Dubious Consent Cassidy Hunter Captured by a ruthless man, Caity is forced to fight other female captives night after night. All she can think about is trying to survive, even as she gives a depraved, paying audience what they want. Surely it can’t get any worse… Until she’s ordered to have sex in front of said audience—with two captive wolf shifters. The wolves are full of rage and the younger one can barely control his shift, but if Caity can survive their lust, she might just find her way to freedom.
DUBIOUS CONSENT Cassidy Hunter
Cassidy Hunter
Chapter One Weak, gray light poured in from the window high on the concrete wall and Caity sat on the cold floor far below and watched it dim. What a shit life. What a shit world. Actually, life outside these walls was decent. Freedom was awesome. And when she regained her freedom, she was coming back here with reinforcements and the son of a bitch who’d captured her would lose his head. Literally. She didn’t move when her cell door clanged open and Samson stood there, sighing down at her. “Come on, girlie. I don’t want to hurt you.” Truth was, he didn’t. She knew it wasn’t his fault. He was as much a prisoner as she was. “I’ll give you a break this time, Samson.” “That’d be just wonderful, little one.” He reached down and pulled her up off the floor. His enormous black arm was completely covered with colorful tattoos. As usual, she took a few seconds to study the works of art covering his body. “Gorgeous,” she murmured, as he hustled her out the door. “Think I’ll come back this time, Samson?” “Yes ma’am, I do. Master D isn’t fighting you tonight. He’s changed the program.” She stared up—way up—at him, frowning. “What do you mean?” He sniffed and refused to meet her gaze, a sure sign he was damn uncomfortable. She’d been here six months, and Samson was as close a friend as she had in this hellhole. She dug her fingers into his arm. “Tell me.” He blew out a gust of air. “The people want to see you fuck, honey.” “What? But I’m a fighter!” 4
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“I’m sorry for you, Caity.” “Fuck!” She threw her head back and screamed curses at the uncaring ceiling, until finally Samson simply picked her up, tucked her under his arm, and carried her down the hall. After a few seconds she controlled herself. “Put me down, Samson.” He did immediately. “You’ll be okay, honey.” “Yeah.” She shook her head, furious, tired and a little sick. “Who is he pairing me with?” “The wolf, Dmitri.” She rubbed her temples and tried to smile. “At least he’s hot.” “And…” She stopped walking. “And?” “That skinny, young one. I don’t know how that kid is still alive.” “Jake.” He wasn’t skinny, he was lean. Lean and hard and not a day past twenty. “He’s tougher than he looks.” He looked at her with surprise. “You haven’t been with the young wolf.” “No, but I’ve watched him.” They reached the reinforced doors at the end of the long hall, and Samson beat upon them a couple times to alert the guard to let them out. “You ready, sweetheart?” She shook her head. “No. But will that change anything?” He didn’t answer, just hustled her through the open doors, past the waiting guards, into the pre-fight room. Or now, the pre-fuck room. She’d never been told to do anything other than fight. She hated hurting the other inmates, but when it came down to it, she’d fight like a machine in order to win. To live. Because she was human, she’d only ever been sent to fight other humans. A wolf or other shifter would kill her in seconds. Master D, as Samson called him, or Bastard, as she called him, didn’t want to lose his little jewel.
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He had a lot of faith in her abilities. He’d had her snatched from a boxing arena where she fought for money because she wanted to. This uncivilized shit he organized was inhumane, to say the least. And fucking illegal. But who cared, really, except the ones he captured? Not the authorities, certainly. The audience was peppered with those sworn to uphold the law. Not the people who got off on watching captives sent naked and desperate into the caged arenas to fight. Definitely not those who masturbated themselves in the huge darkened theater as they caught the live show of men and women fucking for their lives. And Bastard? He raked in the money and controlled them all. But now… Now he sent her not to fight the wolves, but to fuck them. And if she wanted to admit it to herself, which she didn’t, she was a little relieved. She got so tired of hurting the other women, and of them hurting her. One of these times, she would be shattered. Mimi, the big black-haired girl in block three, had it bad for her. She wanted to kill her. When they were paired in a fight, Mimi gave it all she had to blind her or do something else as damaging. If she couldn’t kill Caity, she wanted to at least take her out of the competition. And Caity was fucking tired. A man and woman were waiting to clean her up for the show, and she stood as still as possible and let them do their work. At first, she’d fought like a crazy person when she’d been stripped and washed, shaved and shampooed, but she’d grown used to it. Struggling got her nothing but restraints. There was little worse than being tied to a table with her legs open, unable to move as strangers went over her body with soap and water.
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Samson stood patiently watching as they washed her. “New scars, Caity.” “Yup.” She looked down at the barely healed scars on her ribs. They joined the other scars she’d gotten the last six months, marring a once perfectly smooth body. “My own tattoos.” “Hurry up,” Samson snapped, when the man lingered with his cloth between her legs. The woman had started brushing Caity’s hair, and at Samson’s tone changed the slow strokes of the brush to ones almost hurried enough to pull out half of the long, white strands. At last they were finished, and the woman—Susana, Caity thought her name was— brought the oil. Caity sighed. People were fucking freakish depraved sons of bitches. The oil coated her body, leaving her feeling sticky and uncomfortable and shining like a beacon in the dark. Finally, as a finishing touch, she was clothed with a pair of black, shiny boots that went over her knees. The heels were so high they added around five inches to her five-foot six-inch frame. The sounds in the arena were becoming louder as the audience got a little drunker, a little more impatient. “A big crowd tonight,” Caity murmured. “Yes ma’am.” Samson took her oily arm and led her toward the huge metal doors that opened to the curtained backstage area. There she’d wait with the two wolves and their handlers until they were announced and the curtain lifted. “You be careful, baby.” “Always, Samson.” “I’ll wait back here for you to finish. I got something special for you after.” He grinned down at her, his teeth flashing brightly against the dark of his skin. She grinned back at him. “Sampson! Chocolate?” But he shook his shaved head. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out.” He shoved the doors open and the noise level intensified. She could see the waiting wolves in their places at the curtain, their handlers standing behind them with electric
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shock prods. Should the wolves get out of control, the prods would calm them down in a hurry. Dmitri didn’t look at her. He was a strange one, that wolf, and something about him frightened her more than any of the others. Quiet and closed off, he watched the world around him with a blank expression that did not bode well for his enemies. When she escaped, she hoped to have him on her side. And that was one reason she was so agreeable to fucking him. They’d be able to sneak in some whispered talking. Make plans. Someone had braided his long dark hair into a thick rope that hung down his bare back, against the gleaming, oily skin that had more scars than Caity had ever thought about having. This man had been through some shit. She had no idea what his life had been like before, but she was about to get a lot more up close and personal than she’d imagined she’d ever get to this one. He stood with his fists clenched, his body vibrating with what was surely rage, as though he’d never gotten used to being forced to fight, or fuck, or submit to Bastard’s captivity. He was so big, so wild, and Caity closed her eyes in one long, slow blink. If he shifted during sex, he’d surely kill her. But the people wanted to see some danger. They didn’t care what happened to the captives. She switched her gaze to Jake, who stood with his head down, his long, unbound hair hiding his face. Bastard liked long hair on men, but sometimes shaved the women bald. No hair on a woman, he’d said, made her look more naked. He’d never had her hair taken. Her hair was part of her attraction—long, sleek and white as snow. She could be grateful for that, at least. Jake’s nude body was lean and hard, his slenderness making him look almost delicate next to Dmitri’s muscled bulk. Samson gave her a little push. “Go on, honey.”
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She took a deep breath and walked forward. Without looking at her, Dmitri slid to the left, leaving an opening for her between him and the smaller man. She took it, shaking her long hair over her breasts. Bastard hurried toward them, flanked by a half-dozen guards. “Caity, baby, you look too sexy for words!” He grabbed her hands, ignoring the men, and let his eyes wander over her body. Frowning, he grabbed handfuls of her hair and pushed it over her shoulders, baring her body to his watery blue stare. “Beautiful! But…” Quickly he reached out and pinched her nipples. “Don’t want you to look like you’re not turnedon, do we?” He gave a wink and a grin, his teeth flashing in his overfed face. He rubbed her cheeks, the rings on his fat fingers digging into her skin. “You’re too pale.” His smile was jolly, but no one would ever be fooled by it. Bastard was the cruelest man she’d ever known, or heard, of. She’d seen him do things to other people that defied description. Yes, she would kill him, in the end. It was all she thought about, all she cared about. He saw something in her eyes. “What is it, cunt? Do you want me to bring out someone else to fuck these lovely men? Would you rather fight tonight instead?” He stepped closer, his breath smelling of old meat as he spoke. “Because if you want to fight, baby, that’s fine with me. Well? Which is it?” She inclined her head, her nails digging into her palms. “I’ll take the wolves.” He clapped his hands and stepped away. “Show time! Make it good, kiddies!” His smile slipped for one short moment. “And I mean that. You, kid.” Slowly, Jake raised his head and looked at the man. Caity gasped at the look of…almost madness in his eyes. Rage, deeply controlled and completely animal, shone from his red-hot eyes like a torch. Oh yes, there was more to Jake than people realized. His wrath would be something to see when he finally released it. She almost felt sorry for Bastard. Bastard stared into the young wolf’s eyes, his own flat and completely cold. He smiled and flicked his tongue out from between his glossy lips. “You behave out there 9
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and do what you’re supposed to do.” He shot his hand out and grabbed Jake’s hanging penis. “Or I will have this at the end of the night. Am I clear, little wolf?” A quiet growl started deep in Jake’s chest, but before it could escalate Dmitri put a hand on his arm. “Jake,” he murmured, and just like that, Jake calmed. He dropped his head, his hair covering his perfect face once again. And there he stayed, not so much as twitching as Bastard fondled his genitals. Once Jake was hard in Bastard’s hand, the fat man finally stepped back, satisfied. “Go fuck, my lovelies. Get us all hard.” He hurried through the curtains, and the three waited for his announcement. It came in seconds. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, what you’ve all been waiting for! No fighting tonight from our lovely Caity Strange, but she is going to fuck our two fiercest wolves! Get ready for a night you will never forget. “Introducing the incredible human, Caity Strange, as she takes on Dmitri Alexandr and Jake Crow! Give them a big welcome, folks!” Right before they stepped onto the stage Jake grabbed her hand. Not to hurt her, but to comfort her. Or maybe…just maybe, to comfort himself. He squeezed it gently, but still didn’t show her his face. She could have cried with the sweetness of this wolf. She glanced at Dmitri and found him watching her. At last, he smiled. “Let’s dance, little human,” he whispered.
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Chapter Two The audience lined the huge auditorium, filling the seats completely. The noise was deafening, but Caity was accustomed to the sound. They were the same when she stood here, naked and silent, ready for combat. But tonight, it was different. For the first time she’d been offered a fuck instead of a fight, and despite the circumstances, she was almost…glad. She hadn’t touched another being in six months except to cause pain. Other than Samson, no one had touched her with the intention of making her feel good, either through tenderness or physical love. Shivering, she resisted the urge to rub away the sudden goose bumps dotting her arms. She stood between the two men, a little in front of them, and waited for the signal. First, the audience would look its fill, quiet down and the lights would dim. The three of them were spotlighted in soft but bright lights, which bounced off the huge, mirrored stage. With the audience in darkness she could almost pretend it wasn’t even there. Caity turned to the men, more hesitant than she ever was in a fight. But of course, in a fight, hesitancy would get her killed. She shuddered when Dmitri slid his fingers over her arm, up her shoulder and to her cheek. Gently, he cupped her face. “You’re very beautiful, Caity.” His voice was so quiet she wasn’t sure the audience would even hear him, in spite of the many mics placed throughout the stage. Still holding her captive with his fierce gray stare, he held out a hand for Jake. Patiently he waited for the young wolf to take his hand, and finally, Jake clasped his fingers. Connected through abduction, horror and fury, the three of them stood for a long moment until restless murmurs made them move. 11
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It was time to get to work. But for Caity Strange, tonight wasn’t really work at all. She shut out the watchers, forgot the future and let the past go. Right now there was no one but her and two incredible men who happened to also be shifters. She could either rage against them or enjoy their touches. She hooked her arms around both their waists. “It’s just us, boys. Let’s give each other something good tonight, okay?” She reached up to push Jake’s hair behind his ear so she could see his face. “Look at me, Jake. Please.” Carefully, he raised his eyes to meet her stare, and she smiled. “Forget them, Wolf. Forget Bastard.” She lifted his palm and placed it against her breast. “Think about me.” She let go of his hand. He left it there, and slowly, so slowly, moved his thumb over her skin. When she looked at Dmitri she saw a spark of approval deep in his eyes. “Where shall I place my hand, little human?” She flushed, despite herself. Tendrils of desire waved through her body. Dmitri was so alpha he was scary. She loved alpha men. Loved them. He hadn’t been there as long as she had, and neither had Jake, but she had no idea if they’d been captured together, or had come from different packs. Dmitri leaned down to kiss her neck, his trailing lips make her shudder with lust. He hesitated at her ear. “I’m going to destroy this place. The time is almost right. Be ready.” She shivered at his soft, warm breath in her ear. “I want Bastard.” He shook his head, a tiny shake. “I’ll give you a piece of him.” It would be enough. “Deal.” Jake smiled, finally. With his hand still on her breast he leaned to kiss her. Before his lips touched hers, he murmured, “I cannot wait.” 12
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Then he became something she’d never seen with him. She saw a spark in his gaze bright enough to dazzle her, and a previously hidden vitality that would have charmed the world. Oh what this boy must have been like before his capture. He turned his fury into passion, and she was partly afraid it might be too much for her. Dmitri might have had the same thoughts. “Careful, Jake. You will not hurt her.” Jake shuddered. “I won’t lose control.” But Caity wasn’t so sure he would be able to help himself. His cock was rock hard and he took his hand from her breast and trailed it down her belly. “Can I…?” “Don’t ask!” someone yelled from the spectators. “Just fucking do it!” Murmurs of agreement floated around the hall, echoing off the walls. Dmitri sighed. “He needs your permission, Caity.” She turned quickly to Jake. “You have my permission to make love to me, Jake. You don’t have to ask again.” “If we don’t give them what they want, they’ll start tossing out orders,” Dmitri said. “And you don’t want that.” None of them did. “Lie down, Caity,” Jake said. She walked to the large, thinly covered table and climbed on. There were no pillows, nothing to distract from their bodies, nothing that could be used to cover them. The lights were bright and hot enough to give her a headache, and she could only imagine what that heat would feel like to the wolves. They ran hot anyway. Shutting out the murmuring crowd, she lay back and watched the men approach. They stood at the table side by side, facing the crowd, and without taking his gaze from her, Jake ran his hand over Dmitri’s stiffening cock.
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She gasped at the sensuality of that one caress, and looked quickly at Dmitri. He smiled at her, and as though to let her know it was all right, he put his hand over Jake’s and she watched as together they masturbated the big wolf. Finally Dmitri moved behind Jake and wrapped his hands around Jake’s erection. Jake cried out and let his head fall back against the big man’s chest. Dmitri held Jake’s dick out as an offering to her. “Caity,” Dmitri said, “get on your hands and knees and suck Jake.” She didn’t even think about arguing, or rebelling against the soft command in his voice. She wanted them. She wanted to touch them, to taste them, to feel them inside her. The spark that had started with Dmitri now burned out of control in her body. She crawled toward the slender Jake, uncaring that her ass pointed toward the crowd, uncaring that cameras blew her up to an enormous size and splattered her high up on the wall for a few hundred people to gawk at. All she cared about at that moment was getting Jake’s dick in her mouth, and squeezing the firm sac hanging below. She slid him into her mouth at last, his groans of pleasure urging her on. “God,” he screamed, and dug his fingers into her hair. She’d never had sex with a wolf. But she’d heard that they were the hottest, most passionate of lovers. Now she understood something more. Not only did they burn with the hottest passions themselves, it spilled over to touch their lovers. His cock was smooth and very warm, and she gobbled at it as though she were possessed, unable to get enough. He was like a drug she’d become addicted to and forced to be without. Now she was going to suck him until someone forced her to stop. His moans became urgent, and his hands tightened on her scalp—a little too much. Part of her shuddered with the thought of how easy it would be for him to crush her skull, but that only added to her excitement.
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She tightened her grip on his balls, and sucked him harder and faster until his body stiffened and Dmitri ordered her away. “Stop, Caity. Now.” She didn’t want to stop. The crowd’s scattered applause and shouts finally penetrated and she heeded Dmitri’s command and let the younger wolf’s dick pop from her mouth. She glanced up at him, then froze. Jake was shifting, or trying not to shift, but it was taking everything he had to remain in his human form. Dmitri watched her as he whispered into Jake’s ear, and at last, the young wolf won his battle. The audience booed and hissed, unhappy at being denied a wolf shifting in the middle of sex. Oh yes, they would have liked that. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Jake’s hard stomach. It had been close. At last she looked up at Dmitri. “Is he okay?” Dmitri gave a short nod. “He is young. He hasn’t had to learn to control himself until now.” She kissed Jake’s belly. “You’re amazing.” He opened his eyes and looked down at her. He said nothing, but she caught the soft look in his eyes. “Will you be…can you control your shift when you’re inside me, Jake?” “Jake won’t come until we are alone in his cell,” Dmitri told her. “I will fuck him then.” Her pussy dampened further at the thought. Oh she wanted to see that. So badly. Obviously, so did the spectators. “Fuck him now! We paid good money!” “I will fuck the girl,” Dmitri roared, his fury taking control for one brief second. But he knew he would have to give them what they wanted to see. “Jake…” “If I shift, those fuckers will shock me.”
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Caity followed his gaze to the back wall, where the handlers were already gathering in response to the danger. They held the evil prods at the ready. “I don’t care who fucks who,” Bastard said, his voice coming over the speakers. “But one of you will fuck the girl, and one of you boys will fuck the other. Handlers, if he shifts, don’t let him hurt her too badly. Do what you need to do to control him, or I will control you.” They would do as they were told. They all would. “Lie back, Caity,” Dmitri said, his face dark with anger. “I’ll get you ready.” His voice became tender. “I’ll protect her, Jake, don’t worry. If you shift, I’ll control you.” He turned to call to the handlers, amid loud laughter and catcalls from the crowd, “If he does shift you’d better let me handle him. If you prod either one of us and he’s not fucking eating this girl, I will kill every one of you.” There was not one drop of doubt in his cold, calm voice. The handlers shrank against the wall and threw panicked glances at the high box where Bastard hid behind a bank of windows. He ignored them. It would mean more money if one of the wolves tore apart a human or two. “You eat the girl,” someone screamed. “Lick that pussy!” “Ignore them,” Jake told her. “We want to make love to you, Caity. You get me so hot.” He smiled, weakly, but a smile. “That’s why I lost control.” Dmitri tugged on Jake’s hair until the boy looked up at him, then he kissed him. It was a long, deep kiss that had Caity squirming in envy. Me now, she wanted to yell, like a greedy child. Me! As though he’d heard her, Dmitri pushed Jake down on the table beside her. “We’ll make you forget everyone but us, Caity,” he promised. Jake turned toward her, his slim, tight body gleaming, and ran his fingers through the oil on her breasts. Her nipples stiffened and she moaned, arching her back.
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Dmitri unzipped her boots and threw them behind him, then grasped her legs above her knees and pulled her to the edge of the table. He knelt on the floor and perfectly positioned with his mouth level with her pussy, he began to eat her. He went into it with a messy enthusiasm that had her screaming in seconds. He ran his tongue over her clit with hard, fast strokes, and pushed fingers into her pussy, and another finger into her ass. Jake kissed her, his tongue sweeping over hers, his fingers pulling at her nipples. He loved her fast and hard, and her orgasm hit her before she even realized it was coming. Her entire body stiffened, then shuddered as she climaxed, and Jake took his mouth from hers to let her scream her orgasm to the world. Ahhhs and ohhhhs swept through the crowd and some part of her remembered that when a wolf came, the power from that spillover would hit those near him, giving them a quick but very strong climax as well. It was the main attraction. She wasn’t sure she could survive that. Her own orgasm, with Dmitri’s mouth on her pussy and Jake’s mouth on her breasts, was almost enough to kick her ass. If they added the mysterious power of their orgasm to hers… She groaned as she came down, her clit pulsating beneath Dmitri’s now-gentle tongue. He slid his fingers in and out of her pussy, and her ass, and flicked at her clit with his tongue. She felt her orgasm building, and this time he let it. He didn’t bring it crashing around her, but built it slowly, torturously. Jake squeezed a sensitive breast in his hand and took a nipple into his warm, damp mouth, sucking slowly, strongly. “Oh!” She pinched her free nipple, hard, and let her legs fall open completely. Dmitri ran his tongue over the waxed slit between her legs, delving his tongue into the slick folds, pulling her clit into his mouth. It was heaven, it was torment. Oh, so good. She slid her hand down to grasp Jake’s erection but he shrank away from her searching fingers. “Not yet, love.” But in mere seconds he changed his mind. “Now, baby,” he whispered. “Touch me.” 17
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She wrapped her hand around his straining cock, barely able to concentrate when Dmitri probed her pussy so expertly with his tongue. Jake jerked when she touched him, and she squeezed him gently. Through heavy, half-open lids she watched him, her desire deepening still further at the wolf peeking out from Jake’s eyes. So close. It was so close. She took a deep breath and her orgasm exploded. Writhing on the table as the men loved her, she was unaware of anything else. Her body shook with the fury of her climax, and before she had even finished coming Dmitri took her clit once more into his mouth. He pushed what felt like at least three of his huge fingers inside her as deeply as they would go and fucked her with them—hard, quick thrusts that burned a path of pleasure deep inside her. Another, different orgasm started to build. “Dmitri,” she begged. “I want to…let me touch you!” “Not this time.” His voice was harsh and raw, and so hot it burned her where his breath touched. “But I would love nothing more.” Jake flinched and hoped Dmitri’s words hadn’t hurt the young wolf, but then her orgasm washed over her once again and she forgot about Jake’s feelings. “Jake,” she dimly heard Dmitri say, “get her on her knees.” It was time to test the wolf.
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Chapter Three She was aware of being positioned, and then Jake was on his knees behind her. He probed her pussy with his cock, and finally guided it in. His hands tightly gripped her hips, and he thrust his way inside, as far as he could go. He shuddered against her before pulling almost all the way out, a long, slow slide that had her digging her nails into the table. She felt every inch of him as he once again plunged inside her, a little harder and faster. His balls slapped against her and she reached between her legs to fondle them. When he began fucking her harder she rubbed her swollen, sensitive clit, watching in the mirrors as Dmitri stood behind Jake and gave the audience what they wanted. What she wanted. “No lube,” Jake muttered. “I need it to hurt.” “I know,” Dmitri replied, and with one hard thrust, he forced himself inside the younger wolf. He captured her gaze in the mirrors, and she doubted she could have looked away even if she’d been offered her freedom to do so. Jake’s hair hid his face, his eyes, as he kept rhythm with Dmitri. He held her tightly, or else she might have been shoved off the table by his strength. It was as though they were each being fucked by the other, and the feeling was like nothing she’d ever before experienced. Harder and harder Jake fucked her, as hard as Dmitri fucked him, and she welcomed the pain as much as the pleasure. And when she came, the pleasure and pain were one and the same, and she didn’t know the difference. She screamed and realized vaguely that the wolves were climaxing. The dark spill of their power rushed over her, and her orgasm was so intense she feared, deep beneath the extreme pleasure, that her heart might burst from it. 19
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Jake’s roar broke the spell enough for her to twist around to look at him, and even as her body shook with her orgasm, she gasped at the sight of him. He was trying so hard not to shift, and the battle with himself was as fierce as any she’d ever seen. His neck cords stood in sharp relief as he continued to thrust inside her, his face changing, elongating. She heard the snap of bones and screamed, terror and pleasure competing as another orgasm exploded inside her. She was going to die, surely, if not from the intense pleasure then from an out-of-control shifter. His claws dug into her hips, and she knew he was going to lose himself. But he didn’t. He won his battle and forced the beast away, and she rested her face on her folded arms as his semen burned a path inside her. He collapsed half on top of her, and she could hear Dmitri’s voice as he soothed the younger man. The audience had become completely silent, wrapped in the spill of power that would hold them in awe for hours. Money well spent. Jake pulled out of her and she groaned. She would be sore tomorrow. Hell, she hurt right now. Dmitri pushed her hair gently from her face. “Come here, Caity. It’s over.” She crept into his arms and lay snuggled against his huge, warm chest, feeling sticky and sweaty and…good. Jake wrapped his arms around them both and for a moment, they were safe, their world was good, and nothing else mattered. But just for a moment. Their peace was shattered by the swell of applause and screams from spectators well pleased, and Bastard ran on stage to take the credit.
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The handlers pulled them apart and Samson took Caity from Dmitri’s arms. They would be taken back to their cell blocks until once again, they were needed to perform. She peered over Samson’s shoulder, watching Dmitri and Jake until she was through the big doors and could no longer see them. “I’m changed,” she whispered. “It’s okay, honey.” She didn’t demand that he put her down. She was tired. “Samson, the next time you see Dmitri and Jake…tell them…” But she had no idea what she wanted them to know. She heard the smile in Samson’s voice. “I’ll tell them, baby.” He kicked her cell door open and placed her gently upon her poor excuse for a bed. It was a raised slab with a thin, worthless mattress atop it. Her cover was a threadbare colorless spread that did little to warm her when the weather was cold. But it was better than nothing. Samson covered her and gently ran his fingers through her hair, before straightening up. He stared down at her for a moment in silence. “Are you hungry, Caity?” “Yes. And thirsty.” “I told you I had a surprise for you for after.” He grinned down at her, his face gleaming from the dim hallway lights. She rose up on her elbows. “What is it?” He looked pleased at the eagerness in her voice and from his pocket pulled a brown paper package. “Here, baby. You open this while I fetch your water.” He fiddled around in the corner, pouring her tin cup full of the lukewarm water from her ration, but he kept glancing at her, a little too casually. She laughed at him and began to open the package. It was heavier than it looked like it would be. The last time Samson had brought her an illicit surprise, it had been an 21
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entire bar of chocolate, a tin of sardines and a bag of peanuts. She’d eaten the peanuts on the spot, shell and all, but made the candy last for days. Chocolate was her weakness. And all the while, part of her wanted nothing more than to lie there with her eyes closed and think about what had transpired. She wanted to consider her emotions, her body, and most of all, she wanted to think about the wolves. She wanted to think, to give herself a moment to be alone and soak in everything that had just happened to her. But first, Samson offered her a special present as though it would make up for her captivity. And really, it surely did help. “Open it, girlie!” She chuckled at his excitement and finally, slowly, pulled open the package. “Whatcha got there?” he whispered, as though he didn’t know. He gotten her a bar of chocolate, all right, but nestled beneath it was something she hadn’t seen for half a year. Her daddy’s knife. “Samson,” she whispered, and stared down at the special, shiny weapon, almost afraid to touch it. “What have you done?” He strode to the door and peered through, his big body vibrating with excitement. When he returned he sat on the bed beside her. “We have friends, sweetheart. You be ready with your daddy’s knife, because it is going to help get you out of here.” His voice was but a hint of a whisper, and she shivered with reaction. It had been a long night and she wasn’t sure she could handle much more. “What do you mean?” she whispered back. At last, she touched the knife, ran her finger along the deadly, sharp blade, and let the hope settle into her bones. “What do you mean?” He patted her on the arm and stood. “You get reacquainted with your daddy’s knife. I’ll have more to tell you later. Right now…” He shook his hairless head hard, his eyes wide. “Hide it well.”
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Something was up. Something big. And suddenly she knew without a doubt that being chosen to fuck the wolves tonight hadn’t been a random thing Bastard had decided. No. He’d been gently guided into this night’s events, and somehow was not even aware of it himself. She knew it. She and Samson stared at each other as the realization dawned on her, and when he saw it in her eyes, Samson nodded. “Yes, baby. Now get you some rest. You’re going to need it. We all are.” But she couldn’t let him go, not yet. She shot out her hand and grabbed his arm. “Samson. Promise me…promise me you’ll be all right.” His eyes moistened and he patted her hand before setting it gently back into her lap. He sniffed loudly, then cleared his throat. “I’ll do my best, baby. Now eat your chocolate and mind what I told you.” When he was gone, she sat and stared, too overwhelmed to try to pick apart the events of the night and see them with any sort of clarity. It was too much. In the end she went to the loose block against the far wall. She’d found it weeks ago, left by some other long-dead prisoner, and after rewrapping the knife in the brown paper, slid it gently into the hiding place. She couldn’t think about it now. She couldn’t. Get reacquainted with your daddy’s knife, Samson had ordered, and she would. She would. But not right now. Right now she’d not be able to handle the knife. That knife required razor-sharp reflexes, a clear mind, and a cold heart. Right now, she had none of those things. She couldn’t even eat her chocolate. She took a sip of her water and lay back, letting her dreams take her. It was all she could manage.
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Chapter Four She woke up before dawn—her mind clear, her body rested—and gobbled the chocolate straight down. Ordinarily she would have made it last, but these were not ordinary times. She’d have the day to figure things out. Bastard wouldn’t be calling her to fight or fuck for at least one more night. She hoped. Breakfast, the usual wheat, carbs, protein and fat, all mashed together and fried into crisp patties that really weren’t all that terrible, was washed down with a cup of warm coffee. After the chocolate, she wasn’t starving, but she ate every bite anyway. First rule of captivity; eat everything you could get your hands on. Bastard might not give them chocolate and treats, but he made sure they had their daily allowances of food. Couldn’t have them all skinny and unhealthy. No one would pay to see that. The entire time she ate, sitting with her back against the wall, she stared at the place she’d secreted the knife. How Samson had gotten his hands on it was a mystery. It was a very special knife, and though Bastard couldn’t make it do anything other than cut like a normal knife, he knew it was made up of magic and secrets. He had locked it away with all his other stolen treasures, and she’d thought never to see it again. But here it was. She wanted to take it out and look at it, in case she’d dreamed it all, but she didn’t dare. Someone might peek through the slit in the door and see her. Tonight, when the guards were half asleep or playing cards and couldn’t care less about the prisoners, she’d take out her daddy’s knife and reawaken it. Once again, she’d be armed, and armed well.
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And this time, if Bastard wanted it, he’d have to pry it from her cold, dead fingers. Samson opened her door. “Come on, sissy. Let’s get you some sunshine.” She got up, wincing. “Bath first?” He shook his head and handed her the usual female prison garb, which consisted of a plain white pullover dress that hung on her small frame and hung barely below her knees. “Yard first, then you can bathe. Someone is waiting for you.” He put his finger to his lips. She nodded and kept her silence. In her stomach, butterflies fought, and she walked eagerly to the yard. Samson grabbed her arm before he let her out the door into the caged area. Impatient, she shook him off. “What, Samson?” “You weren’t foolish enough to bring it with you?” “Of course not. Now let me go so I can see what’s going on.” “Be careful, girlie.” He went back inside. He’d return in an hour or so to take her back to her cell. If it hadn’t been so fucking dangerous, an hour in the yard would fly by. She stood against the wall for a moment, eyes closed and face lifted to the sun. One mere hour a day in the yard was surely enough to make a girl appreciate the sun and fresh air. When she got out of here— “Well, if it isn’t Ms. Wolf-fucker!” She sighed and opened her eyes. Mimi. The black-haired bitch stood with her arms akimbo, accompanied by two of her friends. She wasn’t caught off guard. Mimi never missed a chance to try to make Caity’s yard life as difficult as possible. “Fuck off, Mims.” Her voice was casual as she searched the yard for whoever waited for her. Samson wouldn’t have made it up. Whether he’d been trying to warn her or let her know someone had information for her, she didn’t know. Something was going to happen and she didn’t need Mimi bugging her. 25
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But Mimi stepped closer. Some of the women—most of them—Caity had been able to either intimidate or befriend. With Mimi she’d managed neither. She held a hand up to halt the other woman. “Back away, bitch.” Some of the other women paused to watch, but for the most part they were accustomed to yard fights and had no interest. The early morning light was gentle and the breezy air warm, but if Mimi had her way, Caity would enjoy none of it. Mimi grabbed her around the neck and before Caity could react whispered into her face. “Shut up and listen, bitch. I have a message for you.” Shocked into silence, Caity waited. “Request the fuck tonight. It’s a bondage session, but the game can’t be changed. Take your knife.” She shoved Caity so hard Caity hit the wall and stumbled to the ground, and she and her friends ambled away. Caity crouched on the ground for what seemed like a half a lifetime, her head buzzing. Mimi was in on the big thing. More in on it than Caity, obviously. That stung, but she shook it off. What did it matter, if she was about to help with a rebellion? What did it matter, if tonight she might finally be free? Still, her stomach clenched with fear at the thought of Mimi being aware of her knife. She’d told Caity to take it, take it to the bondage fuck. What if Bastard wouldn’t let her in the fuck after last night’s session? For the rest of the hour she ran laps around the yard. When time was up and the women were herded back inside, she was ready. After her bath, she waited for Samson to come, then told him to put a request in for her to Bastard for tonight’s session. He flinched but didn’t disagree. He had to have already known this might be on the agenda for her. “I’ll let you know, honey.” At the door he stopped, but didn’t look at her. “Did you know tonight is—” “Bondage. Yes. I was told.” “Not just bondage, baby. Group bondage.”
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She frowned. “You mean…” “There are going to be a lot of people in tonight’s session.” She bit her lip, then shrugged. “The end result will make it worth it, right, Samson?” He hesitated. “I hope so, child. I hope so.” After he left she sat on the floor beside the block that concealed her knife and let its vibrations seep from the cold concrete and wrap with familiar warmth around her heart. God, it was good to have her daddy’s knife back. Damn good. If he hadn’t died long ago, he would have rescued her by now. She knew it. And if she’d trusted her father a little more, had been a little braver, she wouldn’t have been in need of rescuing. But when she should have awakened the knife before, she’d flinched. She’d hesitated. She’d been a fucking coward. It was her fear of accepting the knife that had allowed Bastard’s men to capture her. If she’d had the knife inside her, it would never have happened. If the knife wasn’t meant for her, it would kill her. But her father had given it to her and she should have trusted him. Instead, she carried the knife in her pocket and had been too afraid to accept it. No more. She wasn’t going to have a chance to wait for nightfall to bring out the knife, because tonight she’d be busy taking part in an orgy. And…if she dared get her hopes up, she might very well find her freedom tonight. She’d have to awaken the knife slowly, carefully, and let it become accustomed to her. Only then would she bring it out and waken it fully. But if she wasn’t careful, it’d reject her and for her, there would be no tonight. The knife would destroy her long before it was time for the show.
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After her dinner, she finally pulled the knife from the wall. It shook weakly, like a baby having a nightmare, and she ran her fingers over it tenderly. She turned her back to the door and put it in her lap, breathing deeply. Now was the time to bring it to life. Back to life. But first, she pulled her dress over her head and let it fall to the floor. “With your help,” she whispered, “I will not see morning in this place.” Its vibrations became stronger as she stroked it, and at last she carried it to her lips. First she breathed on it, gently, and watched as her breath covered the knife like a white fog. Once the knife was completely colored, she clenched her teeth and plunged the knife without hesitation into her heart. She’d hesitated once before, and that hesitation had cost her the only thing that might have saved her from captivity. Little wonder no one else could awaken her daddy’s knife. The pain was immediate and excruciating, and as she fought for air she also fought the terror that told her the knife would not recognize her, but would kill her. She whimpered, wanting to scream but knowing better, and let the knife sink with torturous slowness into her body. When it was done, she lay on the floor, exhausted, sick, weak. But alive. She was alive. The knife had accepted her, even though once, she had rejected it. But she was a bloody mess. She yanked the cover off her bed, dipped it in water, and scrubbed at her body. “One more scar. What does one more scar matter?” The wound was healed. A thick, red scar on her chest proved that she’d stabbed herself and over the next few hours it would thin and whiten. It would be no more noticeable than the other scars decorating her body. Her heartbeat adjusted and began to beat normally, the only difference a barely noticeable click that, in time, she would come to feel not at all. Her veins now ran with liquid steel and magic.
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She dressed and lay down, ignoring the tears that ran in hot streams over her cheeks. She was her father’s daughter. I miss you, Daddy. The last couple of nights had been overwhelming. Cold, she wrapped her arms around her knees and shivered, miserable and weak. She’d have to get a grip soon. She had a session coming up, if Bastard would allow it. And she was a big draw, at least with the fights. She was reasonably sure he’d agree. She slid her fingers between her legs, their iciness soothing the soreness she still carried from last night. She fell asleep that way, with her knife in her body and tears drying on her cheeks, and dreamed of freedom.
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Chapter Five Samson spirited away the bloody cover and brought her back a fresh one, his eyes cloudy with concern. “That was a lot of blood, honey. Are you sure you’re okay?” She sat in the middle of the floor, her eyes on the dim light coming from the window high on the wall. The power of the knife buzzed inside her. “I’m better than okay, Samson.” He hunkered down beside her and pushed her hair out of her face. “So beautiful, little Caity. So damaged.” “Tonight will be my last night in captivity. Tonight I will bring this place down, or I will die. I swear it.” He inched back, just a little. “The knife has changed you, baby. It has given you…” She smiled when he couldn’t find the words. “Power, Samson. It has given me power.” “Master D has agreed.” “I knew he would.” “Are you sure—” “Very.” He sighed and stood, then offered her a hand up. “It’s time to go, baby.” “If I don’t see you again—” “Well, you will, honey! You will.” He hesitated. “Can I see?” She’d told Samson about the knife and what she’d have to do, one long night months ago after a particularly brutal fight. God knew she needed someone to confide in. She lifted her arms and he pulled her dress over her head and tossed it away.
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His eyes widened when he saw the scar over her heart. “You really stuck a knife into your heart.” She smiled. “I really did.” He traced the ridged scar gently, his finger hesitating at her nipple. When she didn’t protest, he went on to caress her nipple gently, lovingly. “There is so much special about you, little Caity.” “The session is coming in minutes, Samson. They may not take the time to ready me. Would you like to?” His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Samson was her handler, and yet they’d never touched in a sexual way. Beads of sweat popped out on his dark face, and he merely stared at her. “Not to fuck me,” she told him. “Just…get me wet. Turn me on, Samson. After all, I’ve heard that’s part of a handler’s job.” Her nipples stiffened, and between her legs she began to throb. She wouldn’t need much preparing. She was ready now. But Samson…she wanted him to touch her. She might never see him again and he’d been her only friend. He bent his knees and knelt before her. His face was even with her breasts. He was enormous, her Samson, the bulkiest, biggest man she’d ever seen. He didn’t lift his hands to touch her, but opened his mouth and slid her nipple into his mouth. Her breathing quickened as he took his time with that one nipple, rolling it with his tongue, sucking gently. At last he stopped. “Get on your hands and knees on the bed, honey. Samson will make you feel real good. Just like you make Samson feel.” She climbed on the slab and parted her legs, then laid her head on her folded arms. She relaxed as Samson slipped his fingers into her damp folds and rubbed circles just inside her pussy. He soothed the soreness as he rubbed her own fluids into her flesh, and she moaned lightly at the feeling.
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He stroked her clit, still keeping his movements careful and gentle, then he began licking her ass with quick, damp strokes. She wiggled against his face, her orgasm building as he pinched her clit, harder and faster, his tongue working at her hole. He took his face from her and slapped her clit, hard. “Get hot for me, baby. Get hot for Samson.” He flipped her over and bent her knees, then pushed her legs as far open as they would go. He spread her lips with the finger and thumb of one hand, and she cried out as he again slapped her exposed clit, his fingers lingering on her pussy. He plucked at her clit, pulling a little too hard, but that excited her further. “Your little clit is so pretty, baby. I love your little pink pussy.” She rose up on her elbows to look down her body and watch him, to watch his huge black fingers pinching her now-swollen clit. He shoved two fingers inside her and made a come here motion with them, his thumb rubbing her clit. “Oh god, Samson! I’m going to come!” Immediately he stopped, pulling out his fingers and standing over her, smiling. “Save it for the session, honey.” “No! Samson…” She thrust her pelvis toward him. “Please, slap my pussy again.” He laughed and pulled her to her feet. Her pussy throbbed and she groaned, but if she hadn’t been ready to go on stage before, she was now. He picked her up, holding her high off the floor against his solid chest. Deep in his eyes she thought she saw goodbye. “Samson?” “Good luck, baby.” She nodded, slowly. “Good luck to you as well, sir.” Then, “Samson…what will you do if…when…you leave this place?”
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He shrugged his massive shoulders, but he was smiling. “I have my eye on a little black-haired beauty named Mimi, honey.” He carried her toward the doors where she’d be washed and outfitted before taking the stage. “What? The fuck! Are you fucking kidding me?” The lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled and his grin took over his face. “Yup.” “I fucking hate that bitch!” She shook her head. “No. Nope. I forbid it.” He raised an eyebrow, then kissed her cheek. “We’re here, honey. Knock ‘em dead tonight.” She sighed and slid down his body, and the couple who’d wash her came to lead her away. But she looked back at him one last time. “I plan on it, Samson.” She blew him a kiss and turned away. This night, she was going to find her freedom, or she was going to die.
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Chapter Six Twenty minutes later she was in restraints, upright and spread-eagled against a wide slab of wood in the middle of the stage. Her wrists and ankles had been fastened into metal cuffs that weren’t really all that uncomfortable. She wasn’t alone. Three other women and a male she didn’t recognize were lined up beside her, each of them restrained as well. She’d tried the cuffs securing her wrists. They were strong enough to restrain a person much bigger than she was. The ones at her ankles, keeping her legs apart, were no different. But with the knife inside her, that wouldn’t matter. What mattered was that most of the other players in tonight’s session were strangers, with not one wolf among them. The one familiar face was Samson’s professed lady love, the hideous Mimi. They’d placed her right next to Caity, and despite herself, Caity was vaguely relieved. Surely Mimi was on her side in this one fight, even if with every other she’d tried hard to take her head off. “Mimi. What’s—” “Shut it,” Mimi said. Caity narrowed her eyes at the woman, her fists clenching in the restraints. That woman was in need of an ass-kicking. It appeared that she was about to get an asskinking instead, though, as a very large man strode up to her with a very large bulletshaped object, and shoved it inside her. There was no lead up to it, no words, no asking. Caity averted her gaze from Mimi’s grimace of pain. The other woman would not want her to see it. The man looked at Caity.
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She smiled, and in that smile she put every bad thought she’d ever had. “Come near with one of those things, and I will make sure you suffer before I kill you.” The audience laughed and clapped, pleased at her usual show of temper. She hated them. If she could have right then, she would have taken great pleasure in destroying them all. “Fuck you,” Mimi’s voice was hoarse, but strong. “You couldn’t have said that before he butt-fucked me with something the size of a fucking house?” Again the audience laughed. “Love you, Mimi!” someone screamed. And deep inside Caity, the knife stirred. Mimi must have seen something in her eyes. Her mouth tightened. “Not yet, baby.” “Then you’d better fucking tell me when.” “Wait for the wolves.” The audience buzzed with confusion at the cryptic conversation, but not for long. They forgot about it as soon as the real show began. One of the men brought out a whip with a half-dozen tails on it, and though the thing would sting, she’d been told it sounded worse than it felt. He flicked it at Caity, catching her expertly between her legs. She jerked against the bonds before she realized the pain was but a soft bite on her pussy. But the audience wanted to see pain, and if she didn’t scream soon, the bite would become stronger. And just in case she didn’t realize that, the whip wielder made it stroke her with a warning force. She struggled and cried out, but as Samson’s slap had done, it only made her crave more. This time, she was going to get it. He cracked the whip again, and its teasing bite caused her to stiffen on her board and cry out, a sound she tried to make sound more like pain than pleasure. She must not have succeeded. “Feel good, baby?” Mimi asked, scornful as always. 35
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Before she could find an answer for Mimi the whip struck again, and once again she writhed in her restraints as her clit pulsated in pleasure. “Fuck!” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for the next crack of the whip, but before it sounded clamps bit into her nipples. “Ouch, no!” It fucking hurt. She struggled in earnest, baring her teeth at the sadistic bitch who’d decided to torture her. “Get them the fuck off.” “Relax, sugar,” Mimi said. “You might come to like it. But if you want to trade, I’ll take your clamped nipples and give you my occupied ass.” Caity couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, not gonna happen.” “Then enjoy your ride and stop whining.” The whip whistled toward her once again, and she lost her breath as it hit her clit with too much force to be all pleasure. It seemed to wrap around her entire pussy like a strong, quick hand, and she groaned as liquid heat began to flow. The sex on stage became a banquet of depravity as a dozen naked people gathered around the restrained captives. Two men—one slender, one large—appeared in her peripheral vision and started kissing, and for a moment her heart stopped. But when she jerked her head around to give them a better look, she was disappointed to find it was not Dmitri and Jake. Her pussy ached and throbbed as the whip continued to slap against her, but she didn’t need to act for the audience. There were too many other sights for them to see and sounds for them to hear. A redheaded female crawled to Mimi, pulled the bullet from her ass, and feasted on Mimi’s pussy, making smacking, messy sounds loud enough to please anyone listening. Mimi closed her eyes and smiled, whether at the relief of having the object removed or at the woman’s mouth between her legs, Caity didn’t know. And she wasn’t going to ask.
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When Bastard walked onto the stage to stand before her, Caity groaned. She’d heard that he sometimes liked to be part of the action, and she shuddered at the thought of him so much as touching her. He twisted his fat hands, his stare between her legs as the whip kissed her pussy. Finally he walked to her side and removed the clamps from her nipples, something she might have thanked him for if he’d been someone else. He caressed her sore nipples, his touch light, his gaze going from her breasts to her shaved pussy. “I can see your swollen red clit peeking at me between those luscious lips,” he told her, but she knew he didn’t expect a reply. “Sexy little Caity.” He nodded at the man holding the whip. “Go away.” “Fuck,” Caity muttered. The asshole was going to touch her. He did, trailing his hand over her belly to between her legs, the tips of his fingers touching her swollen, raw clit. He slipped his fingers into her wet folds and rubbed around and around her pussy, sliding just inside before backing out to caress around her opening once more. In spite of herself, she moaned and moved against his fingers as the flush of desire lit her body. Treacherous body, how good it felt. He deserted her pussy and grabbed a handful of her breast, pushing it high and squeezing it until it overflowed his hand. He lapped at the nipple, his tongue wet and wide, then sucked her stiff nipple into his mouth. “Bastard,” she said. His eyes popped open and he stared at her with a bit of a glazed look on his face. He let her nipple pop from his mouth. “Huh?” “Huh?” she mocked. “I’m going to kill you, you know. Eventually.” A spark of anger shone deep in his eyes and he pulled away. “If you don’t want my touches, just say so, Caity.” “I don’t want your touches.”
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He slurped his full bottom lip into his mouth and sucked for a long moment as he watched her. When he pushed it back out she stared, fascinated and disgusted, at the slick, wet lip. He sneered, but patted her pussy gently. “That’s my girl. Always so bitchy.” He continued petting her between the legs as if her cunt was a small animal. “I’ve spoiled you.” Suddenly she was afraid, and wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She looked at Mimi and the other woman met her gaze, her face blank. Mimi would be no help. How could she? She was as caught as Caity. She couldn’t break loose and start killing people. Even with the knife inside her, she couldn’t do it alone. Where the fuck were the wolves? She’d no sooner thought it than they wolves came. She watched as they picked their way over the wriggling bodies on the floor, Dmitri in the lead, and at least six others following him. A hushed murmur went through the spectators as they watched the wolves walk onto the stage, surely wondering what treat they were in for now. Pain shot through her thigh so suddenly and unexpectedly she screamed, and jerked her head around to stare, panicked, into the grinning face of Bastard. “What the fuck!” “I don’t like being ignored, Caity. Show a little respect, huh? Come on, show it for the audience.” Again the pain ripped through her, and she realized he was grinding his thumbnail into her flesh. She knew he could slowly, by small degrees, torture a person to death by doing such things. She’d been his prisoner for half a year. She’d seen him at work. It could take all night, and that’s how he seemed to like it. “Stop, Bastard.” “I’m hard now, little Caity. Pain turns me on, but you probably already knew that.” Grind, grind.
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She clenched her teeth. You’ve been through way more pain than this, girl. Why then did it seem so much worse when Bastard was doling it out? Hold on. The wolves are coming. The warm stickiness of blood inched its way down her leg and she looked once more for Dmitri. He stood about ten feet away, a familiar blaze of rage in his eyes. Jake stood beside him, his face downcast, hair flowing over his smooth chest. She frowned, confused. “What are the wolves doing?” she whispered. Bastard heard her, and answered her eagerly. “Well, see, the wolves are here for you, love.” “What?” “Uh huh. I’m having the wolves fuck you.” “The wolves?” “All of them.” He grinned, then shrugged. “I can only allow six of them out at a time, you understand. If they were all out here, that’d be too dangerous.” She shook her head, unable to grasp what he was telling her. He continued. “I’m letting them all pass you around until you’re a bloody rag doll on the floor.” She’d thought he valued her more than that. “Why?” “Because I want the knife back, darlin’. And I want the name of the person who stole it from me. And before this night is over, you will watch me…hurt him, right before you give me the knife back. Unless you want to do it right now? Make it easy on all of us?” She gathered her courage and her rage to her and held them tightly. “What, Bastard? And deprive you of the excuse to torture and mutilate? I wouldn’t think of it.” He wiped his bloody hand on her belly. “Fair enough.” He stepped back. “Come on, you animals! Show us what you got! Shift!” 39
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At her gasp, he turned back toward her, beaming. “Why yes, didn’t I tell you? They all have permission to fuck you while they’re shifted. This will be something to see!” He clapped his hands and his guards surrounded him, and a solid wall of prod carriers lined up in front of him. Caity just laughed, her voice rising to bounce off the walls and leave the spectators in confused silence. She wanted to give them one chance, though. “Run, idiots, or die!” Because suddenly she knew exactly how tonight would end.
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Chapter Seven It happened quickly, after that. Once the battle started and confusion reigned, there was little to keep the wolves at bay. They were full of fury and hate, and would rather have died than spend another moment in captivity. In other words, they no longer gave a damn. They had nothing to lose and would fight to the death. That was exactly the way Caity felt. With the magic of her daddy’s knife flowing through her veins, she let the rage of the wolves envelop her and combine with the knife, and after that it was easy to break free and confront her enemies. It might have been more of a battle had not most of the people there been either captives or spectators. The captives wanted to be free, and the spectators wanted to get away with their lives. That left Bastard and his guards. To give them credit, the guards gave it their all. Either Bastard paid them that well, they owed him a lot, or they were genuinely fighting for what they thought was the right side. Whatever it was, once the bloodlust took over, it covered them all. Screams and stomping came from the stampeding spectators, and from every possible exit stormed more guards, ready to take out the rebelling prisoners. Caity and the wolves were more than a match for them. Caity released the power inside her, finally, and anyone in her path went down. The knife ruled her, right then. She let it have its way. Could the wolves have taken the guards without her? Maybe. Maybe not.
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And then she went looking for Bastard. The wolves could take care of the others. She wanted him. She wasn’t the only one with such an idea, though, and wasn’t surprised to find Dmitri and Jake close behind her. “He’s the one holding all this together,” she said. “Once he’s gone, the rest will rot away.” They said nothing but walked by her side, their hands, for one brief second, touching hers in greeting. It was going to be a long night. “You were shooting…what were you doing back there?” She smiled at Dmitri, proud. “I accepted the knife, and it accepted me right back. Watch.” She flicked her hand at the wall and a blue, knife-shaped flame of power left a small, perfectly round hole in the white brick. Even she was impressed. And she would never be afraid again. “I have a purpose now,” she told them, and half told herself. “The Bastards of the world are going down.” “Then can I hang with you?” Jake finally spoke, and the half-smile on his face did nothing to hide the seriousness in his eyes. He was so full of pain, this wolf. She took his hand. “I would be glad of the company.” He looked at the bigger wolf. “Dmitri? Please?” Whether he was asking Dmitri’s permission, or begging the other wolf to join them, she was not to know. Before he could answer, Bastard stepped from around the corner and he was not alone. I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. She raised her hands and started shooting blue power at Bastard, while beside her the men began to shift. Their shifts were seamless and quick, but to her seemed to happen in slow motion. Bastard had brought reinforcements she’d never seen before. Bears.
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She couldn’t take time to think. That would get them killed. She also had to put the two wolves from her mind. They’d take care of themselves. She needed to concentrate on fighting. She shot her power as quickly as it built inside her. Build, shoot. Build, shoot. Don’t think, just shoot. But Bastard was gone. He left his bears and slipped from the hall, and she was terrified that he’d manage to get away. Well, so be it. If he did, she’d spend the rest of her life tracking him down. And she would find him. The hall was long, and it was wide, but the huge bears made it seem like the tiniest space she’d ever been in. She shot and backed away. If they got their claws in her, she was doomed. She tried to ease her way back to the stage, where she might get some help for Dmitri and Jake. There were at least three dozen of the enormous bears, and her two friends were currently involved in a fight with two of them. Even as she watched, one of the bears tossed Jake into another bear, and she stared in horror as they attempted to rip him apart. “No!” She shot one of the bears holding him and he dropped him like a rock, a hole the size of a fist right between his eyes. The wolf fell limply to the floor, his blue-gray fur covered in blood. She saw Dmitri glance once at his fallen friend, but there was nothing he could do. Roaring, he tore into the bears with a renewed zeal. The power of that one huge wolf was something to see. Caity couldn’t leave Jake lying there—possibly dead but maybe not—to be trampled by the bears. She held her hands before her and willed the quickly dimming power of the knife to kill, to clear a path to the sweet wolf. She moved slowly, her feet leaden and her legs heavy, though her mind was focused and racing like a streak of lightning. It was a nightmare, and she was stuck in quicksand while Jake’s life depended on her help. 43
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A huge black bear at least nine feet tall ran toward her, frothy white spittle flying from his mouth, his tiny red eyes shooting sparks of madness. She flung her hand and forced a flash of blue power from her flesh, but it did not stop him. She screamed, unable to help herself, but the sound was lost in the roars and growls and shrieks from the animals. She aimed and in the split second before the bear rammed her, took off half his head. His huge, furry body crashed into her, and that was the only thing that saved her from certain death. One of the other bears left a furrow as thick as her forearm into the fallen bear’s neck, just missing her as she fell beneath her victim. Dmitri was going to die. Jake was probably already dead and she was struggling to free her lower body from the stinking carcass of a bear. She gathered every bit of power the knife could give her and shot it not at another bear but back behind her into the room where the other wolves were still battling with guards. Finally she dug herself out from under the dead bear and stood, wobbly and amazed that she still lived. Amazed that Dmitri still lived and fought as ferociously as ever. As for Jake, she had no idea. She couldn’t see him. By some crazy stroke of luck she got the other wolves’ attention or maybe they’d just defeated the ones they fought and were running to help anyway. They came roaring into the hall, knocking her on her ass and not giving a damn. Neither did she. Help had arrived. She sat there for a minute trying to regain her strength, her hands shaking from the effort of making a harsh magic to which she wasn’t accustomed. In time she would be better, stronger. Right now, she was exhausted. When she tried to shoot another blue flame, all she managed was a pathetic spurt of gray smoke, like remnants of a once-terrifying fire from a sick, tragic dragon.
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Dubious Consent
She cried out and scooted back against the wall, completely disgusted. She’d been so bad and so powerful, but it’d lasted all of a minute. Now here she sat huddled against a wall while the wolves and the bears fought like the wild animals they were, and she had no idea what she should be doing. Bastard was gone. She knew it, she felt it, and she put it away for later. Their paths would cross again. Fuck him. In spite of blood falling down like a scarlet rain, roars and screams and howls of agony, she could almost believe none of it was real. This wasn’t happening. She stared. That’s all, sat and stared, for how long she couldn’t have said. Then suddenly Samson was there, lifting her from the floor, and she began to cry. Someone pinched her arm, hard. “Stop it, you big pussy!” Mimi. But her loud, hard voice was enough to drag Caity from the downward spiral of panic and hopelessness into which she was beginning to fall. Samson huddled around her protectively while Mimi shoved them both back toward the stage. “No,” she cried, “we can’t leave the wolves. We have to help them.” “Hush, baby. The wolves will take care of themselves. There’s nothing more you can do.” “But,” Mimi said, glee dripping from her voice, “we’re fucking free.” And it had only taken six long months. For Caity, anyway. Samson carried her through the stage area, and she viewed the shambles with something close to disbelief. The dead littered the floor, and most of the place was broken, shattered, and appeared ready to fall down around them. He carried her off the stage, and into a place she’d never before seen. The way to one of the exits. She really was free. 45
Cassidy Hunter
But she threw a look back over Samson’s shoulder, hoping that somehow the two wolves would survive, and that they’d find her. Then Samson took her through the exit into the world, into freedom. She had a new life to begin.
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About the Author Born and raised in the Midwest, Cassidy Hunter is a multi-published author who spends most of her days and nights chasing bad guys, fighting strange creatures, and having hot, hot encounters with some of the most beautiful men ever created.
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Dubious Consent ISBN 9781419940323 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Dubious Consent Copyright © 2012 Cassidy Hunter Edited by Brianna St.James Photo and cover design by Syneca Models: Nick and Shannon Electronic book publication June 2012 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party websites or their content.
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