Prolog
Approximately 20 years ago
Luka’s POV
I was mindlessly chasing a rabbit, the first time I encountered him. I’d just gotten the little bastard when the air around me shifted and a strange, but good sort of scent reached my snout. I lifted my nose in that direction and---
And almost lost my dinner!
I growled and put more force onto the rabbit and tried to kill it by biting into it. But my jaw and throat hurt so bad, I eventually gave up trying it that way. Instead, I started to claw at it, tearing my small talons into the fur and flesh.
It fought back and caught me by surprise. It kicked my already painful chin and leaped into the dense brush. My heart sank and I tried to whine. But my windpipe was crushed and the only sound that came out was a gurgled, frustrate sound, that gushed more blood into my mouth.
I didn’t understand what was going on with my body. I was in wolf form, I knew that, but I didn’t understand why my body wasn’t obeying the commands I gave it. It felt as if it was defective somehow…
Suddenly there was a huge shadow looming over me, and the rabbit fell at my feet; dead and ready to eat. I looked up and came face to face with a huge, black wolf.
A black wolf with golden eyes.
“Eat, pup,” he said gently, lying down so that he became eye level with me. I wanted to be wary. I’d met big wolves before and they never boded anything well for me. But strangely, his presence stirred my wolf. He liked this huge male. Somehow, he knew that they were the same. He felt it. They were both broken and bleeding. Their blood tainted, their mind shattered and their body broken. And the wolf responded to my wolf. He reached out, held him, and accepted him as no one else had ever done.
Our wolves recognized each other…
I went to town on the rabbit, hunger gnawing at my insides. It was difficult to eat, as only half of my muzzle would work. The left side throbbed painfully, but I was too hungry to care. Instead, I angled my head, using my right side to get to the good meaty stuff.
And filled my belly…
“What the fuck happened to him?” another wolf asked and I instantly tensed, ready to fight. The huge gray and silver-colored wolf instantly stopped in his tracks, and a low warning growled erupted from the big black alpha.
“Mick!” he warned, keeping his voice low and soft. “You startled him!”
The Alpha was on my side? Well, yeah! His wolf reached out to mine and soothed him, making me relax in turn. Encouraged by this and feeling safe, I settled in to eat some more.
“Levi,” the silver-colored wolf said softly, his tone full of awe. “He’s Blood Lusted!”
“I know,” the alpha replied but didn’t move from the spot he’d settled in, in front of us. “Find out where he came from! Not all of that blood is his!”
“Yes, Alpha!”
I didn’t pay attention to them but finished eating. Once I couldn’t carve anything else out of the animal, there was still a lot of meat left on it. And I was still hungry, but my jaw was hurting so badly, I could barely move it. Another strangled whine bubbled inside my mouth and if wolves could cry, I’d be doing that right about now. I felt so lost and alone and hungry---
The black wolf moved and with his paws slit the carcass closer to him. I didn’t even protest, my mouth and throat already straining with the effort it had taken to peel off the few strips of meat I’d swallowed. But to my surprise, the wolf ripped off a juicy bit of muscles and laid it in front of me.
Despite the soreness, I couldn’t resist the temptation. I ate slowly, but the wolf never showed any impatience with me. Slowly I grew to trust him and by the time my belly was full, I pushed to my legs and weakly wabbled all the way over to him. I didn’t understand the connection my wolf had made with his, but I didn’t question the feelings of safety and warmth that I felt. My body was tired, aching and I was drawn towards the safety his big body provided.
I nuzzled in under his chin and rested my head on his paws. The alpha leaned his face down to me. His snout gently caressed my cheek, leaving a cold trace of saliva. I giggled as much as a wolf could. It tickled…
Suddenly he picked me up by my scruff and started walking. But I wasn’t scared. He walked for a long time and my eyelids were drooping. At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, was the sound of the most beautiful, velvety soft voice I’d ever heard.
“Levi?” the woman questioned. Her beautiful green eyes landed on me and instantly my entire inside went aflame. I gasped and my wolf struggled to get to her. She was SO beautiful! Around her was a glow of warmth and safety--- my wolf was yarning to get to her….
The wolf like me sat me down and instantly I ran to her. I jumped into her arms and snuggled my snout in the crouch of her neck. My tail wagging uncontrollably, as her scent assaulted my senses, making my wolf whine and purr in delight. I felt her wolf reach out for mine and instantly our hearts began beating like one.
“Well then,” I heard her melodic voice and sweet laughter. “We were talking about getting another one,” she looked to the black wolf. “I didn’t realize it would be another pre-ordered one.”
“He’s Blood Lusted, like me,” the black wolf said, coming up behind us. He’d shifted back to his human skin and placed a protective hand on the woman; another on my back. “My wolf has already accepted him…”
“Mine is marking him with her scent too,” replied the woman, caressing me gently between my ears and down my back. “He’ll be accepted here.”
My wolf purred at her words, snuggling closer to her.
I knew who they were.
They were Mom and Dad…
*
Levi’s POV
Dina came down after having put the cub to bed. Her expression a completely contrary to what it had been when she put the pups to bed. Gone was the smiling loving mother and in her place was the Luna that ruled by the Blood Lusted Alpha’s side.
“Who made him Blood Lusted?” she asked, and although it sounded like she was asking for a name, in truth she was asking about the number of people who needed to die.
“I’m trying to figure it out as we speak,” I replied, already having a hard time controlling my wolf. He was on a warpath just thinking about it. To distract him I asked: “What did the doctors say?”
She took a deep breath, knowing what I was doing, probably for the both of us.
“The doctor estimated him to be around 6 or 7,” she said, her voice now soft and calm as she came over to me. Her hand gently stroked my arm and instantly my wolf calmed. I sighed in relief and thanked the goddess once again for having brought this wonderful woman into my life. She always knew what I needed, even when she had to push aside her own anger to soothe mine. I’d felt guilty about it a couple of times, but she joked and claimed that the stick-figures were getting overpopulated, and it was in their best interest that she kept my anger in check.
I loved her, so much…
She continued to stroke me while telling me what the doctor had said. The kid could shift and that’s what probably had saved his life. But he couldn’t talk. Not for now at least as some of the gushes were deep enough to have severed most of the muscles connected to speech and the broken jaw needed extensive surgery if he was to ever talk again; let alone eat. Luckily his jugular vein was left intact, otherwise, he’d never survive this long.
Just hearing it again, sent my anger flaring again. It looked like someone had tried to rip his throat out. Huge claw marks marred his neck and gullet, and his jaw had partly been ripped off.
Who the hell did that to a kid?!
I turned to my mate. It wasn’t often that my mate looked murderous, but the look in her eyes right now could kill even the most powerful of werewolves. No one hurt a Luna’s children and came out the other end alive…
“Most of the blood was his, but some belonged to other wolves,” she continued, her voice vibrating with barely suppressed anger and unshed tears. “He took samples and sent them to the trackers.”
I nodded and stood, taking my mate into my arms. She’d been strong for me, and now it was my turn to hold her. She didn’t fight it but burrowed her face into my chest and let out a heart-clenching sob. Her body shook, while she silently cried. I kissed the top of her head and tighten my grip on her. I wish I could take away her tears and wipe away her fears, but even I knew that was an impossibility.
All I could do was hold her…
“How is everyone taking the news?” I asked when she calmed again. And instantly there was a smile tugging at her lips.
“The twins are---,” she paused, trying to find the right words. “The twins.” She then finished and I nodded, knowing what she meant. The twins were reserved by nature. Whether it was because they were hybrids or it was because of their first years of existence, we’d probably never know. They never wandered off and stuck mostly to either Dina or me. Recently they’d grown more attached to the rest of the family, but they were still wary of others in the pack.
“They just need time,” I replied, and she nodded, thinking the same thing. “And LJ?”
And that’s when the grin turned into a full-blown smile.
“I’m starting to think that Blood Lusted Wolves and Dire Wolves share a special connection,” she grinned, and her beautiful smile melted my wolf. “They hit it off instantly. They’re even sleeping together I couldn’t separate them.”
“Let’s hope it’ll stay that way,” I nodded, my mind already far away in the future. Dina and I had one biological child but in our hearts, we had 4 children. The Dire Wolf – our son. The hybrids – the Vampire King’s twins from Sin City. And now a Blood Lusted wolf and apparently the oldest of the bunch.
I took a deep breath.
This was going to cause so much trouble with the line of succession…
As if sensing my thoughts Dina gently took my hand in hers.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” she said in a firm voice and looked me dead in the eye. “They all have formidable and strong wolves, and you’ll train them all. Then, when the time comes, you will choose an heir.”
She was right. I knew she was right, but…
“What if they grow to hate each other?” I voice my greatest fear. I never had any siblings and despite growing up with Mick and the others, I never grew jealous of any of them, because I knew that becoming alpha wouldn’t be in my future. It was probably also one of the reasons why I and Mick had remained so close friends, simply because there was no rivalry between us, despite the both of us having very dominating wolves.
But my children wouldn’t have that luxury!
“What if they grow to despise us? What if…?”
But Dina silenced me by pressing a finger over my lips.
“What if the sky caught fire and your nose fell off?” she taunted my worries and just to underline her words, flicked my nose. It was a small attack as for attacks goes, but fuck did that hurt like a son of a bitch!
“We can only do so much, Levi,” she said softly, while I was rubbing my nose. She then walked into my arms and wrapped me in a hug. “But the best thing we can do is love them unconditionally – no matter what.”
Dina’s eyes were shining with love and affection. There was more than enough love in her heart to love all of our children and even some spare to love someone as broken as me. And that gave me hope. Hope that everything would work out ok. That no matter what happened, the love we had for each other and our children was enough…
“No matter what,” I agreed and kissed my mate.
