Saving The Werewolves (The Lost Princess 0f Howling Sky Book 2)

by Kamryn Hart

  Caspian joined, a deep baritone that rose higher and louder. I flinched when his voice broke. Sorissa wrapped her arms around him, tears shimmering in her eyes. Caspian was crying, too. Aerre grabbed the back of Caspian’s head in a rough embrace and Caspian dropped his head, pressing his forehead into Aerre’s shoulder. Rodrick rested a hand on Caspian’s shoulder. I wasn’t good at comfort, but I took Caspian’s hand and squeezed. He squeezed back, and warmth pushed through the cold seizing our bond. His sorrow was intense, but it became bearable when shared between us.

  I hoped we’d be able to overcome whatever happened next because there was something I had learned after spending the last month with them all: I couldn’t live without this pack. More than tech, more than research, asking questions, using my brain, more than anything, I needed this pack.

  CHAPTER 34

  SORISSA

  I STOOD IN FRONT of the empty throne, observing the intricate markings carved into the wood and the silver detailing, remembering when Philip sat there only yesterday. I had been avoiding this room since better familiarizing myself with the castle earlier in the day. This time last night, the king was burned on a pyre. This was the room that made everything feel real. The jewel-encrusted silver crown I wore did plenty on its own, though. I wasn’t sure I liked wearing it. I took it off and placed it on the dark-blue velvet cushioning the throne and took a step back.

  Last night was a long night, and I didn’t get much sleep to make up for it. I got bombarded with werewolf proprieties and the history of Wolf Bridge by Philip’s advisors. It was bearable because I had my pack with me. I knew it was probably important to know all of this, and it was interesting, but I didn’t want to do things like the old king—which was what these advisors wanted.

  I wanted to change the world. I always had even before I knew what it was really like outside of my woods. I always wanted to reach alpha of a pack. A pack. I hadn’t planned on an entire kingdom—thanks to Caspian. The weight of all that responsibility almost had me choking. I wanted to make things better, not worse. Caspian said he thought I was better suited to the task, but I felt a niggling sliver of doubt in myself. I never lacked for confidence, but standing in front of the throne made me wonder.

  I reached out my hand to one of the throne’s smooth arms. I didn’t know the king who sat here, not well. But Caspian did. And he loved him dearly despite all the pain he had caused him. It was unfair Caspian had to be the one to end his life. His dark mood could be felt by me and the others, though he tried to keep it to himself. It would take time to heal these wounds. Hopefully, we, his pack, could help him mend faster. But I understood his sorrow on a personal level. Babaga wasn’t dead, but if I was never allowed to see or contact her again, she may as well have been.

  I missed her.

  All the information the advisors gave me was a lot to take in. It was swirling around in my head as I tried to connect all the pieces. I couldn’t get it all straight, not immediately. It didn’t help that I was tired. I had the big picture, but I didn’t know the finer workings of the kingdom. Luckily, nobody was helpless and there were others who did, like the advisors, so no one was going to starve to death because I didn’t know how food was rationed or what all the farms produced. I wasn’t changing anything immediately. Well, except for one thing. Werewolves and humans would no longer be divided under my rule.

  The Tech On Zone and the Tech Off Zone would be dissolved. This would be a kingdom where werewolves and humans lived equally. No fights had broken out so far, so that was encouraging, but I knew there would be plenty who would fight me on this decision—including those stubborn advisors. They were already begging me to reconsider. I knew the real world wasn’t like fairytales and that this wouldn’t be easy, but I was determined. And stubborn.

  With a sigh, I took the crown off the throne, placed it back on my head, and took my newly appointed seat. I had hoped it would make me feel different, like a new Sorissa, an alpha, a queen. But it didn’t. Nothing happened. I was still me.

  This was where business was regularly conducted, according to the advisors. I supposed I had the ability to change that now, but reducing formalities was probably the lowest priority on my list of things to change. I needed to make sure that my plans for the Tech On Zone and Tech Off Zone were taken care of before I made any other major changes. One step at a time seemed like a good approach to change while trying to retain some semblance of normalcy for the denizens of the kingdom. I wanted to avoid anarchy. Anarchy sounded like a good way to destroy everything—especially if the kingdom split in two: werewolves versus humans. I shuddered at the thought.

  The doors leading into the throne room opened wide. I squeaked and jumped off the throne like I had been caught doing something I shouldn’t. Koren came down the dark-blue carpet and bowed before me.

  I cleared my throat and said, “Stand up, Koren. Bowing is unnecessary.”

  He hesitated but stood as I asked. “Queen Sorissa, there’s a group of vampires outside of the west gate. They waved a white flag and didn’t show any weapons, so the guards stationed at the gate heard them out. They’re requesting an audience with you. The lead vampire said her name is Gala. She said you would remember her.”

  “Gala,” I repeated. Her name left a sour taste on my tongue. “All right. I’ll go to the west gate to see what she wants.”

  “You think that’s a good idea?”

  “I’m the queen, aren’t I?”

  He flinched.

  “That was a joke, Koren,” I said as I walked to him and patted his shoulder. “You can come with me if it’ll make you feel better.”

  “It would,” he said. “Shall I gather your knights?”

  “Yes, please.”

  It took around fifteen minutes to bring my pack together. Koren escorted us to the west gate as our driver for the carriage. The carriage was roomier than a roader, longer, slicker, quieter, and smoother to ride. It was supposed to be luxurious, but I missed our roader. I associated it with fond memories and adventure. This vehicle wouldn’t do well off-road.

  Most of the kingdom was indoors for the night, sleeping off last night’s events, so we didn’t really meet anyone on the roads other than some guards. We passed over the beautiful bridge, the rushing Quicksilver River below, rows of houses, and reached the west gate before too long.

  When the carriage pulled over onto the side of the road, Rodrick muttered, “What do you think the crazy bloodsuckers wants now?”

  “We’re going to find out,” I said.

  I hopped out of the carriage first. Koren smacked his hand against his forehead, and the guards outside, standing near the gate, startled backward as they bowed to me.

  “Best to give them some warning,” Caspian called with a slight chuckle. It was good to hear him laugh, even if it wasn’t as big or warm as his normal laugh.

  The others followed him outside of the carriage. Rodrick grinned at me. Aerre shook his head. Todd ducked after them, trying to avoid the eyes of the guards; the new amount of attention he was getting made him increasingly uncomfortable. I tried to reassure him with a smile.

  “Open the gate,” I said.

  The guards wasted no time heeding my command. When the gate was pulled high enough, I slipped outside, my pack on my heels.

  “Shall I close the gate, my queen?” a guard asked.

  “No need.”

  Gala got out of the glider that was parked a few feet away. She wore the golden-hemmed crimson cloak all vampires seemed to wear, though her hood wasn’t hiding her face; there wasn’t any sunlight for her to hide from right now. Vampires and werewolves were bound to the night, but at least werewolves could enjoy the daylight.

  “Is it too much to invite us inside?” she asked in that snide tone of hers. She flipped back her auburn hair, the strands glimmering red like her nails in the moonlight.

  “Nice to see you, too,” I growled.

  “So, you’ll leave the gate open but you won’t invite us inside?”<
br />
  “Is there a reason to? I’m sure you can say whatever you’ve come to say in five minutes or less.”

  Her facial expression was unreadable. “Why not close the gate, then?”

  “You’ll get inside if you really want to anyway.”

  I thought I saw her lips quirk up, but I wasn’t sure. “Why meet us here?”

  “I just wanted out of the castle and that stuffy throne room.”

  “That was the only thought that went through your head when deciding where to meet me?”

  “More or less.”

  “You have much to learn, Queen Sorissa. Are you truly the Queen of Wolf Bridge now?”

  “Apparently.”

  “It seems Queen Evie was right about you bringing change to your species, at the very least. Never before has a werea been in such a position of power. Werewolves are so predictable.”

  My pack tensed, and I shrugged. “I proved my power.”

  “‘Apparently.’ Congratulations then. You can personally take care of the news I bring.”

  “What news?”

  “Paws Peak is planning an end-all attack. Ten days from now. King George is furious over what happened to his son, Prince Charles. They’ve been preparing ever since they received news of his death from the werewolves who survived the attack on Wolf Bridge. They are developing the nastiest weapons they can manage, but I’m sure your tech werewolf will outsmart them—as long as you’re prepared.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “We’ve been spying on Paws Peak. We have eyes everywhere.” She showed her fangs in an unfriendly smile. “You would probably do well to remember that. We didn’t have to tell you this, but Queen Evie is serious about this truce. She wants to take it a step further and ensure peace with Wolf Bridge specifically. Paws Peak has no interest in a truce or peace. Unless you can find a way around that too, we just assume eliminate them. That is all.” She turned on her heels, about to walk away, then she turned back and bowed. “Excuse my rudeness, Queen Sorissa.”

  “Wolf Bridge will make the proper preparations,” I said.

  Gala nodded. “I almost forgot.” She fished inside a pocket of her cloak and pulled out a contraption that looked a lot like a portacomm, but it was much more heavy-duty, bulkier, with a very long antenna. “We’ll pass along more information with this radio. And, if you’re ever in need, contact Crimson Caves the same way.”

  I held out my hand and Gala gave me the device. Then Todd came up next to me and took it from me. I didn’t mind that he didn’t ask. I knew that he had this insatiable curiosity for all tech-related things—all things in general. And he wanted to make sure it was safe.

  “Does it really transmit that far?” he asked. “You have a tech field that expands from Crimson Caves all the way to Wolf Bridge?”

  “It works,” Gala replied, without offering any more information.

  A red light started blinking on the radio. Todd pressed a button in response.

  “Testing, testing, testing,” a female’s voice rang from the speaker.

  Gala shook her head. “She’s been doing that ever since we left. I told her to wait until we passed it off, and then I would have her call.”

  “This is Jocelyn,” the voice rang.

  Todd pressed another button. “Received,” he said, voice clipped.

  “This is so exciting! Is that the tech werewolf I hear?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Great! We can talk to each other about tech all the time. Maybe you’ll actually be able to keep up with me, werewolf.”

  “Is there a way to block her?” Todd asked as he shut down the call.

  “No. Have fun with that,” Gala said. “I promise I’ll do my best to get her under control, but I suggest leaving the radio on. Be grateful Jocelyn isn’t here in person. She’d likely be clinging to you. She hasn’t stopped talking about ‘the dreamy tech werewolf’ since you came to pick up your princess a month ago.”

  I growled. “Todd is mine.” I grabbed a hold of his arm, pressed the talk button on the radio, and said, “Todd, Caspian, Rodrick, and Aerre are mine.”

  Jocelyn didn’t respond.

  “We’ll leave now,” Gala said curtly. “And we’ll be in contact momentarily. There is much to discuss. Listen to what we have to say and plan for this battle if you wish to survive the Prime War. Best of luck, Queen of Werewolves. You’re going to need it.”

  Gala joined the three other vampires with her and disappeared back into their glider. They started the quiet engine and drove away, kicking up the dust on the road, and disappearing into the night. I couldn’t figure out these vampires, and everything just got more complicated.

  “I’m going to need your help,” I told my pack. “To be honest, I have no idea what to do.” And I was scared. I had so many lives in my hands now. It was bad enough just being responsible for my mates, but how was I supposed to protect an entire kingdom?

  “You have our help,” Caspian said as he took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Always, Sorissa. We’re in this together.”

  He dropped down on one knee followed by Rodrick, Aerre, and Todd. I knelt down to meet them, gathering them in a big hug, wishing my arms could reach all the way around them. If I was going to get through this, they would be the reason. I was certain of that much. There was an awful lot that could go wrong, but I knew we would protect each other. If we were together, we could do anything. I believed that, but I was still naive. The world didn’t bend to any one being’s will, and that included mine.

  The story concludes in Queen of Werewolves.

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  The Lost Princess of Howling Sky

  Prologue: Phantom Fangs FREE

  Book 1: Taken by Werewolves

  Book 2: Saving the Werewolves

  Book 3: Queen of Werewolves

  Marked by the Moon

  Book 0: Her True Wolf FREE

  Book 1: Her Brave Wolf

  Book 2: Her Fierce Wolf

  Book 3: Her Wild Wolf

  Book 4: Her Noble Owl

  Book 5: Her Bad Cat

  Prime

  World Guide

  Gods

  Lureine: The werewolf god.

  Yessma: The vampire goddess.

  Cor: The human god.

  Prime: The world.

  The Prime War: The world war that has existed since the beginning of time.

  The Three Species

  Werewolves

  Base Form: A werewolf’s human-like body.

  Moonlight Form: A werewolf’s wolf-like body.

  Wereas: Female werewolves.

  Cubs: Werewolf children.

  The Mate Claim: The bind that seals a werea to a werewolf.

  Maneaters: Werewolves who feed on humans.

  Shields: Werewolves who protect humans.

  Vampires

  Vampyres: Male vampires.

  Scamps: Vampire children.

  Bloodsuckers: A derogatory term used by all other species.

  Humans

  Rebels: Humans who still fight.

  Agitators: A derogatory term for rebels used by shields and complacents.

  Complacents: A derogatory term used by rebels for humans who don’t fight.

  Tethered: Humans turned werewolf.

  Thralls: Humans turned vampire.

  Meat: A derogatory term used by maneaters.

  Blood: A derogatory term used by vampires.

  The Hellfire Strike: An attack launched by Glory Valley that used planet-destroying tech. It defaced and changed Prime forever.

  Goodlands: The small amount of land left untouched by the Hellfire Strike.

  Ba
dlands: The large amount of land destroyed by the Hellfire Strike.

  Glory Valley: The last human kingdom, responsible for the Hellfire Strike, and consequently destroyed by the kingdoms that remained.

  The Tech Ban: Worldwide prohibition of tech after the devastation caused by the Hellfire Strike.

  The Reintroduction of Tech: Tech comes back, starting over from the remains of old tech and from scratch.

  The High Kingdom: The kingdom that “rules the world.”

  The High King: The king of kings.

  The High Queen: The queen of queens.

  Howling Sky: The once most powerful werewolf kingdom and the High Kingdom that ruled for a time after the Hellfire Strike.

  The Fall of Howling Sky: When Howling Sky was destroyed by Crimson Caves.

  The Moonlight Child/The Lost Princess of Howling Sky: A werea cub blessed and chosen by Lureine. She was presumed lost after the Fall of Howling Sky.

  The Standing Kingdoms

  Paws Peak: A werewolf kingdom that was always in competition with Howling Sky.

  Wolf Bridge: A werewolf kingdom that has stayed mostly neutral in terms of werewolf politics.

  Crimson Caves: The last vampire kingdom and the one responsible for the Fall of Howling Sky.

  Freedom: The home of the surviving descendants of Glory Valley, and the base of operations for the rebels.

  Tech: Technology

  The Heart: The source of power for all of Wolf Bridge.