DISCLAIMER: The SVM series and its original characters are the sole property of Charlene Harris. I do not claim ownership to her characters. "Unwrapped" is strictly a creative exercise.

CAUTION: This story contains, though not ongoing, some material, such as profanity, adult content, sexual situations and innuendo, and graphic imagery that may be inappropriate for some readers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: My beta has helped me greatly in making sure I didn't totally embarrass myself or the reader. So a special thank you to her for catching as many of my mistakes as possible and asking great questions that helped me fill in some gaps. Please note that any mistakes in grammar, spelling, or continuity that you find are completely mine. As much as I would like to be perfect, I haven't reached that plain of existence - yet. Also a special thank you to my daughter. I know its not always easy living with my passion for fan-fiction, and you would rather go hang out with your friends than have to listen to mom regurgitate her story for the billionth time. Lastly, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this new adventure.

PART ONE

The Beating

All three of the men knew no matter what was said or done, there would be pain involved. For their friend's injuries and cover story to work, they would have to thrash him. "Relax into the blows," advised Curt. He was the smaller of the two large burly men assigned to inflect the beating. His companions gave him a wry glare. Though Curt's words were meant to be consoling they did little to improve the situation.

"Be quick about it," said Preston, the tall angelic man. He stood resigned to his fate. There was just no way around what had to happen. Only days before had he agreed, though reluctantly, to go through with Niall's plans. That is until he had seen her.

She had just finished work and was leaving. When she had reached her car, she turned toward the trees that hid him and Niall. He had thought for a split second that she had seen him. It had felt like an infinite moment, her piercing gaze had stared directly at him where he hid in the trees, cutting him to the bone. He quivered.

The strong feelings her gaze had evoked in him had unsettled him. His initial reaction had been to flee toward safety, away from her. His second, an almost instant reaction was to languish in the painful feelings of sweet agony her eyes had created. Every cell inside him had been unexpectedly awakened. His body had reacted to her as if it knew the rapture of her mouth, her thighs, and her arms. This sudden and heightened awareness had given him a dull pain in his chest. Secretly, he returned each day after that first time to relive the suffering her beauty inflicted on him.

So despite his current situation, though momentarily unpleasant, would need to be endured. Besides, he could have thought up of a billion less pleasant ways to have paid off his debt to Niall than going along with Niall's cover; like infiltrating a vampire nest or worse, seducing a vampire.

"Sorry about this, man," the larger of his companions, Ralph, gave him an apologetic look. Before Ralph's expression faded, he slammed his large fist into the fairy. The smacking sound of bone hitting flesh filled the space around the men. The impact was so sudden and with such force, the tall beautiful man collapsed to the ground. Pain like millions of pieces of glass shards cut across his jaw.

Hunched over on the wet ground, Preston could feel his own aggression well up to the surface, but he wouldn't give in to it. He wasn't a helpless, or a weaker, or a less skilled man. This was his fate. So he took the pain with as much dignity as someone in his situation could. He closed his eyes and focused on her image. Instantaneously, every detail of her feminine features, which he had come to know as well as his reflection, came into clear view. He had never seen a human female so beautiful. Thinking of her, and how soon he would get to speak to her, distracted him from the pain he was feeling.

It took only several seconds, but the wave of pain he felt subsided, leaving his jaw throbbing with a tolerable level of discomfort. He opened his eyes, his hands gradually sinking into the saturated earth. He remained bent over on the damp ground, bracing himself for the next blow. But they never came. He glanced up at his companions who were staring down at him. What part of "be quick about it" had they not understood? He got to his feet, spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked not attempting to conceal his agitation. Some might consider him stupid for agreeing to this cockeyed plan of being beaten, but he wasn't a masochist.

"Come on, man," said Ralph. The task at hand was difficult enough, but seeing their friend passively waiting for the blows that were to come seemed wrong. "Fight back," he growled menacingly. It was a deep guttural sound that their male primitive forms recognized as a challenge.

"Fine," said Preston. The air around the men instantly swirled and crackled with magic as they transformed from men into animals; Werewolves.

The tawny-colored wolf, once the ethereal man, the fairy with the gift of transforming, lunged forward with his powerful hind legs. His jaw snapped at his friend's neck. Within seconds, a good old fashion dog fight in-sued; long sharp canines tearing into fur and flesh. Bones cracking. Growls. Snarls. Blood curdling wails. Finally the last blow landed.

Defeated and unable to move, the tawny colored wolf laid wounded on the forest floor. The last ounce of fight left his body. His companions, transforming into their human forms, came to his aid. Well, as much as they could. Curt grunted as he reset his broken nose before it would heal misshapen. Ralph, the largest of the brutes, bruised and bleeding, with some effort crouched over the tawny colored wolf. He watched as his friend's form changed back to a man.

"You okay?" asked Ralph. The fairy waved his hand. This signaled to his companions that he would be fine. Preston would have spoken if his jaw hadn't broken when he was flung against the tree trunk, which he was now lying under. It would only take Preston a few minutes to begin to heal, and then the pain would be gone. He found some comfort in knowing this.

"I think we may have over done it Ralph," said Curt, the smaller of the two large men.

"You put up one hell of a fight," Ralph said with pride. "Will you be okay?" he asked his friend. Preston made a thumbs-up motion. "Alright then," said Ralph.

"She's coming," announced Curt, hearing the sound of steps entering the woods.

"We'll give you a few hours to settle in before we come back," they informed their beaten friend before disappearing into the woods.

Laying on the wet ground, Preston's body was wracked with pain from his various injuries. His jaw and his flesh were already tingling with the sensation of his body regenerating. On the damp forest floor, he couldn't help but feel annoyed with Niall for insisting that he be injured, thus the beating.

Especially, after Niall shot down his alternative plan without even a consideration. Preston thought running his car off the dirt road leading to her home would have done the trick, but Niall didn't agree. It obviously wasn't dramatic enough, he thought. But Preston was too enthralled by the woman, so he agreed to the beating. He wasn't sure if this made him desperate or crazy. After all, there were a lot of other ways to meet women. ~