Chuckling, I turned to face her, and cradled her cheeks. “There is no reason for you to be so paranoid. Nothing is going to happen here. We have no enemies. It’s safe.”
She mumbled something unintelligible in German, crossing her arms over her chest while I chuckled, my gaze returning to the Great Moon above us. Her silverish light became brighter with every second that ticked by, and I admired her as my chest filled with electrifying energy in response.
This was going to be fun.
* * *
A few hours after a thorough tour of the house, and having a typical American dinner prepared by Ms. Elizabeth—the Chicago chef—Audrick, Zelin, the guys and I filed into the SUVs, and headed towards the large field of Lincoln Park, at the edge of the city and the bay, where the zoo was located.
Franz had stayed behind to rest, since he would be flying back to Germany tomorrow, after seeing us safely to Chicago as he’d promised the queen and king, aka, my parents.
The streets were silent as most of the city slept. It was well after midnight, and the moon now hung high on top of us, illuminating the road and trees in a eerie though captivating way. The car wobbled a bit when Audrick forwent the zoo’s parking lot, and drove through the uneven terrain and trees, arriving at a densely foliaged area of the park.
My skin began to tingle when we stepped out of the SUVs—now hidden between the cluster of trees—and muscles jumped and contracted along my body, in response to the nature that surrounded us. It called to me.
I removed my shoes, and the moment my bare feet touched the grass, a burst of electrifying energy rushed through me at the contact. A contented sigh left me, and I urgently pulled the clothes off my body. Everyone else’s clothes fell to the ground with mine, next to the cars.
A wolf howl suddenly pierced the night, coming from the wolf habitat in the zoo—the wolves had sensed our presence, no doubt. My skin began to ripple along my arms instantly, and waves of black fur covered every inch of me as my transformation was triggered, and I let my essence come to the surface.
Shiny black claws—like polished onyx crystals—protruded from my fingertips, and my arms elongated, muscles bulging, just as my back broadly expanded. My bones cracked, swiftly readjusting within me, but I felt no pain. I was used to it.
The transition overall was fluid after having welcomed it so many times. My body tripled in mass, shifting forms, and the next second I fell on all fours onto the fresh crisp grass, as a massive black wolf.
My keen sight, now augmented by the shift, took in every detail of our surroundings without losing its perspective—my wolf form was the same height as my man form had been, nearly six foot five. A great howl erupted from deep within my chest, and lifting my head to the night sky, I called to our Great Moon.
Zelin strutted next to me in her beautiful black wolf, her howl echoing mine, followed by Audrick and the knights’ who had all shifted with us.
The protected wolves from the zoo responded my Alpha call, unable to resist it. They jumped onto boulders and over the walls of their habitat, until they escaped, and made it out to our side. With a surge of power, I shot forwards, so fast that my paws barely touched the ground. We began running while the red Chicago wolves joined our pack.
The chilling January wind brushed over the fur on my head and back, though its freezing force barely registered on the thick wolf coat wrapped around my body, providing warmth and protection.
With each stroke of my paws over the earth, my senses awoke, becoming sharper and more in tuned than before, as the world around me became a raw energy force that fed my shifter essence.
The red wolves whimpered behind us, trying to keep up with our enhanced speed, so we slowed our pace to let them catch up, just as we crossed the field and bridge onto North Avenue Beach. The red wolves jumped excitedly around us, when we slowed to a brisk strut on the beach. They rolled onto the cool sand in between our group, playing with the knights, while they rolled with them on the ground.
I laughed, the deep sound coming out of me somewhere between a growl and a bark through my muzzle. The knights frolicked with the wolves as though they were pups, letting them jump on them, and bite their fur, pulling on their ears and tails while I contemplated the marvelous sight.
The knights’ massive white wolves were a stark contrast to the onyx wolf form that Audrick, Zelin, and I held. They were original ReinheitWölfe, pure, with fur as white as the snow, but mixed with the brown and gray streaks of the earth beneath, and eyes as blue as the sea. Placed upon this earth to guard the lands they claimed, and the humans living on them for the rest of time.
ReinheitWölfe pack—Pureblood pack—had once meant only the descendants of the first wolf shifter of the Great Moon, the Moon Princess or Prince, were the true protectors of this world. Timber Wolves with beautiful white mixed fur. Yet, one day a new race of shifters was born. Created by a rogue shifter filled with grief and ambition for the power his race held.
The rogue asked a Witch to sacrifice his human wife, to force the shift upon their half human baby, and created a wolf as black as the magic the Witch had used. Forgoing all rules or morals, he began hunting humans as food and for breeding, sacrificing the mothers of every child born, to create his own pack.
The SchwarzWölfe—RavenWolves clan.
That was the pack I was born into, but I never imagined the turn my life would take. I was just a kid when the Great Moon blessed my essence, making me as pure inside as her latest Moon Princess, Luna, the ReinheitWölfe Queen.
The queen claimed me as her own son, and though our journey proved difficult and scarring, the love her heart held for me ended up changing the future of our races. My new parents ended all evil, giving the innocent a new chance at a life we chose for ourselves.
Now, the ReinheitWölfe pack meant family. Although not originally born of the same pack, we were all Moonchildren, forming one Pureblood clan. Some by birth, some by claim, and some by vow, but all accepted as one.
We all became protectors of the world, and as a new Moon Prince, that was now my legacy.
Euphoria rushed through me at the sight of the lake, and I rushed towards the shore with Zelin next to me. I was finally staring at the great blue water. A force to be reckoned with, one of our Great Moon’s greatest loves, and the reason my mom’s eyes were aquamarine blue, just like mine had become after she officially made me her son through the Claim Bond Law.
Without thinking, I jumped, my powerful hind legs sending me well over the water, until I plunged in the deeper section of the beach. The frigid waters engulfed me whole with the force of my entry, and every single cell in my body became rigid.
Holy husky puppies!
Okay that was my mother’s expression, not mine, but it had stuck with me after hearing it five times a day while growing up—every single day.
“Shit. Shit. Shit. This water is freaking cold!” I sent into Zelin’s mind, using our private mental link. There was no fur coat in this world that could ever protect me from this freezing crap. Breaking the surface I gasped for air, searching all around me for Zelin, and found her laughing at me from the shore.
“Silly, silly man…” she chuckled while I shuddered, kicking my legs to stay afloat.
“What the hell, Z! Aren’t you supposed to be with me until the end?”
She shrugged, which looked both awkward and funny in her wolf form. “Sure, but I’m not going in there. That water must be shatter-your-furry-butt-to-pieces cold, and my love for you is not that big. I like my butt the way it is, warm and toasty. If a shark eats you, so be it.”
“Funny. There are no sharks in lakes—even if this one is as big as the sea.”
She shrugged again, while I muttered a few curse words, but I didn’t think she heard them, because she was still laughing at me.
Out loud.
As a wolf.
Shuddering in the water again, I shifted to a man, making it easier to swim back to shore, and get out of the freezing water before
I lost my man bits to frostbite.
I was quite fond of my man bits.
Lake Michigan blurred on the other side of the window, as we made our way to Northwestern University the next morning. The sight of the great blue water expanding over the horizon was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. When you grew up around the forest and mountains the sea was definitely a sight to behold, and even though this wasn’t technically the sea, it was as close as I had ever gotten.
I was in love.
This would be my view during the thirty-minute drive to and from class every day, and I couldn’t think of anything more perfect.
My chest constricted then, as the hint of sadness continued to flow into me, mixing with my emotions. Interlacing my fingers with Zelin’s, I tightened my hold on her hand, giving her strength.
It was her emotion I felt inside me, a trickle of longing that fluently travelled through me since we left Franz at the private airport early this morning, so he could take the royal jet back to Germany. Franz was very dear to her, to us, and I couldn’t lie, it was going to be hard spending the next five years away from him. Away from home.
I couldn’t help the swell of guilt that made its way through me. Zelin and the knights were here for me, fulfilling their duty to protect me—like all Eisen Ritters and their knights had done throughout our history. I had made this decision, and because of that I pulled them away from their families and the home they knew.
Because she was my guardian, Zelin and I were connected since the moment we were born, in a way no other shifters would ever be. We shared a soul. Though we weren’t soul mates in the way humans knew—romantically.
Our connection was spiritual, allowing us to feel each other’s emotions as though they were our own. It linked us together no matter where we were, which allowed her to be there for me, as my protector.
“It will get easier,” I whispered, pulling her head to rest on my chest, and engulfed her in my embrace. I couldn’t help the innate need to be there for her and protect her. “This will be an adventure for us. You with me?”
Her eyes connected with mine as she lifted her chin, giving me one of her signature scowls. “Is that even a question?”
I shrugged. “You with me?” I asked again, squeezing her.
“Until the end,” she answered.
My lips stretched into a grin, and I kissed the tip of her nose—a gesture I had unconsciously stolen from my uncle Axel, who was always so affectionate with my mom. Though with Zelin, it was a gesture only I could get away with, because of the connection we shared.
Audrick smiled at us through the rearview mirror, driving into the parking lot of the university. The SUV in front of us, driven by Emory—Zelin’s second in command of the knights—parked in a row to our right, and we parked the other two cars right next to it.
Letting go of Zelin, I stepped out of the SUV, flinging the leather messenger bag over my back. I opened the door wider for her to exit, watching her pull her silver sword from under the seat.
Surprise rippled through me. “Oh hell no. No way.” I shook my head adamantly. “You are not bringing that thing on campus.”
“What do you mean? I’m your Iron Knight and this my sword!” she growled appalled.
“What do you mean, what do I mean? We had this conversation three times already. You are not bringing that thing on campus.”
“But I—”
“No, Zelin. Just picture how crazy it’s going to seem for you to be walking around with a sword the size of your leg strapped to your hip?” Was she for real? “That might be normal back home, but not here.”
“Actually, I was going to strap it to my back.” She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.
“Of course,” I agreed sarcastically. “Because that makes it disappear. Obviously.”
Her dark eyes dangerously narrowed at me, while the knights stepped down from the cars, fanning around us.
“Unless you have a new power I don’t know about, and you can make that thing invisible, you are not bringing it. End. Of. Discussion.”
A low growl began in the back of her throat, clicking as it intensified with her anger. Audrick took a cautious step back, so did the knights.
I straightened to my full height, giving her a warning glare. “Stop it.”
Her growl died instantly, and she frowned, her lower lip sticking out as she pouted. “But it’s my sword.”
“Not happening.”
She glared. “Oh, it’s happening!”
“We need to blend in, Z,” I rebutted. “There are humans all around us, and they cannot find out who we truly are. That will be difficult enough already, given the fact that I’m attending college with thirteen ‘cousins’, who all happen to be studying the same thing I am, and won’t leave my side at any point. Not even in the bathroom.”
“Besides, there are no threats here,” Rod ‘Big Wolf’ added, fingertips rubbing his Wolverine style beard. “If they arise, I’ll just shift and rip their—”
“No!” I barked, incredulous. “No one is shifting here. Got it?”
Rod huffed, shaggy brows deeply gathering as he made his discontent shown. He loved shifting. If it were up to him, he’d spend his whole days as a wolf, which had brought on his obvious nickname.
“Gustav is right,” Egon added. “No visible weapons. I got us covered.” Opening his brown leather jacket, he pulled up his t-shirt, revealing his set of ‘lucky daggers’ strapped along the sides of his chest.
Patience.
“No,” I answered resolute.
“But no one can see them!” Egon argued.
“No throwing daggers.” I shook my head as he grumbled under his breath, unclasping the leather holster that held them, and returning it to the car.
“Come on, guys, we came here to have fun!” ‘All smiles, Dale’ added, resting his arms along Emory and Olis’ shoulders.
“Also, we don’t need weapons to take down a threat if it should arise.” Flexing his arms, Olis placed a kiss on each bulging bicep. “I am here.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, in a failed attempt to release the building frustration, I sighed. “You guys are going to be the death of me.”
Despite our discussion, the knights chuckled around us. Mixing twelve different personalities, and dealing with them on a daily basis wasn’t easy. It would be a miracle if I survived this.
“You should be on your way, guys,” Audrick interrupted our banter. “The President of the university is expecting you, and we don’t want you to be late.”
“Of course.” Zelin nodded, her dominant side returning as she lifted the sword to strap it to her back.
My gaze connected with hers, and I reached for her cheek. “You are the Eisen Ritter, the fiercest shifter of our race. You can break a guys neck with one blow,” I reminded.
She huffed, but her onyx eyes sparkled with the compliment. “You bet your sweet ass I can.”
The guys snickered.
“Then tell me. Do you really need your sword here?”
Her eyes narrowed at my challenge, and I was forced to repress a triumphant grin. Zelin knew what I was doing, but I still had her. Turning, she placed the sword back under the seats, and walked past me, mumbling something unintelligible in German.
“Good luck on your first day, guys,” Audrick offered us with a head bow, locking the SUV, and walking towards the street to explore the exciting city.
“Have fun, and take pictures!” Dale yelled after him, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet from excitement.
“Let’s go, Monkey,” I added, walking ahead, and holding Zelin’s legs to my sides the second she jumped on my back.
Emory moved forwards, taking the front as the guys began to flank us—six in front of us, and six behind us.
“Hey!” a feminine voice reached us, and we turned around to find a small group of students walking towards us. “Are you guys the new students from Germany?” the brunette at the front asked, holding a c
ouple of books against her chest.
“Dass wir sind”—that we are, Olis answered before I could, plunging his hand inside his front pockets, and making his muscles more prominent in front of the three girls.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. The girl with flowing blond hair stepped closer to him. “I’d love to learn German,” she purred, batting her eyelashes at him as her hand reached for his sleeve.
“And I’d love to teach you,” he answered with a smirk, the German accent thick in his voice.
“Down, boy, down,” Emory sent to him through the pack’s mental connection, including us all in the link.
Olis winked at her, taking her wandering hand from his bicep and kissing it, but followed his Chief Beta’s orders, taking a step back to our side. The knights were all Betas to Zelin, who was an Alpha, but Emory was her second.
“Has someone ever told you that you look like Wolverine?” the third girl asked, twinkling honey eyes set on Rod.
He grinned at her. “Thank you, beautiful.”
Damn, no one would be able to stand him after that. He was obsessed with the X-men movies, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was his ultimate hero—hence the beard and look.
The brunette’s eyes remained on me. “My name is Sarah, and yours?”
“I’m Gustav,” I answered with a smile, instantly catching the beginning of a growl build in Zelin’s chest—she was still perched on my back. I squeezed her thigh chidingly, and she stopped.
“Oh, hey girl,” she waved at Zelin, who I pray wasn’t glaring at her. “How do you guys like Chicago so far?”
Crickets.
I squeezed Zelin’s leg again. “We spoke about this, Z. Please be social.”
“It’s fine,” Zelin shrugged her response to Sarah.
“We arrived late last night, so we haven’t really had a chance to sightsee.” I answered instead.
Sarah slightly frowned at Zelin’s answer but she easily dismissed it, and her emerald green eyes shifted to me and guys and she smiled once again. “Well, as a proud citizen of Chicago, born and raised, I formally welcome, you. I hope you like it here. The city definitely has its charm, people are nice, and we have amazing pizza.”
Wolf Prince Page 2