Warlord's Ward

Ownership

He tugged slightly in reaction to my sudden assault, but quickly stopped. Lowering his head in submission to the bite.

I released, seeing the tinge of red dampness that left fat drips on his fur.

I turned to leave, but found him doing the same. Stopping me in my tracks. I yipped in surprise but quickly let him do the same to me. Understanding what we were sharing. Feeling the wave of energy that poured from me into him at that simple contact. A shared bond that would only grow over time.

A claiming.

His bite was perhaps lighter, more controlled than mine.

But it'll certainly leave new scars on me.

He unfurled from animal form. Letting the fur fall away as he stood naked. Touching the spot on his neck seeping blood. He examining the fluid marking his hand and looked at me stunned.

I leapt into his arms, and he caught me. Fur and tail and all. Just wanting to be closer to him.

He moved his arms to accommodate me as I changed forms. My body uncurling from the fetal position as I stretched and my legs fell over one of his forearms, my shoulders the other. My dark, red-tinged hair toppling over his arm in wild waves to reach nearly to his thighs.

"What have you done?" He asked me in wonder.

"I didn't think. I just did it."

"It will put you in danger."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No mate. You're just mine now. You'll be in trouble if you ever try to escape from me."

"But you said you're leaving me."

"I am, but now you are claimed and you will remain so while I'm gone."

His tone and demeanor had changed from a man that was sad and reserved and afraid that my desires might change.

To a man who was entirely possessive.

"Why have you changed so much?" I blurted.

His blue eyes turned astonished. "You just claimed me. You marked me as yours to ward off all other she-wolves. The cost of that is that you too have been so marked. Now we belong to each other and the cost of adultery in a pack can be fierce. For we are all possessive creatures."

He's right. I felt possessive of him. The mere thought that he'd leave me and possibly be taken by another she-wolf had bene too much for me to bear.

My reaction had been primal. An instinctive desire to tag him for all others to see.

And he responded in kind.

***

The door to the cold dungeon creaked open. King Detry stood in the doorway. Staring down into what looked perilously close to an empty well.

"Irasus!" He barked.

There was a flood of writhing naked female bodies as they uncurled from each other like piles of snakes.

One dark head lifted. A gorgeous face with high cheekbones stared up at him.

"It's time you make amends for failing me with Braxus."

Her lips parted as though she'd say something. Her expression torn between fear and being hopeful.

"Come here." He crooked his finger.

She rose and climbed over other naked bodies to reach a rope ladder he unraveled and tossed down to her.

She caught her bare foot on it and scrambled up.

Other women cried out and caught at the bottom of it. Trying to pull it down. Some swept at Irasus' heels trying to yank her off but she scurried up it with the agility of a mouse.

Detry nodded at the man next to him. "Pull it up. I don't want the others getting out."

Irasus blinked at Detry.

He looked up at her. She was an inch or two taller than him. She'd always been skinny and curvaceous but now she was very thin, and her skin had lost some of its golden luster from the months spent in the dark, dank hole.

He lifted a handful of thin gold chains with two metal bars dangling from them.

The sight of which, made her wince.

"Are you ready to be my pet again?"

She nodded with large, mournful eyes.

"Come." He caught her elbow and whirled her around next to him. Dragging her naked through the ravaged castle halls toward his chambers.

"What happened here?" She asked him in shock. She'd never seen the opulent castle in such disrepair.

"The mages."

She gave him an astounded look.

"They've escaped." He shook the handful of fine gold chains like a leash at a dog. "You're going to help me get them back."

"Why not Warlord?" She knew of the fierce half mage, half wolf that Detry had swept up and made the leader of his mages. In essence, replacing her.

"He led them."

She hissed through her teeth. "We're going after him?"

"Yes." He said flatly. "We are."

"He is dangerous."

"Precisely why I can't have him out there running amuck. Ready to come back at me, at any moment."

"So we hunt him down."

"You do."

***

He shoved her through his chamber door and shut the door in the servant's face. "Bathe."

He pointed to the tub. She mopped herself down. Cleaning her dingy skin.

He nodded to her lower region pointedly.

She used the sponge to scrub herself until her lower lips were red and swollen.

He nodded toward the bed. "Lean over it."

She hesitated.

"Go!" He roared. "You remember."

She dutifully walked to the huge bed and leaned over, thrusting her backside out to him.

He walked to her and kicked her ankles apart, until she was fully open for his inspection. "Lovely."

He twisted the screw on the gold bars until they opened along the tip. Then he lined them up with her openings. He pushed the cold, flat-tipped bars into her. Making her gasp at the cutting sensation of the blunted edges.

Her back stiffened and she had to quickly remind herself to relax, or she risked being truly torn.

The bars were fully set in with ruthless purpose.

The immediate, familiar, discomfort of being filled in both holes washing over her.

Then he began tightening the screw.

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