Wolf Warrior of Land
Alphas & Alchemy: Elemental Shifters Book Two
Keira Blackwood
Eva Knight
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
A Taste of Midnight Wish
Also by Keira Blackwood
About the Author
About the Author
Copyright © 2019 by Keira Blackwood & Eva Knight
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual persons, places, or events is coincidental. All characters in this story are at least 18 years of age or older.
The cover utilizes stock images licensed by the author. The model(s) depicted have no connection to this work or any other work by the author.
Edited by Liza Street
Chapter 1
Briar
Despair didn’t strike all at once. It began as a seed.
It sprouted and spawned roots that crept through the cracks of dwindling hope, feeding off of speculation and doubt. And it grew.
When all light was consumed, it was impossible to see through the darkness. Nothing is bleaker than a prison of the mind.
The thunder of my heart jolted my eyes open.
Black—everything was black. It was still night. No, by the dewy scent in the air, I knew it had to be near morning.
Was it another nightmare that had stirred me? I couldn’t remember, and that was probably for the best. A shiver rushed down my spine, sparking awareness of the cold sweat that covered my body.
My finger twitched. I closed my eyes and opened them once more, focusing on the thatched straw above me instead of the soreness that crept through my skin and settled in my bones.
Like every other morning, I woke on the floor of a hut that did not belong to me, hoping that this would be the day that Herrik and his warriors would return.
They didn’t.
Hours had passed, then days and weeks.
I wasn’t alone—not in my waiting, and not on the floor.
The entire coyote village had been decimated, leaving only two buildings completely intact. We shared the shelter while we waited in limbo for our fathers and brothers, sons and mates, and for our alpha to return.
Willow jolted up beside me. Her eyes remained closed and her face contorted in pain—another nightmare. She suffered them more often than I did.
“Hey.” I sat up slowly so I wouldn’t startle her, then rubbed her back. “Everything’s okay. It’s just a dream.”
She let out a sigh and smoothed her palms over her eyes.
“I’m so tired of this.” Her voice cracked and she turned to me. Long golden locks fell away from her face, revealing puffy red eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Me, too.”
“What if they don’t come back? What if we’re waiting for nothing, and they’re just gone forever, eaten by one of those flying demons?”
Dragons ruined everything, but they didn’t eat people. Still, we couldn’t waste away here, waiting when our loved ones may never return. Hope might be lost, but we would not lose our will to survive. We had to accept reality, no matter how harsh it was, and take action.
“If they don’t come back, we do something,” I said.
Willow leaned back on her palms and looked up to the ceiling. “What? What can we do?”
It was a good question. Herrik had taken the strong with him to fight. We were the women, the children, the elderly. We were the sick, the frail, the forgotten. We were all that was left.
The woman sleeping beside Willow stirred, as did a few of the others. But no one said anything. No one had any answers.
We had never been told anything about anything, let alone who our enemies were or where to find them. And that was true long before the others had gone, including my brother.
We didn’t know who our tribe’s allies were, either, if in fact we had any. The coyote tribe was known to be trouble. It wasn’t like any of us did anything to anyone, but that didn’t change the way we were viewed.
We didn’t know who to trust, beyond each other. But I did know who had power. I knew who was strong enough to help us, if he was willing.
Wolves were the chosen people of the guardian who ruled over plants, minerals, and earth. Their alpha was granted powers beyond anything my people could muster. He could help us remove the boulders, if he was willing. Maybe then we could rebuild.
It was a long shot, but we were desperate.
“The wolf village isn’t far,” I said.
Willow looked at me, her expression hollow. She was a shell of the woman she’d been before her mate had left with Herrik.
“Their alpha is warrior to the Guardian of Land,” I said, forcing a confident tone. It might have been convincing if my voice hadn’t risen three octaves. “He can help us.”
“Can and will are not the same things, dear.” I recognized the raspy voice as Sylvie’s. She hadn’t sat up, but the older woman was clearly awake. “I can eat twice my weight in glowing dart frogs.”
“Ew.” Blossom wiggled her short legs on the floor beside Sylvie. She was the youngest of us, a child, with the same cinnamon hair her mother used to have. “You can’t eat frogs. They taste like vomit and they make your skin glow green for a week.”
“That’s exactly why I won’t do it,” Sylvie said.
“Why would one of the dragons grant the warrior power if he’s not meant to use it?” I asked, pretending to be a lot surer than I felt. “If ever there was a time to put those gifts to use, it’s now.”
“Celedon, Guardian of Land, dropped those boulders on our homes,” Willow said. “He and whoever that black dragon was. We can’t expect help from the likes of them or their people. We can only count on us.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When my voice came out, it was a whisper that shook like an earthquake. “You can count on me.”
“Sure, okay,” Willow said. “You’re great, but unless you’ve been magically imbued with super levitation powers, I don’t see our situation improving.”
She was right. But as dumb as it was, I’d already committed to taking the leap. I was over the cliff, freefalling and plunging to my death—metaphorically, of course.
“I’ll talk to him,” I said. “To the alpha wolf.”
Willow’s lips quirked up, and even though it was at the absurdity of what I was proposing, it was still nice to see her smile.
“I’ve got to see this,” she said.
I’d expected her to tell me I couldn’t do it. I looked around the room, to the faces of my people. Everyone was looking at me, and no one was trying to discourage me.
“Can we come with you?” Sylvie sat up. The first glints of morning light peeked through the window and glittered in her snow-white hair.
“Come with me?” I was shocked that anyone would want to.
“We’re all tired of waiting. We should do this together.” Sylvie turned and smiled at Blossom. “Plus, what is there to do here? Eat frogs?”
Blossom laughed.
“Yeah. Anyone who wishes to come along is welcome,” I said, feeling less and less sure about the idea by the moment. “We’ll all go together.”
By map, we all knew the general whereabouts of the other villages on the island. But hearing stories about Lycaon Village and seeing it with my own eyes were two very different things.
Still miles away, walking along the forest floor, I could look over the canopy of trees and see the copse that reached high above the rest. It was a beacon to the wolves. While the coyote village was hidden beneath the cliffs, stowed away from the world, the wolf village invited all to look upon them.
We walked in silence. When I’d said I’d welcome anyone who wished to join me, I’d expected at most Sylvie and Willow to come along. Blossom, too, since Sylvie had taken to caring for the abandoned girl. But it wasn’t just three or four of us. It was everyone, all thirteen.
We packed everything we had, everything we could carry, afraid to leave behind what little we had left. Loss did funny things to the mind. Logically, we knew that we didn’t need to bring everything with us. But actions didn’t have to be rational to soothe worry.
We’d lost so much already. What happened if we returned home and the last two buildings were destroyed? What happened if the bedding and clothes were gone? Or the food? It didn’t hurt to cling to what we had, or to carry it along.
For me, there wasn’t much. I had a change of clothes in the bag over my shoulder, along with a jacket that belonged to my brother. When I found him, he’d want it. And if I never found him...I pushed the thought away. It hurt too much to dwell on possibilities, and if I let myself panic, I knew there was no coming back.
I would see my brother again.
As we drew closer to the village, I noticed the wolves’ defenses. There was a great wall built around the perimeter. The stone structure was tall, to be sure. But more impressive than the height were living plants not just growing on the stone, but through it. Branches and vines snaked between the rocks, holding everything in place.
High above towered the tallest trees that grew on the island. They, too, seemed to be a functional structure, holding buildings and vine bridges up in the sky. Lycaon was a great wonder, and I’d only seen it from outside the wall.
There was a light touch on my arm. I turned. Willow was standing by my side, only a few steps back.
“They might think we’re hostile,” she whispered, her gaze set up in the treetops beyond the wall.
I nodded. Sure, why wouldn’t they?
“Go on, Briar.” Sylvie gave me a nudge with the end of her walking stick. “You led us here, now make the journey worth it. Charm the pants off of the wolf bastards.”
Great, no pressure or anything.
Leaving both my people and the cover of low-growing plants, I stepped out onto the dirt path that led to the village gate. Here, everyone could see me, including any wolves who happened to be looking this way.
I forced my feet to move. One step. Two.
This was the stupidest thing I’d done in my life. Who did I think I was, showing up here to make requests? The Warrior of Land owed me nothing. He owed my people nothing. And he was likely to give us just that, or worse, kill me for asking.
My stomach churned.
A loud boom startled me. I flinched.
It sounded again, and again, reverberating through my chest and pounding in my ears. It was the beat of a drum. Maybe it was a warning telling me to turn tail, but I couldn’t do that.
I opened my left eye and squinted at the giant metal gate. Then I opened my right and raised my hands in the air.
They had to see that I wasn’t a threat. I had to make it clear I had nothing but the best intentions.
Up in the trees, I couldn’t see anyone. But the wolves had to be up there, looking down at me.
I could run, I could stay completely still, or I could approach the gate.
Frozen, I just stood there.
Voices came from behind the wall, along with sounds of movement and the scent of wolves.
The heavy doors opened slowly.
There were many people gathered inside the walls, but one caught my attention. He was huge, with broad shoulders and a stiff stance. He wore a loose white shirt and pants, but it was his confidence that stood out most of all. His face was hard except for his eyes—a warm mix of copper and sea. Those eyes held secrets.
Those eyes stole my breath.
My heart fluttered like a butterfly, while my stomach shot up into my throat. My whole body grew hot under his gaze, likely as red as my hair.
“I must speak with your alpha, please.” I tried to meet his poise with composure of my own. But my voice came out a squeak.
He said, “I am Thorn, Warrior of Land, Alpha of Wolves.”
This was him, the man I’d come to see. He was younger than I’d expected. This would be easier if he was old, if he was ugly, if he didn’t appear to be chiseled from solid granite by the gods.
His scent was that of the forest after a storm, pine and sandalwood. He filled my lungs with warm familiarity, though I knew I should feel anything but.
This would be easier if he was anyone but the man standing before me.
I was terrified to say the wrong thing, to do the wrong thing. Yet I was drawn to touch him. It was crazy.
But he hadn’t shunned me yet. Maybe I had a chance to do what I had come here to do.
All at once, my words tumbled out, and my feet stumbled forward. “Thorn, I need your help, and your mercy.”
Suddenly I was inside the gates, and I was touching him.
In shocked delirium, I’d grabbed his hand.
Why had I grabbed his hand?
Touching him made everything worse.
A fresh wave of heat washed over me, settling in my core like a swirling pool of lava. He was a shock to my already fried nerves. My skin was alight and flickering.
I needed to step away, to pull my hand back. But I couldn’t seem to move.
Crunching footsteps told me Willow, Sylvie, and the others were approaching.
I thrust my hand to my side and squeezed the strap of my bag as if my life depended on it. And I said, “Please help me, and my people.”
Thorn looked from me to the forest beyond, to where Willow and the others waited.
Before the others were in any more danger, I had to make our intentions clear.
I had no idea where Herrik, and our tribe, stood with the wolves. Given how we were seen and treated in the wild, there likely was no love lost between alphas.
“I know some of our people have done wrong,” I said. Then I waited for his reaction, to see if I had assumed correctly. He showed none, so I continued, “They aren’t among us. Please, Thorn, we need your help.”
He looked at me, and the world faded away under his gaze. I was a rabbit, held softly but firmly in the jaws of a wolf. I was completely at his mercy.
“Your village is destroyed,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
My heart raced; my mind raced faster. Everything was riding on this. Everyone was counting on me.
“Yes,” I breathed, knowing my voice was too quiet.
“You may stay,” Thorn said. “Accommodations will be made outside the wall.”
I couldn’t believe he was going to help us. My fluttering insides did flips, leaving me high as the clouds.
The gates began to close. I took a step back and then another, stunned as the metal shut in my face.
And then it hit me—the gate, sure, but also the realization of what had just happened.
Wait! I opened my mouth but no words came out. This wasn’t what we’d come for. This wasn’t enough, it was...it wasn’t…
I’d offered my people false hope,
venturing on a journey that could harm the already frail. I’d led them, under the pretense that we had a chance to make our lives better. But I’d let them down.
Chapter 2
Thorn
The Warrior of Land two generations before me had woven the magic to create the intricate pattern of branches and leaves that adorned the inside of the metal gate. I stared at the design, unfocused and not truly seeing, until my eyes blurred.
A single image filled my head—red curls, a dash of freckles, fierce resolve behind a gentle voice. Her dress was tattered and too large, offering a glimpse of her struggles. But it was her honey brown eyes and sharp yet warm scent that made the biggest impression.
Vanilla and ginger still filled my lungs, and the weight of her gaze still pressed heavy on my chest. There was a tightness left in her wake, one that stirred my wolf.
Who was she?
She was my undoing. I knew it was true, even if I didn’t know her name.
I couldn’t afford to show weakness to my enemies. As a coyote, that’s exactly what she was—an enemy.
“You’re serious?” Forrest shifted his footing beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. “You’re going to let them stay?”
My second was nearly as tall as me, with a beard that could rival the fur of the bushiest of raccoons. We’d grown up together, both dreaming of one day claiming the position of alpha, and with it the warrior’s gifts. I’d won. But the position was only mine as long as I could hold it. And it was only a matter of time before Forrest challenged me again.
I met his glare and his sour grimace with an even expression. “As you heard, they’ll remain outside the wall. Take care that they receive food in addition to tents.”
Wolf Warrior of Land (Alphas & Alchemy: Elemental Shifters Book 2) Page 1
