Page 37 of Jackal's Pride

Don’t complain, Maureen. You hate your curse.

But… I wanted to argue with myself,I’m afraid.Of Jackal. This.Of not being protected within my curse.

What was happening to me?

“I don’t know what I am.” He gleamed down at me. “But you’ll be the first to find out.”

He grabbed both my wrists and peered down at me. The bottom part of his face transformed into some sort of animal—maybe a wolf—as his canines jutted out.

I panicked. My muscles tensed as I tried to move but couldn’t. So I screamed. But it was too late.

Jackal’s canines tore into my flesh. The pain was immediate as my blood flowed over his tongue. He lifted his head, licked my flesh, and groaned. I thought it was over, but he bit down again. This time the pain was replaced with pleasure. Ecstasy coursed through my bloodstream along with something foreign.

“Jack!” I screamed. “Stop! Ohhh…”

But he didn’t stop. Heat started between my legs and bloomed. I sucked in air as it grew. My boy shorts were completely drenched while my skin was so hot that I was sure I was suffocating. Each breath I took tasted like him. “Jack,” I moaned.

I had to stop him, but I couldn’t get out from underneath him. So I did the only other thing I could do. I faded, only far enough to re-fade back in my room where I smacked into the wall. My skin was sensitive. I clung to the wall unable to hold myself up. Jack jumped off the bed and sought me immediately. I held a hand to my neck and noticed my blood dripping from his lips and chin. “What have you done?” I tried to sound angry, but it didn’t sound convincing. “Stop,” I ordered him. “You’re not allowed to touch me!”

From where I stood, I saw how he strained to disobey me as he stomped toward me. Gasping, I saw his neck. Blood leaked around the collar and down his shirt. Jackal had become a lunatic. How he continued to move despite the pain amazed me.

“You really are crazy!” I yelled. “You’re hurting yourself.”

If the collar lasted another night, I’d be lucky. It was no longer effective. As soon as the wound healed, I dropped my hand from my neck and hissed. “You want to kill me that badly?”

I materialized Ben and Jerry and pushed myself off the wall. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ever going to be ready for him, but I had to fake it. I twirled the blades around ready to strike. When Jack’s hand came down over my neck, I nearly dropped one as I froze in place. His hand was in the same spot his teeth had been earlier. In all honesty, I should have already done something—anything—but my brain, my body, and my curse refused to comply. Nothing worked right when it came to Jackal. If I had been normal around him, there was no way he’d keep getting so close to me.

His smile was satisfied, luminous with victory. His eyes were fixated and devilishly intense but it was my neck he stared at. “There.” His voice was raspy. “I’m inside you, Maureen, and I’m going nowhere.” That was all he said before he slumped forward. I caught his weight, both of us thumping into the wall. Wide-eyed and confused, I stumbled out from under him.

He pushed the collar until he couldn’t no more. All so that he could… I cupped my neck. I could still detect him and taste him on my tongue. Like he said, I could sense himinsideme all from a bite mark.

Through the fire and lust, my eyes burned with hatred. It was only when he was down for the count, could I feel normal again. My curse finally came raging to life.

Something was changing.

I’d already had to change once against my will for a curse.

I’d never do such a thing again.

Chapter 13

Maureen

“Mom!” I called for her over and over again until I was tired of hearing myself scream. Kitty stumbled down the stairs, curious and confused as she took in my rattled state. “Where’s Mom?” I asked her.

“I think she’s out—”

“What is it?” Mom faded inside the castle, and the relief that swept through me at Dad not being by her side was instant.

“I—”

Mom’s expression was off. “Maureen, what has he done?”

Her words sealed what I hoped wasn’t true. He had done something to me, and I was unsure of what he did. “How did you know?” My voice was off. It never trembled. Never once since taking on the curse did I willingly accept any vulnerability.

Mom rushed over to me and somehow she knew where to look before I showed her. She lifted up my hair and gasped. “Maureen, how did he?”

I closed my eyes, willing it not to be true. “I don’t know. The collar didn’t stop him.” I peeked at her. A clash of emotions marred Mom’s face, and that’s how I knew what he’d done for sure. “He marked me, didn’t he?”