Chapter 7 - Eat or be Eaten

She wasn't sure how long she lay there in the cocooned sanctuary of the willow tree branches, but the truth was it didn't really matter. Nobody

cared about the traitor's daughter enough to come looking for her and make sure she wasn't skipping out on class. So long as she kept up her work and her grades and turned up for the exams, nobody cared.

And so she tried not to think of anything, not university or work or even all that had happened that morning. Instead, she merely lay there against the tree trunk where the moss grew thickest. She closed her eyes and breathed

deeply the scents of the tree, the lake, the wildflowers. Nothing could calm her like this place did.

Yet it seemed today that it wouldn't remain that way for long. The sound of footsteps approaching caused Angel to sit bolt upright. The sprites who had been dancing about the surface of the lake, zipping through the

trailing willow branches and sometimes Layoning sprays of water at her, now hurried away as though the newcomer had disturbed them, maybe even threatened them. Sprites were a good judge of danger, and they'd never

hurried away at the sight of Angel before. That knowledge made Angel's hackles rise as she thought of that morning when someone had practically been stalking her.

The footsteps grew closer. Angel darted to her feet, letting out a warning growl even as she allowed her fangs and claws to begin to protrude from her gums and fingernail beds. Whoever was out there, they weren't going to get off lightly.

"Whoever you are, you should know,"

she yelled between growls,

"I won't be an easy target."

Though they were brave words, Angel suddenly couldn't hear anything above the anxious pounding of her heart and she was certain that whoever was out there, they could hear it too. Straining her ears, she listened for the footsteps, turning in their direction the moment she caught them again.

Through gritted teeth, she snarled, "You are better off just leaving me alone."

"You tried that one before and it didn't work"

came the response, andvAngel's heart skipped a beat. Not just because she had gotten a response but because she recognized the voice. Almost at the same moment, she caught the scent of him in the air and her stomach did one giant somersault as the trailing willow branches were brushed back like a curtain by one large and overly muscular arm.

"Layon! What the hell are you doing here?" Angel demanded even as he stepped into the cocoon created by the willow branches.

"Why did you sneak up on me like that?"

Layon offered her a pointed look, scowling deeply at her before pointing out,

"I was hardly sneaking. You heard me from way off."

Knowing he was right, she let out a dissatisfied rumble and demanded,

"How did you find me?"

"It wasn't difficult,"

Layon responded, shrugging his shoulders that

were bulging from his plain white t-shirt. From the smell of him, Angel could tell he had recently removed his leather jacket, no doubt because it was so damn hot. The smell of sweat and leather clung to him, mixing with his ownvmusky wolf scent to create a heady aroma that made Angel's head spin.

Don'tvlet him faze you like that! Angel scolded herself quickly, reminding herselfvthat she was pissed at him.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," she said, far less certain now as her wolf began to calm a little and reminded her that she was far beneath

him. Her stomach clenched with anger.

She hated the feeling of having to be submissive to every damn member of the pack even when half of them didn't deserve it. Perhaps if she had been a male wolf, she might have been able to

challenge her way up the ranks after her father's banishment, or maybe she would have been banished right alongside him. She wasn't sure which would have been worse, but either was better than this.

“I couldn’t.”

He said the words with such finality that for a moment Angel was butt and pulled her up into his arms. The wolf inside her began to wriggle

about like a bitch in heat even as Layon turned and carried her to the tree trunk once more. The leaves of the willow tree stroked the top of her head before he lay her down upon the moss where she had been relaxing before he

showed up.

"We both need this," he whispered to her even as he leaned up onto his knees between her legs and yanked off his own shirt.

"I can sense it."

Angel could deny it no longer and even if she did, she knew he wouldn't believe her. Her wolf was clawing at her insides to get to his, and she knew as well as he did that he could sense it. She could sense his doing exactly the same thing. It was painful and impossible to ignore. And so, Angel

did the only thing she could think to do. She sat up and grabbed Layon's belt, unbuckling it with such fury that she almost pulled him over.

The next few moments were a blur of ripping each other's clothes off. Soon jeans, t-shirts, and underwear were all discarded around the hollow. All Angel could do was marvel for a moment at the glorious sight that was Layon Silverdale. His sun-kissed flawless complexion, his body that was so wellmuscled he looked like a beast even in human form, his manhood whichvmany might have compared to a horse’s. Though he wouldn’t be the first guyvshe had been with, he was certainly the first werewolf she had been with. Her

father's banishment hadn't made dating in her own ’ace all that easy.

For a moment, the sight of him in all her glory unnerved her. She had definitely never been with anyone so well-endowed. Yet her anxiety over it

didn't get the chance to last long because Layon came down upon her with such desire and passion that she was instantly lost in a tidal wave of need.

Layon's mouth caught hers and he began to kiss her with such force that hervhead spun. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down on topcof her, feeling herself being pressed down into the mossy bed by the

muscular weight of him. His hands caressed her body, cupping her breastscand squeezing her hips even as she felt his rock-hard manhood hovering between her thighs, the very tip brushing her most sensitive area. Their wolves began to whimper and yap, bubbling with excitement and when Angel could take the anticipation no more, she found herself angling her hips up toward him.

As if sensing her need, Layon reached down between them and gripped his manhood, edging into her ever so gently. Angel gasped at the sheer size of him filling her up. She felt herself being stretched just to the point of discomfort and was relieved when Layon paused for a moment, as if to let her grow used to him. He didn't begin to move until she reached for his face and pulled him back for another kiss.

Thrusting their hips in a rhythm that felt as though they had done it a million times before, they worked together, edging closer and closer to Jason even as their wolves grew more and more excited. Layon's groans of pleasure only aided in hurrying Angel to her end. Feeling his pleasure, his desire, his need, they seemed to melt into her own, aligning perfectly until she felt as though they had become one. It was a sensation wholly new to her and before she knew it, her entire body felt as though it were exploding with fireworks.

When Layon's own Jason came, Angel found she was prepared for it. She felt the way his body suddenly tensed, heard the way his teeth ground

together with the effort. And when he finished, she found herself digging her fingernails into his back, the urge to mark him uncontrollable.

"Ahh, fuck, Angel!"

Although his voice was harsh, it was a clear mix

of pleasure and pain, one battling the other as Angel realized it hadn't been her nails but her claws that she had dragged down his back.

"Shit, Layon, I'm sorry,"

she exclaimed, trying to wriggle out from

under him to make sure she hadn't done too much damage. Yet Layon held her where she was and began to chuckle.

"Don't worry about it. We both got caught up in the moment,"

he told her and when she followed his gaze to where he was gazing down at her shoulder, she realized he wasn't the only one who had been marked. Though he had not broken the skin, she had teeth marks in her shoulder.

"You bit me!" she exclaimed.

"Good thing you're already a werewolf,"

Layon remarked and they both began to laugh, still too caught up in each other to be serious.

Angel was almost disappointed when Layon slipped out of her and dropped down onto the moss beside her. It was short-lived when he gripped her by the back of the head and urged her toward him.

"Come here."

Doing as she was bid, Angel found herself lying on his chest. It wasvmuch more comfortable than she had expected it to be.

And warm too. She found herself nuzzling into him like a happy pup.

"I didn't expect you to be the cuddling type,"

she whispered, scared that if she spoke too loudly, she might break the peace that had been created within the cocoon of the willow's branches. The smell of their lovemaking hung heavy and intoxicating in the air all around them.

"I'm not."

Deciding it was best not to question his response, Angel inched closer and closed her eyes. It had been so long since she had been at ease with

someone, so long since another wolf had touched her. Just being close to another of her kind eased her very soul.

stunned into silence. They stared at each other, grey eyes on charcoal, and Angel quickly became unnerved yet somehow unable to look away.

"I wasvworried about you."

As he spoke the words, he closed the distance between them, never taking his gaze from hers. She felt pinned to the spot, wanting to move but

never quite able to. Her heart raced and her skin tingled where his fingertips brushed her forearm as he reached out to touch her cautiously. The tension between them was palpable, causing Angel to grit her teeth.

"You always used to come here whenever you and Reebah had avfalling out,"

Layon pointed out. and the mention of his sister caused her hackles to rise, breaking the spell.

Stepping backward, Angel demanded,

"What did Reebah say?"

she remembered all too well the scene in the restroom that had caused her to flee from the university. Yet at her reaction, Layon looked utterly confused.

"Whatvdid she tell you?"

Layon stepped forward once more, making it increasingly difficult for her to escape him. She could feel the willow tree leaves brushing against her back. She could barely breathe due to his closeness. Part of her wanted to flatten her palms against his chest and shove him away, but she was fearful ofvtouching him. Not because he was higher in the pack hierarchy, but because

she was fearful of what touching him might do to her.

"Has something happened between you and Reebah?" he asked, and she was surprised when he reached up and stroked a stray curl from her face, sweeping it behind her ear. The moment his fingertips disappeared, she began to feel disappointed. A part of her had hoped he would keep touching her.

Instead, she tried to focus on their conversation.

Unsure as to whether he already knew and was trying to get her side of things or whether this was the first he had heard of it, Angel quickly shook

her head and stated,

"It's nothing."

Though she was growing more and more irritated with the way that Reebah was treating her, she didn't feel like betraying her to her brother. Not with his newfound need to be protective. She remembered all too well the way he had jumped to her side and began to act as though he was a guard dog that morning in the woods. He wouldn't do that when it comes to Reebah, Angel reassured herself. Would he?

Seeing the way his gaze blazed into hers now, she wasn't so sure.

"Good, because the truth is I'd rather not talk about my sister,"

Layonvtold her and this time when he reached for her, she had to gasp for breath. His hands cupped her face, only lightly at first, but it was enough to make every inch of her skin crawl with desire.

"I came to make sure you are okay."

"Layon, what are you doing?"

Angel demanded. Holding on desperately to rational thoughts, she tried to pull herself from his grip, only to find herself tangled in the branches of the willow tree. Layon chuckled with amusement, watching her for a moment, before he reached out again and gripped hold of

her wrists, drawing her close to him.

"Stop thinking, Angel,"

he told her, whispering into her ear.

"Just feel."

With that, he pulled her hands, palm out, and placed them against his chest. Instantly, she began to feel his heart pounding beneath her palms. It was rapid and almost anxious, practically beating in time with her own, and

she realized quickly that was why she hadn't picked up on it before. She had been so distracted by everything else about him.

Now as she closed her eyes, it was all she could feel, all she could hear save for his breath in her ear until he told her, "I came here to make you

feel better. To make us both feel better."

This shouldn't be happening! Angel's last rational thoughts screamed throughout her head as though they were spoken by someone else, someone older and wiser who she should have probably listened to. This can't happen!

And yet it was. Angel found she could fight it no longer, especially when Layon's fingertips slipped beneath her chin and urged her face up to his.

Though he usually towered over her, their kiss was easy. She leaned up on her tiptoes and strained her neck only slightly even as her hands slipped up and over his shoulders, hooking her arms around his neck. All rational thoughts flew from her mind then as he hooked his own hands around her.