The mark of the wolf

chapter 3

Einarr changed back into his human form. He kept his senses razor sharp and stared down his mother. She smiled her wicked cannines glinting in the torch light. There was no warmpth there just icy cold calmness. He said what are going to do ? Chain me in a cave like last time? Or how about acting as your exicutioner to your people like the time before last ? She rolled her eyes and said don't be so dramatic son. Than she turned around and walked through the doorway and slammed the heavy iron door shut. Looking through the grate she said you will come in very handy for the fighting pits. His face lost a little bit of its color as suprise flared in his eyes and he roard as he slammed himself against the iron door.

He stalked back over to the wall the darkness not a hinderance with his cat like eye sight. He slid down the wall and put his face in his hands it was bad enough when she had chained him up for fifty years just to teach him a lesson about what happens when he refuses her . Or the time he acted as her exicutioner and slaughtered whole villages of men, woman, children. Some times it really sucked being immortal living so long all the friends and lovers you make their faces blending together he stopped caring after his last love died . He might as well have been barried along beside her for all he cared. He was stuck here in this world but longing for the next one . It was no way to live, he was four hundred years old and just wanted to die.

Alana awoke in the night sweat drenching her and she was panting trying to calm her heart. It wasn't working she could feel the animal needing to come out. She shrugged on her robe that was it and walked out into the woods. After she was sure no one was following she dropped it and shifted than howled . Breaking into a run the black wolf raced through the forest at a unatural speed going faster leaping over logs and tearing through brush. Than she stopped sniffed the air and smiled if a wolf could smile. Than she started to hunt.

It was early morning by the time Alana fell back into bed coverd in dirt and blood and grass. The housekeeper Kerrah was going to have a fit when she saw the mess. Alana was too tired to care and her wolf seemed happy and less restless. She slept till late in the afternoon than walked into the bathroom a hot tub of water greated her. She sighed and got in and scrubbed till her skin was pink. Than she just lay there letting the hot water work on her tired muscles. A knock came at the door . She cracked open a eye and stared at the maid and said yes? The maid figited and said someone is down stairs to see you miss. Alana c****d her head and said who? The maid said a man Lord Cinaed Berach of the blue ridge mountains . She sat up and motioned for a towel after she had dried off she grabbed a comb and hurriedly dragged it through her hair than braided it as fast she could. She than threw on a long white shirt and black pants that where laced up on the sides. Throwing on a nice thick leather belt over everything and tugged on her black leather boots. She grabbed her leather jacket with the hooks down the front and put it on. She pounded her way down the stairs and into the living room. Cinaed just stood there looking at her as she entered she looked so different than when he saw her a few days back. Her green eyes where brighter her hair even though it was wet was sticking up all over . As if it couldn't be tamed. Her mouth was in a smirk and when she smiled her long canines flashed at him. He took a step back no wonder he had scented something on her she smelled like dirt and grass and was that blood? She just smiled and gave him a sly glance . He felt a loss for words his mind spinning trying to figure out what animal she was . He just smiled back as if nothing was wrong and said so I was wondering if I could take you on a ride through the woods ? She smiled bigger her fangs bared and said sure why not. It took him a sec to realize she had said yes .

They had wandered through the forest for a while not really saying anything. Alana noticed her wolf always made her feel bolder after she shifted braver, made her feel like she could do anything be anything. Cinaed leaned over his horse and tapped her on the shoulder she wiped her head around bared her fangs eyes changing slightly. Cinaed leaned back and swore . His horse reared than bucked he fought to get it under control it shimmed sideways and bucked again. Than Braxus calmed down and began moving forward. Alana apologized as much as she could her wolf was always hard to calm down after shifting it was a constant fight to keep it in and contained. Alana turned her horse around and started heading back to her house. Cinaed followed when they had both stoped in the barn she slid down and began to unsaddle her mare. Cinaed dropped down from his mount and said what was that out there? She didn't say anything and kept unbridling her mare. He finally grabbed her shoulder turned her to face him. Her lip trembled her wide green eyes apologetic. She bared her fangs the wolf was really not reacting well to his sent for some reason. He smelled like death and blood like iron and sulfur. Cinaed had no choice and bared his fangs right back. That got her to take a step back his wolf was not reacting well to her scent to. His eyes shifted a little than changed back. He was a alpha male and she was a alpha female and he was standing in her territory. Coming here had been a big mistake . If he could just wrestle this demon hound back into the inky depths that it came from he might have a chance with her. Alana growled again he was a wolf like her and it had been a long time since she had scented a male wolf. No wonder she was feeling attracted to him it must be the scent he was putting out. The wolf inside her calmed just a little but still on full guard. Cinaed smiled his handsome mouth tipping up in a grin that nearly did her in. She smiled back and chuckled acctualy, so now you know my secret she smiled at him . He grinned again and said yes I do . So he said I show you mine if you show me yours? She shot him glare than a nod be right back. She walked away and in a flash a big black wolf came up to him and sat on the ground. Her green eyes staring at him. She walked up to him sniffed his hand and licked it than turned around and walked away.

She waited a few minutes than walked back into the barn and there sat the biggest grey wolf she had ever seen he was twice her wolfs size. He walked up to her and said no one has seen my wolf form in a long time. He walked closer and sniffed her and just as she had done to him he did to her and licked her hand than as quick as a flash he nipped not hard enough to break skin but she felt the pressure. She growled at him he chuckled than started shifting back . She wiped around reached for his pants tossing them in the general direction of where he stood. She heard a rustle of fabric than turned around he was impressive his skin tan and his muscles honed from weapons exercises. A tattoo ran down his left side and diped lower. She smiled a farel smile he grinned back and she could see heat in that gaze hunger. She strode out of the barn and headed towards the house he trailed her not bothering to put a shirt on. His dark long hair hung poker straight. He followed her inside . Alana turned and growled he took a step back and waited just in the door frame. Alana than breathed a few deep breaths and nodded at him to come in. She was always starving when she changed . She pulled out a chair and started eating and eating. Cinaed had never seen someone put away so much food. She nodded to him and he sat down and started eating too. After dinner and a few glasses of wine he could feel the wolf settle. She nodded to the couch and dropped down into it. The fire in the fire place was raging . He came over and sat down next to her she growled a soft growl than settled a little bit more. He liked her he had only known her a afternoon but he scensed there was something special about her and it wasn't just her wolf.

She leaned her head back on the couch and smiled at him through hooded green eyes. When did the change happen for you? she said softly. He leaned his head on the back of the couch arms crossed , long powerful legs crossed at the ankles. He took a deep breath and told her it was a family thing his parents had been wolves it was a pure bloodline a royal bloodline. She shifted when he slid his brown eyes her way and so its your turn how did you end up with the wolf? She swolled hard tears on the edge of her eyes but she cleared her throat and blinked hard. Um I am adopted my parents found me after the cleansing. He swolled hard and closed his eyes the cleansing he had heard horrible stories about it but that happened nearly two hundred years ago and the woman sitting next to him looked like she was twenty three. She smiled and said I look pretty good for a old woman. He laughed a throaty laugh than said how can you be this old and not have aged? She smiled again I am cursed it happened the day of the cleansing my parents tried to get me out of the house and thats when the black riders came.