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  Daring a peek from under the comforter, I was relieved to find the room empty. I sat up slowly, testing my equilibrium. My head felt fine, amazing to be honest. Other than my fetid ass-breath, I felt no mark of a hangover. To top things off, I espied a pair of sweats and a ratty tee neatly folded on the nightstand. I snatched them from the table and dragged them beneath the covers, quickly pulling them up and over my legs. They were baggy, but long enough to reach my ankles. I cheered mentally and shrugged the tee over my head.

  Now to find a way out of the house…

  While Icarus was irresolute on whether to keep me—whatever that meant—I was set on leaving. Sunday was too far away. Lamentably, sneaking down the stairs was out of the question. From what I could ascertain, there were at least a half dozen boys gathered in the kitchen, bantering idly over their breakfasts. I had a better chance of sneaking a bull into a china shop than escaping the house unnoticed. My best bet, I determined, was the window.

  I said a silent prayer that it wouldn’t stick from disuse. Carefully, I slid the latch over and curled my fingers beneath the lip of the sash. I counted to three and slid it slowly open, cautious not to make a sound. When it opened without a hitch, I had to restrain myself from doing the happy dance. I quickly peeked out, checking the lower floor. There was a small window below, but it was offset and wouldn’t be a problem. I slid my legs out first, rolled carefully to my belly then shimmied down until I held on only by my fingertips. Taking a deep breath, I let myself drop. My toes touched the ground below. I bent my knees, absorbing the shock, and landed in a crouch. I listened for a moment to see if anyone heard, but when I detected no pursuit, I sprang back to my feet and sprinted through the woods.

  I had fully anticipated on running all the way home but when I recognized Jack’s house, mainly because the tell tale garbage littering the yard, I deviated from my course, hoping to beg a ride. I had no shoes after all, and my feet were numb from the frost covering the ground.

  Jack’s house was completely trashed. Bottles and butts covered the patio. The Jacuzzi hummed off to the side. Wisps of steam rose from the water, dissolving into the chill, fall air. Someone’s bra lay draped over the side of the tub, dripping. Vomit puddled beneath the patio table, reeking of alcohol and stomach acid. I breathed through my mouth, suppressing the urge to gag.

  Opening the sliding door, I called for Jack, but received no answer. He was probably still sleeping. I wasn’t sure of the time. As I made my way through the kitchen, I closed the fridge. It was devoid of food, and the glass shelves were fogged and dripping with condensation into a puddle on the floor. I left footprints on the slate tile as I continued into the living room.

  Picking my way through the house, I was careful not to step on anything. The fish tank was busted. The once ivory carpet was saturated with fishy water. Guppies and gourami lay across the carpet, their round, glassy eyes staring vacantly as I passed. I continued up the stairs, sporadically calling for Jack. I found him passed out in his bed. From the looks of him, he was down for the count. Crap, I sighed dragging my hand through my hair. Crap. Crap. Crap.

  I’d have to wait for him to wake.

  Catching my reflection in the mirror, I decided it was for the best. I had raccoon eyes, my mascara and eyeliner smudged in a thick black rim. My hair was a virtual rat’s nest, knotty and matted with dead leaves interspersed throughout. If I went home like this, my mother would have the mother lode of all conniptions. Free love or not, she was still my parent. And she would assume the worst. I almost laughed. If she only knew.

  Remembering the twenty something girlfriend of Jack’s father, I hunted down the master bedroom and rummaged for a fresh change of clothes. As luck would have it, she was only a size smaller. I dug up a fresh pair of Guess jeans and a dazzling scoop neck tank made of black eyelet lace. Grabbing a black cami from the drawer, I forwent the undergarments and jumped in the master bathroom where I peeled the bandages from my neck. I was happy, though disconcerted to discover Icarus was right; I had healed completely. My wounds were gone, leaving a flawless stretch of skin without the slightest blemish to corroborate Marcus’s attack.

  Had I dreamed the whole thing, I wondered, gazing in the mirror. Maybe someone put something in my drink and I hallucinated. It was possible. The dog, Icarus, the wonder twins, they were definitely real. Only, fueled by the lures of All Hallows Eve, my imagination ran amok. My consciousness merged with my subconscious and created the ultimate nightmare.

  Wicked, but plausible and the most rationale of explanations.

  Yes, I dreamt it.

  Embracing the notion with abandonment, I washed my face, ridding it of sooty shadow and waxy liner then jumped in the steam shower and scrubbed from head to toe. The dirt impacted under my nails was hard to get around, but I chalked it off to folly. Jack probably wouldn’t remember half the things he did when he woke up. Drugs and alcohol could cause you to do some pretty stupid things. I’ve witnessed it firsthand. It seriously impairs your judgment.

  When I finished in the shower, I rooted through the bathroom and scored a new toothbrush. My day brightened considerably. Ass-breath begone. Orbit couldn’t do better for a dirty mouth. I brushed my teeth and then my tongue, washing the dregs of last night’s drunken antics down the drain. And because I felt totally invigorated, I danced my way to the bathroom door, singing a cappella into my toothbrush. I might’ve been a little overdramatic. Hell, while the night might’ve been one big nightmare, I was fairly sure Marcus really did cheat on me.

  “She fuckin’ hates me…la la la la love!”

  What I didn’t expect to find when I opened the door was a congregation of boys. Icarus stood in front of the rest, his blue eyes glaring while somehow at the same time, amused.

  I slammed the door in their faces.

  “Jesus Christ fiddle sticks!” They’re real. Really freakin’ real. Of course they were. Hadn’t I just settled that? I snuck out of their house this morning. I laughed to myself in a bubble of hysterics. Geez, what’ve I done? I woke in his bed, naked. I hadn’t given that much rational thought. Why was I naked? Had I slept with him? No, surely I would’ve remembered something. There was only one way to find out. Girding my loins, I opened the door.

  “Look,” I said, searching for the right words. “I…uh…I was really drunk last night. I don’t’ know what might’ve been said or done,” I flushed sheepishly, “but it was a big mistake. BIG, BIG mistake,” I emphasized and continuing prattling. “I had a really bad night, and if I did anything inappropriate, it was a rebound. But that’s beside the point. I don’t ordinarily... I reiterate, I was drunk. Really drunk.”

  The young curly haired boy snickered. Icarus only grimaced.

  “Why’re you looking at him?” the shorter wonder twin asked, gesturing to Icarus with his thumb. “It was my bed you slept in.”

  “Our bed,” Caius amended with a wink.

  “Oh, you share a full size bed?” I challenged, doubtful.

  The shorter twin grinned wickedly. “We share everything, Thale.”

  Ha! I thought, amused. No, I didn’t care how drunk I was, I think I’d remember something miraculous as the two of them in bed together. Wonder Twin powers activate.

  “Enough!” Icarus snapped, glowering. Everyone’s eyes abruptly found interest elsewhere, anywhere but on Icarus or me. The ceiling became a shared point of fascination.

  “I need to go,” I said, meaning to squeeze between them. The hard packed wall of male bodies refused to budge. Icarus, in fact, stepped directly in my center of direction.

  “Wait outside,” he told the others. “We’ll be out shortly.”

  As expected, they dispersed at his command. The runt stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring back longingly, but the taller wonder twin, Caius, steered him by his shoulder, out the front door. The door closed with an ominous snick, leaving me alone with Icarus.

  Crap. Crap. Double crap.

  Agitated, Icarus paced the floor, yet studiously blo
cked my exit. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, scrubbing the dark stubble covering his clenched jaw. Drawing a conclusion, he stopped and straightened, facing me. “You impose a danger to my pack.”

  “Your pack?”

  “Damn it, Thaleia, you’re refusal to accept this only makes it worse! You know full and well last night wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a figment of your imagination. Or the effects of the shots you drank.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed sarcastically. “It was a nightmare.”

  Fuming, Icarus stormed me, sticking his face in my face. “Is this a joke to you?”

  “No, damn it!” I snapped back defensively. “This is a lot to get your head around, let alone understanding the dynamics. The knowledge doesn’t come with the bite, Icarus. And I don’t really give a flying fuck about your pack. I just want to go home!”

  “Home, Thaleia?” Icarus scoffed. “What are your folks going to think when the moon’s waxing? You won’t know how to control the change. Unbridled, you’ll attack, infecting, if not killing everything within reach. Including your parents, and your little brother Bennie. That’s not something I can allow to happen, nor do I think it’s what you’d want.”

  I flinched at the mention of Bennie. “But you said you didn’t want me around.”

  “No, I don’t,” Icarus concurred. I thought I detected a hint of regret in his tone, but I was sure I was mistaken. “You’ll bring us trouble whether you’re under control or not.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You’re a bloody female! You’ll attract the attention of every male that crosses your path. My pack is hardly big enough or strong enough to protect you. Their only juveniles. And it doesn’t help if you’re putting yourself in harm’s way by sneaking out the window.”

  “Why didn’t you just use your magic voice thing and order me not to leave?”

  Something flashed behind Icarus’s eyes, I couldn’t quite interpret. It wasn’t quite anger, but it was discomfiting, nonetheless. At any rate, it wasn’t long before he enlightened me.

  “Kiss me, Thaleia,” he ordered. It wasn’t a request, but a command.

  “I’d rather lick a toad, thank you,” I declined. I declined! Excitement rushed over me. My face split into a huge smile. “Ha! It doesn’t work!” Nanny nanny poo poo! I wanted to stick my tongue out and wiggle my derrière in his face. Kiss him, pah! Kiss my ass!

  Glowering, Icarus looked none too happy about it.

  “You were weak last night leaving you susceptible to my influence. But you’re stronger now that you’ve healed. As you’re not of my blood, you’re exempt from my command. The same runs true of any alpha. They’d have to force you into submission before they’d have power over you, which they’d do before you had a chance to flutter your pretty little eyes at them.”

  I snorted derisively, and before I could blink, he had me subdued, wrists pinioned behind my back, chest pinned roughly against the wall. My breath came in gasps, crushed between his weight and the sheet rock. My breasts ached, squashed and heaving with my labored breaths. I had to turn my head to the side, my nose and cheek throbbing with pain from the impact.

  “Do you submit, Thaleia?”

  “Bite me,” I gritted through my teeth.

  “Tsk tsk,” he said, transferring his grip to one hand. Sliding one finger beneath the collar of my shirt, he exposed my shoulder to the nape of my neck. “This doesn’t need be difficult.”

  “Funny, it sounds as though you’re enjoying this.”

  Indeed, his nose skimmed my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin. He nuzzled back and forth, his lips parting, tongue snaking out in a languid stroke. Hearing my breath catch, he chuckled darkly. I felt a sudden stabbing pain, and his teeth sunk into my trapezius. I screamed, my knees buckling beneath me. He held me upright, using my arms. Bound behind me like they were, my weight added to the pain. He was putting me to the question for Christ’s sake. I had no choice but to lock my knees to keep my weight off my arms.

  Below, the door opened. One of the pack, I assumed, because Icarus barked another command to stay out. I heard a sigh of lament and the door closed again. Spineless bastards.

  “Do you submit?”

  “Fuck you,” I sneered, refusing to cave. Again, taking my suggestion to heart, he followed the waist of my jeans, tracing the curve of my stomach. With a deft flick, he unbuttoned my pants and then coaxed my zipper down. I wriggled against his grip, but he tugged my arms upwards, stretching me to my toes and holding me there.

  “You could stop this at any time. Just say the word.” Slipping beneath the layer of denim, he groaned, his fingers trailing into my thatch of golden blonde hair. I had no panties on. Borrowing someone’s jeans was one thing, but I refused to wear someone else’s skivvies.

  “You are enjoying this, you freakin’ prick!”

  “Enjoying…” Taking a step back, he seemed to shake himself off. “No, I’m merely showing you how it’ll be. What it’s like to be dominated. It’s not very nice, is it?” Sharply, he jerked my arms upwards when I wrestled to break free. “On your toes, Thaleia, that’s where you’ll ever be. Watching over your shoulder. Smelling the wind. Wondering if a male’s caught your scent. Get used to it.” Not altogether slowly, his fingers slid lower, sliding between my thighs. “Christ, I rather believe you are enjoying this.”

  He sounded angry, indignation lacing his tone.

  I couldn’t help it. My hormones were at war with my mind. My body thrummed beneath his hands, despite the situation. There was something about being touched by Icarus. His movements were deft and precise. Not like Marcus or the others before him. They tested and fumbled their way around my body. But it wasn’t their incompetence that turned me off. I couldn’t stand the immaturity, like a puppy dog humping your leg. Icarus, on the other hand, had a motive. There was nothing childish about his actions.

  “I’m trying to teach you a lesson, Thaleia,” he hissed. Quickly, he extracted his hand and tugged the seat of my jeans lower, exposing my derrière. Deftly, he followed the cleft of my ass and I gasped, realizing his intention. With fervor, I clenched, this time embracing the pain in my arms as I struggled with renewed vivacity. Panic building up inside of me, I bucked against him, quickly discovering that I was powerless, subjugated.

  “I yield!” I shouted desperately. “I yield! Stop! Please!”

  Icarus’s head dropped against my shoulder in a mixture of relief and disappointment. His chest billowed against my back while he gathered his wits. Hesitantly, he lifted his head. I could feel his eyes on my face. I wouldn’t look at him. “Look at me Thaleia.”

  The urge was nearly unbearable. I must look. Digging my nails into my palms, I welcomed the pain and closed my eyes. Stopping my heart from beating would’ve been easier.

  Jerking my arms sharply upward, he growled. “I said look at me!”

  I heard a loud “Oomph!” behind me, shoving me forward, and then abruptly Icarus’s weight was gone from my back. My arms fell free. Blood rushed back into my tingling limbs. I whirled to find Jack straddling Icarus on the floor, pummeling him. Growling, Icarus flung him off, sending him crashing into the wall. Jack fell to the floor, limp and unconscious.

  “Trouble,” Icarus muttered, rolling to his feet. “Mark my words. Even the humans are fighting over you. I can see it now. I’ll never have another moment’s peace.”

  Buttoning my pants, I dropped to Jack’s side and checked him once over. He had a small egg on the back of his head, but seemed otherwise unharmed. He’d have a whopper of a headache come morning. Or afternoon, I quickly amended. “Help me get him back to bed.”

  “Leave him,” Icarus refused. “Let’s go.”

  Infuriatingly, I dropped Jack’s hand and followed at heel like an obedient little puppy, but managed to grimace and stare Icarus down while doing so. “Please,” I gritted. It was the least I could do. He defended me, after all. I couldn’t leave him on the floor like that.

  Icarus rolled h
is eyes and slung Jack over his shoulder, careless of his inert state. “Rule number one, you never, ever submit,” he scolded. “You just failed completely which means that you are now completely at my mercy, Thaleia Llorente. Welcome to my domain.”

  Chapter 3

  He hated me. I swore it as I scrubbed the floor in the kitchen. Icarus’s kitchen. I’d already cleaned the den, the bathroom—God help me, because it needed hazmat tape and a power washer rather than the measly sponge and scrub brush he’d provided—and select bedrooms in the house. This was his idea of punishment for yielding to him. Had another male lycanthrope dominated me, Icarus assured me I wouldn’t be afforded the same maltreatment.

  The irony was not lost on me. Had I not submitted to him, he would’ve offered me said maltreatment with certain relish. While he maintained that he disapproved of my presence, he was still a man. I have no doubt he would’ve enjoyed dominating me immensely. Personally, I think he was taking out a little pent up sexual frustration by making me clean his house.

  Tyrant. Sexist. Jerk.

  “Whoa, what’s that smell?” Lucius inquired, leaning across the kitchen island. Lucius was a taller, black-haired boy, wiry in build with dark eyes, almost black in color. Icarus had made a point not to introduce everyone. I was still an outsider. Since I wasn’t in a sociable mood, I didn’t take offense. Nonetheless, I’d paid attention. Crispin was the young curly hair boy. Maximillion resembled Icarus, though shorter in height. His eyes were much deeper in color, sapphire compared to Icarus’s pale cerulean. And Bacchus was the shorter wonder twin.

  “Are you cooking something?”

  The twins had watched with patent enthusiasm while I scoured their house, moving furniture, assisting in any task that allowed them to flaunt their masculinity. I ignored them industriously except to use my manners. My mother had taught me better. In any event, no matter how impassive I was, Icarus grew annoyed with the attention I was receiving, and he chased everyone off using his imperious voice. But slowly, one by one, the boys returned, drifting unconsciously to the island, enticed by the goings-on in the kitchen.