah-" Valery tried to say, getting interrupted by her spontaneous moaning as her devious mate started stroking her center, making light circles over the pearl of her pleasure before stroking her entire length again. It was maddening and she felt her core start to tighten as his fingers moved so easily across it, tearing moans and whimpers from her throat as she arched and tried to grind her pelvis against his fingers. Vincent wasn't having any of that however, and a firm hand placed just above her pubic bone stopped her pelvic movements as his fingers slipped in, stroking slowly and torturing her. "Trust me, Valery. Lay back and let me make you come," he said right before he buried his face in between her legs and gave her a long lick from her opening to the hardened nub of pleasure at the top of her womanhood. Valery clutched at the sheets as the inferno within her raged even more and she nearly lost it as Vincent growled, his hands massaging her thighs as the vibrations flowed through her center. He teased her for a while, licking all round her center but avoiding the tightened pearl of pleasure that throbbed painfully. He'd occasionally plunge his tongue directly into her, making her cry out in surprise at first before her sensuality took over and she became even more undone beneath him. Valery felt her need grow higher and higher until she was ready to beg him to give her the release he so carefully controlled before he clamped his mouth down onto her pearl and sucked as he flicked his tongue across it, invading her with his fingers. She cried out as her body suddenly became taut, his fingers somehow managing to stroke that special place within her repeatedly like they had before and her orgasm tore through her mercilessly, waves of pleasure rocking her entire system until could barely recognize her own cries of pleasure. The intensity died down and Valery lay back on the bed panting, finding Vincent still buried between her legs, his eyes watching her in their intensity. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off again as his fingers slid across her suddenly over-sensitive nub. A shudder ran through her at his actions, his fingers still slowly sliding in and out, stroking her occasionally even as his fist grazed across her pearl. Valery never thought she'd ever enjoy anyone going down on her but Vincent had certainly surprised her. If he thought that she would come a second time though, he was being ridiculous or so she thought even as she felt a flutter of pleasure pass through her womanhood. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as the fire that had engulfed her a few minutes back and dissipated started to burn again. "Vincent, oh my God," she gasped as his fingers began the dance they'd perfected and he started flicking his tongue lightly across her dripping length. What was oversensitive suddenly became overly aroused and she felt her orgasm build slowly within her, the pleasure tightening deep within before it burst and engulfed her again, only this time it lasted longer that she thought it could, feeling the pleasure not just centered to one spot within her but spreading. She faintly noticed Vincent moving her before he shifted briefly before her. Valery opened her eyes to find herself completely naked, her bra and shirt now completely off her body as her lover knelt before her, naked in all his glory. Her nipples were hard from her arousal and they didn't stand a chance when Vincent cupped her breasts in his hands, brushing across them and sending tiny pulses of pleasure down to her center. She glanced down at her breasts, letting out a needy moan as his large hands cupped her breasts, the swollen globes fitting perfectly in them, their dark skin making an erotic contrast against his own. She whimpered again when he thumbed her nipples and looked up to find him watching her. Unable to help herself, she lifted her arms and traced them across his chest, caressing his hard torso and mimicking his actions as she flicked her thumbs across his nipples, making him close his eyes. Her hands moved lower across his stomach, feeling the muscles harden beneath them, until she reached the light tracings of pubic hair surrounding his maleness. He was hard and her hands feathered across his member, making him hiss slightly as his hands stilled on her breasts. She took him in her hands and began to stroke him more boldly, delighting at the way his head tilted back as he let out a low moan. "Oh, you sexy nymph," he groaned before his movements on her breasts resumed as he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Valery whimpered again and her movements on him faltered at the stimulation as he opened his eyes and gave her a look that promised so much more than what he'd already done. "Now, spread your legs for me, darling, I'm going to claim you and fill you completely," Vincent said, his voice hoarse as he leaned over her. She did as he implored her to and she felt him position himself over her entrance before he started rubbing it with his hardness. He slid his member up and stroked her pearl, making pleasure course through her as she tried to grind up into him again but he grabbed her hips and held them firmly to the bed. "Vincent please," she moaned, trying to get him to see how much she needed him. "Please, I want you." "I know baby, I know, but I don't want to rush this. I'm going to make love to you soft and slow and there's nothing you can do about it," he responded with a small smirk. He positioned himself over her entrance again and slid in slowly as she felt him start to stretch her inch by inch. It had been a while for her and she was quite tight but he patiently slid in and out slowly, each time going a little further as she writhed beneath him, his hands holding her lower body still so she couldn't do anything more than just let him fill her. Before long, he'd buried himself completely in her and he stilled within her as her walls convulsed now and again around him, getting used to his girth and the pleasure he was giving her. Vincent then started to slide in and out of her at an agonizingly slow pace, she groaned in frustration as he kept her pleasure at a steady simmer, not doing anything to increase it. "Please, please," she moaned, looking up at him, not caring that she sounded needy. He smirked again and increased his pace slightly, grinning at the frustrated groan she let out. Just as she was starting to give in to his specialized torture, he moved and grabbed her hands, placing them just above her head and holding them down with one hand as he placed the other beside her on the bed. "Now then, little wolf, let's see how much of me you can take," he growled before he slid out of her almost completely and plunged back in so suddenly, she cried out. He continued doing this, stimulating her and stoking the fire within her steadily higher as he plunged into her repeatedly, pausing slightly at the end to give that special place deep within her extra stimulation. Valery's walls started convulsing around his thick shaft in quick succession and she felt her pleasure start to increase. Vincent let go of her hands and spread her legs wider, angling her hips so that he sank in even deeper, tearing a long moan from her. It was almost too much for her with his measured plunges, his hands lifting her ass up to meet his thrusts and she looked up at him in a slight daze, finding his head bent close to hers. "Let me in," he whispered and Valery felt a strange sensation, like he was probing at her mind. A jolt went through her and she stared up at him even as he continued plunging into her, steadily seeking to send her over the edge. The probing sensation continued and Vincent smiled slightly at her as she closed her eyes and completely relaxed, dropping her guard. Almost immediately, her mind was filled with images of her lying atop the bed, writhing as he filled her completely with his hardness. She saw herself as he saw her, her own pleasure heightened by the one he shared with her and that was more than enough to send her teetering over the edge, the pleasure coursing through her almost endlessly as he constantly sent erotic images into her mind and whispered sensual promises in her ear. Valery's walls convulsed around him, milking him for a while before he slid out and turned her, instructing her to raise her ass in the air and spread her legs. "Let's see how many times I can make you come, shall we?" Vincent said before he grabbed her hips again and plunged into her, pulling her ass towards him. The sensations he induced in her were new and she cried out with each thrust as he filled her again and again without pause. Her cries became almost constant as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her and she surrendered completely to him. Valery heard a few growls coming from him and felt the speed with which he pushed into her increase as his hand moved down across her stomach and he placed two fingers against her pearl, rubbing at the pace he plunged in and out of her. Vincent leaned forward further and sank his teeth into her neck, making her ecstasy soar. She was helpless beneath him and her pleasure rolled into another lengthy orgasm that left her breathless as Vincent continued to fill her before he too stiffened and climaxed, releasing his seed into her with a roar. She could barely move, her strength sapped as her lover slipped out of her and rolled onto his back, drawing her close to him. Valery was quite sleepy and vaguely heard Vincent mumble something as he moved away from her, only to come back and wipe between her legs before he lay next to her and covered her with something. She barely got any sleep however as she woke a few hours later to find his head buried between her legs again and what was supposed to be her calling out his name in question became a long moan of desire. He seemed intent on finding out how many times he could rip orgasms out of her before she collapsed in exhaustion and exactly how long it would take for her to come to and take him again. He even went so far as to wake her up at some point so she could eat something before he placed her above him and slid her on top of him, then encouraged her to ride him. She'd faltered towards her climax though, unable to coordinate her movements through her pleasure and he'd flipped her to give her the ecstasy she'd been seeking. It was near dawn when he finally let her sleep, giving in to exhaustion himself and drifting off. **** "Are we really just going to let this happen?" No one in the room was willing to answer the question directly and the silence stretched for minutes after that as everyone glanced anywhere else but at each other. Richard sighed and held Lyn's hand tighter as he felt her shift in discomfort yet again while he asked himself the same question Annet had voiced. They were once again seated with the Alpha couple in Jonathan's home, early in the morning with their breakfast growing cold on the table before them as the somber mood continued. Was he really going to just let his children go? Was he ready for that and more importantly, were they ready for it? It was ripping him apart, the pain increasing steadily the more he agonized over the situation. He'd been unable to really sleep the entire night, his mind constantly whirring with thoughts of Valery, Vincent and how Nicholas fit into all of the hullabaloo that had gone on the day before. Richard knew that Vincent had stayed on pack lands over the night, the wolves patrolling that area had informed him as much and that meant that he'd be leaving that day for he'd expressed distaste at the very idea of spending a longer time on their compound. That also meant that Valery would be leaving with him and most likely, Nicholas too within a week or so if not that very day. His children were grown, by human standards and he shouldn't have such a hard time letting them go but this had all been sprung on them without warning and Richard, for his part, felt like a deer caught in headlights. "Is there anything we can do about it, baby? I don't think so; the decision is taken out of our hands," Jonathan said, his voice quiet as well. "Richard, Lyn, have you come to a decision on this?" It was the same question he'd asked about 30 minutes back when they'd arrived and was a sure sign that even as the Alpha, he was unsure of what to do himself. They had all helped Valery grow as a Were and she was family to them, losing her would be painful especially because they hadn't expected to. Nicholas was an Alpha and they had known at some point that he'd leave, but it was still sooner than they'd expected, so that caused quite a bit of uncertainty too. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 07 "I agree, there really is little we can do about this," Richard spoke up, his head still bowed. "I suppose the most we can do is encourage them to visit and insist on Sunday lunch like we have been doing." "True," Lyn said, her voice thick and Richard could feel her sorrow travel down their bond as she struggled with her tears. She'd cried a couple of times the night before, trying to be strong, unsure as to why she felt so miserable. Richard had sat back and heard her argue out his exact thoughts loudly about how they should be happy for their children instead of feeling what they were feeling. It was a grief that they shared and a guilt that was constantly passing from one to the other through their bond as they silently wished they could find a way to hold them back just a little bit longer. "I am so sorry," Annet practically whispered. "But if they do come to visit often then at least you can be sure that you're not losing them, not really." "Thank you Anne...thanks," Lyn said as she wiped away a tear on her cheek. "The least we can do is say goodbye to Valery and her mate before they leave." Richard nodded and shifted as he pulled out his phone from his jeans, quickly dialing Valery's number and waiting for her to pick up. "Hello?" Her voice was husky and sleepy; it was well past 10am but she'd never been an early riser anyway, when she could avoid it. "Sorry to wake you up Val, how are you?" Richard asked, clearing his throat to get rid of the gruffness his sorrow had induced. "Uh...well, I feel...tired. What's up?" A smile played across Richards lips as he noticed her hesitancy to respond before she quickly changed the subject. Newly mated couples really were something, almost constantly going at it like rabbits once they started. "Well, I was wondering when you'd decided to leave." "Oh, um...well, I think most likely today. I'll be going to stay over at Vincent's house in the-" she trailed off and Richard heard some murmuring in the background before she continued. "uh, it's a few miles out of the city." "Well Lyn and I wanted to come over and say goodbye before you two left." He heard her chuckle into the phone while some more mumbling sounded in the background. "Goodbye? Richard, come on! I'll be seeing you quite often, our offices are almost opposite each other and I don't intend to miss Sunday lunch." Richard let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and felt his mood lighten slightly as he realized that this was not going to be as severe as he'd originally thought it would. He waited as he heard her mumble something away from the phone that sounded suspiciously like 'yes, Sunday lunch' before another voice joined in. "Hey, Val, hello?" he asked when she didn't get back on quickly enough. "Hey, Richard, sorry about that. Umm, we'll be leaving around 4pm." Richard got off the phone, holding it aside and cupping it with his other hand before he whispered '4pm' to Lyn, waiting for her to come to a decision as she got a thoughtful look on her face. "Brunch?" she whispered with a small grin and Richard felt himself grinning back. "Val, how about brunch today with Lyn and me?" "We discussed this yesterday, remember? Vincent cannot very well go into the estate, that would cause quite a bit of panic and-" "No, I meant us joining you over at the cabin," he said, interrupting her. There was a small pause before Valery spoke up rather hesitantly. "That will be alright, I suppose..." "Good, we'll be there in an hour, see you then," Richard said, switching the phone off quickly before she could change her mind. He turned to look at the Alpha couple who had been watching him on the phone with amused expressions. The mood in the room had lightened significantly and he was glad for that, feeling rather optimistic himself as he considered that perhaps the change wouldn't be so grievous to them. "Well, I suppose you heard, we have to prepare for brunch with a vampire," he said with a small grin while looking at Jonathan who smiled back tentatively. "Can I come?" Annet asked suddenly, making Jonathan stiffen beside her. "Absolutely not!" the Alpha male declared, turning to his mate with an expression of finality on his face. Annet's eyes narrowed and Richard leaned back, watching the couple with more than a small amount of glee. She had Jonathan wrapped around her finger and they all knew that, considering that it had become much more obvious since she became pregnant again. "And why can I not go, oh my Alpha?" Richard saw his friend cringe at Annet's question before slipping back in the authoritative manner of an unquestionable leader. "Because you'll be putting yourself and our child in danger," he said, reaching out and drawing her to him, which she allowed, albeit reluctantly. "Exactly how many Weres has Vincent mauled since he stepped foot on our land? Does that mean that you're not worried for Lyn or Richard's safety? Why would he skip over them and harm a pregnant woman?" "Because...because I don't like him and the feeling is mutual from his side," Jonathan responded hesitantly, having the good sense to look embarrassed as his mate fixed him with a nonplussed look. Richard fought back a snicker and decided that he would never have any more public disagreements with Lyn for she too could make him bend to her will and he'd gladly do it in the end. Having anyone else watch her dress him down was not something he ever wanted again as he felt the stirrings of a little pity for his Alpha mix in with his amusement. "So, you're saying that he'd be petty enough to harm your pregnant mate because you annoyed him almost a century ago?" Annet inquired, a small smile forming at her lips as Jonathan looked away rather sulkily. "Baby, I'll be fine. We're Valery's family and I doubt he'd want to deal with her hating him because he killed her family. Remember you and my father?" Richard raised his eyebrows as she whispered the last bit of her sentence; he really would like to sit down and actually hear the story of how Annet and Jonathan met and became mated. It really did seem like one of those that would not be forgotten. "Fine, you win honey...again," Jonathan said with a heavy sigh. "But I expect you to be well protected." Richard gave a slight nod as his Alpha fixed him with a look, tasking the protection of the Alpha female to him. He would die first before any harm came to Lyn or Annet. Their silent communication was cut short as Annet took ahold of her mate and drew him down for a long kiss. That was hint enough for Richard and Lyn and they got up, murmuring their goodbyes before they got out of the house. The next half an hour was spent with him trying to convince Lyn that they didn't have time for her to bake anything to take to the brunch and that it was Valery, for goodness' sake, they didn't have to take anything. She disagreed however and they'd just settled on packing some of the cookies she'd baked the previous day before Annet knocked on the door and they headed out, rather eager to meet up with the new couple. It was pretty clear however, when they reached Valery's cabin, that Vincent was keeping her pretty busy. Weres' hearing was not the best in the supernatural world but it was good enough that even several paces away from the small house, they could hear very needy, very sexual moans coming from it and they exchanged knowing smiles before they stood around rather awkwardly, wondering if perhaps they should just let the couple get a whiff of their scents. Sure enough, a few seconds later, they all heard a rather loud 'oh my God,' coming from the house before there was some shuffling around and the door opened in a couple of minutes. Richard took in Valery's embarrassed expression as she avoided looking anyone in the eyes directly and tried to fight the grin that kept sneaking up on him. It was very healthy, expected even for a newly mated couple to get away for a couple of weeks or so, to get the raging lust out of their systems and he was happy for Valery. She however, still had some distinctly human ways of thinking and he knew that she would not want to broadcast her sexuality, as expected as it was of the Weres, so he tried to keep his expression simply just pleasant. Richard glanced up as Vincent came up behind her, his face blank as he towered over her. "Valery!" Lyn called out as she practically ran to the other woman and engulfed her in a hug, once more ignoring Vincent. "Hey Lyn, good morning." "Good morning; I brought cookies, I hope you don't mind, there wasn't enough time to make anything-" "That's fine, Lyn. Great actually, you didn't have to," Valery cut her off as she took the package from Lyn. Richard walked up and flashed a knowing look at his mate before leaning down and grabbing Valery in a large and tight hug, making her gasp as he let out a laugh. "It's good to see you again, Val," he said, grinning as he let her go. "We saw each other yesterday, Richard," she responded, a smile lighting up her face. "It's good to see you again too." Richard moved on and gave a slight nod to Vincent who returned it, looking for all the world like he'd much rather be anywhere else but there with them. Now that look, he remembered very well from his childhood as the vampire came to visit their family on numerous occasions. He was rather glad though, that the musky scent of a female's arousal was not filling up the room, meaning that whatever they'd been doing before, had been kept behind closed doors and not in the open area that they'd be eating from. He faintly heard Annet coo over Valery and Vincent, wondering how the vampire felt about that even as he headed after Lyn into the living room area where a table had been set. "You managed to cook all of this is in an hour?" Lyn asked, the awe quite clear in her voice. Richard walked over and raised his eyebrows in surprised at the rather large preparation of breakfast food that lay before them. From sausages, to toast and pancakes, with biscuits lined up right next to them and dear God, was that bacon? "Uh, well, Vincent did most of the work actually," Valery said as she walked into the room. There was a pause as that information sank in and they all turned to look at the vampire who returned their appraising looks with a slight glare. "You can cook?" Annet asked as she walked over to the table to see for herself. "Dear me, he can actually cook!" And just like that, Lyn and Annet started asking a barrage of questions that Richard himself was curious to know the answers to. Just how did a vampire as old and powerful as Vincent Servo start learning how to cook modern human food? Why would he learn? Unfortunately though, Valery had other plans and she interrupted the mini interrogation. "Where's Nick? I thought he'd be coming with you?" Richard exchanged a look with Lyn before she spoke up. "We called him, he'll be here shortly." "Ok, well I suppose he can find us, then. Let's start, shall we; I am really hungry," Valery said, not really giving anyone a chance to speak up after that. "Oh, I can imagine. From the looks of it, your vampire mate has been keeping you quite busy and I imagine you're starving," Annet said as she went over to take Valery's hand and lead her to the breakfast table. Over the years, Richard had noticed that Valery had gotten quite good at hiding her facial expressions but the slight widening of her eyes as well as a quick glance at a smirking Vincent was all he needed to see to know she hadn't thought they'd heard her passionate cries. Ignoring her reaction however, they walked over to the table and sat down, each person reaching over for whatever they wanted before a comfortable silence settled over the table as they each dealt with their hunger pangs. "I don't mean to sound rude...uh...how come you can drink coffee?" Lyn asked, bringing to notice the fact that Vincent was sipping from a large mug. "I can eat human food, I just don't particularly enjoy it," Vincent responded in a bored voice, his eyes fixed on Lyn. "Coffee however, has been a favorite of mine for centuries." "Oh, centuries? Exactly how old are you?" Annet asked as she cut up pieces of pancake. "How old are you?" Vincent asked her right back and they all paused slightly before going back to their food. "You'll forgive me, it's been just 3 and a half decades since I became a werewolf and some things still escape me. Was that rude?" "Well, not any more rude than you coming across a middle aged man and asking for his age outright, before anything else," Vincent responded before taking another sip from his mug. "Oh, right," Annet said with a firm expression on her face showing she was not deterred. "Well, where do you come from, then?" "Rome," the vampire replied easily before stealing a glance at Valery who was having her meal silently, avoiding everyone's gaze. Richard understood really, this was like the time he was required to go over to Lyn's original pack and have dinner with her family and their Alpha. They'd interrogated him in every sense of the word and Lyn had been silent throughout the whole ordeal, leaving him to express himself freely and for her family to form their own opinions of him. "Ancient Rome, if I remember correctly. You were alive when Nero was still Emperor, right?" Richard spoke up, gaining Vincent's attention. "Right," the vampire responded with a small smile. "Nero? My word...that would make you over eighteen hundred years old," Annet said in awe and Vincent's smile widened slightly. "Well, you're going to have a long life, Valery," Lyn said, sending a smile over at the still silent woman. "So, so, what do you do then? How come you are in town? Is this where you live or do you just travel randomly?" They all looked at Annet in surprise as questions tumbled out of her. Surprisingly enough, Vincent didn't seem perturbed by any of them. "I am involved in a variety of businesses and while I usually run the operations in Denmark, I'd come here purely for business purposes. My stay was extended though...for obvious reasons," he responded, glancing over at Valery again with a smile. Valery looked back at him, a similar smile on her lips before she quite obviously blushed and looked away from him. "Why Denmark, though?" Lyn asked. "More...discretion," was the simple response. "Speaking of obvious reasons," Annet started, narrowing her eyes at Vincent. "I noticed you two are still having sex like a freshly mated couple." "That's because we are; what of it?" Vincent asked, his tone sounding rather bored again. "Well, usually that impassioned, uncontrollable lust for each other is gone within 2 weeks or so," Lyn spoke up, dancing around the point. "Ok, let me put it this way, what's your point?" "Our point is that Valery has been gone for almost 3 weeks and yet you two were going at it like she just mated with you yesterday, Vincent. That leaves the question of why she didn't mate with you before then?" Richard spoke up, looking at Valery instead. "Something you want to tell us?" "I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at, Richard," Valery said, her voice rather faint, making Vincent frown. Richard was about to call her out on her avoidance when he heard the front door open and close, Nicholas' scent wafting over before he walked into the room. "Hey, sorry I'm late. It was rather short notice," he said before walking over and giving Valery a quick hug. Nicholas gave his greetings around the table, kissing Lyn and Annet on the cheek before nodding to Richard and taking a seat next to Valery. "Sorry to interrupt, you may go back to your discussion," he said as he reached for the coffee flask and served himself. "Right. So, Valery, tell us, when did you mate with Vincent?" Annet asked in a deceptively sweet voice. "Why does that matter?" Valery inquired, making Nicholas look at her with raised eyebrows as she looked at the grim faces around the table. "We just want to know why it took you so long? Were you still having problems with your wolf or was Vincent here, still resisting your advances?" Richard asked, his voice hard. "He resisted your advances? Why?" Nicholas asked, pausing in his eating to send a glare over at Vincent. "It's...complicated...Richard, you know that-" "And yet you kept it away from us, Val," Richard interrupted her, not appreciating the hesitance she had over answering their inquiries directly. "So, you can tell us now; what exactly happened? I know now, after knowing Vincent is your mate, that the vampire scent I found mixed with yours at the perimeter is not his." "Wait, what?" Annet asked, looking rather startled. "Valery, sweetie, we just need an explanation," Lyn spoke up as they all watched Valery shift uncomfortably in her chair, sharing a quick look with Vincent. "This is getting out of hand. The night that Valery left here, she was with my brother...apparently, they've been friends for a while now," Vincent spoke up, gaining every one's attention. "That night, she saw me coupling with another woman and-" "What the fuck?!" Everyone turned to look at Nicholas, the rage in his voice surprising them and equaling the anger in his expression. "So even after you knew she was your mate, you just went about fucking other women like she didn't matter?" he asked, glaring daggers at Vincent. "Nicholas, please..." Valery said, grabbing ahold of his hand even if the pain her eyes was evident. "What that must have done to your wolf, Val...I'm so sorry," Annet whispered. Richard closed his eyes and tried to remain calm as anger started deep within him. Anger at Vincent for being such a...such a vampire and at Valery for hiding her struggles and pain. Most of all though, he felt angry at himself for not being more vigilant, it wouldn't have taken more than a couple of hours to track her down and find out if everything indeed was right with her. "Why didn't you tell us, sweetie? We could have helped," Lyn said, her tone soft even as Richard felt her battle with her own anger. "There was nothing you could have done, Lyn, my wolf was practically insane and wouldn't listen to anyone-" "So you decided to run off instead? That wasn't very wise, Valery," Nicholas said, cutting her short. "I was not alone and was far from any humans, just so you know," Valery shot back indignantly. "And all this time, your vampire mate was going around, sleeping with any woman he could get his hands on," Nicholas said with a disgusted snort. "Nicky!" Valery admonished, looking at him in surprise. "Her vampire mate," Vincent spoke up, his voice hard as he emphasized the words, "was feeling every bit of pain and insanity she felt." "Bullshit! If that was the case, then why did you let her suffer? How long did you wait before you went to her?" Nicholas spoke up, his voice rising. Vincent sighed and got up, moving over and pulling Valery away from the table as well, holding her to him before he sat in the sofas and pulled her on top of his lap, surprise evident in her face. "It took fifteen days. Fifteen days of nearly constant agony and guilt coursing through me so heavily, I could barely get out of my own house without running mad. It was my brother who finally left her and came over to get me when he saw that she wasn't getting any better. He's the one who took me to her." They all looked at Vincent, the pain evident in his voice even as Valery wrapped her arms around him and hid her face from them all. Richard sighed heavily; it was easy to want to blame Vincent for being callous but considering the fact that he had bitten Valery at least a week before then, it was plausible that Valery's pain and insanity would have been broadcasted to him. Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 07 "That's not possible however...if this happened before you mated, there was no way you could have felt Valery's pain," Annet argued, a frown of disapproval still on her face. "Actually, Vincent had already bitten Valery by then, during their first meeting and in those circumstances, a bond was formed from her to him, so it is possible that he's speaking the truth," Richard spoke up. "You son of a bitch," Nicholas said, his voice no longer raised but anger still evident in its tone. "I know," Vincent responded, surprising them all. "Ok, so that means that you two just got mated, what, five days ago? Valery, did you take him immediately?" Lyn asked, disbelief tingeing her tone. "Somehow, I doubt that," Richard said, holding back a smile as he considered Valery's stubbornness. "It wasn't easy...took me days to convince her and finally, her wolf made the decision for her," Vincent said, giving a heavy sigh at the end. Richard saw Valery stiffen at her mate's words and narrowed his eyes. This just kept getting better and better. "What do you mean her wolf made the decision for her? Valery?" he asked, his voice sharper than he'd intended. "Well, at the time...I hadn't intended to bite him but...well, my wolf did." There was a shocked silence as the Weres in the room looked at Valery, trying to comprehend what it was she had just said. "Shit!" From the looks of it, they all agreed with Nicholas' expletive and Richard let out another sigh of frustration. "This needs to be sorted out, Val. You can't just have the wolf taking over and making decisions for you...life changing decisions! We talked about this!" Richard's voice was rising and he fought to keep it even as he emphasized the same point he'd tried to drill into Valery's head from the time he'd started training her all those years ago. She had to be one with her wolf and not separate the two. "Ok, that's enough," Vincent's voice cut through the air. "No, it's not. If this continues, the rift that is between her and the wolf will widen and then we'll have a problem on our hands," Nicholas said, glaring at Vincent. "But...I think I can help you with that, Val." "I suppose there's no other choice now, is there?" "No, there isn't," Richard said, responding to Lyn's question, even if it was purely rhetorical. "Okaaay, so moving on. Nicholas, what are your plans then?" Annet asked a little too cheerfully, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "I uh...well, I'll have to stay with Valery until transfer of her Alpha bond is completed...I was thinking we'd start the process next week perhaps. That's when I plan to leave anyway," Nicholas said, looking over at Valery who smiled back at him, albeit weakly. "So you're coming to live with me?" Vincent asked, disdain clear in his voice. "There's no other choice," Richard responded, choosing to ignore the mocking smile Nicholas was sending to the Vampire. "Alpha bonds take a while and in order for Valery's wolf to not shrivel, they'll need to make the process as fast as possible and being close to each other is the best way to do that." There was a pause again as everyone watched the silent exchange between Nicholas and the vampire, contempt evidently coming from both sides. "Yeah, Ok. So what then, where will you go?" Annet asked, again trying to steer the conversation away from unpleasantness. "Well, I've been thinking about that. I thought that perhaps I could start where your pack was, dad. See it for myself and maybe reclaim the land." Richard stared at his son in surprise; of all the responses, he hadn't expected that to be one of them. He had spent a great deal of time trying to forget the Were war than had decimated his pack and even though it was his pack. "That will be a dangerous mission...I don't even know what the packs there are like now..." Richard began, not entirely sure whether he admired his son's bravery or just wanted to quash it. "It's a start though and it's something I'd been considering myself, it really is about time I did something more to avenge Ian," Vincent spoke up, surprising everyone again. "I can help you with that." Nicholas turned to look at the vampire and they exchanged a slight nod, the challenge gone from their eyes. "Very well then, but I expect you to be in training for a while before you go ahead trying to take over pack lands," Richard said sternly. "And, we expect you two to be visiting regularly, understood?" Lyn added, a mock frown on her face. "Yes ma'am," Nicholas responded with laughter in his eyes as Valery smiled back. "Ok then, that was a heavy meal. Anyone for cleaning up?" Annet said, causing Nicholas to whine about not having finished his meal yet. Eventually, they all cleared the table and as Lyn and Richard did the dishes while the rest chattered on about one thing or the other, he found that he didn't feel so apprehensive anymore. Richard turned to Lyn and smiled, his grin growing when she returned it before he leaned over and kissed her. Things would get better. **** Vincent drove away from the Wyle pack lands and set course for his house further out of the city. It had certainly been one of the stranger days of his long life and even as the sun set over the horizon, he felt that it was not over yet. Having been surrounded my entitled wolves who assumed that he owed them answers was certainly...different from what he was used to but Valery had made him promise that he'd "behave" as she'd put it and he couldn't very well be rude to them. He was the one breaking their laws after all, asinine as they may be, though he was glad that Jonathan hadn't been amongst them that morning. He turned to glance at the woman seated in the passenger seat and found himself smiling at her serene face as she slept. She'd been really tired after the brunch and he admitted silently that it was his fault, considering how he'd exhausted her the night before and then gone at it again in the morning. He didn't think it was too much and felt, even in that moment, that he wanted to take her. From what the werewolves had said, it seemed normal for him to be practically insatiable when it came to her and while he was virtually indefatigable, she was not and he promised himself he'd wait for her until she got her strength back, before he practically ripped it from her. Alright, perhaps that was a little violent but there was no way to express how much his body craved hers and where he wanted to place his lips on it. No perfect description of how much he adored those needy moans of hers and how her body arched beneath his, especially when she close to orgasm and her voice went an octave higher as she clutched at him like he was her lifeline. Whatever dreams he'd had before of her did not compare to the real thing and he found himself eager to sample her delights again. Perhaps she'd allow him to restrain her as he found out just how much she could take before her body gave in to him. He turned off the road and stopped just before a black gate that opened automatically for him. Driving smoothly through the entrance, he parked the car before he got out and quickly carried Valery into his arms, feeling contentment go through him when he held her. She woke just as he walked through the entrance and into rather large house, making a mental note go back and retrieve her bags later. "Vincent?" she called rather sleepily, as she stirred in his arms and then jerked in surprise, making him tighten his hold on her. "I can walk...you should have woken me up." He smiled at her protest and moved to put her down as faint footsteps announced the arrival of his brother. "Ah Valery, back I see. Worked everything out with this old brute?" "It's good to see you again Hector," Valery responded and much to his chagrin, moved willingly into his brothers arms, then wiggled slightly with a giggle as Hector sniffed her rather obviously before glancing at Vincent. "Been rather busy too, hasn't he?" "Well...that's what happens in matings," Valery said, though Vincent could see her clearly fighting back a blush as she turned towards him. "Vincent." "Hector," Vincent responded in turn, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment towards the other vampire. "Wow, don't hold back your brotherly love on my account you..." Valery started but got cut off with a long yawn, taking the bite out of her supposedly sarcastic comment. "Wow, he's been very busy, it would seem," Hector said with a wink, making Valery blush again and that was starting to irritate Vincent, for some reason he couldn't put his finger on. Perhaps it was the effortless way his brother managed to get a reaction out of Valery and make her give off that adorable giggle or blush easily while he'd been given the cold shoulder for days until recently. Then again, Hector didn't almost make her go insane just a couple of weeks back. Vincent walked towards her and suppressed the urge to carry her in his arms, choosing instead to wrap his hands around her and leaning down to whisper in her, resultantly making Hector raise a questioning eyebrow at him. "Come, let me show you to your bedroom," he breathed and she shivered against him. He really couldn't help the arrogant smirk that came on his face every time he saw how easily he affected her physically. It was the only reassurance he had whenever the jealousy that had been rising up in him every time she interacted with other males, came up. He had never been possessive over anything in particular, not even his past lovers but there was something about her that made him want to hold her close to him and never let go. The fact that he had little control over his emotions when it came to her was unnerving to say the least. Vincent took what he thought was a discreet sniff of her scent, letting the hues wash over him, only to look up and find Hector watching him, amusement clearly dancing in his eyes. "Help me understand, will you Hector, what exactly is it that you're still doing here?" For his part, Hector threw his head back and laughed heartily, knowing that it was grating on Vincent but not caring anyway. "What are you talking about, dear brother? Leave? And miss the conclusion to your romantic drama; I think not," he responded, beginning to walk away from the pair. "There's also the fact that I wanted to see if Valery was alright. I was quite ready to kick your arrogant ass if you'd dropped the ball again." Vincent didn't miss the look Hector sent his way just before opening a door and disappearing through it. He smiled at the memory of them fighting earlier that week, over the very woman he had in his arms at the time. The very woman whose weight had suddenly increased in his arms and he looked down at her to find her slacking slightly against him, her eyes fluttering as she fought against the wave of fatigue that had no doubt enveloped her. There was much they'd need to discuss, including exactly what he'd done to her the previous night, not wanting her to panic over the lesser known of the vampire abilities to navigate and broadcast thoughts if the recipient was willing. Oh boy had she been willing and receptive towards him. Then there was that Nicholas business...that was going to be rather tough to deal with. His thoughts were interrupted as Valery slackened further and he swept her up in his hands. Everything else could wait until she got her rest. "Come little wolf, let me take you to where you belong," he murmured before passing through the door that would lead him down to the room she'd also call hers. ~end~ Wolfblood: The Price of Loss "Today, I promise...definitely today," she mumbled at the beast and felt it settle down after a growl. The relationship she had with her wolf was unconventional and had made Richard frown many times before he gave up and let her continue with it since it seemed to work for her. Richard had insisted that there wasn't a wolf living within her, but rather, she was the wolf and the wolf was her, there was no difference, but Valery had found it impossible to reconcile with that fact. She was not an animal and did not like to run through forests nor was she instinctual, fascinated by aggression or prone to obey someone because he was superior to her. No, that was the wolf and definitely not her! She'd first thought of the wolf as a foreign entity that had been introduced into her system, a cancer that she could not get rid of and had been depressed for weeks, thinking that her old personality would die and the new aggressive one would take its place. Richard and his wife...er mate had helped her work through her fear and she'd come to an understanding with her wolf: she'd respect the beast as long as it did not force her to do anything untoward. She now saw the wolf as a friend and a guide when it came to danger and caution and was comfortable with the arrangement. Richard had said that she was letting her humanity suppress her wolf but what could she do, deep down she never truly saw herself as a Were and still thought of herself as human. The only aspect of Were life that she wanted to participate in was the romantic one. Werewolves were deeply sexual creatures and it was common for Weres to immediately start a sexual relationship after they'd reached sexual maturity at the age of 25. A couple could only get pregnant, however, if they were mated but that did not stop them from having relationships with other Weres before they found their mates. The idea of wolf-mates was a romantic one but Valery found it rather ridiculous. The wolves would know instantly who their mates were and from just one scent be able to claim them. The mating usually took place almost instantly, with the couple overcome with intense desire for each other. Valery smiled as she took the relevant turning off the main road. It was nice to think that one didn't have to go looking and wondering whether the person they were with was their soul mate. For the wolves, just one look and one scent was enough for them to be sure. It was a little harder with humans because they didn't respond to the mating pull as instinctually as the Weres did but she was yet to hear of a human-Were couple who'd failed to mate. This however did not apply to her; there were no records showing any turned wolf who'd ever found a mate and the thought that she'd spend hundreds of years alive but forever alone pierced her more deeply than she'd ever admitted. The theory was that turned wolves were against the laws of Luna, the goddess the Wolves believed in, and she could not possibly create mates for the abominations that were Turned Wolves. Wolf-mates were destined and it would mean that Luna would have planned beforehand that the humans would be turned against their wills even as she created for them Wolf-mates and that was inconceivable. "Inconceivable indeed," Valery muttered miserably. The Wyle pack had kept her as their dirty little secret and had hidden her from other wolves. Most of the pack members were civil enough to her but try as she might, she could not start up any sort of relations with them...that included the male Weres. She felt her body flush in embarrassment as attempt after attempt of her trying to get recognized by any Were males was thwarted and the look of bewilderment and veiled disgust on their faces every time she tried to ask one out came back to mind. She'd eventually given up and just kept mostly to herself and her mini pack which consisted of only Richard and Jonathan's families. The thought of her trying to pick up a human male was ridiculous as the nights were dangerous for her and she could no more take them back to her cabin in the forest than she could admit that she was a Were. Finally entering the parking lot of the complex Nicholas worked in, she glanced at the clock and found she was only five minutes late. She put the car into the nearest spot and dashed out, grabbing her phone and purse; with any luck, she'd be in the office in another 5 minutes. She'd decided to wear a navy blue pants suit with a cream top inside and had held her dreads up in a bun. It was a little too formal but she needed to make a good impression in this place. This was one of the few companies in the city that did not have any direct connection to the Weres, that meant no one would cut her any slack should she dress down. The pants were advantageous because while she'd been a wolf for some 30 plus years, she'd kept mostly to the pack and pack-owned businesses, so she was still yet to get used to the chaotic mixture of scents for humans, Weres, Vampires and then some; they always gave her gooseflesh that was embarrassingly conspicuous on her dark skin. Valery headed straight to the reception, informing the girl behind the desk whom it was she'd come to see. A quick phone call and a few seconds later, she was in an elevator, waiting for it to stop on the 23rd floor. It was a relief entering the enclosed space because it somehow managed to reduce the assault of hundreds of various scents on her nares. She could feel the gooseflesh prominently on her skin and was glad she'd chosen her outfit well. Silently hoping the elevator would not make any stops, she got her phone out and started to send Nicky a text that she was on her way. She heard a disappointing ding and a robotic voice announcing that they were on the 8th floor; it'd probably take a few seconds for the other people to enter but she was in a hurry and really didn't have that time. Her attention was on the phone however, but she vaguely noted the elevator doors opening and 3 men in suits got on right before her wolf raised its head and started getting a little antsy, even letting out little howls of excitement. Frowning, she tried to concentrate on her text; she didn't have time to pay attention to what was probably another Alpha scent that her wolf was probably responding to; she'd explain that to her inner companion later. Valery took a deep breath to try and calm herself down, but that's when she smelled the most tantalizing scent she'd ever come across. The men were standing in front of her and could not see her eyes widen in surprise. Her mind could not get around to describing the overwhelming scent that seemed to make every other scent fade and filled her so completely, she felt her body start to flush and a dizzying euphoria building up. Her body was responding to the scent quite physically as she felt the flushed heat go through her and the gooseflesh disappear. She could detect the crisp aspect of the scent that identified its owner as a vampire but somehow that increased her bodily reaction even more, the liquid heat flowing through her body and making her nipples harden even as she felt her feminine core start to get wet. Thoughts that she should be uncomfortable and embarrassed at her overtly sexual reaction in public rose at the back of her mind but her wolf started growling and she could feel the animal practically sit up on attention. One word flowed through her mind: 'mine!' Time seemed to have slowed down as Valery felt like she'd been riding on the scent forever. She tried to find out whom it belonged to and he eyes landed upon the back of the man directly in front of her. As if on cue, he turned his head and green eyes landed on hers, fixing her in place. She felt like she could hardly breathe and watched in fascination as his nostrils flared slightly and his eyes took on an amused look. 'Mine!' her wolf growled again and she felt herself faintly agreeing with it. He kept his hair short and it looked rather disorganized, an oddity in a vampire. Her eyes slid across his unnaturally handsome face, a fact that stemmed from his vampiric nature and took in his masculine jaw and thin lips that had an upward turning to them at the end. She briefly wondered how he'd look like when he smiled. The vampire was huge and towered over her short frame with wide shoulders that were complimented by his well-fitting suit and even though she couldn't see the hands he'd put in his pockets, her eyes quickly glanced over his butt and she appreciated how perfect it looked. She felt the heat between her legs burn even more and her wetness increased; God, she was so turned on. Any thoughts of propriety had long since been discarded as she wondered how his lips would feel gliding over hers and his hands on her breasts- "Miss, are you alright?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. She was brought out of her daydream at the sound and glanced up again to look at the sexy male before her. His amusement seemed to have increased but he didn't look like he'd said a thing. "Miss, isn't this your floor?" She glanced to he left and found both of the other men looking at her, slightly bemused. She struggled to get her addled brain under control and scented them to find they were human. That's when the fact that the elevator doors were open and the post outside read 23 hit her and she remembered what she'd come to do exactly. "Right, yes...yes, sorry," she mumbled, trying to get ahold of herself and walked through the space they'd provided for her, trying to hide her embarrassment. She got off the elevator and struggled to not look back and get one last glance of the man who'd awakened in her something she'd given up on long ago. Succeeding at that, she walked off, extremely mortified as her brain came back to full functionality. 'What was that?' she asked herself silently and for the first time ever, her wolf answered her. 'Our mate,' the animal responded, finally lying down. "What?!" Valery practically shouted in return, only moving away and looking down when people glanced at her strangely. 'But that's impossible...it-it can't be...what, no way.' 'Our mate,' was all the wolf said in turn before settling down and letting out a little howl of sadness as the glorious scent faded away into nothing.