Chapter 9
Nine
Blake
The human holds pain in its hand. Torture, torment, and control.
No.
They will not control me any longer. I snarl and snap my teeth, the blood of the others still a bitter, metallic taste on my tongue.
Kill the human.
Kill the human.
Kill the human.
The voice that says those words is not my own, but it echoes my thoughts desire will. And even if it didn’t, the voice demands obedience.
I must obey. I will obey. I—
My nose twitches, a sweet scent filtering in through my senses and drowning out everything else. My mate. Fate’s gift to me. He’s here. He’s…
An omega. Even more precious. Special.
Someone to be protected. Treasured. Always.
The smaller wolf presses his head into my chest, ears brushing my chin as he pushes me away away away from the human.
A disjointed memory breaks through the bloodlust, the anger, the cold ball of fury in my chest. My mate calls this human “friend.” He won’t let me hurt her.
But he’ll let her hurt me?
I don’t understand.
I let out a plaintive whine, the sound half involuntary, and my eyes dart from the remote to my mate and back again in a silent plea for understanding. I have to do this. I have to. I have to.
My mate straightens and rubs the side of his face against my shoulder, letting out a quiet whine of his own. Something about the action tugs at my awareness, reminds me I am not just an animal and my choices are my own.
Like the choice I made tonight, the choice to die in the fight.
But fate intervened, sent me a mate, sent me hope and a future.
Horror and shame wash over me, clearing away the animalistic rage I was lost in—again—and pulling forward my scattered memories of what happened in the ring earlier.
More death. More blood on my teeth, on my claws, on my conscience.
I’d cry if I could. From regret. From relief.
It’s been years since they loaded me in the back of that truck, metal collar locked around my neck, and the first lingering jolts of electricity running through my limbs to keep me compliant.
I gave up on the thought of rescue long ago, resigned myself to dying alone and forgotten in the depths of this hell.
The life I had was ripped away, my future stolen. But now…
I force my muscles to relax and lower my head so my mate’s ears brush the underside of my jaw. He rubs his face against my shoulder again, offering comfort as he leans into me, soothing my wolf and anchoring me in the here and now.
We don’t really know each other, the fated mate bond more biology than emotion at this point, but the fact that he’s willing to allow me this closeness means he’s not giving up on me. On us.
And I’m going to do everything I can to prove I deserve him.