Chase (Chasing Tails Rewritten)

ThirtySix - Fight

 Julie pants, crying as another wave of magik rushes through her. She presses her face into the animal hide to scream, keeping her pain silent and a secret from Darren and his Alphas. The burning sensation on her neck hasn't diminished any and she knows it's because she's fighting the bond. As long as she fights it, Darren will never hold a true claim on her. And if Dresden stays alive, he'll never be able to impregnate her. At least, she hopes that his witch will never be able to find a way around that.

Miranda's magik shows itself in her veins as she looks on her arms. She can see it zooming through her blood stream. She squeezes her fist, her sobs coming out in struggling bursts as she hides away from the burning embers of the dying fire in front of her. Her wolf is reconnecting with her still but it won't be long before she's done and then Julie will have to face her first shift again. If things continue like they are, she'll have to do it alone and the thought of Darren walking in terrifies her. She doesn't want her wolf to be tainted by him. She wants her wolf to have her mate - not someone who forced himself on her.

She hasn't seen or heard of Darren since he marked her. He left her there, a bloody and crying mess, weakened by magik and the force of his bite. His power was seeping into her, poisoning her little by little in that moment and she did nothing to stop it. He didn't help her clean up or comfort her. He walked away, leaving a red-eyed Alpha in his wolf form to guard her. The beast continues to block the only entrance, even now and Julie refuses to let him see her weakness.

She thought she was scared before but now that Darren has proven he'd use force makes her more frightened than ever. She can't escape. She has no means of defeating a red-eyed Alpha in this state. She didn't know how many caverns or tunnels belong to this cave. She doesn't know the way out or how far she is from home. She's not even sure of how many Alphas Darren has under his command.

The feel of Darren's wolf attempting to connect to her returns again. She lets out a silent cry, squeezing the animal hides below her. They're nothing like Dresden's wolf hide. That one made her feel safe and warm and made her feel like she wasn't really alone. These remind her of death and despair, of demons hunting them and destroying them. They remind her of Darren and her mind breaks little by little as she resists the mating mark.

She misses Dresden. The feeling of his gaze as he looks at her appears whenever she closes her eyes. She can see him staring at her, watching her. He towers over her in a protective way, one that makes her feel steady and nervous all at once. She can feel his arms wrap around her, his hands as they traveled up her sides. She wants to be held by him again. She wants to hold onto him, to kiss him.

Instead, she has his brother attempting to claim her. The sick, sick feeling that erupts every time she thinks about him trying to kiss her makes her gag and choke. The red-eyed Alpha at the door always gives her cautious looks as if he'll do something if she were to get sick.

She doubts that. No, the red-eyed Alpha has strict orders to watch her and keep her here. He wouldn't dare move inside to help. He'd only report to his Alpha and then she'll have to deal with Darren.

There's only one way she can think of getting out of this hell hole but it's a long shot. Nearly impossible.

"Aw, little one."

Julie shivers, holding her arm against her chest to hide the blue swirls of Miranda's magik as it continues its spell. She can hear the Alpha of Alphas chuckle as he lowers himself towards her, pulling away the animal hides that protects her. Julie sits up, pushing herself from him as his eyes takes in his irritated mark.

"I'll only continue replacing it until you accept it, little one," He warns, his tone missing that playfulness that's supposed to be reassuring. "You might as well give into me. Soon, Dresden will be dead and Jade will replace his bond to you with mine. We'll be mates regardless of you fighting it."