Love Among Shadows Read online

  Love Among

  Shadows

  A

  Smokey Moment

  Novel

  This book is fiction based on the imagination of the writer. Names, characters, places and incidents are creations of the writer for entertainment purposes and any resemblance to actual people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

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  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to all the readers who love to immerse themselves in a good book. Books have the power to open up the mind, allowing the reader to be creative, critical, analytical and emotional all at the same time. Thank you for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Leader of the Pack

  Cedar Falls

  Call of the Wilde

  Fresh Start

  The Mark

  Fated

  Answers

  Shadows

  No More Shadows

  Leader of the Pack

  T

  he ground shook. The sound of a stampede resonated through the forest. The herd of wildebeest ran towards the hills. The surrounding dense trees and full shrubs muffled what would have been picked up by prying ears. Legend led the pack. The hungry wolves were determined to make the kill, and it seemed they would be successful. No one was as fast as Legend. No wolf was as strong. This was his specialty. A trait that made him adored by his fellow female wolves and envied by the competitive males.

  Legend didn’t care. He was not there to make friends or select a mate. He was there on important business. A request of the spirits. His father, Archaeus, had come to him and spoke of his presence being needed. It was urgent. He was told to go and wait further instruction. So, he was now living there. In a village called Cedar Falls. Among wolves with no life.

  The rules set forth by Montaan and his commanders Lou and Darr, were hard to live by. Because of their closeness to humans with advances and technology, there was more fear. The villages in other places, especially the ones in less fortunate civilizations, weren’t as strict. The humans were the ruling class. And the wolves lived in fear of exposure to them. Legend tried to keep himself from going stir crazy. He was used to more freedoms. He was the son of a king. A possible future king himself. He knew his presence would illicit strong feelings. He was a rare breed. A pure Valkan. Something to be envied. Even though his life was anything but.

  “Keep up Aesir. What the fuck! You’re faster than this. Push harder,” Legend commanded his younger brother. Aesir grunted. He wanted the kill. He pushed harder. The pounding of his paws shook the ground beneath him. He was large in size, but not as fast as his brother. Legend was difficult to keep up with. Aesir wanted to make him proud. He was hoping to one day run the pack. Legend was pushing him to. He was determined to make Aesir a leader.

  Legend planned on leaving, even though he had not announced it to the pack. His mission, once it was revealed, could then be completed. He would be free to return to Africa. In his absence, he wanted Aesir to assume what was rightfully his. Legend had no interest in running Cedar Falls. It would be a shame if their uncle, the king of the west, had to send in an outside alpha to rule when one was already present. Their current leader Darr was getting old. And the second in command Lou, was already in his final days. Their kind only lived to be one hundred and fifty years. Age wasn’t discussed and was kept a heavily guarded secret. One could only guess the elders exact ages. Their leader Darr was watching the men closely. A sign that he knew Lou would be dead soon.

  Aesir could be in command, if he continued to impress the leaders. A hard feat, since his brother showed up. Legend was a natural. Large, fast and powerful. And he caught the leader’s eye. He had a strong personality and the ability to command with ease. Werewolves were a difficult species to control. They could pick out weakness a mile away and they didn’t follow anything weak. Legend already had their attention. They feared his capabilities. And so, it was only natural that Darr would be looking at him to rule. But he was leaving. And he needed Darr to look at Aesir instead.

  Legend looked back, then pressed on. The steam from his breath filled the air. Running in the cool night under the full moon, was invigorating. Legend looked to his left. Aesir was close behind him. He could see Blake on the other side of Aesir. Legend slowed his speed to run with them. To give them a chance to make the kill. It would improve their social ratings. Get them the females they desired. But the wildebeest were approaching flat terrain. No trees or down branches to trip them up. Soon they would be able to sprint at top speeds. Speeds too fast for the pack. Too fast for everyone except Legend and Aesir.

  “Go around Aesir! Osimi… Eshram… Ashe…, go through the hills,” Legend commanded. His telepathic voice picked up by his fellow pack members. It was necessary to name who would go. Otherwise the pack would get confused. Life was a set of rules. And everyone followed them. It kept their world functioning. It kept them safe. Anyone caught abandoning the laws that governed their way of life, was dealt with harshly. Laws that were created and governed by the forefathers. Some of whom were still alive.

  Legend watched Aesir break off. Soon, Osimi and Ashe followed suit. Eshram ran forward then up an embankment. They ran towards the hills, as Legend picked up speed. Blake sneered. He wanted to catch the first kill of the night. He had his eye on Trinity. She was unmated and would soon be old enough to wed. But Trinity, like so many others, wanted Legend. The strongest and most handsome bachelor of the group. The bad boy rock star. He was untamable. He was an alpha. And he was the most desired werewolf among the Harou wolves of Alaska.

  Legend looked back. He could see the desperation in Blake’s eyes. If he failed, the news would get back to Trinity. The women always wanted to know who made the kill. It was important. It proved prowess. Skill. Strength. Important traits in their world. Offspring would inherit most of the genes from the male. And so, the women sought out the strongest.

  To make things fair, many of them took turns taking down a buck. One wolf making all the kills, was looked at as an arrogant and selfish act. But Legend had many kills he’d claimed. And the men of the Harou pack were getting annoyed. He had nothing else to prove. Every woman wanted him. Old, young, it didn’t matter. Yet he continued to out run and out do his competition. And in the end, he married no one. He didn’t seek companionship with any of the available females. Blake had tired of Legend. He ran close behind him, angry and determined. And Legend continued on, aware of Blake’s seething rage and jealo
usy. And unwilling to bend.

  The men cleared the forest. Legend could see Aesir coming from around the top of the hill. He could see that the wildebeest were cornered. Their only other option was up a steep embankment and it was too difficult to get a footing. Legend closed in. Moving the herd in the path of Aesir, Eshram, Ashe and Osimi. The herd tried to turn. They were surrounded. Aesir jumped on the largest male. He tore into the neck of the animal with his large incisors. His canine teeth going deep, ripping into the animals’ arteries. Aesir held him tight then shook powerfully, breaking the animals’ neck. He dropped it then went after another.

  Eshram was already on the heels of another large male antelope. He jumped on its back and ripped into its spine, severing it and disabling it. The pack continued to hunt. Winter was coming. Snow would slow them down. Winters were brutal. It was the best time to have a mate. To stay in feeding off of meat frozen for the six months of downtime. The pack continued to kill as many as they could. They were proud. It was a successful hunt. Legend stood, honored. He didn’t have to do anything. It was the first time he didn’t make a kill.

  T

  he men walked back through the forest carrying the carcasses that would feed them and their loved ones. Aesir walked proud. Legend looked back at him and smiled. Aesir spoke with Osimi, one of his closest friends and confidants. “Good job,” Osimi said, as he pat Aesir on the back. They continued towards the village. Aesir caught up with Legend. His brother usually walked ahead. Legend wasn’t friendly. He had no close buddies in the pack. He was accessible only to Aesir.

  The men continued through the woodlands. There were small pockets of forest all around their remote area. Legend seemed to be deep in thought. Aesir wondered what was going on. His brother’s arrival had drew suspicion since he showed up. Some of the more established males, seeking a chance to lead the large community of Harou wolves, had become anxious. They believed he was there to take over. To show dominance. To push his own agenda and show his father and uncles he could lead. But they were wrong. Legend was not there for that. He had no interest in Cedar Falls. He was there for a reason.

  The houses were randomly placed, and varied in size and the materials used to construct them. Most the homes were log cabins. Several were made of log and stone and a few were completely made of stone. Each home was uniquely beautiful. The views were spectacular. The land had been cleared for miles in all direction by the settlers who lived there long before the land was turned over to the Harou pack. They lived in solitude. No police presence. No fire fighters or hospitals for miles. Just the way they preferred. Werewolves cared for their own. And rules and laws set forth by their ancestors policed their behavior better than any law enforcement could. If one broke a rule, they paid dearly. A punishment that kept most Harou members in check. All except for Legend.

  “Hey wait up,” Aesir shouted. Legend turned around then slowed his steps. “I’m going into town later. Want to go have a drink. I found this little bar. They have a pool table. Darts. Nice place to just relax. It’s dark. They keep the lights low. The humans mind their business,” Aesir said. Legend shot him a look. He hoped Aesir was careful with his in-town visits. Especially at night. There were laws that forbid them from human contact at night. Mostly centered around nights when the moon was full. Full moons cast light that gave their eyes a red glow. Something that could be picked up by humans.

  “It’s a full moon Ace. What if someone sees you. Wait a few days when the full moon is gone. And besides, Darr is expecting us. If he discovers anyone gone, he could tell pop. Especially if it’s one of us,” he said, Aesir sighed. They were expected to lead by example. Their father Archaeus would be displeased. Aesir thought Legend was being hypocritical. He had followed him on many nights. Legend didn’t play by the rules. Certainly not the rules set forth by the leaders of Cedar Falls.

  The rules were different in every community. It depended on the proximity of humans to where they were, and the leaders that ran them. The kings presided over the seven continents and decided who would lead each small community in their region. But this was not their father’s region. It was their uncle Montaan’s area. He was king of the west. But Montaan was a pushover for his more dominant brother Archaues, and was letting him make decisions. He was getting old and his heart was no longer in it. His own sons wanted nothing to do with America. And so Montaan allowed Archaeus to pick the leaders.

  Darr was hand selected by their father. But Darr worried now that they were grown men. They could now replace him. Aesir initially didn’t show interest in running Cedar Falls. But now with Legends influence, he could change his mind. Aesir felt the pressure. He knew Legend had no plans to stay in Cedar Falls. And he could see his brother was pushing him to lead. Aesir expected Legend to understand his need to explore. Be free. And being a leader would mean having less freedoms.

  “Yeah. You’re right. Maybe another night,” Aesir said. Legend liked the idea. But he also feared their father’s wrath. Darr could make trouble. It was easier just to pick another night. Not one that would be frowned upon.

  He would go, if the moon wasn’t out in all its glory. It sounded like fun times. He had nothing else to do. At least Aesir had Zen. She was likely waiting for him to walk through the door. It was mating season. The women were in heat. The sounds of moaning and howling would be heard until dawn. Legend was single. He had no one in the pack he was involved with. He kept his distance from the females, since he was there for only a short while and at the request of his father. And even though he was lonely, he wasn’t lonely enough to take up with anyone.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Legend stated. Aesir looked around. Everyone seemed content. The hunt was an important part of their life. Success meant power. And power meant favor. Favor from the leaders who would relay their successes to the kings, who would in return, chant to the gods and the spirits to bless them. Of equal importance was the selection of a mate. And the most successful hunters got the best mates and therefore would produce the strongest and healthiest offspring. Aesir had the best Cedar Falls had to offer. Zen was one of their top women. A royal beta. Royalty from a long line of top bred females. She wasn’t an alpha but she was considered the next best thing.

  T

  he women came out of their homes to praise the men on their successful hunt. Legend looked around and walked toward his cabin. He didn’t want to celebrate. The others got relief from their stresses between the sheets with their mates. But he had no one. And unlike Blake, who was surely keeping company with one of the omega females, Legend would rather be alone. He had not selected a beta, even though there were plenty that were available. There were few alpha females in the world. Not that he needed his mate to be alpha. Legend was looking for something special. Although he wasn’t sure what that was. He just knew one thing. He would know her when he saw her, whether she was an alpha or not.

  “Alright. I’ll see you later. I see Zen over there waiting. It will be a miracle if I get out later anyway. I see that look in her eyes,” Aesir said. Legend chuckled. He was sure his brother wouldn’t have the freedom he so desired. Zen was in heat. And she would be hard to separate from. Even for an hour.

  Legend watched as Aesir walked up to Zen and kissed her passionately before picking her up off the ground and carrying her into their cabin. He looked over at Trinity. Her eyes sparkled under the moon light. He could see the desire in her. She wanted him, and she wasn’t shy about making it known. She had sent word through Zen several times, but Legend was still untouchable. He moved alone. He ate alone. He slept alone. And she would need to try harder.

  He was disciplined. Even in the face of what others would find irresistible. She was a female in heat who was seeking a mate The ultimate prize. Legend turned from her even though like Zen, she too was beta royalty. He was envied for it. Even hated. Legend looked at Trinity and nodded, then walked into his home. She would need to seek another mate.

  Aesir kicked his door closed. He was tired but no
t that tired. He still needed sex. The hunt took his breath away but he had regained his strength. “Let me take a shower. Go put on something nice for daddy,” he said. Zen’s eyes dropped down. She grabbed him through his pants. “Hurry up. I’ve waited all night,” she said, as she turned and move her hips side to side. She looked back and chuckled. Aesir wanted to skip the preliminaries and tear her clothing off. What little she had on. But he had a thing for lingerie. He asked her to put on his favorite. A satin, leopard print gown he purchased for her from a boutique. He remembered the sales girl well and he planned on finding her. He had gone back to the boutique but was told she didn’t work there. Aesir was a lot of man. He was sexual. Kinky. And took some getting used to. Zen was still becoming acquainted with her man. Every so often he had a new trick. A new sexual thing he did or wanted done. They weren’t a typically kinky species. But alpha men were the most sexual and they were naturally insatiable.

  The lukewarm water felt good against his skin. He grabbed the unscented special made soap and washed his body. Blood from the kill ran down the drain. He looked at it. He was in a trance. He had a taste for blood. And he had done things his mate would find foul, if she ever found out. Aesir shook off his thoughts and shampooed his hair then rinsed the soap out. He washed his dick and then closed his eyes, as he rubbed it in a downward motion. Thoughts of Zen soon flooded his mind. He needed to hurry. He was now hard. If he continued, he would ejaculate in his own hand.

  Aesir held his mouth opened and allowed the water to rinse his teeth. He washed his beard and mustache thoroughly. Then his body. Most of the animal’s blood was inside his beard. It always was. He usually went for the jugular. A messy yet affective way to take down prey quickly.