Chapter 16 - Burning Desire

Zelena.

I saw my face and my heart dropped. The old cut on my forehead was almost healed, however, there was a new cut below that on my eyebrow. It was dark red with a little white strip over it, holding the skin closed. My entire right eye was purple, from the bridge of my nose to my eyelid and halfway down my cheek. My actual eye was bloodshot and slightly swollen. A cut on my bottom lip made it swollen and dark red, and another cut lay on my cheekbone. Poking out of the bandages around my neck were blistered burns. I pulled the bandage down a little to see more of what was under it. My skin is dark red with small raw looking splotches. Parts of the skin was curling back and peeling. I was monstrous. How has Gunner been able to look at me without vomiting. I lifted my shirt and inspected the skin under the bandages there too. The skin of my torso was now a ruby reddish color, littered with dark purple patches. Dropping the hem of my shirt, I slumped down on the floor and hid my head in my hands. Sorrowful sobs echoed through the small bathroom. How could anyone be this cruel, why would Hank do this to me. My own father. He's a monster. Parents are supposed to love and protect their children, aren't they? How could he so callously inflict so much pain and torment onto his own child. A light knock on the door, followed by a cautious voice, broke my sobbing.

"Zee, are you alright?" Gunner asked softly,

"No" I whimpered,

"I'm hideous".

I pulled my knees in closer to my chest and a sharp pain shot through my ribs. Gunner slowly opened the door and came to sit down beside me.

"Please don't cry" he whispered putting his hand on my leg.

"Don't look at me" I cried pushing his hand away,

"You'll heal Zee, it just takes a little longer for young wolves".

For young wolves? What does he mean by that? Then I remembered the school parking lot, he saw me change. He knows I'm a wolf. Why would he know stuff about wolves though? I lifted my head and gazed at him curiously.

"What do you mean young wolves?" I asked him bluntly.

No point in dancing around the subject, I want answers and I want them now.

"You're a newborn wolf. You've only had one change, right? Well, the healing ability gets quicker the more you change" he answered nonchalantly.

"But how do you know?" I asked wiping the tears from my cheek.

He couldn't possibly know any of this, I'm the only wolfwoman out there, aren't I? A total freak of nature.

"I just do, we got taught this stuff as pups" he shrugged his shoulders.

What does he mean 'we get taught this' and why would he say pup?

"Pups?" I questioned, tilting my head at him.

He didn't answer right away, he just smiled at me. I started at him intently, waiting for him to speak.

"Come and sit on the bed and I'll explain".

He stood up holding out his hands for me. I put my hands in his and he gently pulled me up. We went out of the bathroom and sat down on the bed facing each other. I looked at him again waiting for him to explain.

"What do you want to know?" he asked crossing his legs.

"Pups?" I said looking at his face.

"Pups are wolf kids, little kids before they have had their first change. Once they change, they are young wolves or just Weres, until they are named otherwise"

"What does that mean?" I asked confused. Is he some kind of mythical creature research buff or something?

"Like the head of the pack is the Alpha, he is called the Alpha Wolf, and his wife is the Luna. Their children will be called either Alpha-son or Alpha-daughter"

"What's the pack?"

"The pack are the other wolves that live under the Alpha. An Alpha will have his Beta, a Were he trusts to help him with the welfare of the other pack members. Besides the Luna, the Beta is next in charge. And then there's the Delta, they act as the pack representative, so to speak. The rest of the members in the pack are just wolves, unless they hold a title".

I nodded slowly as I took in what he was saying. Then it hit me, like a grand piano falling from the sky, I wasn't the only wolf, I'm not a freak of nature. There's more of us, apparently a lot more, and they all live together like a family. And Gunner, I think he is one too.

"Are you a wolf too?" I asked looking at him wide eyed,

"Yes" he chuckled,

"Though we call ourselves Weres. I'm the first-born son of the Alpha".

I tilted my head to the side and stared at him full of questions, I just didn't know how to ask them.

"Meaning I will soon be the Alpha" he continued after picking up that I wasn't asking more questions.

"This is the pack house, or the main house. It's where the Alpha family live and we hold pack meetings and ceremonies and all that".

I gulped as I looked around the room. Holy cow, he 'is' a wolf or a Were, whatever. But he's not just any wolf, he'll be an Alpha one day. A leader, top of the pyramid, the man in charge. But what does that make me? I don't have a pack or an Alpha or any of that, what am I then? I looked at Gunner a little puzzled,

"What does that make me?"

"You're a newborn wolf, having just had your first change. Some would say that you're an Omega"

"What's an Omega?" I asked loudly.

"Shh..." he said putting his finger over his lips, with a slight chuckle.

"An Omega is a lone wolf that isn't part of a pack"

"How do you find a pack?" I whispered,

"An Omega has to be accepted into the pack by the Alpha"

"But what if they don't get accepted?" I was worried about his response having just being told of my loner status.

"If an Omega is rejected then they have to move on out of the region that that pack controls".

I lowered my head in shame. Is that what I will have to do, leave? I couldn't leave, where would I go. My father is all that I have ever known, this damn island is all that I've ever seen. I don't think I would survive on my own. Hank, I survived, but facing the whole world alone, no way. Gunner put his hand under my chin and lifted my head up

"You won't be an Omega for long, I promise".

A smile grew across his face and his eyes were staring deep into mine, I smiled at him, a weak half smile. He leaned forward close to my face,

"You're not going anywhere" he whispered.

His words filled my heart with joy. The thought of being accepted and taken in, of one day being part of a real-life family, it gave me hope. But to stay here in this place, with him, is more than I could have ever dreamed of. I was completely overcome with happiness. I jumped into his lap straddling him and wrapping my arms around his neck. He was shocked by my sudden movement and paused holding his arms up. After a beat, his body then relaxed and he wrapped his arms around me, laying his cheek on the top of my head.

The butterflies came back to my stomach, and I could feel my heart rate rising. Being close to him like this was sending my hormones into overdrive. The heat from his skin and his smell, the way my skin prickled where it touched his, it set loose a frightening desire that I didn't know I had in me. I turned my face into his chest and planted small kisses leading up to his collar bone. His body tensed again and his arms around me tightened slightly. I continued my little kisses up to his neck. He moaned softly as I reached his earlobe, biting it. He growled at me, but not the kind of growl I'd heard from him before, this was somewhat seductive. It set fireworks off in my crotch, I could feel my clit pulsating. As I nibbled on his ear, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged on it pulling it up. He lifted his arms and I pulled it over his head, he then threw it across the room. His hand gripped my thighs squeezing them. He angled his neck back and I continued to kiss down his neck to his chest biting him harder, which made him moan.

I sat up on my knees and he slid his hands higher up my thighs digging his fingertips into my legs, the pressure felt good. I bent my head back and he began to kiss the top of my neck, biting and kissing from behind my ear and over the side of my jaw and back again. He moved his hand up my thighs and onto my ass, gripping the cheeks and squeezing. I dug my fingers into his back, I'm sure the wetness between my thighs were soaking through the boxer shorts I was wearing. I wanted him and that was all I knew at this point. He carefully moved his hands up my back over the bandages and to the top of my shoulders. He pulled me downward making me sit down on his lap. I could feel his full hard dick between my legs. I moved my hips forward very slowly grinding myself along his shaft and back again. I grind forward again pressing myself down harder on his dick. He then quickly grabbed the sides of my shoulders, lifting me off his lap and standing up. He was panting and I could see his huge member pushing forward under his sweatpants.

"Stop. We can't" he breathed heavily. I was reeling. What the fuck just happened. I've never acted like this before, so why now. I don't even recognize myself anymore.

"What?" I whispered blown away with embarrassment.

"I want to, I REALLY want to. But not now, you still need to heal" he said, his voice shaky but firm.

God-dammit why did he have to be so good to me. No, don't think like that, he's just trying not to hurt you. He is good, be thankful. I was so unbelievably frustrated but he's right.

"Okay, I'm sorry" I whispered,

"Will you still lay with me?" I gestured to the bed and he smiled and nodded.

We got in under the covers and he pulled me into his arms wrapping his leg around me. He kissed me on the forehead and I nuzzled into his chest. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.