She rubbed her wrists and stared silently at him.
“Would you care for a drink pretty one?”
She shook her head and scooted back when he leaned closer. A fleeting frown crossed his face and he placed his hand on her leg. She growled and he grinned as her eyes glowed at him.
“Do not forget the collar around your neck my dear. I can’t tell you how many of my half-breed slaves have forgotten and shifted.” He made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. “It’s unpleasant to see what happens. Do you know that occasionally they just burst apart? Blood and guts rain everywhere. It’s a terrible mess to clean up.”
She swallowed, feeling the weight of the collar brushing against her throat, and took some deep, calming breathes.
“There, that’s better.” Draken stroked her hair again. “If you’re a very good girl and do everything I ask you to do, I’ll consider taking the collar off from time to time. Would you like that, my pretty?”
She didn’t reply and he frowned. “You will answer me when I ask you a question. It’s rude not to, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” She replied in a tight voice.
“I will treat you well, if you obey me without question.” He eyed her hips appreciatively. “Your body was made to bear my young. You will give me many healthy pups – I know it.”
She shook her head. “I won’t mate with you.”
He laughed cheerily. “You will change your mind. The women I take to my bed always do.” He winked at her, and she shuddered with disgust.
“Don’t look like that Sophia.” He said softly. “You should not – “
There was a loud piercing howl just outside their tent, and the look of good humour dropped from Draken’s face like a stone. He growled low in his throat and shoved her flat on to her back with a hard push.
“Stay there.” He snapped and ran from the tent.
* * *
Bree sprinted through the trees. She burst into the clearing where the Lycans had set up camp and stared around horrified. The air was filled with growling and howls of pain as the Lycans fought each other viciously.
She watched terrified as Nicholas leaped on to one of Draken’s Lycans and knocked him to the ground. With a screaming growl of rage, he tore a wide hole into the Lycan’s stomach. Blood and long loops of intestines fell from the Lycan’s stomach, and it made a whining whimper of pain and grew still.
Blood dripping from his mouth, Nicky turned and ran for a Lycan that was pinning Marshall to the ground. James, his red fur glinting in the cold sun, reached him first and fell on the Lycan. He sank his fangs deep into the back of its neck. It yipped and twisted, trying to bite at James, as Nicky wrapped his mouth around the Lycan’s back leg and ripped it from his body with a wet squelching noise. The Lycan squealed and dropped to the ground, as James raised his snout and howled loudly.
Draken burst out from his tent and howled with rage and disbelief. His body rippled and swelled and he shifted. His clothes fell in tattered rags to the ground. A dark brown wolf, cowering at the edge of the campsite, barked frantically at him.
There was a low growling to her left and Bree turned to see a black wolf, it’s very large and very white teeth glittering in the sun, running towards her.
Kaden ran to the camp and stared in horror at the Lycan that was running towards his sister. He was too far away, and he screamed her name as the Lycan closed in on her. He watched as Bree stumbled backwards and tripped over an exposed root. She fell on to her back and raised the silver dagger she still clutched in her right hand.
The Lycan snapped its teeth, saliva dripping from its mouth, and jumped. Before it could land on Bree and tear her throat out, Sophia appeared out of nowhere and dove at the Lycan. Still in her human form, she hit the Lycan in the side and drove it to the ground. The woman and the Lycan rolled on the hard-packed earth, both of them fighting for control as Kaden ran towards them.
The Lycan scrambled on top of Sophia. It braced its paws on her chest and lunged for her throat. Shrieking in fear and anger, Sophia buried her hands in the thick fur of its throat and pushed violently. The Lycan’s mouth, only inches from her face, snapped viciously and its hot and rotting breath washed over her.
Arms shaking, her eyes glowing and her body trembling violently, Sophia strained to keep the Lycan from her body. With a sudden burst of power, it lunged forward again and she twisted violently to the right. Its mouth, aiming for the soft flesh of her throat, missed and sunk deep into the meaty flesh of her shoulder.
The pain was immediate and enormous, and Sophia shrieked with agony as blood flowed down her arm. The Lycan snarled and dug his teeth into her shoulder, ripping and tearing at her flesh as she shoved futilely at its broad body.