11. Mia
ELEVEN
MIA
I pressed my palms into his chest and a rumble vibrated under them.
“You will not leave.” There was no threat in his tone, just simple statement of fact. I blinked, flabbergasted, and tried to wrap my head around his demand. He hadn’t even let me finish my sentence.
I sank my fingers into his fur again. He seemed to melt into my touch when I ran my fingers through the thick warmth. Unlike before, every time I touched him, he seemed to savor it. “Fenrir,” I started, drawing out the end of his name.
His orange glow flared, as it did whenever he seemed to experience a strong emotion. Ever since he’d washed off and fed, blood no longer spilled from his injuries. He seemed strong and he’d stopped walking gingerly.
“Human. You will do as I say.”
I rolled my lips inside my mouth. I’d sorely underestimated his lack of humanity, which was incredibly illogical on my end considering he was monster. Maybe ‘humanity’ wasn’t the word I was looking for. I’d underestimated his lack of compromise.
“You’re being unreasonable.” I clenched his fur in a stiff grip, tugging hard, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. I glared up at him. Frankly, I was the unreasonable one by expecting a monster to listen to what I said. A strong, large monster that could end me with a flick of his wrist.
Shoving my palms against his chest, I managed to wriggle to my front, but his grip hadn’t let up so I gave up and lay with my cheek smushed against the floor boards. I struggled to catch my breath. He was so heavy!
“You’re hurting me,” I mumbled, muffled and miffed. His grip immediately loosened, allowing me to climb to my knees, and I sat back on my butt.
As soon as he left, I would take off to warn Jason and Pam to hide. Then be back in time for him not to know I’d left. That would solve all my problems. Or I could leave with Pam and Jason. My stomach dropped at the thought. I scowled up at him. What had he done to me that the thought of never seeing this creature again messed with my head? He smoothly climbed to all fours.
“Listen. While you handle what you have to?—”
“You will stay.” His head swung in my direction, his pointed furred ears flicking side to side.
I opened my mouth then closed it. With a clearing of my throat, I said, “Yes.” He was too stubborn to reason with so I would have to lie. He could think I stayed and for all intents and purposes, all he would know was that I did stay, as long as I covered my trail. He seemed to have an extra strong nose.
He chuffed loud enough that he fluttered the hair framing my face. Now that the smell of blood no longer coated him, the underlying scent I’d smelled on his fur had become prominent. Pine and fresh air. I laced my hands on my lap, studying them, hoping with every fiber of my being that he couldn’t tell I was lying.
“A human once said he would release me,” he started, inching forward, oh so slowly. I stiffened as his muzzle hovered over my forehead. “He did not.”
“I will stay put?—”
“Silence,” his voice boomed. I sucked in a breath, my heart pounding so hard it thumped in my ears. “Your sweet scent . . .” He sneezed. “Your scent is off.” He snapped his teeth in my face. Breathing became more difficult. I’d frozen in fear. “Enough.”
I clawed to the string of sanity pulsing through my scrambled brain.
“Y-you’re scaring me.”
He drew back as if offended.
“Fear, I smell it.” He sneered. “I will not harm you.”
“Hard to believe with you snapping your teeth at me.” My voice trembled.
He huffed so hard my hair fluttered around my bare shoulders. I hugged my chest, suddenly feeling how naked I was.
“You are mine. I will not hurt what is mine.” He said it with such finality. As if his claim was a statement of fact. I narrowed my eyes up at him.
“You already have,” I retorted, wanting to see what he would say back.
Fenrir loomed over me, a growl ripping through the shack. His large grip wrapped around my bicep, and he pulled me to my feet with ease. I stumbled after him. He seemed dead set on dragging me to the corner of the shack. He gently urged me against the wall.
“What are you doing—no!” I shouted.
Fenrir bent one of the rusted old pipes over my waist, securing it around my hip and stabbing the other side into the wood. It burst through the wall and he shoved again, lashing it around my waist. The rusted bar dug into my belly, effectively trapping me. I wrapped my hands around the metal, shoving and pulling in panic.
“Wh-what is this?” I choked out. “Fenrir, what are you doing?!”
“I will return.” He studied me and as if coming to a decision, turned to the swaying door.
“Wait.” I uselessly yanked at the flaking metal. “How long will you be gone?”
He shoved the door open, his fur fluttering with the draft from outside. Without his body as protection, the chill seeped into my veins.
“If you’re leaving me here, you owe it to me to give me some answers!”
“I will not be gone long.” The glow in his eyes intensified. Pam used to talk to me about heaven and hell and Fenrir seemed like a creature straight out of those biblical tales. A shiver coasted up my spine.
“Fenrir!” I struggled against the harsh edges of the metal bar. “Fenrir, don’t leave me,” I cried. He stiffened and loped back to me. The glow from his eyes fell across mine and he pressed the sharp tip of his claw under my jaw.
“I will be back for you.” His tongue slid across my cheek, catching half my lips.
“Wait,” I cried, panting. If he walked away and came across Jason and Pam; he’d kill them, I had no doubt. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Leave Jason and Pam alone.” Maybe I could wiggle down and get out of this makeshift contraption once he was gone. I froze in place before I could clue him off to it. “Please, don’t hurt them.” Emotion throbbed through my gut. “I swear I’ll do as you say and stay put, but please, please, leave my family alone.”
“Your?” His muzzle curled. “Nothing is yours. You are mine. Belong to me. Only me.”
He loomed close to my face. I made sure to stay still, holding my breath as he snarled in my face.
“I will kill any that take your attention from me.” His head cocked.
I clenched my eyes closed from the onslaught of his glow. I leaned against the wall, letting it support my weight. When I opened my eyes, he was gone.
The window allowed a faint yellow hue to reflect inside. The sun was just beginning to rise but it would be hours before the day warmed up and I’d turn into a popsicle if I didn’t get to warmth, especially since I was naked.
I gripped the cold bar digging into my stomach. It wasn’t so tight that it restricted my breathing, so if I sucked it in a bit and slid down then I could get out of this. Only problem was my boobs and head.
I wiggled down an inch and the rust caused the bar to abrasively rub against my skin. Copper flakes fluttered to the ground.
Once I reached right below my breasts, I flattened my shoulders against the wall. Bracing my hands on the bar, I used the wood at my back and the strength in my thighs to push with all my might. Just a little more so my breasts could fit. Strain burned through my muscles. I could do this. After all, I was the one to carry things around here, I could do this. I gritted my teeth and gave a final heave. The bar groaned in protest, but it moved enough. I inched my hands over my nipples, squeezed my eyes closed, and yanked down. Scrapes abraded my skin across the side of my boob and all my knuckles. Now just my head. Wrapping my hands around the bar, I braced again, managing to get a better grip at this angle. I pushed with gritted teeth, and it moved a few more inches with a squeak. I panted, dropping my clammy hands. Turning my head, I inched down. Pressure became excruciating near my ear, but I gritted my teeth, pushing through. I bit back a whimper and finally extricated myself.
At least I was finally free.
I popped to my feet. Fenrir seemed like a single-minded creature set on killing the people that had taken him, but if he caught the scent of my parents . . .
I pounded down the steps and onto the forest floor. Leaves, pebbles, and branches crunched underfoot. I winced at the assault on the bottom of my feet, but continued forward, hugging my breasts so their bouncing didn’t hurt as much while I ran. In the last decade I’d lived here, I’d never ran through the woods nude. It was not a comfortable feeling.
I wove around a protruding branch. The chickens in the coop went crazy as I passed them.
Jason’s wide brimmed hat moved within sight. I crested over the slight hill and the rest of him came into view.
“Jason,” I shouted in relief. He was okay—he was alive. He popped up to his feet. His eyebrows rose high on his forehead as his gaze dragged down my body. The small shovel in his hand thumped on the ground next to the flowers he tended. He yanked the gloves from his hands and tossed them to the side as we approached each other.
His blond eyebrows furrowed, meeting in the middle. A quick scan was all he needed to do. His gaze lingered on the swell of my breasts peeking over my arms wrapped around them.
My face burned with embarrassment. He took hold of my shoulders, looking down at me with a stiff expression.
“What have you been up to?”
“A monster took me. He was injured in the shack?—”
“You’re naked,” he cut off the start of my babbling, not seeming to process what I was saying. Or if he was, he was too focused on scanning my body. My face burned hotter. I dropped my eyes to his chin, embarrassed about what I’d done with the monster. For enjoying it so much, and even worse, for wanting more.
“I-I . . .” Anxiety swelled my throat, making it difficult to push out an explanation.
“Why are you fucking naked?”
I’d never heard him sound like this, it was usually Pam that cursed up a storm. Jason was always quiet, reserved, watchful.
I didn’t understand the anger marring his features. The hot flush spread down his neck and a vein popped at his forehead.
“Answer me, what have you been doing?” he said lowly. The hair raised on my arms, my instincts bidding me to pull free from his hold and run. I shook my head. This was Jason. He’d raised me, he wouldn’t hurt me. I struggled to swallow.
“T-there was a situation.” I grappled for words. Not knowing what I should say. All I wanted was for them to hide, or leave, just until the coast was clear. Jason’s fingers dug into my arm. The slight stabs of his nails weren’t as painful as Fenrir’s claws, but it still smarted.
“You’re hurting me,” I croaked. His grip barely loosened.
“Is that a hickey?” His eyes narrowed on the swell of my breast. What was a hickey? I followed his gaze to the red spot on my boob. On the top side there were the slightest marks. I knew it had been either the graze of Fenrir’s fangs or the scrape from escaping the pole, but it looked like a nibble of teeth from this angle. He scoffed, grip becoming hard again.
“Stop making shit up. What have you been doing?”
I blinked.
“I . . .” I shook my head hard, eyes wide. What was he saying?
He pulled me after him, dragging me into the house and up the staircase. I tripped, but he didn’t stop to let me gather my footing. The side of my leg scraped unpleasantly against the carpeted step.
“I ordered you to stay away from the other side of the lake.” He shouted. “A boy found you over there didn’t he?” I trembled so hard. “Didn’t he!?” Tears dripped off my chin. I couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
“Pam,” I shouted, half sobbing.
“Quiet, girl,” he hissed.
“Why?” I shouted, fighting fruitlessly. He kicked open my door, dragging me toward my bathroom without answering my question.
Vomit crawled up my throat. He shoved me into the bathroom.
“Wash yourself clean of his filthy touch.”
“Mia?” Pam called from downstairs, a question in her voice. Jason’s eyes narrowed.
“Pam,” I shouted. He slapped me hard enough to rattle my teeth. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees. I clasped my face, my eyes wide on his. What-I-This didn’t make sense. My face crumpled.
“I will take you to see her once you shower,” he said. “Stand up, Mia.” I struggled to get my legs under me. He shoved me forward once I was up and I stepped into the large bathtub.
“I-is?—”
“Yes. The pump and boiler are on.” That wasn’t what I was going to ask, but mentioning Pam right now was a bad idea so I clamped my lips shut. He’d lost his patience . . . and his mind.
I turned the handle and water spouted from the shower head. Cold water spit at me and I shivered, hugging myself. He pulled the glass door shut, preventing the water from escaping but still letting him see me. Once the water warmed, I grabbed the rag I used to scrub my body and rubbed the homemade bar of soap on the fabric.
He watched me, eyes hard. I swallowed and scrubbed my body almost violently, as if I could scratch away the crawling sensation of him watching me.
“Do not get out until I return for you.” His eyes seemed like they belonged to someone else. They were maddened—as if he’d snapped. My stomach soured.
He slammed the door shut. The lock snicked from the other side, trapping me in the bathroom. A long time ago, he’d installed the doorknob backwards . . . had it been on purpose this entire time?