Thane
Why does she have to look so damn tempting? I’m supposed to still be mad at her for nearly pissing on me, but I guess she was punished enough for that, though somehow it felt like I was being punished too. I almost always enjoy inflicting pain and flexing my power over others, but seeing her cold and cut up made me sick to my stomach. It’s not like she didn’t deserve it. Hell, she deserved far worse, and yet I was the one losing sleep over the whole thing. Now, I’m stuck with this damn bond, and I have no one to blame but myself.
When I took her as my pet, I expected to relish having a human as my prisoner, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Humans have always been a predictable species, and yet she surprises me every chance she gets. Even tonight, she called out Rebecca in front of everyone and shot an arrow with one hundred percent accuracy with her eyes closed. Not to mention she fucking bit me like a damn savage.
She’s a complete enigma, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get a read on her.
Chapter 13
My heart feels like it’s in my throat as we make our way deeper into the forest. Tears race toward my hairline from the cold air smacking my face, but I don’t even care. My only focus is on trying not to slide off the beast below me, who has yet to slow down. I imagine this is what riding bareback would be like, only ten times worse. His wolf form may be slightly taller than a horse, but his body is that of a bear, and my knuckles have gone white from gripping the tufts of his black fur. He’s a complete beast, and now that I’m clinging to him, I realize just how much of a miracle it is that I’m still alive.
Thane takes a sharp turn up an inclined path, and I slowly try to readjust myself. Even though he’s not moving as fast, his bounding leaps up the mountain are just as terrifying. I cautiously inch myself closer to his neck and wrap my arms around it as far as I can reach. As he continues climbing higher, I find myself wondering whether this is a path he often takes or if he’s just chosen the route that will scare me the most.
Thane releases a heart-stopping howl, sending a surge of adrenaline shooting through my veins. For whatever reason, Iget a strong urge to follow his howl with one of my own. I sit up as much as I can without falling off and tilt my head to the night sky. The moon isn’t full, but it’s bright enough to draw my attention through the canopy of trees, and I breathe in deeply, letting the scent of nature comfort me before releasing a high-pitched howl.
It’s strangely liberating, and electrifying energy courses through my body as I embrace the primal feeling. The fear I felt is stripped away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of freedom. It makes no sense, and yet it’s how I feel. The forest levels out, and Thane picks up speed again. This time, I don’t fight the fear. Instead, I allow it to transform into something more.
An escape.
An escape from the shackles of a wasted life. An escape from the nightmares that continue to haunt me. An escape from everyone and everything that has hurt me. I no longer feel like my life is hanging in the balance. I feel invincible. I feelalive.
Thane finally comes to a stop and crouches down so that I can slide off. When my feet hit the ground, my legs feel like jelly. I take a few wobbly steps away from him, knowing I must look like a newborn baby deer trying to walk for the first time. Once I make it to a nearby tree, I fall to the ground laughing.
“Oh my god! That was—” I lean my head back against the trunk, trying to catch my breath. “That was the most fun I’ve ever had!”
I look at Thane, who is still in his wolf form, and stand back up. As he inches closer, his enormous paws dig into the forest floor, leaving deep prints that let every animal in these woods know they aren’t safe. I’m pressed up against the tree so hard that I can feel the bark embedding itself into my back. Even in his wolf form, Thane towers over me. He tilts his head down,and a huff from his snout sends the loose pieces of my hair flying back.
We stay like that for far too long. Both of us waiting for the other to make the next move. My eyes dart to the right, and I consider shifting away from the tree, but when I look back at him, the desire to put distance between us fades away. It feels like I’m a passenger in my own body as my hand raises to the side of his beastly face. It hovers there for a moment as I draw in a shaky breath, wondering if his lethal jaw is going to bite my hand clean off.
When it doesn’t, I carefully move my hand closer until I feel the brush of his soft fur against my fingertips. I exhale a long breath, unsure if I should keep trying my luck, but then Thane leans his head into the palm of my hand, the gesture taking me by complete surprise.
“I think I like you better this way.”
He bares his teeth, but it feels more teasing than it does threatening. I trace my thumb over the top of the scar that runs down the middle of his eye, and he flinches at the touch.
“I have scars too. They’re just easier to hide.”
He blinks slowly like he’s surprised I would tell him something so personal, and I’m not even sure why I said it. It’s not something I would share with anyone, let alone Thane. But there’s something about the stillness of night and the way his wolf eyes are boring into me that makes me want to shed the armor I usually wear.
Time seems to stop, and for a moment, I no longer see a monster standing before me. His gaze falls, and so does my hand as I step away. No matter what I think of him in his wolf form, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s my tormentor. The things he’s done to me can’t be undone by some thrilling run through the forest.
Thane must decide it’s time to head back, because he positions himself next to a boulder for me to use as a stepping stool to get onto his back. I suppose I should be thankful he’s not leaving me out here to die, but I have an unsettling feeling that he’s playing me. Why else would he bring me out here and lean into my touch? The Thane I know would’ve used this opportunity to inflict more pain or humiliation. Instead, I’ve actually enjoyed my time. So much so that I’m not even in a rush to get back.
It's a complete mind-fuck.
Even keeping his side of the bet with the shock collar doesn’t make much sense. I had no way of knowing he killed that wolf, and even if I had, it’s not like I could’ve done anything to force him to uphold his end of the deal. Maybe it’s some weird code of honor he lives by, but I doubt it. He’s not the type. He’s the kind of person who relishes the idea that rules don’t apply to him.
My fingers lace through his thick fur as I position myself on his back once again. When he takes off, my upper body instantly jolts back, but the grip of my thighs keeps me in place this time as the icy wind wraps around me.
Before I know it, we’re breaking through the treeline. All eyes are on us as Thane makes his way back to the edge of the garden, releasing a howl that the other wolves echo, even in their human forms. Kole stops next to us, and offers me his assistance, waiting a moment for me to steady before removing his hands from my waist.
Thane shifts back as the others cheer, but I keep my eyes on the crowd, knowing if I turn around, I’ll see more than I want to.
“Now, shall we show her how vampires have fun?” Thane’s words ignite a spark of excitement through the maze of leaders, making my chest tighten.
I’m just about to object when a strong force knocks into me like the undertow of a wave. A moment later, it feels like my soul is being snapped back into my body. The cheers from the crowd sound slightly distant, and when I look around, I understand why.
My stomach instantly hollows the second I look down and see my heels slipping off the edge of the roof. Thane’s grip on my arms tightens, but when I turn back to look at him, there’s not one part of me that feels safe in his grasp.
