The Wild Hunt (Downworlder Series, #1)

Chapter Thirteen: The Wolf's Den

I stirred awake to the sensation of being rocked back and forth. My eyes fluttered open against the unforgiving light of day, my head lulling around. I blinked a couple times as I came back into awareness, the memories of what had happened to bring me to this point flooding my brain. I stared up at the underside of a strong jaw, long hair tucked behind his ears. His charged scent was cloaked around me like a heavy blanket warding off any other predators.

He glanced down at me with his dark eyes, our gazes meeting for a moment before he focused his attention on the path he was walking, "Tarzan, where are you taking me?" I questioned him as I moved my arm, noticing that our wrists were still linked together with the metal handcuffs. My mind was screaming at me that I needed to find a way to escape and get back to Octavia where I would be safe. I was sending up silent prayers to whatever gods that may have existed that I would give them my first born child if they would only get me out of this situation alive.

"Taking to den." He replied in his broken speech.

I tugged some more at the handcuff, feeling it bite into the healing wound on my wrist, "I need to go back to the city. I can pay you. I'll get you whatever you want. You want marks? I can get you lots of mark cards. I promise that Octavia would pay a lot to get me back." I suggested in a smooth tone, trying to think of anything that might interest his simple mind.

This had to be the worst situation that I had ever been in, even considering the beating that the twins had given me about a week ago. Miles was going to be so pissed at me once he found out what happened to me. In fact I wasn't sure that returning to my old life was going to be good for my health, a lot of people were going to be very upset by my sudden and unwelcomed disappearance.

The wild man snorted at my attempt to buy my freedom, "Don't know marks, Little Ribbon. Don't want marks."

I tugged at the handcuffs again more forceful, "What do you want then? Tell me and I promise I'll get it for you." I stated it through clenched teeth. I didn't want to start panicking again.

"Only want you. Belong to us, with us." He said in a tone that left nothing in question. His answer was simple but I couldn't understand what he meant by those words. How exactly did I belong to him? And was he going to take me to his Doyen? I certainly hoped not. I didn't want to be turned into a human slushee like they had done to Maggie.

"Please don't hurt me." I couldn't help but say the words. I didn't want to be murdered like they had done with Maggie. I felt a bubble of fear building in the pit of my stomach as my mind ran wild with all the possibilities of what he and his doyen had planned for me. The wild man's brow furrowed at my words and his lips curled up to flash me his teeth.

"Never hurt. No one touches what is ours. Kill anyone who try." He snapped his teeth together as if to reinforce the concept. The sight sent shiver up my spine, causing goosebumps to raise up over my exposed skin.

I stared up at him in confusion his words did not match his actions, "But that's what you do isn't it? Hurt people? You said collect people for your Doyen's messages..."

I watched his brow furrow at my question, "We collect lesser blood for Doyen. We already say this, little ribbon..." He clearly didn't understand what I was trying to imply with my words. He either was dense as a brick wall or he was completely uneducated in the realm of human communication and language. Either way this was not looking very good for me at the moment.

"And I'm one of these Lesser Bloods..." The word tasted foul on my tongue as I forced myself to say it. The beast growled her disagreement, she did not find us to be lesser beings. We were strong in her eyes. We had teeth and claws and knew how to use them. We had survived this long, we were not lesser. "What do you think your Doyen is going to when you show up with me? He is going to hurt me. Turn me into one of his message."