Taken (Sinful Series - book 1)

Falling asleep in the dungeon beside a dangerous rogue was certainly not in the plan. Violet blamed the bond for providing comfort which was welcomed by for both wolf and woman. His bony hand shook her shoulder, making her hiss as his fingers pressed into the still raw brand. She immediately cringed away from his touch, and shielded her eyes from the light. When finally her eyes accustomed to the intensity of the light, his eyes were already narrowed at her with what she could only guess was fury. Next thing she knew, his rough hands pulled at her clothes, stretching her shirt over her shoulder, exposing the angry-looking brand.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Violet shoved him away, growling more out of pain than mortification that he had seen the brand.

“I’m sorry,” he said stepping away from her, allowing her a moment to straighten her clothes. Clenching her teeth helped only so much to swallow the pain while slowly yet carefully arranging her shirt back into its place. She didn’t wish to brush the material over the sore wound.

There was nothing else left to say, so Violet allowed silence to settle in between them. As the minutes stretched, she kept eyeing the rogue, who was flat out starring at her. They were both waiting for the other one to talk. It was clear he wanted to discuss her abused skin, while Violet found it irrelevant. Hadn’t she made it clear? Sure, they were escaping together. But she had a mate to find and his nuts to kick, and she certainly did not have time to deal with pity or misguided compassion influenced by her mark on his scraggy neck.

Besides, was there any point going over the Breeder’s stamp on her neck at this time? He certainly didn’t need to hear her dismal story, nor did she want to share it. It was enough she managed living it. He did not get to come in and stir her emotions by reminding her just how many times life screwed her over. No. She had plans, and a brighter future she was chasing. In five years, her life, this moment, even him would make a perfect story. But not now. Not when the pain was so fresh, and the memories so raw. Moreover, what could he possibly do other than help her escape? He could not just magically take away the pain, nor the mar of her skin. The bond was making him feel for her, but he had to focus on other things if they were going to make it out of pack’s territory. The escape was all that mattered. Everything else was a giant waste of energy and time for both of them. She knew it, and he was going to figure it out the hard way.

Violet was grateful when he decided not to address the issue any further. Instead, he informed her, “I heard commotion. They’ll be here soon. Just stay behind me.”

Violet nodded her head, but realized he had already turned and walked towards the door, so he could not have possibly seen the gesture. He had turned off the flashlight as well, preparing himself to attack. Her voice was still hoarse from pain, when she agreed, “Sure.”

Soon thereafter, she could hear the excited chatter behind the door and the rattling of keys. As the door unlocked, one of the enforcers from the night before snickered, “Time’s up, Girl. Ready or not…”

He couldn’t finish his taunt as a fist landed in his neck, crushing his windpipe, and dropping him on the floor. Even though Violet expected a blitz attack of some sort, nothing could prepare her for the stealth and precision with which the rogue took down the first guard, and went after the second. The second Enforcer had time to process what was happening and dodged the attack, but was not fast enough to outmaneuver the detainee, who rushed him back in the corridor, slamming viciously his head against the concrete, splitting it like a melon.

“You okay?” He rogue asked.

“Peachy,” Violet snapped, deciding he had finally lost it. Who really asked such questions in the midst of the greatest escape of both of their lives? If longer she was not caught, she was closer to freedom. Just that notion alone was enough to want to rush upstairs, instead she gave him all the information she could, “There will be other guards on the upper levels. Once we get to the surface, the exit is to an open yard. We need to blend in,” Violet continued reaching for the first guard and taking off his jacket, tossing it to the rogue. He quickly snatched it and put it on. It hung loosely around his body, but from afar he could pass as an Enforcer himself. The rogue closed his eyes, and grunted. Violet knew he was testing the silver exposure, and got pissed he could not reach his wolf.

“Let’s go,” he commanded, then ran up the stairs and Violet eagerly followed.

The ascent to the surface was uneventful, but stressful in its own way. Violet’s heart was thundering from the excursion of pushing her body to its limits, and the excitement she was finally doing something for her own sake’s. Several times, the rogue would stop and growl with frustration as he tried unsuccessfully to force a shift into his wolf form. Although they did not encounter any other resistance on their way out of the dungeons, her anxiety did not decrease. She was expecting them to be caught any moment, and found it hard to believe they managed to make it to the tree line undetected. But then again, guards were especially friendly with Breeders, and nobody questioned an Enforcer.

The night provided a thick cover, his confidence radiated from him was enough to blend in their roles, and nobody thought to question what an Enforcer and Breeder were up to. It was self-explanatory, blessed by Gagon’s vision.

The rogue held onto her forearm as they walked through the yard. Violet suspected it was more for his benefit than hers. Firstly, he still didn’t trust her not to bounce and alert of his escape. Secondly, he would never admit, but he needed her support because of his weakened state. She felt him brace more of his weight against her, the further they went. It wasn’t until they were deep in the woods that he released her.

“Shift, and try to keep up,” he whispered, then shifted, shredding his clothes. Violet rolled her eyes at his theatrics and took off her shirt and pants. If he could care less about his modesty when he shifted back, that was his problem. He could laugh all he wanted, but she would have something to wear. She then swiftly shifted and bit into her clothes, carrying them in her wolf’s mouth.

As the village disappeared behind her, Violet could finally breathe easier.

This was her new beginning.

Her new life on the run.

Violet

When they first escaped from the Hacksaw, Gagnon’s main domain and fortification, they headed down southeast, through meadows and hills. It felt good to be in her wolf’s skin. She could feel the excitement of her beast from the wind in her snout, to the blood pumping through her veins. She hadn’t been this free since forever. Things were finally looking brighter; her heart felt lighter, and her mind was clearer than ever before.

Violet’s bond with her pack was stretching and slowly fading, while the pull towards the rogue was beginning to intensify. It was what nature intended for mates – undeniable trust. At first, Violet struggled with putting her faith, well being and future in his hands. However, as more time passed and the marking took deeper roots, depending on him ceased to bother her. They were in this together. Bond or no bond, they were allies who wanted to stay alive, and get the heck out of Gagon’s territory.

In any case, she even found herself mindlessly following him, crossing rivers, backtracking and then floating downstream in hopes to evade being tracked. Violet was seeing things clearer. She was developing an understanding for him and his leadership, which frankly scared her. Her initial assumption was right – he was not only a pack wolf, but highly trained one, which only meant he was higher up the food chain. Violet always thought of herself as smart, analytical and precise, but watching him cover their tracks and just about make it hard for anyone to follow them, proved one thing – she had a lot to learn. He was swiftly becoming the reason why her life was beginning a new.

She was grateful.

But not to the point where she would blindly allow him to bully her. It became apparent; he was conflicted when it came to their relationship. Hell, half the time she did not trust her own feelings where he was concerned. It was easy to misinterpret appreciation and gratefulness as love. She had to admit the mark was responsible for those overwhelming waves of lust she felt for him. He was obviously struggling with the same issue. While the man in him had accepted the terms of their arrangement, the wolf was split between fury and rejection of her claim on him, and the natural mating pull created by it.

His wolf had finally given up growling at her whenever she had found herself in his vicinity. It was his way of stating he was not supportive at all of what their humans did. He had even gone as far as attempting to bite her neck into submission. It had taken all of her training and muscle to prevent him from accidentally marking her, and making this situation a permanent arrangement between them. Although she made him submit to her, she had the nagging feeling her victory was going to be short-lived. She had no illusion; he would be able to overpower her as soon as the silver completely left his system. He was not only strong willed bully, but an exceptional strategist. He had proven to be agile even in his malnourished, beaten and poisoned state. He planned the elaborate evasion maneuvers, and also managed to find strength to scout ahead.

Violet was growing tired and reluctantly admitted bringing her own clothes along might have not been best idea. Modesty was of importance to her, but she was just about done dragging the frozen fabric across icy-cold waters. Her stubborn nature made her clamp her teeth shut and keep going. In retrospect, she now realized his reasons in his blatant disregard for his clothing. He knew where they were headed and what was in front of them. While she acknowledged that to herself, her pride would never let her admit it in front of him.

They trekked for what seemed forever, then around noon stopped by a pond. The water was warmer and salmon was swimming happily downstream. Spring had arrived this far south, and Violet couldn’t help it but yelp excitedly. His wolf had looked at her, oblivious of just what this little moment meant for her. She was finally free, and she could care less about what he or anyone else thought about her immaturity. She didn’t own them sh*t. Being her own person felt good.

Her companion’s black wolf barked at her, nudging his head in the direction he trotted. Violet was nowhere near done with her happy dance, but she understood his need to poop on her parade. The urgent need to put as many miles as possible between them and her former pack was at upmost importance. She couldn’t afford to be caught. With that in mind, it was easy to overcome the hunger and exhaustion. She would eat and rest when she was safe, and as far away as possible from Gagon’s reach.

As the day went by, she began wondering whether he really knew where he was going, or was he just creating distance, hoping to outrun and outmaneuver the trackers Gagon would eventually send after them. Violet had no doubt by now they had discovered their escape, and hunters were dispatched to bring them back. The rogue was proving to be the resilient foe, even Gagon had recognized.

An hour before sunset, his wolf lead them off track to a higher ground, setting up their lair for the night. Violet had just about collapsed and taken a nap. When she had woken up, he had already set up a fire. Two rabbits were slow roasting, and he was nowhere to be seen. While Violet had never been crazy about the dry meat of a rabbit, she had to admit they sure looked appetizing. On second thought, she was so hungry, even stones were starting to appear delicious.

She had swiftly changed back into a human, and into her damp clothes. Even damp they were still much better than none, and she was extremely happy she had thought to take them along the trip. The roasting rabbits were now commanding her attention.

He found her just like that, eyeing the sizzling dinner.

“Help yourself,” he offered, and Violet didn’t need to be told twice as her stomach growled in recognition of the hunger.

“Thanks. But you shouldn’t have,” Violet started only for him to chuckle as he was crouching on the other side of the fire, eating his rabbit.

“You were wasted.”

“I had a good nap,” Violet admitted, ignoring his snide remark. Could she have helped? Sure. But he had done such a great job without her, so Violet decided he simply didn’t need the help. Deciding not to even bother taking his snappy words to heart. Her life hadn’t been the easiest, and now with a claimed mate, she could afford to let her guard down a notch, allowing him to take care of her. Spoil her even. She didn’t care. She would pitch in where she could, when she could, and gladly take advantage of the mating bond’s protectiveness.

“You must be exhausted. I’ll take first watch.”

“We need to talk,” he continued, ignoring her suggestion.

Violet decided to wait for him to say his peace. She didn’t have to wait long, before he continued.

“I noticed it before. You are not shielding your mind.”

It was a statement, not a question so Violet politely waited.

“Don’t you know how to shield your mind from the mindlink?” He couldn’t help himself but asked. Her blank stare gave him the answer.

No, nobody really worked with her on any of that mind-stuff, as she was not going to be a ranked wolf, and all field-soldiers had no business blocking higher ranks from their mindlink.

“Think about encapsulating yourself with shield of air, making the shell around you thicker and thicker until even daylight can hardly pass through. Close your eyes and breathe,” He suggested. “Slow down your inhale and prolong the exhale. Inhale slowly, exhale even longer. Your body is relaxing, and not fighting for oxygen. Inhale, then hold, now exhale for as long as possible, and again hold. That will help your heart calm down. Now you burn less energy. It’s all about breathing through whatever you’re going through or thinking about. If you breathe the same way, your body falls in its own rhythm and nothing will scare or hurt you. Slow down your inhale to allow the oxygen to settle in your lungs, then completely exhale preparing your lungs for full capacity at your next breath. Good. Now focus on the marking pull between us. Hum in its frequency, breathe. As you are tuned into it, close all other doors to your subconscious. The doors are thick, rustic, and have silver braces. Don’t forget to breathe, Violet. In, hold, out, hold, and again. Imagine barricading the doors.”

“And putting a deadbolt,” Violet smiled. In her mind she pictured the very same one she had googled a lot time ago her bedroom. She never had the funds to buy it herself, but she knew its specifications. Now all those little details made it easy to own the deadbolt in her imagination. Having it even in her mind, visualizing it and calling it hers was a victory by itself.

“Is it already quieter in your mind?” He ignored her remark.

“Hmmm,” Violet agreed, still proud of the deadbolt, and celebrating it.

“Now imagine blasting those doors.”

“Why? My deadbolt….”

“Focus on the doors as the blast will disintegrate them,” his firm voice continued instructing her, ignoring her protest. “Feel the hinges, and the bark of the frame. Breathe, Violet. It’s all in your mind. Push at the door, imagine liquid heat, and focus all the energy on them, evaporating their existence.”

“Kaboom,” Violet explained as her hands gesticulated an explosion.

“Good,” the rogue said and silently returned to his meal.

Violet thought she saw him smile, but it was gone so fast she could have imagined it. One thing remained certain, her heart was no longer heavy, burdened by pack politics and her past. The constant turmoil over her allegiance and escape was gone. There was no pack link.

Violet was ready to do a happy dance. If this freedom was solely because of the lack of pack allegiance, she had no doubt she would love being a rogue.