Cursed. Ellie/Jake. 4/?

Lupus Femina
CURSED
It's hard to run from a werewolf. M/F (Adult)

Chapter Four: Bite Me






"Jake," she panted, lurching against him. The short, furious burst of movement died shortly; he simply resettled against her even more securely than before. "What are you doing here?"

"Easy there," he chided, and she thumped back against the bed and glared murderously at him through the thick cobwebbing shadows of the darkened hotel room.

"Get off me," she hissed.

"Not hardly." He released her wrists abruptly, his elbows thumping against the mattress as he braced his weight against them and smiled. Her hands were now free - she could go for his eyes, try to claw her way free - but she hesitated for that exact reason. The thick, pleased curve of Jake's mouth boded ill. She didn't trust it. "What," he said. "Didn't you miss me?"

Ellie tried to headbutt him. Oh god, she had to get him out of here before her little brother got back. Jake was probably going to kill them both.

He laughed at her. The absolute shit. Ellie itched for silver, for something sharp, for anything, and her fury gave her just the boost of strength she needed to throw him off.

She was pretty sure it surprised him, but she was busy scrambling over the bed. A big, hard hand locked around her ankle and Ellie muffled a shriek as she was dragged backwards - grabbing the night table and swinging it around with all the supernatural force in her.

It smashed spectacularly against his shoulders and face. His hand vanished from her ankle. He was cursing and reaching for his face and Ellie should have run, she really should have, except that rage that had gotten her free was holding the reins and she lunged for his throat instead.

He grunted as she landed on him, slamming her knee into his ribcage to thump him over onto his back and straddle him.

"What," she panted vindictively, digging her hands into his neck. "Not as easy when your victim isn't already in excruciating pain?"

He ripped a splinter as long as her thumb out of his cheekbone. Ellie flinched reflexively - that looked like it had hurt, and for a second he looked like her boyfriend again, cringing lightly as he touched the blood on his skin - but then his eyes sank into a sullen yellow and his lips curled back from big white teeth. His hands locked onto her wrists. "You're stronger," he rasped through the constriction. "But you really don't know anything about hurting people."

Then he threw her across the room.

Her head, her torso, her hips cracked against the wall, driving the breath spectacularly out of her lungs. She slid to the floor, her chest fighting furiously to expand again, gulping for air, and somehow over the blaring need for oxygen she had time to think oh, no -

Because Jake, of course, didn't need the recess. And he was already crouching beside her, mock-tenderly stirring dark strands of hair out of his face with sharp claws.

"Ellie, Ellie, Ellie," he chided, shaking his head. "This would have been so much simpler if you'd just let me kill you back in L.A."

"We're not a," Ellie gasped for breath, went on through gritted teeth. " - threat to you, Jake. Why are you here?"

"That's a good question, actually," he said mildly, his fingers curving around her shoulders and solicitously guiding her upwards. "Wolves don't really fixate on prey. We know when to find a tastier - " His smile flashed, cold and dark. " - easier meal. But then..."

Ellie jumped when his thumb landed on her lower lip, her mouth opening to avoid getting cut over by the edge of his nail. He stroked her mouth, lingering, and Ellie was too tense to even register impatience, waiting so tightly for the next action.

"...there's nothing tastier than you, Ellie," he said, and he gave her his big grin, the one that folded his eyes up and warmed his whole face, and it looked terrifyingly genuine. "Funny - I'm glad I didn't kill you, because think if I found that out too late."

"Go to hell," Ellie said, voice strangled, and he swung suddenly onto his feet. His grip on her arm dragged her with him.

"Afraid our chitchat is winding to a close. Better go."

He was serious. Ellie lashed out with her free hand and Jake jerked - but he didn't release her, he yanked her closer into the curve of his body, and when she gripped his wrist to try and jerk his fingers free her hand slipped in blood.

Belatedly, she looked down and realized her nails had carved deep runnels through the flesh of his forearm.

She jerked her head up when she felt him burying his nose in her hair. He evaded the crack of her forehead with ease and his eyes were yellow again, face darkening and shifting - literally. He didn't look pissed, which was almost scarier than the low rumble of his voice as he said, "don't do that again."

"Why on earth would I go with you," she said, voice more shaky than she wanted.

"Because as much as you hate me," he breathed, even closer - Ellie refused to look away - "you hate the idea of me ripping out your little brother's throat when he comes back and finds us even more."

Her stomach plunged in sickening fear. She could just picture it; she knew she wouldn't be fast enough or strong enough to stop him, not with Jake's years of experience and practice with violence. She'd watch him die, and then Jake would - what? Kill her in the frenzy? Drag her off somewhere?

She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and he raised his eyebrows. "I swear - " Her voice trembled. "If you touch him - "

"Easy solution," he said, gripping her wrist and applying pressure. Pain screeched down her nerve endings to alight in her elbow. Her fingers popped open without conscious direction from her brain. "And you know you're going to take it."

"You're a real shit, you know that?" Ellie hissed. "God, I can't believe I ever dated you."

"Simple." He gripped her arm at the elbow and towed her towards the door. Ellie reached for her purse halfway there, then dropped it instead. Jimmy would need the car keys. "You needed stability, Ellie, and I provided it. After all - " he turned towards her, smoothly pivoting them towards a dark corner of the parking lot. "I really find there's nothing like the confidence of an animal who knows he can kill anything that gets in the way. Don't you?"

"If you're expecting me to chime in on your delusions - " Ellie started.

Jake casually slung her the last few feet, slamming her into the side of a car. He pinned her there in a second, his hips against hers; she could smell the musk of his scent. God, he smelled good.

Ellie felt her stomach lurch. The moon. The moon is just this close to full. That was why she could smell him so clearly.

"I expect you, Ellie - " Like a magician's trick, he produced a set of keys with a flick of his fingers - still smiling, voice still confidently genial. "To drive the goddamned car."

She took the keys.

Current Mood chipper