I'm not going to make it in time. I can hear their thunderous movements as they charge throughout the woods. An entire army of Thorns with all the same senses—but they are in their wolf forms and he isn't.
I'm confused. Why have they turned but not him? I remember Thorn telling me something about it once, about an occurrence that renders them different. It was why he used the cave eighty years ago. He didn't tell me to go there because they'd be able to trace his scent there but he showed me the waterfall cave from a far distance so it should be safe.
I don't know where he is. I'm scared to look. I keep running forwards as fast as I can. This is what he's been training me for. Our long morning runs are finally paying off. I just always assumed it would be the hunters that I'd be running from and not supernatural creatures.
I climb the steep trail to higher ground, my feet arriving at the edge of a small cliff. Without even trying, I see him. The darkness isn't even a factor, my mind can just pinpoint exactly where he is. Like a sixth sense. He crouches at the top of one of the biggest trees, dangling the gun in his fingertips as he stares at me. He points his other hand across the clifftop.
Oh. Right. There's a weapon here. . . somewhere. He showed me this merely two days ago and I have no freaking idea which tree it was. I look towards the trees behind me nervously before looking back and shrugging. He slaps his head. He starts counting on his fingers, holding up eight.
Eight what? Eight inches? Trees? Metres? Miles?
He throws his hand through the air aggressively, telling me to go. I snarl my teeth at him. I spin back around and I panic as I look at the line of trees. I decide to walk to the one closest to me and I bend down, patting away the leaf pile at the bottom.
It was Thorn's idea to bury the hunters' guns away from the camp. He didn't like the thought of them all being in the same place in case we were too far from the camp to go back. He might be paranoid but I can't fault his planning.
I breathe out with relief when I feel the gun underneath the dirt. It was the right tree. Eight steps away.
I hold it in my hand as I run across the cliff. I stick to the middle so I'm not seen. The sun is still blocked and I'm hoping that this will all end when the eclipse does. I just have to survive until then. I think back to when I studied this years ago—I'm pretty sure that they don't last long. Ten minutes at most. It must have been ten minutes by now. Why isn't the eclipse stopping?
I twist myself around the trees as I hear the sound of dropping water in the distance from the waterfall. I stop abruptly as I catch the sight of a group of men slowly creeping through the darkness.
My back slams against a tree and I keep a hand tight to my mouth until my breathless panting is under control. I peer around the tree. There's four or five of them. I can't tell if they're looking for me or if they're normal hunters.
I flinch as one of them shoots something. Crap. If Thorn can hear vibrations for miles then I'm assuming that the other werewolves can too. I tuck the gun into the back of my pants and I stare up at the tree above me. I jump up towards the lowest branch, firmly gripping it just enough so that I can swing my legs against the trunk. I reach out for a broken branch stump and I balance my feet as I try to wiggle myself upwards.
I hear the thunder again. The ground trembles as something big runs this way. I'm out of time. I can't climb any higher without making noise so I settle myself onto a large hanging branch, just high enough to hopefully not be seen.
It makes no difference if they can smell me but would they know it's me or would they think it's another human?
The hunters seem to be celebrating a kill. They are oblivious to what is coming and though I want to warn them, I can't risk it. They might be hired by my father. They still have to eat out here.
The gun is in my hand and I am ready to use it. I keep it pointed downwards as a herd of powerful feet run right past the tree. I try to withstand the tremors for as long as I can but it becomes impossible. My body rolls off the branch and my hands just manage to grip it. I dangle through the air, pinching my eyes closed as I fall and meet my fate.
I don't know what's happening behind me but I can hear the hunters screaming, then gurgling, then there is silence. I push myself up on the floor, my eyes searching for the gun but I can't see clearly.
My hand freezes in the air as a low growl comes towards me. I look up and I meet the yellow eyes of an enormous wolf with golden fur. Thorn said that females have light coloured fur and males have dark fur. The female wolf snaps her teeth at me but she is hesitant to attack, despite the snarling protests from the wolves behind her. She sniffs around me instead, her nose drawing closer to a small cut on my knee.
Her eyes change. They become softer and almost startled. I tremble backwards as another wolf joins her, this one has brown fur. He sniffs around me too and then they exchange a look.
My hand edges closer to the gun and even though they see me take it, they still don't attack. They show no aggression at all. The wolves behind them come closer, their mouths leaking with blood.
The wolf pair turn and snap their teeth at them. I start panicking as an army of them move around me, surrounding me with growls and hunting poses. The pair stand their ground, almost like they're shielding me.
A mighty growl fills the air from behind me. The pair look up and fall silent. I turn around, meeting the low and threatening face of a black-coated wolf that is twice the size of the ones around me. He is almost identical to Thorn. The male wolf that seems to be protecting me walks closer and positions himself at my head. They seem to be communicating in some way but the lone wolf just keeps getting angrier and angrier until his teeth are snapping and he's lunging forwards.
The tension changes by a sharp ray of light that peeks through the trees. All the wolves stare up at the sky before they break out into a run, following the lone wolf back down the cliff.
The pair remain, looking back at me with a longing look before they eventually take off after their pack.
The eclipse might be ending but I don't trust that they won't come back. I hiss as I stand back up, using the tree for support. I jog my way towards the waterfall, carefully positioning myself backwards as I slide against the narrow edge. The noise is so loud that Thorn wouldn't be able to hear me even if I screamed.
The cave entrance is halfway, I almost fall into it. I collapse to the ground of the small, damp cave and I stare at the flowing water that runs over the opening.
Thorn's still out there. What if they found him? What if he's hurt? How long should I wait for him before I go looking?
I can't think straight. I start pacing erratically. Those wolves were the biggest creatures that I've ever seen, he wouldn't have stood a chance against them. He knows that too, that's why he hid from them.
The walls are closing in on me as I panic. I can't stay here a minute longer. I need to look for him. My eyes catch the sight of a body moving around the edge of the entrance and I lift the gun instinctively.
Thorn holds his hands up as he walks into the cave. "It's me."
I drop the gun and I charge at him. My hands wrap around his shoulders and I push him into the wall as I observe his face and his neck for wounds. He seems okay.
"They had me cornered," he says. "I can smell them on you. How did you get away?"
"They let me go."
His eyes narrow slightly. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I don't care," I say as my fingers dig into his shirt. "I was so worried about you."
"Devon-"
I kiss him, cutting off his oxygen supply. He tries to resist it. He restrains me by my shoulder and stares into my eyes hard. I wait for him to come back to me, not knowing if he will. I just spent the last few minutes playing every worst-case scenario in my head, unsure if I'd ever see him again. Facing death just made me want him more.
I want and need it so much that I am willing to beg for it. That's the power that the bond has over me. I beg him with my eyes, my fingers grazing down his large, toned arm. I can't take the rejection anymore. It's now or never.
He catches his breath as he touches my face. "What are you doing to me?"
My heart races as he makes his final decision. He comes out of the box.
We kiss each other against the wall, the passion escalating to new heights and extremes. My body starts trembling before anything has even happened. I can't wait for it. We start undressing each other. I take his shirt first and then he takes mine. They land somewhere far on the other side of the cave.
I push my breasts against his warm chest. The contact is incredible. He crouches down and wraps his lips around them, his arm tightening around the back of my legs to keep me in place. I grab onto his hair as his fingers unzip my pants, he pulls them down and I step out of them.
I almost squeal as he sweeps my legs and supports my whole back, dropping me softly to the rough ground beneath him. He leans over me with hunger in his eyes. He presses his lips into my throat and gives gentle kisses before trailing his kiss to my breasts and then down my stomach.
I feel a slight pressure as his tongue presses up against my underwear. Thorn grips the edges and pulls them down my legs. I'm suddenly nervous. He senses that and takes my hand.
"Just say the word," he says.
I shake my head. Nerves are natural. "I'm fine."
He continues at a steady pace, almost like he's testing my reactions by the second. I gasp out as his tongue claims a place that ignites such an intense pleasure that my fingers claw into his hand. I am completely naked and vulnerable in front of him and that doesn't scare me at all. I trust him. I feel safe with him.
I have never felt safe with anyone.
He doesn't use his fingers which I am grateful for. He keeps both of his hands locked to mine and I don't allow him to let go. The pressure is changing. I become intoxicated by a sudden burst of pure and raw pleasure.
"What is happening?" I say breathlessly.
Thorn doesn't answer me. He allows my fingernails to scratch over his skin as I roll my head back. I moan so loudly that it's almost a scream. I am captivated by this powerful sensation. My legs start shaking and I can't stop them. Thorn leans back and watches my reaction. He smiles at me.
I can't breathe. I rip my hand from under his and I hold my chest. "Was that...?"
"I knew you were a virgin but you've never had an orgasm before?" he says in amazement. "Not even from yourself?"
"Why does that sound like judgement?"
He laughs. "I'm not judging. I'm honoured."
I lift myself up and grin at him. He crawls over my body, kissing his way back up to my throat.
"Please don't hate me. I want to more than anything," he whispers. "But we can't right now." He leans back and sighs, rubbing my chin regretfully.
"My pants," I say.
"What?"
"Over there. My pants." I nudge my head to the left.
He squints in confusion before leaning over and dragging my pants across the ground. He keeps his eyes on mine as he nestles into the pockets. He brings out the condom and starts grinning.
I move to my knees and I slide over to him. He stays still as I pop open his pants button and I push him backwards onto his bottom. His pants are irritatingly thick, I have to use all my strength to drag them down his legs.
I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. I'm relying on both instinct and what I've learned in the last few minutes. I remove his underwear and I swallow nervously at the sight of the large, erect penis. I've never seen one before, it stuns me for a moment.
"Do you need a biology lesson right now?" he says.
I twist my head at it. Thorn is finding it amusing which is a relief. I lean my face over it and it pokes my chin. He notices what I'm doing.
"Devon, you don't have to-"
I finally go in from a good angle and I wrap my lips around it.
"Fucking hell," he hisses. "No teeth! No teeth!"
I lean back automatically. "Sorry," I say through my laughter. I almost fall backwards laughing. "I'm getting there. Just be patient."
"I am."
I compose myself, taking deep breaths before I go in for a second try. I try a different tactic and I use my tongue, gently trailing it up and down. He likes that. I glance up to see him biting on his lip.
"Come here," he says.
I sprawl my body against his and I drop to his side. He twists to be on top of me and his hand softly moves in between my legs while he opens the condom with his teeth.
"Your heart is beating really fast," he says. "Just try and relax."
"I don't know how."
He leans down and presses his lips against mine. It's a distraction but I don't mind. I wish he'd count down or something because the suspense is nerve wrenching. I'm not completely naïve to sex. I know that there's going to be pain. I saw how big it was, I felt how big it was in my lips. There's no way he's getting that inside of me without provoking a scream.
I keep my hand at the back of his neck. I use his kiss as a painkiller. He is a drug that I have to take, if only to ease this bond so that I can think straight again.
I clench on my teeth as the tip enters me. The pain is instant. It is like I am being sliced and stabbed with various weapons. The noise that leaves my mouth is a pained one. Thorn can't do anything about that and he watches me cry out with no way to help me.
"Do you want to stop?" he says.
I'm not sure. The pain is sharp and intense and he hasn't even fully entered me yet. I nod my head.
"Okay," he says.
Just as he starts to pull out, the pain starts to become bearable. I grab onto his shoulder and I pull him back to me.
"Wait."
He looks frustrated. "Devon, give me some clear instruction here."
I pull his face back down to mine and I push my tongue into his mouth. He enters me again, slowly riding me into the ground. It's uncomfortable but it's getting better and better. The sensations are amazing.
I want him even more. I moan against his lips, unleashing gasps and even growls that I can't contain. It lasts for so long. I never want it to end. I can tell that he wants to unleash the full frenzy of the mating bond onto me but he resists it, keeping at a slow pace until I'm ready for him to take me completely.
He rubs his fingers at the top of the pressure and the sensations are building and building until we are both trembling. I am so close again. He bites against my breast as his finger moves against my clitoris.
I roll my head up and I scream.