Chapter 10 - Janella
I was feeling all the emotions: embarrassed, angry, and hurt.
I was having a good time chatting with Tucker and Troy.
I had laughed so hard while being here. I thought I was going to have a shitty time, but I was having a good time.
Troy was telling me about his pack and all the hard work he was putting into it.
Tucker was talking about how he liked to give Troy a hard time.
They were best friends, and I was happy he had someone great like Tucker by his side.
And Riley had to come and shit all over it.
I glared over at him. We were driving home, taking a long road back to our pack. The forest was around us, and there were no other vehicles around. He was gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. The space felt tense.
I wanted to yell at him, but with how angry he was, I kept my lips shut. I figured I could scream at him when we got home.
“Have you no decency?” he snarled.
I felt my eyebrows go up. “Excuse me?”
“I know you don’t think this marriage matters, but it does! You’re married to me. You can’t just go around talking to whoever you want. You're married to me, and you need to act like it.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you serious right now?”
“Yes!” He glanced at me. “My wife will not go around and act like she’s a free woman.”
I ground my teeth together. I didn’t think I could be more insulted, but I was. I sure as hell wasn't going to sit in the car for the rest of the drive being yelled at when I did nothing wrong.
“Pull over.”
“What?”
“Pull over!” I practically screamed it at him.
He jerked the car over, and I unlocked the door, throwing it open.
“Where the hell do you think you're going?”
“Away from you!”
I slid out and slammed the door shut. I didn’t even know where I was, but it was better than being in the car with him. I started for the woods, and I could hear him yelling. “Janella! Get back here! You act like a child!”
I kept walking. I felt words bubbling up, and I wanted to hit something. I wanted to hit him.
He kept yelling. “Janella, get back in the car.”
I turned around, watching as he walked towards me. The car is still running behind him.
I curled my hands into fists. “You are the most arrogant person I have ever met! You are heartless! You don’t think about anyone but yourself! And I can’t believe how you can speak to me like this!”
He paused now, his face seeming to shift through a few emotions.
But I felt my heart racing and the anger taking over. I let it because I wasn't the shy, soft girl anymore. “How dare you speak to me like that! How dare you behave like that in front of people! In front of Troy! That was his pack, and you just made an ass of yourself! And it was over nothing!”
“It wasn’t anything,” he snapped. “He was flirting with you!”
“And even if he was, that doesn’t give you the right to behave the way you did! You don’t talk to people like that! I am not your property!”
“You are my wife.”
“On paper!” I screamed back. “And don’t you ever accuse me of spreading my legs!
Do not speak to me like I'm some tramp because I'm not! I'm tired of you acting like I'm some slut looking for her next dick! You don’t know a damn thing about me, Riley! You don’t know what I’ve been through or what my life is like!”
I could see his face shifting, and he shook his head. “I didn’t say you were.”
“You implied it, you asshole! You said he was trying to undress me.”
“He was!”
“He wasn’t!”
“You don’t have a clue what men are thinking when they see you, Janella! How much they want to rip your clothes off and just have at you. They want nothing more than to get between your legs and fuck away. And you just might let them.”
I slapped him. My hand flew up, and I slapped him hard right across the face. Tears were burning in my eyes now. It was one thing for him to treat me terribly, but another to act like I was a slut.
I could take a lot, but someone talking to me like I was a whore was a line I wouldn't stand for.
Riley stood stunned for a second, and I watched his eyes move back and forth. His face went a little pale, and he looked at me. He frowned, looking horrified now. “I didn’t mean that. Jesus…fuck…Janella…I..”
I felt tears break free. “You're the same guy you were back then. Maybe worse.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. Jesus, Janella. I’m sorry. I didn’t…fuck.” He shook his head, running his hands over his face. “This isn’t me. I know this isn’t me. I didn’t mean it…I...”
He moved closer, reaching up and grabbing my face. He wiped at my eyes, and I didn’t have the strength to push him off. His hands were soft, and I could see the hurt in his eyes.
“I didn’t mean it. I know that you're not that person. It’s my wolf getting in my head.”
“Why would you say it?” I whispered, pulling a hand up and hitting him in the chest. The anger is still bubbling underneath. “Is that what you think of me? Some whore?”
He shook his head. “No. God no. I…it’s my wolf.”
“Don’t blame your behavior on your wolf. It’s a part of you.”
“The animal part!” He moved closer, his forehead pressing against mine. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. I know. I know deep down you are not like that.”
I pushed against him, wanting space. I didn’t know what to believe. One moment we could be laughing, and suddenly, the next, he was acting like he had a right to me.
He cupped my face, his eyes staring into mine. I could see so much in them. Anger and frustration. But they were soft at the same time, like he was scared. There was so much swimming in them.
“I hate you.”
His eyes looked down at my lips, and I felt a tug from deep down. He pulled me closer, his lips suddenly crashing against mine violently. I moaned as I tried to pull away, and he pinned me back against the tree.
He caged me, his hand reaching back, tilting my head back. My mouth popped wider, and his tongue slid against mine. I felt my breath being taken away, and my head was spinning.
The scent of him wrapped around me, and his body pressed against mine. He was solid against me, his grasp on me tight. It was controlling but not painful.
“I hate you,” I repeated again as he leaned back, his lips trailing down my neck.
“I know. I hate me too right now.” I felt his teeth bite onto my neck, and a sensation ran through my entire body. “You can hate me all you want, but you're still mine whether you like it or not.”
I hated how he said it, but I loved it at the same time.
“I’m not your property.”
He pulled his lips back up, crashing them against mine. I moaned again, my back hard against the tree as he pulled me in tighter. I felt his other hand skate down, pulling my left leg up and hooking it against his hip.
I felt how hard he was, and my mind seemed to glitch out. He had a hard-on. Right now. Did he have it the entire time we were screaming?
His fingers grabbed my chin, his eyes staring at me, mixed with hunger now. “No, but no other man is going to have you like this. No man gets to think of you undressed.”
His lips were against mine, and I moaned softly. I felt him tug my dress up, his fingers gliding over my thigh up to my hip. It sent shivers down my spine, and I felt every nerve come alive.
I leaned into the kiss, suddenly wanting more. I didn’t understand. He was so kind and caring to people in his pack, but why was he so cruel to people when it came to me? It wasn’t like we were anything. We were only together because we were forced to be.
His thumb slid underneath the band of my underwear against my hip, his nail scraping. My breath hitched, and his teeth pulled at my lower lip.
“I can smell you.”
I swallowed, his hand moving lower. I felt his thumb rub over my clit, and I moaned. His teeth bite harder on my lower lip.
“Oh god.”
His thumb stroked slowly, and I left my legs shaking. He let go of my lip, his mouth moving down to my neck. I felt his teeth bite down, sending a wave down my body.
“You're going to leave a mark.”
“Good,” he growled, his teeth biting harder. “Maybe guys will stop trying to fuck you.”
It was a mixture of pain and ecstasy. His hands moved, and he slid a finger into me. I felt myself tighten, and he inhaled sharply.
“Fuck, Janella.”
I couldn’t breathe as he moved his finger, sliding it slowly. He slid a second finger in and hooked his fingers up. I grabbed onto his shoulders, feeling a tingling sensation forming down below.
Riley growled, his hand on my hip was firm, his fingertips pressing tightly against my skin. My body felt like it was on fire as he moved his fingers, hitting at an angle I didn’t even know existed. It was perfect, and my body started to shake.
“You have no idea how badly I have wanted to touch you. To feel your skin against mine.”
I couldn't form words. His lips kissed my cheeks and my nose.
They were soft, so different from how dirty he was talking.
“And you're so fucking tight. I imagine the thought of how tight you'd be wrapped around my cock. I want so badly to fuck you. I want to mark you so no other man will look at you. I would gladly fuck you in front of them to get my point across.”
It was so wrong but so hot at the same time. I felt that build-up forming. His lips pressed against mine, softer as an orgasm hit me. It hit me like a train.
I felt a head rush hit me, and I moaned softly as the feeling of electricity hit me. I sagged against the tree. Riley's forehead pressed against mine, and it was silent between us, besides us both panting for air.
He stared at me, his brown eyes seeming to look into my soul. I tried to think of something to say, but then a new scent hit me.
It was sweet like candy, and Riley’s eyes widened. He leaned back, his eyes looking over me. But then I felt a jolt run over my entire body. It was like electricity slammed into me, and Riley took a step back.
I panted for air as I felt something tingling underneath my skin. I looked at my hands and felt my heart racing for another reason.
What was going on? What was this?
“Janella?”
I looked at him. Riley just stood stunned. “You...you smell like magic. Are you...Do you possess magic?”
I shook my head. “No. That's impossible.”
I felt my hands shaking as I started to panic. I couldn't. It was impossible, wasn't it? I was just a human after all.
“Janella, I think you're a witch.”
I didn’t know what to say to his words. It couldn’t be true. There was no way that I had magic.
“Janella?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s not possible.”
“It’s magic. I can smell it.”
I shook my head, starting to feel trapped as his words soaked in. I couldn’t breathe and felt my body shaking for another reason. I felt tears building up and tried to move away. “I don’t have magic. I can’t…”
“Janella, stop.”
He hooked her arm, pulling me back towards him.
“Please let go. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t…” I’ve heard how dangerous new witches could be. How they didn't know how to control anything and ended up hurting people around them.
“Janella, stop trying to get free. Breath. You're turning purple.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t have magic. I swear…” I started to hyperventilate, and he grabbed my face. His hands blocked out my vision, only letting me see him.
“Breathe.” His voice was soft. “In slowly and out. Panicking isn’t going to help.”
I took a slow couple of breaths in and let it out.
He nodded and dropped his hands. “Alright. Let’s go home where we can sit and talk about this.”
I slowly nodded, my hand reaching for him. I gripped onto it tightly, and his fingers curled around mine. He smiled. “I have you.”
The drive home was quiet. Riley told me to breathe softly. Once home, we headed inside. I was still shaking as he pulled me into the living room.
“Okay, now that we are home. Can you think of which of your folks you got this from?”
I shook my head. “I’m an orphan, Riley. You know this. I don’t know anything about my parents. No one does. The agency said I was a pup, but they lied. So, god knows what else they lied about.”
“But your parents probably know something.”
I shook my head. I remembered asking growing up. I wanted to know where I got my eyes and which of my folks was smart. I had questions, and they didn’t have any answers. “They don’t. No one knows about my past, and as I got older, I stopped asking questions.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because I could see it hurt them. They didn’t look at me like an adopted child but their own.”
He nodded and sat down next to me. “Alright, how are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…it’s a lot. I don’t know much about magic.”
“We can look into it.”
“We?”
He nodded. “Yes, we, Janella. You've been nothing but helpful to me with everything. I want to return the favor. Do you want to go to bed?”
The thought of being alone with my own thoughts seemed like a bad idea. “No. I don’t really want to go to bed just yet.”
“Then some TV?”
He grabbed the remote, and I nodded. I needed noise and not to think. At least not tonight.
I pulled a blanket close and leaned into the cushion. I looked at the TV and felt my mind was a mess. I chewed on my cheek, unsure of what to think. I had so many questions that I didn't know if they would ever be answered.
“Riley, are you sure this is a good idea?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I am... I’ve heard they can hurt people they don't mean to hurt.”
Riley shook his head. “You wouldn't hurt a soul. I know that.” He gave me a gentle smile. “This doesn't change who you are. It just makes you better.”