Page 7 of The Wolf's Secret Baby

“We’re not going to hurt you. I thought we already made that clear,” I said.

She tilted her head and looked at me with profound curiosity. “Why?”

I wasn’t quite sure I understood the question. “Why what?”

“Why aren’t you going to hurt me?”

“Because there is no honor in it.”

“Not even if I’m armed? I must say I’m a little insulted that you don’t see me as more of a threat.”

I was impressed that she showed no fear, at least outwardly. I could smell the unease radiating from her, but she was doing her best to hide it. There was more to her than I expected from a human.

“We are the threat. You and your kind should be afraid of us,” I said, baring my teeth. Perhaps I was a little insulted that she wasn’t cowering in my presence.

“You just said you weren’t going to hurt me. Are you lying?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t have anything to fear from you, and it’s not going to do me any good to tremble with fear. I might as well try and make the best of my situation. I’m not going to make any trouble, because then you’ll be less likely to keep me around. But you should know before we go any farther that I’m not anything special. I don’t have any power or influence with the other humans, so if you expect to use me as some kind of bargaining chip then you’re mistaken. I’ m just an ordinary woman. I’m not sure that I’m going to have any value at all.”

“You do have value because you are human. Now, it is time for us to leave. Don’t try anything stupid.”

She stopped in the threshold of the door and stared at me for a few moments. I couldn’t understand what she was trying to discern. It felt as though she was peeling away the layers of my soul. I was thankful when she moved on, as I wasn’t sure what she would see. She might have thought she was ordinary, but I could already sense that she was wrong. Perhaps with her I could… no. I pushed the thought away almost before it entered my mind. I sighed, my body still processing the sensations that her sweet mouth had elicited. I gazed at her swaying hips as she strode away from the cabin, becoming hypnotized by the mesmerizing movements.

Chapter Five

Typhon

“You know, she’s going to be wasted on Vance,” Kull said. We were striding through the forest. Ambrosia was a few paces ahead of us. Occasionally we shouted directions to her, but for the most part we walked in a straight line. I had warned her that there was no sense in running because we could chase her down. She insisted that she had no idea on doing such a thing because she had no idea where we were. The forest was dark, and it looked the same in all directions, although the fragrances were vastly different. Ambrosia was largely quiet. She possessed a fine demeanor and did not melt with fear. Was she a sign that the humans were going to be more defiant than Vance believed?

“She won’t be a waste. Vance will be pleased with this offering. He will reward us with respect.”

I could sense the weight of Kull’s gaze upon me. “Are you certain of that, brother? It’s not as though we have ever been worthy of his respect before.”

“We have never brought a human to him before. This intruder will be the key to raising our standing in the pack. Vance will see what we are capable of, and he will bring us into his inner circle. We shall be trusted with more important missions.”

“I fear you are letting your ambitions cloud your judgment. You know they won’t do this because of what we are.”

“We are wolves,” I hissed, glaring at Kull. I hated the way he spoke sometimes, as though there was never a chance for us to be anything other than what we were at birth. If I believed that, then there wouldn’t be any point in my continuing to live. Kull remained silent. I knew what thoughts were travelingthrough his mind. We had had this discussion countless times before, as we likely would countless times more until either one of us was proven right.

“Times are changing, Kull. I can sense it. It will soon be time for us to take our place among the renowned. And then we can begin our rise,” as I lifted my chin I couldn’t help but notice the concerned look upon his face.

“You shouldn’t speak of such things,” he whispered, as though someone was going to hear my conspiratorial words. His furtive gaze darted among the shadows as he worried that a wolf was nearby. “What if someone thinks you are plotting against Vance?”

I grunted and shook my head. “Nobody would think me that foolish,” I said. Privately, I had entertained the notion of challenging Vance, as I assumed most other wolves had. He had faced so many challengers to his position that to be the one to finally topple him would make me a legend. Of course, I wasn’t so naïve to think that I could defeat him. It was a mere fantasy, but to rise to the position of Alpha would certainly be a shock given where I began. “But when this war ends there will be a lot of territory to divide up between us. Vance cannot control it all by himself. He will need people he trusts to be in charge of the areas, and if we prove ourselves to him then we shall be given that trust. Think of it, we will have our own small part of the world to govern. Nobody will be able to tell us what to do.”

“Nobody except Vance,” Kull said. I ignored his words. He was always trying to downplay my ambitions.

“It will be glorious, Kull. We can have servants at our beck and call. We will stride about the world with our heads held high and our chests puffed out. Everyone will look at us with respect and they will want us to tell them the stories of our great victories in battle over and over again. The younger wolves will grow up wanting to be like us, and nobody will ever think of usas different.” Then I leaned into him and lowered my voice. “And think about how women will react. They will be lining up to be your mate. They will all want a taste of Kull the Magnificent, Kull the Strong.”

I noticed how his eyes flashed. I knew that this would appeal to him. However, the notion did not linger in his mind as much as it lingered in mine.

“I hope you are right, I sincerely do, but I can’t imagine that the future will be too much different from the past. I can’t imagine Vance bestowing any honor upon us.”

“He might look at you differently when we bring Ambrosia back,” I said. Kull visibly winced. I hadn’t even mentioned Hana’s name. He should never have allowed the purity of his heart to be dulled by desire, but Kull had always been vulnerable to the yearnings of the spirit. I was more devout to the cause than that. I knew that all of these things would follow once we had gained the respect of the pack. Things had to be established in a certain order. That was just the way of things.

“I don’t want to talk about her,” he mumbled.

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