CHAPTER 2. After Duggan left, Ellie prepared for bed

After Duggan left, Ellie prepared for bed. Loud music thumped down the hall, like a car full of teenagers with the bass turned up too high. Muttering to herself about the downfalls of a drunken husband, she walked down the hallway to his suite and opened the door without bothering to knock.

All three people froze.

Her husband wore leather, a getup made of black straps showing more white skin than it covered.

His lover…had not been naked. He was dressed in a larger version of the same green cocktail dress that Ellie had worn earlier that evening.

Ellie’s jaw dropped or she would have been the first to speak. Instead, she turned and ran back to her own suite.

Once there, she climbed into bed, shivering in shock. She huddled under the thick bedcover and tried to recall what she’d just seen.

Brian had been naked in his suite with another man. And Brian had been—beating him. Whipping him, the back of the dress unzipped to expose smooth skin, reddened with the kiss of the whip. The other man didn’t seem as though he was protesting. She still had the image burned into her brain. He was moaning, but with a smile.

And he had been wearing a gruesome shade of red lipstick.

Ellie woke late the next morning. She yawned and stretched and for a brief second, wondered why she was in bed with all her clothes on. She didn’t remember the events of the night before, then the memories rushed at her, instantly flooding her head. She pressed fingers to her temples. What would happen now? Should she pretend that nothing happened? Would Brian pretend? Would he confront her? She lay in bed for a long time, the thoughts swirling about.

Finally she rose, showered and dressed for the day. When she was ready to head downstairs, it was already close to noon. Only one more hour to kill and then she could head out to meet Duggan. He wouldn’t believe this, she thought. Or maybe he would.

Silently she slipped out of her bedroom door, turned the corner and ran into a familiar face. “Jonathan! Where have you been?”

“Um, visiting my family. Remember, they live here?”

“I was worried. I haven’t seen you since we landed.”

“I’m sorry but…Ellie, my family—they don’t know I work here. They, uh, have a lot of pride. A lot of money. You know how it is. Can you imagine if your dad didn’t talk to you in a couple of years only to find out you worked as a server when you have a trust fund sitting untouched?”

“You have untouched money? Why do you work, Jonathan?”

“At first it was just a new experience. When the novelty wore off, I’d met you. I didn’t want to leave you there alone. You’d have let them walk all over you.”

She nodded. “Probably. In any case, I was lucky to have you for so long.”

“Where are you sneaking off to anyway?”

“I was just heading to town. That’s all.” She smiled at him, not yet wanting to share Duggan with him. Or the scandal with Brian.

Not that she didn’t trust Jonathan, she did. He was her friend. Actually, he was her best friend. Her only friend. But the Duggan secret was so new, it still sent tendrils of delight coursing through her midsection. She didn’t want the newness to wear off and she didn’t want anyone to warn her about how carelessly she was acting.

“Have fun,” he said. “I’ll visit you tonight.”

“Okay. Damn, I forgot my purse. Tonight,” she called out as she headed back to her room.

Once inside the sitting room of her suite, she glanced around for her purse. It had been on the table nearest the door but it wasn’t there now. Maybe she’d left it in the bedroom. She started to go there but paused when she saw Brian standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

“Looking for this?” he asked, tossing her purse into the air.

“Yes.”

“Too bad.” He threw it across the room to shatter the lamp at the entrance to her suite. The purse opened midair, the contents spilling across the room. Glass from the lamp shattered, tinkling harshly over the floor.

The sudden violence frightened Ellie. She looked once at Brian, then turned and ran across the room for the door. He lunged for her feet, tripping her. Ellie hit the floor hard, landing on her stomach, the air shoved from her lungs with a loud “oomph”.

“Were you thinking of telling someone what you saw, Ellis?” he snarled, flipping her over and straddling her belly.

“Of course not, Brian, I don’t even know what I saw.”

Her mind was whirling. Duggan was right. He said Brian was dangerous and he had been right.

“You saw nothing, Ellie. Do you hear me? Nothing.”

“I-I know, Brian. Nothing.”

“Don’t patronize me, bitch!” He slapped her across the face.

The burn radiated from her cheek as she stared at him in horror. Shock held Ellie still. No matter what the relationship with her father, he had never physically harmed her.

Brian slapped her again, enjoying himself immensely, and then smiled.

“That’s so much more fun than slapping Mikey. That’s his name, you know. Michael Groveston. He likes being slapped. Do you, my dear?”

“No.”

“Too bad. ’Cause I enjoy slapping you.” Brian slapped her again and again, until her cheek was on fire and felt swollen. The pain had multiplied from her lip to her eye.

“You’ve been a bad girl, Ellie. Mikey’s going to enjoy slapping you even more than I did. And then, when he’s slapped you down and you know how to behave once again, I’m going to take what I paid for. A virgin.”

Brian hauled Ellie up by her hair. He threw her across a table decorated with a Tiffany vase, where it shattered as it hit the ground.

“Stay in your room today, Ellie. Or we’ll be visiting you tonight. Piss me off and it’ll be tonight and it’ll be rough. Make me happy and we can go on as we are. Got it?”

Ellie nodded, her eyes huge and still round with shock.

Brian left the room and Ellie took his words to heart, staying right on the floor where she’d landed. Devastated, alone and…afraid.

* * * * *

Jonathan’s body was tight with apprehension. His skin was beginning to crawl. He needed something, needed to accept the change. A monthly change. He rotated his neck from side to side, feeling the pop as he did so.

As Duggan walked into the room, tension thickened the air. Normally it did when wolves gathered. Their energies fed from each other.

“What is it?” Jonathan asked.

“She stood me up,” Duggan answered, his voice a deep growl. He was so close to his change and on the verge of violence.

“What do you mean, she stood you up?”

“I mean she never showed up. She promised she would but I never saw her.”

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. “Duggan, I just saw her this morning. She was heading to town, she said. She’d forgotten her purse and went back to her bedroom to get it. I left her then.”

Both brothers looked at each other.

“Something’s up,” Duggan snarled. “Stay here. I’m taking your change. I want you available in human form for her.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m getting her.”

* * * * *

Ellie waited until her suite was dark before she left her fetal curl on the floor. Then, only then, did she crawl up and move slowly to the bed. Her entire body ached, whether from tension or the cramped position on the floor, she wasn’t sure. Blood was caked on her from the glass scattered on the floor.

What a waste of a Tiffany.

She sat on her bed, wondering what to do next, when the door opened. She held her breath, preparing for the worst.

Sure enough, Brian entered. Slowly he walked to her, stopping near enough that she could smell his rank breath. He stank of foul alcohol and garlic from whatever he’d eaten at lunch.

He slowly unbuckled and dropped his pants to his ankles. On a normal day, she would have found it incongruous that he was so thin his pants would fall off. Then she realized he wore no underwear and a hideous scene was before her.

A bushel of long dark hair. A thin, white cock, reminding her of a rather large earthworm, snaking out from the coarse hair of his black bush.

He fondled himself before her, his cock filling with blood and slowly rising nearly to her face. She smelled a new odor, an unfamiliar male odor, the combination of sweat and musk.

“Mikey can’t make it tonight. I’m hot and bothered but then realized I have a prize I paid for right down the hall.”

Ellie got her balls back. She would not be raped. She leapt from the bed and ran from the room before Brian could chase her, his pants still tangled about his ankles.

She ran outside the back way. She had no idea where she was going, she was only thinking for the moment. Through the massive gardens and into the woods, instinctively she ran. Branches and leaves twisted about her as she raced through them, adding scratches to the bruises on her face. She heard Brian’s pounding footsteps behind her as he frantically tried to catch her. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, threatening to explode as her lungs struggled to pull the cold night air into them.

Could she hide? There was a patch of trees ahead. The night wasn’t as black as it should have been, the moon was full and lit the entire sky. Still, she ran for the patch. Hiding was the best option she had.

And then there was nothing. Silence. No longer the heavy footsteps thundering behind her. Faintly, very faintly, she heard a masculine voice shouting behind her in the distance. No, two voices. Fear still rolled through her body, yet she tiptoed back to where the voices were.

Duggan was never aware when Ellie returned after he’d caught Reed. He cursed himself for it later, to have her witness it was not the best plan of action but right now he was concentrating solely on the gun in Reed’s hand.

“Put it down, Brian. You don’t want to start something you can’t finish.”

“What for, Baddeaux? So you can have my wife? I saw how you watched her the other night. But you can’t have her, she’s mine. I bought her. To do with as I please.”

“Drop the gun or I’ll drop you.”

“Try it.” Brian made good on his promise. The shot rang out, hitting Duggan in the thigh. The pain should have made him wince but his eyes never left Brian’s as he allowed himself to sink to all fours. The change was inevitable now, he had to heal the fatally bleeding wound. His conversion was harsh because it was so fast, the bones breaking, hair sprouting where skin had once been. He didn’t change fully into a wolf but remained between both worlds. A monster, both human and at the same time, animal. A merging of nightmares.

It howled, the sound echoing through the night.

The creature leapt at Brian, ripping out his throat on a gurgled, bloody scream that should have been inhuman, yet it came from a human’s mouth. Silence reigned, broken when the wolf-creature let out a triumphant howl as Ellis watched in horrified disbelief. Suddenly, the wolf caught a whiff of the air and turned to her. They stared at each other warily.

If possible, regret seemed to come from the monster’s eyes.

“Ellie,” the mutated voice rasped. “M-mate…”

The full moon illuminated Ellie completely. Shock flooded her body, freezing her limbs. Her dilated green eyes met the matching green of the monster. Although her consciousness refused to believe it, there was only one other with eyes so like her own. Recognition lit Ellie’s eyes and before the creature could advance to her, she collapsed into a dead faint.

* * * * *

Ever-so slowly, the insane world stopped spinning. Ellie’s wrists were tied together gently, the end of the rope wrapped up to the magnificent headboard of the enormous bed.

“Are you okay?” a familiar voice asked. A tender hand stroked the hair from her face.

“Jonathan? What happened?” she asked, hoping against all reason that she’d imagined the whole thing. Yet her wrists tied together hinted otherwise.

“Ellie, I’m sorry. But you’re better off this way, you know.”

“Which way, Jonathan? What’s going on?”

“He means with me, Ellie. You’re better off as my mate than Reed’s wife,” Duggan’s voice was harsh, coming from the far side of the room where he was hidden in the shadows. And still inhumanly deep.

Mate? Oh Lord, it can’t be true. Did she really watch Duggan change into a monster before her eyes and attack Brian? Was Brian dead?

“I don’t want to be your mate. Untie me. I want to go home.” She lashed out angrily, panicked fear making her brave.

“I can’t let you, Ellie,” the distorted voice repeated from the corner.

She turned to Jonathan, refusing to glance back there. “Jonathan, get me out of here.”

“Oh Ellie. I can’t. You see, Duggan’s my brother. My older brother. He’s the alpha.”

Ellie felt her stomach heave. “You mean, you’re also a-a…”

“I’m a werewolf, Ellie.”

She flinched from his stroking fingers and Jonathan let his hand drop. Hurt filled his eyes at her rejection. “I’m sorry, Ellie. You’ll get used to it, I promise.”

She didn’t answer and felt Jonathan’s weight leave the bed. She clenched her eyes tightly, opening them only when she heard the dim light click off, followed by the sound of the door closing

She hadn’t counted on the monster Duggan still being there. He advanced slowly, a predator stalking his prey. Ellie was never more aware of being helplessly tied to the bed.

Suddenly, she was relieved it was pitch black. Would Duggan still be in his monster form? Is that why his voice was harsher and deeper? She knew the answer when he reached out and traced a line down the front of her body, from her neckline to her pubic bone. His fingernail was sharp, like a knife or a claw. Inhuman. She shivered involuntarily at the thought of what he might look like.

“You weren’t very nice to Jonathan,” his voice rasped slowly.

And Ellie knew he definitely was still a monster.

“He’s been your friend for a very long time,” he continued.

She held still, her heart racing in fear beneath those long fingers, her breath nearly choking her as it fought its way from her throat.

“Are you frightened of me? Or disappointed in Jonathan?” his husky voice whispered.

“Both,” she answered back, cautiously. Afraid to provoke him.

“It’s a different way of life, one that you’ll get used to. I’m sending him back in to you, you’ll have a brief break from my presence. But don’t get too excited, Ellie. You are mine and I take what’s mine.”

She jumped when she felt a large hand on the inner part of her thigh. It felt…odd, emanating heat. The movement caused her clothing to separate down the split. The one stroke of his fingernail had sliced her clothing clean through. She was naked and exposed to his view.

She felt his tongue lick her body. Warm, wet and oddly reassuring, even though it came from a monster’s mouth. He licked a direct line slowly down her middle, from the neckline straight down, between her breasts, all the way to where the thatch of red curls began. Directly where his fingernail had sliced her clothing moments before.

The air in the room thickened. Duggan was now breathing as harshly as she was. Her heart thundered. Astonished, she recognized his arousal. Adrenaline surged through her body, making her arms and legs tingle. Ready to fight.

Or get aroused herself.

But suddenly, he was gone.

It was just a few minutes before Jonathan entered. He approached the bed silently, carrying a candle for dim light. He set it on the table and untied her bound wrists as though he never noticed her nakedness. She grabbed the two halves of her clothing and pulled them together with shaking hands but knew that Jonathan saw everything.

“It’s okay. He just marked you, Ellie. With his saliva. We can all smell his scent on you, no one will tangle with Duggan. You’re safe until it wears off. By that time, he’ll have marked you more. He’s protecting you.”

“Protecting me? By tying me up? Killing my husband? Scaring me half to death?”

“Ellie, he doesn’t understand how you are. Werewolf females are ferocious, dangerous. A dog-eat-dog world. Humans are fragile, weak in comparison. You’re more fragile than most. He doesn’t have a clue. Here, let me help you.”

Jonathan held out a silky nightgown that she’d never seen before. Her arms were stiff and sore from being in one position for so long. Jonathan calmly pushed the tattered clothing from her body and slipped the gown over her head.

When she was dressed, he resumed his talking. The curtains were drawn tightly but Ellie knew it was a full moon out. Why was he still human? “If you’re a werewolf also, why aren’t you changed?”

“Duggan is absorbing my change for me. He’s the alpha and very powerful. He thought you’d need a friend right now. It’s why he’s unable to completely change back to his human form and why I’m able to remain in mine. See, Ellie? He’s not so bad once you understand him.”

She would never understand him. Never. “Am I a prisoner here, Jonathan?”

“The world thinks you’re dead too. It’s best if you keep it that way. Please don’t try to run, Ellie. There’s nowhere to go and if you make it off the property, another pack may steal you to get at Duggan.”

“So the protective lick wasn’t as protective as previously declared?”

Jonathan sighed. “It protects you from those in alignment with Duggan. It shows you’re his property, his submissive. We’re all his submissives, he’s our alpha. Our leader. But werewolves are a violent breed. There will always be someone who tries to take Duggan out. Those with a death wish may take his property if it’s left wandering around.”

“What difference would it make to me if I’m here or there?” she asked bitterly. “I’d be a prisoner in any house.”

“Don’t be foolish,” he chided. “You don’t understand Duggan’s mercy. Any other alpha would have raped you by now. Especially in his pelt, it’s ingrained with us. We can’t help it. Yet Duggan has refrained and merely marked you for protection. He’s taken the change for me so you can have a friendly face nearby. You’re just seeing the harsh side of him but you have no idea, Ellie. No idea of what other wolves may be capable of.”

His no-nonsense words put the chill back into her. She stared unwaveringly, her green eyes huge in her pale face.

Jonathan hugged her to him suddenly and Ellie clung. She squeezed him tightly, werewolf or not, it was still Jonathan. And she needed him, craved his touch.

Of course, she might have felt differently if he was in fur.

Jonathan pulled away. “Come on, let’s go find some dinner. Duggan and everyone in their change will be out hunting. Let’s raid the kitchen.”

Downstairs in the kitchen, they made sandwiches side by side. An unspoken truce between them. Jonathan casually asked her what her plans were for tomorrow.

“Am I allowed to come and go then?”

“You can’t leave the house, Ellie. You can do anything you want inside. Duggan has a theater downstairs. And when you prove you won’t run, he’ll probably let you outside where we can swim.”

“So what am I, Jonathan? A pampered prisoner? Sex slave? Will he rape me tomorrow?”

Jonathan looked shocked. “Rape? You never need to fear rape in this house, Ellie. Never. No, you’ll be a very pampered prisoner until you begin to see how much you’ll love it here. When you realize how much better your life is, you’ll come and go as you please.”

They finished eating in silence and Jonathan walked her back up to her room.

“Sleep tight, Ellie. I’ll be here tomorrow. You’ll get used to living here, I promise.”

She smiled weakly. She had no choice. She entered the same room she had woken in and worked for a while unknotting the rope from the headboard. Finishing, she dropped it into the trash. She turned down the bed, noting the expensive fabrics. The bed was luxurious. She yawned. She would tuck in for the night but first, she very carefully locked the bedroom door. Climbing into the huge bed, she closed her eyes and wondered if she’d be able to sleep. It was her last thought.

She was in a deep, thick sleep that was awakened by a warm, hard body pressing against her. She froze and so did the muscular body wrapped around her.

“What’s this?” Duggan growled.

Before she could say anything, he ripped the gown from her body.

“We sleep skin to skin, Ellie. The gown is for you to wear during the day. You’ll get real clothes when I can trust you.”

She never answered. She felt a tightly muscled arm pulling her back to him, spooning her. She held very still, aware of where her buttocks were pressed. His arm was directly underneath her breasts, he could reach up and cup one in his hands. But soon Duggan was asleep, slow steady breaths, while she nervously lay awake for a long time.

The room was bright with the morning light but still she came awake slowly. To a mirror set of green eyes, watching her every move. Duggan was human again and facing her in the bed. Her eyes flew to the door, checking the lock. It was still engaged.

She glanced down at their naked, entwined bodies and yelped. She grabbed for the silk sheet, pulling it up over her breasts.

Duggan chuckled. “It’s a little late for modesty. Do you want another nightgown?”

“Yes, please.”

“Very good, Ellie mine. You can have it, if I can have something from you.”

She watched him warily. “What do you want?”

He chuckled again. “A kiss. Just one little kiss. Like before.”

She glanced at him. His cheeks and chin were dark with unshaven stubble, his lips curved sensually. Those green eyes, so like her own, sparkled in the morning light. He was beautiful in this form. Absolutely as beautiful as she remembered from their previous encounter. Could she forget for just a moment that he was also a monster?

Ellie closed her eyes and pressed a quick peck to his lips. She yanked back and watched him expectantly.

“You got away with that one, certainly. But should we bargain again, you make it a real kiss. Slip me some tongue. Or it’s no deal. You’ll walk the house naked.”

Duggan slipped out of bed and picked up another nightgown draped over the side of a chair. It was different, a pale silky green. He was unconcerned with his own nakedness but then he had nothing to be concerned about.

His muscles were all well-defined, his chest tapered into the V of his waist. A crisp spiral of dark hair twisted erotically down his abdomen and, farther below, joined the nest of dark curls at his groin. His erection jutted proudly, thick and wide. The bulbous head of his cock was deeply colored. Veins ran along the thick length and Ellie wondered what it would be like to trace the maze of veins.

It was so unlike the image she carried of Brian. She carefully schooled her features as Duggan approached with the gown. She snapped her gaze up to his face, refusing to look down when he approached. She slid her gown over her head and he chuckled some more at her shyness. “I’m showering. Do you want to join me?”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.”

He left the room and entered the adjoining bathroom. Ellie jumped out of bed and went to the bedroom door. She hadn’t imagined it, it was still locked. How had he entered?

She was sitting in a chair by the window when he finished with his shower. He approached her stealthily, reaching out for a lock of hair. He twisted the waves around his finger and brought it to his mouth, inhaling her scent.

Dammit, Ellie thought. I should shower. Less for him to sniff.

“Are you leaving the bedroom today?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to send Jonathan?”

She resisted the urge to turn and look at him. “Yes.”

“Yes what, Ellie?” he snarled, his demeanor changed in an instant.

She inhaled deeply and then whispered. “Yes, please, Duggan.”

Her submissiveness calmed him instantly. He dropped her lock of hair and left.

Ellie slowly released the breath of air she’d been holding. She practically ran to the shower, fear clenching her stomach.

Showering as fast as she could, she dried off with a thick cotton towel that was placed next to Duggan’s wet one. She slipped the same pale green silk nightgown over her head. She had no underwear but then the gown was designed to be worn without anyway. Thin spaghetti straps held it up and the back dipped so low that normal panties would probably show at the point way below her waist. She paled at the thought of wearing this throughout the house and then thought of the alternative he’d threatened.

Nakedness.

There were two toothbrushes together in a holder. She picked the dry one and brushed her teeth quickly. She headed back into the bedroom where Jonathan was lying across the foot of the bed.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Sure.” Her voice was standoffish, wary still.

“Let’s go.”

She took note that the door was now unlocked as they walked through, Jonathan’s hand on the small of her back where smooth skin was bared. Her hair was damp and drying naturally in long ringlets. Ellie knew it would be curlier than normal since she normally blow dried it into waves.

There was an older gentleman present in the kitchen. “Hello, my dear. You are absolutely beautiful.”

Ellie raised an eyebrow haughtily. “It seems to be why men keep buying or stealing me.”

Patrick Browning laughed as though he found her funny. “I didn’t mean your physical beauty. Although it is quite stunning. I meant inside.” His gaze took her looks in again.

Flaming dark red hair, curling gently down her back to the tiny waist bared by the silk of a gown. Pale, moonlight skin, not a mark on it, except for the darkness of the bruising on one cheek. Her body was splendid in the pale green silk of her nightgown. Her breasts were firm, the nipples jutting proudly. She stood tall, posture perfect. Large, emerald green eyes, the perfect match to Duggan’s. Obviously his mate, although she was as human as they came.

He stopped staring and smiled at her. “I’m Patrick. I’m a member of the wolf pack and although you haven’t been formally introduced, I’m assuming you’re our new Wolf Queen.”

“I’m not a werewolf.”

Jonathan laughed. “He means you’re Duggan’s mate, Ellie. Duggan’s our Alpha King, so you’re our Wolf Queen. Just say, pleased to meet you, Patrick.”

“Pleased to meet you, Patrick,” she parroted with a tiny smirk.

Patrick laughed also. He liked the spunk of the human, especially since Duggan had no idea how terrified she must be. The king didn’t willingly go around humans. “The pleasure’s mine.”

Hours later when Duggan returned home, Ellie kept her eyes downcast while Jonathan greeted his brother. She stood a few feet away as though she could slip away while they were distracted.

“How was the gathering?” Duggan’s voice was gruff, almost brooding. She refused to look up to see the expression on his face, for she somehow knew he watched her.

“It was fine,” Jonathan replied. “Eric Bestead healed from the ankle he broke during his first change and Sarah Mistral delivered a boy.”

“The baby was healthy?”

“Yes. We were lucky.”

“It’s hard for werewolves to conceive,” Jonathan turned to include Ellie in the conversation. “And when they do, they miscarry frequently, usually by the change.”

Ellis stayed silent. She had been hoping to blend into the woodwork but Jonathan had ruined that.

“You’re out of the bedroom, Ellie,” Duggan said.

“Yes.”

“Come here.”

Her glance flew upward. “Why?”

“Because I want to see my mate.”

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