Craving Red: Paranormal Erotic Retelling of Red Riding Hood (Erotic Kingdom) Page 3

  She nodded her head with a slight snort. The irony of it all was not lost on her.

  “I am Dane,” he returned, offering his hand out to her. She looked to him, her eyes filled with confusion. His crooked half-smile lit up his pale blue eyes making them shimmer, tugging at her heart without her consent. Kaia’s unwanted reaction to the man-wolf instigated her to stiffen against the unexpected emotion. The last thing she was going to let herself do would be to fall for one of them.

  Hesitantly, she placed her hand within his still out held one. Dane closed his large hand over hers. The intense warmth of it travelled up her arm, seeming to penetrate her whole body.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Lady,” Dane said. “If you will, come with me.”

  Come with him? Where is he taking me? Has he been sent to kill me? No, I cannot believe this man means to harm me. But what does he want with me?

  Powerless to do anything else, Kaia crawled from the cage and rose to her feet to follow him. The other men about the camp leered at her, making lewd remarks as Dane led her through the camp. Coming to a small tent, he pulled the entrance flap aside and motioned her inside. Upon the ground was a makeshift bed. Grasping the apparent significance of it, her stomach twisted anxiously.

  Does he mean to have his way with me?

  “Lie down,” Dane directed gently, yet firmly.

  Kaia raised her eyes to him, trying to discern the intent upon his face. But she could not. His face beheld a strange mixture which she could not quite decipher, as though he, too, had conflicting feelings about something.

  Though, about what? Me? His status on the pack? What he is about to do to me? She exhaled in frustration.

  Her hands still shackled, Kaia knelt down and twisted sideways to lie upon the bed as directed, groaning at finally being able to stretch out fully.

  Dane smiled at her as though he understood, giving her a moment to become comfortable.

  She studied him for a long moment. He truly was quite beautiful. By far, the most attractive man she had ever been in the presence of. And now, here she was without a shred of dignity, naked. But then, so was Dane. Yes, he certainly was. And God, what a build the man had! She endeavoured to divert her eyes from his prominent manhood, but suddenly they seemed to possess a mind of their own, and kept reverting their gaze to his thickening groin.

  Yes, indeed. He was the prime specimen of male perfection.

  Then Dane sat down beside her on the bed. Him being so close to her caused a strange feeling to infiltrate Kaia’s belly. Whatever it was, it was something she had never experienced before and, therefore, had no words for. But she knew it was something which she should not be feeling for a man she had only just met, not to mention a man who was not her husband. Shame at her own thoughts washed over her, causing her defenses to bristle. She had to resist him.

  Dane reached out to touch her and she recoiled from him, anger filling her eyes.

  “No! Stay away from me!” Kaia screamed. “You have no right to touch me!” She realised she was powerless against this man, but she felt she had to do something. If nothing else but for her own sanity, she had to know that she had at least tried to fight him off. What she didn’t expect was his reaction.

  Needing a moment to decide how to best handle this feisty maiden, he drew in a deep breath, though he did not move from her side. Dane was saddened by her reaction, though he understood it completely. He was certain he would have behaved in the same manner were he the one locked up naked in a cage like an animal. He knew that was no way to treat a woman. Especially a woman like Kaia.

  But he also knew he did not have any say in the matter. He was a mere inferior in the pack. If Dane uttered a single word of defiance, Thorin and his pure-bloods would obliterate him. His role was to carry out the orders he was given, which was exactly what he intended upon doing. Not that he minded one bit having to spend time with the soft and fair human female.

  “I know you are scared, Kaia, but I promise I am not going to hurt you,” he expressed softly.

  “You do not understand!” she retorted, the hot tears pooling in her eyes.

  “You’re right, I probably don’t understand anything you’ve been through,” Dane responded, softening his voice the best he could. “So why don’t you tell me about it.”

  He remained by her side patiently as she glared at him for a long time. Eventually her expression softened, again becoming one of fear. She looked like no more than a scared little girl. It stirred something in him, something other than that which stirred his loins. Then he comprehended just what it was. Protectiveness. Dane wanted to protect her. Suddenly, he could not imagine allowing anything to hurt her. But how was a man of his inferior status to do that?

  Finally the maiden spoke. “I have never been seen, let alone touched by a man before. I come from a fine family and I am to be married in two days’ time. Now if I return home un-pure, I will not be fit for any husband.”

  Not knowing quit what to say, Dane rashly blurted out, “You do not need to worry about husbands. You will not be returning home. Your place will be with the pack now.”

  The look she gave him made him feel positively dreadful. After all, what right was it of theirs to rip away a young woman’s life? But the other pack members did not share his views, and until now, he had been plenty wise enough to keep them to himself.

  “Please, Dane!” she pleaded. The sound of his name on her tongue only made it worse for him. “There’s more. You see, I was on my way home with a remedy for my ailing mother when you and your wolves attacked me and brought me here.” She had to swallow back the tears which shook her voice. Kaia took a deep breath before continuing. “Now she may be dying. Please, you seem to be a nice man. Just let me go.”

  “I am truly sorry for what has happened to you, Kaia. It was not my decision, just as it is not in my power to let you go now. If I were to, you and I would both be executed.”

  No longer able to hold back the tears, they came coursing out down Kaia’s face. The sight of this beautiful woman weeping was more than Dane could bear. He had to turn away to maintain his resolve, his duty to the pack.

  “It would be much easier on both of us if you just went along with what I was sent here to do,” he said, his tone hardening.

  Kaia glared hard at him, making him lose his words.

  “They are going to mate you in a few days either way, Kaia. You may as well allow me to help you learn to enjoy it.”

  “So your advice to me is just to simply lay back and enjoy it?” Her tone was dripping with aversion.

  “Yeah, I am,” he responded, not really getting what was so wrong with that.

  “And I should not have any concern for the fact that to do so would be going against everything I have been reared to believe in. Don’t you see, Dane? I couldn’t just lay back and enjoy it even if I wanted to. For me to do so would be virtually sacrilegious!” Of course she would never admit to him that she thought she might just actually enjoy it— particularly not when she could hardly admit such a thing to herself.

  Unable to relate to her moral convictions, Dane scrunched his brow at her, his eyes searching to understand this woman. He did sympathize with her and he wanted to understand where she was coming from, really he did. But his upbringing had been as contradictory to hers as it could possibly be.

  Dane thought long and hard before speaking. “Alright Kaia, here is the way this is going to go. I won’t force myself on you tonight. That will give you some time to adjust to the idea. But I am required to bring you here every night until the mating is ordered to ready you and I cannot shirk that duty to my pack. So, tomorrow night when I bring you here, you are going to be a good girl and let me carry out my duty.”

  “No, I will NOT!” Kaia raised her voice again.

  “Yes, you are. And we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. For your sake, I hope it is the easy way, although sometimes the hard way can be fun, too.” He flashed his crooked sm
ile at her.

  Deriving no humour from his comment, she held her stance.

  “Right… well. Anyway, Kaia, trust me, you don’t want to go into the group mating without having been sufficiently primed. It will make it all so much easier on you. And I don’t want to see you like that. You may even enjoy it if you learn to relax enough. But you can’t do that until you let me do my job.”

  Kaia shot a look of disgust at him. “Let us get one thing straight. I will not derive any form of enjoyment from that vile act. And furthermore, nothing is going to make it easier.”

  “With all due respect, Miss, you are not the first female I have had to deal with in this occasion. Maybe it is just a facade they feel they must put forth, but they all say something similar. And if I am not mistaken, most of them seem to enjoy their mating rite exceedingly.”

  “I will have you know that I am not just another one of the bitches that have been brought here for your pack’s vile group rape sessions! And I have no façade. I speak the truth.”

  “If you say so. Just please consider what I have said. Tomorrow night can go a whole lot better than this. Besides, the more time you spend with me in here, the less time you have to be scrunched up in that cage. Speaking of which, if you are ready for me to take you back now, I will certainly oblige you.”

  Kaia was fuming. Dane knew he had her right where it hurt. But she couldn’t possibly admit that to him now. She elevated her chin high with all the dignity she could muster. “Yes, that will be fine, thank you.”

  When she was huddled back in the cold cage a few minutes later, Kaia suddenly wished she had not been so rash. She decided she preferred being in that room arguing with Dane to being alone in the cold, harsh reality of the cage, nothing more than a spectacle for every male which passed to leer at. Besides, she could look at him all day long, even if they were yelling at each other. Something about that man drove her crazy— in the worst and the best way possible.

  She groaned to herself. Boy, am I in a heap of trouble.

  More and more Kaia found herself thinking of the dark-haired man with the captivating blue eyes. But in the state she was in, what else did she have to dwell upon? She reasoned with herself that he was merely a pleasant escape from this dreadful reality.

  Each time Dane would pass by, he smiled his heartbreaking smile at her, making it impossible for her heart not to be affected.

  And from the shadows, Dane watched Kaia, more than she realised, wanting to make love to her, wanting to be close to her.

  The next night when Dane came for her, he brought her a warm blanket. He wrapped it about her, making her feel cherished for the first time since she had arrived in that horrid place. Immensely grateful for this small gesture, her will crumbled just that little bit more. She decided perhaps she would allow him to touch her this time.

  Instead, to her intense frustration, Dane did not attempt to touch her. He merely stood there and stared at her in silence.

  His non-action, along with her inappropriate musings over him making her restless, Kaia finally blurted out in a rather shocking confrontational tone, “What happened to your ‘take charge’ male thing? Would you just do something already!”

  Dane peered at her, a sly smile touching his lips. “What would you like for me to do with you, my lady?”

  Well, that is certainly a loaded question!

  Kaia cleared her throat uncomfortably, and glared back at him. But he just stared at her, waiting.

  “For starters, I would like for you to release me so I can get back to my life,” Kaia hissed, though she knew it would be to no avail. Still, a girl had to try.

  Dane had to chuckle at her spirit. “What and release you to the wolves?” he taunted. She was perturbed at how the playful tone of his voice sent her heart racing. “I am pretty sure you would be safer here with me, but if you really want to take your chances…”

  “No!” she said curtly. “Oh, just never mind!”

  “Are you sure?” he asked again, knowing full well the answer.

  Feeling defeated, Kaia nodded her head. “May I request that you at least unshackle me?” she tried, softening her tone.

  “Hmm… Perhaps next time,” Dane replied, gazing evocatively into her eyes, “if you are a good girl for me this time.” He stared down at her a long moment, his ice blue eyes penetrating her, making her feel more naked than she already was. There was that overwhelming sense of familiarity again.

  Suddenly it came to her! He was the black wolf who had lain by her side to keep her warm throughout the night.

  Kaia stared back at him, relaxing a little more with this new realisation. But then she wondered why he would do such a thing for her— especially in his wolf form.

  Sensing her ease, Dane decided to proceed and stretched his naked body out alongside hers. Her breath caught in her chest at the heat of his skin against hers. His sheer size made her feel so small, so powerless. She knew he would be fully capable of breaking her in two, if he wanted to. But she knew that was not what he wanted. The unexpected gentle side of this strong man entranced her.

  “So, what do you want me to do to you, Kaia?” he asked again.

  What she wanted was to kiss him. Badly. Kaia had never kissed a man before. She had imagined her first kiss would be placed upon her lips by her husband at her wedding. But that was so far behind her now, she couldn’t even imagine it. Furthermore, she had never felt anything close for her husband-to-be like she now found herself feeling for Dane. Was that merely because of the position of vulnerability in which she was currently or could what she felt for him truly be something real?

  Kaia wished she knew the answer. With all that had happened, her head was such a jumble, and now these confusing desires and emotions plaguing her just made it all worse.

  “I don’t know. I know so little about these things. I suppose I want you to show me what you can do to me.”

  Dane smirked. Show her what I can do to her, he thought. If only I was free to do what I really want to do to her…

  “Alright, Kaia, I’ll show you. Do not be afraid. I am only going to touch you a little.”

  She nodded in anticipation.

  He placed his hand upon her belly. “Is this alright?”

  Kaia nodded again. The heat of his hand migrated through her, going straight into her core, heating her insides in a similar way to when the white wolf had put its tongue to her.

  Dane caressed his hand over her abdomen in a soothing circular motion before moving to the indentation of her waist and gliding up the side of her ribs. Kaia was a slight bit disappointed, for her body was calling it to go the other direction and explore the stirring region between her thighs.

  Dane’s hand reaching just under her armpit, she closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of his masculine hand cupping the softness of her breast. Kaia cooed. She could not believe how good it felt to have a man massage her breasts. She could lie there and let him do that all day!

  It astonished her that though he had not so much as touched her between her legs, it had filled with an ache just the same.

  When he leaned down, his mouth grasping her nipple, Kaia gasped and stiffened.

  “Shh,” he murmured. “Just relax and allow yourself to enjoy it.”

  Oh I will enjoy it!

  As Dane suckled her, his hand kneaded her other breast, until it, too, craved his oral attentions.

  His mouth upon her driving her insane with desire, Kaia had the sudden uncouth urge to spread her legs wide, but instead, she clenched them together to ward off the ever increasing ache. Instead she arched her back, pushing her chest into him. Suddenly she wanted more than anything to be able to run her hands through the thick waves of his dark hair. She strained against the shackles on her wrists, knowing it would do no good. Oh if her hands were ever free, the things they would do to him!

  Kaia whimpered when she felt his mouth abandon her nipple. Then she felt his smile against her skin as he moved across her and placed his face again
st her other breast. She was eagerly awaiting the feel of his lips drawing it in and suckling it as he had the other. Instead Dane tortured her, placing light kisses about the perimetre of her breast, working his way to the centre excruciatingly slowly. By the time his kisses were skimming the outside line of her areola, it felt as if it were on fire for all the desire centred there in it. She took a deep breath, anticipating the next movement of his mouth to draw her in and give her that which she had been aching for.

  Dane’s hand travelled down her body, until it had reached her pubis. There he paused, letting his fingers entwine in the little curls embellishing her womanhood. Now Kaia was on fire in both spots, both crying for his full attention. No longer able to maintain the resolve to keep her thighs clamped tight, she parted them, hoping to encourage him to move down lower.

  Dane smiled knowingly. Kaia wasn’t sure whether that made her happy or infuriated her. Perhaps under different circumstances she would have cared. But right now it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the pleasure this man could give her.

  To her delight, she felt his fingers move lower. When they came in contact with her aching flesh she could not refrain from moaning out. Kaia never imagined that being touched there could hold so much pleasure. And this was only the beginning. As his fingers slowly weaved through the folds of her flesh, Dane’s mouth devotedly suckled her nipple. She couldn’t decide which she loved more. But she was delighted to experience both.

  His fingers found a secret spot which seemed to contain the key to her pleasure. They set to work manipulating it in circular motion, dipping his finger in to her opening to gather the slick extract there. Kaia thought she was going insane with the amount of pleasure he was providing her.

  In delicious frustration, she strained at the shackles again. God, I want to touch this man so badly!

  In the heat of her climax, Kaia cried out, “Kiss me, Dane!”

  He hesitated. He wanted to kiss Kaia more than anything. God, how he did. And though he had placed his mouth upon the various places on a woman’s body on more females than he could count, never had he kissed any of them intimately, mouth to mouth.