Bound by Moon & Blood (Book 1)

A heavy silence fell over them. Both Liv and Caden said nothing as they thought about what was said.

“Is there a way to know?” She looked at Caden and dropped her hands as she shook her head. “No.”

“Then you are going to decide what you have to do.” He said with a hard voice before he moved to grab her arm. Liv evaded him and stopped him with a surprised look. “You’re not going to demand that I cure him?”

“Don’t get any ideas in your head. King still needs you. That’s the only reason why I’m not demanding you to save him.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room before shutting the door.

“If I recall correctly, you didn’t give a damn about what King wants.” She said as he pulled her to the stairs. Caden didn’t react he just kept pulling her to the staircase. The grip he had on her arm did more than it should. With every passing moment the curling sensation in her abdomen intensified. She needed him to let go, like right now. As if Caden sensed what she was going to do he tightened the grip on her arm. Causing pain and the curling sensation to intensify.

“I can walk on my own, you know.” Despite her effort to keep her voice normal it came out strained.

“I know.” His voice was hard as he stopped walking and turned to face her. A shiver went down her spine as she saw the promise of pain in his eyes. “Because you’ve clearly had no problem following my beta and spying on us.” Somehow his voice became even darker.

“Before you kidnapped me, you followed and spied on me for a month so we’re far from even.” He scoffed and looked away from her as if he didn’t know what to do with her.

“What is your problem with me?” That made him look back at her.

“I don’t like you.”

“Yeah, I don’t like you either, but that’s not it, is it?” She said as she crossed her arms over her chest. He didn’t answer her. They both held each other stare like one of them was going to die if they didn’t. A question broke to the surface and before she could even stop herself, she asked, “Who are you? Truly?” It was a long shot to ask the question and expect any answers from him.

“I am who I am.” Caden answered.

“And who is that exactly?” She took a step closer, which turned out to be a bad idea. As her body reacted to him in a way she didn’t want.

Caden leaned closer to her, which was also a bad idea. She could barely contain herself from flinging her arms around his neck and repeat what happened in the bar.

“An Alpha who wants to remove a Disperser from his pack.” Liv took a step back as if she was slapped in her face. In all honesty, it also felt like she was slapped in her face. Caden smirked as he knew what calling her that felt like. Her chest constricted and she swore she could hear the wolf inside of her whine. Liv was a Disperser; she has been the moment her pack was killed. King never took her in to the pack as one of his own. So, she has been a lone wolf, a Disperser, for years now. It was one of the most painful things when it lasts too long as a wolf needs a family, a pack, to thrive and grow stronger. It was one of the reasons why Liv had actually succeeded in pushing the wolf back.

Being a Disperser was almost no better than being a Rogue. The difference between the two was that a Rogue is dangerous and is kicked out of a pack because they have a bloodlust that can’t be stilled, or because they are just evil, and a Disperser has lost their pack or decided to leave to find their mate or other family. The two are basically the good and bad side of a lone wolf.

She had never allowed herself to think about what she was, yet here was the reminder she didn’t need.

“Word of advice, Moonblood.” Caden said as he grabbed her arm again and pulled her against him. A little groan left her mouth as she clashed against his chest. The urge pushed her body to work in overdrive to make sure that it was known what her body wanted. “Don’t attempt to find out who I am. You won’t like what you’ll find.” He said right before she noticed his nostrils flare and her heart sank.

“Thanks for the advice, now let me go.” She said as she clenched her fists and willed her body to stop reacting to him.

“You sure you want me to?” Oh, she was sure, her body just didn’t agree with her. She wasn’t going to give in. She still had some respect for herself left. “Let. Me. Go.”

Caden’s smirk grew before he released her arm and let her go. Okay, that was something she didn’t expect. He took a step to the side, giving her permission to leave. “If you want to leave, go.” Wary she took a step forward. Everything inside of her was screaming not to leave. She hated the feeling, but it made her reluctant to go. Liv took another step as her eyes were focused on the staircase, before she stopped. The urge, the desire, it was becoming too strong. It has been for a while now. She was in so much trouble. Her hyperawareness sensed Caden moving to stand behind her. Liv closed her eyes briefly as her heartrate started to speed up.

“Where have I seen this picture before?” Caden’s voice sounded close to her ear. He was talking about the bar. Her stomach clenched as she remembered everything more vividly than before.

The feeling of his hands roaming her body.

The feeling of his lips on hers.

The feeling of him inside of her.

Her mind, body and Caden were playing the same game. They were teaming up against her and she was losing big time.

“Of right. It was in a bar, where I fucked you against that wall for everyone to see.” His voice was husky as his breath stroked her neck and ear. A shaky breath left her as she felt his hand run up her arm. Making the hairs on it rise. “Please, don’t do this.” She whispered. A dark chuckle came from Caden. “Why not, little Moonblood? Tell me why you are begging me to stop.”

“I don’t want this.” She said a little clearer, even though it was the biggest lie she could tell anyone right now, and Caden knew. He grabbed her arms and pushed her with her chest against the wall. A startled breath left her as she clashed against the wall and Caden’s arms caged her in. His body was pressed against hers and her stomach clenched once more.

“Don’t lie to me, little Moonblood.”

The walls she had built the last couple of days were staring to crumble down the longer his body was pressed up against her own and she hated how she loved the thought of submitting to him. She hated how much she wanted to give in, and at the same time it was the only thing she wanted and needed right now.

“Why do you want me to stop when everything inside of you is screaming to give in?” He asked, his voice yet again close to her ear. Close enough to feel his warm breath caress her neck. Closing her eyes again as she laid her forehead against the wall. “Because I have no control over this.” She whispered. A low chuckle came from Caden, making her body feel the movement of his chest against her back. Liv clenched her legs together to stop what she knew was already forming.

“You have all the control you need.” He said with a dark voice before he pulled himself off her and turned her so she was standing with her back against the wall now. He pressed his body against hers. Her breathing sped up as she felt every inch of him against her. She held his gaze as he looked down on her. He firmly, but also gently, grabbed her chin and ran his thumb over her lower lip as he tilted her head up. Everything inside of her body was going haywire as her walls came crushing down and her desire took over. Caden leaned in a little more, before he stopped and smirked. “None.” He said right before he pulled himself away from her. Liv sagged against the wall as she gave him an unbelieving look. He merely winked at her before he walked away and left her alone.

Everything started to ache from the constant tenseness of her body. She was completely taken over by desire that every part of control she had over herself slipped away. Releasing the hold she had on something else as well. Liv doubled over as a sharp pain ran through her insides. A pain she knew. A tear ran down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around herself and felt another stabbing pain in her back.

The shift.

It was happening.

“No...” She quickly looked around to see any fast way out of this house. The only way out was either the staircase or the window to her left. Not wanting to explain why she jumped out of the window, she moved quickly to the staircase. A sharp pain, that went straight through her bones, stopped her escape as she whimpered and grabbed her leg. She breathed through the pain, before she felt another in her shoulder. She needed to move. Now.

Liv grinded her molars as she ran down the stairs. She didn’t care who was in the Livingroom of the house, she ran straight out of the door. Before her foot stopped working and she fell down on her knees on the porch. A sharp pain ran through her foot before she felt the bone break. “Liv? What’s wrong?” She heard Devon’s voice, but she didn’t react to him. She needed to get to the woods and away from this pack. They couldn’t see what was going to happen to her if she succeeded.

With an extreme pain that ran through her bones and a broken foot, she pushed herself off the porch and willed herself to run, at least, she walked as fast as she could thanks to her foot.

“Livana!” Devon yelled after her. Liv shut him out, she shut everything out. She pushed herself to go faster and soon entered the forest. She didn’t know how long she ran for before her bones started breaking, one after the other. The pain was too much. Liv screamed as she fell on the ground. Her skin ripped open thanks to the brutal way some of her bones broke. Giving her horrid looking wounds on her back, legs arms and shoulder. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt her skin and bones starting to move, before her nose and jaw broke as well. Her body was immobilized. All she could do was lie on the ground and fight a mental battle. Liv closed her eyes as focused on all her willpower to push the wolf back. She wouldn’t shift. Not now. Not when she was in hostile territory and may or may not turn into a feral wolf.

She can’t shift.

She can’t.

She won’t.

She won’t shift!

Her bones stopped moving. Everything just stopped. It was like her body was frozen in time. The pressure in her head intensified. It felt like her head was going to explode as another side of her was battling her for control. She wouldn’t give in. It was no option to let the wolf out. Not only because she doesn’t want to now, but also because she was terrified of what happens if she does shift.

Her head was splitting into two. More tears streamed down her cheeks. This wasn’t happening. She wasn’t going to let this happen. With all the strength she had left she pushed the side of her wolf back where she had locked it up and forced it to stay there. As soon as the pressure in her head disappeared, she released a long breath as exhaustion washed over her. She waited for a few moments before she was sure that it was over.

She had stopped it. She had actually succeeded in doing to stupidest thing she has ever done. Cursing herself she relaxed her body, only to whimper and stiffen again as she felt the pain of her bones and wounds. Relaxing was something that had to wait. As was leaving. All she could do was wait for her bones to heal.

The thought of it being over evaporated as quickly as it came as she heard footsteps coming closer.

“By the gods, Liv!” Devon. He had followed her.

She opened her eyes as he fell on his knees in next of her and looked at her with worry filling his entire feature. He brushed some of her hair away from her face and looked with horror at her broken nose and jaw, before he took in the rest of her broken and wounded body. “Don’t worry, I’m going to get help!” He said as he got up. A cry left her mouth which caused him to look back at her. He gulped as he saw her pleading eyes. “You need help, Liv.” Another whimper left her. It was the only thing she could do to let him know she didn’t want any help. She couldn’t be seen like this. They would know what happened, and she didn’t want to know what they will do if they know. They could force her to complete the shift or use her broken body to King’s advantage. She couldn’t let that happen. Yet, she couldn’t tell Devon any of her worries or give him any explanation as her jaw was still broken. All she could do was hoping that her eyes told him everything she wanted to say.

After a silence that felt like hours had gone by, Devon released a long breath before he sat down on the ground and brushed some of her hair away from her neck. “I’ll stay with you, but as soon as you’re able, you’re going to tell me what the fuck happened and why you stopped the shift.” As if he realized what he just said he sighed again. “And more importantly, how you were able to stop the shift.” Liv averted her eyes. She knew she had some explaining to do, but she dreaded it already. “Rest, I’ll be here and make sure no one will come searching. You’re safe.”