He brought me to a cliff face that appeared to have experienced a landslide some years ago. The smooth hill created was riddled with a network of holes. Yet what caught my attention the most were the eyes, all fixed on me, some yellow, others brown. Lycans. Males, females, cubs, they all watched me with keen intensity.

The massive white male bumped my back with his head, urging me to follow a well worn path up the hill. Some of the nearby lycans leaned in to sniff at my clothes. I flinched away. Behind me, I heard my guide snarl, causing the others to back off.

Near the top of the hill was a particularly large entrance, decorated with exposed roots and what looked suspiciously like drag marks leading inside. A scrap of soiled fabric clung to the edge of a rock beside the opening. The white lycan trotted past me, stopping by the hole.

"Here," he growled.

I nodded before bending over to crawl my way through the short passage. Almost immediately upon entering I lost my footing, tumbling down a small embankment into the borrow. I quickly sat up, just in time to see the lycan step down after me. His back brushed the ceiling as he stood on all fours. His deep crimson gaze glinted in the low light.

The scent of damp earth invaded my senses, along with something much more pungent. I didn't dare look away to investigate.

He began to pace around me in a small, tight circle. His nose poked harshly into the fabric covering my back. I stiffened, but restrained my urge to cower away.

"That feeling," he finally said after a minute of pacing and poking. "You did something to me. I want that again."

I swallowed. He wanted my poison. He brought me to his den and now kept me for a taste of my drug, just as they always did . But I wouldn't be a slave again. I wouldn't bow to this creature, despite his fierceness. This time, I would be the master.

"I'm hungry," I stated in a clear voice, free from the hesitation and fear which ran rampant in my mind. "Get me some food and I'll give you what you want."

The lycan stepped in front of me and tipped his head as he considered my offer. I sat tall, stilling my trembling as I met his gaze with confidence.

"Stay here," he commanded. "The others will not enter my den. Scream if you're in danger."

I nodded. The lycan gave a short nod in return. He turned, then climbed out of the borrow, disappearing from my sight.

Only once I was certain he was gone did I glance around. It was too dark for me to see properly, however, I could make out a vaguely yellowish form not too far from me. I dragged my hands along the dirt, fingers occasionally catching on small roots and rocks until they closed around the object. It was large enough to fit comfortably between my palms. The surface was rough in some areas, smooth in others. I lifted it to the light streaming in the entrance.

My breath caught. Bile rose in my throat as I dropped the object, kicking it away with my foot. A human skull. Bits of dried flesh still clung to the bone. Some of the rougher patches bore evidence of gnawing.

There were a few other light shapes around the borrow, but I was no longer curious.

Murmuring. I glanced up at the entrance. Two voices were speaking too low for me to make out what they were saying. Shadows moved over the light. Soft growls. A slim, canine face appeared, locking me in its predatory glare.

I stared back, determined to hide the pounding of my heart with false confidence. I had been told, or possibly read, never to break eye contact with a wolf. Surely it was the same. Besides, the white lycan told me they wouldn't enter his den.

The canine lifted its lip, baring its teeth as it let out a low snarl. I stiffened, but dared not look away. I mustn't break eye contact. I mustn't back down.

A large, paw-like hand stepped into the entrance. I drew in a sharp breath. Should I call the white male back? The lycan rocked forward, as if debating on entering or not. The white male had only been gone a matter of minutes, would he still be close enough to hear?

"Come out!" the lycan demanded. Her higher pitched voice told me she was female. Claws, long like those of a bear, dug into the borrow's entrance, creating deep furrows in the soil. "Come out!" she barked.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I crossed my arms, lifting my chin but keeping our gazes firmly locked together. My heart may be pounding adrenaline through my veins but I refused to cower against the wall. I wouldn't let her intimidate me. I refused to be a slave ever again.

The female clawed at the borrow's walls, growling and starling. She lurched forward, letting out a bark that flashed her teeth. I flinched, but didn't move. She stepped back, then mock charged again.

A sharp, growling bark echoed out over the hill. The female backpedaled, turning her attention to an unseen threat. Her ears flattened against her head as she bore her teeth and braced her body a split second before another form crashed into her. They tumbled from my view in a mess of snarling barks. A moment later, high pitched whines sounded along with a deep chuff. A shadow scampered across the borrow's entrance, tail between their legs. Then another, larger shadow momentarily blocked the light.

The white male dropped down into the den. He leaned forward, placing something at my feet before backing up and sitting. Red eyes settled on me.

I reached down to pick up his offering. My fingers were met with silky fur. He had brought me a rabbit. I looked up, meeting his gaze.

"Thank you."

The lycan nodded.

My knees pressed into the damp soil as I stretched out, hesitating only the smallest of seconds before my fingers brushed against the fur of his cheek. His coat rivaled the softness of the rabbit's. He blinked slowly, eyes never leaving mine. But he wasn't challenging me, simply studying. Was it possible he found me as strange as I found him?

"Do you have a name?" I asked in a hushed voice, though I had no idea why.

"Blood Eye," he answered in an equally quiet tone. "Do you?"

My gaze fell slightly to his nose. "No. No real one."

The lycan blinked again. The breath from his nose swept against my face. Although my heart was pounding, I wasn't truly afraid. He wasn't threatening me, he was simply close. "I will name you then."

I closed my eyes as I nodded. My fingers traveled down his snout, tickling against his whiskers before brushing my thumb against his dark pink nose. I held it there, careful not to block his nostrils. His face twitched, then his crimson irises rolled back. After a minute, he shuttered, collapsing on the dirt floor.

My hand drew back. His eyes opened, but remained unfocused. His chest heaved with his rhythmically slow breathing, riding the height of bliss my touch could bring.

Perhaps I should have felt afraid, or powerful, bringing this lycan down so easily. But I didn't. All I felt was admiration of such a strong creature, and a sense of honor, having been granted entry to his den and the privilege of his protection.

I bent over him, speaking softly in his ear. "Thank you, Blood Eye."

***

I became aware of my surroundings before I opened my eyes. The smell of disturbed dirt and the atmosphere of the den took me back to a time before revenge and castles and all the heartache and complications my life had been through since then. It was just after Cerberus found me, when I first stayed in his den. I had yet to become the vicious Lady of the Lycan Mountainous. Then, I was simply a scared girl trying to keep from ending back where I had come from.

Cerberus wasn't beside me, yet no sooner had I begun to search for him than he dropped down into the den. His eyes reflected what little light the darkness had to offer. He poked me in the side, ensuring I was fully awake.

"Come," he spoke softly, just as he had then. "The others want to show you something."

I followed him out to the hillside. The surrounding area was strangely quiet, not a single lycan in sight. Usually there were sentries. I spotted a glowing light a little ways in the distance as Cerberus knelt next to me. I swung up on his back and we trotted in the direction of the light.

We came to a massive pyre in a clearing surrounded by the wild lycans. Off to the sides were their captivebred cousins. They made way for us as we walked to the fire, where Graniteback and Nightmoon were waiting for us.

"What…?" I looked around. "What is this all about?"

"You, My Lady."

"Me? Why?"

This time it was Nightmoon who spoke. "We want to show you we are still loyal."

"But you have no reason to be. I can't give you my poison anymore. I-" I wrapped my hands around my waist, looking to the pine needles. "I can't control you like that anymore."

Graniteback nodded. "We’ve learned to live without it. But also, we learned to enjoy a purpose." He paused, as if considering how to phrase his next words. "And you have shown us how beneficial a partnership between humans and lycans could be." He nodded to himself, seeming satisfied with the outcome. "So we'd like to keep serving under you, if you'll accept us."

My eyes watered. My heart swelled much larger than my chest could contain. My ribs hurt with the pressure from it. But I didn't mind, it was a pleasant sort of pain. "Of course I accept you," I whispered. "I could never turn you away."

Graniteback bowed his head. "My Lady."

The others followed the gesture, whispering 'Lady' amongst themselves. It started as a hushed word, growing into a kind of chant. Then it became louder, repeated again and again until it crescendoed into a collective howl. Cerberus bumped my shoulder, handing me my mask. I grinned, tying it on my face before joining them in their wild call.

Though the sound died down, the fullness of my heart didn't. Cerberus was right, just as he always was. I would forever be the Lady of the Lycan Mountains.