Beautiful Creatures Series

Chapter 30: 8

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Darrell complained as they made the walk to the park behind the buildings from the parking lot. They could already hear the music. Blaring. “We really shouldn’t have come. It is going to rain. Look at those dark clouds.”

“Will the rain put an end to the party?”

“No.”

“Then we are still going,” Katelyn said, dragging him around the building. As they reached the park, Katelyn was amazed. “Look at them all,” there were men and women of all ages. Jumping around to loud music. It was like walking into a rave. “This is it? This doesn’t seem so bad.”

“They haven’t done anything yet.”

Katelyn grabbed both of Darrell’s hands and dragged him into the crowd. “Let’s dance.”

“What is this?” A woman hissed, and slowly the party died, and the whole pack was circling Darrell and Katelyn. Katelyn noticed a middle-aged woman with short blond hair step forward from the disapproving crowd. “You brought a human into our midst. You expose what we are.”

“She knows what we are. She doesn’t care,” Darrell snapped, putting himself protectively in front of Katelyn.

“Melissa is right,” Gordon said, stepping forward. “She shouldn’t be here,” he said, pointing at Katelyn. Humans don’t belong in Feral. She can’t stay.”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Darrell lied.

Suddenly everyone laughed. “You really expect me to believe that. Yesterday she was your prisoner. Suddenly now she’s your girl? I don’t buy it. Even if I did, I wouldn’t approve,” Gordon said.

“We fuck humans all the time.”

“So then fuck her. We don’t bring humans into the pack!” Gordon growled. “I don’t want to see her in Feral again. I have coddled you enough. Get rid of her, or I will,” Gordon’s eyes began to glow as he bared his fangs.

“She goes where I go,” Darrell said, squaring off against Gordon. His own eyes were lighting up the night as he bared his fangs.

Suddenly someone grabbed Katelyn. She looked over to see Aurora pulling her back. “You may want to back up,” Aurora told her. “Move to a safe distance.”

“I warned you, boy. I will kill her,” Gordon growled, and he started to undress.

“You will have to go through me first,” Darrell said, also removing his clothes until both men were just wearing their pants.

“So be it.”

Both men dropped on all fours as they let the change take over. Seconds later, two snarling wolves stood where the men had once been. She recognized the massive tanned wolf to be Darrell, but the big black wolf opposite of him had to be Gordon. He was intimidated.

Both beasts bared their teeth, and then Gordon attacked Darrell, knocking him onto his side. Darrell rolled and kicked with his paws as his jaws snapped at Gordon’s leg. They rolled and clawed at one another. It was a mess of teeth and fur as each tried to get the upper hand.

Katelyn stayed back as she watched the wolves go at one another. They were rolling and flipping, biting and scratching. It was hard to tell who was who as they viciously attacked one another. Her very

life hung on the outcome of this fight. If Darrell won, she would live, but if the other one won, she would most certainly die.

There was blood now, and after a few minutes, both animals limped away, whimpering. One dropped amongst the group, and the other crawled along the ground toward her and then dropped on its side next to her. It was panting hard, and she watched him revert to his human form.

Right before her eyes, Darrell was lying next to her, his naked body covered in scratches and bite marks. There was blood and mud everywhere. Katelyn could not see Gordon; people had already surrounded him. The men and women Katelyn now knew as Darrell’s friends rushed over and surrounded them. Charlotte was on her knees, holding her brother’s hand. “You stupid, stubborn moron,” she snapped.

Stanton took off his jacket and dropped it over Darrell to offer him what little modesty they could. “Pick him up, Big Daddy,” Aurora ordered as she retrieved what was left of Darrell’s clothes, “let’s get him home.”

Stanton lifted Darrell into his arms like he was a child and headed for the parking lot. Katelyn followed. As they passed through the collected pack, Katelyn saw the other man as his friend and daughter offered him first aid. He looked in bad shape, and Katelyn was not exactly sure who had won.

Stanton put Darrell in his SUV, with Charlotte joining them. Katelyn and Aurora drove Darrell’s truck the ten minutes back to his house. Parking in the driveway, she followed as his friends took him from the SUV and to his bad. Charlotte pulled back the covers while Stanton carried Darrell’s limp body inside and gently placed him down on the bed. Charlotte pulled the blanket up over her brother, and Stanton took back his jacket.

Charlotte stormed over to Katelyn and slapped her across the face. “This is your fault,” she barked. “Because of you, two good men tried to kill each other.”

Lewis took Charlotte by both arms and pulled her away from Katelyn. “Calm down; we don’t need another fight,” he said, holding Charlotte at bay.

“For once, Lewis is the voice of reason,” Aurora said from the door. “Everyone just needs to calm down,” she said, looking at Charlotte. “Charlotte, go get some first aid supplies,” it took a minute, but Charlotte descended the stairs leaving the loft.

“I’m going to go see how Gordon is doing,” Lewis said, leaving.

Aurora tossed the clothes in her arms in a heap on the floor. Kenneth went into the washroom and returned with a wet cloth and a hand towel to clean Darrell up.

“No,” Charlotte said as she returned, bringing Kenneth to a standstill by the bed, “let Katelyn do it,” Katelyn was surprised, and then Kenneth handed her the cloth and towel. Katelyn did not know what to do. “Go on,” Charlotte instructed. “This is your fault. He defended you, and now look at him. The least you can do is care for him after he damn near died to protect you.”

“The only reason I’m here is because of him,” Katelyn snapped. “He brought me here from the alley.”

“You are right. Had it been up to us, we would have killed you in that alley right along with that hunter. He’s the only reason you haven’t had your throat ripped out days ago,” Charlotte snarled. “So, show some fucking gratitude,” Charlotte said, forcing a white metal box into Katelyn’s hands. “He’s your burden.”

“Don’t worry, Katelyn. They are just upset,” Aurora said, trying to defuse the fight. “He’s going to be fine,” Aurora told the others.

Charlotte pointed a warning finger at Katelyn. “I suggest you don’t let him die because if he does, you will never make it to sunrise,” then they all walked out, shutting the door behind them and leaving Katelyn alone with Darrell.

Katelyn moved to the bed, pulling the blanket low to assess the extent of Darrell’s wounds. She began to wash the blood and mud from his body. He had passed out on the way to the cabin, and now he was unconscious and vulnerable. Katelyn brushed his damp hair away from his eyes and ran the cloth over his face gently. He was still breathing, so she assumed Darrell had won, but at what cost? He had been right. Going to that party had been a bad idea.

She dragged the cloth down over his arms and chest taking notice of all the long deep scratches. There was a large bite at the base of his neck. He was in bad shape, and she honestly was not sure he would survive it. He had many open wounds. Large gashes and lacerations. She was not a doctor, but she could tell they needed stitching.

The first aid kit was on the floor next to the bed, so Katelyn opened it up, looking for something to close the wounds. What he really needed was a hospital, but she did not think she could convince anyone to take him. Finding what looked like an upholstery needle and some fishing line, Katelyn decided to stitch his wound closed herself. She threaded the fishing line through the eye of the needle, and then with a calming sigh and a shaky hand, she punctured the skin and proceeded to close the wounds as best as her unskilled hands could do.

She took her time keeping the stitches small so they would not scar. It had taken over an hour to stitch him back up and washed him clean so the wounds would not become infected. As she went about her task, she had time to think about what Charlotte had said. Though he did get her into this mess, he also protected her. He stood against his pack to save her life. He could have just caved to pack mentality and allowed Gordon to deal with her his way, but instead, he fought, and from the condition he was presently in, he fought hard.

Katelyn gazed down at him and gently caressed his face. She knew she should fear him. Only her pulse flutter when he looked at her. She cared about what happened to him.

Her fingers moved over his cheek and neck. Suddenly his hand flew up and caught her wrist with breaking strength. His eyes were open and glowing as a vicious growl rumbled in his throat. Oh God, he was going to kill her! “It is me!” She cried, hoping he would stop before doing her harm. His amber eyes returned to normal, and he looked around like he was confused, but he had not released her, and his grip was starting to hurt. “You are hurting me,” she complained.

Darrell sat up and cringed, releasing Katelyn. His hand went to the bite on his neck. Darrell tossed back the blanket and got up naked. Katelyn turned her back to him, feeling her cheeks blush. She had known him for two days, and she had seen him naked three times. He did not seem to have any sense of modesty.

Darrell limped down the stairs to the washroom, and Katelyn followed to be sure he did not fall and hurt himself further. She was trying to keep her gaze averted to give him some privacy. Staggering into the washroom, Darrell looked at his wounds in the mirror. Unable to control her urges, Katelyn turned her head just enough to see him standing in front of the mirror, running his hands over the stitches. At the angel she was at, and the way the door was partly closed, all she could see was his side and his bottom. Wow, he looked like one of those Greek sculptures come to life. It was enough to make a girl drool. How was it possible he did not have a woman?

Darrell turned, opened the closet, and took a pair of pants out. He took a moment to put the jeans on, then came back out into the kitchen. Katelyn diverted her eyes once more, pretending like she had not just been staring. “Did you do this?” He asked, running his fingers over the stitches in his forearm. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Yes.”

Darrell looked around. “How did I get back here?”

“Stanton carried you.”

“And Gordon?” She just shrugged. She had no idea what condition he was in. Darrell walked back up the stairs to the bed and, in great pain, lowered himself onto the mattress. “Well, we are both still alive, so I must have won,” he groaned as he lay down.

“You should really go to a hospital,” she insisted, and Katelyn crawled across the bed and placed her hand on his forehead. “You have a fever; I’m afraid you might have an infection brewing.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, pushing her hand away. “This time tomorrow, all my wounds will be healed,” he assured her.

“One of the perks of being a Lycanthrope?”

“You could say so,” he smiled. “But, your concern is touching.”

“Well, you did just almost die for me,” she said with a half-hearted smile. “I’m sorry. I should have just left. I shouldn’t have forced you to let me stay.

“It is not your fault. The reality of the situation is you know what they are. They know that you know. They fear that you will expose us. Realistically they were never going to let me let you go.”

“I could just leave right now and….”

“They would just hunt you down.”

“How would they find me?”

“They would follow your scent.”

“Like a dog?”

Darrell grinned. “One of the perks,” he teased.

“So, they could just smell me, even if I’m not there anymore?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you smell me?” She asked, looking into his eyes. There was an intensity there that made her tremble but not with fear.

“Yeah,” he whispered with a crooked little smile. She had goosebumps again but for a whole other reason. “The very smell of you assaults my senses.”

“What do I smell like?”

Darrell leaned in so close Katelyn could feel his warm breath on her neck. He breathed her in deeply, and her eyes fluttered shut as a shiver went down her spine and to her very core. “Like sweet Champaign with a hint of rose,” he whispered against her ear. She could not believe it. He could still smell her perfume even though she had not put it on in over two days ago and showered since. “Mixed with Irish spring,” she heard him chuckle. “I have never known my body wash could smell so good.”

Katelyn grinned and opened her eyes as he pulled back just far enough to look in her eyes again. “I can’t believe you can smell that. Can you differ between me and someone else?”

“Yes, I can,” he smiled.

“That is so cool,” Darrell laughed. “What else can you do? Besides, turn in to a wolf?” She grinned, heading him off.

“That’s not impressive enough?” He teased. She could not fight the smile that curved her lips. “I can hear your heart beating. I can run really fast and really far without getting tired. I can see through the darkness like it was the day.”

“Really?” She asked with eager excitement.

“And I’m strong. I mean, really strong,” he said. She chuckled and looked away. “Why is that funny?”

“It sounds like you are bragging.”

“You asked,” he said in a tone that suggested he was a city slicker like she was.

“Oh, you are making fun of my city accent. What about yours?”

“What about mine?”

“You sound like a redneck.”

“Sexy, is not it?” They both laughed, and then things went quiet as they looked at one another. “I want to say I’m sorry. You know for getting you into this. I was really just trying to do what I think is best. I want to protect you, but I have to consider the pack. I have to protect them too.”

Looking in his eyes, she believed him. Katelyn sighed. “I understand. Really I do,” people feared things they did not understand and Darrell and his pack were scary. One of them was bad enough, but fifty, if they so choose, they could kill a small town overnight. That sort of power could drive good men to do bad things. “But you can’t keep me here forever. The day will come for me to leave. At some point, you are going to have to make a choice. Them or me. Let me go or kill me.”

He shook his head. “It won’t come to that.”

“You know it will.”

“I won’t let it come to that,” Darrell said. He was in denial. He still believed he could find a way to protect both.

Katelyn framed his face with her hands and smiled sweetly at him. “Your sister is right; you are a stubborn man.”

“But I’m a good man,” he whispered, staring into her eyes.

“Yes, I believe you are,” she would have never thought so by the way he behaved in the alley, but after tonight she believed he was at heart a good man.

Without warning, his lips met hers, and Katelyn was momentarily stunned. When she did not react, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. He seemed taken aback by her lack of reaction. “I’m sorry, I thought-”

Katelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, pushing him back against the mattress. She did not understand what had come over her when his lips met hers; it had sparked an unimaginable desire within her. He seemed stunned by her reaction but not for long. Darrell’s arms came around her waist and pulled her harder against him while their mouths ate hungrily at one another. She had never wanted someone more than she wanted Darrell at that moment. His hands roamed over her back up into her dark hair. The feel of his body against hers was an aphrodisiac.

Katelyn’s hands moved down his chest and between his legs, cupping the growing bulge beneath his jeans. Darrell moaned against her lips, which excited Katelyn. Darrell’s hands moved to the hem of her shirt, and he pulled it up and off over her head, tossing it recklessly across the room. Katelyn giggled excitedly when Darrell rolled her beneath him, his mouth moving down her neck. His fingers worked the zipper of her jeans free, and he slipped his hand inside, stroking her womanhood and drawing from her an eager whimper to which his response was to push two long fingers deep inside her.

His finger moved in and out in long deep thrusts, making her grow damp and warm. Glorious sensations washed over her. Her head began to spin, and Katelyn closed her eyes against the mounting pleasure. Darrell kissed a blazing bath down her bully and lightly tapped her bottom. “Up,” he

whispered, and she obeyed, lifting her bottom off the mattress, allowing him to easily remove her jeans and panties.

Darrell then knelt on the floor, and taking hold of her legs, he dragged Katelyn down to the foot of the bed, so her bottom was right on edge. He draped her legs over his shoulder and began to lick and lap at her damp womanhood. Katelyn gasped with delight. Her fingers threaded through his long hair wanting more of what he offered. She had never been touched like this. Sure, she had made out with Darrel a few times, but it had never gone this far. While his mouth worshiped her, his fingers invaded her softness, making her moan and wriggle as the ecstasy consumed her. Soon her body was shaking, and her back arched as an all-consuming climax shattered the world around her.

Darrell stood up as Katelyn came down from her high. He unzipped his jeans and pushed them down his legs, and stepped out of them. “My turn,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her off the bed. Katelyn knelt down in front of him, bringing his erection to eye level. His hand closed around the thick base bringing it to her lips. It was long and venous, a white bead of excitement already glistening on the mushroomed tip.

She had never done this before, and she was not sure just what she was doing, but she would give it a try. Katelyn wrapped her hand around the base replacing his. She wrapped her mouth around the head and slowly drew him in as far as she could comfortably. She felt his hand at the back of her head, coaxing her. Katelyn began to suck and slide her tongue up and down the shaft. She slid him in and out quickly. His panted moans were encouraging.

She could feel his body tense, and then he was pushing her away. “Stop! Stop!” he moaned and reached down. Taking her by the arms, he lifted her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground as he turned around and sat her on the edge of the banister. He wasted no time pulling her legs around his hips. He forced himself deep inside her with one eager thrust.

Katelyn rocked against him, matching his hurried forceful thrusts. She was lost in the pleasure. Her head fell back as Darrell’s mouth moved over her neck, one hand cupping her bottom while the other toyed with her nipple. She moaned and shuddered, begging for more between panted breaths. Her hands moved over the wide span of his muscled back, her nails digging into his flesh.

Soon Darrell was groaning, trying to hold off his own climax to further her enjoyment. He began to move faster became more forceful, and Katelyn could withstand no more. Her body shook as she reached orgasm. Darrell then began to tremble as he spilled into Katelyn, finding his own release. His forehead rested heavily on her shoulder as they both bathed in the aftermath.

Darrell stepped back, lifting Katelyn off the banister. He carried her to bed and laid her down, crawling between her legs. He braced his weight on his elbows and kissed her mouth and neck. She could already feel him becoming excited. “Again, so soon?” She giggled as his mouth moved to her breast.

“Baby, I’m just getting started.”