Without even thinking about it, she spun and planted her elbow in his solar plexus. Adam grunted and stumbled backward. Before he could regain his footing, Nikki advanced, sweeping out her leg and taking Adam’s out from underneath him. He hit the floor with a thud.
Nikki stood over him and grinned. For the first time ever, she had managed to knock Zane’s second in command on his ass. Adam laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender.
“I don’t know what Zane was worried about. You’re good. Almost better than me.”
“Almost? Who’s on the floor, wolfboy?”
“Lucky shot.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Nikki knew she’d taken him fair and square.
“You have amazing control. I don’t know if even Zane can call his wolf that close to the surface without changing.”
Truth be told, Nikki had been practicing. She knew her wolf was her secret weapon, and unlike Sara, it was one she embraced whole-heartedly. No matter what happened, she swore Sara would not get the drop on her like she had Rachel. In the three weeks since her death, Nikki practiced every day and sparred with Adam three times a week.
Zane kept a close watch on her and attempted to ensure she was never alone. He feared Sara would try to ambush Nikki when no one else was around so she could play dirty with no witnesses. Nikki knew better though. She knew this was one fight Sara would want everyone to see. Her arrogance led her to believe she would beat Nikki, and her defeat would make the other women in the pack hesitate before casting aspirations on Zane.
Wanting to fight public actually worked in Nikki’s favor as far as she was concerned. It would keep the fighting dirty to a minimum. If Sara acted outside the boundaries of pack law, she’d face the ultimate consequence…death. Nikki intended to make sure Sara faced it anyway. This was one fight where she would not offer the chance for her opponent to live. The fight between her and Sara would be to the death.
Nikki held her hand out to Adam and helped him off the floor. “After Rachel’s death and then finding Misha, I thought it best to practice my control. We all know the closer the wolf is to the surface, the better instincts we have.”
“Yes, and that’s one advantage you have.”
Nikki raised her eyebrow. Guess that answered the question about whether or not his use of “she” was intentional.
“I made peace with my wolf a long time. If not, men in white suits would’ve carted me off to some insane asylum. Trying to handle being a wolf while also dealing with the changing body and hormones of a teenager is just too much.”
Adam nodded. “That’s why turning a minor is prohibited in most packs and greatly frowned upon in others.”
“It should be an outright law.”
“You’d need a governing body for that.”
Nikki frowned. “Yes, I know. Never going to happen. As a whole, our species are just too rowdy and hotheaded.”
“Unfortunately. It’s the nature of the beast within us.”
Nikki grabbed her water bottle and towel, giving her forehead a swipe to dab away the sweat. “I’m going to head up and hit the showers.”
“Be careful on your way up.”
“Always.”
Nikki had spent the past three weeks avoiding Sara as much as possible. She tried to walk through the apartment complex with another person, and if she couldn’t, she tended to take the stairs. Sara hated climbing them in the high heels she always wore, so she was well known to take the elevator.
Nikki bounded up the steps. Deep in thought, she almost missed the sounds coming from above her. She stopped and listened. Voices drifted down towards her. She silently padded halfway up the next flight, straining her ears to hear the conversation.
“It’s too soon after the last one! We almost got caught!” the unfamiliar male voice shouted.
“Keep your voice down!” the female hissed.
Sara!
“Almost getting caught was a fluke. Otherwise, I would’ve finished what you started. Of course, that bitch Nikki had to show up and ruin everything. It won’t happen again, I promise. Now, do you have a new girl lined up for me?”
“Yes. She thinks she’s meeting me for a romantic night out. I’ve told her nothing that would lead anyone to me or to you.”
“Good. Take her out a few times. Make her comfortable with you, but be sure to keep to out of the way places so no one identifies you after she disappears. We’ll do it right after the full moon. I’ll have the bitch out of the way by then.”
Nikki drew in a full breath through her nose, and a familiar scent filled her nostrils. Her heart tripped in her chest. Slowly, she padded back down towards the basement, hoping Sara and her accomplice would be so focused on their conversation that neither of them would hear nor smell her. By the time she reached the basement elevator, her heart beat so quickly, it threated to burst from her ribcage. The scent of the man with Sara lingered in her nose. The same scent had drenched the bite on Misha.
Chapter Eleven
“It’s not enough, Nikki. You know that. Besides, you didn’t see the man, so we still don’t know what he looks like.”
Nikki paced across the floor of her living room. “We already knew Sara was involved somehow!”
Zane looked gravely at Nikki. “Yes, but we still need more proof. What exactly did you hear?”
“They plan to attack another girl after the full moon. It sounded like the intention with Misha was for him to wound her and Sara to finish her off, but my appearance interrupted them.”
“Sounds like something Sara would do. She always goes after the weak.”
“She’s a coward.”
Zane nodded and sighed. “Yes, she is. I wish I had seen her for what she is before I got entangled with her.”
Nikki couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. “You don’t always think with your big head first.”
Zane playfully swatted her behind.
She grew serious again and perched on the edge of the couch. “She said I would be out of the way by then.”
“Which means she intends to go after you next weekend at the cabin.”
Nikki nodded in agreement. “Except, I plan to beat her to the punch.”
Zane shot an incredulous look at Nikki. “What?”
“It will throw her off guard. She will never expect it.”
Zane tapped his finger on his cheek in thought. “You might be right. And putting her off her game can bring nothing but good. She’s too impulsive. Instead of thinking and planning her moves or letting instinct kick in, she will just jump right in.”
“That’s what I’m planning on.”
Zane walked over and pulled Nikki to her feet, drawing her into his strong embrace. “You have to win. I can’t bear to lose you.”
“I will win. I know I can beat her.”
“When do you plan on calling her out?”
“Right after everyone arrives. It’s best that way, don’t you think?”
Zane rested his chin on the top of Nikki’s head. “Yes. It won’t give her a chance to throw down the gauntlet first.”
“What will we do about the rogue?”
“If we are lucky, he will move on once Sara is gone. Otherwise, Adam and I will track him down. We’ll find him if he stays.” Zane glanced at his watch and grimaced. “I have to go. Since I’m still keeping up appearances, I promised Sara I would take her out tonight.”
Nikki frowned up at him. “Couldn’t you have told her no?”
“Nik, we’ve been over this already. I’m trying to keep you out of her crosshairs for now. The best way to do that is spend time with her.”
Nikki pulled away from Zane and turned her back to him. “And fuck her.”
“No. That I have not done. Not that she hasn’t tried to tempt me. The truth is, nothing about her tempts me. I don’t find her attractive anymore. Not knowing what she truly is.”
Nikki sighed and turned around. “I know as Alpha, you have the right to fuck whoever you wan
t.”
“Nik, I know I’ve used my privilege in the past with gusto. But it’s different now.”
“How?”
Zane grasped Nikki’s hand and held it over his heart. “Because this belongs to you, and once a wolf falls in love, it ends our wild ways of bedding every female in sight. You know we mate for life.”
“But we aren’t mated yet.” The mating ritual involved a blood exchange. It forever tied two wolves together.
“We will be.” Zane reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “It’s not much, but think of it as a promise.” He opened the box to reveal a gold ring with a small ruby. “A ruby for my fiery redhead.”
Nikki felt tears gathering in her eyes. “It’s beautiful.”
“I couldn’t get something that would call attention to itself, but I wanted you to have something. It’ll do until I can get you a diamond.”
He slipped the ring onto Nikki’s finger. “This is my promise to you. We may not yet be mates by blood, but we are mates of the heart. The rest is just a technicality.”
“It’s beautiful.” Nikki wrapped her arms around Zane and laid her face upon his chest. She could feel his heart beating against her cheek. The heart that beat for her. She knew now the mating ritual would just be a formality. She’d already won; Sara just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter Twelve
Nikki drove her Jeep up the winding dirt road that snaked its way to the remote cabin the pack used for the full moon retreats. Despite the fact she intended to challenge Sara fairly soon after arriving, peace filled her. Instead of being nervous and apprehensive, she felt calm and certain. It was time. The pack deserved a better Alpha than Sara, and Nikki believed the spot belonged to her. Rachel’s death would not be in vain.
She pulled up to the cabin and parked behind Sara’s dirty BMW. Shaking her head, she climbed out of the Jeep. The mud spattered car just reinforced the fact that it was time for Sara’s reign to end. She didn’t have the common sense or maturity needed to help lead a pack. She was selfish and juvenile and only looked out for herself. The only reason she clung to Zane was for the status of belonging to the male Alpha.
Most of the pack had already arrived. Nikki timed it that way on purpose. She didn’t want to give Sara any time to waylay her before the gathering. As she slammed the Jeep’s door shut, members of the pack began to spill out of the cabin’s front door and onto the grassy front lawn. Adam had stayed behind with Misha at the apartment complex. New cubs spent of the three days of the cycle of the first couple of moons in the containment room in the basement. A spurt of anger speared through Nikki. That poor little innocent girl’s life had been changed forever because of Sara and her lust for power. At least Nikki’s sudden appearance had stopped Sara and her rogue from killing Misha as they’d planned.
Nikki strode toward the group as Zane and Sara followed the members of the pack out the front door. It was time. She stepped into the middle of the crowd and held up her hands.
“Pack! Hear my challenge!”
The pack responded in concert. “We hear!”
Nikki spun to face Sara who stood still with shock. “I challenge you, Sara, for the place of Alpha female of the pack! I call you! My wolf calls your wolf!”
Nikki stood tall and proud, her fiery curls flowing in the wind as she waited for Sara to respond with the customary reply. She could’ve sworn she saw a momentary flash of fear before Sara straightened and took a step forward.
“I hear the challenge! May the best wolf win!”
Not wanting to waste a moment and give Sara any time to formulate a defense, Nikki didn’t bother stripping out of her clothes. Instead, she immediately initiated the change. Fabric ripped and shredded and red fur replaced skin. As her body completed the transition from human to wolf, she leaped forward and swiped a large front paw at Sara, catching her still in mid-change.
The woman grunted and flew backward. Nikki pounced, and as she landed, the yellow wolf beneath her finished the change. Nikki knew the only chance she had of winning the challenge was to let her wolf control the fight. Making a conscious effort to rein in her human thinking, she relinquished control to the wolf inside her.
The yellow wolf yelped as if sensing the change in the red wolf on top of her. Nikki’s wolf roared and bit down, closing her massive jaws around the neck of Sara’s wolf. Jerking her head, she tore a huge gash in Sara’s throat before the yellow wolf managed to throw her off. Nikki gained her feet before Sara managed to stumble to full standing and once again, she leapt.
The two wolves tumbled and Sara landed a glancing blow to Nikki’s side. The stinging pain incensed the red wolf, and she gained her feet and charged. Sara attempted to block the claws and teeth of Nikki’s wolf, but she was just too slow. Her hesitance to fully embrace her wolf led to her defeat. Nikki once again closed her jaw around Sara’s throat, but this time, she hit the jugular. The damage was too severe for Sara to heal.
Nikki lifted her head and howled as the darkness settled around them and the full moon bathed them in its loving embrace. She backed away from the yellow wolf as its breathing slowed and then stilled. Unlike the myths about werewolves, her wolf did not change back to human. If a werewolf died in wolf form, they stayed that way.
One by one new howls rent the air as the members of the pack transformed. Each one affirmed their new female alpha. Zane’s howl was the last to bellow through the air. The challenge is won! All hail Nikki, your new alpha!
All hail!
The pack yipped and howled and ran. The night’s run would be a celebration, not only of their wolf nature, but of their new alpha. Sara would be taken care of after their return. Though she had fallen, they would still honor her as pack law dictated. Even the losers of a challenge deserved a proper burial.
Chapter Thirteen
The members of the pack gathered on the hilltop around the fresh mound of dirt. Soon after sunrise, they had straggled back to the cabin one by one. After all had returned, they carried the yellow wolf to the sacred burial grounds of the pack and laid her to rest with other fallen wolves. Nikki had caught snatches of conversation from other members and realized her feelings about Sara were shared by many. The consensus seemed to be that Sara’s time as Alpha had last much longer than it should. Most believed she had not been a good female alpha, and some even suspected she had some part in Misha’s attack, though none seemed to have any evidence to back that up. For them, it was just a feeling.
For Nikki, who had heard the conversation in the stairwell, it was much more than that. It was justice. For Misha…and for Rachel. And for all of the other innocents Sara had planned to slaughter.
She placed a flower on the fresh dirt as tradition said the challenge winner should, but she did not speak. Instead, Zane spoke a few words over the grave, and then the pack scattered. Some would return to the apartment complex due to job or family obligations, while others would stay and finish the weekend at the cabin. The attitude would not be one of mourning but of jubilation. Challenges in the pack were just a way of life, and while they didn’t always end in death, it did happen. Such was the way of the wolf.
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Ravaged by the Rainbow
Alien Sex Monster
Skye Eagleday
Shakyo
I had finished the final song to end the ceremony. It was one of my favorites, celebrating First Man and First Woman. I dreamed of what it would be like to have been First Woman at the beginning of this World. I wrapped my drum in its deerskin cover and put it away. The last of the worshipers filed in to enjoy the feast. There would be fresh deer t
onight. I looked forward to that.
I hummed the Song of the Rainbow to myself. The lyric “wrapped in a rainbow” ran over and over again inside my head. I would love to be pulled inside the rainbow’s bright colors.
“Shakyo,” Tibah called to me from the doorway. “Would you be willing to bless the food, or would you prefer I should do it?” I looked up and wished yet again she had more talent for the spiritual side of things. She meant well, but she would never be truly able to serve. Still, she could sing the Food Blessing Song. Anyone could.
“I want a few minutes by myself to finish up. The rest of the women are hungry. Why don’t you go ahead and sing the Blessing. I’ll be in when I’m done here. Just make certain you save some of the deer meat for me.” She nodded and turned away. I could feel the pride swell up within her. That pride would always hold her back. She’d never grow into leadership. At least she had a decent enough voice for the songs.
She left me alone and I returned to putting my ceremonial tools away with the proper attention. I looked at the sky—the dark of the Moon was the time the Women Ceremonies must be done, but the Medicine Men had slandered us by calling them Witchcraft.
Each of the women inside could be killed if the men knew what we had just done. But each of us had been taught from the time we were first tied to the Moon these rituals were just as important as those performed by the men.
“The Women Society keeps the Sacred Balance of the Hozoji—the Path of Life,” my mother told me right before she died the night of my eighteenth birthday. “Long ago, the Women Ceremonies were done openly. It was only after the White Man came, our men claimed all rituals and we had to do ours in secret.”
I heard a noise a few yards away. It might be a coyote—not the best of omens. Coyote doesn’t have the best reputation among women. Although since the Stories tell us Coyote was the one who created breasts for women and the penis for men after Human People were made by the Yei, I will admit a certain admiration for Him. My virginity was my own, and when I was ready to share it with the right man, I will offer a prayer of gratitude for Coyote.
Shifters, Beasts, and Monsters Page 39