That was when she noticed the metal collar around his throat with the chain leading from it to the wall behind him. If she’d come across him in another time or place, she’d no doubt she’d find him attractive. His golden-blond hair was cropped closely to his head with a bit of length and spike to the top. His cheeks were lean and tapered down to a square jaw with several days’ of beard. Facial hair had always been a turn off for her, but on him, it worked. The hairs matched the golden color on his head, and complemented his full lips. His nose was straight and narrow.
If she had to guess, she’d say he was over six feet, but it was hard to tell with him practically lying on top of her. The only thing he appeared to have on was a pair of jeans, and his wide, bare chest accented shoulders that were close to twice the width of her own. Power practically emanated from him, and she gulped.
“Are you going to hurt me?” Janine wasn’t even sure she wanted to know the answer to that question, but felt compelled to ask anyways.
He put his mouth close to her ear and whispered so low she almost couldn’t hear his words. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I’m in the same situation as you. We are both prisoners. If I do not do what they say, they will kill you.”
“You are going to rape me?” Tears swelled in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks.
He closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed hard before answering.
“We only have to put on a good show for them.” His eyes burned into her.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded. Was he really a good guy or was it all just an act? At this point in time, did it really matter?
15
Lycan It
S. K. Yule
“I can’t fake some things, and I’m apologizing up front, but I’m going to have to kiss you, and touch you a bit.” His intense stare never wavered from her face.
She panicked and tried to scramble out from under him, but his hand clamped around her arm and adequately halted her try for escape.
“Listen to me!” he whispered through clenched teeth.
She stared down at the dirty floor, and he cupped her face and forced her to look him in the eyes. “I swear to you, I am not going to rape you, but we have to make this look and sound realistic or they will kill you. I am going to act the part, but I will not take this to its expected outcome.”
She didn’t know why, but at that moment, she believed him. Maybe she chose to because she couldn’t handle any other possibility. Maybe it was a terrified grasp at hope that she would be okay. Whatever it was, she would play along if it meant there was a chance of her coming out of this alive.
“Okay.” She quietly agreed, hoping she hadn’t just sold her soul to the Devil.
* * * *
“Get on with it!” one member of the pack yelled out, and other jeers shortly followed.
Raze looked down at the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Ja-Janine,” she whispered.
His heart hammered. She was absolutely gorgeous. His body had already hardened, ready to claim his fated mate. He wouldn’t allow that, though. Not tonight, and not like this. When he took her, it wouldn’t be in front of an audience, and he’d love her like she deserved . . . long, slow and thoroughly.
The pale blue of her eyes sparkled with fear, and if he thought he’d wanted to kill Damon before, those wants paled to the need to do so now.
“Mine’s Raze. Are you ready?”
She nodded.
16
Lycan It
S. K. Yule
“I’m sorry if I get a little rough with you, but I promise I will do as little as I have to do to please the assholes out there.” He nodded toward the opening of the cave.
“Okay. Let’s just get this over with.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
Those were so not the words he’d ever wanted to hear from his mate. He took a deep breath and yanked her shirt over her head, and took her mouth before she had time to scream. Her lips tasted of honey and sugar, and he groaned, trying hard not to thrust his tongue inside for a better taste. He promised he’d only do what he had to, and shoving his tongue in her mouth was not something necessary for this show.
She sobbed into his mouth, and his gut clenched. There was no other choice, no other hope of saving her but to do this and he continued on, fighting the urge to take her. The rage for Damon boiling inside him was nearly his undoing, but he hung on to his control by a shred.
He blocked out the whistles, jeers and disgusting comments coming from the pack, and focused on Janine. She struggled against him, but he got the distinct feeling that she wasn’t genuinely frightened of him, and that she was playing a part just as he was. She kept her arms on the ground at her sides, and he longed for her to hold him. There would be time for that in the future
. . . or at least, he hoped.
He broke the kiss, cupped her full breasts through the pale lavender fabric of her bra and kneaded them. He stared into her eyes, willing her to understand that he was only doing what he had to, willing her not to hate him. Her lids were squeezed tight, but her mouth formed a small “o,” which made him wonder if she was enjoying his touch, but she couldn’t possibly be under the circumstances. Could she?
Before he
