The Gift chronicles

Chapter 17

Book 1 Chapter 17

Ughhhhh , I thought in a somewhat conscious state. I tried to open my eyes, but found that they were

too droopy. Confused, I tried remembering the last thing that happened. I was running from the Alpha,

then he caught me, then...

It's not time for you to wake up yet, pup, Alpha Cain's voice penetrated my mind. The only way for him

to be mindlinking me was if... he marked me.

Suddenly the memory came rushing back to me, and I suddenly was acutely aware of the soreness in

my neck. I struggled to touch my neck as an automatic reflex, but found that I couldn't move.

My mind, still feeling fuzzy, struggled to piece together what was happening. I focused on what was

happening around me, and I realized that I was being carried, due to the slight swaying motion I was

experiencing.

Summoning all of my strength, I managed to pry my eyes open. I looked down and realized that I was

once again wrapped in the pelt. I blushed, realizing that I was naked underneath, since I had destroyed

my clothes while shifting out of them.

"Did you just blush?" Alpha Cain asked suddenly, and my eyes snapped up to look at him. I glared at

him, still furious that he had marked me, even though he had followed our deal. "You can't be mad at

me for marking you, mate. I should have done it the second I caught you in the forest the first time,

back on Red Crescent territory. Does this seem familiar to you?" He asked, slightly mocking.

I continued to glare at him, hating the victorious look on his face. "I will say, you followed along with my

plan beautifully. You did everything according to plan, although I will admit, the kiss was a surprise," He

continued, and spoke again when he noticed the confused look on my face. What plan? "I didn't bring

the knife along just for the purpose of the picnic, Ares. I knew you would use it to stab me and run,

therefore violating the terms of our agreement."

I stared in shock at my conniving mate as I realized that he had been playing me the way I thought I

had been playing him the whole time. F***ing A**hole. "You aren't as clever as you think, pup. I'm 10

years older than you, I've seen it all. You thought I was weakened because of how I felt about you, but

you couldn't have been more wrong. I knew you thought I was blinded because you are my mate, and

thought I wouldn't notice all of the eye rolls, glares, and flinches anytime I would touch you. The

problem was, I wanted to mark you sooner than in two weeks. So, I constructed a situation in which I

knew you would violate the agreement, so I could mark you sooner."

My jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe this jackhole had manipulated me the whole time. "You

manipulated me first, little mate." Alpha Cain said aloud, shocking me. How could he hear what I was

thinking? I hadn't spoken through the mindlink.

"One of the many benefits to being an Alpha is that we can read our mates' mind." He coolly spoke,

looking straight ahead into the forest. I could tell that it wouldn't be long until we would be back to his

pack house. "And yes, I heard all of the names you've been calling me."

I instantly thought of a million more bad things to call him, and he laughed, a loud bellowing sound that

shook every leaf in sight. I focused on our bond that had resulted from him marking me. I realized that I

could feel his emotions, and I was irate when I noticed that he was feeling happy and victorious. And

why wouldn't he be? He bested me.

"And I always will," Alpha Cain commented on my thoughts. I growled, not liking that he could read my

mind. I wondered if I could block him out, and instinctively imagined physically blocking him out of my

mind with a huge barrier. As I did that, almost immediately, it felt like a pressure I didn't feel initially had

been lifted from my brain. "How did you do that?" Alpha Cain growled, and I knew I was successful in

making sure he couldn't read my mind.

I growled right back at him, feeling my internal hate fire renewed. "I won't hesitate to make you submit,

pup." He snarled, his eyes getting darker. I smiled sweetly at him. He could try, but we both knew I

wouldn't. He wasn't willing to hurt me enough to make me submit.

Stop calling me pup, I snapped at him through the mindlink. He looked shocked for a minute, and then

quickly recovered. "It would do you well to remember who the Alpha is here," He growled, which I rolled

my eyes at.

He growled again, and almost gave me a heart attack when he suddenly through me over his shoulder

as if I weighed nothing. I gasped as he spanked me hard, 3 times through the pelt. It didn't sting,

because of the pelt, but it certainly was rough enough for me to feel the pain of being struck.

"I actually think that I rather like this method of carrying you," Alpha Cain smarted off, and I could tell he

was smirking. I struggled to get out of his grasp, via kicking and punching. He stuck me 3 more times.

"Tsk, Tsk," He chided, "That's no way to treat your Alpha."

I groaned, and stopped struggling so he would stop freaking spanking me. He continued to carry me

this way until we got to the pack house, and I began thrashing again, assuming he would carry me in

his normal bridal style way, since we were about to enter the Pack House, where there would likely be

other people. He laughed, "I think the pack would actually rather find this position funny. I sure do."

I continued kicking and punching him as he walked us into the house and up the stairs into his room. I

ignored the stares I got from various people in his pack. All of the people who watched the scene I was

making looked completely shocked, and I wasn't completely sure why.