Chapter 3

Shera rolled in the bed, once again coming face to face with the wolf that stole her from her own home. Even with the scar on his face, he looked soft and almost innocent in his sleep. Day two of waking with him next to her and she was only getting more and more comfortable with it. She hated it. She hated it to her core but even deeper than that, she knew she was more than satisfied with the simple action.

She hit his head with the pillow, snarling as her claws dug into the feeble material, "Damn you! I said don't move me!"

Gerard blocked his head as he groaned, his eyes glaring up at her in pure disgust, "Let a man sleep."

"It's not my fault you come home at god awful hours of the night," she growled. She stood and walked out of the room, rubbing her reddening face as he watched her leave. Just yesterday he had most of her things moved to the apartment, her boxes unpacked right away in a single room that had nothing inside it. The apartment had four rooms not including the master room Gerard would carry her to. Two were empty while the largest was his study and the next largest was now hers to do with as she pleased.

Her gut had been wrong, the entirety of the apartment had no rules to break, Gerard calmly explaining why three of them had been empty before her arrival. She stared at the made bed, her ear flicking as she turned to go to the bathroom. Her nose buried into Gerard's bare chest, his eyes on her in a questioning manner.

"How are you so aggressive in the morning, foxy," he hummed. "Is it a ginger thing? But you're not even a ginger." He rubbed his head as she pushed at him, the man unmoving from his place.

"I'm taking a shower," she grumbled.

"You need to get something better than that formal dress you had," Gerard yawned and playfully moved her hands aside as if she wasn't being serious. "There's another event tonight and I can't have you skipping this one because you'd rather sleep on dead hides." It was the laugh at her attempt to shove him one more time that lead to Shera lifting him from the ground. She turned their positions around and huffed, the man only laughing harder.

"You're such a child," she snapped. She turned on her heels and walked for the bathroom, rubbing her face.

"Don't stay mad all day," he called. She slammed the door and started the water to drown out anything else he had to say. There had been no malicious intent since she had been here. It was almost like that intent was reserved for outings or meeting other wolves not part of his pack. She stared at herself in the mirror, glaring at the deep, reddish brown fur that had begun to make her skin tingle while watching it fluctuate.

She struggled with calming down. It wasn't that she didn't know how, it was as if she gained an immunity to the technique and that had been noticed early on. She pulled her clothes off, watching as one scar after the other was revealed. Humans would think she either trained dogs or was too fast for a normal cop. They'd both be wrong but either one would be believable with how the scars were shaped.

Bite after bike, claw after claw; it was a wonder the only place she hadn't been scarred was where Gerard had attacked. She felt at it, pouting at the tears. She had grimaced not only from the pain when she woke up, but the number on the hospital bill as well. She shook her head before walking into the shower, standing under the water for a few minutes. "Foxy, I think these would look pretty good on you," Shera screamed and threw the closest bottle at the sound of the voice.

"What is wrong with you," she yelled. Gerard chuckled as she quickly turned back around, walking up behind her. The shower wasn't small by any means and could easily hold the both of them and then some. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close and making her flustered expression redden more.

"Look, they still have a few sizes," his phone was on the other side of the water, her eyes taking in the crushed velvet dress blaring back at her in a bright yellow.

"No," she shoved him back. "Now get out, you perverted dog." She squeaked when her hips were grabbed.

"Calm down, I'll see it all sooner or later," Gerard cooed. She turned around, pointing a finger at him as her teeth elongated slightly. He stared down, quickly pulling her closer with a smirk, "Now, now, beautiful. You were trying to be modest a second ago, what happened?"

"You," Shera jabbed her finger into his chest, "I will not mate with you. Got it you quack? I'm not some floozy!"

"I didn't treat you like one," he grabbed her chin roughly, turning her around. She went to retort when she felt his hands slide through her hair. "Is your pride so badly hurt that you aren't even considering your pack?" She shut her mouth tightly. He had a point and it made her want to get angrier.

Her eyes closed as he continued what he was doing, a soft hum coming from him. His smell was infuriatingly comforting as the steam carried it, leaving Shera to relax her shoulders and just breath. When was the last time she felt this relaxed? It couldn't have been too long ago for her right?

No, the last time was when her mother was in the hospital bed. She knew what was coming yet there she was, being comforted by the woman that was dying. "I'm getting that dress," Gerard hummed. Shera opened her eyes, gasping as she closed them from the water over her head.

"I don't want to wear something bright," she huffed. He hummed and leaned down, his breath on her neck as she rubbed the water from her eyes.

"I meant this one," he flicked it to a white dress. It hugged the curves of the model, covering up to her neck with a straight collar, a draping effect making it looked bunched even as she breathed. The sleeves reached mid forearm, making Shera nervous about the scars.

"Why white," she asked quietly.

"Because then I get to see you in something close to a wedding gown," Gerard sang. "Just a tease before the real thing."

"I said-"

"You will," he pulled her hair a bit as he pushed his phone away from the water. "I know you will."

"And how," she snapped.

"Like I told daddy dearest," he hummed. "You should-"

"Gerard," a black haired girl stuck her head through the door, grinning coyly at the man holding Shera's hair. "Come play with me. It's so boring without you around." Shera's face was a bright red, her eyes flicking between the girl and Gerard as she hugged her chest tightly. "Oh, is this a new one trying to seduce you? I thought I was winning!"

"Sherry, meet Shera," Gerard suddenly sounded bored, his voice icy. "My fiancée." Sherry stared, her grin turning malicious as she tightened her grip on the shower door until her knuckles were white.

"Why, Gerard, that's not fair," she sang. "She hasn't climbed through the ranks like the rest of us!"

"She doesn't have to. It's an alliance with our neighboring pack," Gerard replied. He was monotone now, Shera's body bristling as her skin burned once more.

"You mean those weak, sniveling mutts," Sherry cooed. She walked into the shower, stripping as Gerard left Shera where she was under the water.

Gerard pulled a towel over his waist, looking to Shera before sighing, "Foxy. Be a dear and actually move." Shera glared at him quickly, pointing towards Sherry as her brain kicked back in. Why had it shut off? Was it because of how casually Sherry walked in on Gerard naked? He just stood there and let the woman **** him with her eyes and he was fine with it?

"Right. You haven't treated me like a floozy," Shera snorted. She was losing control as some bitter anger filled her. She refused to process her thoughts, ignoring the logical answer that would leave her resolve broken down.

"Take that back," Sherry huffed. "You half controlled freak!"

"Sherry, we know it's a condition," Gerard sounded like he was giving a warning. What did he mean by it was a condition? Sherry ignored him though, getting close to Shera as her heart pounded. The woman smelled too much like rich perfume, making Shera's nose sting.

"You're no better than one of those bitten losers," Sherry sneered. Shera snapped, her mouth around the woman's neck as it elongated. She heard the shocked scream as claws scraped down her chest. The girls transformation was slower as Shera pinned her to the ground, growling loudly and not releasing her jaw. Pure rage was all she could feel at the insult.

She hadn't been bitten, she had been born this way. She had never met a bitten, giving her immense pride in the pack as she grew older for their control over themselves. The bitten couldn't control themselves; they were volatile and when they transformed only one in fifteen could control the wolf aspects of themselves. Sherry- this hussy- didn't know what she had stepped into. Neither did Gerard by the way he reacted.

He pulled Shera off as Sherry, her timber form flipping and cowering back, glanced at Shera in shock. Shera ignored Gerard's grip, lunging for Sherry again. His maw clamped on the back of her neck and she yelped, her body being shoved against the floor. His mouth was replaced with claws, the man starting to laugh quietly.

"Sherry, go downstairs and talk to Ferdinand," Gerard chuckled. Shera glanced up at him as he turned her over, his hand still on her throat, "And keep in mind what just happened, would you?" Sherry didn't say a word, simply scrambling from the shower as the falling water washed down the blood she left behind. "Who knew your temper was worse than your dads? I admit she was asking for it, but for you to jump the ranks like that? I know for sure you'll get challenger after challenger now, foxy."

Shera stared at Gerard, her hands moving to her face as her body shifted and cracked at an excruciatingly slow rate. Gerard raised an eyebrow as he turned the water off, holding a towel out.

"I'm so," she grabbed the towel, wrapping it around herself as he kept her eyes locked onto his. "So sorry."

"Foxy, what's there to apologize for? You were just defending your husband's chastity," he chuckled. His fingers ran over her cheek as he smirked down at her, "Though, I should show you the faster way of shifting. It's less painful too."

"I don't- I'm not sure I want it," Shera started walking out of the shower, avoiding the blood trail as she moved to her toes.

The man followed her out as she grabbed another towel for her hair, "The dress should be here by noon. Until then, I can ask mama to help with your hair and make up." Shera stopped herself from snapping at him, his claws having left a phantom around her neck in a threat.

"I don't wear make up," she replied. He was holding her face in moments and her body stiffened as he stared hard at her face. A grin slowly spread on his face and he whistled softly.

"I was so sure you did and it just never came off," he hummed. "Now that I know though, I'm sure you'd make much of anything look absolutely stunning." She stood as still as a stone, her breath locked in the confines of her throat. She wanted to hit him for the remark but the longer they looked into each other's eyes, the more coldness and anger she could see brewing. His nose rubbed against hers as he whistled a soft tune, the padding of feet accompanying him on his departure.

Shera leaned on the sink sounded quickly, gasping as she felt at the wounds on her chest carefully. They hadn't been deep enough to do serious damage, leaving only minors scratches behind. She rubbed her head as she sat on the floor, her eyes watering slightly. Her semi-transformations were a condition? Why hadn't this news been spread around or even mentioned to other packs?

She felt like a normal lycanthrope. Her heart was strong, her temperature a bit higher than humans, her eyesight better than okay, and her hearing just as exceptional. So how was she sick and with what? Her heart leapt to her throat as she thought of her mother, trying to bring up memories. It only brought pained tears as Shera rubbed her knees nervously with her palms.

If Gerard knew what it was, she would just have to ask him. Why was she so scared just by the idea though? If he was the alpha and she was his wife, it meant she was the alpha in retrospect. However, she hadn't been treated like one here, especially by him. He was supposed to respect and ask her opinions on matters wasn't he? Or was this all a mate's perk?

She shook her head from the small thought, standing and quickly drying herself off to escape to her room. She didn't even know what sort of event she was going to be attending with the man. If someone was helping her look the part then she'd have to learn to do it on her own as well now wouldn't she? The events seemed to be a major event and Shera didn't want to botch anything that could hurt her chances of getting in Gerard's good graces. She didn't even know if she was from what had happened mere moments ago to Sherry.