Blackshadow (Kingdom of Wolves #2)

Stopping outside of the Blackshadow Pack’s territory, I slow down as I skirt the town of Wolfsfoot and the Wolfsfoot Pack members. Swift is beside me and I can feel her annoyance at my making a run for it, although she does not know why.

What is going on? Swift’s wolf Red asks Briar. I roll my eyes because they are so impatient.

Hope panicked, and I’ll speak to her once she stops with the dramatics. Briar responds, and I can hear her giving a wolfish laugh as she does.

Our humans need to be more like us. Red complains, and I cut the link before checking where we are and changing back.

Swift quickly changes back herself, pushes her red hair behind her ears and gives me a foul look. “What the heck is going on? Why did you run like that? No messing about Hope. Tell me what spooked you badly enough for you to run?”

“Well, you know I never wanted a mate, because of my father being an alpha and me being illegitimate.”

“Yes, I know all that.”

“Well, I caught the scent of my mate,” looking at Swift and hoping she understands why I panicked.

“You did not!”

“Yes, I did, and I wasn’t waiting to see who it was. I wanted away from there before he smelled me.” I purposely give Swift my puppy dog eyes to stop her blowing into a full temper tantrum.

“Goddess’s sake, Hope. Whoever it is, is meant for you, sent by the Goddess herself. Stop being such a wimp. This is what you need to be whole. Who gives a fickle that your momma had a child without being mated to that asshole sire of yours. It’s his loss. Your momma was a great person. She loved you selflessly and was happy to live in the Parklands as long as she had you. Now we’re going home, we’re going to pack up and get what you want to take with you ready, and don’t think I’ve not noticed you didn’t pack everything. But we are moving to that pack and I’m going to boot your ass all the way if I have to.”

A tear runs down my cheek, thinking of my momma. I miss her so much and my father I don’t give a damn about. I wouldn’t give him the time of day if he was standing in front of me. He broke my momma’s heart and I’ll never forgive him for that.

From what momma heard a few years later, he had no heir and his chosen mate wasn’t such a good choice as she was barren. Not telling him she couldn’t have pups because of an injury must have been a blow to him, but too late to claim this daughter, and unless he rejected her and took another, he’ll never have an heir.

I’m thankful we stay south of the Northern Parklands, as he is the Alpha of the Wolfsong Pack in the area of the Northern Sector. Alpha Soren Wolfgang, you will have to meet the Goddess one day, and answering to her isn’t going to be easy. The grin that crosses my face I can’t hold back, and seeing Swift give me a questioning look, I shake my head. “Come on, Swift, live up to your name,” I say over my shoulder just as I shift back to Briar and begin running home. I’m not stopping this time either. I’m going to run all the way, whether it be wolf or human.

Waking in my shack after sleeping for twelve hours, I’m hungry and thirsty. Feeling hot, I turn my head and see Swift asleep beside me, and she has one arm over my waist and her head tucked between my shoulder blades.

I giggle as I know she’s going to pretend she didn’t cuddle into me, spooning, and I’m going to have to tease her about this. Hearing someone whispering outside the shack, I slide off the bed and quickly open the door.

Gamzin is laying a hunk of meat by the side of the door and Dagon is beside him with a rabbit. “Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you, Hope. I knew you must have run a long way as you both never sleep this long, and one of you has been snoring.”

Dagon chuckles but looks at his feet when I frown and give him my best glare. “Thank you, Gamzin, we appreciate you doing this for us. We got to the Blackshadow Pack but turned and left before meeting anyone. I cannot tell you anything, but I will if I go back and check it out more thoroughly.”

“Why didn’t you stay, once you’d gone all that way?” Gamzin asks and leans on the shack which has it move slightly. He quickly takes a step away looking guilty because we both know it could fall even with a gentle push.

Swift pushes past and gives a snort. “She chickened out and ran home. Of course, that meant silly me ran after her to make sure nobody hurt her.”

Dagon laughs and looks at Gamzin. “We should have gone and checked it out. Maybe we would like it?”

“I already told you I’m not joining a pack. I enjoy doing what I want and when I want to do it. I don’t want another alpha telling me how to live. I had enough of that previously.” Turning and walking away without another word, I smile a little when Dagon tries to catch up and ends up jogging.

“Do you know where Gamzin came from?” Swift asks, and I turn to look at her, shrugging my shoulders as I do not know. I’ve never spoken to him about it.

“Wolfsong Pack,” Swift adds, gives me a smirk, then walks around the shack to start the fire pit to cook the meat, which she’d picked up eagerly.

“Oh, Goddess,” I murmur and now I’ll have to tell Gamzin my story one day so I can hear his.

Rushing away I find the water jug in the shack and take it to the stream where I fill it before bringing it back to fill the kettle and make a chamomile tea.

After we’ve eaten, which we’ve done without conversation, I know I’m going to have to say something. “Swift, I’ll pack up and we’ll go to the Blackshadow Pack. I know you want to be a member of a pack with the security it will bring to us.”

“We need our mates too Hope, they complete us. I want my mate, I want pups, but I also want to belong.”

“I know. But you know as soon as we go back my mate will smell me and that will be game over?”

“I’m sorry, Hope. I know you didn’t want that.”