Howl of the Wolf (Heirs to the Throne Book 1) (26 page)

“You’re serious!”  Donovan leaned over his knees and gripped his pounding head.  “Well so what?  They’re babies and they’ll grow like normal children. I frankly don’t care how they got started!”

“Good!  I counted on your forbearance but there was always the chance…”

“Don’t say anything to Krystal or anyone else.  The information stops with me!”  He paced the length of the room.  “Will it become obvious as they grow up?”

“Each girl has different coloring—we learned to alter clones cosmetically—so they will look different on the surface.  As Krystal ages, the similarities won’t dominate perceptions, but…”

“You’ve always got a but!  Go on doctor, tell me.”  Donovan’s stance spoke of a man ready to lash out.

“Krystal said she felt their minds…she said each one possessed powers…and on a world like this one…”

Donovan laughed.  “Powers!  You think talents will make them witches on a backward world?  The babies are clones of Krystal.  She’s capable of hiding her powers from the public.”

“Krystal is an adult.  She controls her talents with an adult mind.  How do you teach a baby, a toddler, or a teenager to control their actions?  What happens when one gets angry and throws a tantrum?  How do you hide their abilities?”

Donovan combed his fingers through his hair.  “We’ll make it work, surround the girls with crew members and friends who understand their abilities.  We’ll teach them control.”

Dr. Alexander relaxed.  “I ran across an interesting Chinese curse while reading in the library: May you live in interesting times.  I guess I understand the full impact of such a curse now.”

“You don’t know the half of it, doctor.  With Jarrack gathering an army and the Institute breathing down our necks, I wonder what else can go wrong.  We’ve got three girls to raise, so we’ll make it work.  We don’t have any other choice.” 

******

Kriegen entered the king’s tower.  He cast a sidelong glance at the guard, who nervously stood back while he passed through the open door.  Kriegen sensed danger. 

A blade glistened in the moonlight. 

Suddenly a growling black shape hurdled through the air, teeth slashing at the enemy’s throat.  The guard screamed until strong jaws cut off the sound.  The body lay twitching as footsteps pounded down the staircase.

Kriegen stood his ground with his designated host protecting his back.

Bryant shouted, “Stand down.  It’s just Donovan’s wolf.  Who’s this?”  He nudged the dead body with his boot and scowled.  “Where’s the guard I assigned?”  He rounded on two guards who stumbled sleepily from the guard room.  “Go fetch the captain of the guard.  There’s been a breech in security.”

Donovan glided down the stairs, his sword in hand. 
Greetings, Kriegen.  I’m glad to see you here.

We sensed trouble
.  Kriegen sniffed the dead guard. 
This one smells like the desert and your other men walked in a false sleep.  We guarded your pack from a distance, but our pack will sleep inside your stone cave to guard your cubs.

Donovan nodded. 
I doubt anyone could sneak past wolves.  I’ll pass word among my staff to welcome your pack. 

The Forest Guardians are pledged to protect your pack.  Other packs watch the evil one.

Donovan turned to Bryant.  “We’ve got new volunteers for guard duty, a whole pack of wolves.  Pick men who are comfortable with wolves to serve as human guards.”

Bryant grinned.  He saw several sets of glowing eyes framed in the doorway.  “I’m delighted.  Can you imagine desert riders facing down a pack of wolves?  I’ll have someone fetch water dishes and sleeping pads for the newcomers.  Will you tell them I’m a friend?  They look ready to bite my face off.”

Donovan laughed.  “Kriegen just told them.”  He gestured the wolves inside and shut the door.  Two young wolves sniffed him.  They stood half the size of Kriegen with long gangly legs and thin chests—like teenage boys.
Are these your cubs, Kriegen?

Kriegen yawned. 
They are young and forget their manners.
  He growled softly and the teenagers backed off.

Donovan’s eyes sparkled. 
I guess my daughters will grow up safely protected by your cubs.

Young ones enjoy adventure.
  A teenager tested the stairway and then started climbing without fear. 
We learn new ways from the young but hear wisdom from the ancestor voices.

Donovan nodded. 
Our future depends on our children.  May we all live in interesting times…
 

Kriegen cocked his head, listening. 
The ancestors say that you quote a Chinese curse.  Curses are difficult to interpret.  Should you need help, the ancestors offer their assistance.

Surprised, Donovan nodded.  How did wolves know about Chinese curses? 
I need all the help I can get.

The ancestors know many things that might surprise you.

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THE ALPHAS is a prequel to HOWL OF THE WOLF, Heirs to the Throne Trilogy.  It takes place in modern day on the planet Earth and is a mix of Mystery and Science Fiction. Has your dog ever stared into your eyes, trying to send you a message you can't quite understand?  Learn what happens when you finally “get” that message.

What starts off as a perfect day for Carra Taylor, quickly spirals into a terrifying race to solve a deadly mystery.  Carra learns that her friend, Frieda, has been murdered and the dogs in Frieda’s kennel are missing.  Frieda was the breeder of Carra’s beloved German Shepherd, Kriegen, who was stolen five years before.  Now Carra learns that she’s the heir to Frieda's hefty estate and the next target for a group of killers.

As she searches for clues to Frieda’s murder and a series of dog thefts, Carra and her husband Mike, find themselves on a dangerous journey through Frieda’s past.  They uncover painful secrets about the woman and learn about a secret breeding project Frieda initiated over fifteen years earlier.  Can two amateur sleuths blast through a web of lies to unravel the truth and rescue endangered wolves?  Will they survive against a ruthless company that is determined to exploit helpless animals to complete research that might be worth millions?  Carra is faced with decisions that might affect generations of sentient beings. You can buy the book by clicking this link:
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When chaos erupts in the kingdom, Havenshire falls to Krystal’s worst enemy.  As queen she must safeguard her precious daughters and devise a plan to rescue her beloved from Jarrack.  She forms the Havenshire Resistance and initiates an underground black market to finance her ragtag army of Samurai, peasants, and renegades among the gentry.  

Hiding in the safety of the Fire Temple, Krystal waits for her daughters to mature.  As the girls near their seventeenth birthday, dreams stimulate their repressed memories, and they are compelled to find each other.  It’s a dangerous world for teenage girls. 

Desert riders roam the countryside to find and capture Krystal’s daughters.  The girls travel with trusted guardians to join forces and learn how to use their special abilities in the upcoming battle.  Descending upon the wolves’ Council of Elders in the company of a dragon, panther, and hawk, the daughters petition the wolves to join their fight against Jarrack. 

Krystal leads the Havenshire Resistance against the enemy stronghold in a surprise attack.  A cunning schemer and determined general, Krystal has become a stranger to her own children.  Can she win the battle to regain the life stolen from her?  How will her strong will and fortitude fit into the role of queen once the battle is over?  Click here to buy the book now
THE HAVENSHIRE RESISTANCE

Donovan doesn’t enjoy his reunited family for long.  Hereditary Lords swarm Havenshire with handsome suitors, eager to snare a princess bride or negotiate a match with another family of good breeding.  Donovan bristles at the influx.  Afraid he’ll lose his daughters too soon, he asks Chella to form a new school to keep the youngsters busy.  While Donovan and Krystal take journeys into the countryside, an Institute warship arrives in Drako’s orbit with orders to capture the renegades.

Before the Zebulon’s desperate exodus from Institute-controlled space, Dr. Alexander and his team of scientists deleted important records about Transfer, believing they’d disappear before the Institute discovered the sabotage.  They were wrong!  Fremont, the Institute spy who was humiliated by the escape, won’t rest until he’s extracted a painful revenge.  Faced with the possibility of planetary destruction, Donovan’s team trains eager teenagers to use technology.

Donovan’s daughters tackle other dangerous problems.  Lauryn travels with Dr. Alexander to Asbohar, disguised as a boy, searching for a dangerous radiation leak near the desert stronghold.   Tessa and the wolves try to confine Jarrack, who hides inside the mind of a vulnerable young son.  Felesia works with dragons to help captives escape from a desert riders’ prison.

Shariel, one of Jarrack’s daughters, inherited the power of mind control.  She’s afraid of using her “talent” but needs to perfect the skill to help her siblings escape from a desert rider prison.  Shariel’s telepathic siblings eagerly learn to ride wild dragons and form a strange air force.

As the clock ticks toward an explosive deadline, humans, dragons, and wolves execute a dramatic defense of planet Drako.  Courage and ingenuity are the best weapons to prevent disaster and forge a new direction for the backward planet.  Can a “dragon defense” tip the balance in their favor?  You can buy the book by clicking this link:
DRAGON DEFENSE