She noticed Danshak slowing down ahead of her and she did her best to pick up her speed and catch up with him. When she did, he glanced at her before looking straight ahead again.“Are you tired?” He asked without looking at her.“Not really. I think I’m just out of shape,” she said.“You do not look out of shape to me. You look perfect in both werewolf and human form.”The unexpected compliment warmed her insides, and Erin wondered if he could see her blushing under her fur. Who would have thought that the stone-cold Danshak was capable of dishing out compliments?“Do you want me to carry you?”His question surprised her. “Would you? There’s no way you will be able to keep up with the others with me on your back. I don’t want to slow you down.”“This is not a competition. We are going home and what matters is that we get there alive. Jump on my back, let me carry you.”Erin was touched by his concern for her. Danshak may not have a single romantic bone in his body, but he clearly car
“These attacks will not stop until I am dead,” said Vak Smallchief. He was covered in blood and multiple bite marks. Those nasty beasts had ganged up on him and injured him before his warriors could come to his rescue.“I had expected Nikjin to join them in this attack, but it appears he is the coward that I have always suspected him to be,” said Olna Raven. She too was covered in blood but her injuries were minor compared to that of her husband.“My brother is a very devious creature,” said Vak disdainfully. “He will never do the dirty work by himself, but he will show up in time to take the credit for the outcome if it is favorable to him.”“What now?” Asked Weruona. “Do we continue our journey home, or are we to rest a little and recover from this onslaught?”“I say we rest for now and continue the journey when we have all recovered from this horrible experience,” said Olna Raven. “Or do you have any objections, my love?”Vak sighed. “I have a feeling that those creatures may regro
“In this life, I am Edvana, your mate,” she said truthfully.“In this life? Is there another life?” Danshak asked quizzically.Erin sighed. “Listen, you won’t believe me if I told you the whole story about how I got here. It’s too complicated.”“Try me,” he said with a determined expression. “I need to know why you speak strangely these days. Something about you has changed. I could swear that you have never spoken more than ten words to me since we were officially introduced six moons ago, but now, you seem to speak nonstop. You are bolder than you used to be, more sure of yourself. What brought these changes in you? What happened to you?”Erin didn’t know what to say. It was obvious now that she wasn’t the Edvana he has always known, and even if the others, including her family, didn’t notice, it was understandable that he would because he was her mate and there was no denying the supernatural connection that came with that bond. She was saved from answering his questions when a gu
“We have decided to remain here to recuperate after the last attack,” he informed his wife. “Monah has sent two werewolves to Quandagh, to gather reinforcements. They should get here by noon tomorrow if their journey goes well.”“Will my father come with them?” Erin asked, unable to hide her concern.“That is for him to decide,” said Vak. “But have no fear. You as well as everyone here know that your father is a strong warrior. He will surely not be the first werewolf to go down if those beastly creatures show up again.”“What if they try to attack us again tonight?” She asked, on the verge of hysteria.Olna Raven placed a comforting arm on her shoulder and drew her close. “We are not going to die tonight, Edvana,” she whispered in her ear. “Not this night.”********“I wonder what my mother said to you to put you in such a mellow mood,” said Danshak, looking at Erin curiously.They were sitting in front of their makeshift tent, eating the little scraps of food that some of the servan
“Never leave me, Danshak,” she said softly, tears welling in her eyes. “Never leave me, please.”“Where would I go?” He asked, gazing into her moist eyes. “I will never leave you, Edvana. You are mine and you will always be mine, again and again. If there is another life after this one, you will still be mine, my love. You will always be mine.”For reasons unknown to her, Erin felt a sudden wave of sorrow wash over her. She could not explain the strange feeling but it felt like a premonition. Had Olna Raven lied to her? Was Danshak the one who would not make it out of Ketjouk alive? How would she survive if her mate died tonight or tomorrow? How would she cope?“Don’t leave me,” she whispered again.“Never. I will never leave you, Edvana. I promise,” he assured her, cradling her in his arms like a baby. “We will always be together, always.”Feeling reassured, Erin let herself relax in his arms, inhaling his scent. She was not going to ruin this special moment with her unfounded fear
Erin tried to speak but her chin wobbled and tears rolled down her face. What a beautiful experience it is to be the receiver of such wholesome love, the type that she didn’t have to struggle to find, or doubt first before she believed it. It was just there – pure, undiluted, and sincere, just as she had always wanted.“I love you, Danshak, and I will continue to love you always,” she whispered.“So will I,” he replied before lowering his lips to hers.********Erin felt an equal measure of relief and dread when her father and his fellow warriors from Quandagh arrived in Ketjuok promptly at noon. She was thankful to have her blood relation here with her but also afraid that things might get hairy and one or both of them may be fatally injured.Before she could see her father, he had to first meet with the Prime Alpha for an important strategy meeting. The meeting in which Danshak and his brothers participated, took more than two hours and when it was finally over, Erin was more than h
They crossed the border into Denai’ Vena an hour after the sun disappeared behind the clouds. The relief amongst the werewolves was palpable and they appeared to become even more energized, knowing that they were only a short distance from home. However, they were all also aware that they were not yet completely out of danger, as long as they have not yet reached the fenced fortress that separated the Smallchief compound from the rest of the community.Erin said a silent prayer in her heart that the rest of the journey will be uneventful. If they had made it this far without any attack, surely, they might get home in one piece without any more surprises.“Almost there,” Danshak whispered beside her as if he could hear her thoughts.Just then, they heard the piercing howl of a werewolf from somewhere ahead of them. They couldn’t see who it was yet, but they could all tell that the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of them. They kept on running, not breaking speed or formation as th
“Edvana,” she heard Danshak calling out to her. Although he was right beside her, she seemed to hear his voice from somewhere far away. “My love, my mate. I am here now, look at me, Edvana. Please, stop crying. I am here now.”“I don’t want to be here anymore,” she wept. “I want to go back home. I want this to be over now. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”“I know,” he said softly. “I know, my beloved mate. Come, let me carry you. I will take you to somewhere safe.”“Nowhere is safe here, Danshak. Look around you, look at the madness surrounding us. We are doomed!”“No, my love. We are not doomed. The Prime Alpha is still alive, so there is yet hope. Stay with me.”Erin wanted to believe his words so badly but the reality around them was so bleak and so hopeless. She managed to gingerly get up to a sitting position on her hind legs with his help, and as she lifted her head, she saw a sight that terrified her. The white werewolf on the hill was no longer howling, but instead, it was
At this point, Erin was convinced that she was a cat with nine lives because she escaped death once more as her father-in-law came to her rescue, knocking his brother off of her just when he was about to sink his fangs into her face. Although she was badly wounded, she knew her injuries weren’t fatal, so he got to her feet and stood beside a tree to catch her breath.“You killed my son?” Vak screamed at his brother.“Yes, and I shall kill you too!” Shouted an unrepentant Nikjin. “It is my turn to become the Alpha King of werewolves!”The brothers began to wrestle ferociously, swiping and snarling at each other. It was more than just a fight for survival – it was a fight for respect and honor. The fight was so brutal that within minutes, they were both covered in blood and seriously wounded. As the fight intensified, Erin became worried and wondered if she should jump in and target Nikjin who was attacking his brother wildly like a wolf on drugs.Without warning, Vak knocked his oppone
To her relief, she saw through the shed bars as Rowana approached with a bear fur cloak draped over one arm. She looked frightened, yet determined as she followed the guard that had gone to fetch her.“Walk fast, woman!” The guard at the entrance of the shed barked at Rowana. “Drop off the cloak and get back.”Rowana hurried her steps and stopped when she got to the front of the shed. “Will you not open the door so that I can give her the cloak?” She asked.“No. Squeeze it through the bars,” said the guard. “Do it now and go away.”Erin did not appreciate the guard’s rude tone and she made a mental note to teach him a lesson when she got out of the shed.“Are you well?” Rowana whispered to her as she stuffed the cloak between the narrow bars of the shed.“Yes,” Erin whispered back. “Remain in the hut with Timah and wait for my signal.”“Your signal? What – ““Get away from the prisoner!” The guard barked at Rowana, frightening her. She backed away from the shed immediately and took to
Both Erin and Timah barely slept a wink all night as they schemed and plotted together, trying to come up with the best escape plan. When morning came, they were the first to get up and go outside to see what was happening.The handful of werewolves on Nikjin’s side was in high spirits because they thought that they were about to become the elite warriors once their master became the Alpha King. The humans among them scurried about getting ready to start making preparations for the victory feast, as Nikjin had called it.“Nothing significant will happen until in the night when the moon rises,” said Timah.“I know, but let us still keep our eyes open,” replied Erin. “Go back into the hut. I shall go to the bleeding hut to fetch Rowana. We cannot leave her behind.”Timah obeyed Erin immediately and returned to their hut. As Erin strode toward the bleeding hut, Zokman showed up in front of her looking smug.“You made it to the final day, I see,” he said. “You are one resilient female and
Erin felt out of sorts after that barbaric scene she had witnessed at Nikjin’s longhouse. Mizzah’s body has since been buried and some servants had cleaned up the place and restored some sense of normalcy to the environment.Timah had been inconsolable and even blamed Erin for Mizzah’s death because she was sure that the other woman wouldn’t have accused her of poisoning their lord’s food if she hadn’t witnessed it.Rowana was still cooped up in the bleeding hut, pretending to be having her period. Nikjin was nowhere to be found after he walked away from his lair.Meanwhile, Erin was consumed with thoughts of how she would wring Zokman’s scrawny neck if she ever got near him again, but she couldn’t go to his hut just yet and risk getting caught by Timah or worst of all, Nikjin.Tomorrow night was the apocalyptic battle between Nikjin and Vak Smallchief, and Erin was determined to play an important role in it. She was not going to just sit back in this hut and let a bunch of male werew
Putting the mysterious potion into Nikjin’s food turned out to be more challenging than Erin had envisaged. With Rowana safely tucked away in the bleeding hut, that left she, Mizzah, and Timah to oversee the preparation of their lord’s meal.There was so much care and attention that went into the cooking and laying out of the food, that one would think that the women were preparing a feast for a respectable leader, instead of a bully who delighted in hurting everyone around him. Erin was amazed that it had never occurred to any of the other women to poison their captor’s food and end their misery. Was it Stockholm’s syndrome that kept them hooked and loyal to him or was it just plain fear?They fussed and primped over the meal until Erin was sure that she was going to lose her mind if she has to keep watching them go at it for one more second.“Is Lord Nikjin having guests over at his place tonight or is all this food for him alone?” Erin asked dryly.“You know our lord loves variety,
Two days after that harrowing experience, Erin was sitting alone in the women’s hut when Rowana came running in with a tear-stained face and completely hysterical.“I am in trouble!” She said to Erin. “My life is over!”“Calm down, Rowana. Tell me, what is it?”Rowana looked about wildly as if to make sure that they were indeed alone before she leaned toward Erin and whispered, “I am with child.”Erin gasped. She knew the implication of this development and she understood why the other woman was beside herself with fear. “Are you certain?”“Yes. My bleeding has not come for the past three months and this is the fourth month now.”“Well, there could be other explanations for that,” said Erin, hopefully.“No, Edvana. It is only a matter of time before it becomes public knowledge. Look at me,” she said and stood up so that Erin could see her stomach. Her lower belly was slightly protruded, a clear indication that her pregnancy was well into the second trimester already.“Oh,” said Erin w
For the first time since she arrived in this place, Erin was not only afraid for her life but terrified that she might not live to see the next sunrise after tonight because Zokman had given her a task that was designed to get her killed one way or another. He’d confided in her, telling her that he has been secretly sneaking food to Vak in his forest cell to keep the Alpha King strong although he had only told Nikjin that his step-brother was getting little quantities of water every other day.As far as Nikjin was concerned, his most important captive was wilting away in his cell, waiting to be devoured on the night of the full moon. It would be a massive shocker to him on that day when he finds out that he had been fooled by his right-hand man, Zokman.Meanwhile, the devious shaman had instructed her to carry out today’s food delivery to Vak Smallchief because he would be in a meeting with Nikjin and a handful of werewolves who were loyal to his friend’s cause. They would be going ov
Zokman’s hut was located outside the border of Nikjin’s compound, hidden behind trees and tall grasses. It was bigger than the standard-sized huts and had two torches burning on either side of the entrance.“Do you want me to follow you inside?” Mizzah asked with a shaky voice.Erin could see that the young woman was terrified of Zokman and she could understand why. “No, Mizzah. You don’t have to come with me. You can go back now, I’ll go inside alone.”“Are you sure?”“Yes. Go on, go back home. I will join you and the others later.”Mizzah hesitated only a moment before she spun on her heels and hurried away like a scared child.Alone, Erin inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She didn’t know what she was going to say to the shaman but she knew that she needed to choose her words carefully because Zokman would hang on to anything incriminating to use against her when he reunited with his ally. She squared her shoulders and took the first step forward.“I smell a luna coming to visit me
There was nothing warm or romantic about her escapade with Nikjin and so when Erin woke up sometime after their first romp, all she wanted to do was to get the rest of the aphrodisiac’s effect out of her system. He was asleep beside her, looking so peaceful and impossibly gorgeous but she felt no tenderness toward him. All she felt was a strong desire to jump on him and ride him ruthlessly as he had ridden her not too long ago until every last drop of Zokman’s vile potion was completed removed from her body. Only then will she be able to think clearly and plan a way to get out of here after successfully ruining her captor’s political ambitions.She got up to a sitting position and took hold of his resting cock in her palm. When she bent down to wet it with her tongue, she heard Nikjin’s gasp of surprise. Her erotic activity had woken him up and she watched with mounting excitement as his organ began to harden in her hand. She licked the head, liking how he shivered in reaction to that