Pack Gems by Kuro Kusai, WhiteWolf Aura (free ereaders TXT) 📖

to break past Axel and into the room where she could glimpse Kaden on the bed attached to some machine.

Andie was shocked that Taylor brushed off Axel's orders, she could tell. But that trick had been tried time and time again on her and her mind now only accepted them as suggestions.

That was yet another reason she couldn't be in a pack anymore. She couldn't fake obedience—she wouldn't.

It felt like a stinging sensation in her brain that she brushed off, it hurt but it was bearable.

Maybe if she had been in his pack it would have carried more weight.

She knew that she wasn't immune to a dominant's call. She wasn't that foolish, but she had yet to meet one that blindly compelled her to obey—and she was damned glad.

Closing her eyes against the late light streaming in through the window—barred, she had already checked.

Hm. Maybe Axel lost some face with her little stunt. Oops…again.

Well, she couldn't say she was sorry. He had asked for it when his whoosh of power washed against her skin. Part of the reason Taylor thought she could resist most orders was the fact that when she felt that power, those orders, she didn't feel comforted or scared—she felt rage.Her blood boiled at the thought of anyone trying to take away her opinions, her choices.

Yes.

It was his fault.

And like that, the guilt vanished.

Blurs of her old life flashed across her closed lids, making her grit her teeth.That happened every now and then…

Flash. A young girl running from the pool of blood seeping under her parent's door.

Flash. Her rescuer, a handsome man bandaging her bitten arms while telling her everything would be alright now. And she believed him.

Flash. Her first change and pack run, he'd been so proud.

Flash. Her first defiance, he'd beaten her black and blue, ordering her to not change for a month. Her skin had been crawling with want during the pack hunt where he'd ordered her to attend as a human and stand there—listening to the sounds of playful yips and barks. She'd changed accidentally, her control still weak back then. She was beaten again, learning for the first time that an alpha's power could literally make her feel sick.

Flash. She was forced to—

"Taylor!"She was shook awake, startling her into a fenzied punch outward.

"Fuck!" it was a little muffled as Mason covered his nose, "Am I bleeding? Is my nose bleeding?"

She rolled her eyes trying to look annoyed but was really just grateful to be out of those memory loops. She must have fallen asleep.Taylor glanced out the window and saw that they sun was low, but still out. So at least she hadn't slept that long.

"Ow, ow," Mason's whining floated to her ears.

"Oh please, buck up or I'll tell your pack I made you cry with one punch."

He grinned and rubbed his nose one last time, "I thought I'd milk it but considering your sympathy fountain is dry, I'll let it go."

She smiled in spite of herself, "What did you want?"

"Okay, okay, straight to the point. Got it. Food's ready, you hungry?" he stood up and offered her a hand.

She pushed herself up on her feet and smiled as he scowled, putting his hand down."I'm famished."

Showing up at the table with Mason in tow, she was met by five other wolves.A woman, Ms. Doctor Andie.The flirt and rich wolf, Connor.The entourage made up of Akira and Daren.

And an obnoxiously bright red haired female.

"Oh, it's about time you found her." A lilting voice rang, "Where was she hiding? I can imagine being around our caliber of wolves can be a little overwhelming."

Taylor's eyes met the misty grey eyes of the red-head; her eyes were such a light, surreal color that if she hadn't been following them as they walked in Taylor would have assumed she was blind.

Taylor wasn't quite sure if that was supposed to be an insult or not but she let it slide in favor of the food sitting untouched in the center of the table—chicken.

Sliding into the seat next to Daren, Taylor replied,"Hiding. Hm, more like relaxing. It's not my fault certain wolves can't follow their noses. But I suppose that's fortunate because God help any unsuspecting member of your pack that would have disturbed me…I would have hated to chip a nail on your 'caliber' of wolves."

All movement seemed to still, sensing the tension.

Taylor carried on like normal, reaching to grab a piece of chicken.

As her fingers enclosed around a leg piece, a hand shot out swiping at her wrist.

Snatching her hand and what was left of her scrap of chicken back to her plate, Taylor glared up into Red's creepy eyes.

"That was a waste," Taylor gestured to the remaining bone and meat that had been neatly sliced off her piece and lay in between them on the oak table.

"Alpha eats first." She hissed back at her.

Taylor felt the bubble of laughter before it actually spilled out of her mouth.Amusing. And here she thought there was a deeper more complicated meaning to why Red was being such a bitch. Oh pack dynamics, what a hoot.

"Well, he's not here and I'm hungry."

She was pushing buttons now and if she didn't quit she'd start a pack war singlehandedly.Oh what the hell?Biting into what was left of her chicken she smiled, "Mmmm, that's good eats. Don't you think? Oh wait. You haven't had any yet…"

"You—!" she lunged across the table but her reach was too short and ended up clawing air.

Taylor chewed on as she cursed.

"Gaby. Enough." Axel's voice rang though the air, the power lancing through it making Taylor look up to watch Red's reaction.

"Yes, Alpha." She switched to a purr, beaming as he took the seat next to her.

Taylor took this time to look Red over in a new light.

This was Gaby? The special one? Her?

There must have been something more than met the eye with her because she was pretty unimpressive.

She was good looking, yes, but in that 'protect me' kind of way. She screamed submissive and snotty, that was probably why Taylor felt the need to ruffle a few feathers.

Gaby had bright red hair, obviously dyed because it was so intense in color. It waved down her shoulders to rest at an impressive set of breasts.

She was petite which was rare among Werewolves, she couldn't have been much taller than 5'1—but that was a guess considering she was seated.

Her skin was a light olive that complimented her misty doe eyes, which were currently fixed on Axel's every move.

Interesting.

"Hey, Ax. How's Kaden doing?"

Axel blew out a tired breath and threw a wary glare at her, "Fine now. You know, it could have been good information to know that she was afraid of needles."

Taylor gave him a coy smile, "Oh, I guess I didn't think it was relevant information at the time…"

"There seems to be a lot of information that could be relevant at the time in that head of yours."

"But would be it be as exciting if I told you what was coming all the time?" she grinned and Daren poorly covered a laugh with a cough.

Axel grabbed a chicken, signaling he was done talking about it; giving other wolves who had sat idly by their chance to talk.

"So…are you a part of the Kansas City pack?"

Taylor shifted her attention to Andie.

She was around the same height as Gaby only she had to weight twice as much.

Pleasantly plump, as Taylor referred to it. Her face was framed with short dirty blonde hair that just reached her shoulders, her eyes a dark chocolate brown.

Taylor formed a smile she didn't really feel, "No. Not exactly."

"Interesting," Andie pushed up on her black framed glasses that had slid too far down her nose.

"Not really." She took another bite of chicken, marveling at the chick's audacity.

"Doesn't it get lonely?" Connor smirked in her direction.She didn't miss his implied question.

"Have you not met Kaden?" Taylor smiled around a mouthful of chicken.

Akira laughed, "But I bet it'd be hard with you two always on the go."

Taylor felt a warning light go on in her head and sought to diffuse the situation before they started talking pack memberships, "Ha, Why? Getting attached to me?"

"Well, it would be considerably less exciting without you around." Daren jabbed her with an elbow making her laugh.

"Peaceful." Taylor offered, "Nice and peaceful."

"Overrated," Mason broke in with a lopsided grin of his own.

After that Taylor was bombarded with questions of their 'survival' alone. She answered them the best she could, being vague where it counted most but no one seemed to mind—merely fascinated with the stories she could fabricate about their misfortunes and near misses.

When Andie yawned, it signaled the end of dinner and bedtime, considering they talked most of the night away. Everyone said their goodnights, proceeded clean up scraps and head to their separate rooms…except for Taylor.

She stalled, squirming awkwardly in the hallway.

"Let's go." Mason came up behind her and pushed her through the doorway.

"But I'm not tired. I was thinking of browsing Axel's bookroom…or something." Anything but sleeping in here.

"No. You're tired." He barely spared a glance at her as he pulled his shirt off and threw it at his feet.

Walking past her frozen form he shut the door with a firm click.

"B-but…"

"Shh," Mason took another step toward her and in the dark she could only see his golden eyes peering back at her.

"Yah!" Taylor tripped on some conspiring shirt or other cloth and her back hit the wall with a loud thump.

"Hey you two, make out more quietly! Some of us are trying to sleep!"Taylor heard muffled laughter ring out in living room down the hall and she attempted to memorize the voices to kill them later.

"We are not--!!"

Taylor's sentence was cut off as Mason's lips met hers.

Her hands, quicker than her mind at the moment, started to move of their own accord as they moved to push him back.

His own rough, wide hands captured hers at the wrists and he continued his assault on her mouth.

She tried to make sounds of protests and to produce a ferocious growl that wasn't nearly as threatening muffled.

Taylor brought her knee up and attempted to knee him in the groin.But, he too, saw that coming and avoided pain by grabbing both of her wrists in one hand and used his free one to knock her offending knee aside, spreading her legs wide so he could step closer to her.

She gasped as he pressed his chest against her and in doing so, left her mouth open and unguarded from his tongue.

It was at this time, Taylor began to grow lightheaded and her focus of getting away was starting to be forgotten.

Just as she closed her eyes at the assault of the various sensations—it was gone.

Opening her eyes frustrated and horrified at the same time; she was met by those gold eyes.

His face was close enough that she could see him through the pitch black, windowless room.

He was grinning smugly.

Shit.

Her only hope of salvation at this point was outrage,"YOU SON OF A—"

One hand covered her mouth,"Shh, people are sleeping."

As he removed his palm she hissed, "What the hell were you thinking, you perverted wolf!"

She felt his body shrug against hers and she realized he still hadn't backed off or let her go.

"You smelt nice, not my fault."

That was his defense?

That was it?

She wrinkled her nose up in a wolfish manner and glowered at him,"Let. Me. Go."

"Hey, I would have apologized if it had looked like you weren't enjoying it."

"SMUG BA—"

His hand covered her mouth again as his lips grazed her ear, "Sleeping, remember?"

A wild thought of biting his hand crossed her mind, but before she could act he removed it again.

Pity. Next time.

With a step back, Mason let Taylor's poor wrists go and without another word, climbed into the bed.She stood there, speechless; her heart beating in frantic thumps as she idly rubbed her wrists.

What just happened here? And when did her life spiral out of control?Finally deciding to sleep on the floor, she plopped cross-legged right where she stood, leaning her back against