Dream mate

Chapter 8 - First shift; part 2

Trigger warning; Implication of s****l violence.

The ground was cold. The night had stolen all its heat. Its chill ebbed into Hana’s body, but she didn’t stand up. Her knees were drawn tight to her chest, and she rested her chin on them. It gave her a bit of warmth but when the disappointment within her was growing by the second, she didn’t care for much else. She just sat and watched the full moon’s glow light up the world around her, hoping to keep her mind distracted.

She wasn’t Sam’s mate. Apparently, he had known as soon as he woke up, but Hana thought she may have felt a different feeling adding to their usual seamless connection. It drew her to him but in the same was the stars drew your eyes. When she admitted that to the Alpha, he seemed pleased, but he said it wasn’t the right feeling. Even before he explained it, she knew it wasn’t the real mate bond. Too many wolves had told her stories of seeing their fated mate for the first time and feeling the undeniable truth of their bond between them. The instant attraction, their scent being irresistible, the urgent desires that swelled up. Hana didn’t feel any of that, no more than usual anyway. She guessed it was simply the will of her mind playing tricks on her, wanting Sam to be hers. The sense of guilt that washed over Hana in that moment hadn’t left her. Even the party had done little to cheer her up, though she plastered on a smile for the pack.

Sam had kept his distance from her all day. She was glad in a way. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her emotions in check if the wolf of her dreams remained by her side whilst he was grieving their bond. It was good to know he wasn’t perfect. Still, Hana thought he would be by her side for her first shift. The sun had set, the moon had risen, and the hour grew late, yet there was no sign of him. Marci had collared her towards the end of the party and shared her knowledge of shifting before telling Hana that Sam wouldn’t be joining her. Hana didn’t want to believe it. Now she did.

Alone, basking in the white hue from above, she forced herself to accept the situation. Her feelings were by no means gone, but if she didn’t shift soon, the decision would be made for her. With a sigh, she pushed to her feet and thought over the instructions Marci had given her before the Alpha called her away. Hana wished her friend could’ve at least stayed with her but the pack came first. Gathering herself with a few deep breaths, she focused, ready for whatever would come her way.

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Hana’s wolf was a beautiful pure white but after hours of exploring around the pack border and experiencing her new world, her fur was matted with flecks of mud and grass stains. After her scare last night, she stayed as close to the pack as she could, but maintained some distance for privacy. She was still way, though she didn’t feel any other’s presence whilst she was in the forest. Not until a large wolf she recognised came out to join her.

Instantly, her goofy grin, which had been growing all night, fell but she turned to face Sam. Her ears pulled back to her head and a small whine whistled in her throat as he approached, but he simply nuzzled against her. Her heart filled with warmth and swelled in her chest. When he dipped his head towards the deeper part of the forest, Hana didn’t hesitate to follow, feeling safe by his side.

“You have a stunning wolf, Hana.” Sam said, the moment he shifted back into his human form.

“Thank you.” She blushed under his attentive gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear. “What’s all of this?”

The Alpha had led them to a small clearing. A red checked blanket laid invitingly on the floor with a candle holding down each corner and a basket suspiciously close by. She inhaled the delicious scents coming from it and eagerly took Sam’s hand as he pulled her over to made up area and invited her to sit.

“I felt bad for how I treated you today and thought you would enjoy this.” A cute blush dusted over his cheeks as he scratched at the back of his head, trying to appear nonchalant. “It’s also good to eat after your first shift. To keep your strength up.”

Hana hummed, a smile creeping to her lips as she watched his cheek darken again. Rather than open the basket or say anything else, the Alpha laid down, his eyes focused on the sky above. She joined him, shimmying close to his body, enjoying having him by her side again. It had only been a day, but she had missed him. Their hands intertwined between them, sharing their warmth. In the canopy above, the leaves parted just for them, giving them a view of the stars. They filled Hana’s eyes with wonder.

The pair stayed in their comfortable silence for a while, enjoying nothing but the company. Then, Sam lifted to his elbow and leaned over her. Hana could no longer see the stars, but this view was just as perfect. Ginger hair tickled her forehead as he dropped his head close to hers. His lips drew close, but they didn’t press against hers, floating only a breath away.

“Hana. I want you to be my Luna.”

Before she could respond, lips crashed against her. Hana’s eyes went wide but she quickly melted into the kiss when his tongue pushed into her mouth. A large hand cupped her face, keeping her still as Sam ravished her, stealing her breath but leaving a pleasant tingle behind. She moaned deep in her throat as her body came alive under his, feeling every groove of his form press into her in the most delicious way. She tried to wrap around him, thread her fingers in his hair or explore his skin, but he had her pinned and didn’t budge as she pushed against him.

Sam’s affection became urgent. His kisses were harder, loving her with a bruising force. She tried to slow his pace, but he didn’t respond in kind, eagerly devouring her. Hana pulled her face to the side, only to be righted again by his hand. She winced as his fingers clenched tighter around her jaw.

“I... don’t.... like... this.” She grunted when she could, refusing to kiss him back as he moved into a punishing rhythm. Sam didn’t hear her, or he didn’t listen. A sharp pain cut across her lip, and she hissed, feeling a dribble of warmth leak to her chin. “Sam, stop!”

Hana shouted this time and felt a modicum of relief when the Alpha pulled back slightly, only to have her panic double as a smirk pulled at his lips. She had never seen that expression on his face, but she had seen it on another's. She saw his eyes glint with amber before he dived in again, this time trailing his attention over her jaw and down her neck. Hana squirmed beneath him, trying to wriggle free, but it was a hopeless effort under the Alpha’s weight. Between pants she repeated her discomfort and told him to stop, trying to force her words to sound firm, but as each one was ignored, they become more like a whimper.

A sick fear turned her stomach as she felt a stirring hardness press into her leg. She swallowed the bile that clawed up her throat, her mind at war over the possibility that her Sam could possibly be enjoying this. The man who kept her safe and told her he loved her. The man she had told everything to, everything in the dark corners of her past. It couldn’t be true, and yet as she continued to struggle and call out for him to listen, her denial became as feeble as her strength against him.

Hot breath stuck to her skin, feeling slimy as it travelled the length of her exposed neck. As Sam lingered over one spot, Hana felt herself take a large inhale of air. Her body screamed out to stop him and she pulled her arm free just as he growled ‘Mine’. The resounded crack of her hand against his cheek echoed in the forest around them and sent his face careening to the left. Her hand throbbed with a burning heat, shaking with more than just terror as she watched the Alpha.

“Stop! Sam, what the fu...”

Her words were cut off to mere muffles as a large hand wrapped around the lower half of her face. Hana’s eyes filled with panic as she continued to fight against the mass pinning her in place. Amber eyes looked down on her, their gaze sharpened to razors of anger. His other hand grabbed both of her wrists, locking them tight together on her chest, jammed between their bodies as he leaned into her again.

“Why can’t you ever just say YES!” Sam roared, before ripping her head to the side and sinking his canines into her flesh.