Wolf Queen - Book 1 of The Nightfall Series

Seventeen

It was easy to become lost in the wild.

The temptation of it was tantalising. Like a female in heat or a fresh kill between teeth. It was a drug like no other.

Time moved quickly when travelling endlessly between the tall trees, but Adelaide knew full well of how much time had passed since her departure from the child who had captured her soul.

Almost a year.

Too long had she been separated from Grace, even longer from her father. It felt cruel on her behalf, to begin to heal and then to be separated again, to protect females that had done nothing for her. But she did as the Moon commanded, without question.

Although hesitant at first, the females progressed rapidly from her teachings. The few males that had joined them soon learned that their place was no higher than that of the female next to them. Both male and female were equal. It was only those who were born and gifted for higher purpose that rose through the ranks.

There were three new Alpha's in her mist. Two females and a male. They had taken time to realise their new potential but as the others gave into their basic instincts and a hierarchy began to form it became clear to them that they needed to unleash their dominance.

They had understood their place in accordance to her in quick succession. There was no other that could challenge her. While one of the females was wise and understood, the other two, the remaining female and the male now held fresh scars as a reminder of the Moon's jaws.

Since the time they had been gone they had covered a great distance. Moving deep into the hills of the vast north that was rich with wildlife and free of supernatural threats. Winter had left them long ago and they were now in the blazing grips of late summer. They never stopped in one place for too long, roaming freely, and after some time Adelaide had allowed the older young that had been left behind to join them.

The younger they were the quicker they learned.

They had taken the change in lifestyle much easier than their mothers and the older females. Some resented her for the decision she had taken away from them. Little did they understand that she was saving their lives and building warriors of the Moon.

But their resentment did not last long. She had taught them the old ways, the old religion and they now understood. They had not left their 'mates' for no just cause. The Moon had blessed them with a new life, a new choice. No longer would disillusioned males tell them of their fate.

Fate was their own to decide.

It was not long into their journey of the wild that she began to hear the whispers. Truths slipping from hushed tongues as the females bonded with one another. Michael had installed himself as the leader of Alpha's for the war. Bypassing her father, who trained the Re-birth, and taking control of the entire species for himself.

Prima Nocta had been installed. A sickening archaic practice that had not been seen since the dark ages and meant that no female was safe. Michaels plan was to breed a new generation of powerful wolves, little did he know that it did not work in such a way.

Adelaide felt sympathy for the females that had not been able to leave as the others had, she could feel their bonds. Screaming in anguish at the injustice that they endured. A betrayal of their wolves, of the true way. The brutality of the practise would mar their history for centuries to come, if there was a future for them.

It was a shame that Michael held such distaste for his son. A Re-birth, let alone a High-Alpha, was a sign of a powerful wolf. A leader amidst the darkness that marred them, she had been that light once but was now forever tainted with slashes of the dark. Adam was meant for great things, his power, it was nothing she had ever sensed before.

The missing piece in the puzzle of Michaels new plot was her father. He would never stand for such a practise. We were meant to move forward not back. There was only one way she could think of how Michael had managed to gain such power in a short period of time.

Her father was training the boy. He would be putting all his efforts into it now that she was gone, the Moons Teeth were not needed for the war, which was why they had been sent to her. To protect her, to allow her to re-connect and in a way, take over in his place.

It had always been clear that Adelaide was the teeth of her father's jaws since their exile. She was more powerful but the respect she held for her father outweighed any wants of her beast to take over his claim of leadership. Their loss is what bound them together so tightly.

By sending the pack to her meant that they were also protecting the females, the Moons will was stronger than most believed but Adelaide knew how she worked.

She had been having dreams as her nights were no longer plagued by nightmares. Strange dreams of herself but not herself. Almost as if she were in another life, another version of herself. They had made her contemplate many things for some time now.

It was because of this contemplation that she stood at the edge of a small lake that they had stumbled across a few days prior to their arrival in their current stop. It was clear as day and held fish to be caught. It reflected the ethereal glow of the Moon onto its surface and she watched as she stood with her arms at her side.

A calm had overcome her lately. There was no longer any desolation within her being, her connections to those around her were strong. She had allowed herself to establish links to them all, to protect them. She had a community around her that relied on her and trusted her, a family of sorts. Not that they could replace what she had lost but it was the beginnings of a new chapter for her.

It had brought a peace that helped calm the rabid beast within her, a peace that would soon be shattered.

The pack had retreated back to the den for the night, a cave that was luckily big enough to house them all, while she stood and simply reflected. The sounds of the night surrounded her and she closed her eyes, she felt a power surge up within her as she listened to the ripples of the lake before her.

She took a deep breath, steeling her mind, before letting her eyes open.

"Welcome, Adam."

The boy stood before her but was no longer a boy. A man with glowing eyes stood in his place. His hair was clipped close to his head and droplets of water fell from his hair continuously as glowing blue eyes stared at her. His chest heaved as he caught his breath and his newly built muscles rippled against him.

Maturity suited him well.

He was exposed to the outdoors apart from the leather trousers that hung from his hips. The scar her claws had given him stood out in stark contrast against his tan skin. He held his head high and met her gaze with ease, a feat no other had ever accomplished.

His arrival was of no shock to her, the Goddess had showed her long ago what was to come to pass, this was just one of those moments.

"I hope my father has taught you well. It is now time for you to join us." She told him.

He remained silent and she turned away from him, making her way back towards the pack. He followed her and soon his long strides had him walking next to her. He stayed close, almost touching her and she could feel the electricity in the air. Power called to power like a beacon and she could feel the tightness of the strange bond that they shared.

She stopped at the small treeline that surrounded a small clearing and the cave, watching the wolves roam around in their fur. Skin was no longer allowed. Adelaide had set up a small fire before she had left them and it still blazed brightly, light dancing off of the caves walls.

A fresh kill sat in the middle of the clearing, untouched, waiting for the wolves to devour it. The male beside her swallowed and sniffed the air in anticipation.

"Learn to fit in and they will accept you with open jaws." She said, a grin on her face.

"How?" He grunted, his voice gruff and low.

"It's easy. All you must do is eat."