Savage Desire
Chapter 14

Ryan heard the door to the washroom open just as he opened the tap to wash his hands. He turned his head to see which other lecturer was free like he was at that time of day and smiled in surprise when he saw a pretty curvy blonde in sportswear. "You've got the wrong washroom Miss." Ryan said with a chuckle.

"Wanna bet?" Sporty lady purred as she turned around to face the door. She recited some words and then turned around to fix a predatory gaze on Ryan. "Professor Ryan Hicks." She purred, slowly advancing towards Ryan as if she had all the time in the world. "Do I know you?" Ryan asked with a curious frown. Something was of about the lady.

"I haven't had the displeasure." She drawled. "So you're the so-called mate huh? I can smell him all over you." She smirked.

Oh God! Ryan felt his stomach quiver and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Although he couldn't smell her, he would have bet his last cent she was a werewolf.

And from the disdain in her eyes, one of Jeremy's lovers. Shit! 'Jeremy?' He quickly called his mate on their mind-link but couldn't get any response. Why wasn't Jeremy answering, Ryan wondered.

"Don't bother, little wolf." The lady said, accurately reading Ryan. "Jeremy can't hear you." She turned to give the door behind her a cursory glance. "You see... I've warded the door shut. He can't come in here and your thoughts can't reach him, thanks to the barrier. And Vincent..." She chuckled. "Let's just say the silly warrior saw every other person but me."

What did she mean by that, Ryan thought confused. "Listen Lady, whatever you're planning on doing, please don't." Ryan said quietly even as he felt the beast inside him crouch in readiness to attack.

"Ow come on don't be a pussy." Her short laughter didn't reach her eyes. "It's very unattractive to beg. Name's Camille by the way. And I'm here to fight you."

With that short announcement, palms and pointed all ten fingers releasing very nasty looking claws.

Camille towards

opened her the ground,

"Oh my god..." Ryan breathed.

"What the..." Jeremy gasped when he felt a sudden crackle of power in the air. He threw the magazine he was reading on the table and jumped to his feet. Someone was wielding so much power around, which was rather strange. 'Ryan?' He called to his mate through their link but there was no response. Shit! 'Vincent?' He called to Ryan's assigned bodyguard as he rushed out of Ryan's office.

'Alpha, I'm out here.' Vincent started towards Jeremy when he saw his alpha emerge from Ryan's o ice with a worried look on his face. "Is everything alright, Alpha?"

"Magic." Jeremy breathed. "Did you see Ryan?"

"He went to the washroom." Vincent turned to follow Jeremy when the alpha started towards the washroom.

"Sure you didn't see anyone come this way apart from Ryan?"

"No. My eyes were on him the whole time. He was alone." Vincent said as he tried the washroom door. But it wouldn't open. "Why did he lock it?"

"He didn't." Jeremy rasped. "Camille is here." He growled.

"But I didn't see..."

"You wouldn't. She cloaked herself." Jeremy rasped.

Beings such as warlocks and witches could cast cloaking spells to mask their presence, preventing others from seeing them and learning of their activities. Camille was his only lover with that power. She'd obviously made herself invisible to Vincent. Camille was half werewolf, half warlock. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Ebookex.com. Visit Ebookex.com to read the complete chapters for free. Her mother, who was responsible for her warlock side, was one of the eight council members of the pack. She was a very powerful warlock who was over a century old. And like her mother, Camille was powerful and smart. But Jeremy hadn't thought Camille would attack Ryan too as she'd always been a very reasonable person. Apart from the fact that they hadn't even f****d in over three months, Jeremy thought she would rather use her powers to curb that thirst for a battle with his mate. He'd obviously thought wrong.

"The bitch!" Vincent muttered. Then remembering who she was to the alpha, he added; "Sorry Alpha." But it was obvious he didn't mean it. With an angry grunt he gave the door a hard kick.

"Don't bother." Jeremy muttered, looking furious. "It's warded." He said as he climbed up the wall to see what was happening inside the washroom through the sealed mini windows. What he saw broke his heart.

"Please stop." Ryan gasped as he tried to shield his face. His shirt was torn to shreds and there was blood all over. His blood.

"Shouldn't you be fighting back?" Camille taunted. "How disappointing. And you call yourself an alpha's mate?" She brought her already bloody claws down forcefully to slash at Ryan's back. Blood gushed out. "I honestly thought we were going to fight. But I guess this is going to be a kill. Works for me just fine." She sneered but surprisingly, never went for the kill.

Ryan went down on his knees. He wanted to fight back so bad. His wolf was going crazy inside but for some reason, he just couldn't get his body to obey his command to attack. Ryan had never been more confused since the night his life changed. Why couldn't he fight? Hell, even if he were human, he would have instinctively fought back to defend himself. So Ryan didn't understand why he seemed to be frozen. He felt exactly as he'd felt when Jeremy ordered him in that voice of his to stay put whilst he violated him. He felt so helpless. Maybe it was due to whatever magic Camille was using. But even she, seemed shocked at his behaviour. Ryan had a feeling Blondie would have taken him out already if she really wanted to kill him. The only positive thing was that although he'd lost so much blood and as a result, felt weak, the numerous slashes on his body seemed to be healing. But Ryan knew that unless he got out of the mess he was in right then, he would probably bleed to death. Where was Jeremy when he needed him, he wondered desperately.

Behind the door, the alpha took a deep breath. "Stand back, Vincent." He said quietly...too quietly.

Jeremy didn't know why his mate wasn't fighting back. Ryan was a smart guy. What his mother had taught him alone should equip him to take on someone like Camille physically. He knew Camille had only warded the door because she wanted no distraction as she challenged his mate. She sure as hell wouldn't immobilize Ryan with a spell and just beat him up. That was not the style of a werewolf. Fighting and defeating an opponent fair and square in a clean fight was what they saw as a sweet victory. They craved that. So he didn't understand why Ryan was not fighting back. And Jeremy knew that if he didn't get in there and stop the madness, his mate would bleed out. But Camille had used a magical shield to keep that door shut. And the only way he could get in there was to turn on his own magic...his Ojah powers. Much as he knew the madness that could follow if he turned his humanity o], the Alpha knew he didn't have a choice.

Ryan heard the door crash open and looked up gratefully. But when he saw his mate, a gasp of terror tore out of his throat as his pulse raced with foreboding. No! He would pick the vicious Camille over a red-eyed Jeremy any day.

Camille stumbled backward, barely catching herself with a hand against the wall. The raw power emanating from the alpha left not only Camille, but even Ryan completely weak from trepidation. "Jeremy..." Camille breathed, her eyes wide with fear.

The red-eyed alpha stretched out an arm and opened his palm. Both Ryan and Camille gasped at the purplish fireball that appeared in that palm. They didn't have to be geniuses to know where that fireball was going to land in the next few seconds. The direction of the murderous red eyes said it all. Camille's eyes were filled with terror. She knew her end had come. Even Vincent shook with fear.

"Jeremy, don't!" Ryan screamed.

Ryan watched as Jeremy slowly turned his eyes on him. A whimper tore out of his throat as he stared into the eyes that terrified him to his very soul. The man standing before him was not his Jeremy at all. He was someone else...something else. And he didn't look like he even understood what Ryan said. The fireball got bigger. Ryan knew that if it dropped, there would be chaos. But most importantly, he knew Jeremy would hate himself afterwards. He had to do something to stop Jeremy from dropping that ball. But what could he do? Ryan turned to look at Camille and saw tears squeezing past her tightly closed eyelids. Definitely no help from that end. He looked past Jeremy to Vincent. The visibly trembling warrior raised his eyes of the cell phone in his hand and stared at Ryan with a look of absolutely helplessness. Ryan knew he had to act. He had to get over his fear of the monster and get to his mate.

Ryan pulled himself to his feet. Then he started towards Jeremy on shaky legs. When he got to his red-eyed mate, he wrapped one arm around his waist and placed the other on his chest...where he could feel his heart beating. Then with a voice throbbing with an emotion which brought warmth into the hearts of their audience, Ryan spoke to Jeremy.

"Come back to me Jeremy." Ryan said softly. "I know you're in there. And I know you can hear me. Please, come back to me." He laid the side of his face against Jeremy's chest. "Please I need you. I need you to take care of me. No one can do it as you do. I don't want anyone to. That's your job. So please come back to me."

When Ryan heard a whoosh sound, he tensed up, thinking Jeremy had dropped the fireball. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, ready for the worst. But then he felt Jeremy's arms wrap around his shoulder and cradle the back of his head. And even before he heard his mate's voice, Ryan knew he was back.

"Thank you." Jeremy whispered shakily, burying his face in Ryan's hair. "Thank you. Thank you." He kept whispering.

Behind them, a shocked Stan stared with huge eyes. When Vincent had sent both him and Philip messages telling them about the situation, they'd both panicked. He had been closer to the school so he'd quickly rushed there. And he'd gotten there just in time to hear Ryan talk Jeremy down. That had never happened in the history of Ojah. They didn't get talked down. They snapped back in their own sweet time or when something forced them to. Definitely not a talk!

"Take her to the pack house, Vince." Stan ordered curtly. Camille lived in her lovely house outside the pack house. She was a medical doctor and a very brilliant individual. But of course when the beast inside wanted to have its way, there was no stopping it. "Jeremy, I'm sorry." Camille sobbed as she was led away.

But the alpha didn't even raise his head. His massive body shook against his mate as he tried to calm down. Besides the fact that he'd seen his mate being hurt, he'd almost killed a pack member for something she had no control over. Jeremy knew he had to get Ryan to the pack hospital to be checked out but he just couldn't bring himself to release his hold on him.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Jeremy's voice shook.

"I couldn't." Ryan signed, feeling very weak. "I wanted to but my body just wouldn't obey my mind."

"How so?" Jeremy whispered.

"I don't know how to explain it." Ryan raised his head but Jeremy put it back on his chest. "It was like that time." He said quietly. "When you compelled me to...stay put whilst you..." Ryan trailed o

"Shit." Jeremy gasped. "She couldn't have compelled you. She can't."

"She didn't," Ryan responded.

"Jer, you did," Philip said from behind Jeremy. "We have to take Ryan to the hospital. He's lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine." Ryan said quietly. "Just weak. I just need to change my clothes and lie down for a while."

"No, Prof." Philip countered. "You're going home and that's final. I can't..."

"What do you mean I did, Lip?" Jeremy turned eyes filled with worry and confusion onto his friend.

"You compelled him the day he shifted for the first time not to ever attack a pack member." Philip said quietly. "Camille is pack."

"Oh my god." Jeremy gasped. "I caused this. And I almost killed...f**k. If I'd dropped that..."

"Hey, listen to me." Ryan reached up to cup Jeremy's cheeks in his palms. "If you'd really wanted to drop it, you would have." He said with conviction. "You didn't have to wait till I tried to stop you Jeremy. Think about it. You didn't want to hurt us. So snap out of whatever self-hatred you're sinking yourself in and take charge like you always do." Ryan gave a slight smile then. "I replace that very sexy." He murmured.

Jeremy visibly calmed down after hearing Ryan's words. "I need to fix this." He whispered. "Otherwise you can never defend yourself. I can't believe I forgot that." He groaned.

"We all forgot, Jer." Philip said quietly.

"Yeah, but he's my mate Lip. I shouldn't have forgotten." Jeremy muttered.

"In your defense, you were not exactly...you when you compelled him." Philip drawled. "But I agree the earlier you fix it, the better for all of us. And that is why we have to get back to the house immediately."

Philip was still shocked at what Stan had told him. He couldn't believe Ryan had actually talked Jeremy out of that Ojah influence. To the Beta, Ryan had instantly become the most important individual in the pack. Being able to control an Ojah was a very big deal. And Philip resolved to ensure that no harm ever came to Jeremy's mate. That suddenly became his number one obsession.

"How are you going to fix it?" Ryan asked quietly, stepping out of Jeremy's arms. Ideally, he would have

handed Jeremy his arse for taking away his will and almost getting him killed by none other than his lover. But he didn't want the man to feel any shittier than he already did so he curbed that urge.

"Same way he got you to see the pack as untouchables." Philip rasped. "Come on Prof. We have to get you home."

"I'm not going Philip." Ryan said stily as he looked down at his tattered shirt. "I just need a shirt."

"Jeremy?" Philip virtually growled, waiting for the alpha to back him up. "A little help..."

Jeremy looked torn between his Beta who was clearly exasperated, and his adamant mate. But in the end, safety for his mate reigned high.

"Ryan please..." Jeremy sighed.

"No. It's just an hour lec..."

"You're not safe here." Philip growled with clenched fists. "Anyone can attack again. And again you'll be a sitting duck. Jeremy needs to take care of that immediately."

Since Jeremy had compelled Ryan in his wolf state, Ryan needed to shift into a wolf for Jeremy to undo what he'd done. And since it wouldn't be appropriate for Ryan to shift at their current location, they needed to go back home immediately. Philip had expected Jeremy to simply order his mate to go home. But guilt was obviously eating at the Alpha, making it dificult for him to be firm with his mate. It was therefore up to him to get Ryan to see reason.

"Your life is more important than some one hour lecture, Ryan." Philip sighed. "I don't want anything to happen to you." He whispered with so much feeling Jeremy reached out to grasp the shoulder of his visibly shaken Beta.

"Hey..." The alpha rasped.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't take your eyes of him." The veiled accusation from Philip made Jeremy's jaw clench.

"It was my fault Philip. I asked him not to follow me in here." Ryan defended.

"The Jeremy I know would have come anyway." Philip growled. "No one tells him what to do and what not to do." The Beta fixed his intent gaze on his alpha. "You're getting soft." His mumble was directed at the alpha. "More than soft actually. Your brain is liquefied." An angry growl erupted from Jeremy. "Are you..."

"You know I'm not challenging you." Philip said evenly, cutting Jeremy of. "I can never do that. I understand that you feel you have to allow him to have his way. But know that it can..."

"Hello... Will you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" Ryan cut in, actually amused. It was surprisingly refreshing to see the friends disagreeing on something. It made them seem...normal. "Alright, you win Philip. I'll go home. But we need to fix the..." He trailed of when he noticed that the door was actually intact. He turned to look behind him and saw that there was no trace of his blood on the floor. Had he imagined what had taken place? "How..."

"Stan made Camille fix it before taking her away." Philip informed Ryan as he led the way out of the washroom.

"Is she a werewolf or a magician?"

Philip couldn't help his laughter. "Both. Half warlock, half wolf."

"Really?" Ryan looked shocked. "You have those too? Her parents..."

"Uh-huh." Philip seemed to be enjoying Ryan's shock.

"A werewolf married a war..."

"Mated, Prof." Philip cut in smoothly. "Get your terminologies straight." He drawled, making Ryan laugh.

"She must be pretty powerful then."

"She sure is." Philip nodded. "But don't worry, the next person to come at you is not going to live to tell the tale."

A frown marred the space between Ryan's brows at Philip's words. "This is about me, Philip." Ryan said quietly. "I'm not you. In my world when someone gets in your way, you outthink them. You don't end them."

“Yeah, yeah, yeah we'll see." Philip said dryly as he opened the door to Ryan's office.

“Jeremy..." Ryan turned to implore Jeremy to help him sway Philip but the dejected look on his mate's face stopped him. He waited by the door till Jeremy entered the office. Then he locked the door, grabbed the alpha's hand to draw him to the couch, and then gently pushed him into it. "Hey, you okay?" He asked softly.

Jeremy raised his eyes to look at his beautiful pale mate. He'd lost a lot of blood, thanks to him. "I'm so sorry Ryan."

"For what?" Ryan asked, crouching before Jeremy.

"Everything." The alpha whispered.

Ryan went quiet for a moment, and then got to his feet and began to shrug out of his ruined shirt. "I still need a shirt." He muttered, reaching for his blazer. "Should have made her fix my shirt too." He mumbled. Surprisingly, he

didn't feel as weak as he'd been immediately after the attack.

"Vincent is bringing a change for both of you." Philip assured him.

"Great." Ryan said as he sat beside Jeremy on the couch and cuddled against him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. All he wanted to do was s offer comfort to his troubled mate. And when Jeremy's arm went around him, he gave a sigh of contentment and turned beautiful green eyes on Philip. "Now tell me all about warlocks."

Philip laughed. Even Jeremy couldn't suppress his amused chuckle. But even that light fun couldn't get rid of the alpha's unease. Was he really going soft as Philip had said? Was he being too soft where Ryan was concerned? Coming from Philip, it had to be true. If the other wolves got any hint of the possibility of their alpha going soft, there would be challenges. Jeremy wasn't afraid he would lose a challenge. He just didn't want to hurt any member of his pack. To avoid any of that, Jeremy knew he had to be firm. How he reacted to his mate when they were alone was his business. But where people were watching and listening...expecting him to act in a particular way...the right way, Jeremy knew he had to act right. It was time he made Ryan know his place.

Ryan couldn't help but feel sorry for the doctor as he checked his vitals. Dr. Sanders, the head doctor, wasn't in so one of the junior doctors was attending to Ryan. It was obvious the man was nervous. Who wouldn't be with Jeremy, Philip and Stan standing around with grim looks on their faces?

"Gentlemen, why don't you sit down?" Ryan tried but couldn't mask the amusement in his voice. When none of the men acknowledged his suggestion, he sighed and looked at the doctor. "I think those three need medical examination even more." He muttered. The doctor looked alarmed for a moment, then a chuckle burst from his throat. "I'll pass." He muttered.

"You know we can hear you right?" Stan asked just as the door opened to reveal a regal looking Gloria. "Everything alright, Mama G?" He asked.

"Couldn't be better." Gloria responded as she placed her handbag on the table in the room and started towards the bed. "Hey sweetie." She smiled as she sat beside Ryan on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good." Ryan grinned. "But these three insisted I get checked out so... Looking good."

"Thanks. Not looking too bad yourself. Lovely shirt. But you do reek of blood."

"I know. Lost a lot, thanks to your son and his...Camille." Ryan grunted as he sat up.

"He's okay Alpha." The young doctor informed Jeremy. "Nothing a good rest can't sort out."

"Good." Jeremy nodded, moving from where he stood. "Come with me to the bathroom Ryan." The alpha walked briskly towards the en suite washroom.

Ryan looked at the others and blushed. He knew that at least Philip and Stan knew the reason Jeremy needed him in the bathroom but that didn't stop him from being embarrassed. What would the doctor and Gloria think?

"Can't we sort that out when we get back to the roo..."

"Now Ryan." Jeremy ordered as he entered the washroom."

"The earlier the better, Prof." Philip said quietly as the doctor hastily left the room.

"I'll be waiting for you." Gloria said softly as Ryan got out of bed. "It's necessary he rectifies it now."

"You know?" Ryan whispered. And at Gloria's nod, Ryan gave a sigh of relief and went into the washroom.

"You really should stop challenging me when I say things." Jeremy said immediately the door shut behind Ryan. "If you hadn't stopped me from accompanying you to the washroom, that attack could have been prevented." His angry growl shocked Ryan. "Jeremy..."

"Is it too much to expect you to just do as you're told?" Jeremy's eyes flashed angrily.

"I don't think you're being fair to me right now Jeremy." Ryan gasped. "Let's not forget that if you hadn't compelled me to leave your pack alone, I would have been able to defend myself." Ryan said in a voice filled with pain and shock.

"Do you have any idea what I would have done to you...in that state... if you had attempted to attack any member of my pack as freshly shifted werewolves are known to do?" The alpha snapped.

"That didn't give you the right to f**k with my mind and forget about it." Ryan retorted, his fists clenching by his sides.

"I admit I shouldn't have forgotten." Jeremy answered smoothly. "But I would appreciate it if you don't question

my directives where you are concerned. As alpha and your mate, I know what's best for you and you'll do well to remember that." He said curtly. "Now strip and shift."

"You can't throw orders as..."

"Now!" Jeremy bellowed. It wasn't his compelling Alpha voice but the authority it packed couldn't be ignored.

Ryan and the three inside the room who could clearly hear the argument between Jeremy and Ryan, gasped at the command. It was obvious the alpha was angry at Ryan. Without a word, Ryan began to strip with shaky fingers, the only indication of his anger being his flushed face. He was so angry he didn't want to be in the same place as Jeremy. In fact Ryan wanted to be so far away from Jeremy at that point that he literally felt a wall go up in his mind. When he was completely naked, he went on all fours and shifted. The beautiful white wolf stood quietly, its eyes downcast, waiting for the alpha to do whatever he wanted to.