The Willing by Aila Cline Page B

to me. The feel of his breath
running up the base of my neck stifled anything I could have said
in response. It wasn't the seductive lick he had offered me before
though—no, this was something of the tonguing of animal bathing its
prey in predigestive acids with mere breath. That brand of
ownership is much different than any erotic laving I was accustomed
to.
    His voice was low and seductive, as
usual. “Nothing to say, my dear Emily?”
    Maria's husband looked on, but his face
betrayed nothing of what he thought of this interaction between
Josh and me.
    Finally, my throat worked, though my
voice was substantially less threatening than I would have liked.
“What are you doing here? You can't possibly be welcomed
here.”
    “Maria doesn't hate all Lycanti, my
dear—not many at all. Actually,” he purred, “it's really just you.
She welcomes anyone who offers her their business and
allegiance.”
    “What could you have that they want?” I
snapped. “Your mangy pack does nothing but kill and terrorize. You
threaten our way of life.”
    “Oh shut up, Emily,” he said
dismissively. “There would be no Lycanti if it was not for arrogant
Lycanthrope who think they can control us. You've got this
unfaltering case of Lycanthrope envy. Even Freud would be
impressed. Their way of life and our way of life, as you put it,
are not the same. If Maria heard you insinuate such, she'd kill you
for impertinence.” He paused and looked at me expectantly. “Now go
ahead and say something funny and sardonic to me so I can leave.
I'm sure I have more important things to do than argue with a silly
girl all day.”
    An angry heat scorched my face with its
tenacity. “You should leave,” I snarled. “Or I will kill
you.”
    He reached forward to tenderly, but
tentatively, stroke my cheek. I pulled back and hissed as if he had
thrown acid in my face, staring stonily at him and fighting for
composure.
    He gave me a low chuckle. “Oh silly,
passionate Emily, fighting so hard to be human—and failing
horribly.”
    “I am NOT failing. At least I am trying
you m—.”
    “That is enough,” Maria's husband said
quietly. “Emily, you and I will remain here. Joshua, you know where
Maria spends most of her day. She is with Luka and a child. Do not
start trouble here, or I will have you hunted.”
    Josh nodded in acquiesce. “Thank you.”
He turned to me and said gently, “I'm not here to fight with you. I
truly thought you were dead and am pretty damn happy that you're
not.” He winked at me. “But now that I know better and we're
conveniently in the same house, maybe we can arrange a meeting for
a little fun later.”
    I yowled and Changed, haunted by
everything he had done to me. I lunged for him, teeth snapping at
the tender flesh of his outstretched hands. Before I could connect
my need to rip with his body, a hard grip yanked me back. A shock
of voltage raged through me, and once again, like so many times
before, I lay unconscious at Josh's feet, not even knowing what hit
me.
    I came to with the hardened voice of
Maria echoing in my ears.
    “Bind her,” Maria commanded her
husband. “She is an unruly animal, the bane of the Lycanti.” Then a
stream of Spanish erupted from her mouth that I cannot even begin
to translate or remember. Some of it must have been more orders,
because before I knew it, I was not only bound, but gagged. No
amount of my struggling changed the fact that a dirty rag was in my
mouth and circulation had already begun to fade in my extremities.
I stood, helpless, as Josh sauntered into the room, shot a
confident, toothy smile my way, and stood before the long
executive's table that occupied the greatest amount of space in the
great room. He was not ill at ease, even now that Maria had called
in other Lycanthrope patriarchs and matriarchs. Like always, Josh
was in absolute control of himself. I hated him more than
ever.
    “Move towards him and I will use this
on you again,” Maria's husband whispered