Free Story #5 - Guided (Chapter 5)

Hey there everyone.

I've just downloaded the audio book of Race The Sun by Gabrielle Evans. This book is a great example of male pairing fiction at its absolute best. :)

There will be another review posted in the next few days along with an all new short story.

Without further adieu, here is Chapter 5 of Guided.

-

Even without knowing the ins and outs of werewolf laws and etiquette, I knew she was right. I knew that exile meant fair game to be taken out. And that was something none of us wanted to happen. We needed to find him a new pack and that we should live like nothing had happened for the moment.

The next night, we went on our first real date. It was only a movie but it was better than nothing. Afterward, we left and had amazing sex in the back of his car. It truly was the perfect first date. Or at least it would have been if we hadn't come across some of Campbell's friends. They were slumped against the wall, blocking our way out of the car park. Doug got out of the car.

"What you doing here?" one of the taller ones asked Doug.

"Just having fun with my boyfriend, is that illegal?" Doug replied.

"No, but being in a relationship with a runt is" the shorter one said.

Feeling that I wanted to set the record straight, I got out of the car and stood by Doug.

"For your information, I'm not a runt. I'm human"

The group looked incredulously at me and sniffed the air. They could tell I was telling the truth because their expressions changed. It was no longer a matter of simple betrayal, it was pure ecstasy.

"A human? Are you kidding me? You imprinted on a human?"

The two werewolves began to laugh and fell to the floor. Doug growled and they instantly stopped.

"Do you have a problem with humans?" I asked.

"No, it's just they are nothing but scum" The taller one said.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment"

He snarled and launched himself toward me. He shifted in mid-air so instead of a man coming toward me, it was a giant werewolf. Thankfully I had the sense to duck. He went flying into the skip on the other side of the car park. It slammed shut on him as he landed inside it. The other werewolf had also shifted, but instead of going for me or Doug, he went to help out his friend.

Looking at Doug, I motioned toward the car. Realising that vengeance wasn't smart, he nodded and we got into the car as fast as we could.

The ignition fired the car into life and we left the car park just seconds after the two cronies were reunited. A loud angry howl echoed through the area but I kept driving. Next to me, Doug started to breathe heavily to try and keep himself from shifting.

But his hands were already paws and it was going to take a miracle to get him to calm down. I knew I had to think fast so I did the only thing I could think of.

I parked on the side of the road and kissed him full on the lips. He returned the gesture and slowly he transformed back to being pure human once more.

I pulled away from him and he looked at me with intense gratitude.

"Thanks for that Taylor; it's pretty hard to keep my changes under wraps when I'm stressed"

"My pleasure" I replied. The kiss had lasted so long I had to take several deep breaths in order to gain full use of my lungs once more.

"Were they some of Campbell's betas?" I asked.

"Yeah, their names are Drake and Hax. Right pricks but they are loyal to Campbell as long as they get to pick off random exiled werewolves"

"But why did the taller one attack me?"

"Humans are pretty much considered to be easy prey among some of our kind. Nothing more than chew toys. If you'll excuse my language"

"But you don't think that?"

"No, never have and never will. I was always the most liberal minded of the family. And indeed the pack come to that"

It was a relief that Doug wasn't that prejudiced. There was only so much I could take. Just then, our conversation was interrupted by three men.

Campbell, Drake and Hax. And they didn't look happy.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"That's none of your business you stupid runt" He spat.

"I'm making it my business" I replied.

Getting out of the car, I stood and faced him with a determined gaze fixed on my features.

Campbell smiled.

"You're not as pathetic as you look" he said.

Doug got out of the car and growled. Campbell ignored him and looked at the smaller of his two flunkeys.

"Hax, take care of him. I'll take care of this clown"

"Not if I can help it" I said.

"And what are you going to do?" Campbell laughed.

I reached my hand into my pocket and drew out a small plastic object with speaker holes and a pull cord.

Smiling a smug smile, I motioned to Doug who noticed what I was going to do and nodded. In a moment, I pulled the cord and the loudest noise I had ever heard rang out of it.

Campbell, Hax and Drake fell to the floor, they were howling in agony because of the ultrasonic sound waves. Doug had his hands over his ears so he was safe. We got back in the car and I drove back to the flat in almost record time.

"Well that was fun" I admitted.

When I looked over at Doug, he looked distant.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I can't put you in danger like that again" he said.

Before I could move, Doug shifted into wolf form and ran out of sight.

Leaving me alone with feelings of sadness, betrayal and confusion. Just then, a familiar voice echoed behind me.

"Told you he'd run off"

It was Zoe. And she had a look that suggested I told you so.

"Don't Zoe, just don't" I replied.

I ran to my bedroom and cried myself sore. Eventually, I finally drifted into sleep. I wasn't sure if I woke during the night but what I did know was it was the longest night of my life. But when I wake the next day, I realised why.

He had done it to protect me. He knew that Campbell would try and get to him again now that he was exiled and he wouldn't stop until he had taken his life.

I was far from an expert on the matter so I decided not to question it.

With that realisation, all my anger at him dissipated. Concern quickly returned to me. I hoped that it blow over soon and that we could be together again.

My wish came true that same afternoon. I was walking home from work and passed the place where me and Doug had first reconciled.

The place was empty as usual bar a few empty chip packets left under the seat. Except, there was a familiar person stood next to it. Or should I say werewolf.

He was looking down at the floor; his face was covered in his dried tears. Filled with relief, I walked over to him.

"Why did you run away?" I asked. I already knew the answer but he needed to move through this in the right way, else he would be trapped forever in his own negativity.

He slowly looked at me.

"Isn't it obvious? I couldn't drag you into the mess I'm in"

"What mess? Being exiled doesn't exile you from your friends or family"

"It does in their minds. And my family except Jenna refuse to talk to me or return my howls. You saw what happened when Campbell discovered me and you together that day"

"Are there any alphas in the area that could help you out?" I asked.

"There's only two alphas within reasonable distance, Campbell and my sister"

I did a double take.

"Jenna's an alpha? When did that happen?"

"It's a long story" came a familiar voice. I spun around to see Jenna was standing there in a pink trimmed leather top and jeans. Doug smiled faintly at his sister but returned to looking down at the floor.

"Couldn't you be Doug's alpha? You seem to be the responsible type" I asked.

She didn't speak for a few seconds, but then she breathed a sigh of resignation and spoke her words carefully.

"I suppose I could, but it would mean that I would have to take charge of certain events. I don't know if I'm ready for the responsibility"

I could see why that would have been difficult to divulge.

"Were you born with an alpha gene or is it an inherited title?" I asked.

"Title, but it carries great significance" she replied.

"How did you get it?" I asked her. I hoped I wasn't crossing any boundaries but I couldn't shy away from the question.

"Our great uncle was an alpha. I was a part of his pack because he had always seemed responsible and treated his betas with respect. But one day, he was attacked by a stray beta when he was off guard. Before he passed away, he conceded his alpha status to me"

By the way she was talking about him; it was obvious she had loved him in the paternal sense.

"After it happened, all of the other betas went to Campbell's pack because they felt a female alpha was an insult"

She looked away from us slightly. Doug was clearly in no mood to start begging to an alpha that treated him badly. Especially one like Campbell, if that was his real name.

"But you can still form a pack with Doug. Then those pricks can't attack him because he won't be in exile anymore"

Doug stood up from the bench and looked at me with a carefully constructed expression. It was halfway between understanding my ignorance and protecting his sister.

"It's not as simple as that Taylor, she doesn't feel ready. And just one person to convince her isn't going to make much difference"

"What about two?" a voice echoed from behind us.

We all turned to face the person who had spoken. It was Stephen. He looked slightly nervous but resolute.

"You need someone else to help, I'm in. I can't stand to be in the same pack as my dad anymore. Not after the way he treated you"

"How did you know?" Jenna asked.

"I forced Drake to spill the beans on what happened last night when Dad wouldn't tell me what he'd been doing. So after leaving the pack, I came to find you"

Doug slowly smiled. His former confidence seemed to be returning. He walked over and hugged me. I accepted gladly and gave him a slap for leaving then a kiss to welcome him back.

"I'm sorry for leaving Tay, I won't do it again"

"You'd better not. You may not get me back so easily next time"

Jenna looked at her fellow werewolves.

"Do you really think I could do it?" she asked.

They both nodded after a moment. She considered all the options and eventually, she smiled.

"Ok, I'll do it"

It turned out that she needed to do a kind of ceremony in order for the pack bond to be formed. I offered to let Jenna use my flat as the location and after some discussion, the invitation was accepted.

Before it began, I got to know Stephen a bit more. He was a little bit shy but had the impression of being dependable.

Campbell wouldn't be happy about him leaving I thought, but it wasn't exactly in his jurisdiction to tell his son how to live his life.

Zoe and Arc were out so we wouldn't be disturbed. I hadn't asked but they were anyway. When we got back to the flat, we had a couple of drinks. Then, about half an hour after we had arrived, Jenna decided to start the ceremony.

The three participants sat on the carpet and I sat on the sofa with both slight apprehension and fascination filling my body. Jenna cleared her throat and began to explain the ceremony.

"First, I need the two of you to bite my hand then I need to bite your neck. To infuse the blood bond between us"

The two men transformed their teeth into fangs and she did the same. Stephen bit her left hand and Doug her right. They licked up a little of her blood before the wound healed. Jenna then bit into Stephen's neck and drank for a second. Then as he was healing, she took a bite of Doug's neck and drank again.

"Now, we transform into our forms and you scratch each other on the left arm. Then I scratch both of you on the right. The only thing left to do after that, is to howl together until we shine like the moon"

I didn't have much time to wonder what it looked like as the three werewolves stood up.

"Hold on, will anyone hear your howling?" I asked.

"We can hide it from human ears" Jenna replied.

Now we were safe, I sat down to watch. They transformed slowly this time, not the flash change that Doug and Campbell had done a few days before.

Jenna became a mahogany red wolf whilst Stephen became grey with white patches on his tail. The two male wolves scratched each other on their left arm then on Jenna's left and right. Jenna then scratched into Stephen and Doug's outreached right arm.

They whined in pain slightly with each scratch but Jenna had been gentle and the wounds healed leaving only slight scars. Now came the most interesting part. The three wolves stood facing each other in a circle and joined their paws together.

They all took a deep breath and howled. It wasn't a howl of anger or sadness like I had heard the other night; it was the most beautiful howl I had ever heard.

It seemed to embody the beginning of a whole new life, a family that would look after each other, friends who would cherish each other and the wisdom they had long ago thought to be only wistful wondering was the code by which they would now lead their lives.

The air around the howling wolves seemed to shine with radiance and vibrate with anticipation.

After a minute later, Doug and Stephen began to glow with the energy of the moon and Jenna soon followed, though being the alpha her aura was stronger. A second later, the anticipation exploded into the air.

The only thing that was left was the glowing howling wolves still in their ancient circle.

They stopped howling, turned their faces down and faced each other. Still shining with the energy, they were undoubtedly happier than they had been in years. They all starting licking, playfully biting and playing with each other in the kind of way you would see a child playing with a favourite toy.

At first, I was slightly taken aback but then as I watched, I realised that this was how it was meant to be. A pack wasn't just a fighting machine, it was a family and this one was a very happy one.

A few minutes later, they stopped and transformed slowly back into human form. They got dressed and hugged each other. The new pack turned to face me and smiled.

"I've never felt happier" Jenna said and the others nodded in agreement.

Doug took a moment to choose his words, for a moment I thought he was angry but he grinned wider than a Cheshire cat and gave me a mind-blowing kiss.

"Taylor, Jenna, Stephen. Thank you" Doug said with small tears of joy running down his face.

In fact, we were all weeping to some degree because of the sheer beauty of the transformation. I smiled broadly as we embraced each other. It was not only the biggest but the strongest hug I had ever had. I may not have been part of this new pack, but I felt like I had given them the greatest gift of all. The choice to live as they wanted.

And if they decided to consider me part of the pack, that was good enough for me. 

-

Free Story #4 - Guided (Chapter 4)

Zoe apologised to me profusely when I entered the flat a few minutes later. I accepted it without question then after giving her a hug, I then went for a shower.

As I washed myself, my anger and fear was beginning to ebb away leading me to listen to my real feelings for the first time. As brief as our encounter was, I had never felt a longing to see a person again in quite the same way.

I went to bed straight afterward. I was so tired I fell asleep quickly but my dreams were filled with images of my last conversation with Doug. As I agonised over it, I hoped I could put it right somehow.

The next morning, I went into the living room to find Zoe and Arc were on the sofa. Arc was playing with a rubber mouse I had bought him last Christmas.

Zoe was watching a cooking show presented by a woman who looked as though she belonged in an issue of Playboy. As I watched, she poured a whole pot of custard over a freshly baked apple pie and started scoffing it herself.

'You won't keep up that figure if you keep doing that' I thought to myself with a smirk.

I sat in the small armchair facing the TV and Zoe turned to face me after a moment.

"Something wrong? You seem troubled" She asked.

It took a while but I relayed the whole sorry story to her. Instantly her hot headedness returned, not as strong as before but it was still there.

"What did you think you were doing? You could have died or been given something that would make lose years of your life?" she screamed. I knew what she was saying and for once, my hot temper remained in the back of my mind.

"He was right to save you Taylor, why did you blow him off?"

I forgot that I hadn't mentioned he was partially transformed and related this to her. She looked incredulous and rolled her eyes.

"No one would have believed him. So why were you so scared of him? It's not like you haven't met scarier people in your life?"

If a sense of humour had been apparent in me, I would have laughed at the irony of Zoe's iron clad defence of Doug.

The more I thought of him however, the more I realised that there was more than just primal lust in my thoughts, there was the stirring of an unknown emotion. It was frightening but at the same time it felt right.

I decided to give Zoe the honest answer.

"The reason I was scared of him was I afraid he would attack me when he had transformed. That he wasn't the guy I had started to love"

That statement alone broke my anger and tears ran from my face. Zoe noticed this and she softened her expression. She walked over and held me close while I cried out my fears. After I had stopped, we sat and watched a DVD.

As we began talking as if it hadn't happened, our rift was repaired.

A few minutes later, I realised I had a shift at work. I got dressed then said goodbye to my roommate and left as quickly as I could. Working in the social club isn't my main job. I work in a supermarket.

It's only a small one on the outskirt of town but it pays the bills. Just.

When I arrived, I logged onto my till. I was in such a rush to get there I had forgotten about Doug.

But as soon as I thought about him, there he was in the front of my mind. The first customer came up a few seconds after my login was confirmed. I put his items through as if I were a robot programmed to do so. He paid and went on his way.

I looked at him closely as I left. My perception told me he was a vampire. Looking closer, I saw he had bought cranberry juice and three bottles of fake blood from the party section.

No accounting for taste crossed my mind. For the next few hours, things continued in much the same pattern.

It wasn't till I served the last customer before I went on my break that I got my biggest surprise. I didn't look at him at first until I asked him for his money.

It was Doug. He was dressed in similar clothes to the day before. They didn't seem to suit him somehow, but that was the last thing on my mind.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well I thought I'd come in to get something to eat. I didn't know you worked here too" he replied with slight distain in his voice.

I knew we needed to talk so I explained I would meet him in a few minutes. A few seconds of thinking and he nodded in approval.

Stephen took my place when my break came round. He was young and in his late twenties. When Doug mouthed something at him and he nodded back, I was slightly confused.

But when we left the supermarket, he explained that Stephen was the son of his alpha. I assumed alpha meant leader but I decided that it was his business.

It was then I realised that Stephen was the son of a werewolf; he must also be one as well.

I couldn't help wincing slightly as I was still cautious of all things related to supernatural canines at the moment.

After a second, we walked down the local chip shop and bought two portions of chips. After thinking for a second, we sat down on the bench down by a nearby car park to eat. An awkward silence hung in the air while we ate. Doug decided to break it by speaking first.

"I know I shouldn't have transformed when I did. I'm so used to acting on instinct when someone's in danger. I forgot the situation I was in"

After fondling with a chip, it burned the back of my throat as I swallowed it. I coughed slightly then took a sip of lemonade.

"I shouldn't have been so stubborn" I said slowly and carefully.

"You had every right to be. You'd just discovered that something existed that you didn't know before. It's natural to be slightly cagey till you know the truth"

He seemed to speak with a wisdom that seemed beyond his years. I could tell he meant what he said but it had obviously been rehearsed with someone else.

"How did you know I was in danger, and more to the point how did you know where I was?"

"Last night in the bar after Kevin left and we had sex, I looked at you and suddenly it was like you were the most important thing in the world to me. I tried to deny it. That's why I left"

"Did I do something wrong?" My voice was full of concern and I hoped my face reflected this.

"No, nothing like that. But when you were in danger this morning, something in my mind triggered that I couldn't explain. I followed it and found you again. I was freaked out so that's why I overreacted. When I calmed down, I went to my alpha and he told me the truth"

"What did he tell you?" I asked.

I was both intrigued and slightly wary of the way that was going. Doug's emotions were pointing due north so the next thing that came out his mouth was the truth.

"Last night I imprinted. On you"

The words seemed to come out his mouth as if they were some kind of ancient ritualistic chant. I knew enough from reading certain kinds of fiction to know that the imprint only happens when someone finds his or her soul mate.

"Imprinted? But we barely know each other" I was flattered to say the least but a little bit freaked out.

But in a way, it felt like a good thing. What was even stranger was it felt right and that he was the man for me. It was as if the imprint had worked in two ways.

"The imprint is more of a sign to indicate a mate. If it disappears after the first kiss, then it means it is not meant to be"

I wondered if that if only worked on werewolves considering that human love I knew was rarely like in fairy tales. He seemed to indicate a kiss would tell us all we needed to know.

I was slightly sceptical but I was willing to give it a shot. To apologise to both myself and to Doug for treating him badly the last time we met.

"Well there's only one to know if it's true or not" I said.

We looked at each other and he nodded in consent. We drew ourselves closer together and our lips met. For a split second, there was slight disappointment that nothing had happened. I thought that we could be friends and nothing more. But when I looked into his eyes, that feeling instantly left me.

I could tell he was genuine, caring and handsome. Everything I needed and more than I could have ever dreamed possible. Our lips drew apart and we backed away for a second to consider what had happened.

"Taylor?" Doug asked me after a minute.

"Doug?" I asked him back.

We both knew what we wanted to say but words weren't enough. I wrapped my arms around his chest and he drew his around mine. Tears of happiness and a few of grief fell from our eyes for all the time we had wasted but we didn't cry.

We wiped our eyes and looked into each other's face. Our lips joined once more and as we separated from the kiss, we said the same words at the same time.

They were cliché, tale as old as time words and at the time they could have seemed impulsive and stupid to say. But at that moment, they felt as real as they ever could.

"I love you"

-

Doug walked me back to work after our encounter. He said I was welcome to come by the pub tonight if I wanted to.

I assumed it was so he could introduce his new boyfriend to his pack. After a moment's hesitation of wondering why I would need their approval, I said I would.

He smiled a broad smile and after another kiss, he left me to get to back on shift. The till closed for a minute whilst we switched over and Stephen looked at me closer than he had done before.

"Didn't know you knew Doug" he said.

"We've only just met" I replied.

"So how long have known he's a werewolf?" He asked me.

I wasn't sure if he knew I knew about the whole secret situation, But I decided to be honest.

"As soon as we met" I casually responded. Stephen was taken aback.

"How? Did he tell you?"

"Nope, one of my friends told me. He's a sprite"

"So Doug told you I'm one too then?" he asked me cautiously.

I could tell by his change in demeanour that he wasn't exactly comfortable about meeting someone outside the pack who knew about him.

"I worked it out when he spoke to you. Don't worry, your secrets safe with me" I assured him.

The tension instantly vanished and he grinned slightly, not enough to make him looking amused, but enough to give the illusion of a casual smile.

"See you around then" he said and walked off.

As I looked at him, I saw his blond hair trail behind him and his muscular physique show slightly out of his uniform.

Wondering if all werewolves were mysteriously muscularly was something I would have to do later. The till chimed to confirm I was logged in so I turned to face my first customer.

The woman waiting at the checkout was waiting to pay for several boxes of melting ice cream, reduced meat pies and several bags of wet dog food.

I got some money from the cash point after leaving work and had a quick shower. After putting on some fragrance, and brushing my teeth, I washed my face then combed my hair. Leaving the house thirty minutes later, I closed the door then locked it.

Zoe had gone out and Arc was prowling, so I didn't need to worry about locking anyone in which was nice for a change.

Five minutes of walking whilst listening to my MP3 player proceeded. As I listened to Lady Gaga singing Bad Romance, I arrived outside the pub hoping it wasn't going to be clairvoyant as well as ironic.

Looking through the window, I saw about twenty men and one woman. They were of different shapes and sizes. But it was obvious they all had one thing in common. They were all werewolves.

Clearing my throat, I straightened my shirt then pushed open the door and entered the lobby room of the pub.

Knowing this was the only chance to make a good impression with the pack; I walked through the door into the main room and let it close behind me.

The first thing that I noticed when going into the pub was that the pack were on one side of the room. The pool table and dart board were being used on the same side and most of the patrons were on completely the opposite side.

Not knowing if that was on purpose or not, I walked gently into the middle of the room and looked along the table to find Doug. He was sat about three seats down the table with a man with tan coloured hair that was showing signs of whitening. He was wearing leather biker gear and his arms were covered in tattoos.

I could tell he was quite high up on the ladder because all the members of the pack were treating him with silent respect.

I wondered if he was the alpha that Doug had referred to. There was a dog tag on his jacket that read the name "Campbell". Just as I happened to think of this, Doug noticed me. He seemed to say something along the lines of 'see you in a minute' and the older man started talking to another werewolf in his mid teens.

Doug came up to me and kissed me. I repeated the gesture and then turned to face the people he had just left.

"Guys, this is Taylor, he's my imprinted" Doug announced.

The whole pack stopped talking and turned to face me. For a minute, there was grim silence. I could tell something was wrong and just to prove my point, the older man came up to me and sniffed me all over. I wasn't exactly pleased about this but I knew it had to be done.

"Doug, this is a human" the man said.

"I know Campbell, but I thought you’d be happy for me" Doug replied.

Campbell cringed.

"I don't know about you, but I don't treat humans with respect" he snarled.

Making a sarcastic comment like 'standing right here' wasn't appropriate I realised. This kind of annoyed me in one way but relieved me in another. After looking me over once more, he sniffed me again and he shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you imprinted on that?" he remarked snidely.

"That happens to me my boyfriend" Doug yelled back.

"Don't speak to me like that!" Campbell snarled and hit him across the face with a paw.

His hand had shifted into its altered shape due to the alphas rage. Doug growled in anger and his fangs emerged.

Everyone knew that Doug had made a big mistake by threatening him. The room waited with baited breath and a few of the meek patrons ran to the toilets.

"It's time I showed you that you should treat me with respect!" the alpha shouted. In an instant, he had shifted from man into wolf. I hadn't known what to expect a fully transformed werewolf to look like. But now I knew.

His frame was mostly that of a very muscular human with wolf fur. It also looked like he could stand on two or four legs depending on his need. A thick bushy tail extended from just above his waist and his face was now a muzzle.

His ears had moved to the top of his head and his teeth were now fangs. He looked completely ready to harm anyone or anything. The leather had ripped to shreds and was scattered over the floor. His fur was the same deep brown as his hair with mixed grey in places.

Doug shifted a second later and his ripped clothes fell to the floor. Doug's fur was golden blond and shaggy like this hair in human form. Although there wasn't a big difference in how the two looked, the alpha was stronger, wiser and more importantly, in command.

The two wolves growled then lunged at each other. Staring around, I noticed that none of the other clients had noticed this. It was then I realised they were all supernaturals of some kind and they had decided to let the two fight it out.

Drawing my attention to the fight, the weight of the situation hit me and with every blow Doug took, my expression lost more of its positive outlook.

I guess that the more I thought about it, the more I began to accept my boyfriend's other life. But also I was scared that if I got in too deep, I would be left wide open to the dangers that his kind imposed. After about five minutes of constant fighting, Doug was exhausted. The alpha however, was not.

With a final roar of anger, he pounced on top of Doug and held his paw up against his throat.

I rushed forward to try and help but the only girl from the pack table stood in front of me.

"Don't worry, he's safe" she whispered in my ear.

As if to prove her point, Doug whined in defeat. The alpha took his paw away and shifted back into his human shape.

"Don't think you're welcome in this pack again!" he snapped.

He left quickly followed by the other members except for Stephen and the girl who'd stopped me from making a foolhardy move.

Doug slowly shifted back into human form and Stephen gave him a spare set of clothes. They were slightly too small but it was better than being arrested for nudity.

The female licked him and Doug returned the favour. Slightly grossed out, I looked away. It was then I realised that it wasn't a lick in the way of lust, more of a gentle lick of affection.

"Sorry about my dad, he's been around for a thousand years and is very set in his ways" Stephen apologised.

"It's okay Ste, you weren't to know" Doug gasped. Blood was trickling from the side of his mouth and the cuts and bruises were healing slowly.

"To be honest, I've been thinking of leaving for a while now but it's the fact I have nowhere to go that makes it risky. That and the fact he would flip"

Stephen seemed to give off the impression that his father's pack was the only pack in the area and that finding another would not be easy.

"I'm sure he wouldn't be that bad. I could talk to him" the girl said. Her voice was warm and kind, with an air of honesty.

"That's sweet Jenna, but coming you he may get a little defensive" Stephen replied.

That surprised me because she seemed to be quite friendly and fit in with the others. But then again, I was completely oblivious when it came to the supernatural.

"You must be Taylor, Doug's told me a lot about you" she said.

"Yeah I am. Who are you?" I asked her.

"Jenna, this guy's older sister"

She pointed at the healing werewolf in my arms. The resemblance however slim was easy to notice.

"Why is he so set against humans?" I asked Jenna.

"Campbell? He was transformed into a werewolf several hundred years ago. His fellow humans threw him out of his village, so he had to fend for himself. He joined the pack he's in now but he took the job of Alpha only ten years ago. When the former Alpha was shot dead"

Before I could react, a howling noise echoed through the pub. Stephen's ears pricked and he sighed.

"Sorry guys I've got to dash, I'll see ya soon"

With that, he left the bar. As quickly as her expression had changed before, he suddenly looked sullen.

"What's wrong Jenna?"

"Now that Doug's been exiled, he's in grave danger"

Free Story #3 - Guided (Chapter 3)

Waking at nearly eleven o'clock was highly unusual for me, yet the next day I stretched and went to brush my teeth. The small hand basin in the en-suite area of the bedroom was quaint with light yellow wallpaper and tiles that had seen better days. Just as the toothpaste was squeezed from its tube, I remembered what happened the night before.

The whole contents of the tube went everywhere. And thankfully, after a hasty clean-up operation, some was left in the cap so I used it as best I could. After the unusual event, going to the kitchen and making breakfast was a task and a half to manage due to the small anxiety attack I had experienced. Sitting down at the table in the dining room, my rectal area gave off a sharp pang of ache.

As I remembered more and more of the encounter last night, part of me really hoped his arse was as sore as mine. Rubbed it gently through my trousers to ease the pain, I continued to eat my toast covered with peanut butter. Why Doug was constantly on my mind I wasn't too sure because after picturing several people whilst pleasuring myself, and seldom thought of the same once twice.

Part of me wondered if this was normal after sex or if it was normal after sex with a werewolf. Whilst thinking about this, it suddenly dawned in that moment just how stupid I had been to go off with a stranger.

Doug could have killed me easily in his transformed state, or taken me to his pack and they could have killed me.

They could also have done to me what he did to me and not with love on their minds. I decided that if ever a werewolf came in the same room as me again, I would be sure to be carrying a piece of silver in my left pocket for insurance.

Just at that moment, Zoe's bedroom door opened and a man stomped out followed by a tabby cat.

A second later Zoe emerged, grabbed the tabby and picked it up. The stranger was a stocky redhead with stubble and three tattoos on both of his arms. It occurred to me in an instant who the man was.

He was one of the leaders of Zoe's coven. They met up every few weeks to assess their less advanced witches on their magic. Clearly something had gone wrong because he looked furious.

"I'm so sorry" Zoe said.

Her voice was a mixture of upper class tone and a kind of northern accent I couldn't define. I probably never would either because she was quite defensive. Without a word, he grabbed his cloak from the sofa and vanished in a puff of glittering orange smoke.

Zoe looked slightly despondent as she stroked the cat in her arms. His name was Arcusir, defined by Zoe as creator of divinity. I wasn't quite sure how to pronounce it so I called him Arc for short; neither he nor Zoe seemed to mind so it stuck. In fact she used the name too but always used his full name when scolding as you would with a child.

I wondered that moment if animals did the same when scolding their young and smiled to think of a cat scolding a kitten in that way for scratching the wallpaper.

Zoe noticed me for the first time and shook her black long hair from her brown eyes and tied it into a ponytail using a rubber band she took from the top pocket of her top.

She sniffed the air slightly as if she couldn't quite find something and looked at me with a confused expression. As first I wondered what she was staring at me for, but then the truth hit home when I felt another muscle spasm emanate from my lower regions. Half of me thought that Zoe would say well done for popping my cherry but the more realistic answer was what I received.

"You lost your virginity with one of them?" she asked.

My confused smile turned instantly to a look of slight disgust and innocence.

At that moment I wondered if Doug had thought of me like I was thinking of him now. The other eventuality was that I was a cheap shag.

I hoped the latter wasn't true but seeing as how he pushed Kevin away, it was too soon to say for sure. Zoe wasn't finished and she broke through my smog of self-analysis to make her point known by snapping her fingers loudly. A book flew off the shelf because due to her heightened emotions, her power was slightly harder to control.

"What's so wrong with one of them?" I asked her innocently.

She rolled her eyes and another book flew off the shelf nearly hitting Arc, who hissed and went out the cat flap to avoid any more magical projectiles.

"Taylor, all werewolves are sluts. They use people just so they can get their fix then move onto someone else. I bet he didn't even tell you his name" Zoe said in a matter of fact tone as if she were trying to explain up was up.

Thinking that she was right was the easy part, convincing my pride was a more difficult mission to accomplish and right now, I was in self-defence mode.

"Well that's where you're wrong Zoe, his name was Doug. And anyway, who's business of yours is it who I sleep with" I retorted.

"I bet you didn't even sleep with him, it was just a quick fling on the car park" Zoe snidely commented.

"Wrong again, it was on the grass by the car park" I snapped back.

If Zoe looked disgusted before, it was nothing compared to what she looked like now. Her eyes were filled with the kind of rage you would normally see in a wild animal just before it strikes something that has injured it.

"Why are you being so defensive about this, he used you, aren't you ashamed of yourself for giving into him?" she screamed. Her body was tense with anger and she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"No I'm not because he made me feel whole! I was fed up of not getting laid. So I thought a cheap shag in the car park with no danger would be what I needed. And guess what, I've never felt so alive in my whole life!"

Before I knew it, a sharp blow hit me on the right side of the head and I hit the wooden floor. Thankfully there was no cut but boy there was a headache forming.

Zoe was looking down at me with tears falling down her cheeks. She was clearly devastated at what she had done. What happened next was a bit of a blur because of the headache.

But I remember slowly getting to my feet, walking past her, picking up my phone and wallet off the table and leaving without a word. Parking the car in the middle of the town car park and paying a pound for the privilege, I went to the one place where I knew no-one could stop me from doing something untoward.

The brothel was just how I expected it to be, full of men and women wearing scantily clad clothing.

Some wore leather, some wore exotic Middle Eastern clothes and others wore something along the lines of dangerous. Going up the counter, a seedy young woman with broken glasses smiled back at me.

Several of her bottom teeth were false giving her the impression she didn't just work here for the pension plan. I supposed that you needed dental insurance working in a place where oral deviance where second nature to most of the clients.

"What you here for darling?" she asked me. Her voice was slightly high pitched and raspy. It was almost as if someone had shoved a balloon down her throat with the helium still inside.

"You got any free men available?" I asked her.

"For a dance or full intercourse?" she enquired in a monotonous 'I've done this a thousand times' way.

"Full intercourse" I replied.

She looked on her computer. It must have been old because it was running Windows 95. I suppose if it suited the purpose, why change it? Most businesses I knew used Windows XP and I upgraded to 7 when it came out in the UK. She cleared her throat after a few seconds of looking through the disorganised database.

"There's one bloke free now? You ready to go?"

"Yeah"

I seemed to be in a kind of mood where I wanted to prove a point rather than use my common sense.

A decision that was going to end in disaster. The woman closed her eyes for a second. I noticed she had small cataracts on her one eye and she had obviously been trying to ignore them. I waited for her to continue.

"His name is Donahue, he's very muscular. Should be perfect for you" she chimed.

She pressed a button on the desk and a few seconds later, Donahue appeared from behind the desk. The woman was right. He was muscular, hairy and wore a Lycra sleeveless shirt. He looked in his late twenties, early thirties.

"You ready?" he asked me.

His voice was gruff giving me the impression he either smoked very regularly or he had a sore throat.

I nodded sheepishly and he gestured for me to come into the back room with him. I followed nervously and Donahue closed the door. He took off his jeans to reveal a pair of speedos. Ouch, I thought.

"You can undress if you want, or I can do it for ya"

Very quickly, I got down to just my pants.

Thinking for the time being I would leave them on, figuring it might be more erotic to rip them off. Donahue smiled and walked over to me.

"Lie down" he whispered in my ear.

Not wanting to antagonise him, I obeyed the command and lay on the semi-soft mattress behind me. He pulled off my pants and smiled. But my complacence quickly turned to sudden disgust.

Then, almost as if I were snapping out of a trance, I noticed something about Donahue.

It was then I noticed something. There was a mysterious rash on his neck. I could tell that Donahue had an STI and that he wasn't shy about spreading it around. Seeing as how it had been right before, I wasn't going to doubt my judgement. Fear spread through me as I realised that Zoe was right, I could have been in serious danger if Doug hadn't had been a werewolf just interested in a one night stand.

Now I was going to pay the price because my own selfish pride and arrogance got in the way. I tried to move but I couldn't. I saw in horror that Donahue had strapped me to the mattress.

He took off his speedos and revealed its contents. He was ready and I was screwed.

I tried to scream but couldn't. With my entire mind, I prayed for help in my mind hoping that someone would hear me. Just as Donahue was about to bend down, a horrible sound and scream of agony rang through the small room.

Looking up, I saw Donahue was lying on the floor. He had a black eye and blood was trickling from his nose. I didn't feel wet on any part of my body and I hadn't been penetrated so I knew that I was free of any infection. But I was still scared and frightened and cursing myself for being so reckless.

It was then that my attention was drawn to the one person that I had been praying for and dreading to see.

It was Doug.

In the dim light, I could tell he had partially transformed. He was still mostly human but with faint fur and more defined muscles than usual. His teeth were now bared fangs that looked sharper than any kitchen knife I had ever seen. Before I could wonder what the hell was going on, I realised that he was snarling.

I had never seen anything snarl before so I was taken back. He was focusing it on the man who had been about to take me to hell and back and leave me with a return ticket. A few seconds later, Doug punched Donahue unconscious and turned around to face me.

Although I was relieved to see him, seeing a real werewolf in any kind of transformed state was a shock. He could sense my distress so he shifted quickly and painlessly back into his human form.

I suddenly noticed that he had managed to transform enough to scare my attacker but not enough to rip his clothes to shreds. I was filled with admiration and gratitude for my rescuer.

He unstrapped me from the mattress and helped me to my feet. I put my clothes back on and without a word; we left the room and went outside the brothel. We walked to an alley just round the back of the nearest hotel.

Half of me expected him to ask me if I was alright. But like Zoe, Doug took the moral high ground and slapped me hard across the face.

"What the hell were you doing?" he asked me.

I knew I should have been grateful. But the part of me that hated him for leaving me alone last night wasn't going to be silenced.

"I was trying to find someone else, seeing as how you left me last night" I yelled. He clearly wasn't expecting me to be on the defensive so his expression soured slightly.

"I left you last night because I hardly knew you. I didn't think you'd want to stay with me after the sex. Kevin didn't so why would you?"

I wasn't slightly surprised after this; Kevin had just wanted a quick fling like most guys his age. What surprised me the most was the fact that Doug seemed to think I only wanted sex.

"You thought I didn't want to be with you?" I asked him calmer than before. Doug looked away from me at that moment.

"It's very rare that werewolves feel a real connection with other beings because we are very self-involved. The packs tend to keep to themselves and real relationships are rare because we are so sexually active all the time"

I could see his point. But my pride still had one more dice to throw. The next sentence I spoke was definitely a mistake in hindsight.

"Why did you have to transform in front of him?" I asked. His calm face changed into mild anger. For a moment, I was actually scared.

"In case you hadn't noticed, the guy was going to give you a STI; I was trying to protect you"

"You could have exposed yourself there Doug. Most guys would have punched them flat straight away but no, you had to go all Tommy Dawkins on him"

Not being sure if he had seen the show referenced to in that statement took a back seat. As well it would.

"I did what I had to Taylor, to save your life. It's not as though I was going to hurt you"

"Most guys call the police. And how did I know that? Seeing you in human form is one thing, but your other form? In the state you were in you could have easily hurt me"

"I wouldn't hurt you, you know that"

"No I don't Doug. I barely know you. One shag in a car park doesn't automatically give us knowledge of each other. And even if it did, I would still need time to accept it. Last night wasn't like me; I let my feelings get in the way of my better judgement"

The last sentence knocked the wind out of him.

"Are you saying you didn't enjoy last night?"

My conscience and good nature was telling me to say no but my emotions said otherwise.

"Yes I did, it was a mistake"

Doug's face contorted into a mixture of grief and anger.

"Well you may as leave then, seeing as how you think I was a mistake to sleep with"

Within two minutes, I had left the alley without looking back and was driving back home with tears starting to leak from the corners of my eyes. As I pulled into my parking space, I heard something that chilled me to my bones.

Howling.

Free Story #2 - Guided (Chapter 2)

Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the site. Here's Chapter 2 of Guided for ya.


This chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature. Don't say I didn't warn you. :)

-

After all this time, finding out new supernaturals existed was a shock and this one was no exception. I had watched the Twilight films and read a lot of Charlaine Harris books so I had a general picture of them but the fact they really existed was a massive issue.

It was like finding out that your best friend is really a government agent with a personality opposite to one you thought you knew.

It was then that something occurred to me. Looking over at the calendar hanging on the wall, it was just what I had feared. It was a full moon. My mouth instantly went dry and I could feel fear and anxiety running through my body ever so slightly.

"Shouldn't we get everyone out of here?" I whispered to him.

Markus shook his head and looked at me. He wore the expression of an adult explaining to a child that two plus two equals four. I hated to be patronised.

But I reminded myself that when it came to matters of the supernatural, I had a lot to learn.

"Myths blown out of proportion. City dwellers are forbidden to attack any humans" he explained whilst taking a swig from a canteen in his pocket.

Almost as if it were fate, Jamelia's 'Beware of the Dog' began playing on the battered CD player. It was a relief to listen to some decent music for a change. The whole evening had been full of nothing but Eminem and 50 Cent.

"They can shift any time of the day or night. On the full moon however, their powerful pheromones are a lot stronger. On that day, they can be detected by other beings"

Well the pheromones explained why I had a constant hard-on. My adrenaline had gone down considerably due to the knowledge that I was safe from attack.

Turning my focus back to Markus, I made a special effort to hide my crotch area from view. As he continued, it was if he was counting off a list. Probably to give me the knowledge that they posed no danger.

"They are in full control of themselves when transformed. Their scratch, blood or other fluids won't change any other magic user or creature into a werewolf.

What they will do is cause you to be highly sexually active for an indeterminate time"

He took a deep breath then carried on with his explanation.

"One other thing they hate anyone saying the word Lycanthropy. They think their form is a gift and they detest any negativity towards it"

I waited to see if he would continue but he didn't. When I looked over at Doug, he was smiling and laughing with his companion.

The other male was blond, thin and had deep brown eyes. He wore a typical surfing dude shirt with slightly torn black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers. He wasn't particularly muscular but Doug didn't seem to mind.

I suspected that he had chosen as a submissive on purpose.

He seemed to be highly concerned with being in control, at least that's what his body language suggested. A few hours later, nearly everyone had left including Markus. I called last orders then did the float so I could lock up as soon as possible. There were no security cameras so I would have to be careful when locking it away.

Looking around the whole building carefully, the only people left were Doug and his companion. Who I would learn later was named Kevin.

As if I needed proof to see what Markus meant by his explanations, Doug kissed Kevin full on with tongue. Instantly, he began to kiss Doug back with such force that they fell to the floor.

After a few seconds, they got up and Kevin left. Doug returned the glasses to the bar and it was then I got a proper look at him. He was wearing a white t-shirt that was dripping with sweat on the front.

"Enjoy the show?" He flirted at me.

I could tell he knew I was gay, I didn't know how but I just knew. Must have been a kind of supernatural ability to tell someone's sexuality. Or maybe he was just horny, one or the other.

"Not bad for a werewolf" I purred back.

For a split second, he looked horrified.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"A little sprite told me" I said simply.

I wondered if he knew what I meant. He smiled a mysterious grin.

He knew all right. Clearly I wasn't the first human with he'd ever met.

"So what's a good looking guy like you doing in a place like this?" I sighed at the cliché and decided to reply in the best way possible.

"Working. And don't you have a boyfriend?" I asked him.

"Kevin? No, he's more of cheap shag"

I winced at the casual way he referred to his sexual antics. Sheltered life? Hell yeah. The werewolf brushed his hair back and looked at me.

"My names Doug, Doug Henshaw. What yours?"

"Taylor, Taylor Michaels"

"So Taylor, have you ever had sex with a werewolf?" He asked me with an invisible glint in his eye.

"No. I haven't with anyone" I had a horrible yet exciting feeling where this was going. And I was right.

"Right then, time I showed you what it's like" he said and jumped the counter in a single leap.

"As long of course, it's okay with you" he growled lightly. It wasn't threatening, more of an invitation. I weighed my options but my heart won out. I gently grabbed his cheek with my left hand and he then placed his right hand on my hip.

We looked at each other for a split second and he lightly kissed me on the lips. After I pulled away slightly, I asked him something I had to know.

"Sorry, but do you have anything I should know about?"

Doug laughed slightly.

"Werewolves are immune to all kinds of human disease"

I was so relieved that I kissed him full on. My conscience was telling me to slow down but this felt right and I was enjoying it. I was in no danger with him so sod it; I needed to know what it was like. He then kissed me again before I could breathe a sigh of pleasure. I suddenly realised where I was so I pulled away again.

"Wait, I can't just do it here. Let me lock up first."

Doug waited impatiently for me to lock up the club. He fidgeted around and casually played with himself through his trousers. Thankfully the procedure only took ten minutes. The automatic alarm was the worst part, every time I tried to set the code I accidentally pressed the wrong number and I had to start again.

As soon as I had finished locking the front door, he walked me over to the car park which had a small patch of grass next to it. We started to make out and after a second, we fell onto the grass; thankfully it wasn't wet otherwise I could have gained a rather nasty stain.

He took off my shirt and trousers and then took off his own. Two sharp fangs extended from his mouth, he licked them lightly then lay on top of my naked torso. He sniffed me for a few seconds to appreciate my scent. Then as if it were common practice, he gave me a full on kiss like he had done with Kevin.

I then experienced for the first time the feral heat that Markus referred to. It was like having an adrenaline rush mixed with profuse sweating combined with the first waves of arousal. He kissed me again and I joined in this time. Not just because of the sexual chemistry but because I wanted him.

I found him irresistible, the one I had been waiting for all twenty something years of my life. I can't describe what happened when I lost my virginity because it was all such a blur of uncertainty, pleasure and excitement.

When it was over, we got changed back into our hastily thrown aside clothes. We were both stiff as a board, out of breath and covered in sweat.

For a moment, I wasn't sure if I was still alive but a pinch of my arm proved my uncertainty to be nothing more than my imagination.

"Same time next week?" he joked.

But he seemed to be a little bit distant, as if something unusual had happened to him while he had been giving me one. I smiled but before I could answer, he got into his car. It was a small Fiat hatchback with several animal shaped transfers on the bonnet and boot.

He drove away nearly as soon as the car had started. Walking over to my own, I sighed with pleasure.

I drove back to the flat I shared with my friend Zoe who was a witch. Her family had been around since the witch trials so they knew the importance of magical safety.

As I went to bed that night; I thought back to the only parts I could remember of my virginal intercourse. As could be expected, I dreamed of the man, or should I say werewolf, I had shagged only hours before.

-

Saving The Dead - Prologue #1

I set myself a target of writing 500 words this evening. And I managed to come up with the prologue for one of the books I am writing. The prologue is not 500 words, but the storyline didn't need it.

So without further ado, here is the first draft of the prologue of Saving The Dead.

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A cold wind flew around the vampire, but the only part of it that he felt was the lifting effect that it had on his light fitting tan jacket. He was so intent on completing the task that he set himself that it would have taken a nuclear explosion to break him out of it.

To an external observer, they would have been determined to stop him or at least slow him down. But it didn’t matter now, because it would soon be over. He would either go onto a better place, or the reluctant undead man would finally be at peace.

Shifting his feet closer to the edge of the building, he took a long shuddering breath that rattled the inside of his long dead body. He wasn’t old in vampire years, but it felt like an eternity since he had been alive.

If he had still been human, he would have been terrified of the height that he was looking down from. But any kind of emotion had been stripped bare from him long ago, so it was only a matter of time before he carried out his plan.

Slowly and carefully, he crouched to the ground and jumped off the roof. For a split second, the man seemed to float in between the heavens and the earth. But just as quickly as the sensation began, the natural force of the earth took hold. No matter how powerful, no being of flesh and blood was immune to the effects of gravity.

Many had tried, but all failed eventually. Mother Nature had placed the rules for the creatures own protection, and that was reason enough.

The man sailed down past the windows of the many floors, not caring if anyone saw, or if anyone would salvage the remains. This was his final journey, and when it was done, all would be well.

With a final look at the world he had once called home, the vampire closed his eyes and waited for the stakes to bring him salvation.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was an almighty thud. And that was the end of the life he once lived.

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