Her Wolf’s Demands by Rachel Medhurst
Chapter Thirteen
Malone
The beating of my heart was like a drum, thumping, thumping in my head. The pack followed me out of the camp, towards the field just on the other side of the treeline. The full moon was almost at its apex, enticing us to shift, to change into our wolf form.
Della had spelled us with a scent diffuser spell. She didn’t have quite enough power to make us all invisible, so we’d have to be careful when scoping out the witches.
At least without our smell, no one could track us. It had been the safest option, despite the risk of losing our own people. We hunted in a pack, relying on scent to trace where the others had gone. Tonight, there would be no hunting. We were going in stealthily to spy.
“Now this is something I can get on board with,” Lionel said, trotting up beside me. “I’m going to scare me some witches.”
Scowling, I glared in his direction. “Why are you so angry at Drake and Della still? She saved your life.”
“How did she save my life?” he hissed, “I would’ve healed eventually.”
“With the silver in your neck? Wake up and swallow your pride.” Growling, I shook my head as my footsteps increased, crunching the leaves underground. “I’ve met her brother. The siblings are genuine. Drake is being taken advantage of because of his illness. It’s quite common and needs to stop.”
I glanced over my shoulder. Lionel was frowning, his eyebrows pulled low. I had known the man my whole life, and although we got on well, we had never been best friends. He was a harder man, wanting to be ruled by the likes of my father. And although I was also firm, I wasn’t ruthless.
“I respect what you’re doing to save your mate, I do,” Lionel said, “but as far as me accepting her and her brother?” We came to a stop at the edge of the woods, both looking out at the pack, who had gathered in the field beyond us. “It’s going to take a while.”
I had to respect his stance. The pack were their own people, regardless of where they ranked. Life might have been easier if everyone just liked Della, but I wasn’t naive enough to force it. I’d already forced them to accept her on my behalf. I wouldn’t push them anymore.
Della had been right to postpone the ceremony. It wasn’t the time, and although the pack had been the ones to come up with the idea of rushing the ritual, I wanted them to fully support our union. Not because of obligation, but because they would then see the benefits that our union, and Della, could bring.
“Thank you for your honesty.”
Inclining his head, he hesitated before running off to remind the others of our plan. He was a fantastic scout, his instincts for hunting surpassing most of the wolves in the pack. I trusted him to gather information and train the younger wolves.
Soft footsteps sounded behind me. Sniffing the air, I smiled to myself. Emiliah, Lionel’s mate, came to stand next to me.
“I’m sorry about him. I’ve pleaded with him to be grateful to Della, even going as far as telling him some of her story.” Almost sniffling, Emiliah swallowed. “I don’t understand how he can be so heartless despite knowing that Della and Drake have been through hardships we can’t even imagine.”
“He is his own person,” I replied, clenching my hands into fists. “He’ll make his own judgement the longer he knows Della.”
As hard as it was to admit, I was glad that Lionel wasn’t completely backing down to me. I liked a challenge and it gave me the opportunity to prove myself too. The pack didn’t despise me for turning Della, most alphas had turned a human once or twice during their rule. Neither did they hate me for being mated to Della, that cord was a bitch to break.
However, they needed to know that I could stand in my power when challenged by those who were loyal to the ancient wolf laws.
Della didn’t know that there were country councils. Werewolves were a wild bunch who needed to be tamed in order to live a normal existence amongst humans. The councils were made up of elders who had retired to the city in order to live out their days in comfort. They held an annual meeting with every alpha from every pack, just to check in and make sure we were abiding by the wolf laws.
“That’s true,” Emiliah said with a sigh. “I, for one, have fallen under her charms. She’ll make an amazing co-alpha.”
As she strode away, I gritted my teeth against the onslaught of emotions that pounded through my veins. Although my feelings for Della had intensified, I wasn’t ready to share power. Of course, Della didn’t want to be alpha, I could feel that. And yet, her spirit wolf had the DNA of an alpha.
Shaking myself as the others started to strip and stretch, I jogged down to meet them. They turned to me, waiting for their orders.
“Brighton Pack,” I shouted, instantly quietening the chatter. “Della is with her brother, making sure that he can handle whatever the witches throw his way.”
Clearing my throat, I stood tall. “The witches have broken our pact. We promised to allow them to use the standing stones as long as they respected our request to not gather during a full moon. Not only have they held rituals there, they’re planning on doing something big tonight. Something sinister. We must find out what they’re doing in order to defend ourselves and our land.”
I was only reiterating what they already knew. Manual, Henry and Lionel had briefed everyone, telling them what they had to do.
“Make sure to stay back and allow us to do our jobs. The only time you’ll intervene is if the witches attack.”
Nodding, I threw my hand in the air and pointed at the full moon, just as the cloud moved to reveal it. The bright orb had reached its apex.
The wolves dropped to their knees in unison. I went with them, not bothering to remove my clothes. The process started straight away, breaking my bones first. The pain was intense but brief, almost squeezing me as my fur burst from my skin and my snout elongated.
A bark shot from my throat as the others reared up and pushed forward, ready to follow my lead. Spinning, I set off, allowing the feel of the soft grass under my paws to propel me forward. The air, which smelt of damp and mud, rushed against my face, making me feel alive.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins, giving me the energy I needed to lead my pack to the Devil’s Dyke standing stones. They were only three miles away, which we covered in just minutes.
As we ducked through trees and pounded over fields, we hardly made a sound. The rustling of leaves and chomping of teeth grew silent as we drew closer, scaring the animals away.
Making our way over the hill, we moved in unison, each knowing where the other wolves were. We had a system, one we’d practiced for hundreds of years. Normal wolves did the same, with the alpha at the front, the beta behind, followed by the main pack, and the omega bringing up the rear.
I cringed at the thought of our weaker wolves trailing at the back of the pack. My father had been sure to use them to his advantage.
In the three years since I’d been alpha, I’d tried to avoid having any one person as the omega. I’d been so busy living in Brighton, carving my creations, I’d lost track of who was currently at the back. Bad alpha.
Shaking myself of regret, I slunk over the hill and ducked into a cluster of trees. The standing stones were on the other side, deep in the cavern of the Dyke. There were five of them, dotted in a circle. I understood why the witches valued the stones, considering they were ancient and harboured strong magic.
However, they were on our lands. The treaty to allow the witches to practice around the stones had lasted for millennia. Until now.
Spreading out, we crept to the edge of the treeline and peered down into the valley. Blood rushed in my ears as my panting slowed.
There. Flames flickered on tall spikes, interspersed around the stones. Witches, around fifteen of them, formed a circle. Wait, that wasn’t a circle. From my position, I could see the pentagram symbol, formed from the way they stood.
Manual drew up alongside me, nudging me with his nose. I glanced at him, frowning as I looked into his brown eyes. He knew the plan, why was he worried?
A snort below caught my attention. Looking beyond the circle of light, I froze, my wolf form turning ice cold. On the open grass around the stones, stood around a hundred wolves.
What the fuck?
I now understood why Manual was puffing beside me. Turning my head, I nudged him, trying to get him to calm down. We would have to retreat – as soon as we saw what the bloody hell was going on between the witches and wolves.
“The full moon has hit.” Ertha’s voice rose higher, amplified by magic. “It is time.”
Two wolves and a man walked into the circle, flinching when they passed the witches. The wolves bowed their heads and stayed there, waiting for whatever was going to come next.
When the man turned towards the elder, I almost howled as anger gripped me. Kieran.
“On this day,” Ertha went on, swinging her long flowy red skirt, “we shall use the ancient power radiating through the stones to create a new kind of bond.”
Kieran bowed his head also, allowing Ertha to place a hand on his head. “This man here has spoken on behalf of the Crawley Pack, confirming that a pact has been made. You will have greater abilities, power beyond your wildest dreams.”
My heart thundered loudly, almost drowning her out. What the fuck had Kieran gone and done? And where was the alpha of the Crawley Pack?
Leaves rustled nearby so I turned and bared my teeth without making a sound. Several members of my pack were nearby, watching me with a question in their eyes.
Shaking my head, I indicated that the plan would not change. With the witches using Drake as a channel and doing who knows what to the wolves, it was too risky to try and stop them. We would be outnumbered in both bodies and magic.
The pack listened, retreating to their posts. Manual stayed beside me, staring down at the strange goings on that were unfolding below. I couldn’t quite comprehend what the witches were doing, but I would stay to find out. We all would.
“I, Kieran Montgomery, give you permission to test your magic on our pack. These two wolves have volunteered to be the first to receive your blessing.”
The wolves around the stones bristled, their hackles rising before quickly settling. They weren’t as willing as Kieran would have them believe. Something must have happened to ensure that they didn’t have a choice but to listen to the man. Had he killed their alpha?
“Very well.” Ertha gestured for the wolves to come forward.
The witches stepped back, opening up the circle and allowing the wolves to step through them into the centre. Ertha reached forward and clasped both their heads with her palms. I couldn’t see her lips but her head bend forward. No doubt she was casting a spell.
“It is done,” she shouted moments later.
Throwing her head back, she laughed manically. The wolves in front of her yelped as they dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. I held my breath as their bodies almost humped off the ground, bouncing as their skin stretched and they grew bigger.
As quickly as it had begun, it ended, the wolves lying still on the ground, their chests rising and falling.
They were twice their original size and tinged with a shade of black at the end of their brown fur. One of them slowly lolloped to its feet before almost falling over. The other sprung up, pacing towards the witches and snarling loudly.
“Calm down,” Kieran said, going towards the aggressive wolf.
With a sideways throw of the head, the new-born mutant wolf knocked Kieran aside before lunging at a witch and ripping her throat out in one swift movement. The gurgle of blood in her throat was so loud, I cringed and took a step back.
A gunshot sounded, echoing around the valley. The rogue wolf slumped to the ground, its head expelling a squirt of blood as it landed.
It was lucky it was the middle of the night or a human may have heard and reported it to the police. Not that I’d be opposed to the witches being caught, but the wolves?
Kieran had to be taking advantage of them. Surely they weren’t there of their own volition. How would they react now that one of their own had been put down?
Part of me wasn’t surprised that the wolf had lost control. Wolves had their own magic, they wouldn’t handle the extra pressure from Ertha’s stones.
My chest squeezed as I thought of Drake and Della. Had Drake been able to feel the intensity of magic as it had gone through him? Was Della safe, locked in a hospital? I’d trusted that Laura would be able to take care of them both, but what if the full moon changed Della and she tried to escape?
Keen to watch, but also wanting to check on my mate, I hovered at the edge of the woods. Turning my head to Manual, I nodded twice. It was my signal to get the other wolves out of there. There would be no fight tonight.
“Why did he do that?” I heard Kieran ask Ertha.
They were staring at the dead mutant-wolf as the other one went over and sniffed him. Lifting its head to the sky, it opened its mouth and released an agonising howl.
The air rushed out of my lungs in a sigh. The wolf was clearly in pain from losing… Shit, the grotesque beast abruptly halted its howl and turned to look straight up the hill towards me. He had fucking heard me, despite Della’s spell.
Manual stiffened as he went to move away, his hackles rising. He had just caught sight of the wolf, who now pushed through the witches, even though they tried to stop him.
It was time to leave.
Spinning, I bashed into Manual’s side, urging him on. He fled, his paws light on the earth beneath us. The others ran with us, watching our every move. If the alpha ran, they needed to get out.
Once we were clear of the woods, we sped up, surging up the hill, across the road and onto another hill.
Lowering my head to the side as the pack formed a line behind me, I listened, filtering out the pants of my pack. There, in the distance behind us, was the sound of heavy running paws, pounding the grass. We were being followed by the mutant-wolf and he was gaining on us.
With its newfound power, we wouldn’t be able to outrun the beast. I would have to face it. Alone.
Slowing my speed, I nodded to Manual, who understood what I was going to do. He was my second in command, a clever wolf with heightened instincts. He would’ve heard the enemy, too.
The pack slowed when I barked once, nudging my head forwards. They listened to my command, pushing up the hill and over it.
I dropped away from them, watching their tails retreat and coming to a stop beside a small clump of trees. Did I hide from the beast and jump out? Yes, that would be a good option.
Ducking behind a tree, I searched the incline of the hill below. A dark shadow, moving with lightning speed, soon appeared, heading straight for me. Would he turn towards the trees where I hid or carry on up the hill after my pack?
Either way, I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Growling low in my throat, I jumped out from behind my tree as soon as the wolf was in line with me. My back paws pushed off the ground, propelling me into the air. The wolf’s head turned towards me, its eyes widening as I landed on its back and snapped at its neck.
It reared up and thrashed around, throwing me from its huge form. It wasn’t as big as the hellhound, and yet, it was almost as strong.
It came at me, charging with its head down. I backtracked away from it, rising in the air as it lifted itself and battered me with its paws. My own paws caught its legs, pushing it away. It might have been a mutant-wolf, but it wasn’t confident in its new body. That gave me a slight advantage.
A bark shot from its mouth as it pushed forward, jumping again. Before I could respond, three other wolves from my pack materialised, leaping onto the wolf and bringing it down. They snapped, snarled, and grabbed hold of its scruff until it surrendered and laid flat on the floor.
My chest puffed as I came forward and inspected the mutant-wolf. Its eyes pleaded with me, the yellow irises spreading as it blinked. It was afraid of what was happening. Good. Maybe we could use its fear to our advantage.
Concentrating, I bowed my head and shifted back to my human body. The others stayed as they were, holding the beast down as I stretched and stood up from my hands and knees.
“We need to get it out of here,” I said, looking down the hill.
There were a couple of shouts followed by the sound of distant panting. Della’s spell would keep us invisible to the Crawley Pack, but the beast we’d captured would have a distinct smell that was easy to follow.
“I promise to help you,” I told the wolf, who blinked twice in understanding.
Dropping to my knees as a wolf howled behind us, I forced my shift, barking the order to move as soon as I was able.
We pushed forward, my pack surrounding the beast who galloped along between us, not daring to even look over its shoulder. It was my hope that the spell would spread to include him, although it was doubtful.
Our speed grew as we ran down the other side of the hill and disappeared under a thick canopy. Manual drew alongside me, his brown eyes questioning as I led the pack towards the cave. Shaking my head side to side, I encouraged my second to take the rest of the pack home and fast.
He shot away, yapping a command to the others, who glanced at me before separating from us. The perplexed beast glanced at me, a look of confusion crossing his eyes as I indicated that he follow me into the cave.
Coming willingly, he stepped inside as I stood back, allowing him to enter first. I went in behind him, close on his heels as he entered the cavern in the side of the hill.
As soon as his nails clipped on the stone floor, I shifted, holding in my grunt so he couldn’t react before I was up on my two feet. Being an alpha gave me an edge on shifting, allowing me to do it in seconds.
Kicking the wolf roughly, I booted him forward, into the cage. It yelped as I slammed the metal barred gate shut and locked it with the new bolt that had been fitted.
My chest squeezed as the memory of Della’s shift shot into my mind. I had failed her that first night, leaving her to fend for herself. Her encounter with Kieran had made our fraught relationship with the Crawley Pack almost tip over into war. No doubt, our actions tonight would be the defining moment that would push the other pack to declare their intentions in coming for us.
“Can you force your shift?” I asked the mutant-wolf, who shook its head from side to side.
Not bothering to reply, I went over to the far corner of the cave and knocked out the loose brick. There was an emergency phone there, wired to ring even with no reception. I dialled Della’s number, praying to the wolf spirit that she answered. She did on the second ring, her breath hitching with a question at the end of her greeting.
“Della, can you flash to me? Now?”
The urgency tightened my throat as I pulled air into my lungs. She didn’t even bother to reply, instead appearing right beside me and making me jump. My heart swelled when she came to me, gripping my hand in hers.
“Can you pop your head out of the cave and wipe the surrounding area clear of scent?” As I spoke, I walked her to the exit and looked outside, sniffing the air.
They weren’t here yet, but if Della didn’t help, they’d be knocking down the door soon.
Without hesitation, Della rushed out, coming back seconds later. The sound of barking reached my ears just as she shoved the door of the cave closed and locked it with the iron bar lock.
When she turned to face me, she was panting and her hair was scruffy. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes tired. It was so good to see her.
Grabbing her elbow, I dragged her to me and wrapped her in my arms. When she bent her head back to look up at me, I dropped my lips to hers and trapped them in a kiss that sent a thrill over my skin.
A growl came from the wolf trapped in the cell. Oh, yeah, I had more pressing matters to attend to, ravishing Della would have to wait.
“Are you okay?” I asked, looking her over.
Nodding, she raised her eyebrows. “I am. How about you?”
Her gaze raked over my naked skin, resting on my manhood. What could I say? Seeing my mate sent blood pounding… everywhere.
“Want some clothes?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips and flicking her eyebrows at me.
“Please.” My muttered reply was drowned out by the rumble coming from the cell.
Clicking her fingers, Della moved around me as the wolf paced up and down, his nostrils flaring as she drew nearer.
Her mouth opened in an O shape as she turned to me and pointed, her eyebrows pulled low in question.
“Apparently,” I started, adjusting myself in my new slightly too tight jeans, “Ertha and Kieran have a thing.”
“A thing?” She almost choked.
Sighing, I shrugged, staring at the deformed wolf who came closer and sniffed Della. “We’ll have to wait until its shift passes and then we’ll find out what the fuck is going on.”