Little Red's Riding

Human Again

Silas fastened his belt as he stared up at the bright lights of the palace. He'd been in wolf form for four days. He'd met with a half dozen other Alphas as he passed through territory after territory. Now he was finally back in his human form, slipping back into clean clothing as he stared at the high walls of the beautiful palace that loomed far above the Capital City. Somewhere inside that palace was his mate. He could feel her more clearly than he had in days, and it stirred a mixture of bitter sweet emotions in his chest that made him want to tear the world around him apart.

He hadn't realized how bad it had become outside of the mountains in the past few years until he'd made this trip, searching for her. Even at the yearly Alpha meetings they seldom really opened up and spoke with each other about what was going on in different parts of the Kingdom. He had thought they had, but he'd been wrong. Unless something truly dire was happening, like when a pack was wiped out like what had happened when Lottie was a Luna, most Alpha's were hesitant to admit that a situation was spiraling beyond what they could handle. By the time Alpha's were ready to ask for help, it was usually too late.

Now he just prayed that it wasn't too late for him to bring his mate home with him. Because he was never going to go home without her.

The other Alphas had been more than willing to let them pass through. Oliver and Lottie had been meeting with them of course, but some of them had even run out to meet him and to offer their support, which was something that Silas hadn't expected at all. Oliver had explained that it was because the other packs, especially those closer to the Capital, had suffered great losses to the King's Guards. Many had pulled their traditional territories back away from the highways and villages, and some were moving underground and into the caves and mountains, instead of living in their traditional villages.

Last night Herr Isenberg had found their camp and told him of meeting Dahlia in Forfax. Silas had had to choke down a growl, as he'd felt Soren's hand on his arm. He could smell his mate's scent all over the man and his wolf went crazy the moment he approached them as they were getting ready to leave, after they had stopped to sleep briefly for the first time in two days.

The German werewolf had explained that he'd danced with Silas' Luna only so that he could explain his plans to her, and reassure her that help was coming. He also explained the treaties that were being made by the wolves in the east. Silas narrowed his eyes. Everything Herr Isenberg said sounded impossible.

"Too good to be true?" Soren had murmured.

"No." Silas replied quickly. "Who would want to be King?" He shook his head quickly. "I enjoy being the Alpha of my pack and living simply in the mountains, especially now that I've found my mate. Why would I give that up to be King? It would be a thankless, wretched job with the eyes of the world upon me."

"Alpha Silas," Herr Isenberg said quietly, " the world needs you. And the men who make the best rulers are usually the ones who don't want the power for themselves. If you were elated with my request I might doubt our choice. Your hesitancy to take on this challenge tells me, as much as your mate's response did when I first told her, that our decision was the right one."

It was Herr Isenberg who had given them the disguises that they wore now, before he hurried on to the conference that had been called, that once, not so long ago, Silas should have been hosting. Now it was being held somewhere else. Where, Silas didn't even know. It didn't matter. All he could think about was where Dahlia was and how he was going to get her safely home.

Lottie and Mrs. Lemp were both dressed as fine ladies and Soren, Oliver, and Silas could all pass as gentlemen. But while that might help them get down into town and near the palace gates, it wasn't going to get them to Dahlia.