Wolfsfoot (Kingdom of Wolves #1)

Riding past, the person waves and I give a small wave back,wondering who the heck that is, as I’ve not seen anyone come here before ridinga motorcycle.

Lykos shouts to me ten minutes later to come in as hisfriend Flint has arrived. That’s when I realize the motorcycle must have beenFlint because nobody else has arrived since then.

Placing the pitchfork back in its place, I pick up the feedand put it away before they eat the lot, and then head inside. Moving past thetable and washing my hands before I turn and give Flint a small, tight smile.

I take a seat at the end of the table and look at Akela, whotakes a seat on the side next to me, before taking my hand in hers. “Don’t goworrying. Flint is here to help us, not cause trouble.”

Flint nods toward me, giving me a small smile. “I’m herebecause Lykos asked me to come and make sure you are kept safe. As a shiftercouncil member, I hope to divert attention from you. Alpha Torrance has placedan appeal with the council that if or when you are found you are returned tothe Blackshadow Pack, but he didn’t tell the council that you had rejected thepack, so you are now classed as a rogue. That makes a huge difference to hisclaim on you.

“Second, I’m told you are having an issue with a femalemember of the town. Now, it’s difficult for us to throw out laws for rogues tofollow, but because the town has always been non-violent, I’m sure the townmembers won’t be happy that one of you could cause trouble, and bring a packinto the area. I want to be at the next town council meeting.

“Third, I need to know what you remember about your parent’saccident and what’s happened to you since then, and why you ran before you gotyour wolf.”

Sighing because I don’t want to dredge up all the nastinessof my past. I rub my forefinger and middle finger across my forehead, wonderingwhere to even start and what to miss out.

Just tell him what you can, Tati.

“I don’t remember what happened with my parent’s accident. Iwasn’t even at home the day it happened. I was at a birthday party for one ofthe pack member’s children. When Beta Torrance came and took me to the packhouse and my parent’s suite, he told me they died and that from now on I had tolive downstairs in the servant’s wing.

“My things were already in the room when I was taken down,and it wasn’t all my things. None of the things my parents gave me for mybirthday a few weeks earlier were there. I found them in the children’splayroom, where the kids tore them to pieces while laughing at me as I sat andcried.” I can feel myself stressing out, so stop and take a few deep breaths beforecontinuing. “It all changed from that point. Alpha Torrance took over the packas a stand-in Alpha until I was supposed to come of age. But he had nointention of stepping down. I was made to cook breakfasts as soon as I wasable, then go to school. Once I was home from school, I had to help wash dishesbefore being thrown scraps and told to get out of everyone’s sight.

“I spent every free minute away from everyone and stayed inthe room. I was given a room upstairs as I got older, but it was a closetbefore I was given it. I was just a servant, and the Alpha ordered everyone toignore me, dislike me, and hate me for no reason. I was bullied, but I kept myhead down and knew as soon as I was able, I was going to leave the pack.”

I can see all three fisting their hands on the table, andLykos looks like he wants to kill someone. Akela takes hold of his hand andlooks back toward me. “Carry on Tati. Tell Flint why you ran and rejected thepack.”

“I was called to the Alpha’s office and was told as soon as Iwas eighteen I had to mate with Connell, sign over my inheritance to him andwhen I had a pup, it was to be handed over to Connell and I would be placed inthe Dorridge Lodge which is on the edge of the territory, but I overheardConnell talking and he said the Alpha was going to cut Ebony’s hamstrings assoon as I got her the next day when I was sixteen so that I couldn’t run. Healso said that once they had my inheritance and a pup that carried the Alphagene, then I’d be killed so I couldn’t take the pup and run.”

Flint stands from the table, paces around the kitchen, thenwalks out of the back door, changing into a large brown sable wolf and takingoff towards the forest. We follow him outside and stand watching him disappearinto the trees.

Lykos wraps one arm around my shoulders and one aroundAkela’s. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back. He’s angry and burning off steam.”

Walking back into the farmhouse kitchen, I can smell theanger that was permeating from Flint, and it makes me feel somewhat good that Ihave these people standing with me. Maybe things will work out after all, and Iwon’t have to leave them and move on to somewhere else where I’ll not bewanted.

Flint didn’t come back that night before we all retired, butwe know he hasn’t left as his motorcycle is parked outside the farmhouse.

Chapter 7

TATIANA

Monday morning and I’m standing at the back door of the farmhousewatching Flint and Lykos in wolf form rolling about, practice fighting. It’sreally interesting to see the moves that Lykos makes as he seems to be able tostay away from Flint’s maneuvers. I watch the way he dives, twists, and flipsat the last second to evade being caught under Flint’s wolf.

Feeling Akela walk up behind me, she wraps her arms aroundmy waist whilst ducking under my arm, tucking herself against me whilegrinning.

“Are you finding this interesting?”

“I am. I was watching Poppa Lykos ducking away from Flintand making it look so easy. Do you think I’ll ever be that good?”

You have no faith! I hear Ebony scoff, but I ignoreher, not willing to get into a verbal argument with her.

We watch quietly for another ten minutes then head inside.“Are you going to work with Thomas later this morning?”

“Yeah, I’ll go get ready.” Turning and running up the stairsto change from my sweatpants to a black pair of pants that Akela insisted Iwear to look neat and professional, along with the white blouse. To finish theoutfit, she gave me a pair of black ballet flats.

Combing my hair, which is more than halfway down my backnow, it looks glossy and in the nicest condition it has been for a long time.The good food I’m now eating is filling out my body and I have to admit,looking at myself in the mirror, I’ve blossomed while I’ve been here.

“Come on, Tati. We want to talk to you before you go towork.” Akela shouts.

Running downstairs, I stop when arriving in the kitchen asLykos and Flint are now sitting at the kitchen table drinking bottled water.