The Alpha Queen's Knight

The Alpha Queen's Knight

last updateLast Updated : 2022-02-27
By:  CanerCompleted
Language: English
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There can be no victory to decide who is right or wrong. There can be no throne. The bonds that matter most will never cease being challenged. For newly-made Alpha Rayla and her Pack, struggling to find order in the wake of treachery and disaster, conflict looms ahead. Most of the males have gone, led by the power-hungry and vicious ex-Alpha. Even with the pack's loyalty behind her, strong Rayla struggles to pick up the pieces and ready herself for the vengeance she knows is coming. But the mightiest plans of both sides are thrown into confusion when a strange captive is found, a starved and seemingly helpless young man. Abandoned by the males as junk, Rayla sees something inside of him that no one else did. Something that speaks of power, of passion, of courage. A worthy Alpha. A worthy Mate. Fearful of the future and simply trying to live every day by their values, Rayla and her young new friend will set an example that transforms her pack, and all they meet, into something never before seen by Shifters or Humans alike. When tested, will their bonds be enough? There can be no victory...

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Chapter 1

Prologue 1 - Things to Come

I still remember the first moment I laid eyes on him... though there was painfully little to see.

Hobbled in a too-tiny cage, scrawny: the kind that came from years, not weeks or months, of near starvation. An obvious lack of sunlight had left his skin greyed and stretched over his emaciated form, with patches of fur where he should have been smooth and bare skin where there should have been hair.

That in itself was gruesome enough: an 'in-between' state, not quite wolf, but definitely not man. It was as unsettling as one can believe. Even I recoiled from the sight, and the painful sympathy it invoked.

It was one thing to recall such a transitive state from one's adolescent years, before the first full Shift, where nothing seemed to come out right. It was another thing entirely to see it on a young man, one that looked much too old for such maladapted features, and whose face and body held little of the innocence that might make it more bearable. His form more closely resembled that of a drowned rat than a person, feral and slumped. As to his actual age, it was impossible to be certain.

But those eyes.

There was something in them that grabbed hold of me and shook me. It wasn't anything noticeable; from pallid whites to his dull-bronze irises, his eyes looked every bit as muddied and starved as the rest of him. Nothing so showy as that.

It was a feeling, little more than a glint among rocks. Something so small there, so wrapped within instinct that the greater part of my consciousness overlooked it entirely. Rather, there was a part of me, some eensy-weensy longing behind my breast that awakened with recognition, with excitement, with awe.

I think it spoke to me, this tiny thunderstorm as if given a voice. It might have said "Mine". Or perhaps that was a more maternal part of me.

Looking back, it might also have whispered "Alpha".

~

Grey sunlight filled the modest worktent through gaps in the canvas roof. It was early midday, and the crispness of autumn floated beneath nostrils and billowed under shirts with the promise of a winter still to come, but not too far away. The past few days had been especially trying. I was already rather fed up with the extensive labor.

This tent was one that had actual thatched flooring rather than dirt, and so I felt a small glimmer of satisfaction in throwing down the load I carried upon it, letting out a snarl that might as well have been a sigh.

Three days of near constant labor and toil over what should have been an afternoon's work, were the Pack at full strength. A low growl rose in my throat as I wiped sweat from my brow. My dark-brown hair must've resembled molasses right now, in more ways than one.

Surry, my Beta, stood passively alongside me while I straightened, groaning. Three days since the bulk of the males had left our pack, including the Alpha, thank Luna. Three days of fixing up whatever they'd felt like breaking on their way out, of gathering up tools and clothing and personal items strewn about the camp. To call it a brawl would've been too civil; it had been too bloody, too angry, and felt like it lasted half the night. Not a few among the younger members in particular were traumatized by the experience.

No doubt reading my frustrated expression, Surry offered me an encouraging smile. Three days since those fools had threatened our entire way of life.

And two-and-a-half days since I became Alpha.

I returned Surry's smile. "I hear the Pack is nearly finished cleaning up the grounds. How goes it? How are the stores?"

"It goes quickly" my Beta replied. She shuffled some of her lists between her hands. "Most of the tools and hardware have been reassembled and the housing patched, but we'll have to spend more time repairing the smoker. That, or to scrap it and try building a new one from scratch. At least the grills are mostly intact."

Shifting her runner's legs uncomfortably, she added "and if we could catch a month's worth of meat in the span of a few days, that would be wonderful".

I thoroughly admired my friend. We hadn't really been very close, though, until a mutual need for kinship and support had driven up to depend on one another. I'd never once regretted it. Reliable and clever, Surry possessed a sleek and toned form that made her the swiftest runner in the Pack. Even our... The previous Alpha. Even he could never catch up to her, a fact that had left him raging more than once. Although no one could hope to match him in savagery.

No one, I corrected myself, except for me. Not where the safety of my Pack was concerned.

Sweet, astute Surry offered me a consoling smile. "If they come back, Rayla... you have to know by now that the support of the Pack is behind you. This time, we'll be ready."

I shrugged stiffly. "Not if. When. When they come back."

I glanced around the tent. "And regardless, we'll need more than we have now if we wish to survive winter, with or without a couple dozen rabid men on our tails."

Surry scrunched up her face. "Wouldn't be the first time". I laughed at that.

The tent flap rustled, and we both turned as an older male poked his head through. I smiled instinctively. "Come in, Rufias."

The man entered, giving both of us a respectful nod. "Alpha" he said to me. "Surry." His steely eyes twinkled, and the sunbeams that filtered in only served to divine and enhance his silvery hair.

Slender of frame like Surry (apart from the broader shoulders) Rufias was a silver fox by anyone's definition. Though he walked with a slight stoop, it was impossible to picture Rufias without the air of dignified confidence that many potential mates found appealing. Perhaps even more so was the fact that his mate had passed on quite a few years ago, and he had yet to take another. This loyalty combined with his fatherly looks made many a packmember, both young and old, stare after him longingly.

The thought saddened me, for to me it seemed that his loss was overlooked by many. I had been a young girl when Veera had passed due an injury too far gone. I remember the look in Rufias' eyes, even while he patted my hair and tried to smile. Such a loss couldn't have happened to a stronger or kinder man.

But I did notice, not for the first time, that his eyes lingered on Surry's a bit longer than they did my own. Beside me, I felt a blush rise in her cheeks that she did not try to hide.

"So. What news from across the river?" I asked. I was nervous to hear the answer -- but if something terrible had happened, one look at the male would've already told me.

Rufias snapped to attention at my words. Then he paused, as if considering them.

"Yes" he answered finally. "And it's strange. We found game, some large, mostly small, and brought back what we could. It isn't much, but it's honestly more than I expected. However..." He shifted his stance. "There's something more you should see."

I locked eyes with him. "Tell me now. And is it a threat to the Pack?"

"I truly do not know, Alpha. I think it best if I save that judgement for you to make. May I show you?" He gestured toward the opening. Surry had a worried look, and cast a glance in my direction.

I nodded. Bowing respectfully, he held the flap open for myself, then Surry, to pass through. "Follow me" he said, and took the lead.

The day was not rainy, thank Luna. But the growing cloud cover made me worry over the possibility. Our community sat in an open patch of valley bordered on every side; either by the sparse edge of a forest which became increasingly dense as one travelled beneath its evergreen leaves; or by the steep pale rocks which led the eye up to a towering mountain range, beneath the shadow of which we often sat.

A couple miles behind the forest's edge flowed the river Rufias spoke of, with even deeper woods beyond. The river itself was not dangerously strong and the territory was well known. However, the landscape had shifted recently, and greatly.

Not physically altered. Only, no longer did the Pack -- MY Pack -- venture across it without great caution.

And no longer did we allow the younglings to wander off and explore with only minimum supervision. Not after what we'd all witnessed spring up within our midst, and then depart, snarling with malice and the promise of vengeance, off into the trees. Towards the river.

Surry and I followed Rufias as he led us through the camp. Packmembers -- some humanoid, some fully furred -- were for the most part hard at work on various jobs. My Pack had stout hearts, and I smiled inwardly.

An elderly female, Saro, stood tall as she reached for clothes hung far up on a line. Too tall, in fact, I noted with amusement as I regarded her slightly elongated calves, bristling with muscle and a bit too hairy.

We hadn't walked ten yards before a small impact rocked me to my right, and an accompanying snarl cut the air.

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Comments

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F8DMSRY
This really was a good story, the way the ending is… leaves it open to a sequel. I will keep checking back to see if there is one. <3
2022-11-06 00:57:08
0
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evemason83
Good story, really enjoyed it. Well done.
2022-07-16 17:17:32
0
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Mesha
Such a good story.. is there a book 2?
2022-03-02 06:54:01
1
user avatar
Mesha
Yay!! another update.. The suspense is killing me.. I'm so excited to see what happens next:)
2021-12-01 00:13:20
1
user avatar
Mesha
This is such an amazing story to read..
2021-11-30 03:29:22
1
user avatar
Mesha
Yes!! I'm finally caught up.. I'm super excited to see what happens next..
2021-11-30 03:25:28
1
user avatar
Mesha
I am so in love with this book..
2021-11-28 11:04:34
1
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Mesha
just started reading this book and so far I'm really loving it.
2021-11-26 23:08:08
1
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Veliciah
Your wtiting flows like poetry. It drew me in from the start.
2021-10-28 02:47:48
1
user avatar
Aurielle
One chapter in and I’m invested!
2021-09-19 13:41:41
4
99 Chapters
Prologue 1 - Things to Come
I still remember the first moment I laid eyes on him... though there was painfully little to see. Hobbled in a too-tiny cage, scrawny: the kind that came from years, not weeks or months, of near starvation. An obvious lack of sunlight had left his skin greyed and stretched over his emaciated form, with patches of fur where he should have been smooth and bare skin where there should have been hair. That in itself was gruesome enough: an 'in-between' state, not quite wolf, but definitely not man. It was as unsettling as one can believe. Even I recoiled from the sight, and the painful sympathy it invoked. It was one thing to recall such a transitive state from one's adolescent years, before the first full Shift, where nothing seemed to come out right. It was another thing entirely to s
last updateLast Updated : 2021-08-31
Read more
Prologue 2 - The Sundered
"Julius! Luna damn you, you watch where you're running and you apologize to the– " The tirade ended abruptly with a gasp. Setting my jaw, I looked down at my feet. A small, fuzzy tail was now wagging between my ankles, sticking out from beneath the hem of my skirt. "Julius" I said, "look at me." "Bark!" I rolled my eyes. The pup's bewildered, happy face soon emerged into view, ogling the sky just above my head. His look changed as it recognized me, however. Realizing his impertinence, Julius dashed out from under me with a whimper and ran toward the
last updateLast Updated : 2021-08-31
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Prologue 3 - Risks
I took a deep breath. Then a second. Surry, I noted, was similarly shaken. She stood at attention with her jaw set and her calves tightened, as though ready to leap at any target I named. But at the same time I noticed that she had placed herself slightly between myself and Rufias. Just by a hair – but the meaning of it was still clear. Instinct, perhaps, was telling her to protect a fellow packmate from underserved harm, whether it be him or I. I honestly could have sobbed with gratitude. And no small amount of pride. This was, after all, the pack I wanted to build. A family, where loyalty always ran both ways. Tando could never have understood that. I’d never wished for the role of Alpha… But now, for the first time, I found myself grateful that it had fallen to me. This was a role I could proudly steward for as long as was necessary.
last updateLast Updated : 2021-08-31
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Prologue 4 - Be Calm
I wound my way through the camp, Surry at my side, until we found ourselves approaching the center of our Pack's community. The increasingly savory scent of food filled the air, and I found myself ravenously hungry after having hardly a bite to eat earlier in the day. Our conversation paused for the moment as we both joined the commotion of packmembers. Our whole pack sprawled across almost an acre of land, and this small central area was used as a gathering place for most necessities and functions. The preparation of food and water, pack meetings, pretty much everything except bathing and personal hygiene took place either here, or in a smaller scale at a member's own living space. Most of the pack's fifty-or-so remaining members were gathered here currently; they shared food, shared chores, and otherwise interacted positively. Some vibrant colors were visib
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-01
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Prologue 5 - Setting Out
Smiling, I turned back to the stand. Placis was already handing me another chunk of meat, turkey this time, which I passed along to Surry as we wandered away from the heat of the grill.   "I honestly don't think there will be any trouble" I told her after we'd both taken our first bites. "It isn't like Tando to remain so close to the camp after everything that happened. I expect he's moved them all at least a few miles beyond the river, probably where the forest is thickest and it meets the mountains. After the injuries I inflicted on him he may simply decide to establish his own Pack somewhere else. If that's the case I can't imagine he'll remain Alpha for long, once word gets out that he's quite possibly a eunuch now. No, I expect him to rile the males up further, keep their anger directed at us for chasing them off, and then be back to teach us a lesson. It terrifies me not to know when th
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-02
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Prologue 6 - Scent of Battle
The river seemed clear today as we paddled across, half our number at a time so as to constantly be watching the trees for danger. Once on the other side we began to move more slowly, more cautiously, as I dictated the pace. The sun could be seen clearly above from the banks of the river. It was still only a couple of hours after midday, and I planned to be back with the rest of our Pack before the sun had even begun to set. If everything went smoothly, that was. Rufias turned our party slightly north after crossing the water. I trusted fully that he knew where he was going, and wrote off his occasional pauses as purely cautionary. Without a word being shared, all of us were more on edge now. Crossing the river was stepping over an invisible boundary, now, where before it had been nothing other than an exercise in swimming. We continued for half a mile before
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-03
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Prologue 7 - Tempting Fate
My heart raced as I fought for control of my rationality. He couldn't be here – no, in fact he could, but he wasn't HERE here, just somewhere close enough for the wind to fetch us his scent. That was already far too close for comfort. What would I do if he picked up on our own scent? That was highly unlikely without the wind in his favor.   But what if there had been a breeze, a small one, and I had been too engrossed in investigating the human's remains to notice? And what if it had blown from here to the west?   'Stop that' I told myself firmly. 'You are the Alpha. You do not lose your head for fear of some male that y
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-03
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Prologue 8 - Cold Iron
To Tando's left stood another male whom I recognized as Marc. Marc was similarly Shifted, but stood a head shorter than his 'Alpha', though he clearly tried to copy his posture. I didn't know the name of the other male who stood just behind them. This one wore a form more akin to a wolf than a monster, but he too had Shifted to something in-between. All three of them were quite terrifying to behold. My heart sank while I watched. Though I had never been close to either of the lesser males, I did know them from our Pack, before... before they turned on us. I had no idea what role they had played on the night of the battle, or whom they may have hurt. As far as I was concerned they were all as guilty as Tando himself. And as myself, I supposed, for truly starting it all. But it still broke my heart to see the men we so recently ate and hunted with standing beside the most brutal and cruel creature I had eve
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-04
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Prologue 9 - Fur and Fury
*Rayla, NO!* *Alpha!!* Ignoring both pleas I leapt from my hiding spot, landing on the opposite side of the root barrier. My snarling roar rang like a declaration of a war, and it made the air tremble as I fixed the bastards before me with a burning gaze. Indeed, my entire body felt afire with this shame, this rage. Fury erupted from my limbs as I felt my claws grow longer, sharper, until they threatened to cut open my own skin. I didn't care in the slightest. I felt a small flash of satisfaction beneath my fury at seeing the shock on the faces of everyone present, including Tando. He certainly hadn't expected to see
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-05
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Prologue 10 - Fear
Tando howled and went off-balance, reaching for the clinging female with a massive furred hand. I wasted no time in snapping my jaws at his arm as I collided with his stomach, sending the three of us down in a tumble, with Soiya and I on top. But before I could get a good hold on him another dark shape hurled itself at me, knocking me off of Tando and to the ground. The male I didn't know was upon me now and trying to sink his teeth into my shoulder. I rolled us to one side and swatted at his face, catching it hard, my claws leaving a bloodied gash down his nose and across his cheek. He snarled and hopped away as I regained my feet, seeming wary to approach me again. Those moments had been all Tando needed to free himself from Soiya's grip. He flung her to the ground in front of him with a snarl, saliva dripping from his jowls, as Marc took the opportunity to
last updateLast Updated : 2021-09-06
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