Hundreds of wolves streaked across the battlefield, the ground rumbling beneath their paws. Unless the entire pack had come, just a fraction of this pack’s strength was already more powerful than any other shifter territory Noah had ever heard of. Judging by the fury in the wolves’ yellow eyes, they didn’t take too kindly to unseelie encroaching upon their territory.
The Alpha collided with the Sluagh, ramming the monster with its shoulder. The creature shot back, flying through the air and digging a long ditch into the muddy ground. In a merciless display of fangs and claws, the other wolves descended upon the remaining unseelie, beginning a vicious slaughter that churned his stomach to witness. Blood mixed with the muddy soil to create a slush of suffering and death. He sighed in resignation as he watched the wolves demonstrate their speed and power. Humans could not contend with the Shifters either.
He returned his focus to the fight between the Alpha and the Sluagh, for that was the conflict that would determine the fate of this battle. The Alpha snapped and danced around the Sluagh, occasionally throwing a few halfhearted claws at it, but mainly, keeping its distance. The Alpha wasn’t as strong as a Sluagh; it wasn’t as fast as a master vampire, and it wasn’t as deadly as a fae prince or princess. But it had something the other races didn’t. A pack.
Two hulking behemoths, bigger than even the Alpha, surrounded the Sluagh. One wolf would snap and nip at the monster to gain its attention, and then the other wolves would take turns launching attacks. With devastating bites powerful enough to crush logs, the wolves tore the Sluagh apart piece by piece.
With a toss of their head, they flung pieces of flesh high into the air. It was absolutely brutal to watch a living being, no matter how evil, being ripped apart like this. Eventually, one wolf feinted a lunge, and the Sluagh whipped around to throw an arm out at outrageous speed. The arm found no target and whooshed through the air harmlessly.
As soon as the creature turned its back, the Alpha went for the kill. The massive wolf clamped its jaws around the Sluagh’s neck and violently shook its head, attempting to bite through its neck. The monster clicked its nightmarish screams and tried to dislodge the wolf that was seeking to end its existence. It spun around in a blur, lifting the Alpha off of its feet.
Swinging freely through the air, the Alpha maintained its tight grip on the creature’s neck. The Sluagh slowed and the other wolves, sensing weakness, pounced on the monster in a vicious frenzy. They ripped and tore its flesh until the unseelie nightmare finally stopped its movements. The mighty champion of the Unseelie, invincible a few moments ago, was reduced to scraps of flesh.
The rest of the wolves had absolutely routed the Unseelie. Corpses of goblins and red hats littered the battlefield and none had met a quick or painless death. The rest of the Unseelie had retreated into the woods, but the wolves made no move to press the attack. They formed a perimeter around their alpha, preparing to attack or retreat on its command.
The wolves growled at the humans, who huddled around each other, not knowing if they should celebrate after the slaughter they had just witnessed. They had no wares to trade the wolves now and no way to protect themselves. They were completely at the mercy of the Alpha of this pack- an all too familiar occurrence for humans in this cruel world.
Noah kept his eyes glued on the wolves as he leaned against a broken wagon. The shards of wood, along with his cane, held the majority of his weight. His cane dug sharply into the mud with the hidden blade once again sheathed inside the shaft. His wet black hair clung to his neck and blood-tinged water dripped from the bill of his hat. Underneath his trench coat, blood and fluids soaked the ruffled shirt he prized so much. Disgust whispered in his mind at the sight of his pure white shirt defiled by the Unseelie.
A slight shimmer in the air enveloped a few of the wolves, and immediately, humans appeared in their place. Well, not humans. These were the human forms of the shifters. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the human forms of the wolves. Humans of every race stood before him where the wolves had once been.
His eyes scanned the humans in front of him as he tried to locate the Alpha of this pack. He was legendary and probably the strongest alpha in this entire region of the continent. Any wolf packs he encountered had two choices: merge with the Baleful Fiend Pack or face complete destruction. With that type of brutal reputation, the humans weren’t out of danger just yet.
The shifters stood before him, all wearing the same style of clothes. It didn’t seem like they took much pleasure in human fashion, as their clothing was simple and practical. Leather or wool shirts and pants seemed to be the style of choice amongst the pack. Glancing down at their feet, he noted that not one shifter wore shoes. Their toes sunk and squished into the blood-infused mud, but they didn’t seem bothered by the sensation. Blood covered their mouths, giving them a feral appearance and reminding him that what stood before him was not human.
He examined the older males with grey in their hair, hoping to find the Alpha. A few shifters, larger than any human could ever be, appeared from the rear of the pack. They were enormous and stood head and shoulders above even the tallest human in the caravan.
Noah’s eyes found the largest male in the pack. He had dark brown skin and dreadlocks that hung down to his shoulders. Some grey mixed in his hair and beard, betraying his age, or Noah would have thought he was thirty at most. The shifter crossed his tree trunk-sized arms and stared the humans down. He frowned and shook his head as if he considered dealing with the caravanners a nuisance not worth the effort.
Noah’s mind raced with schemes on how to talk his way out of this. He had nothing to trade or offer for his life. He could barely stand, let alone run. Even if he could, he wouldn’t make it ten feet before the wolves caught him. His thoughts slowed as he came to the inevitable conclusion that he was at the mercy of these wolves and would only survive if they allowed him to. Moans of pain from the injured caravanners behind him reinforced the lack of a fighting force they could conjure at the moment.
It was strangely relieving to know you had absolutely no control over a situation. No racing thoughts, trying to capture a slippery solution from the depths of your ingenuity. No paralyzing anxieties at making an incorrect decision. You simply had to exist and let the events unfold around you.
The giant shifter that Noah had pegged as the Alpha stepped aside with no warning and a smaller shifter stepped forward. She was a young female, maybe in her late twenties. She stalked up to Noah, more reminiscent of a feline than a wolf. Despite being extremely tall for a human female, she appeared relatively short amongst the shifters.
She was around 6’3" in height and wore a simple wool shirt to cover her chest. Tight leather pants clung to her legs, drawing the eyes of the still-living human men. With corded muscles bunching and contracting with each step, she appeared ready to spring forward with explosive power. She had raven hair that hung down to her lower back and her bronze skin contrasted with her silver eyes. The eyes of an alpha. A female alpha?
There’s no way this was the legendary alpha that had conquered packs for decades, leaving a trail of blood and death in its wake. When had that mighty alpha fallen to this young woman? Noah waited for someone to address the Alpha, but no human came forward.
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It was the caravan leader’s job to negotiate with the other races, but apparently, he had been half-eaten by a troll. Next in the pecking order would be the Captain or the most experienced caravanner. Noah looked over at the Captain, who was busy tending to the wounded bodies and minds of his soldiers. He showed no interest in conversing with the shifters, not even lifting his head. John would have been next as the most veteran caravanner, but now that role had fallen to Noah.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward to parley for their lives. His leather boots slipped and slid on the slick mud, and only his cane saved him from an embarrassing tumble. He gave a small bow with a tip of his hat, avoiding eye contact with the female alpha. His cane remained pointed at the ground so as not to appear threatening. “Greetings, honored Alpha. Thank you for saving our lives. Your pack’s legendary ferocity is well deserved.”
He stood up from his bow and straightened his hat. He gestured behind himself toward the broken wagons and winced before saying, “We offer all the wares we carry free of charge and simply request permission to return to our territory.”
The Alpha surveyed the ragtag group of humans that had survived the battle with a snort. “Humans. You continue to be the world’s greatest marvel by simply surviving. You don’t have the strength or speed to even protect yourselves,” she mocked.
The shifters surrounding her snickered. The humans clenched their fists in impotent anger at the mockery but could do nothing but wait for the Alpha to pass judgment.
“We are a peaceful trading caravan, not true warriors of the human race. I believe we handled ourselves quite well, given the circumstances,” Noah said.
“There is no need to mock the brave lives that were granted an honorable death today.” He couldn’t allow the insult at the loss of life to go unchallenged.
The Alpha’s head shot in his direction with narrowed eyes. “Oh? Maybe we misread the situation. I’m afraid we committed a grave mistake interfering with the one-sided slaughter. The humans were just about to dazzle us with their crafted weapons they bluster over so much.”
The shifters busted out laughing at their alpha’s sarcasm. Hundreds of wolves laughing together shook the ground and rattled the wagons.
Unlike the Alpha, who had her pack behind her, Noah stood alone with only a few injured humans moaning in pain behind him. Standing amongst a sea of dead bodies, he didn’t cower in front of her might. Instead, he donned his most mocking smile.
“We undertook a long journey to trade with your pack in good faith, and I hope your pack reciprocates that sentiment. As you witnessed, the journey through the Wilds was long and resulted in the loss of many lives today. We humans have the numbers to take such risks, you see.”
That shut the shifters up quickly. Growls filled the air, and the humans shrank further back against the broken wagons. Noah stood without fear out in front of the caravanners. If you allowed someone to steal your dignity, then you were already halfway dead.
“We are from the human territory of Greenwood, which you invited to trade with your pack. We demand parley for an armistice,” he said, raising his voice to carry across the battlefield.
He slammed his cane into the ground in finality. He stood straight and proud, but he still kept his eyes from meeting the Alpha’s. He had to tightrope between not acting like prey and challenging her authority.
There was no discussion amongst the shifters. The Alpha’s word was final, and they would follow whatever commands she gave. Dozens of human lives depended on the word of a young woman who held less life experience than most of the parties present. She considered him with a cocked head. What she was searching for upon his face, he didn’t know.
“We will take your wares and allow you to test your luck on the journey back to your territory,” the Alpha handed out her judgment.
Noah sighed in relief, not for his own survival, but for the other humans he was representing. There were plenty of loved ones in Greenwood who needed the remaining caravanners to return home safely.
“Thank you, Alpha. We will bury our dead and leave the outskirts of your territory by tomorrow morning.” Noah turned away to ready the caravan for travel when she interrupted him.
“You didn’t let me finish, human.” The soft voice of the Alpha caressed his ears, causing him to shiver.
Noah froze. Rage coursed through him, and he whipped around to face the pack. “Do you betray your word at the cost of your honor, Alpha?”
Alpha’s lived and died by their ability to command the unquestioned respect and loyalty of their pack. An alpha whose word lost its value would not remain alpha long.
She laughed lazily, threatening to steal his senses from him with a seductive charm. “You are a mischievous one, aren’t you, human? Your gilded tongue won’t poison the ears of this pack, I’m afraid.”
This wasn’t looking good for Noah. He didn’t have many cards left to play. He spied the Alpha in his peripheral vision smiling broadly with her hands on her hips.
“I can practically see the schemes racing through your mind. How tiring the constant need to outwit stronger opponents must be. Don’t worry, human, I will honor my word and let the surviving humans attempt the journey back to your settlement.” Noah held his breath and waited for the hammer to drop.
“But,” she sneered. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but a shake of her raven hair tossed a mist of water into the air.
Here it was. He had to find a way to get them back to the settlement. The loss of life was too great already, and he couldn’t stop picturing the families of the caravanners waiting for their loved ones to return. Night after night, they would pray. And they would wait. And they would strain their ears and eyes for any signs of those they loved most in this world to return.
“Not you, my dear human.”
Noah’s head snapped up and he couldn’t stop his glare from meeting the Alpha’s eyes. The glowing silver distracted him from his anger momentarily before he could shake free from his bewitchment.
“What is the meaning of this, Alpha? I will not be taken prisoner by any foe. Kill me if you must.” Noah pointed his cane at her in challenge. Brief moments of his time in the caves flittered through his mind. Never again.
She tensed at his obvious challenge to her authority. Growls broke out amongst the shifters and some even shifted back into wolf form. Noah held steady, staring her and the wolf pack down with unwavering resoluteness.
The Alpha’s stiffened posture relaxed, her anger leaving her in an instant. She smiled down at him like she was humoring a small child.
“Is my little human upset he will have to stay behind with the villainous wolf pack?” she mocked him with a laugh, easing the tension of the other shifters.
“If you want the other humans to go back to their families, you will stay here as my prisoner. That is my command, and it is final.”
Noah’s cane lowered one inch at a time until it pointed straight down toward the ground. He turned around to gaze upon the surviving humans. Smith was tending to Lazar’s broken body, which was covered with injuries that only fae medicine could heal.
His eyes shifted to Owen. He was kneeling beside Lin, attempting to rouse her with soft strokes of her hair. His attentions did nothing to wake his lover, who was lost in slumber. Fae medicine may help stabilize her, but she would need a master vampire’s blood to heal her broken body enough to have a chance at awakening.
His eyes passed over the dead caravanners strewn about the battlefield until he reached the two dozen or so surviving humans. Hope and shame filled their eyes as they stared back at him. They didn’t demand that he become a prisoner, but their silence was deafening.
His mind flashed to the soft snores in the caverns he had walked right past during his escape. He had left them to suffer their fate while he had gained his freedom. Could he do so once again? Staring up at the grey sky, he searched for an answer that he could live with.
He shook his head in resignation. No, he couldn’t allow all of them to be executed for his own selfish desires. He just couldn’t do it. Knowing that others had paid the price for his past actions tortured his mind and haunted his nightmares. He would not fuel his madness further.
He would give the caravanners a head start back to Greenwood, and then he would escape the wolves’ territory, following on their heels. Half of his life had been spent in captivity; he could survive a few weeks. He firmed himself and met the Alpha’s silver eyes, who was patiently awaiting his decision.
“I will surrender myself to you, Alpha,” he said through gritted teeth.
She took on a predatory grin, baring her pearly white teeth. “Yes… you will.”