Preface

Northern Yukon Province, Canada

Ten Years Ago

The Aurora Borealis glimmered across the night sky, rivaled only by the moon's ghostly light casting an eerie glow over the dense forest. Shadows danced among the trees as the wind rustled the leaves, setting the stage for a primal confrontation. In a small clearing, two dire wolves—one black and one gray—faced each other with eyes that glowed with an unearthly light like that of the glittering stars above.

The first dire wolf, like most of their kind, was a massive beast with jet-black fur and amber eyes. He snarled and bared his fangs, readying himself to attack his opponent with a mixture of fury and anticipation. The second wolf, slightly larger and far more imposing, had a coat of charcoal gray with silver tips that shimmered under the moonlight. His ice-blue eyes were cold and calculating, a stark contrast to the fiery gaze of his rival.

At stake was a female dire wolf of rare beauty and the daughter of the reigning alpha. Whoever won the fight would take her to mate and become heir to the leadership of the pack.

With a sudden burst of speed, the black dire wolf lunged forward, his powerful muscles pushing off from the frozen ground and propelling him through the air. Aiming for his opponent's throat, his jaws were wide, his teeth were sharp, and he meant to end this contest quickly by clamping down on his opponent's jugular. The gray wolf, however, was stronger, more agile, quicker, and a more experienced warrior. He sidestepped the attack with a graceful leap, landing lightly on his feet and immediately countering the lunge with a swipe of his massive paw.

The black wolf yelped as sharp claws raked across his shoulder, but the pain only fueled his rage. He whipped around with a snarl, his fangs snapping dangerously close to the gray wolf"s flank. The two beasts circled each other, growling and snapping, their breath visible in the cool night air.

Around them, the rest of the pack had gathered to watch them face off. The she-wolf in question seemed to be more excited about the prospect of being fought over than she was over who the victor might be. Orion, the gray wolf, had thought her to be his fated mate. True, he'd never felt the feelings ascribed to that title, but he had always thought she would be his.

With a guttural roar, the black wolf charged again, this time feinting to the left before striking from the right. Orion was caught off guard, and the black wolf"s teeth sank into his hind leg. A howl of pain and anger echoed through the forest as Orion twisted and bit down on the black wolf"s neck, using the momentum to throw it off.

They broke apart, each panting heavily, blood matting their fur. Orion shook his head, trying to dislodge the disorientation, lethargy, and weakness he was feeling. Just before the fight, he'd felt fine and had accepted a bottle of ice wine from the alpha's daughter. The clearing was silent except for the heavy breathing of the two opponents and the occasional rustle of impatient and aroused wolves waiting to see the outcome. Orion limped slightly, but his eyes were still sharp and unyielding. The black wolf, though injured, showed no signs of backing down.

In a final, desperate clash, the two wolves launched themselves at each other with a flurry of teeth and claws. The sound of snapping jaws and the tearing of flesh filled the night as they fought with every ounce of their strength. For a moment, it seemed they were evenly matched, neither willing to yield.

But then, with a powerful shove, the black wolf managed to pin Orion to the ground, his jaws closing around his throat. Orion struggled but couldn't find the strength to throw his opponent off. It was as if his muscles and limbs refused to obey. His snarls became weaker as the black wolf's grip tightened. The black wolf growled, a deep, resonant sound that echoed through the clearing, demanding surrender.

After a tense moment where Orion tried to mount a defense and failed, his body went limp, relaxing in a sign of defeat. The black wolf held his grip for a moment longer before releasing and stepping back, eyes still wary. Orion slowly rose, favoring his injured leg, and slunk back toward the ring of wolves that had surrounded the fight.

As Orion moved towards the shadows of the forest, those who had gathered turned their backs and shifted back to their human form, leaving him to abandon the clearing to the victor.

"You are hereby banished, Orion Nightshadow. You are to be gone by sunrise. Should you be found in our territory after that, your life will be forfeit."

The man who had once been the black wolf stood tall in the moonlight, his chest heaving as he watched his rival disappear. He reached out to haul the alpha's daughter into his embrace, rubbing her belly with his hardened cock and cupping her backside possessively. Throwing his head back, the black wolf let out a triumphant howl, a sound that echoed through the night, proclaiming his dominance and victory to the world.

Once back in his yurt, Orion shifted from dire wolf to man and dressed for the bitter cold outside. He gathered the things he would need to survive and prepared to leave. Trying to clear the coppery taste of blood from the fight, he went to rinse his mouth with the wine. Why hadn't he detected it before? The wine was tainted with something not necessarily meant to kill, but to ensure the victor was the black wolf. He shook his head; she had ensured his defeat. Somehow that made the loss of all he had known before a little less bitter a pill to swallow.