Page 65 of Wolf Desired

“Because you’re not supposed to be alive. You’re supposed to bleed,” Sterling hissed, his voice coming from the right. “Hedesires your screams.” No, Sterling was to my left.

I whirled around, jerking this way and that, but couldn’t see anyone in the darkness and couldn’t seem to make myself stop looking. If I had night vision like a normal shifter, I’d have been able to see him… maybe. No. Iwouldhave.

“Scream little wolf,” Royce growled, his voice right behind me, making me lurch, my heart in my throat.

“No,” I squeaked. “Never.”

But I knew they could smell my fear, knew I’d finally come to realize that fighting them, fighting everything, was futile. It just prolonged my suffering.

“If you won’t scream, then you’ll bleed,” Sterling snarled and dozens of flying snake monsters swarmed around me.

I batted my hands at the closest ones, slapping them away, but there were too many and they moved too quickly. Their sharp teeth tore into my flesh, while their tails wrapped around my arms, slowing my movement, and one wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air.

Another blast of laughter roared around me and the ground lurched beneath my feet. I heaved and squirmed, agony burning with every bite, each breath a desperate gasp. I had to get them off me, and Ihadto keep my balance. If I fell, I’d never get back up again.

“Scream, prey. Scream and cry and beg and feed Tzanagoth,” Sterling howled, as the snake around my neck vanished and the agony in my body roared into an inferno, igniting every inch of me inside and out. “Scream and bleed.”

“No,” I forced out, tears streaming down my cheeks, as blood poured down my arms and chest. My white transformation dress was soaked and every time my blood splattered on the ground it exploded into a ball of red mist and birthed another snake.

I clawed and swatted at them, yanking one hand free, then the other only to be captured again. My heart pounded, threatening to tear out of my chest. I had to get them off me, had to run, had to escape.

But just as I heaved both arms free and wrenched away the snake around my neck and turned to flee, something seized my hair and jerked me back.

Royce.

He tightened his grip in my dirty blond locks, just like he had that horrible night, and he used it to haul me up until my bare toes skimmed the ground. Pain lanced through my scalp, and I heaved and clawed against his hold, uselessly repeating everything I’d tried the night of the transformation ceremony.

“You’re supposed to scream,” he snarled, raking his claws down my chest, ripping open my dress, and slicing into my flesh as if it hadn’t just been ripped and bloody moments before.

I squeezed my eyes shut, praying I’d wake up.

It was just a dream. Just a dream.

“Waking won’t be any better,” Sterling laughed. “You’re still an alpha’s whore and they’re going to use you until you die.”

They wouldn’t. I wouldn’t let them. Please. I couldn’t.

But I was nothing compared to them, compared to everyone. They could take what they wanted and they would. They were alphas.

“No,” I begged. “Please.” Just the thought of seeing Bishop with Sterling or Royce’s malicious expression hurt. He wasn’t a psychopath. He couldn’t be. He’d never use me like that… wouldn’t he?

“Of course he won’t,” Royce growled. “I won’t let him, because you’re mine. You’re my whore and I didn’t get to fuck you.”

Royce’s black smoke lashed around my body, binding me to the ground, and the flying snakes latched onto me with their sharp teeth.

“You belong to me,” he sneered as the snakes started burrowing into my skin.

Pain roared through me and I heaved against the smoke. They were going to take over, possess me. I could feel their sickening evil, born of violent blood sacrifices, oozing through my veins.

“No.”

“Oh, yes,” Sterling crowed.

“Please, no.” I had to get free, had to get them off of me, out of me. I had to. I had to. They were going to take over, consume me from the inside out, and empower the malicious god that Sterling and Royce had tried to summon.

With a strength I didn’t know I had, fueled by a panic that consumed all other thoughts, I wrenched one of my hands free and clawed at the snakes sinking into my skin.

“Get out. Get out!” I didn’t belong to them. I didn’t belong to anyone. Not even Knox. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Tzanagoth consume me.

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