Seizing the Hierarchy {Pup Book 1)

CHAPTER 4

I wish there was more fight in me, but sadly, I must admit that being thrown into that tree was all I could take from an opponent as big as he.

Nathan stood over me, gently snarling as I continued my efforts to stand. He was telling me to stay down, or so I thought. Without a direct link to his pack line or any training, I didn't have any access to the telepathy that we wolves shared in our feral forms. When I didn't cease my movements, he pushed his right front paw firmly against my chest, growling louder as he exerted pressure on me.

A quick bite and the involuntary shift left me a naked mess pushed up against a tree with Nathan's wolf still towering over me. He stood at over 6 feet in his human form, and I didn't doubt that his wolf was about the same length. My body wiggled underneath his force, trying to get away as his snout became dangerously close to my own.

My vision cleared now, and I was staring up at him with my less-than-perfect human eyes.

Forcing a shift was frowned upon. For one, it prevented the victim from shifting for the next three hours, leaving them defenseless and exposed. And two, it hurt to be back in an unauthorized body. Your mind takes its time to reconnect, causing your muscles to ache and internally spasm as they try to find their proper place.

The tears seeped out of my eyes, running down into my ears as I bit back the anger with myself and Nathan.

He pulled his paw away, backing away from me and leaping back into the bush.

I pulled my legs up instinctively, covering my chest and burying my face in my lap.

"You know how to make things difficult, Pup." Sean's voice echoed from a few feet away. I was startled but didn't move as he walked into the clearing, holding out my clothes once again.

Embarrassed, I looked away. "Yeah. Well, I guess that makes me a problem then."

Sean chuckled. He threw the clothing at my feet and walked off, disappearing into the trees. Nathan spun out from behind the tree, wearing nothing more than his pair of grey shorts. We locked eyes for a moment, and I became captivated by the fact that his grey eyes glistened when they were hit by the sunlight.

He walked toward me, eyes still trained on mine, and stopped just short of three feet away. "You have nowhere else to go now. Shifting is out of the question, and the border of the property isn't far from here." He paused, looking away as he twisted his bottom lip between his teeth. I followed his eyes, foolishly not wanting to lose the hold they had on me, but Nathan's lid broke whatever sick connection I'd made. 

I shook my head quickly. That hit was harder than I thought if I was acting this stupid.

Nathan blew out a rough breath as he continued speaking. "For now, just get dressed. We can finish talking when you're decent."

I slowly nodded as he stood and turned his back. My body screamed out in pain when I pulled on the shirt and shorts from before. I shredded my underwear during the shift, but that was my choice. I just had to deal with the consequences now.

I cleared my throat and let Nathan know he could turn around when I finished. He did, taking two hasty steps toward me. I flinched, assuming I would receive a worthy slap across the face, and tightly shut my eyes. But instead of a well-deserved slap, I was given a gentle kiss.

Nathan's hand slipped around my wrist, holding it tightly. He brought his lips to my right ear and whispered, "Just behave. . . for me, at least."

My head jerked back, looking at Nathan's softened features. He appeared different from a few minutes before when he tried to kill me. I swallowed hard, still flustered from the kiss. "I'm not doing anything right now."

He looked down and laughed gently as he pulled away, firmly holding on to my wrist, "You're right. I just don't want to have a reason to hurt you again."

I bit my lip. Nathan made it sound like chasing me, throwing me into a tree, and forcing my shift were things he regretted doing.

Some of the tension in my body released as he guided me calmly back to the tree line of the estate. As the houses came into view, I could see Sean leaning up against a tree as he waited. After my little escapade, I expected Dane to show up, but I realized he wasn't there while I looked around.

I cleared my throat, "Uh, Alpha? Nathan? Mr. Colt?" I stuttered around, searching for the right name to address him.

"Nathan is fine," he said without turning around.

For some reason, I smiled. "Where's Dane? I figured he'd be waiting for me but,"

Nathan abruptly dropped my arm and spun to face me. The expression on his face was hard to read, but I could see just how dark his eyes were. "Is he the only thing you think about? Even after all of this, he's still on your mind?" His chest heaved, and I took a small step back, looking over at Sean, who had jumped to attention.

"Actually, yes," I answered honestly. "Dane is the only person who's ever treated me like family. Last night, you said you admired my loyalty; now you make it seem like worrying about him is a crime."

Nathan clenched his fists, taking a giant step toward me. I instinctively cowered under him. "Is he. . . " he started, but Sean was there, placing a hand on Nathan's chest and pushing him away from me.

"Hey, easy, Colt," Sean said calmly. Nathan closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when they reopened, the dark color faded to the light grey that seemed to fit him so well. "There we go. I'll take it from here."

Nathan didn't so much as look at me again before storming off toward the Alpha house.

I gave myself a mental note to thank Sean in some way for what he'd just done. Maybe it wouldn't have ended too badly. Still, Nathan was an Alpha, and seeing his eyes darken could only mean that his real ferocity was lurking right beneath the surface of his skin, clawing to get out.

"What's his problem?" I asked Sean.

He looked over his shoulder, smiling widely. "Oh no, no, you're the one with the problem, Pup." He walked toward me, cracking his fingers and kicking his legs, "See, you have to train with me, and I don't kiss booboos."

He didn't wait for me to ask what he meant. 

No, Sean's right hand slammed into my throat. I felt my body leave the ground, and the view of the estate became that of trees and sky. When my back hit the earth, my ears rang, sending shuddering vibrations through my already aching muscles.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to dull the pain that sent the air rushing out of my lungs. When I opened them, Sean was stooping over me. "Your reflexes suck, I mean, after watching you jump Nathan like that, I thought you'd at least be able to defend yourself, but this is just sad."

After being degraded, I closed my eyes again, willing away the day continuously going downhill. When I felt up to it, I opened my eyes, taking Sean's outstretched hand to help me stand. "Can you do anything when you're feral?" he asked. I shook my head. "Well, you sound pretty cute when you growl, so I guess that's something, right?"

Still holding on to my hand, I tried to pull away as the sly smile on Sean's face widened. His grip on my hand tightened, but before I could struggle free, Sean yanked me forward and effortlessly threw my body over his left shoulder.

"Hmm, you're lighter than her too, or maybe I'm just stronger now," Sean said. I listened as I lay limply against his back. Whoever this her was, I needed to know, and now.