Chapter 2

The day was short for her. When the drug wore off, he allowed to her to eat, drink and do as she needed for a couple of hours while he rested. Thankfully, he hardly spoke, but he didn’t bother to hide his leering. Sitting with her back to him, she still felt his hungry gaze.

With the time to think, her mind wandered to the stories she had been raised with of the Wogtal. They often seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once and stole many young women and pups for their slave trade. Out of the many thousands they had taken over the decades, only a few had ever returned, speaking of horrors and abuse the likes never before heard of at the hands of one known as The Slave Maker. The tales spread like wildfire among the talkative Aroogar.

The only reasons her people held off the massive and aggressive mountain Dires was the fact that they farmed the land and could thus feed vast numbers; and that they believed in the power of technology and modern conveniences. The drought had changed that over the years, though. Things had started getting lean and packs were having to scramble to create better equipment.

Then a few months ago, the Wogtal had attacked, catching the Aroogar off guard. It wasn’t just that the feral dogs had managed to organize themselves into something that resembled an army. It was the great mechanical suits that far surpassed the weapons her people had that left them helpless and ravaged.

The outlook had been grim at the start, with each passing day only fairing worse. Just as many were abducted as killed. It didn’t even seem like they cared about winning anything. They simply pressed deeper, burning precious crops and destroying entire packs. Those of breeding age vanished into the mountains.

And now here she was, about to find out just what happened to them. She had already gotten a taste of it and, well, it ... it wasn’t like she expected. Gulping, she admitted she had expected Anubis to be rough, cruel, even downright evil. Just like in the stories, she had been so certain all this time that he would hurt her once he had her like some mindless brute. Thoughts of last night, however, caused more than just her ears to burn.

Her tiny, frustrated whine and tightened tail were not lost on Anubis. He smirked as if he knew what she was thinking, though she wasn’t thinking for much longer. She tried to promise to behave and walk but he was indifferent to her attempt to bargain.

Night met her when next she opened her eyes. Her arms were aching. Her nose was parched. Her head ached. She didn’t want to admit she felt warm in her belly. That had to be from the drug, too. Whining softly, she knew what was coming.

“Thirsty?”

A small nod was enough for him to force her upright. There was enough slack in the muzzle for him to carefully pour water into her mouth. He stopped when she got too eager and choked, waiting for her to regain her composure, and encouraged her to relieve herself. His insinuation set a shiver through her, but he walked away, crouching before the small fire.

To say that she was nervous was an understatement. How could she even make what was about to happen okay? Before, he had trapped her. This time, he was making her walk back to him, to accept what he intended to do to her. Smiling to himself all smug by the fire. Each step to him made her hate him even more. By the time she was near enough to him, she was seething with it.

Clearly he was not expecting a paw against the side of his head. With all the force she could muster, she hopped up and placed all her weight on the foot, smashing his head against a large rock beside the fire.

The suddenness of the impact caused her to tumble to the ground. It took her a moment to get back to her paws. Glancing around for something sharp to cut the rope, she rifled through his pack with a paw, whining with frustration when she found nothing. Perhaps she’d find some sharp stones once she had put some distance between herself and that pompous dog.

Because her arms were tied behind her back, if she tried to shift herself into her fully wolf form, she’d break them. She had to be careful with her balance, dodging low branches and high roots. Panting heavily, her vision was blurry, filled with quick little lights from her lack of air. She would not stop, though, not until he caught her or she collapsed.

Well, that was her idea. The local wildlife had another.

A feral growl made her jump. Her heart raced even harder when a colossal shadow reared up near her.

It was a gregin, a bear-like beast with short sight and shorter temper. Dark, wiry fur bristled as it stood onto its rear legs, balancing with a hairless tail, and roared. The claws were so long that the creature walked on its thickened knuckles.

Panicked, Nova turned and tried to flee back the way she had come. The beast took a swipe at her, knocking her off her paws. She hit the ground hard, dazed and breathless. Falling back to all fours, it stalked toward her, drooling with anticipation of a meal.

Nova felt cold, staring up into certain death. This was how it would end for her. As some wild animal’s dinner.

The blood curdling snarl did not come from that predator.

An enormous black devil leapt from the darkness of the forest, standing on all fours over Nova for a just a heart beat before lunging at the gregin. Roaring, the beast turned sharply, trying to catch the agile wolf. It soon had to change tactics, backing deeper into the forest, now intending to escape the sharp teeth and unbridled fury of Anubis. No matter how the creature retreated, he did not relent, the vision of him slashing and tearing chunks from the other predator vanishing into the vegetation.

The forest was then eerily silent.

Nova breathed hard, struggling to her paws, making it to her knees when the leaves rustled, parting around a blood soaked muzzle. Panting heavily, his tongue dripped with it. In his glowing eyes was an animal, feral and irate. Just under his ear was the streak to remind her of exactly why he was so angry.

He came towards her slowly, fangs bared. Nova whimpered in terror, ears plastered to her skull, tail tightly wrapped around her waist. The scent of blood was overwhelming. His steps grew longer and he stood upright, closing the gap during transformation. His powerful shoulders broadened, chest and collarbone widening, and the digits on his hands grew long, wrapping around her throat. Picking her up, he slammed her against the rough bark of a tree, his grip tighter than just uncomfortable.

“Stupid little bitch!” he snarled. “Of all the times you could think of to escape, it had to be while bound and muzzled. Perhaps you hope for death, but there has already been enough death in this ridiculous war!”

Snarling again, he wrenched her away from the tree, spun her around and marched her back to the camp. The iron grip on her arm forced her to keep the pace he set.

“Now your life belongs to me! One more transgression from you, bitch, and I will not fuck you gently,” he threatened as they drew closer to the camp. “Now I really need a bath. There’s a waterfall nearby. C’mon, mutt. Keep walking.”

The cascade he spoke of spilled from an outcropping a meter or so overhead. The pool at its base only reached Anubis’ upper thighs.

He shoved her into the water so that she tripped on the unstable gravel, splashing onto her side. Fear of drowning gripped her at the same moment as his hand, jerking her back above the surface. Pulling her to her paws, he continued to the waterfall itself.

Pressing her hard against the rock face, he held a finger before her, his muzzle wrinkled. “Stay!”

Not meeting his gaze, she knew obedience was the smartest idea right now and nodded hurriedly. The blood spread quickly through the pool, swirling away in dark patterns as it diluted and followed the flow of the stream. He was tender with the side of his head, his eyes flashing at her. Shivering as much from the cold as her apprehension, she did not dare look upon him.

When he moved towards her, she cowered and whined uncontrollably. Tears sprang to her eyes, not nearly as hidden in her fur as one might expect. The warmth of his tongue against her cheek was not as intense as the warmth building in her belly. His hands caressed her as he nuzzled around her tightly pressed back ear.

“Don’t be afraid, Nova. I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured soothingly. “You saw a chance and you took it. You keep catching me off guard. I’ve never met a mutt like you. There’s such a fierceness in you, little pet. I would not punish such a feisty spirit. I find it incredibly sexy. Such a fire deserves to be stoked.”