Page 4 of Siren's Kiss & Feral Beasts
We are beasts wrapped in skin, ruled by dominance and truth. Two souls in one body. And while we may walk on two legs, speak in tongues, and rule like men…
The wolf always lingers beneath the surface.
“Shadow born. Blood forged. Shadow born. Blood forged.”
They’re louder now. Thirstier. Their chants and howls intertwine with the lightning strike not far from where I stand. It lands in the dark water, maybe thirty feet from the shoreline, but the effect ripples throughout. The ground trembles and electricity pulses in my veins, and the latter has nothing to do with the storm.
My wolf is restless. On alert.
Something feels off…
Pack leaders close the circle once I step through, leaving an open ring of sand for the next battle to begin. The air is heavy with the scent of rain as two worlds collide, and I’m addicted to the mix.
Wet earth and salty sea.
One is my home, while the other beckons me closer. The pull is getting stronger every day.
“Final challenge,” I say, my voice carrying through the crowd, and every leader steps back, except one man. He’s not a commander, much less a member of my kingdom, and I tilt my head to the side, studying him as he steps inside the ring with me.
He’s thin, dirty, and missing a front tooth. His hair is matted, the color of rust.
But more than that is his scent.
Putrid. Dishonest.Criminal.
The difference between him and a pirate like me? I have a moral code, even if it is small.
We don’t hurt women. We don’t steal from the defenseless.
Something rogue wolves don’t abide by. He’s also not the kind who voluntarily leaves his or her pack for a solitary life among humans. There’s no thread or bond to his previous home. No mating mark that explains his decision to live away from the sanctity of a pack.
Not that it couldn’t happen. Choosing to leave is uncommon, but it has happened because of love or the simple need for change—yet a tether always remains. Those wolves maintain a connection to their birth family and each pack member. They’re also welcomed back anytime with open arms, but this man…
There’s nothing honest in his cold, lifeless eyes. In the small tremble of his hand, one that conceals a sharp blade under his lightly tattered sleeve.Strike one.
“What territory do you represent, Wolf?” I ask as my beast stretches within me, pushing against my skin to be let out while my fangs descend. They tear through the gums and cut my bottom lip; I taste the metallic and smile. “Answer me.”
He swallows hard at the sight, but doesn’t retreat. “I’m southerner?—”
“Lies!” three men shout in unison. It’s a father and his sons, their faces contorted in outrage, yet their necks bend low in apology for the disruption. The older male takes one step forward, though, keeping his body a few inches outside of the ring while holding up a hand. “Please forgive us, my alpha. May I speak freely?”
I nod once. “Go on.”
“Thank you.” Turning his head, his eyes zero in on the rogue, and whatever show of respect had been given to me is gone. This pack leader is repulsed—anger flows out from him, and it’s directed at the man standing across from me. The latter staggers a bit but manages to remain upright. “He isnotone of my pack members. My wolf doesn’t recognize him, and his scent is that of?—”
“I am from the south,” the rogue interjects, his voice trembling with rage. “Do not speak for me. Do not lie.”
“You insolent, filthy—” I shake my head at the furious old wolf, and he cuts himself off. Even his sons, who’d been snarling low, stop.
“Rogues have no place here. Especially ones who lie.”
“Where I go is my decision,Your Majesty.Not yours.”Disrespect number two.
“Watch yourself, or I might take your idiocy as a challenge.”
He takes a single step forward, chest puffing out a bit. “And if it is?”
I smile. “Then so be it.”
