Sweet Dreams and Rude Awakenings...

We were home. The sun was gently beating down, the heat of the day softened by a cool breeze off the water. I could hear waves rolling onto the beach and children laughing. My children. Our children. In my arms, in my lap, Dowsabel was clasping my hands, my arms encircling her cub-heavy belly.

“Move ya’ slut hide, beastling!” Vargas’ voice broke the dream. My eyes opened to see the man standing over us, his arm drawn back with a whip in hand. As it flicked forward I turned in the bed, shielding Dowsabel with my body. I felt the sting as the lash cut across my back. I gritted my teeth, my jaw locking as my tusks extended. “You stupid, disobedient mutt!” Vargas barked. I braced myself against the rain of blows that followed. I felt a hot wetness running down my back as the cuts of the lash opened up my flesh. I waited, accepting the pain. Dowsabel was emitting a low growling sound while the flogging continued.

Finally the moment I’d been waiting for came. Vargas had spent himself in his outburst. He paused to catch his breathe. I rolled out and launched myself at him. My right hand found his throat and I hefted him off the ground, roaring at him. His legs flailed and beneath him, his booted feet impotently kicking at me. I sensed more than saw the hand with the whip, flashing towards me. My left hand caught his wrist and clamped around it, twisting the dammed thing from his grip. I let the rage flow, tightening my grip on his wrist. I felt his bones shift and revelled in the screams that erupted from Vargas. I was surprised to realise that I was laughing. It was with a deep sense of satisfaction, punctuated by a shrill, squealing shriek and a cracking noise, that I felt the bones in his wrist give way. His wrist went limp and he began to sob. Then a green blur flitted across the room and I felt him suddenly get heavier. Looking up I saw my mate, her hands around his face, fingers digging into his eyes. There was a feral hatred in her eyes as she clawed his face, tearing his skin and nose apart and leaving nought but bloody pits where his eyes had been.

At some point, Vargas went limp and the cell was tainted by the stench of shit and piss, a wetness running down the inside of his breeches. Dowsabel dropped from the limp body prowled back to my side. I cast the body through the open door of the cell. I felt arms encircle my waist and dropped a hand to my mate’s head, fingers scratching softly behind her ears. “Are you alright?”

“Excellent. He liked hurting me. It excited him. I’m glad we killed him,” Dowsabel was looking up at me, a wet gleam in her eyes, “you took a flogging for me.”

“Of course.” I couldn’t brake the contact of her eyes. Tears started falling freely down her face. Then she nuzzled against my belly and i caught her whisper, “I definitely chose the right mate.”

In that moment, I forgot all about the open cell door. I was overwhelmed by the moment, embracing my mate. The spell was broken by the crash of the door being thrown open at the entry to the **** pens, accompanied by the tramp of booted feet.