It all begins when a silver dagger goes missing.
For her entire life, a human named Cora Gabris has known that lycans were searching for her, as she was born as a Ruby -- a human that, when turned into a lycan, will become much stronger than any of...
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The lycan grabbed Cora with a strength much like an undercurrent –- once ensnared, there to was no leaving. His hands were rough on her skin and he breathed in her scent at the nape of her neck, his fellow lycans sniffing the ambient air for her coveted smell. Despite a stiff body and chilled feet from the river, Cora managed to take steady breathes that were laced of leather and dirt from the lycan.
A few of the villagers let out a terrified gasp as wolves appeared next to the lycans, and they were so large she could easily hear one lick its lips. She wondered if they were merely wolves, as they were smaller than what lycans were supposed to be. The way they stood there, as if commanded, reinforced how much power these lycans had.
The lycan pulled back and eyed her with dark irises, and she dare not try and guess the color in such low light, although she caught the subtle changes in his expression from selfishness, to awe, to curiosity.
Raising his hand to her face, she braced herself for anything that might happen, only for him to grab her chin with his free hand. The lycan held her face so she had to face him. He spoke, revealing that his canines were slightly wider and sharper than the rest of his teeth. "So...do they change every day? Your eyes?"
Her lips twitched with angst as if she forgot to speak.
She imagined Grimshaw, the lycan they originally fled from, speaking in the same, wistful tone if he got to meet her like this. Avoiding Steigen Pack, and Grimshaw as their Alpha, was the most important thing to her. Aside from Ben's safety.
Her voice faltered, despite how much she wanted to exude strength. "Yes. Yes they change colors."
A greedy impatience overcame his eyes. He growled, "Do you understand how rare that is? And just who you are?"
"Yes."
He frowned, looking her over before rolling his glare to Hilda. "So, this is where the missing Omnari Ruby has been? The search for her has gone on for more than two decades. All the packs have been searching high and low for her."
Hilda, with a collective calm that strengthened Cora's resolve, said, "I know. That's why I hid her."
A few of the lycans behind fidgeted and whispered things underneath their breath. Even a few humans that stood nearby to give them light with torches made sounds of disapproval. Lyonel even stepped forward, "We sincerely apologize, Magna. We had no idea--"
The lycan held up his free hand, gripping Cora's arm harder with the other, to which she winced as he spoke to Hilda. "Do you realize what betrayal that is? The leaf on Dagma's tree was never going to fall unless she died. Did you plan to let her grow old like this? She is ours. Not yours to hide away."
Hilda's expression remained flat and and she quipped back, "Grimshaw Steigen wanted her. I assume he still does. He has since she was born. It was to protect her from him."
