My heart shot adrenaline through my veins, causing a pleasant tingle in my fingertips. I ran them along my ribbon to the knot resting on the back of my head. My hand pressed to the wolf mask covering my face, feeling the teardrops carved just under the eyes. Finally assured all was ready, I stepped into the light.

A roar accompanied my arrival into the arena's stands. I blinked in the bright sunlight, then bowed to my awaiting citizens. I was pleased to hear several barks among the human cheers. Eyes now adjusted to the light, I was able to find my way to the canopy covering the royal stage set above the pit.

The massive canine waiting next to my seat nodded in acknowledgment as I settled myself.

"Alpha."

"My Lady."

I smiled, reaching out to bury my fingers in the fur between his ears. He caught my wrist in his paw-like hand, holding my arm still as his pink nose burrowed into the space between my coat and gloves, pressing to the skin underneath. His tongue lapped at the underside of my forearm.

"Sneak," I chuckled, though my gut tied itself in a knot. I wished he hadn't touched me after he suffered withdrawal the first time, that he stayed free of the addiction. But I didn't struggle against the albino alpha. The public didn't need to see me squabble with a creature four times my weight and strength. I wouldn't win. He released my arm after a moment, looking back the way I came.

A dark-haired man marched from the hallway accompanied by a smaller, chocolate canine. His black furred cloak danced around his calves as he fell into the seat beside me. Glancing around the crowd, he adjusted the fabric covering the lower half of his face higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Late as always," I commented. "I remember a time when you used to be much more punctual."

"And I remember a time I used to get paid," he huffed. "Claw was sniffing something out. It's not my fault he was doing some werewolf stuff."

"He's not a werewolf," I sighed.

"It's an old world name for their kind."

"It's an old world name for a mythical shapeshifter inspired by their kind." I rolled my eyes, once again reaching out to pat my albino companion's shoulder. "Cerberus's never changed into a human man. I know Crimson Claw is just the same."

"Yeah, I'm sure Cerberus's never shifted," Cyrus laughed. "You'd never give me a second glance if he did."

An announcer began shouting the schedule for the events, but I paid him no mind. I was too focused on the man who once introduced me to the country I now ruled. "No, but that hardly matters. It's not like you can get very far with me, anyway."

He leaned over the arm of his chair, giving me a conspiratorial grin. "Really? I'm pretty sure we've gone pretty far already."

I gritted my teeth. "Special circumstances. That can't happen again."

The man frowned, falling back in his seat. His lip scrunched up to the underside of his nose. It was a few heartbeats before he spoke. "Sometimes I want to try it, you know, to see what all the fuss is about." He crossed his arms, glancing my way. "I think about stealing a kiss sometimes."

Ice seeped into my veins. I unconsciously raised a hand to my mouth. "Don't you dare," I whispered, meeting his gaze with a serious stare. "You've seen what my kind does to people."

Cyrus leaned over his armrest again. "It'd be worth the addiction."

"No... it wouldn't." But I could see my argument meant little to him. I really didn't feel like having this conversation with him. I never did. So I reached back, tugging my ribbon free and letting my mask fall into my face. "Cerberus, you arrived before me. I think you deserve a reward for being on time."

The white lycan grinned, standing on his hind legs and stepping in front of me. His long, bearish claws wrapped around my throat, keeping my head steady as he supported his weight against the other hand on the back of my chair. I closed my eyes and relaxed into his grip, holding my breath.

"As my lady wishes," he breathed over my face before dragging his long tongue over my features. I wasn't afraid of the sharp canine teeth pressing into the skin on my cheek. He would never hurt me. This lycan had endured more than I could possibly ask for my sake.

"Ewh," Cyrus's disgusted expression was revealed as Cerberus pulled back, dropping to all fours and returning to my side. I laughed at his comically curled lip. "You know, I'm pretty sure he's eaten someone today." He glanced over to the lycan. "Really, like ninety percent certain, we're missing a servant."

"What? Don't you want your kiss now?"

His eyes narrowed. I laughed again as I tied my mask back on.

"I thought you two were friends," I said, looking back down to the sand pit below us, where two lycans were brawling in the hopes of advancing their position in the pack. The fights were quite entertaining, even enjoyable now the once oppressed lycans recovered from their captivity and chose their own opponents. I tied my mask back on my face.

"We are. I just don't always approve of his meal choices."

"Lazy meat is tender," the lycan murmured from my side. “More fat.”

Cyrus began to reply, but was interrupted by the trumpets announcing a change of events. I turned back to the pit, peering down at the blue clad soldiers leading a man to the center. They spun on their heels to face me, then bowed. Their prisoner was forced to his knees.

"My Queen!" One of them shouted. I gave a sharp nod, signaling I could hear him clearly. He continued, "This man, Edward Manbrig, is a former trainer found to have association with a rebellion resisting your lawful rule."

I scanned over the man. Former trainers had quickly become scarce since the lycans gained their freedom. He was quite raggedy, no doubt from living in poverty after losing his source of income. It was little wonder why he joined a group of rebels. "Has he personally taken any actions against me?"

The speaking soldier glanced over a piece of paper handed to him. "Not to our knowledge, My Queen."

"Give him a spear, then." A spear was a sign of my mercy. A spear gave him a chance, if only a slight one, to force his opponent to surrender. I snatched up the registry beside me, flipping through the list of competitors until I found one suitable. "He shall go against Blizzardback."

A lycan with gray fur so light it appeared nearly white trotted from the modified stalls, taking his place beside the soldiers. The underside of his coat was a much darker hue, giving him the appearance of having been caught in a snowstorm. He bent one foreleg, bowing to me in the lycan fashion, before turning to his assigned opponent.

The soldiers handed the prisoner a spear, then marched from the pit. The man paled as he faced the lycan. He glanced my way. He didn't bother pleading for mercy though, however much his eyes told me he wished to. Anyone living in Preene knew I had none, not for the trainers, and not for the rebellion.

The trumpet played one long, low note, and then it began.

The trainer fumbled with his spear, turning it to point to the charging lycan. He would have been more comfortable with a whip. Perhaps I should have allowed that instead. It was too late now.

Blizzardback collided with the spearhead, driving it into his shoulder. The canine curled his head back, his mouth open in a silent howl. However, lycans were much tougher than to surrender to a simple wound, not when they were well fed and determined. He stumbled back, pulling the metal from his flesh. Red wove through his fur, but he ignored it. The creature fell on all fours, pacing around his prey.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The trainer was now trembling. It was clear the strike had been more luck than skill, and he rightfully doubted his ability to repeat the incident. His fear faltered his concentration. Blizzardback was quick to see his hesitation, and take advantage.

The lycan leapt forward, catching the man's bicep in his jaws. They tumbled to the sand, the trainer kicking and screaming, the canine securing his grip. The movement was so quick I didn't catch it with my eyes, only saw the human tossed into the air. He collided with the pit wall, falling to the ground in a moaning heap.

Blizzardback wasn't far behind. He bounded to the trainer, then rose up on his hind legs. His paws pressed together as he fell forward. Even from across the arena, I could hear the sickening snap as the trainer's sternum broke under the weight, causing his ribcage to fold in.

No one needed to remove the man's corpse. Criminals didn't get proper burials, they got dragged off to a lycan's den.

The silent crowd exploded into whoops and cheers. The people of Preene certainly enjoyed their blood sport and seemed not to care if it was human or lycan that fought. In fact, the unfair opposition thrilled them. Violence ran in this country's veins. This was my method of punishing the guilty, and I had received few complaints.

One voice rose above the others, though I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman's. "All worship the Savage Queen!"

***

The palace was somewhere between luxury and a dug out den. Much of the furniture had been replaced, but the scratches and bones remained. The place was infested with lycans, some warming themselves beside the many hearths, others gnawing on the remains of recent kills. Occasionally, a servant would dart through, though it was rare to see them far from the safety of their corridors.

However, the servants weren't the only humans living in Preene's Royal palace.

"Dessy's home!" A little girl's voice echoed through the main hall. Alice appeared in the doorway, curly blond hair bouncing as she trotted across the room, clinging to the fur of her tan mount. The lycan stopped a few feet away from my hip. "Where's Cye?"

"He had to go somewhere. He'll be back soon," I explained as several other children, some on foot, most on young lycans, ran to my side. Six kids gathered around, though I knew there to be over twenty in the castle.

"Where to?" A brown-haired boy asked as he leaned back on his mount. A single drop of Taurus’s blood was able to sooth the most violent of tempers. Unfortunately, nothing could soothe his paralyzed lower body, the lycan he rode had become his only mode of transportation.

I sighed. "He didn't tell me. Where he always is, I suppose."

"Maybe he'll bring someone home," one of the younger cubs spoke, standing to look over my shoulder as if Cyrus would walk in that moment. "Either way, Claw will look after he."

"Him, Grizzlefur," Alice corrected in her most knowledgeable six-year-old tone. "Claw will look after him." I smiled as I watched her lean over, hugging her mount around the neck. Sunshine was in rough shape. Four scars where his fur grew in thin patches extended down his back. He gained them, as well as lost half his tail, to an unknown source in my home country of Askance. Alice never seemed to mind though. She loved the lycan like a living teddy bear.

A dirty blond boy leaned over, reaching to tap Grizzlefur on the shoulder. The lycan cub turned, watching as he pointed to his stomach.

"Raymond says he's hungry."

Some of the other kids nodded in agreement. "Let's go play invasion in the kitchen." An eight-year-old named Angelica suggested, pulling her skeletal frame on one of the larger cubs. The others did likewise, bounding off in the direction of the servant's corridors.

"You can come if you want, Jared," Taurus called, before disappearing around the hallway's corner. I looked in the direction he shouted, finding the eldest of the children of the apocalypse standing near my throne.

I gestured for him to come closer. He trotted down the short set of stairs. I was dismayed to see him trip on nearly every step, perhaps just as much as it pained me to see draining fluid already staining the side of his white shirt. The leather covering his hands creaked as he wrapped his arms around his waist. "My queen."

I studied his bruised features before speaking. A bandage covered half his jaw, masking where his curse had eaten away his cheek. "You needn't address me formally. None of the others do."

He gave me a strained half smile. His face was missing the muscles to do much more. "Dessy, then."

I smiled in return, though it lacked much sincerity. It was difficult to have good humor while watching Jared's own poison eat him alive. "The others aren't shunning you, are they?" I asked in nearly a whisper.

"No, no," Jared said, shaking his head, "They're really welcoming, all of them. I just sort of ostracize myself..." His gaze dropped to the floor. "I figure it's better this way. I'm too dangerous."

I crossed my arms. "Alice and I are skin givers, too. We've never had any issues."

His half smile was back. "Yeah, well, your brand doesn't have the same side effect."

My heart hurt. He hadn't been this bad when he arrived five months ago. I knew what it was like to have my body fail on me, to be slowly killed by my own curse. But to watch his living flesh slowly rot from his bones, I could only imagine the horror. Yet, he never complained. Jared only worried he was a burden.

Raymond's extreme exhaustion. Taurus's itching skin. Angelica's inability to gain weight. They all weighed on my conscience. Caroline's heart beat like a rabbit. Jeremy sometimes saw terrifying visions, like dreaming while awake. The more powerful their drug, the worse the symptoms. I felt guilty I didn't share their pain, but I had, and was certain it would return soon enough.

It was the blindness that scared me the most. I didn't want my world to go dark again.

This was Howens’s fault. I didn't care how he wished to punish me. For my past crimes, I deserved untold suffering. But if he had any sort of decency, he would have delivered Dr. Aster upon reading the lycan's note for the children's sake. They did nothing wrong, only had the misfortune to be born with an old world curse running through their veins.

"I sent more lycans out this morning," I told him quietly. "We'll cross the mountains as soon as possible. We'll fight a full on war if need be, but we will cure you."

The boy shook his head. "For the others, not for me. I don't have long left. I can feel it."

My chest collapsed and my stomach recoiled as if physically struck. "Don't talk like that. The warm winds are blowing. The melt won't take that long."

"I won't harbor fool's hope."

Screams. The sound echoed down the hallway the children had gone through. I knew what it was. I knew there was nothing I could do to help, to think on them would only bring me more stress. But I couldn't stop myself from running in their direction, seeking out their source.

I bolted through the hall, turning in the kitchen and weaving between metal countertops until I reached the little girl I was seeking. I scooped Alice up into my arms, hugging her close to my chest. Her screams rattled my eardrums, but I didn't care. I rocked her back and forth, hoping to bring some comfort through the haze of pain her migraines brought her.

The other children stood by, disturbed by her screams but unwilling to leave. So they stared blankly at the white walls surrounding us, or the plates set out in preparation for supper. Anywhere but the wailing toddler in my arms. Sunshine's chest heaved with his silent whine. Grizzly Fur laid down, paws pressed over his ears as he glared at the floor. Taurus was shielding his own mount's sensitive hearing as they waited for the episode to pass.

It did pass, much slower than I wished it too. She still was crying afterwards, sobbing into my jacket as I continued to rock her. I felt so helpless. I had taken over a whole country and freed a race of canines, which now willingly served under my command, yet couldn't help one girl. I couldn't help any of them, not without Dr. Estil's cure, and he was impossible to reach until the snow melted.

I almost wished I stayed in my castle full of bones, or better yet, been sentenced to execution rather than banishment.

Many people in Askance would still be alive. The wild lycans would still run the mountains. The captive lycans and children of the apocalypse would still be prisoners in Preene, but I would never know about it. I'd be dead.

I put Alice down. She stumbled over to Sunshine, who caught her in gentile claws. The others started murmuring among themselves, some questioning or offering words of comfort to the suffering girl. She took deep breaths and did her best to reassure them she was fine, but I could see by the way she clutched at Sunshine's fur she wasn't.

I lost count of how many times I had done the same to Cerberus.

Jared stepped back from his position in the doorway to let me through. My steps were slow and heavy as I slouched down the hall. After a moment's hesitation, the boy followed me as I made my way back to my throne room. I didn't know why I had the sudden urge to sit on my high seat, but I severely wished to pass some laws. If only I could think of any. My mind was a wash of gray water, any thoughts were clouded from my sight.

The commotion in the throne room distracted me from the efforts of swimming through my own mind. I was grateful for it. For a while, it was all I could do to process the scene presented to me.

The lycans gathered in a tight circle, hackles raised and teeth barred in soundless snarls. At their center was their albino alpha. He had something pinned under his paws, though it was impossible to see through the mass of furred bodies. I pushed my way into their ranks, weaving my way to my companion.

The man trembling under Cerberus's paws looked to be just as any other, with black hair, a slight beard and tanned skin. Three white streaks were bleached across his head, but dyed hair wasn't uncommon in Preene.

Crimson eyes met mine, reading my unspoken question. Cerberus's lip curled back over elongated canines.

"This man smells of Askance."