Storm
Seven years later
The music out here in the woods was blaring out of the speakers that had been set up earlier in the day, and the pounding of the beat of the bass was enough to make my ears ring. The air around me was thick and heavy, with the stench of alcohol, sweat, cigarette smoke and pot, which was mixing in with the smells of sex, lust and arousal which were also thick in the open air. Lost in my own little world, I moved my body seductively to the beat of the music.
My body was drawing the attention of every horny male around me. I was dressed in a pair of black leather pants which fit me like a second skin. I had matched the pants with a silver sequined long sleeved crop top, and a pair of rhinestone platform silver high heels. Not the wisest of choices for being out in the woods… but… oh well. My clothes may not have been showing any skin, but they were tight, and they certainly didn’t leave much to the imagination. As I danced, I looked around at the girls around me. They were dressed in skimpy skirts and tops which showed plenty of skin. My friend Kat called these types of clothes, “easy access” clothing. Kat was around here somewhere dressed in one of those outfits.
I had pulled my hair up tonight. It was in a high ponytail. I was glad of my choice, because it was hotter out here then I had thought it would be. Though, I shouldn’t have been surprised. We were out in the woods in the middle of summer, and the only light we had out here was from several fires which had been lit. It had taken ages for the piles of brush and branches to be stacked up and lit, and the fires had been burning for hours now. The heat emanating from each of them was intense, and the guys were making sure they were kept well stocked with branches. My fit and well-muscled, body was drawing the eyes of the men around me as I danced. They were clamouring for my attention, drawn to me, just like moths to a flame. The scars which tattooed my skin, were covered by my clothing, allowing me the opportunity to at least pretend to be normal while I was out having fun.
As I danced, moving my body seductively to the beat of the music, I tried to keep a safe distance from the other people who were dancing. Although my outfit made me look sexy as hell, I was not wanting to deal with any drunk and sex-crazed men who had wandering hands. While I will admit that I was proud of my toned physique, and I worked hard to stay in top shape, I was only looking to have some fun tonight, and by fun, I didn’t mean looking for a casual hook up.
Like a lot of young women, I had a problem with males pushing up on me and gyrating on me while I tried to dance. So, I kept away from the groups of people dancing to the music. In my little space, I moved my hips around to the beat of the music, just like a Latin belly dancer. I was just letting loose and having a good time. Tonight, I had decided that I was going to try to dance and drink away my problems like an ordinary teenager. I just wanted to forget everything that was going on in my screwed-up life right now and live for the moment. So tonight, I had come here to the bonfire party to let loose and forget.
I continued to move my hips to the beat of the music, and as I did, a few guys made their way over to me, getting closer than I would like. One man grabbed from behind me by the hips, pulling me up against him. As he pushed up against me, I felt the evidence of his arousal pressing into me. Ripping his hands away from me, and pushing away from him, I threw the guy who had grabbed me a hard glare, before I quickly turned away from the group of men and made my way over to the bar. As I walked away, they called out to me, calling me unflattering names, but I didn’t care. They were losers, and I had no time for them.
Hastily making my way around the crowd of bodies that were still dancing; and doing my best to avoid the hands of sleazy guys who were trying to grope me as I made my way past them, I quickly approached one of the makeshift bars, which, like all the other makeshift bars that had been set up out here tonight, had been set up where they would get the best light from the bonfires. I decided I had had enough of dancing for the time being, and I needed a drink or three to help improve my mood, which had been soured by the sleazy handsy guy I had just had to deal with. Truth be told, I shouldn’t even be here. I was only seventeen, and if Winter knew I was here, she would freak out.
While I was standing at the makeshift bar, I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. It didn’t take long for the bartender to see me and come over to take my order.
“Two shots of tequila and a bourbon neat, please?” I shouted, making sure that the bartender could hear me over the loud pounding music.
The bartender nodded in acknowledgement and began getting my drinks. As I stood and waited for my drinks, my attention was drawn to a guy who was standing on the other side of the bar. He was partially obscured by shadows thrown from the bar structure and the trees surrounding us. He was watching me, and he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at me. I had never seen him before. I was certain he wasn’t a member of my pack. So, he shouldn’t even be here. Plus, the way he was watching me was incredibly unnerving.
I will admit he was an extremely attractive guy from a physical standpoint, but then again, so were a lot of serial killers from what I had read. From the arrogant smirk on his face, I could tell that he knew just how good looking he was. From where I stood, he appeared to be about six foot four. He had tanned skin, and it appeared as though he spent a substantial amount of time outdoors; his physique was like that of a Greek God. His hair was as black as the ace of spades, and his eyes were a brilliant shade of green.
As the bartender placed my drinks in front of me, I watched as my admirer slowly made his way around the bar towards me. I quickly knocked back the two shots of tequila and reached for my glass of bourbon. As I took a mouthful of bourbon, the guy from the other side of the bar approached me.
Giving me a smile that I am sure he had practiced a lot in front of the mirror, he said in a teasing voice, “So, you’re the one who has been getting my friends all hot and bothered on the dancefloor tonight?”
“If they think they are getting into my pants tonight, then they are mistaken. I don’t hook up,” I replied, not sparing him a glance. I tossed back the rest of my bourbon in one gulp before setting my now empty glass back on the bar.
He smiled at my response and said, “I should warn you; they don’t like to be played with. At least, not the way you have been playing with them. If you keep it up, you could get hurt.”
“Are your friends the sleazy guys on the dance floor? The one’s who think it is totally okay for them to manhandle a girl. And if so, by hurt, do you mean that they are the type of guys to rape a girl to get their rocks off?” I asked.
“They have a skinful now since they have been drinking all afternoon. So, I am sure they are acting sleazy right now as you so eloquently put it. And to answer your question, any man is capable of physically taking a woman when he has been pushed too far,” he replied, raising an eyebrow at me, clearly amused by how I was talking about his friends.
“Are you fucking kidding me? My guess would be that the only reason you would be so dismissive about rape and physical assault, is because you’re the type to do it,” I snapped, glaring at him. I honestly couldn’t believe what he had just said. It was disgusting to say the least. Still glaring at him, I asked, “Do I know you?”
“No, but we can change that, I’m Asher, and you are?” he asked, holding his hand out to me.
“Not interested, I don’t associate with rapists,” I replied, ignoring his outstretched hand, and making my way away from the bar.
Storm I was thinking of calling it a night and heading home. As much as I didn’t want to be at home and dealing with my father, along with Mason and his stupid mate, Jewel. I knew that I should leave the party before the men here got even more drunk and became even more difficult to deal with. Mine and Winter’s relationships with the members of our pack had taken a turn for the worst after the death of our mother. Our pack had turned on the both of us on account of our father’s rumours. Rumours which had painted a dark picture of our mother. Our mother had been well respected by the members of our pack. Many of our pack’s members had pitied our mother for having to put up with a man like our father. But once our father had started spreading rumours about our mother being unfaithful, the pack had forgiven him for all his past indiscretions and had condemned her for daring to try to have a little happiness in her life. Now thanks to my no-good father, Winter and I got
Storm I was turning eighteen in two weeks, and when I did, I would find my fated mate, or soul mate in human terms. Josh’s birthday was three days after mine. There was once a time when I was still a kid when Josh and I had been friends. Back then, I had hoped my fated mate would end up being Josh. But now? Now I was constantly worried that in two weeks’ time I’d find out Josh is my mate and just like my mother, I’d be stuck with an unfaithful mate for the rest of my life. If that were to happen, I would be destined to live my mother’s disastrous life all over again. Well, no thank you. Living through it once had been enough. “Well, well, well, lookie who finally showed up! Had enough of getting the men folk all hot and bothered on the dance floor, have you?” Josh asked, as he looked at me with a smirk on his face. Before I could respond, Cameron said, “Oh there you are! Girls, may I introduce you to Emma and Alice,” as he gestured to the two bimbos standing
Storm I took in his words, and after a moment I nodded. He was right. If I wanted our escape plan to go off without a hitch, then I needed to stay out of my father and my brother’s way. I needed to fly under the radar and not attract any unwanted attention from either of them. If I were to get on their nasty side now, it would throw a spanner into the works. Effectively ruining our escape plan and seeing me trapped in this never-ending vicious cycle I had been caught in with the men in my family since my mother’s death. Felix was flying back out to Germany in two days’ time, to return to his pack. Felix’s father was his pack’s Alpha, and Winter had met him last month when he had flown over here to America with his parents to attend a conference with our pack, along with several other packs in the Texas area. I remember how excited Winter had been when she had first met Felix. She was twenty-one now and had been waiting to find her mate since she had
Storm Now, standing here in front of him, I had had enough of his crap. Now that he could see that someone appeared to be showing an interest in me, he was annoyed about it, and he had begun to think he had the God-given right to sabotage what he interpreted to be my new love interest by acting in the manner of a typical jealous boyfriend. “Thank you for your concern, Josh. But you can leave now and take those two bimbos with you. Screw them and then just throw them away, just like you always do. Like you have done with every other girl you have ever slept with and then thrown away, as though she was nothing more than yesterday’s trash. I don’t give a stuff what you do anymore. I couldn’t care less. But I am going home with whoever I want to, and there ain’t a damn thing you can do or say about it.” As I spoke, the venom in my voice was coming through plain as day. Cameron was standing back, a short distance away from us with bimbo one
Storm I woke up the next morning and it wasn’t long before the thought that today was my last day with Kat sank in. Laying there, I felt the ache in my chest as the tears gathered in my eyes. I was going to miss her when I left here, but my leaving here had to happen. There really was no other option for me. My survival depended on me getting out of here and making a life for myself elsewhere. In this case, 'elsewhere,' being as far away from here as humanly possible. Thinking about how tomorrow meant that I would no longer be living here in this pack, slightly eased the ache in my chest. Soon I would be free of this place for good. I was meeting Kat for lunch today at a local cafe in town. For Kat, it would just be a normal lunch, the same as we did each week, but for me, it would be a farewell lunch. The only thing was, I would have to make sure that Kat didn’t catch on to what I was up to. I had told Winter that I would be spending the morning packing my b
Storm I snuck outside of the Alpha residence and made my way towards the eight-foot concrete wall which surrounded the Alpha residence. Crouching behind an enormous tree in the garden, I watched as two of my father’s guards made their way past my hiding spot. Even though these guards were assigned to protect the entire Alpha family, my father and Mason had turned the guards against me and Winter, just as they had done everyone else within the pack. So, if the guards caught on to my presence and I was captured, it would mean trouble for me for sure. I waited until the guards were out of sight, and when I could no longer see them; I ran over to the wall hiding among the trees near the wall. When I was sure the coast was clear, I crawled behind the shrubby bush which covered the hole in the wall that I used to sneak in and out of the Alpha compound. I crawled through the hole and found myself between the wall and another bush which hid the hole on the outside of
Storm When Winter arrived, I was relieved to see that she had brought Felix with her. Winter and Felix sat with us and joined in for a brief chat with Kat so that we wouldn’t appear suspicious. It wasn’t long before Winter suddenly announced that we had to be leaving, because we had somewhere that we needed to be. Thankful that Winter had come up with an excuse for us to leave, I got up from the table, glad to be away from Asher, and hugged my friend for the very last time. I held onto her tight, and when I let her go, I saw the curious look she gave me. So that she didn’t ask me questions that I wouldn’t be able to answer, I simply said, “I will call you tomorrow and see where you are at, and what your plans are, maybe we can go do something together, okay?” Seeming happy with that, Kat smiled at me and nodded. As soon as we got into Winter’s SUV, unable to hold my emotions at bay anymore, I burst into tears. Winter who was sitting in the back seat
Storm Setting my backpack on one of the shelves in my wardrobe, I started arranging my outfit for tomorrow. Selecting a pair of black yoga pants with lime green pin stripes that ran down the sides, along with a lime green long sleeved tee shirt and a dark purple zip up jacket, and a pair of Nike runners. I put the clothes on the shelf beside my backpack ready for in the morning. With my outfit and everything I needed ready for tomorrow morning; I made my way downstairs where I found Felix and Winter snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. When Winter saw me, she smiled, and I sat beside her on the couch, and watched the movie until it was time for us to make our way into the dining room for dinner. When we got into the dining room, I felt relieved when I saw that Winter, Felix and I were the only ones who would be eating dinner that evening. Everyone else must have been out, as there were no other places set at the table. The three of us ate our meal quiet