[A/N] This image was sent in by someone (they weren't interested in a shout out). It's of an angry Lowell, 'bout to go wolf mode on his dad. Damn. It looks good.
"Grab him." He ordered his men, stepping forward as Lowell began to get out of the bed, pressing strangely back into me in a panic, his hand brushing my trouser pocket.
"If you fight this." He cocked his head. "Not that you'd win, but if you try; I'll tell dad, and you know, he's so much more practical about these things. Maybe he'd even be able to find a better solution..." He raised his hands freely. "Who knows."
That stopped Lowell dead in his tracks while I grabbed from the bed, my hands and forehead clammy, my breathing fast.
Was he saying his father would kill me?
If I wasn't burning up I probably would have felt cold.
I swallowed, inhaling slowly.
"Lowell." I addressed him, watching his head snap back to me. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Once you mate with her..." I spoke in a quiet, clear voice, the look in my eyes clearly conveying that by 'mate with her' I really meant 'buy more time'. "We'll be able to leave."
He looked distracted, chest heaving, only paying enough attention to hear what I said after a moment. His eyes narrowed, I saw his shoulders broaden as he hunched slightly. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"
I felt the slice of shock that comes with someone talking to you like that, while both of us were still visibly, seemingly unconsolably, aroused.
"Lowell..."
He stood up slowly, his eyes narrowed further if it was possible.
My heart jogged in my chest.
"You're asking me to-"
"It's not such a big deal." I smiled at him, sweating. "We'll probably be able to keep meeting up if you explain things properly... Then we'll be able to go home."
Lowell gave me an expression that felt like he was conveying the sentence 'I know you're fucking with me, but you're actually pissing me off'. I didn't mean it but that didn't stop his expression from turning dark as though he thought I did.
Although I knew he wasn't it wouldn't be the last time I saw him look angry at me it was still a little nerve-wracking facing the buff guy, looking about ready to shift into the terrifying, beautiful black wolf, a certain darkness sweeping over his face.
"Well," Bazile smiled, seeming vaguely surprised I spoke up. "He won't. But the points the still stands."
He strode up to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder which caused my skin to crawl more heavily than I'd experienced it before, it grated on my skin. I had to shiver to ease some of the cold discomfort the contact created, and the feeling I got taking a step away nearly made me sick. And while we walked Bazile's eyes kept examining from the side, like he couldn't believe something.
[Lowell's POV]
None of this made sense. That declaration kept swirling about in my head as my skin prickled with awareness, that delicious scent still on my bedsheets, the image of Max, more ready for me than ever, spread out, burning up underneath me.
I could have killed him.
It took a conscious effort not to.
And the only reason why I had to force, with every fibre of my being, not to rip him apart with the kind of dismissive cruelty that would have frightened Max for sure, was because even though I felt so strongly that I could take him for sure, I was probably wrong.
Bazile was alpha, he'd been training as alpha, he was naturally going to have an upper edge on me. Was it possible for a regular wolf, or better yet, a beta, to overcome an alpha? Absolutely, if they really put their mind to it anyone could be motivated enough to see Bazile gutted, but I'd had that same feeling before.
I could take him.
For about a month after that I struggled to see.
The use of my torn off fingers only returning because a human surgeon attached them back to my hand with dissolvable string, a surgery that took eight hours in total for all three, because attaching the various parts that needed attaching would have been a lot easier if my body wasn't constantly trying to heal itself.
So mostly blind and unable to move my hands I was suddenly homeless, practically disowned and penniless too.
Reed saved my life as recompense, stealing my inheritance for me. It wasn't that much in total, enough to live on for a good while though. Around fifteen percent of the estate would be inherited down to me when Bazile became alpha, that was how it worked because too often fights broke out between brothers, that was their safeguarding plan. Only my father didn't care enough to let me have that money, as shattered as I was.
If that happened again... I could do it over again, provided Dr Gwen was still available to contact.
But Bazile had always disliked the shit out of me, I'd never understood him. Every time I got close he said or did something shitty that made me look down on him.
He wouldn't just tear me apart this time, he'd get my mate killed.
That feeling felt like frost was crawling through my bloodstream.
My stomach gnawed at me, and bizarrely, despite being so angry I realised the nails of my claws were sticking through the duvet sheets, I had the strangest feeling that Max would take care of himself.
He wasn't as weak as you normally expected a submissive mate to be. He was sort of... take charge at times. Logical.
Still, I needed to get someone on my side here, someone to take care of him while I couldn't. It wasn't like I didn't make any friends in this massive pack during my stay here, I'd venture to say that most people had preferred me over Bazile but fate had, had him in mind as alpha. Anyone I was obviously buddy buddy with would probably have been demoted by him after I 'left'.
I got up and stalked toward the door and I bristled when I heard the sound of people shuffling in front of it.
Three? No, four.
I could take four.
I closed my eyes and breathed, settling on pacing the room.
One second more I could have marked him, I could have him forever showing off that he belonged to me.
But if I had done that... he would be dead right now.
I needed to get out of here like Max said, I needed to speak to my father. To find out what he really wanted from me. To get him to move Max back with me, or into a different room. I'd beg if I had to, no matter how much I disliked the man I wasn't above it.
[Maxwell's POV]
He shoved me into the room, that preserved smirk still on his face. He was taller than Lowell by about an inch or so, not that it did much for him. Otherwise surprisingly similar in appearance, yet there was more muscle, in his neck and upper arms, a prominent vein leading up his neck, wearing expensive sweatpants, black shirt meant to eventuate it all, and a hat.
I stumbled inside, I needed a cold shower before anything and took no time at all finding the door that looked to lead to the bathroom.
Eyes on it I glanced back at Bazile who stalked inside looking particularly proud of himself.
Lowell's brother. I tried to remember that, but it just made me dislike him more knowing how they treated him. I didn't understand everything that was going on but I knew enough to dislike them.
"Is it cold?" I asked him.
It looked like it took him a moment to realise I was speaking to him. "What?"
"Are you cold?" I repeated the question.
"No..." He looked confused.
"Then you can take that hat off." I snapped at him as I edged toward the bathroom door.
There was a shift in his eyes, and he slowly folded his arms. "Excuse me?"
I breathed in deeply, opening the door, still struggling to push down the swelling heat that had every square inch of me begging to run back to Lowell, his scent was still on my clothes and it smelled so delicious that I almost felt high breathing in the traces on my shirt.
"You should consider making an appointment with an otolaryngologist." I spoke in passing to him. "Your hearing is appalling."
His eyes were wide, for a moment almost like a child, before I stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
My heart was still pumping wildly in my chest.
Part of that was me being angry with him, making digs the only way I knew how, but the other part of it was me trying to establish a different relationship with him than the one he expected, because if he knew how he wanted to handle me I wasn't sure I would come out on top during this arrangement.
Once inside I switched on the shower, but did not undress yet.
First I pulled out the the small atomiser bottle Lowell had rather unceremoniously shoved into my pocket. I'd felt it, but I didn't know what it was.
From my other pocket I pulled out my phone.
It might have sounded stupid to have a phone, but none of them must have had much experience kidnapping people because I didn't notice a time they checked Lowell either. I was fairly certain he probably still had his wallet too, provided he kept it in his pocket and not his coat.
I sat on the toilet and hurried out a message.
[ M e ] Should I call the police?
Nothing, no reply. I waited a while longer before I realised the message hadn't sent. I tried again. Nothing. Again. Nothing.
Then I realised there was no cell service here. It wasn't far away enough from town to have no cell service, I was sure of it, the drive wasn't long enough, they had to have interfered with it somehow. No wonder they weren't worried about us keeping our devices.
But then how did they all interact with each other? They had to have Wi-Fi...
I opened up the Wi-Fi list and there it was, I believe, a communal Wi-Fi called 'House WIFI'.
I tried to connect, it was password protected.
I sagged a little in my seat.
I typed in 'housewifi' as the password.
It hovered for a moment, loading. It was always more annoying to try and fail then to quietly pretend you had a chance. But then connected. Didn't even ask for any further confirmation.
I blinked at the screen.
It took me a good moment to realise that I had just guessed their password based on coffeeshop habits.
Relieved, I sent the text again using the wifi allow function.
He replied immediately.
[ L o w e l l ] max
[ L o w e l l ] jesus am i relieved
[ L o w e l l ] dont call them, they thought of that a long time a go. lots of people working for the police belonging to our pack.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the contact, however minimal, sagging slightly as I aired out my shirt. So if they sent someone round they would only be a part of the pack? Where did that leave us. How could we file a police report under those circumstances? Wouldn't it get picked up by someone? But the questions were ultimately irrelevant.
[ M e ] That sounds a lot like the mafia.
[ L o w e l l ] yeah felt like it too. whats going on with you, are you okay where are you right now
[ M e ] Don't worry, I'm in the bathroom with the shower running.
[ L o w e l l ] don't do anything Max, i'll get you out of there. I wont let anything happen to you. Im sending someone to look out for you. if youre in trouble knock on the door, they'll find an excuse to come inside.
[ M e ] Alright, I'll have to contact my work if I can't file a police report.
I texted back.
[ L o w e l l ] i didnt mean to drag you into this. i had something totally different in mind
[ Me ] Lowell if you're in trouble you need to text me. Give me that peace of mind.
[ L o w e l l ] ill do that. stay put. ill take care of you i gave you my scent disguiser. spray it over yourself.
[ M e ] What for?
[ L o w e l l ] for the sake of my sanity just do it Max.
I frowned but weighed the scent disguiser in my hand. It only seemed to have caused troubles so far but he seemed desperate. I wasn't considering not using it, was just a little slow to reply when he eventually answered in a winded paragraph.
[ L o w e l l ] you don't just smell good to me. competition is supposed to urge the wolves in to mating. if you keep smelling as delicious as you do in a house full of wolves youll be in trouble. just because youre a man doesnt change that so listen to what im saying and do as i tell you to. hormones are stronger than sense. I wont let you end up on your back under someone before i can save you. you dont know how weak you are compared to everyone here.
It felt very odd to be ordered around by someone who was ultimately so much younger than me. His brother too. And yet everyone around here seemed to so easily treat me as though I was weak and useless. I'd never really experienced that before, aside from the save few straight men that realised you were gay and started edging around you like you were a woman.
My face that was already flushed, my skin everywhere sensitive, aching in a maddening way, must have turned an even darker shade of red.
[ M e ] That description was unnecessary, thank you. I will wear it.
[ L o w e l l ] good. take a cold shower, dont let the heat get to your head. do not sleep in the same bed as him max.
As far as my cursory glance saw there wasn't a second bed to speak of. Massive expensive room, about three times the size of Lowell's for no good reason, and not even a futon to speak of. That said I'd probably end up on the floor.
[ M e ] I'm not sure he'd want me to sleep on his bed.
[ L o w e l l ] You dont know my brother. hes doing this to fuck with me. please dont make me come over there.
I was suspicious that Lowell might be strong enough to fight his way out, the way he had ripped chunks off metal off of the bed of the trunk had me re-evaluating just how strong he was. Weston was lucky he survived the punch, at least I hoped he did.
The fact was if he did charge here like that we would both be put at risk. And I wasn't sure how much they treasured Lowell, his relationship with them put me highly on guard. So with my blood pumping in my ears I quickly pacified him.
[ M e ] Stay where you are. I'll find somewhere else to sleep.
After that I showered, letting the water switch from lukewarm to icy cold, trying to mediate the temperature of my skin.
I used minimal soap, just stood there with my legs buckling, wondering if the heat swelling in me might be enough to melt icebergs. I used my hand to ease the flow of cold water onto my cock slowly, trying to get it to go flaccid in a less painful way, unsatisfying as it was.
I got that funny feeling in my belly. Imagining Lowell in front of me. My breathing got quicker and I shut my eyes, trying to pull myself away from it.
But the memory of his hands roughly pinning my hands back and the weight of his body on mine and his lips brushing my neck were maintained.
There was a knock at the door, or more an impatient wrapping.
"Get out in five minutes or I come in." He snapped, voice slightly muffled through the barrier and the noise of running water. "If I wasn't taken by surprise I wouldn't have let you wash." He laughed through the door.
That meant something that I didn't understand but despite my irritation I finished up quickly. I grabbed and towel and the scent disguiser and cloaked myself in it like a cheap deodorant.
I was still wet when I tugged my clothes back on, too impatient to let anything dry. The atomiser and phone was beside the sink, if he came in while I was busy I doubted he would let me keep them.
So with my shirt still mostly undone and my items safely in my pockets I opened the door rather sharply, a mood of irritation sending the door faster than apparently either of us expected.
He was standing directly outside the door waiting, though, and the door smacked him directly in his head, the resounding sound of which startled even myself and as he stumbled back, a hand on his face, eyes wide, like a goliath whose feet even made enough noise to wake up a baby, I blinked in surprise.
I should have noticed him outside but I was in a rush, even his presence somehow seemed strong, like a heavy magnet drawing my eyes to him whether I wanted to or not. Imposing and smug about it, when he wasn't recovering from being hit by a door.
"Sorry about that..." I frowned, raising a hand to my chest edging around him. "But for goodness sake where was the door supposed to go?" I told him off as I moved past.
He looked me up and down, blinking, seemingly unsure of what to say as he hovered for a moment, forgetting to hulk around and posture. "...I wasn't..."
He narrowed an eye as he trailed off, still examining me as I tried to draw distance without looking afraid.
Which admittedly, I was.
[A/N] Loads of love to my patrons.. ♡°｡⸜(￣ ˘ ￣ ˵ )
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