The Wolf Queen (The Queen's Slave, Book 2)

Four: Decay

"You confuse me for someone with remorse."

-Damon Salvatore (Vampire Diaries)

How You Love Me (Feat. Bright Lights)

It took us three more weeks to finally reach the borders of my father's camp, deep inside the heart of the mountain. It was almost surreal to be back here after running for so long. It hadn't dawned on me until just then that I had gotten all two hundred and twenty five wolves here in one piece, and they were all about to see their families for the first time in years, some even decades. Emilee's hand found mine and squeezed gently, her expression just as nervous as mine. The wild pack weaved in and out of the crowd, the alpha nudged our entwined fingers in unease. I stroked the fur of his head for a moment before untangling myself from Emilee and crouching in front of him, his rugged face and thick fur slid through my fingers like silk. Not for the first time did I wish I could communicate with him in this form. His bright eyes bore into mine, not in a challenge but to convey a meaning, the wolves were restless. I knew that they were loyal to me, but this was already going to be an extremely emotional time, and to have the wild wolves and the well, human wolves together would be like asking for someone to get bit.

Go. I rubbed the side of his face with my cheek, and he licked my chin in thankfulness. Each wolf came forward to touch their cold noses to my forehead in farewell, and although I knew it wouldn't be the last time I saw them, my heart still ached to join them. I placed a hand on my twisting stomach as I returned to Emilee's side, desperately hoping I could rein my wolf in long enough to see my father.

"I have hopes that my father will be here." She whispered beside me, her eyes riveted on the camp below us. I winced in sympathy for her, having known her background. They had been captured when Emilee was only five years old. Her mother had been a slave to the crown but had sold her daughter in exchange for a ticket out of servitude, once she had become of age. It was an inexcusable act, one that would not go unpunished by wolf law should I ever lay eyes on her mother. Nevertheless since then, Emilee has not seen her mother, and her father even longer.

"Perhaps he will be." I squeezed her hand in encouragement before leaving her to her thoughts. I weaved through the crowd until I found Owen, nodding once. Immediately he came to stand beside me, my twin in every sense of the word. My voice rose high and clear into the sky, though a little rough with disuse.

"Today, we face a new enemy. An enemy of the mind, an enemy of doubt and fear. I know that for many of you home is a foreign concept. But today, there are lost families who will gain their loved ones back. Today we are no longer alone and afraid, no longer slaves. Today we are free. Now let's go home!" Though short, my speech seemed to have the desired effect as Owen whooped beside me, releasing an answering ripple of excited howls. As we descended down the rocky slope of the mountain and closer to our destination, I took to my wolf form, loving the feel of my pads as they sprung off of the rocks, barely leaving a trace. It was nearly sentimental to leave our journey behind, though relieving. It took no time at all for the guards to notice us, with my large wolf body leading them. As we neared the gates, the guards scrambled and shouted orders, a few I could scarcely make out and would've made me laugh had I not been in wolf form.

Owen stepped up beside me as one guard approached, a thick helmet hid his eyes but his expression was no doubt transfixed on the crisscrossing scars intermingling with the thick fur of my back. "I am Owen, son of Michael. This is my sister and your heir, Azalea. We have come to speak to the king."