Urban Wolf

Getting to Know You

Warning - possible traumatic event. Avoid area between asterisks if triggered.

Nick took a deep breath and ran his hands through her hair. Part of him was bubbling with heat and need. In all his adult years, he had never felt a desire for any woman like this. The wolf inside growled in frustration, and returned to his corner, alert but not happy. Gathering his senses, he slid his arm around her waist.

"I understand about real love. My parents still pass each other love notes."

Keele nodded. "My parents married for duty. Most of my siblings married for duty. No matter how important our alliance might be, I want a partner who will stand beside me and doesn't go off hunting while I struggle through child birth."

"That sounds like a fair request."

"This doesn't have to be a miserable experience for either of us." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

The wolf's restrained had almost reached his breaking point. It took all his will to push the beast down, in order to reach for her without violence.

"Keele, I..."

She turned to look at him and started moving slowly away. "Nick, your eyes, they've changed."

His hand shot out and grasped her wrist in iron. "I only have enough of myself remaining to apologize now for what is about to happen. I seem to be unable to stop this."

The confusion on her face switched to one of horrified understanding when Nick pulled her close to him and opened his jaw wider than a mere human could ever attempt. The pupils in his eyes, already blown wide by passion, were caught between human and wolf, both possessed of a frenzy driven by centuries of instinct and blood. He knew if he were to see his face right now he would be horrified as well.

His jaws locked onto the expanse of smooth, creamy white skin between her neck and shoulder. As his teeth broke through the skin, any pretense of civility disappeared.

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Keele roared as her own beast responded in anger and tried to twist away from him, but his overpowering strength and size as an Alpha and Regnant meant her scratches and kicks only served as fuel for his needs. While her blood flowed down his jaws, there could be no quarter given. Not because he didn't want to, but because it was physically impossible for him to stop. Something in his blood was in control, a feral beast unloosed by instinct and magic.

With his free right hand, he reached down and undid the buckle on her belt. Frustrated with the jeans, he simply ripped them with his fingers, now tipped with sharp claws to assist him with this madness, as if he needed any assistance with his drive.

His left hand kept her still on the bed, wrists together, his prisoner. Releasing her mark after filling his senses, he slid his lips down her swan-like neck to her breasts, licking and nipping at each in turn until they were red and tight, smears of blood covering her like an offering. Keele moaned lightly and the wolf inside would be restrained no further.

When he released her to remove his own clothing, the left hook to his face should have served as a wake-up call to remember she was to be his wife, not some meaningless one-night stand. Instead, the wolf leapt forth and into command. This was his true mate, and nothing would deter the beast from marking and claiming her. Even the she-wolf herself.

"That was unwise." The sound of his voice startled them both. It bristled with not only the power of his station as Alpha, but with the power of blood calling to its own. Keele tried to leap off the bed, but he caught her ankle and threw her back down. She growled at him and struggled to leave again. This time his nails left red marks down both arms. She looked at them with disbelief and then back at him. Her eyes narrowed as she curled her lip back and flew at him, cursing in Gaelic as her well-manicured nails reached for his eyes, purchased his cheeks and left two long furrows on his left side.

He felt the blinding roar of the wolf as he grasped her wrists and turned them behind her back, pushing her chest into his. With no further inhibitions, he sank his fangs into her neck again, tearing skin and muscle in his need. He shattered from the power surging through both of them. It was like flying, it was like falling, as if they were being ripped into fractures, down to molecules and clashed back together, again and again. No experience in his life had ever been this engulfing.

He pulled her down onto the bed and used his superior weight and size to separate her knees. Using one hand to hold both wrists, he used the other to stroke between her legs, testing her readiness for him. A slim, still sane corner of his mind knew he should step back, remember she was innocent, but no matter how loud the voice cried at him, the wolf would not be denied any longer. Two years of self-imposed exile from Nick's daily life had made the beast unruly and, since the mating mark had appeared, nothing would deter him from marking Keele as his.

Cursing, he ran his lips along her jawline, as he tried one last time to regain mastery of himself. Through eyes more beast than human, he saw Keele spread beneath him, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes and that small sane corner of his brain knew it would be a long time before she would forgive him for this night. He also knew he was powerless to change anything.

When he slid inside, it took every ounce of control he possessed to ease his movements, but it was nowhere near slow enough. Only by biting down again on her neck did Keele relax enough for him to sink fully into her soft depths. As he slowly pulled back for the first time, he noted the blood around his c**k and while that voice in his head chided him for the repercussion of his actions, the beast was pleased that his mate was marked and filled with his scent. Now nothing could take her away. When at last the mad, blood-driven frenzy was completed, Nick fell asleep, unable to sustain any longer. His last thought was of how he was going to handle the fallout from his actions.

In retrospect, it probably should have been his first thought.

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Once she was sure Nick was asleep, Keele stood up, testing her balance given the amount of blood she had lost. Her legs felt like jelly, and she had to find her balance before she could move. She stumbled into the bathroom and stared in the mirror at the damage to her neck, horrified at the torn muscles and ligaments. Blood streaked down her chest, arms, legs, and back, her nose dripped with blood and bruises surrounded both eyes. As she tried to assess the damage, her sense of self-preservation kicked in stronger than her need for bandages or triage. She was going to run.

She found her bag and pulled out a pair of sweat pants, a bra, underwear and a football jersey. Wincing with every movement, she pulled on her tennis shoes and opened the bedroom door, glancing back to make sure Nick was still asleep.. A quick glance at her watch said it was after midnight. The penthouse was still and quiet, with only the gleam of the television glowing down the hall.

She crept into the living room, looking for some way to escape the apartment. After Nick's attack, the walls now seemed to be leaning in and a panic attack rumbled in the midst of her fear. Her thoughts ran wild trying to plan for escaping this hell. Because there was no way she would stay with Nick Petroza, damn the consequences. In all her life, Keele had never been afraid of any Alpha, but she feared him. For the rest of her life, her nightmares would start with those eyes just before he'd torn her world apart.

The floor creaked and she dropped into a defensive crouch. Alex Petroza shuffled down the hall, blinking at the sight of his sister-in-law to be, covered in blood, eyes wide in panic. Understanding bloomed in horrified reality as he realized what must have happened.

"What the hell did he do to you?"

The anger and fury in Alex's voice led her to trust in him when at the moment she had nothing and no one.

"Can you get me out of here?" Her voice sounded strange and distant in her ears.

Ten minutes later they were in his BMW, humming down the expressway, bags in the trunk. As he drove, Keele stared out the window, shock settling in now that the immediate danger had passed. Alex held her hand, his thumb rubbing light circles on the back of her knuckles.

"Whenever you want to talk, I'm here." His voice was neutral, but she could feel his comfort nudging her, asking her to trust in him no matter what his brother had done. He wasn't that way.

"It was horrible." She could hear the pain in her voice but couldn't stop. Once the dam was open, it all poured out just like the wounds on her neck, still seeping hours later even with the rapid healing their species were known for. The scars will be raw and noticeable for a long time to come. As she relayed details of her nightmare assault, she could see Alex's jaw tighten and his knuckles on the steering wheel were white with tension. Anger rolled off him like oxygen, and when she was finished, there were tears in both of their eyes.

"Keele, I'm not going to question what happened, but I do want you to know I've never heard of Nick acting so beast-like, especially toward a woman. But it's true, I can see the proof before my eyes. I'll hide you from him as long as I can, but we both know if he orders me to tell him where you are, I'll have to. I have to obey my Alpha."

The uncertainty in his face made her weep harder. She didn't need to divide the brothers. But this level of betrayal, she wasn't sure how to move past it.

The hotel was only half full, so they got a room with a private entrance as others couldn't see her in this condition. Once in their room, Alex called a friend who happened to know about humans and Lycans. It took a few hours for the man to arrive, during which time Alex managed to get some chicken soup and tea into Keele before shock shut her down altogether.

When the doctor arrived, it went much deeper than either of them suspected. Keele had three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, numerous bites and other wounds, along with a torn labium and ripped perineum. She was bleeding internally, and her nose was broken. Alex made sure to keep a copy of the doctor's notes for their protection. He wasn't sure what happened to Nick back there, but he'd be damned if he would let his brother make a bigger ass of himself than he already had.

Once Keele was somewhat cleaned up and asleep, he and his friend had a moment alone. Dr. Thom Wheeler had gone to high school with Alex when Alex began his 'life' in Georgia, and for some reason they managed to remain friends, even after Thom learned the family secret.

"Alex, what the hell happened to that poor girl? She looks like she was mauled by a wild dog."

Alex ran his fingers through his hair, wishing he could be anywhere but here. "That, my old friend, is the result of a Lycan mating ritual gone horribly wrong."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You see that tattoo on her breast? The eagle and unicorn?"

"Yeah."

"When our people find the one they are destined to marry, a sort of primal instinct takes over, set off by matching marks on the two Lycans, and no matter what season, the female goes into estrus and the male goes crazy trying to cover her scent with his own, any way possible. You might say my high and mighty older brother had a hard time handling pure Lycan emotions and went overboard in his enthusiasm."

The pain made Alex feel like dirt. He glanced at Keele, noticed the shakes and zaps her body was still giving off. Grief-stricken, he looked at Thom.

"All my life I've looked up to Nick as a shining example of an Alpha, and now this. How do I look at my own brother again and not see Keele's face? If I could take this night back from her I would. Since I can't, I stay with her until she makes up her mind what she wants to do. If for some unknown reason, she wants to get back with his ass, then I'll take her to Nick. If she wants to go home, I will take her to Montana.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"I just want her to be safe."

Her cell phone rang that afternoon. Keele was still asleep so Alex took the call.

"Nick."

"Alexi? What are you doing answering Keele's phone?"

"She's asleep, and I don't want her disturbed." He could hear the ice in his words. An image of her bruised and bleeding neck stuck in his memory and it was all he could do to not snarl at his older brother. His anger roiled like waves over his emotions.

Nick could tell the difference. "What's wrong?"

"You hurt her, bro. Bad. She wanted to leave, so I took her away. At least one Petroza cared enough to make sure she didn't bleed to death on the streets of Atlanta."

There was a long pause. Alex tried to count in his head, but his anger wouldn't be denied. This was bigger than mere blood, at least to Alex.

"Did you even think about her for a second, Nick or was it all about getting yours?"

"What the hell are you taking about Alexi?"

"Stop calling me that. I'm not fourteen anymore. And Keele deserved better, mating be damned. I had Thom Wheeler come look at her, and the news ain't good. Cracked ribs, torn labia, neck that looks like you hadn't eaten in months – how are you going to explain all those things to the Assembly, and to her brother? You think he's going to be happy his best friend r***d his baby sister with no more regard than for a common slut?"

Silence came from Nick's side of the phone. What could he say? Alex could see the proof in front of his eyes, which meant Nick could see it all as well. Every damaged inch of her body Alex recalled and shoved into Nick's brain. Finally, his brother's voice came back, broken and filled with remorse.

"I don't know how to make this right Alexi. You know me. I'm not like that. I don’t know how to make up for something I couldn't stop, something I barely remember happening. I couldn't control the damn beast. Holden is going to demand restitution and he's right. Everything is in shambles, I'm still trying to pull it together."

Against his better judgement, the younger man decided to throw his hurting brother a bone. "Listen, she asked me to take her away, so we're going, but we won't leave the territory without letting you know. Don't come after her, please. She's been hurt too badly right now to even be in the same room with a man, much less you. If she reaches out to you, talk to her, but don't get possessive or demanding. Not now. She's in shock, but since you two exchanged, I mean, had sex.," He swallowed hard to keep from puking at the thought. "Since you did, your mind connection should activate soon. Don't hurt her again."

Once he knew she would be safe in pack territory, Nick became more of himself. "I'll give her until the council meeting. She and I have to be mated by then."

"I hope she forgives you by then. Oh and Nick, she called Holden, sent him some pictures of her injuries. I emailed a set to your private address. Look at those and tell me again what a great Regnant you are."

Alex stabbed the off button with a sense of victory. Time to see his high and mighty brother brought low.

He recalled how Holden Doran had been livid when his baby sister Skyped him in the early hours of the morning, unable to understand how something so common as a mating could result in the injuries he saw on Keele. As Alex sat and watched her thrash on the bed, he cursed their kind's breeding structure which hadn't changed in centuries. Why didn't Lycans adopt the same policy as the rest of the modern world? Why couldn't they just love?

And he knew the worst part was that when Keele woke up, chances were better than even she would want to go back to the city, back to the very man who put her in this position. Alex would have to obey and then spend the rest of his life in love with her and unable to touch her. Looking at the sleeping woman, trembling in her dreams, he didn't think he could do that.

Being a third son meant never being the one all the girls chased after. It meant either leaving and forming his own pack, somewhere far from Atlanta and his brother's pack; or he could suck it up and settle for whoever fate had decided he merited. Seeing how luck had screwed him since day one, he was more than willing to try his luck at a third opportunity. Maybe to take his destiny in his own hands and see what happens.

Looking over, he noticed Keele's eyes were open, looking at him. There was a glaze of pain over them, and it made her look even more vulnerable. He seated himself carefully on the side of the bed and gingerly swept her hair off her face, then let his palm rest on her cheek.

"Hi Sleeping Beauty?"

She crinkled her nose. "I feel like I was hit by a mack truck."

"You were, in a way. A full-grown Alpha can crush a human skeleton, similar to being hit by a vehicle. Only you were hit with a centuries-old, archaic ritual, binding you to my brother, urged along with the strength of your markings. According to Nick, he had no ability to stop what he was doing."

Tears gathered in her eyes again. "I've never seen anyone's eyes look like his did. He didn't register as knowing who I was."

Alex set his jaw and pulled her into his arms. "Nick prides himself on being strong, prepared for anything. Well, he sure screwed this to hell."

Once she settled into his arms, the floodgates opened, and Keele cried unashamed for what seemed to be hours. When her sobs turned to dry hiccups, and there were no more tears falling, he gently pinched her chin in his fingertips, turning her head to look him in the eyes. He leaned closer and whispered to the quiet between them.

"I'll never let him hurt you again."