LERRIN

As soon as he'd found his bearings and knew where he was, he reached for Suhle again.

Can you hear me?

Yes! What is happening, Lerrin? She sounded frantic.

Our plan was thwarted. Tell Reth there's a smoke plume somewhere on the Western side of the City, I don't know who lit it. I'm northeast. Suhle… I'm alone. I have to figure out how to get to Reth—

He cut off as the sound of voices reached him. He'd thought he was far enough out of the city, and far enough away from his own army that he would only need to contend with scouts and patrols. But these were voices, multiple voices, talking. And laughing.

Laughing.

Lerrin, what is it?

I'm not sure. There's someone out here. I'll tell you in a moment.

He slowed to a creeping stalk and, after a moment, shifted into beast form.

Shifting wouldn't help his wounds, but his senses came alive in his beast, and he was better able to walk silently on the forest floor.

But too late he realized Suhle, who was disformed, couldn't send to him in this form. She likely couldn't even sense him and would be frightened when he didn't respond quickly, or if she asked him something and he didn't respond. So he urged his beast forward, to peer between the underbrush until he saw…

Until he saw two Lupine males standing shoulder to shoulder, and a female beyond them, pressing her back into a tree.

Lerrin's hackles rose. He considered his options. Were these wolves from his people, or the Tree City? Was the female with them willingly, or—

That was answered for him when the female tried to leap past the two of them and was caught by the one on the left, curling an arm around her middle and plucking her out of the air to shove her back against the tree again.

She fought. Hard. But she was a sheep, if his senses were right—he sometimes struggled to tell the sheep from the goats—and she was tiring quickly.

And the males weren't finished.

Without thought, Lerrin shifted back, Suhle coming alive in his head as he did.

—WHAT HAPPENED, WHO IS THERE? LERRIN, TALK TO ME!

He winced. She must have been talking the entire time he'd been in his beast. Her voice was high and sharp with fear.

I shifted to my beast to move quietly, he sent softly and she cut off. There are two wolves here, tormenting a female.

He could feel her shock and disgust at the other end of the link.

Fear not, my love, he said, his voice dark with promise. They will pay.

He waited until the two were beginning to close in, no longer nudging each other, but their stances dominant and powerful, their attention wholly on the female, who was beginning to bleat, pleading with them to stop.

"I won't tell them you're here. Just let me go!

" He caught a glimpse of the female's face. She was pale and had the same horrified fear he'd seen flash on Suhle's face when she told him her story.

"Oh, we will,

" one of the males said.

"After we get you pregnant—could you imagine?

" he said to his friend, laughing again,

"A true wolf in sheep's clothing.

"

Lerrin's rage went up like a dead tree in a forest fire.

The second wolf laughed with his friend and Lerrin's stomach turned.

ENOUGH! he sent—and must have said as well, because the two males turned in shock. But Lerrin was already only feet from them and he leapt forward silently.

The two had no warning, and less chance against his rage. Sliding between the two, he took the one who'd spoken by the hair and snapped his neck. The male hadn't lost his shocked look from hearing Lerrin's voice before his eyes glazed and he dropped to the dirt with a thunk. But Lerrin hadn't stopped moving, using the momentum from twisting the first male to continue turning and slam his elbow in the ribs of the second who was trying to scramble away.

The male doubled over, but recovered quickly and was already shaking, wide-eyed, thinking more quickly than his companion.

"Sire!

" he barked and dropped to a knee.

"Sire, I submit!

" he raised both hands, palms up—the one on the side he'd elbowed much lower than the other.

Lerrin stood over him snarling,

"A wolf in sheeps clothing?

"

"A-a joke, Sire. You wished for the females to bring offspring… the predator blood would win—

"

"I had NO SUCH WISH!

" Lerrin growled so hard he shook with rage. He had to keep his voice down, avoid attracting guards to this spot. But his anger burned as if this were Suhle who'd been cornered and he surged with the bloodlust.

Yanking the wolf up and onto his feet, he put himself in the male's face.

"I never gave any order, any hint that I wanted females taken for breeding. None! Who told you this?

"

The male, eyes wide, but downcast so as not to challenge him, paled.

"I, uh, they all did, Sire. The… um… My fist leader. Asta. Craye. They said it was from yo—

"

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Lerrin shifted, releasing his beast to bite out the male's throat. And he didn't immediately take back control, allowing the beast to glut itself on the blood, and shake the male until his neck snapped.

But moments later, Lerrin became aware of the shaking, terrified female, crouched on the ground, hands in her hair, staring with horror at Lerrin's deep black wolf.

With a growl, he wrestled back control and, ignoring the male dropping to the dirt in front of him, turned to face her.

Impossibly, her eyes got even wider.

"Please… Please!

" she shrieked.

He didn't advance on her, just shook his head, hurt and angry that she thought he would harm her.

"I came to help you,

" he whispered.

"I am so sorry that my males—

"

He stepped forward to offer her a hand, to help her to her feet, but she only cried out and cowered, her entire body trembling.

She smelled like she might loose her bladder if he came any closer.

He stood there a moment, watching her, searing himself with the understanding of what his wolves had been doing. Of how they had hurt the females. Of how he had failed them all… and he made his own stomach sick.

"I'm sorry,

" he murmured a moment later. She flinched, but didn't run.

"So sorry. I didn't know… I didn't know they were doing this. Not until… I'm sorry…

"

He stepped back, almost tripping over one of the bodies, but keeping to his feet as he gave her space. Then, when she still didn't move, further, and off to the side so she had a free run straight ahead.

She stared at him, sobbing, obviously not believing that he would leave her in safety.

"Go,

" he croaked.

"I will not harm you. I will not chase you. Go. And tell your King of this. Tell him that I killed the males who did this to you. Please. Go.

"

Then he stepped back into the trees and leapt back into his beast and began to run from every way he had failed himself, his pack, his people.

*****

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