17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 36: Meeting the Alpha King

27 BULLETS

We ran and ran and ran, only stopping for water and food breaks.

And oh, my wolf loved taking that dumb ostrich down and tearing right through it. I might have been disgusted if my human body wasn't already craving the raw meat.

And even though we had been running like a high-speed train all day, my wolf barely felt out of breath. Maybe a bit of panting, but nothing that mentioned that we just flew over some ten whole mountain ranges.

Go wolfie power!

The boys started trotting, slinking down into the grasses as we reached a higher hill and we all peered over the summit still in wolf form. The sun was just dipping toward the horizon. We made it before moonrise.

There was a city below, much like the set from some medieval movie.

A high rock wall surrounded the area. Small, thatched roof houses lined the streets, all pointing to the wide-open center with a courthouse mansion with tall rock pillars and steps to a terrace out front like a stage.

And all the people gathered to watch it.

Men of ages from roughly twenty to sixty stood in the city center, all deliciously handsome, like they were photoshop come to life.

Most nearly naked, only wearing the Tarzan strips to hide their manhoods, some with long pants. But all shirtless and barefoot.

They stood watching someone who was not.

A towering man stood like a sentinel at the top terrace. He was covered in furs and black leather and built like a tank.

Heavy muscles still shouted their presences from under the layers of clothing and the stern set of his jaw gave him a tortuous expression of fierceness. Black hair tied back at the crown of his head, strong cheekbones and pointed nose.

He had to be the king. He held the formidable aura of one. Though I wasn't afraid of him. I knew I could stand beside him and not cower, even from this far away.

King Maza.

My... mate.

I mean, I guess he looked okay. But I didn't feel any stirring of adoration for him yet. Just those feelings you get when you see a really hot movie star on the screen.

A growl caught in my throat as I spotted a woman with platinum blonde hair attached to him with a chain. She was average build and nearly naked. A basic dirty white bra and a torn golden leather skirt were all that covered her.

Molly.

That had to be Molly.

Be quiet. Cane admonished. We're pretty far back, but they still might be able to hear.

Sorry. I scowled, uneasy to see any woman treated like that.

There's Mathe. They've got him above the tank.

My eyes followed theirs and saw across the stage a giant glass tank of clear water, a few purple petals floating within. A hogtied man laid balanced on a wooden plank above it. He was strong and rigid. Muscles like the heaviest of body builders and neatly trimmed dark hair like a usual Earth style. Shirtless, wearing the same type of golden soft leather pants that Cane and Thann wore. The plank was nearly a swing, held with ropes attached to the ceiling of the overhang and then tied to the wall. Two guards with daggers attached to either side of their belt pouches stood beside.

The plank swayed as if the men were ready to let the ropes fly and have him drown at any moment.

Thann gulped. Is that wolfsbane waters?