Feral Northern Shifters 2

and he jerked away, gasping.
“Ethan.” The voice wasn’t Bram’s. Fuck. It belonged to the other one, the alpha with the eerily familiar blue gaze. Trying to stave off the panic, Ethan backed away, careful not to look the wolf in the eye. Alphas took direct gazes as a challenge, and next thing you knew, they were attacking.
Christ, how to get out of here? His head was together enough to realize he had to escape these wolves. He just needed to keep the confusion at bay. He gritted his teeth.
“Ethan.”
He wanted to cover his ears. Stupid, but he hated the note of authority in the alpha’s voice. Not that he responded to it like another wolf might, but the goddamned alpha would expect Ethan to respond.
Ignoring the outside world, he looked inward, searching for his cat. He needed to shift, absolutely needed to get out of this human skin and escape. His human knew nothing of escape. If he could only find his focus…inside…there. Yes . He felt his cat rise within him. The very beginnings—
Hands descended on him and Ethan lunged away. Didn’t make it far before he was lifted into the air and slammed face first into the mattress. The alpha yanked Ethan’s arms behind him, clasped wrists together and pinned them high up on Ethan’s back. High enough that his arms were being wrenched out of their sockets, even while his legs were spread apart. Weight crushed down as the alpha kneeled on Ethan’s thighs and pressed on his wrists.
Between his panic and bearing the full weight of the wolf, Ethan couldn’t breathe. His chest hurt.
“Turn your head to the side.” The alpha’s voice sounded neutral, almost bored, and Ethan did as he was told. He wasn’t contrary enough not to obey and suffocate by breathing in the soft bed. Why was he so stupid when he woke up in this room? Half the time he couldn’t really think. After he turned his face, he began gulping breaths.
“You’re going to calm down.” Flat tone. A statement. A command .
Yeah, right. A fucking wolf on his back and he was going to calm down. “Or what ?” “I’ll sit on you until you do.”
Ethan snorted, as if it were funny, though it wasn’t. He should have been revolted by this unwanted hold, but at least the armlock felt impersonal. His legs hurt. Doug—yes this was Doug, Ethan remembered—was a lead weight, and Doug’s large hand, the one not gripping his wrists, was resting on the small of Ethan’s back, under the cotton T-shirt. It wasn’t a caress, there was no affection. Doug was simply placing his palm against his skin so that Ethan could no longer find his cat, couldn’t even think of shifting. His cat was gone and Ethan could only lie here and breathe, because his human wanted to keep this form. Even when he was being punished.
“What are you doing with me?” he asked, unable to keep the plaintive tone from his voice.
“You were trying to shift.”
Ethan didn’t deny it.
Doug continued, “I’d prefer that we simply make conversation. Truth be told, I’m not particularly interested in wrestling you down. But you didn’t answer to your name.”
“You’re an alpha. I don’t talk to alphas.”
“Is that so?” Doug didn’t take offense at Ethan’s statement. “What are you going to do if I release you?”
“Nothing. Sit up.” He also wouldn’t mind getting some circulation back in his arms and legs, but pride forbade him from saying so. Doug had to know exactly what he was doing. Ethan needed that circulation to shift. “I won’t even attack you, Doug. I’m sure you’re relieved to hear that . You might have to throw me back down on the bed again.”
“You’re confused when you wake up. That’s normal.”
Ethan snorted. “Normal, huh? I’m not sure I know what that is.”
“Promise me you’re going to stay human. Then I’ll release you.”
“And if I don’t promise anything?”
“We’ll sit here for a while.” Doug patted Ethan’s back with the palm of his hand. Impersonal, yes, but Ethan still shuddered.
“I have no choice.”
“That’s right.”
After a few more minutes of silence, Ethan’s skin was crawling. He hadn’t minded Bram restraining him, hadn’t reacted like this, but he couldn’t stand Doug on him any longer. “I’ll stay human. I promise.”
The words stuck in his craw but he couldn’t wish them unsaid.
Slowly Doug eased off Ethan’s legs and released Ethan’s arms. He scrabbled away to the headboard. Trembling in reaction, he thought he might throw up. Doug was no