Mating Season

Paralyzed by You

"You can't keep me from her." Asher's voice was close to a growl as Leo peered at him, his face blank. The twins were at either side of the cage, watching the scene curiously. Dylan, the youngest brother of about six years, dumped a peanut through the metal bars.

Leo sighed. "I don't plan on restraining you," he said calmly. "We'll just slow down the process."

He raised the syringe in his hand. Asher felt his lips curl into a snarl. What did that do? He wondered, but he didn't plan to stick around and find out.

Dylan threw another peanut into the cage, then another.

"Don't feed the animal, Dyl." Landen ushered the kid aside.

"You'll only encourage him." Lucas laughed, earning a growl from the boy trapped in the cage.

"Listen to me, Asher," Leo warned, veering Ash's attention back to him. "You have to get a hold of yourself. Right now your wolf and hormones are running like crazy. I understand that, but you have to fight through this." He leaned against the bar. "You'll chase her away if you keep going on like this."

Asher took a swing at him with his fist. Leo leaned back, without even the slightest of trouble.

"Lucas! Landen!" Leo commanded as both brothers appeared at his side.

"At your service." Lucas said with a wry smile. He was a middle child,  possibly the cruelest of the seven.

Leo urged them to open the cage. Landen took hold of one silver rod, while Lucas pulled on the other opposite. There was the groan of metal as the cage unlatched and the door opened.

Asher pounced.

He made sure to run up to Leo first, dodging the thrusts of the syringe before he managed to kick it out of his hand. One of the twins grabbed a hold of him from behind. Asher squirmed, leaning forward until Landen landed on his back with a thud.

"Ouch," the twin said with a somewhat bored expression. He didn't like to stir up trouble, or conflict for that matter, unlike his blood thirsty twin.

Lucas, appearing rather amused, rushed toward Asher and took a swing. The punch landed on his jaw, making Asher stumble slightly.

"Aw, what's the matter? Still can't land one on me?" Lucas smirked, pointing at his own jaw.

A red tinge coated Asher's vision as he took toward Lucas. "You're going to regret that," he roared, his voice much closer to wolf than human.

But, just like always, Asher never did touch Lucas. Instead, a sharp pain rushed up his right calf and he howled.

Turning, he saw Leo holding the syringe to his leg. "I'm sorry, Asher," he whispered.

Blind rage overcame him as he shifted and bolted for the door. None of them tried to stop him.

Mate, mate, he and his wolf thought in unison. He had to find her before something happened.

He staggered up the stairs, his claws gripping at the wood, and then flew out the back door. Outside, the smell of his mate was everywhere. Asher howled again, sniffing at the dry earth before darting in a direction.

Mate, Mate, his wolf called. Her scent was tainted by Leo's, making him growl. He didn't have the privilege to take his mate away from him. She was his.

Somewhere along the way Asher felt it. His senses began to dull. The trees around him were no longer as clear and the scent of his mate was fading. What the hell? His running slowed until eventually it felt like he wasn't moving at all. Taking a seat on the ground, he realized two human hands replaced what should have been wolf limbs.

Asher cursed. So that's what the shot did. It put his wolf to sleep. He could feel the animal inside him slowly losing consciousness and Asher was alone. He felt so human.

It was disgusting.

He glared pointedly at the direction of his home. Then he released a scream loud enough to wake the entire forest.

***

Cecilie jumped into a sitting position and stared at the room with wide eyes. Dull white walls, cardboard boxes, and new school supplies littered the area. Taking in a deep breath, she relaxed.

So...it had been a dream?

The scene replayed itself in her mind. Taking a journey into the forest, being cornered by a wolf, finding out the animal was actually a naked teenage boy, and then being carried off to his home, where she would be forced to have sex with him.

She almost laughed at the thought.

Of course it was a dream! No one in their right mind would do that. It sounded ridiculous just thinking about it. Things like that only ended up in the movies or some divorced woman's romance novel shelf. Lifting her arms above her head, Cecilie stretched.

"Oh, good. You're up." Her grandmother appeared at the door with a spatula in hand. An apron was tied around her waist and flour covered her cheeks. "I had prayed you wouldn't be like your father. He didn't get up for school until I bribed him with food."

Cecilie laughed. That was her father all right. "You'll be happy to know I didn't get that gene." She was always the first one up. As a child, she'd often shake her dad out of his slumber for food or school or just plain boredom. He didn't wake up until she jumped on the bed screaming, "Daddy! Daddy!" Over and over again.

"Thank goodness." Her grandmother smiled in relief. "Why don't you wash up and come down for breakfast then? I'm making something special for your first day."

"Okay." Cecilie pushed her feet into a pair of familiar grey slippers and took off to the bathroom. She decided to go for the effortless look, which contained a pair of skinny jeans, boots, and a cute top. She left her straight hair down, staring at her freckled face before groaning. She never did like that part of her.

After a quick shower and change, Cecilie jogged down the stairs and brightened at the kitchen table.

“You had better not be a vegetarian.” Her grandmother said with a smile.

“No, ma’am.” She had lived with a man who thought Chinese takeout and stale cereal was acceptable for breakfast. Eating edible food was a reward.

“Good, I made plenty. Too much perhaps. I haven’t cooked for anyone since Henry.” She let out a sigh at the mention of her late husband. “Hon, do you think you could go out front and grab the paper?”

“Sure.” Cecilie had just finished drowning her pancakes in syrup. She pushed off the old wooden table and opened the front door.

On the porch, like some baby left on the doorstep story, lay the sleeping naked guy from her dream.

Cecilie's eyes popped.

“Holy Sh-”

“Cecilie?”

“Y-Yes?” Her voice came out quickly.

“Please bring the mail in as well,” her grandmother stated from across the hall.

Cecilie let out a breath, letting her head drop. She had thought that whole mate thing had been a dream! But it was kind of hard to deny it with the sleeping male at her feet. Groaning, Cecilie crouched before him.

“Hey, get up.” She poked his cheek lightly. He stirred, but didn’t move. Cecilie was at least thankful the necessary body parts were hidden this time. She shook his shoulder. “Get up. Get up, Asher.”

His eyes snapped open at his name being called, and Cecilie gazed into those incredibly dark blue irises.

“Cecilie?” The voice came right behind her.

“Yes!” She jumped up and turned to her grandmother, standing in the doorway now. She prayed she was shielding Asher from her sight or that her grandmother was as blind as day.

Her grandmother looked behind her and frowned. “Do be careful when wandering the woods, hon. There are a lot of dangerous animals out there.”

Behind her, clear in the morning sunlight was a path of wolf tracks, leading from the porch and into the woods.