The Alpha Dire Wolf

“Lincoln!” I screamed his name, but the darkness swallowed up the sound the instant it left my mouth. There was no calling for him, no begging him to save me. He’d done that enough. It was time I saved myself. But how? The river was impassable, and I was trapped in its center. Either way…

There was no warning. The last drumbeat in my head faded away with the end of the word, and then the darkness I was staring at faded, congealing into two circles. One yellow-orange. The other cold, furious blue. The wolf was on us. It snapped the tree-thing’s arm from its body, ripping its fingers from…

But so will we. More will die before it’s done. Dwelling on that now would only make it worse. I had to keep my wits about me, my brain working, thinking, acting. The Chained had to know it couldn’t succeed with a frontal assault. Not yet. Though it held many minor creatures within its thrall,…

I sat back, thinking of what to do next. He seemed so passionate. So honest, and most of all, so … unsure. Had he never fallen for someone before? “So,” I asked, taking one thing and latching on to it. “ Am I an agent of evil?” He snorted. “I’ve been convinced you weren’t since…

“Thereis something between us,” Lincoln insisted. “Yeah. A wall. One I’m never tearing down,” I said coldly, walking on and trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes on my back. “Sylvie,” he said, jogging after me. “You’re operating with only half the truth here.” “Am I?” I asked, meeting his eyes without flinching at…

“Your people,” she murmured. “You are their leader. You.” “I’ll take that as surprise, not disbelief in my abilities. But yes, I am the alpha. This is my pack’s den.” She glanced around and then started us moving again, following my pointing hand. “I was expecting a cave.” “Surprised again?” “Alpha of the …” Sylvie…

“How badly did you downplay the reaction that bringing me here would create?” She lifted a finger. “And no trying to downplay things now.” Making a face, I looked away. “That’s what I thought.” She shook her head. “I should just leave. It would be easier that way.” “Not for me it wouldn’t,” I said,…

“Our ancestors would be ashamed of us if we ran away from a fight when it came to us.” I scanned the faces of my pack. Many disagreed but fewer than I had expected. More agreed with me than I had dared hope. But was it enough? I wasn’t sure. Too many weren’t looking at…

“Do you promise not to try and kick me between the legs again?” he said humorously, referencing my earlier struggle. “No,” I said, but I didn’t mean it. Lincoln chuckled. “You should never be in sales. Your technique sucks.” But he set me down anyway. I stepped to the side, not wanting to get close…

“And I hear it, in the tremble of your voice.” His tongue slid up my neck, hitting every sensitive spot along the way as he paused to suck ever so gently at his final destination. I couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop myself. I moaned. My limbs were shaking, my heart doing its best to explode…