Olga stared numbly at her uncle's trailer. She had found him inside, dead.

Police tape sectioned off the tiny mobile home. Her eyes long since glazed over no longer sensitive to the bright blue and red flashing lights or police radios. She was completely alone.

The police had told her he died of a heart attack only a few hours before she arrived. She wished she would have driven up sooner.

Jax might as well have read her mind.

"You couldn't have done anything even if you were here. Help would have been too late at that point. He knew the risks of living alone up here."

"They're certain it was just a heart attack? No one was here?"

He lowered his voice, "We would have smelled something."

Olga hugged herself. It's not like she was expecting Jax to comfort her. It just bothered her since he didn't after her nightmare. She was fairly certain he knew about the dream. Sashka still hadn't stepped foot out of their car since her uncle was pronounced dead.

"Come with us down the mountain. I don't want you lingering around up here right now."

Olga shook her head.

"I need to find the deed. It's in the mill office. Rollo had a safe in there."

Jax began walking with her toward the car. Olga tried to walk as slow as possible. She knew in her heart getting in that car would mean having a very uncomfortable discussion.

"I can pick it up for you," Jax offered. "Come on, I really don't want you to be alone right now. We know this is all still new to you and now you're going through something difficult. It's really no big deal if you stay with us. You need people to talk to."

She tried not to sound stiff, "It's alright, Jax. I still have my phone. If I need something, I'll give you a ring."

He looked her over with a doubtful expression he failed to hide. Jax turned to head to the car. Olga tried not to frown but she wasn't sure about smiling either catching sight of Sashka's scowl through the car window.

They definitely knew.

It's not like she meant to have the dream.

"Great," she grumbled while stuffing her gloved hands in her pockets. She saw Jax wave from inside the car. The best she could offer was a nod.

The young woman watched the police cars one by one follow them down the mountain. The mill was still business as usual. There was some amount of comfort hearing the saw blades in the distance.

She still couldn't believe Rollo had passed away.

***

Ulrich heard whining about two miles away. His ears were sharp. It was easier to hear in the evening when the workday was over.

He had already heard about the old man's death. He didn't understand why Olga decided to take a trip alone out in the powdery acreage. He found her lying down, unharmed. She had simply exerted all her energy running around. It was what many pups did...not adults. If her body hadn't been so tiny she would have been able to make her way back.

"Take me back to my car, please."

Ulrich tucked her little wolf body in his jacket. She felt frozen. A car wouldn't do anything to warm her. She needed to sit in front of a fire for a few hours or at least get a warm bath.

She began growling on the snowmobile when the man drove right by her car. By the time he arrived at the cabin, she was barking and whining quite pathetically.

Ulrich tried to hush Olga but it only made her louder. She continued whining as he entered the cabin. He carried her shivering body and laid her in the tub. She was too weak to lift her head. She barked when he turned on the water.

"You are not going to warm up quickly in that tiny body. You need to shift. I'll be waiting. When done, I drive you back to town."

The moment the door closed, Olga shifted. She turned the faucet quickly and sighed in bliss feeling the warm water fill the tub. She leaned back, closing her eyes as she began to warm up.

Some time passed and she opened her eyes. Her heart raced a little finding the faucet to have been turned off when she fell asleep with it on. She could hear the shower running.

Her head felt a little funny.

Her body felt very hot. She knew it was the bond. The water was cold in the tub but the air outside was humid from the steaming shower. Quickly, she stepped out of the tub and rushed to where the only warmth in the room was coming from. She had the intention of remaining in front of the curtain for a few seconds before leaving.

Olga jumped seeing the curtain suddenly open.

He looked just like a wolf standing there watching her with that stupid grin.

"Hi, angel." She gasped as he grabbed her hips and tugged her inside. "You want to come in too? Don't be shy."

Olga did her best to ignore his presence while she soaked in all the hot water.

Her face turned purple when he began putting shampoo in her hair and scrubbing her head. It was like he was giving her head a massage.

"Please don't-"

She turned to look at him and quickly became quiet. He looked nuts with soap all foamed up in his hair. She made the mistake of looking down. Olga turned away rapidly, she tried to grab the curtain but only ended up ripping it off the rod as he gripped her hips from behind.

"So sexy," he growled into her neck.

She watched their reflection in the bathroom mirror. It felt wrong. He was sucking on his claim mark. She clenched her jaw knowing what he would probably try to do next.

Olga hurried away from him. She found a towel and wrapped it around herself. Then, she made it into the bedroom. She saw he had left the shower. He strode by her naked and dripping wet. With a blank stare, he watched as she threw open the dresser. She found one of his shirts and put it on.

Forbidden lust bloomed within her chest as she looked over him. He wasn't too lean but solid in a way that made her appreciate his physique. She hated that he was bigger than Jax in every way.

He was watching her like he knew it too.

"Something is bothering you, angel?"

"You'll drive me down the mountain, won't you?"

"Yes."

Olga felt comforted by his words. She didn't remember walking back over to him. His caresses felt nice. Ulrich's back rubs moved lower. He wanted to make sure she knew who the real alpha was.

He could not afford to waste any more time. It was time she started taking him seriously. Without warning, he bit into his mark. Olga screamed as blood flowed freely. Ulrich stared down into her teary eyes as blood dripped down his mouth.

He was trying to make a point but it wouldn't change anything.

Ulrich growled low in his throat as he cradled her body. His lips moved over hers muffling her sounds as he grasped her shirt with two hands and ripped it open. Olga clawed at the bedsheets hearing his throaty chuckle and knowing what would be coming next. Excitement bubbled in her stomach. She grabbed the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white. She yelped as Ulrich slowly dragged her downward to meet his face. The sheets tore while his tongue led a trail of fire down her belly until he reached her womanhood.

Olga squealed like a pig as he did the unspeakable. She tried pressing her thighs together and arching her back but she couldn't throw him off. It was a pathetic act. She hated how much she craved his touch. No one had ever touched her so intimately. No more was she crying in pain from his possessive bite. With a nervous smile, tears flowed and stars crossed her vision, while he did his best to please her. She moaned with a shaky breath seeing his face finally lift. 

It was gross, but of course it was, it was Ulrich. He stood up smiling like the devil as he watched her body still fidgeting from his own handiwork. Olga tried not to gag seeing her own wet smothered on his face.

She felt embarrassed. With a hiccup, she quickly rolled over on her side as if to hide from him. Ulrich sensed her emotional turmoil but he wrongfully interpreted it and took it as a sign he had crossed a boundary. He rubbed his face, watching the outline of her body in the dark, letting his mind wander. 

"Olga?" he tried.

Maybe she knew. 

She finally smelled it or it could have been Jax's pack that had done some investigating? Ulrich knew the alpha made every effort to stomp not only on his ego but his reputation. The sinical wolf knew Jax intended to turn the humans against him in order to get rid of his business.

He frowned when Olga didn't answer. So he dared a peek over her shoulder, finding her fast asleep. Her face was damp with tears but accompanied by a soft smile that made her appear angelic. Ulrich couldn't be certain about anything from her mixed expression. With a sigh, he laid back down feeling even more frustrated that he would have to wait for the morning, but by then, she'd be gone.

❄️