Mia
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. I should have known yesterday when I was wishing for no adventures before bed that it wasn’t as easy it sounded. It was easier said than done. That was the life here.
We hadn’t bothered with tents last night, wanting to feel the cool open air on our skins as we sleep. That had been the reason I wasn’t suspicious until it was too late.
I had felt a hand on my leg and had thought it was one of the boys moving in their sleep and had flicked it off without even bothering to open my eyes to see who it was. I assumed that there was no need as I was sleeping in their midst after all.
Some seconds later, I felt the hands again on my legs. This time, they were trailing up my body. I scowled as I flicked my sleepy eyes open as I wondered who it could be. I chose to believe that the person was lost in his dreams and didn’t know what he was doing.
I knew the boys wanted me but they wouldn’t disrespect me like that, not here. Quinn had asked me repeatedly if I wanted him the day we had slept together just to be sure that I knew what I was doing. Even Jack who wanted me openly and could do something like this wouldn’t take advantage of me like this, not while I was sleeping and when his brothers were there. He wouldn’t do that now.
The brothers weren’t the same boys they were years ago who had taken advantage of me while I was drunk. They had told me that they had changed and I believed them. This wouldn’t be them so it had to be a dream.
I planned to get up from where I was so the person wouldn’t have to touch me again. I wondered if I could shift the person to the other side so we both wouldn’t disturb each other’s sleep. That was my plan when I opened my eyes.
I gasped, my eyes rounding in terror as I opened my eyes and saw a horrid-looking creature leaning over me. It wasn’t any of the boys but him. I winced, filled with disgust. We had thought that nothing was here since it was a bare land. We had thought wrong. Black, shaggy hair filled his whole body leaving only the area around his eyes and mouth shaved. I glanced at the hands that had been touching me and wanted to puke at the sight of the thick, hairy paws. I was glad that I had worn trousers to bed. What a pervert creature. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I had gone to bed in a skirt or a gown.
He shouldn’t be here. I decided to wake the boys up. As if he knew my intent, he raised his finger against his mouth, warning me to keep shut. I snorted. As if I was ever going to do that.
“Quinn.” I called out.
I winced, letting out a whimper as the creature suddenly pulled me by the leg and off the mat I was on. He had his hand around my neck, holding me captive and staring at the boys who were already opening their eyes.
They must have heard me call Quinn’s name and felt the movement on the mat as the creature pulled me. I knew they were tired and feared for our lives. They must have been tired more than they let on from the trip over the sea of death or they would have sensed the creature even before he got closer and started harassing me.
Their eyes flicked open and they jumped off the mat as they saw the creature holding me captive.
“Who are you?” Quinn growled at him, sleep making his voice husky.
He looked sexy as hell. They all did, their stance rigid and poised, showing that they were ready to risk their lives and fight to save mine. I didn’t think that I had ever thought of another guy as sexy as I thought that they were at that moment. I shook my head, feeling silly at the direction of my thoughts.
“Who are you?” John repeated Quinn’s question when the creature didn’t reply.
I couldn’t see the expression of the creature but that of the boys made me know that his expression wasn’t nice. Maybe he was smirking at them and I was sure that the boys wouldn’t like that. I deduced that from the way the boys were looking at him. They were visibly annoyed and would have jumped at his throat if I wasn’t at his mercy. I shifted in his grasp. If only I could find a way to get out of his hold, then I would give the boys an opening to deal with him.
He noticed my actions and pressed hard on my skin making me cry out with pain.
“Do not hurt her.” John growled at him.
“What if I do?” The troll replied. “Who is she to you?”
“That is none of your business.” Jack replied. “But she is no one to you.”
“She can be because I want her.” The troll said.
I closed my eyes and winced in pain as I let out a groan. What was it with me that I always attracted the weird species? I was the mate to some crazy and caring wolves. Their enemy, the dark wizard wanted me and now, this. I guessed I was never meant to live a normal life. If only Quinn hadn’t marked me, then I could have run away with a human man but I couldn’t do that anymore knowing that he was never going to want me as a woman.
Was that really the only reason I couldn’t run away? I asked myself.
“You can’t have her.” Jack hissed.
“You are wrong, I can. I’m the guardian of this island and you are on my turf. Release the girl to me and I will let you all go on your way to find whatever it is you are here for.”
“We aren’t leaving without the girl.”
“Then you leave me no choice. You will have to fight me for you all to leave here alive.”
“Good.” Quinn nodded. “We win, you let go of the girl and never disturb us again.”
“Agreed.” The troll nodded.
“Now, let her go so she doesn’t get hurt in this. You can’t possibly have her by your side as your hostage while you fight.”
“Fair enough.” The troll said and released me, throwing to the side. I lost my balance but John was there to help me stand. I looked at the troll with disgust, praying that the boys ended his horrible life. How dare he lay a claim on me like I was some sort of lost treasure or toy that he would love to play with for some time. I was annoyed at being turned into an access card for the entry into the island. I calmed down, knowing the boys would get back at him for his stupidity.
“Yeah, that is fair but it doesn’t seem fair that the three of us would fight one of you. You would lose before we start. Why don’t you fight just one of us and we decide with that?”
My breath hitched in my throat. What was Quinn thinking? How could he suggest that when he didn’t know how strong the troll was? Any creature found here was dangerous to me and I wouldn’t allow what he had said. Three of them to only the troll was fair enough to me.
“No, I want to fight the three of you.”
I exhaled as I heard the troll’s words. I could finally feel my heart returning back to the normal rate.
Quinn chuckled. “You seem quite confident of winning this battle.”
“I am.” The troll responded. “I have never lost a battle.”
“And neither have we.” Quinn grinned at the troll. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you ”
“Bring it on.” The troll hissed and they all charged at one another, their fists and kicks flying all around as their sounds reverberated through the island.
I watched with bated breath as the fight went on. The troll hadn’t been bluffing, he could fight well. It was no wonder that he was full of himself that he could fight the three of them. The boys also held their own in the fight and I was relieved that the troll had been too proud to refuse Quinn’s offer. I couldn’t bear to think of what would have happened if they were fighting with him one by one.
My heart lurched with pain anytime I saw the boys get a hit. I felt like I was the one being hit. I looked around, on the lookout for a stick, a big one. I knew I was meant to stay out of it but I couldn’t when the lives of the boys were at stake. How could I do that? If I noticed that the boys were losing the fight, I was going to crawl up to where the troll was, sneak up behind him and smash the stick on his head.
I hissed when I didn’t find a stick. The land was just bare and useless. I had been happy when we had gotten here and I had noticed that it was bare, unlike the echoing forest where we had to tread on grasses and shrubs but now, I was annoyed that the land was bare.
Finally, the fight ended. The troll gave up and ran away, his legs broken and his hair matted with blood. The boys were also injured and I ran to them, grateful that they were alive. They fell to the ground, catching their breath.
“Oh my!” I gasped as I got to where they were and squatted with them. “Let me see your wounds.”
“We are fine. We are werewolves, remember? The wounds will heal.” Quinn smiled at me.
I felt silly for forgetting that and freaking out but I wasn’t going to give up until I was sure that they were fine. I was going to wait for their injuries to heal before I leave where I was.
“That doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t feel pain.” I snorted.
They smiled at me. “It’s nice to see you fussing over us though.” Jack smiled.
“Yeah, it is.” John agreed.
I sat with them till their bodies healed and we could continue on our journey. I could no longer deny it again. I was in love with the boys.