The Wolf Queen (The Queen's Slave, Book 2)

Nine: Exile

"They had battled and bloodied one another, they had kept secrets, broken hearts, lied, betrayed, exiled, they had walked away, said goodbye and sworn it was forever, and somehow, every time, they had mended, they had forgiven, they had survived. Some mistakes could never be fixed - some, but not all. Some people can't be driven away, no matter how hard you try. Some friendships won't break."

-Robin Wasserman (Seven Deadly Sins)

Galaxy By: Jayden Bartels

I woke to tidal wave of rage and pain burning through my defenses and flooding my mind. The alluring power she battled sucked me in, causing my vision to blur and sharpen, my hearing to expand. Slightly muted conversation from the next room now sounded like I was standing in a roaring crowd. Elizabeth's voice surrounded me, each syllable filled with deep insatiable emotion. As I scrambled from the bed, I called on my wolf, gritting my teeth against the waves of agony as my body shattered into shards of bone, muscle, and flesh, before carefully knitting back together in a new shape. Fully shifted, I could feel Elizabeth's awareness shift to me, her consciousness tentatively brushing against mine. I was relieved that she was not hurt, though I doubted anything could actually hurt her, she was so strong and powerful. My nails clicked across the hardwood floor as I trotted into the living room, the furniture looking decidedly smaller in this body. An alluringly sweet scent filled my nose as I inhaled, air whistling from my nostrils. My ears flattened as the woman came into view, though on the inside I was slightly awed.

She was........eerily identical to Natasha, Elizabeth's other sister, with just as impossibly long waist length red hair. However, her eyes were drastically different, such a deep shade of blue with an inner ring of silver, contrasting rather strangely with the darkness of her pupil. Her body was taunt with muscle but also a healthy amount of feminine curves, blended together to form a body made to seduce. I huffed and glanced away, taking in my mate and her tense form. Her beauty was unsurpassed. Despite the circumstances, a wolfy purr began in my chest as I gazed adoringly at Elizabeth. Her jaw flexed at the sight of me, a faint warning passing through my mind. She'd clothed herself in a loose black tee and dark grey sweats, her long hair tied up in a messy bun. The only cosmetics on her face consisted of her enraged expression, though it softened ever so slightly when landing on me.

"Oooooh you got a puppy!" Camille cooed, grinning wickedly, her long lashes casting shadows over her sharp cheekbones. I flattened my ears in an obvious display of offense, lifting my lip in a show of teeth. But she was unconcerned and merely grinned back, her ivory fangs flashing in the light of day. Elizabeth's voice alone was lethal as she issued the threat, but what truly startled me was the vigor in which she spoke.

"If you value your life I suggest you keep your distance." She threatened in a low hiss, wood splintering under her fingertips.

Camille raised an amused brow. "Testy, testy." She tsked disapprovingly, brazenly stepping past Elizabeth and into the room, ignoring the warning growl I issued at her approach. She ignored my warnings and knelt in front of me, those alien eyes peering curiously into my own. A strange sense of calm overcame me just then, like a fog had filled my brain. My bones ached with the need to abandon my lupine form for human skin. "Come now love," She cooed. "I'm sure you're much more comfortable in your human form. I've heard a lot about you and I'd very much like to meet the woman beneath the fur." I couldn't focus on anything but her voice and the strange hypnotic way it pulled me in.

"Camille." Elizabeth warned in a clipped tone, releasing the poor doorframe and stepping forward. "You have three seconds to move away from her or so help me..."