A Wolf's Unbridled Lust Ch. 03

Chapter Three, let me know what you all think!

- Torrance Rose

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Rafe surveyed from the shadows as Liesel made her way into the homely café. There he watched as she was enveloped in the arms of an incredibly handsome looking man. Raphael's jaw clenched involuntarily, his fists balling up as he felt his canines sharpening dramatically, his pupils dilating as his wolf reared to be free of its confines. How dare that insolent, idiotic human touch his woman!

A fierce, bloodthirsty growl erupted from his chest, and just before his wolf could fully take control of him, the man who had his arm slung casually over Liesel's shoulder turned into the light.

Raphael's beast retreated instantly in confusion; the man was like a mirror image of his beloved, if of course she'd been born a male. They were identical, and yet in so many ways not. Where her complexion was a pale alabaster, his was subtly tanned as though he'd spent a lot of time out doors. His mussed, darker blonde hair was tinted with paler shades, and he sported the same thickly lashed, violet eyes as the woman beside him. Why, he even bore the barely visible cleft in her chin!

Twins, he remembered in surprise.

They sat to the back of the café, ordering coffee for each of them as they converged themselves in light conversation. He envied the man opposite her. And once more felt the burn of shame at his inability to approach her after their little run-in at the ball.

He blessed the Moon that night that his sisters had dragged him, unwillingly of course, to the prestigious event. He'd dreaded having to make an appearance at the Grand hotel's biggest event of the year, but still Nizhoni and Kateri had insisted he come and join the celebrations.

"You need to lighten up!" he recalled the older of the two, Nizhoni, saying to him as she sported one of her pups in her brown arms. Her mate, and not to mention his best friend, Chetan, stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on top of her head.

"You've been stuck in doors whining constantly about that human ever since you got back from the city. It's getting ridiculous! We're all tired of your complaints, so you're coming out with us to relax and have fun whether you like it or not."

He'd stared imploringly at Chetan, begging him to stand up for him on his behalf, but all he'd done was shrug his shoulders, a wide grin settling over his features as if to say, 'What can I do? The wife has spoken.'

Feeling betrayed and miserable, he'd whirled around and stalked off to his quarters, slamming the door childishly in the process, only to have his younger sister Kateri skip happily into his room.

"Nizzy says you're going to come to the ball with us!" she'd exclaimed happily, her bright eyes sparkling. He'd stared down grouchily at his 9-year-old sibling, his eyes grudgingly softening at her joyous innocence.

"Only if you promise me a dance." He'd chuckled to her, brushing a strand of long, raven hair behind her ears.

She'd twirled around happily, grinning from ear to ear as she squealed in excitement, only stopping to exclaim in her ecstatic, lisping voice, "Nizzy is taking me out shopping today for a dress! Please come Rafe! Please!"

He'd been unable to refuse her adorable pleading, letting his baby sister drag him from shop to shop with a smug looking Nizhoni in tow.

He couldn't believe his senses when he'd picked up the scent of her. That intoxicating, feminine aroma that drove him mad with desire. But there she'd been, cowering in a secluded corner of the ball room as an aroused looking Angel leered over her. He'd been able to pick up the smell of Angel's erected desire from where he'd stood, making his body convulse in rage as his eyes glazed over in fury. The only thing stopping him from ripping that disgusting, trespassing leech into pieces was his concern for Liesel, who had looked like she was about to fall to pieces herself.

And that kiss...

He groaned softly, biting his bottom lip sharp enough to draw blood, letting the pain remind him of where he was as he recalled the sweet, exhilarating taste of her. It was better then anything that had ever passed his lips before, he'd wanted to howl her name over and over, just from that one simple taste. His control had slipped dramatically, but still he had held on to the small voice of restraint in his head, screaming at him to stop before he hurt the girl. Her soft, breathy moans once more filled his head, driving him wild with passion. It was all he could do not to run into that café right now, tear apart the thin, provocative shift dress she was wearing and take her right then and there.

Breathing heavily from exertion, he backed into the wall, closing his eyes as he tried to get himself under control. Ferocious growls escaped from his lips as he dug his rapidly sharpening nails into the wall, his growing erection straining painfully against his jeans.

After a few moments his heavy breathing turned back to normal, his claws retracting as he thanked the Gods it was nightfall, and that no human would have been able to see his embarrassing, alarming display.

After their kiss, instinct had driven him to follow her. In the shadows of course, not wanting to scare the girl as he leapt from wall to wall, alley to alley as he followed her cab through the night. He would not lose her again. He refused to. No more would he let himself suffer without her presence. In the morning, he'd decided, I shall claim her as my own.

But that next day, after watching her sleep -- so stunningly beautiful in slumber -- from the wide French windows he'd opened and climbed through during the night, he'd been unable to do it. Perhaps he was scared of her rejection... he didn't know. All he knew was that the moment her eyes fluttered open that morning, a sense of anxiety, nerves and his overwhelming need for her had frozen and petrified him in place from behind the wall of her small balcony.

For the past two days he'd followed her, too ashamed to return home where he knew he'd be the spotlight for his fellow Were's taunting remarks. Unable to approach his own mate... it was beyond ridiculous. And each night as she fell asleep, he'd crept through her bedroom window and laid beside her, absentmindedly stroking her pale strands of hair as his eyes stared transfixed on her, only leaving her side as the sun's first rays struck the horizon each morning.

Just being in her presence calmed him. He felt taut, like each limb was strung up and being pulled a little bit more each day that he was away from her. But the minute he breathed in her scent, the second his eyes fixed on hers, all worries drained away, leaving behind a serene high he loathed to be pulled from.

The soprano trilling of her laughter, sending delicious shivers down his spine, drew him from his reverie as his eyes automatically snapped up to the breathtaking sound. She was a few metres away from him, leaving the café as she lightly kissed her brothers cheek. Obviously he'd said something funny because a dazzling smile was plastered across her face. They each parted their own way, her twin brother loping off to a shiny car down the road as his sister walked purposefully in Raphael's direction.

His eyes hungrily took in the image of her sheerly clad thighs and hips, swinging teasingly with each step she took. The dress she wore was maddeningly tiny as the weather was so warm, leaving little to the imagination. As she walked by him, rooted to the spot in the shadows, he lifted his nose hesitantly and took a deep breath in as her long white-blonde hair wafted in her delicious scent.

And then she did something that surprised him. Instead of walking back to her apartment, only a few blocks away, she stretched her arms above her head, sighing briefly, and began to walk off in a different direction.

Rafe raised a dark brow, wondering what she was up to since it was already 6:00pm and night was falling upon them.

Blending as one with the shadows, he followed her silently, a warm smile spreading across his face as he watched her. Unmindful of the cars passing by, she began to skip joyfully; her heels clacking on the sidewalk as she twirled about smiling. Her eyes lifted up past the towering sky scrapers to the moon above their heads, and his own followed.

Four days until the Full Moon, he thought briefly, sighing as he did so. It would mean he'd have to return home for the night. The Full Moon was a sacred event, for all non-human species, but especially the wolves. They worshipped the moon fervently, and each Full Moon was celebrated by the Pack's monthly run through the immense grounds they resided upon.

Again his eyes warmed at the joyous smile on Liesel's face. She looked happy, and free. It made his heart soar.

She was dashing across the street a far distance away, slinging her purse firmly over her shoulder as she did so and watching for any passing cars. He watched as she moved out of his eyesight, turning down another street. He closed his eyes for a moment, revelling in the far-off sound of her heart beat when a piercing scream broke his concentration.

Almost immediately he was springing from the wall, his canines already sharpening drastically as he let loose a feral snarl. He held on to the last fading piece of humanity in him, clinging to his human form so as not to scare Liesel with the wolf. His beast was raring to be free to slaughter whatever fowl creature caused such a heart-wrenching scream from her.

As he neared where she had turned, he realised it wasn't a street she'd gone into but an alley. With his heightened senses, he could clearly see through the darkness and at the woman cowering by the wall as she whimpered with pain, a scrawny looking man bent over her as he attempted to rip off his baggy pants, his other arm holding her down as she shrieked in terror.

"Get the FUCK off me!" she was screaming, kicking and biting at him but not finding any purchase.

Finally her heel-clad foot came in contact with his gut, and he grunted in pain, his face contorted in rage mixed with excited arousal.

"You fucking SLUT!" he shouted as he back-handed her across the face.

She fell limply against the wall, her ragged breathing heard even over the bustle of cars in the street behind them.

Raphael could barely control himself at that point; this greasy fucking rat thought that he could dare touch his woman?!

A ferocious snarl ripped through his chest as he crouched low, baring his fangs in warning.

"Touch her again," he growled, his voice barely recognisable as human, "And I'll fuck you up so bad, not even your own mother will recognise you."

The rake-thin man turned towards him, his manic laughter cut short at the sight of Raphael.

He could imagine what he was seeing; a hybrid wolf-man before him, with claws and teeth so sharp he could tear him to shreds in seconds.

The man began to back away fearfully, his eyes wide. Rafe could hear his worthless heart beating wildly inside his bony chest as the man took in quick, violent breaths.

Rafe chuckled softly, his eyes dilating as his wolf took possession of the moment. He sprang, his claws striking flesh as the man beneath him screamed in unhindered terror. His grin widened at that, giving the man shrieking beneath him full view of the row of sharpened fangs as the moonlight glinted off of them. He held him stiffly to the grimy floor, digging his claws into the man's shoulders enough to draw blood as he stared down at the pathetic excuse of a man before him.

Stunned, his wolf retreated slowly. He was only a boy, perhaps 17 or 18 and the whites in his eyes gave fact that the boy was indeed on drugs. Tasting the air, he picked up on the scent of crack and growled furiously, his claws lengthening and earning another strangled scream from the kid as they drove further into his flesh.

"I suggest," he whispered hoarsely, his voice low and dangerous, "That you go home, go to bed, and never EVER touch this or any other woman without their consent again. Do you understand me, boy?"

The kid nodded quickly, his gaunt face petrified as he shivered from fear.

Raphael felt his claws retracting and stood up in one swift movement, so fast it would have been blurred to human eyes.

"GO!" he shouted roughly, kicking into the boy's side hard enough to get him moving. He immediately scrambled up, shooting another fearful glance at Rafe before running down the dark alley with the grace of a runted, newborn calf.

As soon as the boy was out of sight, Rafe whirled around and rushed to Liesel's side. She was whimpering softly, her eyes fluttering as she swam in and out of consciousness.

"Liesel, baby," he murmured softly, brushing her hair back as it clung to the beads of sweat on her forehead, "You're okay now."

It was then that he was assaulted by an odd smell, of rust and salt and something else he couldn't quite pinpoint...

Looking down at her white cotton dress in shock, he noticed the growing stain of red as it branched out from the left of her stomach. His breathing caught in his throat as he lowered his fingertips to the tainted fabric, drawing back as he stared in disbelief at the blood dripping from his fingers.

Searching the floor around him, his eyes narrowed in surprise at the small, blood stained pocketknife lying a few feet away before his attention snapped back to Liesel. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and she was moaning softly, hanging delicately in his arms like a rag doll.

Quickly he ripped a strip of cloth from his shirt, thanking the Gods for his inhumane strength as he did so, and pulled up her dress.

Sarcastically it registered in his mind that this wasn't exactly how he'd pictured seeing her in her underwear for the first time.

The wound was small but deep, and she'd already lost quite an amount of blood. His mind whirred crazily as he wrapped the cloth around her wound tightly, applying pressure to stop the flowing torrent of blood. He could take her to his apartment, he thought; but almost immediately rejected the idea. He didn't have the supplies to treat a wound like this in his secluded home away from home.

Grudgingly he accepted that he'd have to take her to the estate. There she'd get the treatment she needed in a safe, clean place. Her chances of survival were much greater if he took her there.

He gently swung her up into his arms, thanking the cover of darkness and whispering reassuring words to her as he raced faster than any human could in the direction of her apartment, where he would find his car parked a short way down the street. In the span of minutes he was whipping back the doors of his ostentatious ride, lowering her tenderly into the passenger seat before sprinting to the other side and grasping the wheel tightly in his hands.

He drove like a mad man through the city, swerving past cars with handled precision at a speed most humans would be unable to control, while his dark eyes kept flicking back to the fragile woman beside him. Her breathing was shallow, small moans of pain breaking free from her lips every now and then. So as not to let himself fall into panic, he kept his ears trained on the weakening beat of her heart, praying to the Gods that he'd get there in time.

In under an hour he was out of the city, driving through the thickening forest towards the Black estate as it loomed into view. The moon was rising along the horizon, staining the sky with a mysterious glow. He was unable to appreciate the beauty of the moment as the moonlight hit the lake in front of the gorgeous, Gothic-Victorian mansion, sparkling with such splendour. If the situation weren't so horrible, he would've soaked in the beauty and magnificence of the sight before him. Instead it barely registered in his mind as he sped down the gravel lane towards the colossal estate.

Milliseconds after he hastily pulled up at the front of the house, he was out of the car and already swinging Liesel up into his arms, rushing up the steps towards the front door with his heart beating wildly.

Before he could reach for the handle, Tanis was there, her grey hair pulled up atop her head messily, and her fragile frame shook with exertion. Her eyes were wide and completely white as she stared in his direction.

"Quickly!" she rasped, pain filling her ancient voice as she dragged him indoors, "Follow me!"

He obeyed her command, rushing by her side as they passed through the main chamber and down a set of dank, stone stairs.

"How is this possible, Tanis?" he asked her, his breathing uneven as his eyes filled with burning curiosity.

"Not now." She answered him curtly, pain still evident in her voice as she jogged down the stairs and through a narrow wooden door.

He turned into the room seconds after her; they were in a medium sized, underground stone room. Set in the wall to his left was a fireplace, a green-blue fire burning cheerfully in its midst and sending an eerie glow into the otherwise unlit room. Tanis had already cleared a space in the middle of the room, furs and blankets were set on the floor beside a tray of medicinal objects and ointments.

He set Liesel down gently on the numerous rugs, laying her head on top of a cushion as he sat beside her, stroking back her tangled hair tenderly as she dragged in small, shallow breaths.

"You're lucky you came so quickly," Tanis murmured, her voice wavering slightly from depleting energy, "She'll be fine, Rafe."

She shot him an image of Liesel; she was wearing the same tattered dress she was now, laying in the bed of furs and drinking something from a bowl Tanis's frail hand was feeding her.

Raphael let out a long sigh, bringing his tan hand up to his eyes and rubbing on them with exhaustion.

She was going to be okay.

"How is it possible that you can see her?" he questioned Tanis again as she pulled up the dress Liesel was wearing, he kept his eyes averted from her body so as not to stir up his arousal; something he found impossible to control around her. It'd be more than embarrassing to get turned on by a broken, unconscious woman on the brink of death.

"I don't know," she murmured, her concentration fixed entirely on the wound before her as she unravelled his makeshift bandage, "Are you sure the two of you have not yet mated, Raphael?"

He rolled his eyes half heartedly, "I think I'd remember mating with her, Tanis. It's not exactly something I'd easily forget, or even want to for that matter."

She tsked at him, clucking her tongue in annoyance as she shot him a stubborn glare, "I was only making sure. It's not normal for me to be this connected to someone not of the Pack... very odd."

He silently agreed, how in the Gods had Tanis been able to see this coming? Liesel was not even immortal, it was beyond weird.

"Does anyone else know?" he asked her, wincing and biting his bottom lip as she revealed Liesel's festering wound and began to dab at it with antiseptic. Liesel didn't even flinch, she was that far gone in the pain.

"Just your father," she whispered hoarsely, pulling out various vials and ointments to apply to the wound, "Everyone else is asleep, the premonition woke me and I immediately started getting everything ready."

Slowly he lowered his face to Liesel's, pressing a longing kiss on her forehead before pulling back and staring tenderly into her face, stroking her cheek softly where a swelling bruise was beginning to appear.

"Take good care of her," he instructed Tanis, "I'll be right back."

She nodded absentmindedly, focusing solely on her task at hand as she dabbed a strong-smelling liquid delicately onto Liesel's worsening injury.

Shooting a last worried glance in Liesel's direction and knowing there was nothing he could do for her right now but leave her in Tanis's care, Raphael turned on his heel and made his way back up the stone steps.