by Candy Nicks
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Alinar Publishing
www.alinarpublishing.com
Copyright ©2008 by Candy Nicks
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CONTENTS
Author's note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
More books in the Moon Child series.
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Lupine
Candy Nicks
Copyright © 2008 Candy Nicks
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The right of Candy Nicks to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First Published 2008
First Edition
All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover by Dan Skinner
ISBN
1-906023-49-2 978-1-906023-49-2
Author's note
Lupine continues the story started in the Fictionwise number one bestseller, The Moon Child's Wish. For those of you who haven't read the first story, here's the background.
A love so alien, it could only be achieved by magic.
When taken by slavers, Moon-Child Carine sees her best chance of survival in the Eagle Warrior who lies dying in the corner of the dirty slave cage. Trained in magic, she uses her Wish-in-Hand to save his life and then bonds with him—despite the fact that Moon-Children and the Tribes of the Eagle are natural enemies.
Ancel, famed Eagle warrior and champion of the tournaments, is furious when he realises what she's done and vows to resist the pull of the Bonding, even though his honour requires him to repay the gift of his life by protecting her.
Carine promises that, if he gets her to safety, she will find a way to release him. But the Wish has chosen well and as time passes Carine realises that their feelings for each other are not just based on magic—are they?
Sold to a den of sin as a Bonded pair, they are expected to entertain the clientele with anything that is required of them. People come from miles around to see the famed Eagle warrior fight for his lady and kneel at the feet of a Moon Child. But Ancel is increasingly reluctant to fight for the pleasure of decadents and Carine realises that the nightly battles will eventually be the death of him.
Carine is a Soul Reader and when the opportunity arises to swap souls with Vin, the decadent who runs the club, she makes a bargain that will ensure Ancel's freedom. But things don't quite go according to plan. The Goddess had promised that the soul swap would be revoked within a month, but when Ancel kills Vin all chances of getting back her own soul die with him.
Carine starts a new life in the Settlements and vows that Ancel must never know how dearly bought their freedom was, or that he unknowingly destroyed her chances of an afterlife in Paradise. Her only hope now lies in finding a Soul Cleansing Stone. Legend has it that The Goddess, angered at man's abuse of the magic stones, gave them to the Lupines, her shape shifting minions, to throw into the Great Fire and then allowed the wolf/man shape-shifters to be hunted out of extinction.
Now, eight years later, Carine has lost her magic and most of her hope. Until the day a mysterious man appears mortally injured at the Settlement gates and her Crystal gives her visions of a wolf in man's clothing...
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Prologue
It was just a man.
A boy pushed his way through a surging crowd fired by equal parts indignation and disappointment that his hard-earned credits had been spent to see nothing more than a naked man crouched, head bowed and unmoving, in the corner of a cage.
"What's so special about him?” the boy cried to the hooded guards standing at the edge of the stage. “I paid four credits to see a man?"
"Not just a man, laddie.” One of the guards leaned forward, a challenge in his voice. “Look closer—if you dare."
The boy's eyes widened, his bravado rapidly evaporating when the guard ran his swagger-stick over the bars of the cage, cutting through the buzz of conversation with a metallic clang. The crowd, now filling the hall to bursting, turned as one to the stage and the talking died away to be replaced by an expectant hush. The boy shivered and tucked into the shadow of the huge woman at his side. She flung an arm around his shoulders.
"Don't be scared,” she said. “They have it well guarded."
Now the time had come, the boy wasn't sure he wanted to see this. Suddenly it felt wrong to come and gawk at one of nature's mistakes.
The caged man remained motionless under the merciless glare of the spotlight. Long, dark hair obscured his features and his fists were clenched, as if, despite his apparent indifference, he was well aware of the crowd's rapt attention.
Resplendent in a long scarlet cloak, the master of ceremonies swaggered onto the stage microphone in hand. He stopped to stare at his captive, lips moving in a whisper meant only for the man. Eventually, he turned his attention to the hushed crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, and paused for the sound of a rolling drumbeat. “From the mists of time we bring you a living legend. The thing you've all come to see."
His voice dropped to a throaty murmur. “A creature from your darkest nightmares. Are you ready for this?"
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Then prepare to meet—the Lupine!"
The lights dimmed, plunging the stage into shadow. Inside the cage, the man lifted his head and sniffed the air.
The boy hardly dared breathe. From the cage came a low growl that made the hairs on his arms prickle. Had there been space to move, he would have bolted for the door. The crowd inched forward, taking him with them, straining for a glimpse of the mythical beast. The drum rolled again.
"Ladies and gentlemen—the Lupine."
With a hint of impatience, the master of ceremonies repeated his lavish announcement while, at the same time, prodding one of the guards towards the cage. A bright flash lit the scene, followed by an anguished howl and a collective gasp of awe from the audience. Plunged into shadow once more, the disorientated crowd turned to each other with a buzz of excited whispers and declarations of disbelief. A single spotlight tracked across the stage illuminating the master of ceremonies as he raised his hands, asking for calm.
"Man or beast?” He looked directly at the boy. “Do your eyes deceive you? Would you like to see more?"
The boy nodded despite his fear. Much as he wanted to ru
n, he still didn't quite believe a man could transform into a wolf. A trick, surely? If he stared hard enough, he would see how it was done.
The audience took up the chant, shouting and stamping out “More, more, more," while the master of ceremonies smiled indulgently. He called for quiet and refocused their attention to the darkened cage.
Two guards thrust their tamers through the bars—glowing power-sticks, designed to shock their victims into submission. Or, in this case, to provoke an outburst. One into the man's back, the other stabbing his thigh causing him to twist and claw at his tormentors with a spine-chilling snarl.
Again, the tamer went for its mark. This time the man's hand moved with unnatural speed and grasped the stick, jerking it towards the cage along with the still-attached guard. The guard's body hit the bars with a sickening crunch and the boy's insides turned liquid when he realised this was no trick.
For a long moment, the crowd gaped, open mouthed, at the bloodied guard slithering slowly to his knees, his surprised face jammed against the cage. Only the master of ceremonies appeared to notice the captive man, an arm thrust through the bars, groping at the guard's pockets. The boy ducked instinctively when the captive man pointed a small device at the cage door.
"Get the lights on.” The master of ceremonies stumbled backwards. “He's loose! By the gods, everyone run! Everyone—"
The creature that leapt from the cage seemed to be everywhere at once. One by one the guards fell, their gurgled death-cries mingling with the panicked screams of the audience. Swept along with the crowd, the boy lost the fight to stay upright and fell to the ground. Above him, from the edge of the stage, hung the mangled body of the master of ceremonies, his face a frozen terrified mask. Blood dripped from the ragged open flesh of his neck.
The horrified crowd trampled everything in their path, their only thought to escape the wrath of the Lupine, allowing the boy no space to right himself and run with them. A louder cry split the air as the creature jumped from the stage into the throng. People scattered, chairs overturned and the boy found himself staring death in the face, breathless and alone on the dirty wooden boards. The shadow of the Lupine hovered over him.
In the gloom, he made out the sleek furred pelt, the stained, yellowed canines. He heard the harsh rasp of the creature's breath reeking with the sickening stench of blood and flesh. He wanted to run, but the creature's eyes caught and held him. From their amber depths the boy was astonished to see the man still in place despite the terrible transformation.
"I'm sorry,” he blurted out, shame fast replacing the excitement. “Don't hurt me, please. I meant no..."
With narrowed eyes, the creature leaned forward, teeth bared, fanning the boy with its hot, moist breath. The boy pushed back frantically with his heels, only to find himself hoisted aloft by his tunic. Held tight in the creature's jaws, he truly believed his end had come. He mouthed a fervent prayer as he waited, eyes tightly closed now, for the slavering jaws to swallow him whole. Instead, he felt himself dropping onto the wooden stage, safe from the trampling feet while, from somewhere in the crowd, a deep male voice shouted him to move aside.
In front or behind him? The din made it impossible to pinpoint the direction of the voice until it moved closer and repeated the command to get out of the way. The searing flash of a blast-gun heated the boy's skin before he could catch his breath. With a yelp, the Lupine reared up, turning towards its attacker. Another high-energy charge caught the Lupine mid-chest in a blow that lifted it high into the air. Howling, it crashed to the ground.
Together, boy and beast lay face to face, panting on the stage, the mangled bodies of the dead guards around them.
"Run.” The boy turned his head to see the armour-clad guard striding towards them, his gaze fixed on his prey, blast-gun whining as it recharged. The boy turned back to the Lupine, almost unable to meet its pain-clouded eyes.
"Get up and run,” he said and hauled himself upright to stand, arms wide, in front of the stricken creature. “Don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him,” he cried to the guard.
"Are you crazy? Get out of my way.” The guard continued his relentless advance, bracing the weapon against his shoulder. “You saw what he did. Move, and let me finish him."
"No. They were cruel to him, that's why he attacked.” The boy turned to touch the creature with a trembling hand, causing a few brave souls to stop and stare at the unlikely spectacle. “Get up,” he whispered, his heart sinking when he saw the light of life fading from the creature's eyes. “Get up, please."
Hot tears trickled over his cheeks and splashed down onto the creature's face. It gave a soft growl.
"Yes!” The boy punched the air in triumph. “You're free,” he said. “Go and never look back.” With those words, the boy jumped from the stage straight into the arms of the gun-wielding guard.
"Little fool.” The man shoved him aside. “Get off me."
"No.” The boy lunged for the blast-gun, burning his fingers on the smoking barrel. He held on, teeth clenched with the pain, determined the guard would not get another clear shot. Behind him, the creature stirred and pushed up onto its elbows, a man again now, his chest a mass of burns. The Lupine staggered and pulled himself up to his full height.
"Freedom.” For the first time, the Lupine spoke. “Freedom,” he repeated and turned to stare, with longing, at the window. Even the guard stopped his struggle for the blast gun as the Lupine broke into a run, his face a mask of pain and determination. Gathering speed, he flung himself at the pane, shattering the glass and showering the boy and the guard where they stood gaping at the sight. Instinctively, the boy dropped to the floor and jammed his forearm over his eyes to protect them from the falling glass.
"Curse that bitch of a Goddess!” The guard let out a frustrated groan and kicked at the broken glass, sending shards skittering across the wooden floor. “Hell. It's all gone wrong."
The boy lowered his arm and looked up to see the guard towering over him, a hand extended. With ease, the guard hauled him upright and set him on his feet.
"Don't worry, boy. Bounty hunters will have him. Won't get far in that state. Be dead before morning, most likely.” The guard shook his head and cast a weary eye over the carnage on the stage. “Stupid fools. They should have waited for me. I'm the only one who ... Hell, what a mess."
"Why does he have to die?” The boy's voice shook with uncontrolled emotion as he watched the guard systematically checking his colleagues for signs of life.
"He's a killer, boy. A wounded creature is the most dangerous. He'll slaughter everything in his path, if we don't get to him first."
"You're wrong. You turned him into a beast, but he's a man, too. I saw it.” The boy scrubbed the tears from his eyes, determined to stand firm in his conviction. Willing the Lupine on with everything he had.
The guard pressed his lips together and tucked the master of ceremonies’ money clip into his tunic, resignation clouding his features. “Aye, perhaps we did. I wish it could have been otherwise, but the fact remains—we have a vicious killer on the loose. He's tasted blood, laddie. Human flesh. And he'll want more. We can't let him live. You must see that."
All around lay jagged shards of glass edged with the Lupine's blood. If the bounty hunters didn't kill him, his injuries surely would. The boy uttered a frantic prayer to the Gods and searched his pockets for one of his precious, hard-earned coins. The travelling fair had billed the Lupine as the last of its kind—a common claim. If it were true, a creature so rare should be protected, not destroyed. He kissed the coin reverently and threw it with all his might through the broken window, an offering to the Gods who made all things, even the creature who'd caused this carnage.
"For the Lupine."
The guard jumped from the stage, blast-gun in one hand, a long knife in the other. He threw the boy a pitying glance, turned and strode away, boots crunching over the broken glass. A rapturous cheer rose up from the crowd when he exited the room. The boy took another coin and rep
eated his offering, remembering not the beast, but the man who'd endured his humiliation until the day he could bear it no longer.
"For freedom.” He shouted so loud that the Gods could not fail to hear. “Freedom!"
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Chapter 1
"Oh Carine, I don't know what to do. You know I love father dearly."
Carine bit back a smile and continued sorting through a basket of recently-cut herbs. Some would be used fresh, others bundled and hung from the wooden rafters of the herb-still. They'd collected more than enough to fill one of the larger stalls at the spring trading fair.
"And?"
"And I don't want to disappoint him."
"Here, help me with this,” Carine said, handing her stepdaughter a ball of twine. I'll sort, you bundle. Your father's proud of you, Naima. Why would you disappoint him?"
"By not marrying Kandar."
"You're going to refuse him?"
Naima buried her face into a bunch of wild taraga, a potent anti-septic remedy, and inhaled deeply. “Is it that obvious?"
"Your father will never force to do anything against your will. But he does think it would be a perfect match."
"I know. Kandar is handsome, intelligent. A fearsome warrior—Eagle of course. Perfect physique, has wonderful prospects. Writes poetry that would make a rock weep. His singing would shame an angel. So why do I feel nothing at all for him?"
Carine regarded her stepdaughter with affection and considerable pride. The skinny teenager had matured into a young woman of poise and grace. Already, at only twenty years old, Naima's healing skills showed great promise. A mixture of strength and stubbornness, tempered with the softness of the mother she'd never known, Ancel's daughter had thrown herself into her new life, embracing each challenge as it arose.
"When the right man comes along, you won't have to question it,” Carine told her. “Your father will understand."
"What does my future hold? Can you see it?"