Share
18: He's A Predator. And I'm His Prey.
Related chapters
Of Teeth and Claws 19: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures
(Song: You Broke Me First by Out Last Night) The night air is unusually cold and the damp ground seems to penetrate my bare feet. The woods I find myself in block out most of the moonlight, but it doesn’t take much to know where I am. Stumbling around, flinching at the rocks and broken branches that jab at the soles of my feet, I try to navigate my way out. The feel of eyes watching me has me anxious. And clumsy. I nearly fall face first into a clearing. But the clearing isn’t a clearing at all. It’s a grassy ditch. Frantically, I start to climb out, but the wet grass has my bare feet slipping. I’m unable to get the leverage I need. From out of nowhere, in the woods behind me, a deep guttural growl brings my nightmares to life. A wolf, large and vicious, struts out from between the trees. Its fur is muddy brown and its eyes are red like blood. It advances on me. With each slow calculated step forward, I’m barely able to take a step in retreat. I claw at the wall of the ditch, despe
Of Teeth and Claws 20: Alpha's Orders
A man rushes into the room. Nox steps aside and that man, that stranger, attacks me by swooping me into his arms. “Oh, thank god.” He pulls me away from him. Gideon looks just like he did in the picture from my mother’s box. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” He rattles off. Kneeling beside the bed, keeping me at an arm’s length away, we look at each other. Past the blue eyes and blonde hair, my gaze gravitates on a scar across his neck. I’ve seen that before. His frantic words shake me from the growing memory, “when I heard that Nox found you wandering around in the woods…where your mother died, I was worried sick. Especially after Cato attacked you.” What? Wandering the woods? No, that was a dream. Right? At a loss for words, all I can do is shake my head. Was it real? Was I really in the ditch being stalked by wolves? Was I sleepwalking? Forcing myself to remember, I try to recall the dream…if it even was a dream. Bits and pieces come back. The differences stick out like a sore thumb. T
Of Teeth and Claws 21: And Here I Am
Trapped in a werewolf’s house. I assumed this day would come, but I didn’t actually think it would happen. Most paranoia is meaningless. Just your head running amuck. But here I am and there’s no way out. It’s obvious that someone is outside my door. They’d be foolish to leave it unguarded. What I need to do is plot. I need to plan my escape. If I were to make it out of this house, where would I go? Aimlessly wandering the woods, the woods that Nox is very familiar with, isn’t going to help me. I sidestep a small wooden box on the ground, the object that I had to have knocked over when I tried to get out the window the first time. Kicking it aside, refusing to give it any attention, I look out the window. The view doesn’t settle my stomach. If anything it makes it worse. There isn’t anything besides trees, dense thick forest for as far as the eye can see. There’s peaks of small structures poking out between trees off in the distance. It’s unsure if those are neighbors or buildings o
Of Teeth and Claws 22: This Place Is Filled With Ulterior Motives and Foreboding Secrets
I don’t notice the setting sun or the creak of the door. It’s his voice simply saying my name that startles me. Hopping to my feet, wiping tear streaks from my face, I put my shield back up. “What do you want?” Nox is more considerate than Silas. My aggression leaves him speechless, which is a first. With a single step forward his booted foot crunches a piece of glass. His eyes whip around the room before landing on the broken frame. “Did you do that?” “Maybe.” I don’t why I don’t admit it. It’s pretty obvious that I did it as I’m the only one in the room. “It was an accident.” Kinda. “Someone can clean it up while we attend dinner.” He isn’t mad, but somehow that makes this all so much worse. For some reason I can tolerate anger, but not sympathy. I can match anger with anger, but I can’t seem to let myself feel pity or compassion when I’m being held here against my will. Family or not. Crossing my arm defiantly, I jut my chin out, “I’m not going.” “Yes, you are. It’s not a cho
Of Teeth and Claws 23: I Can't Help But To Feel That I Got Dragged Into A Massive Shit Show
Luck isn’t on my side. I can see it in Nox’s eyes. I’m not getting out of this. Without answering, he grabs my hand and drapes it over his arm, keeping a firm grip on me so I don’t have a chance to slip away. We enter the dining room and there’s no missing the stares that come from Reyna and Raelyn. But they’re easily ignored as Gideon jumps to feet. “Nova, honey, I’m so glad to have you join us.” There are words on the tip of my tongue. Words expressing how being forced here is not exactly joining them. Nox squeezes my hand, halting any such words from exiting my mouth. Is he taking hints from Lyra? Either way, I keep my mouth shut and flash Gideon a fake smile. Can he tell? If he does, he doesn’t show it. Forced into the chair beside Gideon who sits at the head of the table, Nox sits to my other side. Directly across from me is Reyna. She lays her hand palm up on the table waiting for Gideon to place his hand in hers and Gideon graciously abides. He brings her knuckles to his lip
Of Teeth and Claws 24: So They Were Spying On Me
With my offer refused, I’m sent back to my room with Nox leading the way. I’m getting familiar with the main staircase and the walk back to my room at least. “It seems you have an admirer.” I blurt out. “She might be a little young, but-” “Raelyn is a child,” Nox spits out, “and after her outburst at dinner, she clearly continues to act like one.” Tell me how you really feel. Or not. Thankfully, we reach my room before I have to say something other than, “nice chat, but I should get some sleep.” Stepping inside the room, door quickly swinging shut, I expect to be alone the rest of the night. But Nox has other ideas. He stops the door from closing. “Don’t tell me you’re going to watch me sleep. That’s a little much,” I tease. “Is it? You did sleepwalk halfway across town and nearly got yourself killed the last time you slept unsupervised.” In a mocking tone, I repeat Gideon’s words, “there are guards posted. I’m safe.” Safe from who is unclear. Safe from escaping. That’s very clear
Of Teeth and Claws 25: Is It My Future Or My Past?
Song: Talk by Adelitas Way The woods I find myself circling are dark due to the clouded sky that blocks the moon from shining down. The humid air sticks to my skin. Rain is coming. My anxiousness intensifies with the feeling of eyes on me. Rustling leaves in the gentle breeze is expected, but the snap of a branch, a big branch fills the woods. It echoes through the trees sending animals skittering, birds screeching. A silence follows. An eerie deafening quiet that has me hearing the pulsing of my blood rushing through my veins. But everything comes to a stop when a howl breaks that silence. A howl not from a dog or a bear, but a wolf. Frozen in place, legs refusing to move, I stand there like an idiot searching for the culprit. My eyes scan between trees trying to pinpoint where the animal is lurking. It’s then that I see a set of blue eyes looking back at me. Upon our eyes meeting my legs start working. Adrenaline or fear propels me in the opposite direction. Weaving in and out
Of Teeth and Claws 26: Welcome To The Pack House
A knock on the bedroom door startles me awake. Well, I fell back to sleep at some point in time last night. But the stiffness in my neck tells me that it was in a terrible position. As I rub out my sore muscles, Nexus prances into the room balancing yet another tray, “rise and shine,” she sings into the room. “You missed breakfast, so I brought you something to snack on before lunch.” She looks me over, eyebrows creased in pity, “I heard your first night back was rough." “And I wonder who told you that?” I mutter under my breath. "He was…I never seen him like that before.” Like what? “He’s not used to not getting what he wants. Everyone here will bend over backwards to please him, to do whatever he asks, but you…” She laughs as if this conversation is funny, “you test his patience and make him work for it. Then again, you always have.” Have I? “He’ll be fine,” Nexus says in an exhaled breath. “His ego is too big for his own good anyways.” She throws her hands up in the air. “Enou
Latest chapter
- Of Teeth and Claws 52: Prologue
- Of Teeth and Claws 51: To Feel His Hands On Me. To Have His Mouth Devour Me.
- Of Teeth and Claws 50: Where Is He?
- Of Teeth and Claws 49: I Shuffle Inside To Find The Eye Of The Storm
- Of Teeth and Claws 48:But If I Belong To Any Pack, To Any Wolf, It Would Be To Gideon and Nox.
- Of Teeth and Claws 47: Please Tell Me It Isn't Werewolf Blood
- Of Teeth and Claws 46: It's Fate
- Of Teeth and Claws 45: Fucking Brat
- Of Teeth and Claws 44: Constantly Crashing Into Each Other
