Malachi’s pov.
I knew I had to leave immediately in the middle of the marriage procession when I heard loud howls from a distance.
My wolf instincts were always sensitive, even while I slept; my father had made sure of that.
As the priest said, “Do you vow to obey your husband…” the howls became stronger.
I could barely hear anything the priest was saying.
I had to gnash my teeth to keep from shifting right there.
What could it be?
Who dared defy his conquerors?
The thought of hunting the wolf and bringing it to its knees sent a thrill through me.
I’d always found that defiance made my blood surge—a signal that I had to conquer.
I looked at my beautiful bride, Lauretta.
Her eyes were roaming.
I could hear the thrumming pulse in her neck, and it delighted me to no end.
Finally I had laid my siege upon her.
If only she knew I was punishing her for the sins of her father, and I wouldn’t relent until I completely broke her.
The howls grew louder, startling me for a moment before I decided to leave the ceremony.
I ordered my security men to guard the grounds and walked toward the sound, hands clenched at my sides, gnashing my teeth from the effort it took to keep my wolf at bay.
I wasn’t sure what the threat was, so I couldn’t jump straight to attack.
Every wise Alpha knew that.
I walked across the clearing, bushes whipping past me.
I didn’t bother with stealth.
I would face the intruder head-on.
A gust of wind blew toward me, but I kept walking until I reached a sparse stretch of land barren of trees and vegetation.
“Show yourself,” I yelled.
Silence.
Only the wind answered.
I turned.
The land looked the same.
That was impossible—I was certain I’d heard something.
As I stood there, a sharp claw landed on my back.
Before I could summon my wolf, I was thrown to the ground.
My head hit with a loud thud that replaced the howls in my skull.
I summoned my wolf at once and turned swiftly to face the assailant—a white-furred wolf.
We didn’t have white-furred wolves in our territory.
Its eyes were an intense aquamarine blue that contrasted heavily with the color of its fur.
It was large, though not as large as me.
Its snout was covered in blood, staining the white around its mouth an ugly shade of red.
It launched itself at me again.
I dodged swiftly, my wolf instincts taking full control.
I elongated my fangs and placed them against the ground to hide them—a tactic I’d always used on the battlefield.
Every war-trained Alpha knew never to let the enemy see the next move.
It circled me now.
I waited patiently for it to charge, waiting for it to hang itself.
Instead it did something I least expected.
It spat on my black fur.
The spot burned.
The fine hairs there shrank as if acid had been poured on them.
What sort of sorcery was this?
Normal wolves didn’t have this kind of power.
Our spit was only for regulation, not to cause harm.
I sprinted.
The wolf followed.
Dust rose.
My paws burned from the intensity of the sprint.
In the heat of the moment I spun and tore into it with my claws, catching it by surprise.
Blood gushed from the open wound.
Satisfaction filled me.
I had landed a hit.
Now we were even.
“Show yourself!” I yelled.
It groaned, opening its vicious jaws.
I knew that move—it was about to spit again.
I darted to its side.
It turned toward me on realization.
Its hooded aquamarine eyes narrowed.
Blood still leaked from the cut I’d given it.
In a split second it bolted toward the barren land where the fight had started.
I chased.
No way was I letting it go.
Who was it?
An anomaly in all the territories.
I needed answers.
Every leader knew better than to let an enemy escape.
I ran harder, closing the distance until I was only a stone’s throw from its rump.
The sky was darkening; rain would come soon.
I didn’t care.
We left the barren land and plunged into thick forest, bushes whipping past us.
Animals froze as we tore through.
My paws felt hot enough to catch fire.
I ignored it.
The wolf was injured and still faster than me—an enigma.
No wolf was more powerful than me in the entire territory.
My father had made sure of that, forcing me into combat ceremonies since I was four, despite my mother’s protests.
I pushed harder even as my throat went completely dry and dust stung my eyes.
The intruder pulled farther ahead.
I could barely see its tail.
A wide crossing appeared in front of me.
I jumped.
My tired eyes misjudged the distance and I fell short.
I jumped again, clearing it this time—but the wolf was gone.
No sign of it anywhere.
No movement in the grassland.
I turned back toward the pack.
The dark sky and rising wind made it clear the rain would pour soon.
“My Lord, the Luna is waiting in the chambers,” the guard said as I reached the grounds.
I nodded.
I didn’t care about any of that right now.
I had a real threat on my hands—someone who could take down my conquered territories in a flash.
I was too tired tonight.
My wolf was weak and needed at least a few days to recharge.
I couldn’t consummate the marriage today.
Not that I’d had any interest in doing so.
Lauretta wasn’t the type of woman I chose to sleep with.
She was beautiful, but also plain and flat.
I preferred experienced women who had big assets and could suck the hell out of a cock.