Chapter 1
2151 Words
Yaroslava's POV
The golden glitter at the bottom of the glass was fascinating to watch. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had seen that evening.
The evening silence in the living room of the Gray Wolf Clan Beta was broken only by the faint creaking of paper. The man sitting across from me was meticulously making corrections in calligraphic handwriting to another draft of one of the many treaties.
“Yaroslava, would you like a drink?” he asked, oblivious to his main occupation.
I turned my weary gaze from the flute of white wine to my interlocutor. He was tall and broad-shouldered, like most male werewolves. Vadim sat slumped in a high white chair. The cream shirt and blue tie screamed ridiculous. I stared at him instead of answering.
“Yaroslava?” Displeasure crept into his tone.
Yes, the Beta was no Alpha, of course, but I could sense that his desire to control the people around him was no less developed than my Rinat's.
“I don't want to,” I said without hesitation.
I would rather not challenge someone like him, so I put it neutrally. I did not want Rinat to get into trouble with his closest friend and assistant because of me. But the urge to send the man away grew stronger by the second.
“Have a drink with me, please,” Vadim repeated with pressure.
Why does he want me to drink so much today? Did he really think I would show softer qualities? I will never get drunk on a glass of wine.
“No, I don't want to,” I said in the same tone.
I put the wine he had offered me on the nearby glass table and got up from the sofa.
“I have to go now,” I tried to withdraw respectfully. “Rinat is due back from his business trip in the morning, and I have a few things to take care of before he returns.”
The werewolf sighed heavily and squared his shoulders with a grunt before rising to follow me. His lips parted in a friendly smile. He walked towards me, picking up the glass I had left behind.
“Yaroslava, please have a drink with the old wolf, and then I will take you home. Don't bore me, make me happy.”
The suggestion that I might soon go in peace seemed attractive. How could I not say yes? Otherwise, I would have to stay here for a long time. To endure yet another plea to stay and ease his loneliness, or even to take on extra work for a few extra hours, which I did not wish to do.
“If only to cheer,” I smiled strained, sipping wine.
The man smiled and shook his head. I was forced to return to my seat and comply with the request of the “old wolf”, who, by the way, was not old. Vadim's age was no more than forty, and given the extraordinary regenerative powers of werewolves, he appeared to be less than thirty.
The first sip of wine made my throat burn. The contents of the glass were still cold, but a burning sensation immediately replaced the pleasant coolness. The heat quickly spread through his body. His head felt heavy. Blood rushed through his veins to unimaginable limits. Even my consciousness rebelled. The world before my eyes began to fade. Only the knowledge that I had just been shamelessly poisoned helped me to stay in reality.
“What the hell?!” I began to shout involuntarily.
I got to my feet, realizing that I had to do everything but stand still. Otherwise, this would not end well.
The glass of 'crap' that had been thrown in the direction of the perpetrator had hit its intended target. The wine that spilled from the glass left a large stain on the man's light-colored shirt. Glass shattered on the parquet floor, echoing in my head. There was a flash of anger in Vadim's eyes.
“If you wanted me to undress so badly, you could have just asked,” the Beta growled.
The werewolf took a cautious step towards me. The bitterness in his eyes was replaced by something else. Something I hadn't noticed in him before. Animal lust.
The sudden revelation knocked me over.
“If you touch me, Rinat will rip your head off.” I said and stepped back.
My throat was still burning, and the heat spread systematically through my body, gradually turning into a real fire. I froze and listened to my sensations.
I quickly realized the purpose of the 'crap' Vadim had added to my wine. As proof of my suspicion, Vadim came very close. The unhealthy gleam in his gray eyes glowed with anticipation. The werewolf smiled again and then, in one swift movement, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me towards him.
The worst part was the reaction I felt inside me, demanding that the close contact between our bodies continue.
“I'd rather die than let you get under my skirt,” I warned him, in contrast to my emotional state.
“A few more minutes, and you'll be begging me for it, Yaroslava,” Vadim whispered huskily into my ear, moving his paws from my waist down, squeezing my buttocks tightly.
Judging by the way my brain was beginning to turn to mush, he would not need the time he had indicated. Just a little more and 'crap' would undoubtedly prevail. Just a little more and I would simply pass out. I don't even want to think about what Vadim will do to me. His drooling on my neck in a passionate kiss that I didn't have the strength to resist confirmed my pitiful state of contentment.
I moaned in frustration. The man responded to the sound in his own way and redoubled his efforts. In my mind, it was as if a red sign lit up: “I have to get as far away from Vadim as possible.”
“Unless Rinat finds out,” I mumbled incoherently, trying to fool Vadim's vigilance.
The result was quite satisfactory, as the intoxication made my speech and movements quite natural.
“Take off your clothes,” I ordered in a half-whisper.
My neighbor's eyebrows raised in surprise. I gave him a hopeful smile as I undid the top clasp of my silk blouse.
I'd always known that the Betas of the Clan were fools who craved power but didn't have the brains to get it. As I had suspected, Vadim took his hands off me and began to undress.
“Excuse me, but I have to go to the restroom,” I said, embarrassed.
The werewolf remained reserved. But I tried to keep a smile on my lips. Then, with great difficulty, I wiggled my hips and made my way to the toilet.
I kept the door closed so as not to make too much noise. The cold water from the tap cooled my face and hands and muffled my footsteps further down the corridor towards the kitchen.
Fortunately, the emergency door to the outside was unlocked. I entered the courtyard. The owner's white Porsche Cayenne quickly helped me decide on my escape plan.
The confident Beta didn't even think about locking the car, believing that no one would dare touch it. And no one did. Until me.
As I pressed the start button, the car's engine growled muffled. I didn't hesitate a second. I stepped on the accelerator and steered the SUV onto the road. As I glanced in the rearview mirror for the last time, I saw Vadim running out of the house, partially undressed, swallowing the dust from under the wheels of his favorite car.
I had done it!
When I reached the freeway, hands shaking, I took the phone from my pocket and pressed the speed dial button. I explained the situation to my fiancé. Rinat asked me to stay in the city until the morning when he would return. By then, the car was speeding down the freeway towards the house, so I was not worried that his request would be honored. Another problem arose. How could I survive the whole night when my body was on fire with an unbridled desire to satisfy an unrestrained carnal hunger?
There was no doubt that since I was in his car, Vadim would find me before Rinat returned. So I pulled over and searched the saloon for anything that might help. I had hoped to find at least a gun, but the only items I found were money and antibacterial wipes. The wipes were useful. I used each one to eliminate the unpleasant sensation of someone else's saliva on my neck. I could not eliminate the smell of the disgusting werewolf. However, in the absence of any alternative, I will make do with what I have. I completed the unpleasant procedure, obtained a pack of dollar bills, hid them in my pocket and went outside.
The July heat was less intense at night. I felt a slight chill on my face and stood still for a moment, letting the wind ruffle my loose hair and climb the neckline of my yellow blouse.
I would have stood there, thinking of nothing else. Not of the place where I live, not of the people I need to be close to, not of the upcoming wedding, not of what will happen when Rinat returns from his business trip. I have always appreciated and respected my fiancé, but occasionally, it seemed to me that an independent, free life would be better for me. At least I would not have to obey the strongest, which was difficult.
Ridiculous thoughts about the unattainable forced me to push them aside, as now was clearly not the time to dwell on the past. Just to be on the safe side, I opened the bonnet because voting at night does not usually evoke the associations I want at the moment. I really wanted to, which is why I tried not to be mistaken for a prostitute.
Soon a fairly decent foreign car pulled up nearby. I was relieved to see that the driver was a woman.
I greeted her and told her the sad story of my broken down car. My new acquaintance was not indifferent and offered me a lift. I gave her the first address I could think of, and the rest of the way I just sat in silence, gazing at the lights of the city at night. The physical weakness began to fade, but the agony that had driven me to give myself to the first man I met only intensified, leading to new dark thoughts.
I hope I can remain faithful to the Alpha of the Gray Wolf Clan…
- Writer
