Wild Heart

Chapter 5: War Queen

*warning: graphic violence in this chapter*

Quinn POV:

It’s been 5 years since I took over the pack. I spent the first year hoping my mate would come along. That I would be walking across the square and boom! The smell would hit me and I’d look up from my thoughts and he would be there… that our eyes would meet and I’d be frozen in my spot and then he would be in front of me, like magic. They talk about the electric tingle on your skin when you touch… I dreamed it all. The pups. I longed for pups. Then the wolves attacked. Literally.

At first it was rouges. They would attack daily but they didn’t stand a chance against our warriors. Then the packs started to attack. First the small packs that thought they could out power a little female alpha, but they learned quickly that was not the case. Then the delusional packs that thought they were stronger. The riverside pack has been nosing around bugging me to agree to being chosen mates.

I’m currently in the training field running drills for the warriors. It’s been a month since an attack but given that they have not stopped in 5 years I know there will be another one soon. My warriors are on edge and I can feel it in the hairs on the back of my neck. Something is coming. Something big.

“Rogues!”

Shit! Freyah you ready?

Always. She replied instantly, a growl in her voice that echoed through my chest. We dive forward shifting in the air and Freya lands on all four paws running full speed towards the boarder where the patrol linked they are. I took out the first rouge I came across as it was lunging for one of my warriors. Jumping onto its back and grabbing its scruff with my teeth. I pushed off its back with the same momentum and tossed the rogue against the nearest tree. I heard it’s spine crack and knew it would be down for the remainder of the battle. Perfect for interrogation later. I ran up to another diving and tearing out its throat as I pulled up. I took out a few more when the battle finally ended. I shifted back to my human form and started barking orders at my team not caring that I am naked. We are wolves and we are warriors, nudity is second nature to us.

“Clean up the dead bodies and burn them together. Send them back to the goddess. Help the wounded to the pack hospital and make sure they get seen. Broken bones need to be set before they heal people, otherwise the limb becomes weak and useless.”

The warriors nod their heads and head off to follow my orders. I started to walk back to the pack house when I hear a child crying. I run in their direction and see a rogue cornering a small boy as he cries. I see red. I run at the rogue and jump onto its back wrapping my arms around its neck and straddle it wrapping my legs around its middle, locking my ankles together and squeezing. I grab it’s bottom jaw and yank down as hard as I can as it snarls at me. It pulls its chin down and in and tries to shake me off but I squeeze tighter, I keep pulling so it can’t bite me but it runs to a tree and smashes it’s side into a tree knocking me off. It slashes its claws down my face and chest as I try to get up. s**t! I think as I stand up. I shift into Freya and we lunge at the rogue sinking our teeth into its leg and tossing it into a tree. It gets up and shakes off growling and snarling at me. I crouch down and lunge at its throat, sinking my teeth into its soft flesh and tearing it out, spitting it out onto the rogue as it falls to the ground.

I shift back into my human form and slowly approach the small boy.

“Hey pup, where are your parents? You really shouldn’t be out here.” I coo to him while he wraps his arms around me burying his face into the crook of my neck, getting blood all over him. He’s so small and lightweight as I scoop him up and hold him to my chest as he wraps his legs around my waist. We head back to the square and I notice a woman looking very worried as other children of verity’s ages crowd around her looking every which way. They spot me holding the child and pull the woman in our direction.

“Thank goddess you found him! Kris wanders off from the orphanage and plays in the woods, we were all so worried about him!” She cries as she takes the boy from my arms. He doesn’t want to let go but I pull him off me. Suddenly my face starts burning and I am lightheaded, as I start to lose my footing.

“s**t! Back off! Out of the way!”

I hear my beta call out as blackness starts clouding the outside of my vision and soon it all turns black.

I can feel my hands, my brain is acknowledging that I can feel. I’m awake, I can feel cool soft grass under my hands. I could feel warm summer sun on my face and body, and I could see the brightness beyond my eyelids. I open my eyes and I can see the most beautiful fall colours all around me, the trees all beautiful in their fall glory, reds browns and oranges. The warm orange fall glow filling the sunlight all around me. Wasn’t it summer? What happened? How long have I been out here? Where am I? Suddenly I hear a snap of a twig to my right and look to see Freya standing there in all her beautiful glory, looking back at me. Frey, is that you? I question my sanity at this point. Yes Quinn, it’s me. We are in the realm of the goddess. We were poisoned by the rogues claws. Wolfsbane and silver. I think he was counting on it weakening his opponent but he wasn’t expecting an Alpha.

We sure showed him eh Frey?

You know it hun!

Why are we here? Are we dead? I ask her.

I don’t know hun. I wish I had answers for you.

With that she curled up beside me while I sat in the grass cross legged. She laid her head on my lap and I started stroking her head while she rumbled in her chest like a cat purring. Her fur is so silky soft and thick. Her seats are like velvet and so cute. I run my hand over them and watch as they bounce back up. Cute. I close my eyes and lean back on my hands and just breath. It’s been a long time since I could just relax and breath like this. I can’t remember the last time.

Hello my child.

I startle as I hear a voice right in front of me. I didn’t even hear someone approach… how did that get past me? I look up at the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, her long silver blue hair hanging in sweet curls down to her waist. She had a pointed chin and shimmery high cheekbones. Her skin was flawless and glowing in her a beautiful caramel colour. Her eyes are bright brown and I can see gold flashing through them like lightning shooting from the pupils.

Are you the moon goddess? I ask rather dumb found.

Please call me Selene. You’re in my realm while your body heals in your own. I brought you here to thank you for saving that child. He is the descendent of someone I love very much and it was not his destiny to die that day.

Who’s descendent is he? I ask in awe. This is the freaking MOON GODDESS! What??

He is the descendent of my own mate sweet child. I’d ask a favour of you when you return. I would like for you to watch over him. He is a wolf and free child and without his parents to guide him and protect him I fear he will wander too far from his path and lose his way. I have many lost children and each one breaks my heart.

What do you mean by lost children?

Rogues. They don’t start as rogues. Every one of them had a path, but somehow and for some reason they wander from it and it is not long until they forget their way back and that they are loved and the wilderness claims them. That is when they turn. But not all of them are lost forever. I am going to bless you in a few ways child and I hope that when they show themselves to you that you can embrace them and do not run from them. You are destined for great things and I cannot wait to watch you achieve them! Now it is time for you to return to your own realm. Take care of Freya. She is very special to me.

As she talked about Freya she leaned forward and placed her hand on Freya’s face. Frey leaned into it and closed her eyes, her ears perked up and a rumble in her chest again. I look back at the goddess and she leans forward and kisses me on my forehead. I feel like I am falling backwards with no ground below me. I jerk awake and hear beeping and whispers from not far away. I pry open my eyes and blink several times as it feels like there is gravel in them. When I focus them I see the child from before sitting in a chair beside my bed, clutching onto a wolf stuffy and a bear stuffy. He looks at me with his steel grey eyes and they light up when he sees me looking back, his eyes turning to silver. “You’re awake! The war Queen is awake!”