Leif

Leif

Mom left the den, and two minutes later, I walked in. With the news breaking about the Shadow Walkers reaching Verda City, she’d go all alpha on me and try to organize me into helping with the response.

I couldn’t think of anything more boring. She had a bunch of betas who could do that for her, all jammed full of strategy and crap, so I’d leave it to the experts while I did something more fun. Like wrestling with my friends.

Our den was carved from marble, some rooms black veined with gold, others pure cream. Walking into the place made me relax. All that constantly-alert wolf awareness disappeared when I was surrounded on all sides by comforting, hard rock.

Our den was the classiest I’d ever visited, as the Queen’s home should be. Mom was the alpha of alphas, the head wolf in all of Verda, and our home was the bomb. Soft furs were everywhere in case of an emergency fuck, and the furniture was all low, large, and luxurious.

My first order of business was to summon a Healer to fix my screaming knee. I hated that Ronan had got in the first blow during our swordplay, but I got in the last. Winner, winner. Our Healer was skilled and quick, so I was back to a hundred percent awesome after a couple of minutes.

I was sweaty, so I ducked upstairs and took a shower, then trotted into the bedroom I shared with the younger betas—no one aged over a hundred or under twenty was allowed, and nobody who was mated. We were the beta cubs, and most nights, our massive heap of furs became a lovely fuckpile. I sniffed around hopefully, but nobody was nearby, so I loped downstairs, looking for someone to hang out with.

Grayson, one of my roommates, was snacking on a chicken leg in the orange-veined dining cave. “Want to play ball out back?”

I nodded. “Sure, right after I finish off your drumstick.”

He snarled and kept the chicken bone. He should have thrown it at me the instant I asked, signaling his submissiveness, but the dickhead kept nibbling.

Anger rose in me, hard and hot. The only thing that could rattle my relaxed outlook on life was a submissive who didn’t respect the hierarchy. Being the alpha’s son, I ranked higher than anybody except her, and Grayson fucking knew it.

I growled and leaped across the table right for his throat. He held up a forearm to protect his neck from my teeth, but I swatted it aside and latched onto his skin. With my wolf-sharp incisors, I ripped a chunk of flesh from beside his Adam’s apple, snarling wildly, letting my rage loose. His blood tasted warm and salty and like power incarnate.

I spit out the chunk of his flesh onto his cowering form, now lying on the kitchen floor in a curl. “Don’t ever disrespect me,” I growled. I might be easygoing, but our society was founded on hierarchy and respect, and as a future alpha, I had to ensure it was upheld. I refused to be the alpha who let our world crumble because I didn’t enforce discipline.

Plus, the rage was hard to control.

“Go get yourself healed, then wait for me in the dungeon.”

Grayson tried to mutter but just gurgled. He nodded, though, and scurried off with his head down and his posture inert, showing all the signs of submission he should have earlier.

I would deal out more punishment to him later in the dungeons. The kind of punishment I could derive great satisfaction from…my cock twitched at the thought. I wouldn’t hurt him too badly, and if I was feeling kind, I might even let him come too.

I scooped up the fallen chicken leg and polished it off, letting my anger subside, not wanting to go outside with the rest of the pack until I was under complete control. I splashed cold water over my face and washed away Grayson’s blood and taste, then took some deep breaths before heading for the back door.

Outside, the sun shone, and half a dozen fae were already in wolf forms. I stripped down and transformed, panting in excitement, ready to release the last of my fury by running until I dropped.

It looked like Luwan was the thrower, so he stayed in fae form, his orange eyes glinting in excitement. “Ready, go!” He tossed the ball in a high arc using every ounce of his fae strength, and it screamed through the air. I accelerated after it, my muscles bunching and releasing, the thrill of flight coursing through me as I chased down that ball.

I might be slower than the other heirs on two legs, but I’d always been faster than the rest of my pack, and bounding along on four legs, I overtook every last one of them and pounced on the ball, snatching it up between my jaws and growling in victory.

I trotted back with my tail high, and the other wolves watched me pass. The only thing better than the thrill of competition, the excitement of the chase, was the glory of a win.

I dropped the ball a few yards from Luwan’s feet to prove my dominance over him, and he swallowed a sigh as he walked to retrieve it.

“Ready, go!” Again, we chased down the ball, trying to be the fastest, the strongest, the best. Again, I clenched the sphere between my fangs, snarling in victory.

This was more than just a fun game. It helped us figure out our hierarchy and let us know where we fit in with the pack. Racing, wrestling, fighting, and birthright all factored into our position in the group. Even the lowest and slowest wolves liked the game because the certainty of knowing your rank brought comfort.

Especially to me. Because I was the best.

After we were spent, we transformed into fae form and lounged around, panting and chatting.

Taal, a wiry brown female with small, pert boobs, flopped onto the grass beside me. “Sometimes I’m jealous of the wild wolves. Those guys get to play games all day and never have to go to work.”

Wild wolves were technically the same species as us—fae who shifted into beasts. But their lives were opposite. They lived in shitty dens made of tree branches or some crap and followed their own crazy-ass rules. I’d heard they spent most of their time in wolf form. The untamed packs didn’t recognize Mom as their ultimate alpha, which pissed her off no end. I’d definitely make the wild dicks submit when I became king.

I shuddered. “You wouldn’t catch me more than a hundred yards from the nearest fae silk suit,” I quipped, and the pack laughed.

Hanging out with the pack was much more fun than droning on about Shadow Walkers. I’d never been happier to slink around behind Mom’s back.

Ronan’s face when I’d mentioned the Shadow Walkers was pure gold—he looked like his left arm had been shoved up his ass. And his first instinct had been to rush off to check Neela was okay.

He clearly had it bad for that female. I’d never seen anybody so lost in love and so deep in fucking denial. I just hoped she’d let him down gently when he finally figured it out and confessed his love to her because she sure as hell didn’t reciprocate, from what I could tell.

I wouldn’t go anywhere near her. I’d always been kind of scared of her mom, though I’d never admit that to anyone, and definitely not Ronan. Those Floran dudes were a force to be reckoned with, and the last thing I’d do was put my dick inside its heir, no matter how hot she was.

My dick hardened at the thought, and looking around at my naked pack, I noticed a few other erections and some lustful scents from the females.

Taal crawled closer, her little boobs jiggling beneath her body. “Want to screw me, alpha?”

I wasn’t her alpha—not yet–but it made me hard as steel when she called me that.

Other fae were kissing, running their hands along each other’s fevered skin. This lazy afternoon ball game was turning into an orgy, and I was here for it.

“Turn around, baby,” I grizzled, and Taal showed me her tight brown ass, still on all fours.

I plunged into her and locked eyes with Brandon, who was hilt deep in Benji’s ass.

I fucking loved my pack.