by Lexi C. Foss
I made mine.
I fought for it.
And I would continue fighting until my dying breath.
Edon smirked. “You held your own, mutt. Earned a little respect. Try to hold on to it, yeah?” His focus shifted to the dead vamp, his amusement dying as he took in the severely abused torso, bite marks, and twisted ligaments.
He began to prowl in earnest while his words replayed through my mind.
He saw the fight.
Why else would he comment on me holding my own? Unless he determined it from the broken pile he stumbled across.
But no.
I suspected he’d watched the whole damn thing unfold as some sort of fucked-up test.
“You told me to guard the body on purpose,” I said out loud.
“Of course I did,” he replied, crouching by the shaved head of the former bloodsucker. “You’re my only progeny. I had to see if I could trust you.” His knowing gaze flicked upward, a hint of respect in his depths. “Your loyalty may one day be rewarded. Something to keep in mind.”
I swallowed the dubious sound threatening to crawl out of my throat.
“What do you smell?” he asked, his attention again on the scene.
“Dead vampire and pack.”
Edon shook his head. “I mean, do you smell anything else? Anything that can help us determine who engaged in this unsanctioned kill?”
I scented the air again, frowning. “All I smell is collective pack, but I’ve not learned everyone’s signature traits yet.”
“It smells like collective pack to me, too,” he agreed, frowning. “Which means someone purposely covered their tracks.” He grabbed the chin of the vampire, tilted it to the side this way and that. “He’s one of Silvano’s. A higher-ranking official, but not a sovereign or a regent. Just an upper-level wannabe diplomat.”
Edon stood, glancing around, his nostrils flaring.
“I need you to bury the body,” he continued. “Maybe near one of the bordering creeks.”
My brow furrowed. What? “Shouldn’t we tell someone?” This seemed like something the Goddess would want to know about. The royal vampire, Silvano, would probably appreciate a heads-up as well.
He faced me. “And if we did, what would happen?” His tone lacked his usual arrogance and instead infused a note of curiosity.
Another test, I realized.
I considered the query carefully, recalling all my years of political study.
And frowned.
“They’d demand an eye for an eye.” Edon neither confirmed nor denied it, his mostly black eyes holding mine, waiting for me to continue. “Which you’d be forced to accept,” I added, thinking out loud. “And the omega member of the pack would be sacrificed—me.”
“So I suggest you bury the body, Omega,” Edon replied.
I scowled. There was the pompous prick I loved to hate.
But he was right.
Because what else could I do?
My lips nearly parted on a reply of acceptance, when the hint of orange blossoms teased my nose. Luna.
Her light brown eyes flashed from the trees a few yards away, her white coat a stark difference from the moss and ivy decorating the landscape.
If Edon noticed her presence, he didn’t show it. She studied the scene openly, not at all afraid of me for catching her in the act.
Did she realize I followed her as well?
That I adored the way her paws—
“Silas?” Edon interjected.
Right. Alpha demand. Not the best idea to lust after his female either.
I cleared my throat. “I’ll, uh, get to work.” I glanced at the tree line once more, but Luna was already gone. What are you up to? I wondered, not for the first time today.
Edon smirked, his hand falling to his jeans as he unbuttoned them. “I have a little wolf to catch, so I’m going for a run,” he murmured, sliding the fabric down his toned legs. “Hold on to these for me,” he added, handing them to me. “I’ll be back for them.”
I wanted to growl an unsavory reply, but the magic of his shift held my tongue captive in my suddenly dry mouth.
It was beautiful. Graceful. The most amazingly perfect shift I’d ever seen, and I’d observed several over the last few weeks on these grounds. He was just so liquid, so practiced, so fucking smooth.
Would I one day look like that? Doubtful. My bones still crunched. His just seemed to slide into their natural place as if he should always exist in this giant wolf form.
Edon shook out his coat, stretching.
No, preening.
He knew I was admiring him.
And he liked it.
I could tell by the cocky twinkle in his gaze.
He nudged me then with his nose, pushing me not so gently toward the body at my side. His nip to my arm seemed to be a warning.
Hurry up, he said into my head. I’ll be back in an hour.
And with that, he took off through the woods—in the direction of Luna’s orange-blossom scent.
4
Luna
Shit. Shit. Shit. Too close.
I ran across the grounds, trying to put as much distance as possible between me and Edon. The progeny noticing me was fine. The alpha, not so much. I’d avoided him for the better part of a week, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Ugh.
My damn nose always got me into trouble. However, the scent had drawn me toward the perimeter, where I’d watched in shock as the new lycan took on three full-blooded males while Edon watched from the sidelines. I’d thought for sure that the alpha would intervene and beat the young wolf into submission.
He didn’t.
Instead, he leaned against a tree and watched in amusement.
The others were too caught up in their own testosterone to see him. But I caught the sexy tilt of his mouth as it quirked up at the show.
Then it was gone just as fast as it had appeared when he stepped forward. The three purebreds cowered. The young one did not. And that only drew me into the action more, my curiosity forcing me to step forward to hear every word.
The newbie’s cocksure attitude shocked me, but not nearly as much as Edon’s reaction. He’d allowed it.
My father never would have tolerated that kind of lip. He’d have flogged the fur right off the disobedient wolf.
A nip at my heel had me whirling midstride, a snarl on my lips that died as Edon towered over me.
Oh, dear forest above, he’s fast.
And stealthy, too, because I hadn’t even felt him gaining on me, much less being close enough to bite.
I swallowed, uncertain. Was he angry with me for spying? I wasn’t officially pack yet, shouldn’t be privy to any political matters. But his stature seemed calm, not aggressive. If anything, he appeared agreeable.
We hadn’t spoken since that first night, and I’d pretty much been doing my own thing ever since. He began to circle me, appraising every inch of my wolf form. It was hard not to cower to his much bigger size.
If anyone questioned his alpha status, they just needed to ask this guy to shift, because wow.
Even I could admire the breadth of his shoulders, his strong thighs, and sleek, white coat. Perfection in wolf form. And the low rumble coming from his chest said he felt the same about me.
Another nip to my hind leg had me spinning again, a growl catching in my throat. He jumped to follow, his teeth snagging my rump—not hard, but playfully.
I didn’t understand what he was doing.
We just kept dancing in circles, his teeth touching my coat, my legs whirling me around, until finally I lunged at him. I didn’t like this dizzy game.
His masculine growl had my blood running cold until he tried to pin me with his jaw against my nape.
Oh. Hell. No.
I leapt away from him, only to find my much smaller form beneath his, grappling for purchase on the ground. I had half a mind to shift just to demand him to explain himself, but his muzzle against my neck forced me to fight back.<
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Round and round we went, sparring in wolf form beneath the willow trees.
He never snarled.
But I sure as hell did.
Especially when I pinned him with my jaws around his scruff. Only, he flipped me off him with a shake and pounced again.
It was ridiculous.
And… admittedly fun.
He’s playing, I realized with a shock that landed me on my rump beneath him again.
His mouth closed over my flank, sending me skidding away once more, this time at a dead run through the underbrush. He gave chase, his strides longer, more knowing, but I refused to give up.
I ran with everything inside me.
Fast.
Hard.
Sprinting over the earth at breakneck speeds.
It felt amazing. Free. Exciting.
And every time his teeth skimmed my hide, I pushed myself to pick up the pace even more.
Edon’s paws were silent, his presence behind me so invisible I thought I’d lost him.
Until he landed on me once more.
We tumbled and rolled from the impact, cascading us down a hill to the bank of a nearby river. Edon clamped down on my scruff to keep me from falling over the ledge, then gently pulled me back.
I blinked several times, dazed.
Then something soft and soothing ran over my muzzle. Edon’s tongue.
I made to back away, but a growl from him held me captive as he licked me again. It stung a little, telling me I’d scraped my nose on something—likely during the tumbleweed fall down that hill—and Edon was cleaning the wound.
I flinched at the sensation of his tongue slicking across my fur. It didn’t feel bad, just intimate. And I didn’t want to be intimate with him.
Except the wolf inside me had very different feelings on that front. She was practically preening beneath his touch, urging me to lean into his side to beg for more.
Disagreeing with my animalistic soul went against my instincts, stirring a discomfort inside that I wanted to relieve.
But I refused to give in to Edon or any other alpha.
I wanted to be in charge of my life. To be free to make my own fucking choices. Not have to submit to an alpha for direction.
Edon rumbled, the sound one of pleasure and happiness, and my damn wolf almost purred in response.
I needed to shift back into my human form where my brain ruled. But I couldn’t. She refused to budge.
Gah. Damn alpha hormones!
I swore he chuckled, as though he knew all about my internal struggle. And maybe he did. The mark on my thigh denoted me as his regardless of how my heart or mind felt. That meant our mating bond had begun. It would only be a matter of time before he owned every piece of me.
While I would own exactly none of him.
As was proven by his behavior this past week. I had no idea where he slept, but it wasn’t in his bed. Not that I cared. If anything, it’d been a relief.
But it certainly painted a picture of what life here would become.
Me—alone—raising a pup while he fucked and played and ruled.
Edon nuzzled my nose, his obsidian eyes glowing with curiosity. Maybe he wasn’t as entrenched in my head as I feared. He rolled into me, his warmth a blanket of security that set my fur on edge.
I didn’t need his protection.
His adoration.
His attention.
I didn’t want any of it.
Except my wolf seemed quite content to accept it all. She bathed in his energy, reveling in the power he possessed, his strength, his agility.
The water flowed before us, rippling over the rocks, flowing toward the ocean south of us. I’d studied the geography extensively prior to arriving, had spent the last week pacing the grounds to acquaint myself with the perimeters.
I’d originally pegged the newbie as the weakest link. After watching his performance today, I wasn’t so sure.
But I could take him.
He wasn’t an alpha, just a male. My training and strength and years as a wolf far outnumbered his. It wouldn’t be hard. I just had to find the right time to catch him off guard, subdue him, and run.
Given how much freedom this pack had allowed me, it’d probably take at least a day for them to realize I was gone.
Edon even longer if he continued to avoid his home at night.
He stood and stretched beside me, drawing my gaze to the athletic lines of his form, the sexy masculinity of his coat, and the breadth of his shoulders.
He was a big wolf. In every way.
The image of him nude in human form flashed behind my eyes unbidden, reminding me of his muscular build and the way his abdomen tapered into an impressive V at the waist. Which seemed to point to his most masculine part. And yeah, I could begrudgingly admit it was well proportioned.
He nudged me with his nose, causing my eyes to lift to his. Amusement and hunger shone brightly in those ebony orbs—a promise of passion to come.
“And you’ll beg me to fuck you, too.”
His words seemed to hum across the air, engraving themselves in the moment and vowing to come to fruition.
Such arrogance.
But he was an alpha lycan. They were all arrogant.
And if it were up to my wolf, he’d probably win.
I laid my head back down, my way of displaying boredom and disinterest. It earned me a low sound in response, one brought on by the back of his throat. A growl of intention.
Not happening, I thought, conveying it with my body posture, refusing to look at him.
Silence fell between us.
My fur danced in anticipation, waiting for him to pounce again, to engage me in another game. But seconds rolled by into minutes. Until finally I looked back to find him gone.
He’d left me without a word.
An act I saw fitting because I intended to do the same to him. And soon.
5
Edon
Well, at least Luna’s wolf liked me.
The woman beneath, however, clearly did not.
That was fine. After that beautiful display of speed, I could wait. Because winning her over would be worth the chase.
Someone above had crafted my ideal female. Feisty, sexy, athletic, and fierce. Just sensing her had heated my blood. And then her shock at my wanting to play had amused me deeply.
Did the Ernest Clan not engage in such affairs? Because we Clementes enjoyed our sparring. Well, we used to, anyway.
My father’s way of ruling our people was more self-serving than caring. From what my grandfather told me, it wasn’t always like this. And it didn’t have to stay this way unless I wanted it to. Which remained to be seen.
I trotted along the grounds, scenting for anything suspicious along the way. The Alpha Trials were well underway, and my father seemed hell-bent on putting me through the wringer. If I failed, he would continue to rule for another year until we could restart the process.
Some alphas required almost a decade to complete the ascension.
I planned to do it in one.
This year.
So I welcomed whatever damage he wanted to send my way. Even if it came in the form of a dead vampire.
It had to be a test to see how I chose to handle the situation.
As far as I could tell, I only had one option. Pack first. Always. And fuck bullshit politics. I would not sacrifice my only progeny over a corpse. Especially as he was proving to be useful.
Most of my kind looked down upon the mutts, claiming them to be half-breeds since they weren’t born lycan. But I saw it from a different angle—Silas grew up fighting for his life. That did something to a man. It strengthened his resolve, made him harder, faster, and smarter. Nothing was given to him on a golden platter, unlike the idiots who questioned my authority earlier. They were all pompous pack royals, sitting neatly beneath the alpha line and awaiting their futures in glorified enforcer roles.
While Silas, he had no role.
He was one of a kind
since all the previous mortals turned lycans were dead in our clan. Mostly because my father had sired them. The last one in our territory was turned just over two decades ago. I’d been a wee pup, but old enough to witness what happened to the female who won the Immortal Cup that year.
My father turned her.
Then gave her to his buddies as a present.
The next time I saw her was during the burial my grandfather organized in her honor. He’d forced me to attend, saying I needed to know how to properly respect the dead. When I asked after my father, wondering at his lack of attendance, I was told that times had changed.
“Your father leads in a different time and manner than I once did,” he’d said that day. “That’s evidenced now by this poor girl’s treatment.”
I thought of her as I came upon Silas sitting naked on a log with my pants folded neatly at his side. The stench of death had lessened, but I pinpointed the grave several yards away. Silas had probably shifted to dig the hole in his wolf form. Which explained his now wet hair—he’d gone for a wash in the creek after.
Because he didn’t have a home.
Or a shower.
No one would provide him with shelter here, yet his presence was required on the grounds. I suspected my father intended to use him somehow in the Alpha Trials.
Let’s go for a run, I told Silas, meeting his wary gaze. I’d grab my pants later. Shift.
I didn’t wait for him to comply, just jumped over the log he sat on and took a path away from the main grounds, deeper into the marshlands beyond. Wolves didn’t live out here, mostly because we preferred to be together.
But there were times when some of us needed an escape—especially me. I’d actually spent the last few nights out here, away from the expectations of the pack to clear my head. That was how I’d been so close to Silas when he’d howled in alarm.