I was frozen when the door slammed open so hard that one hinge dangled. But I’d never been so grateful to see Alaric in my chamber.
When the knights poured in, I had to swallow back the growl climbing my throat. And close my eyes and try to calm to change my eyes back to lucid blue instead of glowing. I reminded myself to breathe evenly. Feeling my lungs expanding fully again and my back straightening as I rose from my crouched pose.
Thank you. I wanted to tell him. But my pride wouldn’t let me speak the words.
The knights dragged the wolf out.
I watched over Alaric’s shoulder and faintly noted that it was different than the one that had originally attacked me.
But he still possesses the stink of a NightHunter. I could never forget that odor. The musk of rolling in dead animals and filth.
As they all left the chamber, Alaric rounded on me. Wrath written over his face
“Stop!” I yanked the door open. “Before you summon the household!” He walked in. Forcing me to back up. He kicked the door closed behind him. Making my stomach sink. What’s he going to do? What if all those tiny kindnesses were just to get close enough to drag me back? Always my mind went back to my fear of the Asara Pack. But a subconscious part of me knew that peeling Alaric from that pack was a nearly impossible feat. Despite all my recent hopes. I was now far more reserved. Less confident. And my King is no longer here to protect me. That made my heart ache. Not only for myself but for missing him. The world is less of a place without him in it. Alaric took a menacing step toward me. Forcing me back to the present with striking clarity. Shit. Looking at him I could see purpose written all over him. Determination turning his blue eyes flinted silver. “Tell me wh
It was true that us females could become lusty too but not to the extent that the males did. Though our pheromones became intoxicating to males and if we changed into wolf form, we’d summon every male wolf for miles. How close to the Mating Moon? How much time do I have until its arrival. I didn’t even know. I’d forgotten to track it when I no longer belonged to the wolves. What night was it? It has to be the next few nights. I could tell from the intensity on his face. Ragged need written over him. “I told you when the king was dead…” He said in a dark tone. “I didn’t agree to that.” He had never cared what I agreed to. He always speaks as if he communicates only with my wolf because the human part of me is all deception. In some ways, I’d always found that wounding. In other ways, I knew it was partly true. “I never asked you to.” He growled. “I gave you fair warning. You’ve had time to ready yours
Alaric eventually shook all of my guards off him like nuisance raindrops. Tossing them in a scatter over the floor. Making them slowly retreat as they eyed him as if he were someone foreign. Realizing that he was inhumanly strong. Even more powerful under the Mating Moon. Stronger, fiercer. “What are you?” One murmured. “He can’t be human.” The one that had tried to hold him said. In the chaos, I fled past him. Determined to find an escape. I looked furtively down the hall. Trying to find a safe direction to retreat. And hide throughout the Mating Moon. But I’d need somewhere that would disguise my scent. If that’s even possible. Alaric was an impressive wolf. And as the next potential Alpha, he’d been born with increased strength and senses. He can smell better than me. Better than most wolves. Which made him even more difficult to hide from.
“I don’t know what she thought.” Alaric murmured. “She’s very naïve.” Draven said. Though his tone was flat. Indicating what he believed to be fact and not insult. “She’s broken.” “Why? We were nothing but decent to her.” “She feared wolves before she came to us.” “That’s ridiculous!” Draven’s black-haired head fell back as he looked at the sky. Giving an agitated gesture. “Why in Ferus…” “I don’t know. But I will find out.” Draven’s head fell forward, and he gave his brother a pensive look. “I know you, Alaric. If you’re telling me you’re going to take care of this mess, I’ll trust you to do it. But I am warning you, Brother. She comes hunting for us, she’ll have less than one breath left when her men begin marching.” Alaric gave him an angry glower. “Keep in mind that if she does that, she’s endangering my mate.”
I heard more howling in the foyer. One of them was a voice I’d learned to recognize. The one I was forced to obey when I’d been with the Asara Pack. Draven. The Asara Alpha. Alaric had summoned his brother? I knew what this was about. Because I threatened to slaughter all wolves. He’d gone and recruited his pack to bring them against me to end a war I hadn’t even had the chance to begin. My hopes of murdering slowly the NightHunter that had ravished me were dashed. And my only thoughts became about my own survival. I became so scared that they might suspect that someone else in this castle might be, that I found myself easing back from the railing. Falling into the shadows in an effort to hide from prying eyes. I slid along the wall, trying to find somewhere to hide. As if a breath came from the Heavens, there was a slight breeze in the corridor. Billowing out a tapestry th
I knew the distance to the bailey. There’s a chance I could survive the fall. I knew it was slim but if I managed to roll just as I hit…I could make it. Then I could vanish back out into the fields. Get lost in the woods. I had one more chance to lose them all. But as I reached the window and palmed both sides of the stone slit, I felt a hard arm hooking around my waist. “Have you lost your mind?” He whirled around with me and aimed for the bed. Furiously tossing me over it. He stood over me. His shoulders jerking with each breath. He was furiously ripping what was left of his metal armor off. Tossing it over his shoulder and sending it careening over the chamber floor. Until he stood there in a sweat-saturated brown tunic and leather pants. He snarled between his teeth. Making his lips curl warningly. I instinctively whimpered in response to the power he was emanating. As
***Note from the author:Explicit sex. Forced and rough sex. Shape shifting. Vengeance and captivity. Dark erotica.Can be triggering for some.***“Run, Girl! Run!” Marta’s voice was echoing in my ears. Her urgency. She had shown me the break in the border wall.Where I can get through. And I needed out.I never wanted to be part of this pack. But Edrick, the Asara Pack Alpha, had made me at the get. Despite that I was residing amongst humans. Nearly invisible as what I was. He’d known me as a wolf.He had his two vicious sons drag me into Asara territory and I was forced to join their pack and become fated to be prey of one of the unbred males because I was considered one of the few ‘breedables.’Females of mating age.And in this ferocious pack, breedable she-wolves were easy prey for the males that became fiercely lustful under the Mating Moon. Willing to throwdown the nearest she-wolf and rut her into submission to sate their insane drive.Like the malevolent wolves they are. I
“Which is the only thing I want.” He finished.It was his vow that he’d have me that set me with determination.He will not. My face hardened. Making me seem far sterner than I usually was.I’m leaving this damn place before he has the chance.I knew enough about Alaric to feel intimidated and to know he didn’t bluff. He meant what he said.Then tonight, just as dark was beginning to fall, the camp exploded in chaos.Draven and Alaric returned from a hunt with Edrick on a makeshift gurney. Bleeding everywhere.Fury, Edrick’s Beta, jogged from his hut and swore at the sight of the Alpha. “I told him I needed to go with you boys. Damn him!”Fury followed them into Rebekah’s hut.It was one of the only times I ever knew of, that The Healer let males beyond her threshold.Despite all of Rebekah, efforts, Edrick was soon dead.Our Alpha was dead.Killed by the Alpha of the NightHunters and his son.Edrick had managed to slaughter the Alpha but only to scar the adult son.The camp was awhir