Bonded

By

Nicky Charles

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Nicky Charles on
Smashwords

Bonded

Copyright © 2012 by
Nicky Charles

Thank you for
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Your support and
respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of
fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places,
events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are
productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

This book contains
mature content (language, violence, sexual situations) and is
intended for mature readers.

*****

Many thanks to Jan
Gordon who volunteers countless hours as an editor, writing coach
and friend. Without her support, this book would not have been
possible. Also thanks to Jennifer Moody and Cheryl for doing a
final read through.

This book is dedicated
to all my fans on Facebook and Fictionpress. Their interest in the
characters I’ve created truly warmed my heart and spurred me onward
into writing another Law of the Lycans story.

Please note that I use
Canadian spelling throughout. You will see doubled letters (e.g.
focussed), ou’s (e.g. colour) and ‘re’ (centre) as well as a few
other differences from American spelling.

I hope you enjoy the
story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

*****

*****

Historical
Note:

In ancient times,
the purity of Lycan blood was not only a source of pride and
prestige, it was a matter of survival. Having been hunted almost to
extinction, the preservation of the species became paramount. The
unique genetic code, that made Lycans what they were, had to be
protected from contamination or dilution caused by cross-breeding.
If allowed, mating outside the species could, conceivably,
jeopardize their existence. To that effect a set of bonding laws
were put in place.

Matings and blood
bonds had to be approved by the pack Alpha. Having relations with
humans was forbidden and severely punished; while bearing young
with a human was deemed treasonous, a betrayal of the species, and
an act of purposeful defiance against the Alpha.

Despite the
bonding laws, love, or lust, prevailed and some Lycans still had
relations with humans. Their offspring were derogatorily called
‘halves,’ a term which persists to this day, but without any of the
associated negativity. However, in those less enlightened times,
halves were considered second-class citizens and a source of shame
for the pack. Discrimination, intolerance, even persecution of
halves and their parents was prevalent.

As Lycans came
back from the brink of extinction and their numbers increased, the
importance of bonding laws lessened. Alphas still approved matings
and blood bonds, only now it was more of a formality than a matter
of ensuring the lineage. Lycan-human relations still were not
encouraged, but when they occurred a more tolerant attitude
prevailed. Also, the off-spring of such unions were no longer
scorned or hidden away in shame. Lycan society evolved, the lot of
the halves improved, and for the most part the days of
discrimination and intolerance have faded into the annals of
history.

But, for a small
pocket of Lycan society acceptance of halves was not considered an
option. They clung to the old ways, to the literal interpretation
of the Book of the Law. Blood purity became an obsession and to
further their cause they formed a society called the Purists.

When the Purists
first emerged, their agenda had seemed noble enough. Returning to
the old ways, and adhering more closely to the Book of the Law, had
a certain nostalgic ring that appealed to some in a world full of
constant change and disintegrating morals. Purist numbers swelled
and many of the gains made by the halves over the centuries seemed
in danger of disappearing.

Eventually the
voice of reason prevailed and the Purists began to lose favour.
Strict adherence to the letter of the law wasn’t as appealing in
practise as it had at first seemed. Many of the new followers had
friends, neighbours, or even family members who were half-blooded;
turning on them did not sit easy with a tender conscience.

Complaints against
the Purists began to trickle in and Lycan Link, the international
organization that functioned under the radar and assisted Lycans in
co-existing with humans, started an investigation. Their conclusion
was that there was a faction among the Purists that was an
extremist group with an ethnic-cleansing agenda.

Once this was
brought to light, the group seemed to disappear and was deemed an
unfortunate blip that had righted itself. People went about their
lives and pushed the group from their minds. Lycan Link revised its
Rights and Freedoms Act to ensure all Lycans, regardless of purity,
were treated fairly; and while some grumbled, it quickly became a
non-issue. The Lycans relaxed and all seemed well in the shifter
world.

Unbeknownst to
many, however, the Purist group wasn’t gone. Small pockets
persisted in the more remote areas and once again were slowly
gaining followers. Insidiously, they were spreading their ideology,
taking over packs, and turning neighbour against neighbour.

When reports of
Purist activity appeared again, Lycan Link was determined to stop
them from gaining momentum and formed the Anti-Cleansing Squad or
ACS. It was charged with finding conclaves of Purists and ensuring
that the rights of halves within those packs were not being
violated. While basic freedoms, such as thought and speech, were
the right of every Lycan—even the Purists—there were certain
boundaries that couldn’t be crossed.

Chapter 1

“Oomph!” The sound
echoed through the cavernous room, bouncing off the cement brick
walls and disappearing into the high, raftered ceiling.

Brandi absorbed
the hit to her shoulder; the jarring sensation echoing through her
shoulder blades, neck, and spine, yet there was no time to think
about pain right now. Using the energy from the blow, she allowed
it to propel her into a spin and pivoted on the ball of her foot
while striking out with her other leg. She aimed the kick at her
attacker’s knee while raising an arm to block his next move.

Every sense was
heightened, super-tuned to the actions of her opponent. Sounds and
smells bombarded her: the pounding of her heart, his heavy
breathing, the scent of sweat. Even the brush of air over her skin
was amplified alerting her to his slightest movement and...
Damn!

As she spun around
she knew the move would fail. The bastard seemed to have
anticipated her actions and sidestepped just in time so her foot
barely skimmed his thigh. She caught a brief glimpse of his face;
amused, even smug! It made her blood boil to think he was playing
with her like a cat with a mouse.

Anger fuelled her
next move and she ducked low, launching herself forward and ramming
her shoulder into his stomach, letting him know her inner fury.
Unfortunately, the move wasn’t as effective as she’d hoped and the
result was akin to running into a brick wall. He grunted and took a
step back, her slight weight barely knocking him off balance. In
shocking contrast, she staggered sideways, her whole body
reverberating from the impact. Her lungs struggled to replenish the
air that had been forced out of them by the collision and her brain
was momentarily addled.

Brandi gave her
head a quick shake, trying to clear her scrambled thinking and in
that brief moment her opponent took advantage, grabbing her by the
waist and flipping her onto the ground.

The room spun
wildly before her eyes, until...

“Ahh!” Her back
protested its abrupt contact with a hard surface and the air that
had just made its way into her lungs was, once again, roughly
expelled. She spread her fingers against the cool tiled floor, its
solidity anchoring her as she struggled to bring the world back
into focus, to rise above the pain that throbbed through every inch
of her beaten body.

Beside her, she
could sense the man dropping down to his knees, looming over her,
breathing heavily. Time seemed distorted in her suddenly
topsy-turvy world and dread built inside her when he didn’t follow
through with another move. Was he planning further abuse against
her? Her whole body cringed at the idea and for a moment she
considered just staying there and admitting defeat. But even as the
thought passed through her mind, she dismissed it. Her sense of
self-preservation spurred her into action and she tried to scramble
away even while her brain struggled to process what was going
on.

The attempted
escape was a pointless exercise. She’d barely moved when he grabbed
her leg with rough hands and drew her back. Immediately she began
kicking and flailing, a sense of satisfaction rising within her
when she made contact with flesh and heard his grunt of pain.

In the end,
however, it was as futile as all her other efforts had been. In
seconds, he had her pinned to the ground, his weight effectively
keeping her in place, the heat of his body burning right into hers.
Her heart began to race as panic swelled within. Yet at the same
time, age-old instincts were coming to life, filling her with a
strange melting sensation and urging her to submit to the male who
had finally conquered her.

No, she mentally
screamed, forcing herself to ignore the feeling. She submitted to
no one, not even the ancient ways of her people.

Bucking and
writhing, her anger and frustration grew. Nothing she tried was
working, yet still she fought against him. He was considerably
bigger than her, over six feet tall and solid muscle, but giving up
wasn’t an option. Her wolf was rising to the surface now as well,
pawing at the restraints she kept it under. It was young and
feisty, eager to enter the battle, to prove itself to the
world.

No, not now, she
admonished it, while struggling to breathe under the weight of the
body pressing down on her. This is a human-only fight. The creature
whimpered but subsided like the well-trained beast it was. At a
more opportune time, she would have rewarded its obedience, however
for now...

A chuckle drew her
attention. Her opponent apparently found the situation amusing and
his laughter was like a red flag waving before her. A growl erupted
from her throat. Playing nice was no longer an option and she
jerked her knee up towards his groin. He blocked the move but as he
shifted to the side, she managed to free one arm and swung it
towards his face. His nose, his chin, she wasn’t fussy about a
target now.

She managed to
land a blow to his cheek, her nails scoring his skin. Bright red
trails sprang up on his face, blood spreading across the bronzed
surface and he hissed in pain. The appearance of blood on his face
shocked her into a moment of stillness; she’d never done that
before.

Her brief
hesitation proved to be her undoing. In a blur of movement, he
captured her hands, twisting her arms up and anchoring them over
her head. Transferring both wrists to one hand, he pressed his
forearm to her throat and slowly bore down. Drops of blood mixed
with the sweat that trickled down his cheek. His brows were
lowered, his lips pulled back. Her gaze fixed on his white teeth
and sharp canines.

Brandi froze. All
he had to do was press down a bit harder and her windpipe would be
crushed. She swallowed hard and a shiver skittered over her body.
Never had she been this close to such a dangerous male. The lethal
power he possessed was palpable and she instinctively knew a near
feral wolf lurked beneath his human veneer, dominant and
demanding.

The fight was
over. Her attacker had won.

With his broad
shouldered body looming above her and blocking everything from her
view, she felt herself being transported back in time to the days
when such a fight would have meant she was now his to do with as he
pleased. If he wanted to, he could kill her and throw her broken
body to the side or, more likely, she could find herself being
ravished, mated, and marked as his own despite her protests.

Their gazes locked
and at such close range she could see the flecks of grey and green
in his blue eyes. Fringed with brown lashes, they seemed to search
hers, looking for her secrets. She stared back seeing the hardness
and determination, the wildness that hinted he’d never be truly
civilized. His wolf lurked near the surface and her own beast
perked up its ears in interest, almost ignoring her inner command
to stay away from the untamed creature.