New Territory Read Free Page A

sniffed the air hesitantly. The rest of the pack had been here, but they were gone, leaving her alone. He tilted his head to the side, considering. No pack would leave a female unattended with werewolves nearby. The female looked down at him with bright blue eyes, an unusual color for a true wolf. “You are lycans.”
     
    The big black male gazed back at her without answering. His fierce golden eyes seemed slightly familiar. She gasped when she realized that she had seen those eyes in her wolf dream. She tilted her head and perked her ears at the big male.  “You are lycans ,” she repeated, “and you just killed my sire in recompense for his crimes,” she finished. The gray male came up next to the big black male and raised his eyebrows.
     
    Cian gave her a wolfish grin. “Aye, we are lycans . And you are one of us as well, beautiful.” She seemed surprised at his choice of words. Her bright blue eyes, rare in gray wolves, suddenly darkened. She growled low in her throat. “My mother just informed me of my heritage. That… that lycan raped my mother, and I am the result. Half lycan, half wolf.” Cian looked shocked, and Liam lowered his head in shame, only now realizing the extent of the insane rogue’s crimes.
     
    Keva looked down at the two lycans, who seemed genuinely dismayed at her words. “I am Keva,” she offered. “What are you called?” The big black male, with the golden eyes from the wolf dream, answered her. “I am Cian Collins, the alpha of the Northern Lycans. This is my beta, Liam Greenwood.” She dipped her nose and sniffed at them, memorizing their unique scents. Cian’s scent was a heady blend of hickory smoke and pine, while Liam’s scent was slightly milder, like a fresh stream in the forest. As Cian sniffed at her in return, his eyes widened. Her scent, sweet ambrosia and wildflowers, was exactly as it had been in the wolf dream. He began to speak, but stopped short as the sleek pale wolf leaped down from the boulder and stalked towards them. They froze, unwilling to frighten her. To Cian’s surprise, she came up close enough to tentatively touch noses with him, sending a warm sensation straight through him. Her eyes widened as she met his eyes boldly. “We have met before,” she said in a low voice, gazing at Cian as if should she look away, he might disappear into mist. “Aye,” he said. “In the wolf dream.”
     
    Liam looked at the two wolves in surprise. “Cian, is this her? She’s half true wolf. That’s never happened before. At least, not that I know of.” The other wolf nodded, and broke his gaze from Keva. “Keva, we have to dispose of…er… the body. Liam, can you…?” The beta nodded and trotted into the woods. Cian sighed, and turned back to the pretty white wolf. “Liam will take the body back to camp, where we will burn it. We must report back to the Council that we have done our duty, and bring a bit of fur for proof… will you come with us?” Keva looked startled at the question, and glanced behind her as if she expected the members of her pack to materialize behind her. The clearing, empty of both trees and wolves, stared emptily back at her. Her bright eyes became sorrowful, and she sighed. “It seems I have no choice, Alpha Cian. Lead the way.”
     
    As they reached the place where Brann’s body had been, Keva suddenly caught the unmistakable scent of a human. She panicked, dashing back the way they had come. “A human,” she cried, looking back for Cian to follow her, but he merely stood there waiting for her to come back. She suddenly realized what his unspoken request to Liam had meant. Embarrassed, she walked slowly back to where Cian stood, still nervous. “Liam has to carry the body,” Cian explained calmly. “He could not do that if he were still in wolf form.” She dipped her nose toward the ground slightly, acknowledging he was right. He snorted at her attempt at humility. “Come,” he said, then leaped off through the