Queen of Wolves

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

The Black Panther
blended in with the inky black of night as she moved with fluid grace through
the thick forest of cedar trees, the pads of her feet completely silent as they
sank into the rich carpet of decomposed leaves and dirt. She moved swiftly,
creeping around stumps and logs of fallen trees from the most recent storm.

Weaving through the
trees, she sniffed the air constantly on the lookout for the scent of pack on
the cool night air. She didn’t have much time before the guards picked up the
scent of cat on their lands. All she could smell was damp earth and small
woodland creatures, and she picked up speed. Trees and ferns blurred as she
sped through the forest toward the heart of the territory.

Suddenly, the wind
shifted direction, and she knew with a sinking heart, the wolves on sentry duty
picked up her scent. A wolf howled in alarm. Others howled a wolf song in
return, and joined the hunt. She was already tired, but she continued to run,
adrenaline making her feet swift.

They were fast
approaching her, when she picked up the pungent odor of wolf a minute later.
They hadn’t been as far away as she had hoped. Desperate, she picked up as much
speed as she could. The break the in the tree line was up ahead. She had to
reach the clearing before they caught her.

She was tiring
quickly, her short burst of speed nearly gone when she slid on some wet leaves
and fell.  Zara tumbled forward several times, cracking her side and then her
head on an exposed rock. She laid flat on her back, stunned, breathing hard.
Her ribs and her ankle ached. She could hear the heavy galloping of wolves
bearing down on her position, growling and yipping.

Zara rolled over and
scrambled to her feet. In a flash, she was running again, slower. The wolves
were quickly catching up. They could run just as fast, but for longer. The
clearing was just ahead, and with a desperate leap over a fallen log, she
soared through the air. When she landed, she was in the clearing. Wolves
growled from behind her and she ran toward the center circle of large stones.

She barely made it up
the three steps before large jaws clamped down on her shoulder, and she yelped
in pain as she was forced to the ground, skidding the rest of the way into the
center of the dais.  The large wolf who stood on her back growled menacingly
when she tried to push him off. He shook his head, teeth tearing at the bite
mark on her shoulder. She screamed as the teeth bit deeper into the muscle.

“That’s enough
Matteo.” A voice boomed out above the sounds of the rest of the wolves,
gathering around in the circle. “Release her and step back.” Zara held her
breath, and closed her eyes against the searing pain in her shoulder as the
wolf released her and withdrew his teeth from the muscle of her shoulder.

Zara groaned and
rolled so that she could face her savior. Flat on her back, she stared up at
the large wolf that stood over her. He growled, narrowing his eyes at her as
she shifted back to human form.

“You heard your
Master, dog. Back the hell off.” She grumbled, pressing her hand against her
shoulder to stop the bleeding. He growled and stepped forward, snapping his
teeth at her.

“Matteo!”

He immediately stepped
back several feet, but his eyes never left her. She sat up carefully, wincing
at her bruised ribs. She had broken enough bones to know one of them was at
least cracked. Blood poured out of her shoulder despite the pressure she put on
it. The wolf had torn an artery.

“By what right do you
trespass on our lands?” The man walked up to her calmly and motioned for his
second, Cassius to stand behind her. “Be aware, cat, your next words could be
your last.”

“I am Zara Tuari, of
the ancient bloodline, by which I swear my allegiance. I seek sanctuary from
the Alpha of the Black Moon Clan.” She said loudly, she knelt on her knees at
his feet, bowing as best she could while holding her shoulder together. She
didn’t dare look up at him, nor could she. Her head was swimming from the blood
loss. “Please, Alpha. I have no other hope.” She whispered.

Cole Sheridan stared
down at the woman bleeding to death on his boots. She was visibly paler, and
trembling, either in fear or cold, he could not be certain. He glanced around
at his hunting party. They were all standing around him in a semi circle, ready
to do his bidding. She was putting her life in his hands. Why would she do
that? Against his better judgment, he had to know more about this woman.

He raised his right
hand, and placed it on her head, his thumb up. “Sanctuary is granted, Zara
Tuari. No harm will come to you while you are on my lands, by my people or any
other. This I vow.” He said formally.

He felt her shudder
once, and then she passed out, slumped over his lower legs and feet.

“Bring the doctor!” He
ordered. He removed his shirt and pressed down hard on the wound. The shirt was
soaked in seconds.

Cole was in the den’s
gym, sparing when the doctor came to him three hours later. The doctor nodded
at him, grimly and waited patiently for the Alpha to drink a bottle of water
and towel off.

Cole jumped off of the
platform and walked smoothly over to the doctor. “Well?”

Marissa Blaysen
nodded. “She lives. She’s lost a lot of blood, and well…there isn’t much more I
can do to help her heal until she is conscious enough to shift on her own.” The
doctor was a slender, petite woman with cinnamon colored hair and soft green
eyes.

 She radiated a soft
and tender aura, but Cole knew she had a backbone of steel and strength to be
reckoned with. Of all the pack, she was one of the only women he respected
enough to allow her to disagree with him publicly, though she rarely abused the
privilege unless it was of dire importance.

“Was she telling the
truth?” Cole asked. “Is she really of the ancient bloodline?”

“I tested her blood.
There are some definite abnormalities…she is incredibly strong.” Marissa said.
“But I can’t actually tell what bloodline she originates from.” A few others
eyes widened in surprise and Cole frowned. This was not a conversation for
public gossip.

“Explain yourself,
doctor.” Cole said, motioning for her to follow him. He wandered down the
hallway into his private office. He pulled out his office chair and she sat
with a smile. He was always courteous in that way and she rather appreciated
it.

“I’m still running
some tests to be certain.” Marissa said. “But it appears, this girl has the
ability to transform herself into any of the were species at will. She is cat,
and wolf and every other species we know of. Perhaps even a few that has been
lost to us since the times of old.”

“You’ve got to be
kidding me!” Cole’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. “How is that even
possible?”

“I’m afraid I don’t
know, sir.” Marissa admitted. “I’ve put in some calls to other pack doctors I’m
on friendly terms with, to find out if they had ever heard of a theory on the
subject of a multi-species were.”

“And?” He asked,
surprised. He was too shocked to even reprimand her for speaking to others
before talking to him.

“They have never heard
of such a were.” Marissa sighed. “I’m afraid we have to wait for her to wake,
before we can get some answers. Even then, we may not.”

“Why do you say that?”
Cole frowned.

“She may not be aware
herself. If she was raised cat, she may not even know it’s possible for her to
become anything else. Marissa said.”Telling her that, if she doesn’t know,
would be incredibly shocking. With the blood loss she has already suffered, I’m
not sure it would be healthy for her to get that upset.”

Cole nodded. “So, when
do you expect her to wake up?” He asked.

“Hopefully, within the
next twelve hours or so. She needs to rest. I’ve given her several cocktails of
vitamin and mineral injections to help aid healing, as well as a blood
transfusion and repaired the damage to her shoulder. Her ribs are broken and
her ankle is badly sprained.

She has a nasty bump
on her head, but unless it swells more, her brain scans are clear. There should
be no lasting damage, so long as she can shift within the next twenty four
hours.”

Cole nodded. Shifting
after bone injuries was incredibly painful, but it was the only way to ensure
the beast was not permanently lame from injury. The sooner a person could
shift, the less likely an injury would last. “Is she chained?”

“Of course.” Marissa
said.

“Double the chains.”
He ordered. “We don’t know what she will shift into if she flips out on us. I
don’t want my people hurt.” He said, sighing. “Please, come find me, when she
wakes up.”

“Of course Alpha.”
Marissa stood, and turned to leave. “Did she ever tell you why she asked for
sanctuary?” She asked, curious.

“No, and it doesn’t
matter why until she wakes up. She has my word.” He sighed.

“Please keep me
informed, and tell no one else about her abnormalities unless you absolutely
have to. Swear your nurses and staff to secrecy.”

“Already done, Alpha
Sheridan.” She smiled brightly, and was gone.

He sat back in his
chair and rubbed the spot between his eyes. Prone to migraines, he closed his
eyes briefly and groaned. “I don’t have time for this crap.” He grumbled,
standing. He walked over to the cabinet under the window, and pulled out a
bottle of Scotch.

He poured himself a
shot and downed it, the burning fire rolling down his throat and settling in
his stomach. Sighing he went to his desk and pressed the intercom. His voiced
boomed throughout every room of the den and out into the courtyard.

“Attention Black Moon
Clan. I’m sure word has spread by now, but I’m making it formal. Alpha has
granted sanctuary to the stranger, Zara Tuari, currently in the infirmary.
Should someone come to harm her while on our lands, you are to protect her as
you would your own until further notice.

Furthermore, the
doctor is entrusted to her care, and her orders are to be followed, without
question or protest. Do NOT flood the infirmary hoping to get a glance at the
woman. You all have jobs to do, so go about your business as usual. All members
of my hunting party to the library now, please.”

He walked across the
hall to the library and shooed the remaining Omegas out. While it was a
communal area for reading, study and computer work, the war room was in the
back. He walked straight to it and entered the palm print and voice code. The
heavy door slid open and he keyed the panel on the inside wall to hold the door
open until the rest got there.

He walked to the head
of the table and sat in the large leather chair. One by one, the rest of his
hunting party filed in and took their assigned seats. His second, Cassius sat
at the opposite end of the table from him. The others along the sides.
Jeremiah, Teague, Dalton, Brent, Matteo, Owen, Logan, Spence, Zacharias, Riley,
Ukiah, and Grayson. He stood and greeted each one of them in turn.