Virgin In Heat (The Beast's Forced Mating) (2 page)

“Let me go!” she shrieked, the tears starting
to fall again.

The man held her tightly to him and Charlotte
could feel his rapidly beating heart. She inhaled and her senses
were assaulted, as she smelled his intoxicating musky scent.
Charlotte had never been so close to a man, and she felt a
confusing thrill of being pressed against his hard body. He smelled
like rain, earth and summer and Charlotte had the bizarre urge to
lick his chest to see if he tasted as good as he smelled.

She realized she was panting and she broke
away, the man letting her move a few feet away.

“You feel it, too,” he said quietly.

“I don’t feel anything,” Charlotte lied.
“What are you?”

“A werewolf.”

Silence hung in the air between them and
Charlotte suddenly felt faint. She sank to the ground as her mind
tried to wrap around the man’s answer.

“That’s impossible.”

“It’s not. Do you not notice my resemblance
to the wolf you were helping?”

“I noticed – but it can’t be – there was a
wolf and then there was you-”

“I am the wolf.”

Charlotte buried her head in her hands.
“Please wake up. Please wake up. Please wake up,” she murmured to
herself.

“It is not a dream, Charlotte.”

Charlotte’s head snapped up. “How do you know
my name?”

“I know many things about you. All will be
revealed in time.”

“I don’t want cryptic answers. I want real
answers!” she cried, her eyes wild.

The man sighed and sat next to Charlotte. He
reached out to her but Charlotte flinched and backed up.

“I have been watching you since you and your
family arrived yesterday. In fact, I have watched you before that.
My father watched your family for many, many summers and then the
responsibility fell to me. I have watched you the past few
summers.”

Charlotte’s mind swam with questions and she
tried to form words in the haze of her confusion. “But why?”

“I cannot explain just yet. Please trust me
when I say I will not harm you. Now, please, you must come with
me.”

The man stood and he reached his hand out to
Charlotte who reluctantly took it. When they touched, Charlotte
felt a jolt of electricity run between them and she quickly
snatched her hand out of his grip. The man raised his eyebrows and
Charlotte, feeling foolish, put her hand back out and allowed him
to help her up. Her blood began to pound in her ears and then it
all stopped once he let go.

“Do you have a name?” she asked, brushing off
her skirt.

“Yes, please forgive my manners. I am
Silas.”

Charlotte studied Silas and then nodded, the
name seemed to suit him. Her eyes darted in the direction she
came.

“Please stop thinking of ways to escape. I am
much faster and stronger than you.”

Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and tried to
stop the tidal wave of emotion and fear that was about to sweep her
under. She pictured little Abigail, with her wild blonde hair. She
thought of headstrong Bessie, with her unruly golden curls that
were always coming undone. Charlotte choked back a sob as she
thought of her loving sisters and her parents. Her beautiful
mother, whom Charlotte resembled, and her stoic but loving father
who the younger girls took after.

Charlotte nodded, her grief crushing, as she
knew she had no choice but to follow Silas.

Silas moved towards a spot in the forest
where two trees seemed to grow and meld together so that their
trunks seemed to make a gnarled and twisted arch.

“This will feel strange. Do not be alarmed,”
he warned.

Charlotte looked quizzically at him. He was
gesturing for her to walk under the arch. Why would it feel
strange?

“Go on,” he urged, motioning for Charlotte to
walk first. Rolling her eyes, Charlotte moved under the arch.
Immediately, Charlotte felt a compressing sensation and her eyes
widened with surprise as she felt her lungs squeeze together along
with the rest of her body. She couldn’t breathe and she wanted to
turn around but couldn’t. There was no arch. The air was no longer
heavy with summer smells. There was nothing but white. Charlotte
blinked in the blinding light and struggled to breathe. She took
another step forward and felt a release.

She fell to the ground and began coughing as
she recovered from what had just happened. After she took a few
deep breaths she realized that something was different.

Very different.

She was no longer in the woods. She, in fact,
had no idea where she was. The first thing she noticed was that the
air was different. It hung heavier, and it was intoxicatingly
fragrant with smells that Charlotte couldn’t place. The ground was
covered with a moss- like plant, but the green shade was off; it
was unnaturally bright. But most alarming, and stunning, was the
sky.

Charlotte gaped at the expansive pink sky. It
was the same warm shade as a vibrant sunset, but it was clearly not
sunset. A bright white orb hung low and large in the sky and
Charlotte would have thought it was the moon but it was too big and
too white. Not only that, but there were several smaller circles in
the sky and Charlotte wondered if they were planets or stars. She
counted seven and their colorsthey ranged from bright blue to a
deep orange.

Charlotte felt faint and she stumbled
backwards – right into Silas’ arms.

“Are you alright?” he asked quickly,
surveying her closely.

“I’m – I’m fine. Where are we?” her voice
shook and she knew how frightened she sounded.

“We have moved into a parallel universe. This
is my home. Ma’iap.”

“Ma’iapMa’aip?” Charlotte said slowly,
letting the sound roll over her tongue. She didn’t pronounce it the
same way Silas did. His lilt gave the name a soft rolling sound
that she couldn’t produce.

“Yes.”

“But – what about-”

“Your world is still there. But I exist here,
and this is where I need you.”

Charlotte looked for the twisted arch but it
was gone. All that remained was a towering tree with red buds.

Charlotte felt hysterics coming on. Sensing
her distress, Silas grabbed her, his skin hot against her clammy
skin.

“Listen to me,” he said sternly. “You must be
here with me now. I cannot explain it. Please follow me.”

Charlotte couldn’t think straight as Silas
held her hands, and she wondered why she was so affected by his
touch. She wanted to open her mouth to protest, to answer,
anything, but she couldn’t speak and she closed her eyes as the
foreign sensation moved across her body.

Silas pulled her forwardforwards and she
staggered after him. They moved through the moss towardtowards a
large hill. Strange flowers of neon yellow flowers undulated on the
ground and Charlotte wondered what made them move; the air was
still and strangely calm.

She and Silas began to make their way up the
hill. Charlotte fell more than once but Silas helped her up each
time. By the time they reached the top, Charlotte was sweating and
she cursed the long skirt she had on. What she wouldn’t give to be
able to wear practical shorts like men.

As they crested the hill, Charlotte stopped
dead in her tracks at the beauty that lay beyond. The hill
overlooked a deep, lush valley of colors that Charlotte had never
seen before; grasses of green, orange and pink, and trees that had
strange fruits and oddly shaped leaves. There was a small lake in
the center of the valley and the water was a crystal, glowing
crystal blue, unlike anything Charlotte had ever seen at home.
Around the lake were numerous cottages, quaint and lovely. Some
were small where others were larger.

As her eyes continued to sweep the valley,
she saw that large trees sat beyond the houses and it seemed that
there were houses built into the trees. To the west were mountains
covered with trees. To the east were gray, ashy mountains that
looked dead and foreboding. And to the north the hills were tall
and steep, their tops covered in icy snow.

“It’s beautiful,” Charlotte breathed. As she
continued to study the land below her, she noticed people and
animals moving about.

“Let’s keep moving,” Silas insisted and they
began to make their descent.

The further they moved down the hill, the
more Charlotte seemed to sense the change in Silas. His body seemed
to harden and become tense. When they finally made it to the
ground, Silas pulled her hand tightly.

“Follow me. We are not going to move through
the center of the village.”

He stuck to the outskirts in the shadows of
the trees. Charlotte gaped at the trees as they passed. Some had
large holes, big enough for animals to live in, while others
appeared to have elaborate tree houses built into the branches..
She noticed behind the trees, sat numerous caves and she shuddered
at the thought of what creatures might live inside those dark
dungeonswalls.

She thought of her family and her heart
ached. Would they know she was missing by now? It felt like hours,
but Charlotte realized she hadn’t been gone that long. Her mother,
with her compassion, might even let Charlotte stay out longer than
normal, thinking that she could use the fresh air. With a sinking
heart, Charlotte knew her family would never find her. They would
never think to enter through the gnarled arch buried deep in the
woods.

Silas finally stopped and Charlotte
registered the cottage in front of them. It sat back in the woods,
and the filtered sunlight barely reached them. Charlotte could not
make out the lake anymore, which she knew sat in the center of the
village. The cottage was rustic and charming, with small windows
and a large porch. Silas pulled her behind the house and Charlotte
let out a small gasp at the beauty she saw.

The yard was lush and spacious with deep
green grass and clusters of bright, foreign flowers. There were
trees that held ripeof juicy fruits and two wooden chairs sat under
the largest tree. There was also a wooden swing and a crude table
that was set with a plate and a cup that seemed to have been
forgotten long ago. It was the kind of yard that Charlotte imagined
she might have one day. The type of yard where children could play
and parents could rest.

Silas let go of Charlotte’s hand and she
moved away from him, towards the swing. It was beautifully carved
and she admired the craftsmanship. Her fingers trailed over the
smooth wood and she gently sat down gently. It was sturdy and her
hands gripped the rope. Even the rope was different. Instead of
being rough as Charlotte expected, it was smooth and silky.
Charlotte caressed the rope, intrigued byclosing her eyes at the
sensation.

Slowly, she began to pump her legs and the
swing began to move. She tipped her head backwards and closed her
eyes, trying to imagine she was back at the lake cabin where a
similar swing sat behind the house.

Silas watched her through heavy eyes and
Charlotte saw his eyes burn with an emotion she couldn’t place. She
continued to swing, feeling her skirt flutter around her legs. She
suddenly felt self-conscious as she saw that Silas was looking at
her bare legs. She stopped swinging and hopped off.

“I can’t resist you anymore,” Silas gasped
and he lunged towards her, taking her into his arms and pressing
his warm mouth against her lips.

Charlotte squeaked in protest and tried to
push Silas away. She had never embraced a man, let alone kissed
one. But Silas was stronger than she, and he held her tightly as
his mouth opened her lips and his warm tongue slid into her own
warm mouth. She tried to fight, but sheit was overcome with a
heady, seductive feeling and she found herself collapsing in his
arms as she gave up the battle.

Silas groaned as she gave in, and he held her
more tightly as his mouth became more persistent. Timidly,
Charlotte parted her lips, letting Silas further invade her mouth
and he grabbed her tightly again, crushing her small body againstto
his massive framebroad one. Charlotte found herself mimicking his
movements; her own lips moving softly against his as she shyly ran
her tongue over his teeth.

“Charlotte!” Silas gasped, “Oh, Charlotte!”
His voice was filled with desperate longing and he kissed her as if
his life depended on it. Finally, Charlotte wrenched out of his
embrace.

“I can’t!” she cried, rubbing at her sore
mouth and feeling her hair where it was starting to come
undoneout.

“Yes, you must,” he said gruffly. “It’s been
so long. And I’ve watched you for so long. Wanted you for so
long.”

Charlotte found this odd that Silas had known
her for such a long time when she had only just met him.

“It’s wrong! It’s indecent!”

“No! It’s just as it should be!” he argued,
pulling her towards him again. “Succumb,” he whispered and
Charlotte melted as she felt his mouth on her again.

His mouth was hungrier now and his tongue
probed her mouth before he moved away from her lips. He began to
trail kisses down her face and along her neck. Charlotte moaned as
she felt his hot breath against the delicate skin of her throat.
His mouth trailed further south until his lips brushed against her
collarbone. He kissed her down to the collar of her shirt, and
Charlotte shivered as his mouth hovered so close to her
breasts.

“Give yourself to me, Charlotte,” Silas
breathed and Charlotte heard herself moan. Silas kissed down her
body, his mouth pressing against the soft fabric of her clothes. He
tugged her down, and she fell in a heap on top of him, the grass
cool and soft against her skin. Slowly, Silas undid her boots and
slipped her socks off. Instinctively, Charlotte wrapped her legs
around him and Silas reached to her hair, tugging at it so that it
fell free.

Charlotte shook her hair out and it fell down
her back and across her shoulders.

“You’re beautiful,” Silas murmured, before
sealing his mouth over her lips. Charlotte felt herself becoming
swept away in the moment and she grinded against Silas, desperate
for more of his kiss. Silas reached around and began unbuttoning
her shirt.