At first Thalia thought she had misheard her master, then she thought perhaps she was imagining it. Thalia couldn't remember the last time she was allowed to go outside or shift. Lars either didn't like or didn't care to let Thalia out. Thalia had heard that the less a wolf shifted, the weaker they became but Thalia wasn't sure if that was true. She had endured years of torture and still healed quickly which sadly meant she was subjected to another beating.
"A run?" Thalia's voice was shy and hesitant, her eyes flicking up to gage Dante's mood only to find him observing her calmly.
“Yes.” Dante nodded with a smile. “Doctor McKinley did mention it in his notes and that it has been sometime since you were last able to let your wolf out. I can only imagine how torturous that must be for you so I would like to rectify it starting tonight.”
Thalia was speechless, her eyes wide in shock and mouth agape. The rush of emotions was certainly overwhelming, and she felt the prickling sting in the corners of her eyes as tears threatened to flood her eyes. It was enough to stir Maeve’s spirit deep inside of her and she felt the beasts longing for freedom mix in with her own excitement and desire. She wasn’t about to question this precious gift twice and shut her mouth, giving a quick nod as she let the prospect of stretching her legs take root.
A toothy grin split Dante’s handsome face at Thalia’s acceptance, blue eyes glimmering with satisfaction in the intimate light around them. “Excellent. Well, if you are finished here, let me show you outside.”
It was the first decent meal Thalia had consumed in months and yet she found herself too excited to feel the fresh air on her skin to eat anymore. It was undeniably delicious, and the richness of the stew had warmed her belly wonderfully. How long had it been since she had felt something more than hunger pains inside her?
Dante’s towering figure led the way from the small dining table and out through the sliding French doors behind where Thalia had sat. the feeling of the early spring night air sent a small shiver up the young wolf’s spine and she dragged in a deep breath of the air, smelling wet earth, new spring growth and just the faintest hint of burning wood in the humid air. Beyond the French doors was a veranda made of stone and wood and bathed in soft yellow light from sconces on the stone exterior of the house. Most of the veranda had a stone wall save for a gap about six feet wide where steps led down onto an open grassy paddock lined by a thick wall of trees. All around them was nothing but silence. There appeared to be no other hints of life.
“Take as much time as you need.” Dante spoke up, looking down at the petite she-wolf with an encouraging smile. “I will be right here when you are tired and are ready to go back in.”
Thalia nodded, rendered speechless by the feeling of open space around her and the wilderness within touching distance. The terrain was certainly different from what she was used to. She had grown up under the heat of the Mediterranean sun where sand-coloured rocks met the azure blue waters. Her pack territory had felt like living in paradise and she had relished the feeling of the hot sea-salted air against her skin and the refreshing coolness of the Aegean Sea.
She couldn’t be picky though and, in all honesty, there was something intriguing about this new land with its cooler climate and thicker forestry.
Taking a deep breath, Thalia waited until she could no longer sense her new owner around her before removing her clothing, folding the dress neatly and settling it on a seat by the door. She could already feel Maeve pressing forward, begging to be freed like a puppy waiting to be taken for a walk. Thalia certainly wasn’t going to deny her and after a few moments of letting the cool wet hair brush against her naked form, she closed her eyes and opened the door within her mind to release her wolven spirit.
There was a sharp pain as she transformed, and Maeve took over. Thalia assumed it was because it had been some time and even then, the feeling wasn’t dreadful. Within moments, her human form had given way to her wolf form and Maeve shook out her black and gold coat before tossing her head back to let out a joyous howl. Eyes the colour of sunflowers took in the wilderness around them before the lithe she-wolf dashed into the undergrowth.
Much like their human form, their wolven form was undernourished but that held little impact on Maeve’s speed as she crashed through the forest with grace and speed. The scents of the forest drove her on, jumping felled trees and navigating gullies and mounds with ease. The sweet smells of the terrain tickled her nose as Maeve frolicked and pranced about like a juvenile.
Thalia wasn’t sure how long Maeve dashed about, following different scents. They stumbled across a badger whose grumpiness quickly sent Maeve on her way. Maeve even found a frog in a small stream to entertain her, her eyes forward and eyes wide as the slippery amphibian hopped about in the water. Eventually though, Maeve began to tire and turned back to find her way to the house once more. The wolf walked up the steps onto the veranda, pausing at the sight of Dante, sat on a wooden love seat with a book, one ankle balancing on his opposite knee.
“Hello Maeve,” Dante smiled as he closed his book and set it beside him. “Did you enjoy your run?”
The sound that came out of Maeve was a mixture of a growl and a purr, her tail wagging in excitement as she voiced her appreciation.
“Good. There are some warm clothes on the chair for you.” Dante motioned to the same seat Thalia had left her dress on earlier.
Maeve was silent as she carefully gathered the clothing in her maw, slipping back down the steps to use the stone wall for privacy. Thalia almost felt bad for coaxing Maeve back into her mind and letting Thalia take control, but Maeve did seem content and her happiness thrummed through Thalia’s soul like the vibrations of music. The black leggings and thick woollen jumper in a soft grey were welcome now that a chill danced over Thalia’s skin. She pulled the clothing on before heading back onto the Veranda, blushing as Dante stood from his seat to hand her a pair of thick woollen socks.
“We don’t want you to freeze, now do we?” Dante smiled in amusement.
“Thank you.” Thalia said softly as she took the socks. “The forest is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. You can explore it as much as you like.” Dante nodded, leading them back inside once Thalia had put her socks on. “As the weather warms up, it’ll be much more beautiful. That is of course, if we are still here for that.”
“What do you mean?” Thalia asked, frowning in confusion.
Dante didn’t reply immediately but instead led the young she-wolf to the couches sitting in front of the giant marble fireplace. Even the couch felt heavenly as Thalia sank her tired body onto the silver grey upholstery. Dante certainly had taste and the means in which to furnish his home with it.
“Well, I travel for my work, and I don’t like to leave those in my care behind.” Dante explained. “So, I usually move everyone with me. It’s no issue really but I do like to show my girls my appreciation and sometimes, taking them on vacation is a nice way to do it.”
Thalia knew she should be in awe of this but the feeling building in her gut was anything but. Why was Dante so kind to the girls he had bought? He gave them nice clothes and good meals and he was literally not asking for anything. Taking them on vacation was too much! Thalia was used to working to the bone. She was used to being belittled or punished for minor infractions and used like a possession. None of this was putting her at ease and it showed.
“Thalia,” Dante broke the silence first, his large hand resting on Thalia’s reassuringly. “This is not a trap. I want to make sure you and the other girls get back to your families after what you have been through. I know it comes at a cost but for now, I don’t want you to worry about that. After everything you have been through, don’t you think you deserve to be taken care of?”
Thalia felt her cheeks flame, feeling like she had been caught red handed in her thoughts. Thoughts and questions still crept in like whispers, but she forced them down. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, especially as she had only been here a day.
“Okay.” Thalia’s voice was tiny, her brown eyes meeting Dante’s blue ones which sparkled in satisfaction at her answer.
“Brilliant. Now,” He stood, holding onto Thalia’s hand still as he gently helped her to her feet. “It’s getting late, so I think it’s time for bed.”
Hi all! Welcome to book two in the Hellhound pack series! Now, we have a lot to cover but I just wanted to say thank you for reading this far and I hope you enjoy the journey xxx
Thalia only realised now how tired she was, as if Dante mentioning how late it was had drawn Thalia’s exhaustion to the front of her mind. Only a few minutes before she had felt invigorated after finally being able to shift and explore the mystical outside world. Her muscles were sore, but the warm burn wasn’t unpleasant, if anything it felt like home. How long had it been since she had felt that familiar ache from running in her wolven form? Now though, at the mention of going to bed, Thalia’s limbs felt heavy and her eyes scratchy. She caught herself stifling a yawn only for a pink tint to bleed into her cheeks when Dante smiled at her in amusement. “Come, I’ll escort you to your room.” Dante rested a large hand gently between the petite female shoulder blades, guiding her to another door, one she hadn’t noticed before. How many doors did this place have? “Thank you.” Thalia nodded, letting her hospitable master guide her through the door. The hallway that stretched out before t
Thalia felt her heart leap into her mouth as Jennifer continued to stare her down. The lessons she had been taught as a pup came back to her like a reflex. All pups were taught from an early age to be careful not to expose who they were truly to humans. Of course, there were some who knew of the supernatural species that existed but there was an agreement as old as time to keep the humans in the dark as much as possible to protect them from the dangers that came with the supernatural world. "Relax," Jennifer broke the silence first, letting out a humourless laugh. "Mr Connaught tells me everything." "Oh Jesus…" Svetlana rolled her eyes. "Your delusions are getting worse by the day. He told all of us." "But he told me first!" Jennifer argued, long slender fingers coming to play with her ice cream blonde hair before flicking it over her shoulder. “We talk all the time.”
Even though Thalia knew Priyanka wouldn't be at dinner that evening, she couldn't stop the worry gnawing in her gut. The other girls seemed unfazed by the absence of their friend and were happily chatting to each other. Even Jennifer had made an appearance and seemed in a much better mood even if she kept her distance from Thalia.However, when almost a week had passed and Priyanka still hadn't been seen by any of the girls, Thalia knew something was going on. Whenever Thalia questioned Ms Thorton or Dante, they had merely changed the subject or made some vague excuses. Dante was certainly more convincing than his assistant. It seemed that he just had to utter the words don't worry about it. She is fine and Thalia would forget about the matter until late that evening and when there was no one to ask.Thalia was also no closer to working out anything about her master or this strange place he called a home. The more she tried to
Six weeks later Thalia groaned as she pushed her hair out of her face, her mouth still watering as she blindly fumbled for the handle on the toilet. She had heard morning sickness could be a bitch, but she was now learning just how much of a bitch it really could be. It had only been six weeks since the night the small life inside her womb was conceived and yet it still felt like a strange dream. The exact details of that night were hazy in her mind, but Thalia remembered being unable to control herself as she agreed to Dante’s surprising request. In reality it wasn’t that strange. Women all over the world acted as a surrogate for other people all the time but to have six women be surrogates for one person was unheard of. Also, Thalia couldn’t help but shake the feeling that, while she hadn’t been forced to agree, she certainly had been coerced in some way which really wasn’t any better. Sink
Doctor McKinley’s words stuck with Thalia like a bad memory well after her appointment was done. She had remained preoccupied and lost in thought for the rest of the day, too stunned to think clearly. The past few months had been crazy, and Thalia was starting to wonder if it was her that was going mad and hallucinating after years of abuse or if this was all real and she was pregnant with a demon’s baby.“Thalia?” Dante’s deep voice cut into the maelstrom of thoughts going through Thalia’s mind. “Is everything okay?”“Hm?” She glanced up in a daze, taking in her surroundings as her espresso brown eyes cleared. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”She had been on autopilot when Ms Thorton had come to collect her for her dinner date with Dante. This time she found herself in a white maxi dress with spaghetti straps and a Grecian cut. She ha
Sunlight pouring in from the tall windows was what woke Thalia up from her heavy slumber. For a few moments, her mind was still recovering from the last vestiges of sleep that it took a little while to realise she was not in her bed and that she lay naked under a soft light duvet.The events of the previous night flooded in quickly and Thalia felt heat creep up her neck and cheeks as a blush coloured her cheeks.They hadn’t had sex which Thalia had been grateful for and equally was amazed since she had known how aroused Dante had been. Instead, he had spent the evening drawing orgasm after orgasm from Thalia with his mouth and fingers until she had begged for mercy. Her core still tingled from the demon’s assault on her and every slight movement made her inside hum with pleasure.She had never experienced anything like it but the cold light of day sobered Thalia, a small seed of regret growi
Dante surveyed the scene as he stepped out of the car, watching as his men tended to the wounded and the destruction. Of all the nights a piece of shit teenager decided to get high, steal his dad’s beema and go for a joyride through the country roads, he chose this night. If the kid hadn’t died on impact of driving head on into the side of the people carrier, Dante probably would have killed him himself.It was bad enough that his plans had to be brought forward. It had all been going so well until Lucien showed up. He knew his brother was up to something, probably spying on Dante under strict instructions of the council. He had to throw his brother off by moving the girls early. Now when Lucien and his cohorts raised the mansion, they would find nothing but an empty shell.That’s provided this whole shit storm draw the attention of the council sooner...The vehicle that had been carrying his prec
Kade should have known it wasn't going to be a good day when he received a text message from his sister telling him their father had finally passed away.They had just gotten back from visiting Silver Moon and preparations for Daniel's crowning as Alpha of the Hellhound pack had been taking up most of everyone's time, including Kade's. In all honesty, he was glad to be home where things were familiar, and he didn't have to go running around trying to find Daniel's missing mate.When Daniel had told him that Eva Larson had run off when they first met, Kade had burst out laughing. It had earned him an angry growl from his Alpha, but Kade had ignored it, too amused by the turn of events.He hadn't been laughing when Daniel sent him out to go looking for Eva.It was about that time his sister had called and told him their father had taken a turn for the worse. The old bastard had