FREY'S MATE (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 3)

by Dalia Wright

  By the time they crawled out of bed and got dressed it was well past noon. Igor gave Erica a woolen cloak with many pockets to drape around her for their journey to the tribe. He also managed to outfit her with some furry boots with leather seams that he happened to have on hand. To make better time Igor decided that he would shift into wolf form and let Erica ride him as he cantered over to the settlement.

  As they opened the cabin door and were met with a gust of wind and snow, Erica looked rather nervous. “Don’t worry,” explained Igor. “You will be riding me so just hold onto my fur and let me do most of the work. You will stay warm – that cloak is very thick and has survived many winters.”

  Erica marveled at the shapeshifting process. Outside the cabin, Igor turned his head up to the sky and let out a fierce howl. His neck grew thicker and longer, his arms grew muscle and fur, and his spine contracted as his back arched out into that belonging to a four-legged creature. Once shifted, he looked like a magnificent specimen. His fur was dark blueish black, and his long black claws made big tracks in the ice and snow. She rode him for several miles until they ended up on a big hill overlooking the beautiful, natural wilderness. Jagged peaks chased the sky over the horizon and dense forests filled the landscape. A snowy blizzard obscured her vision and coated her cloak in a thin, powdery layer.

  “Do you see it?” asked Igor.

  “Yes. I see a group of huts and tents down in the valley. I see fires and smoke. Is that your clan?”

  “It is. We will arrive momentarily and I will present you to the Alpha wolf. You will not ask him any questions, and will listen carefully to what he says. He and the rest of the group will be judging you to determine your fate. It is my hope that they will see fit to help you return to civilization, but we will need to be very cautious and show a great deal of reservation.”

  Erica nodded in assent. She ducked and clutched onto Igor’s fur, preparing herself for the speedy descent into the valley. He started at once and they raced in the snow, dodging trees and rocks as they made their way towards the clan. It took about half an hour until they were within sight of the tents and huts. She saw truly how big the settlement was, and was surprised to see it was very well organized as well. There didn’t seem to be any extraneous structures and the tents and huts were all lined in a parallel fashion.

  As they entered the encampment she noticed shifters all around her. There were wolves walking around on two feet, moving lumber and carrying cook-ware and other odds and ends. There were half-naked men, wearing nothing but ragged or tattered pants and walking barefoot in the snow. She even saw a half-man-half-wolf hybrid that was conversing with a short, stalky human. They gradually made their way to the centre of the town before Igor stopped to let her dismount.

  “Do you see that large building?” asked Igor, who motioned towards a giant hall made from lumber and steel. The structure seemed to dominate the village along with being a hub in which wolves and humans both were entering and exiting.

  “I do. Is that where the Alpha wolf lives?”

  “That is the main council’s chamber. The administration for our kind resides there, and it is also the main operating point for our war effort.”

  “War effort? Oh, you mean against the bear-shifters?”

  “That’s right. As I mentioned before, they are a constant threat and have already claimed hundreds of our peoples’ lives this year alone. I’ll let the Alpha wolf explain more about this, though. Come, let’s go in.”

  Erica walked up the wooden steps leading to the large open doors that framed the entrance to the main building. She passed by two large wolves standing upright and holding spears that guarded the entrance. She could already hear the Alpha wolf before she set foot inside. His booming, base-tone voice was issuing orders to a troop that had just come in from a hunting expedition. When she caught sight of him she was surprised to see how much he looked like Igor. The only difference was, his eyes were a fiery red, and his overall demeanor seemed much more aggressive. She felt a sudden pang of fear and uneasiness in her core. But she continued towards him. With Igor at her side she felt some semblance of confidence.

  “Come hither, little one.” commanded the Alpha. “This must be the human that survived the crash that my scouts told me about. Come closer so that I can inspect your pretty human face.”

  Another chill crept up Erica’s spine. But she approached closer.

  “You are cute. I can see why Igor has taken you in. Have you two been intimate yet?”

  “Uh, yes, sir,” said Erica timidly. She was not quite sure how to respond to the direct nature of the Alpha wolf’s questioning.

  “You must have been a pretty sight, naked. Those natural curves, those beautifully shaped breasts. You are quite a specimen.”

  A long pause ensued. Erica tried to meet his gaze but failed. Her eyes drifted downwards and remained on the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the Alpha wolf broke the silence again: “Seize her.”

  Before she knew it two hairy arms were clutching her side and dragging her up the steps of the dais to the Alpha’s throne where he sat. Panic struck her, as she looked around for Igor. He had saved her once, she hoped he would save her again. But before she could make an appropriate survey of the area she was face-to-face with the Alpha who raised his hand and brought it down across her cheek in a slapping motion. Her body went limp as the blow struck and she spat out some blood. “Take her away,” barked the Alpha.

  The two henchmen brought her behind the throne and through a dark hallway. They marched her to the end of the hall and opened a sturdy oaken door with a small window reinforced with iron bars. She doubled over and ended up in a dark corner of the small cell. There was a pile of straw and a bucket for relieving oneself and nothing more. The door slammed shut and a keychain jingled on the outside which indicated to her that she was being locked in. She began to cry.

  Why are they doing this? She was frantic with despair. Just as her life had picked up with her romantic encounter that morning and as she was starting to feel better about everything, this had to happen. She did not understand why the Alpha wolf was being so mean. Did he just hate humans in general? Or was this some kind of experiment that he was conducting? What did he mean to do with her? Her face still hurt from that powerful smack her gave her. She thought of home. She thought of the plane crash. And most of all she thought about Igor’s warm, loving embrace. She mustered up as much courage as she could manage and sat upright, facing the door.

  Silence ensued. She waited ten minutes. Then thirty minutes. Then an hour. Nothing was to be heard or seen. Finally, she heard some footsteps echoing in the corridor, becoming louder. More jingling of keys, and the door was unlocked. It swung open and there was the Alpha wolf, still in wolf form, eyes bright as a crackling fire. “Get up,” he commanded. She rose, and met his gaze.

  “Listen, wolf. I am not afraid of you. I don’t care if you are the Alpha wolf and I don’t care how much you beat me. I will never bow down to you. Now where’s Igor?”

  “Oh he is being dealt with. He thought he could take you for his own, but he has no idea just how important you are. You have no idea just how important you are.”

  Erica was genuinely perplexed by what he meant by this. “What the hell are you talking about you furry bastard?”

  “I am talking about the war with the bears. For the past decade we have been slowly losing and our wolves have been dropping like flies. For a long time, I supposed that it was due to our inferiority on the battlefield. I had assumed that bears were more naturally gifted in battle, or that victory was their divine right. But our prophets have foretold something different. They have seen the coming of an angel, sent from the skies, to provide the key ingredient in our decisive victory. You came down in the plane and were the sole survivor of the crash. It is a shame that Igor got to you first, as your womanhood was meant for a higher purpose. As the Alpha wolf, and the natural-born leader of my tribe, the prophecy was really an omen. It t
old, Erica, that by sleeping with you, a new-born breed of wolves was to be spawned.”

  You have got to be kidding. You think that I would ever get into bed with you?” she spat.

  “It is not up to you,” responded the wolf. “Either you will be my willing trophy or I will claim you by force. Either way, we will complete the prophecy, and I must say, I will enjoy it.”

  Erica felt as though she was about to vomit. She had only to look into his red eyes to be reminded of how repulsed she was by him. There was no love, or caring, or consideration in his gaze. There was only a thirst for blood and violence. She did not care about the war, and took no side. She just wanted to be safe. She wanted to be with Igor again. Her best bet, she surmised, was to play along for now, until she could find out where Igor was being kept and rescue him. Either that, or he would come and rescue her. Either way, she would have to bide her time.

  “I will go with you willingly, your excellency.” said Erica in as proud a voice she could manage.

  He took the bait. “Ah, I see we have a change in your attitude. Very good. I knew that Igor meant nothing to you and that I am twice the wolf he could ever be. Now, follow along and come with me.”

  A small smirk crept up on her face. She had found a chink in his armour and that weakness was pride. As the Alpha wolf he probably was not used to hearing the word “no” very often, and as such was easily manipulated. She would have to use all her graces as a woman to continue the charade and bide as much time as possible until she could learn more about what happened to Igor.

  “I am yours, your excellency.” And she let him lead her out of the cell and back down along the corridor.

  “I had my servants prepare our marital bedchamber, human. It is there that I will make love to you and plant my seed in your belly. Future generations will be unparalleled warriors, just as the prophecy foretold. I will make sure you look very nice for the ceremony, human. Our women seamstresses are standing by on the ready to outfit you with an appropriate set of clothing. I was thinking of making love to you in wolf form, but I can always change my mind and shift, depending on your behaviour.”

  Two female wolves escorted her into a large dressing room. There was an assortment of gowns, dresses, veils, sashes, belts, footwear, and many other clothing items. She had to admit to herself that she was slightly awed at the beauty of these garments. They all seemed very well made and would probably have been worth many thousands of dollars back home.

  She slipped out of her jeans, t-shirt, and sweater (the clothes she had been wearing since the crash) and walked over to one of the dresses in her bra and panties. The wolves stood and watched her slender, sleek body peruse the wedding-ware. She had always felt comfortable wearing little or no clothing, and was a bit of an exhibitionist. She didn’t mind others watching her near-nakedness. She knew she had a great body and was proud of it. In fact, one of her secret dreams was always to become a stripper. She knew that if she was taken to bed by the Alpha, she could bide some more time by putting on a prolonged strip-tease for him.

  She picked out a white cotton dress with satin embroidery and a white veil. This was not how she planned to spend her wedding day, but she was going to go along with the charade. It took her a few minutes to try on the outfit, and then she walked over to a full-length mirror and inspected her image. She looked radiant. Her long, brown hair cascaded down her back and her full breasts, supported by her bra, stood markedly out. It was no wonder that the Alpha wolf had fallen for her given her marvelous cleavage.

  She sat herself down on one of the armchairs in the room and made small talk with her female escorts. “How long have you been in the service of the Alpha wolf?”

  “Many centuries, human,” responded the female wolf to the left.

  “And has he ever had sex with a human before?” inquired Erica.

  “No, you’ll be the first.”

  The way the wolf made the statement seemed to imply that she should feel honoured. But she had nothing but scorn for the Alpha wolf. Then she thought of another question: “What do you know about Igor?”

  “Igor has always been the black sheep of our tribe. He is high in rank but he does as he pleases. He has never been very good at following orders and has gotten into many arguments with our Alpha wolf. I wouldn’t be surprised if taking you and having sex with you was the last straw. I think he might be put to death for this.”

  “Where is he now?” asked Erica.

  The she-wolf paused for a moment as if to weigh whether or not she could trust her. “He is in the market square in chains. Once our people observe him and judge him to be a traitor, he will be marched over to the gallows for execution, in all probability.”

  Suddenly a loud siren sounded. It startled both Erica and her guards. “The bears!” exclaimed one of the she-wolves. “They are coming!”

  She took advantage of this momentary break in their gaze to quickly scan around the room for something that she could use for a weapon. There was a stainless steel letter opener on one of the bureaus. Perfect. She snatched it up and stuck it into one of the folds in her elaborate dress in concealment. In a pinch this tool could be used to puncture the windpipe of an aggressive wolf either in human or animal form.

  “Come with us, girl,” snarled one of the she-wolves. She obliged and followed them back out of the room and down the corridor once again. The siren became louder and as she approached the open air, she could see many dozens of wolves and wolves in human form running this way and that. She glanced up the hill and saw a formless group of brown fur running in their direction. She decided the time was now to act. She crept up behind the larger of the two she-wolves and grabbed her face from behind. She jerked her chin upwards and brought her letter opener around in a circular arc and planted it into the she-wolf’s throat. A geyser of blood spewed forth and her body became limp. The other she-wolf was not as easy to overcome. They turned to face each other and she saw fury in the other she-wolf’s eyes. The she-wolf lunged at her with her claws and took a swipe at her face. Erica leaned back, barely dodging the blow. Another strike at her abdomen this time, and she dodged this attack as well. Now it was her turn to strike out. She executed a front kick into the she-wolf’s mid-section. Her target instantly crumbled over. Erica then brought her fists together and smashed the she-wolf in an upwards arc, crushing the animal’s face. The she-wolf crumpled to the ground. There was no time to finish her off. Erica dashed forward and made her way towards the market square. She had to find Igor – and fast.

  Her eyes darted about the camp. She figured that she would have to head north, towards the center of the village, if she was going to be able to find the market square. Most market squares are in the middle of the town. She raced, dodging wolves and wolves in human form every which way. She glanced up on the hill and saw that the brown mass was now more than half-way to the valley. She ran faster than she thought possible, and in a few more minutes reached the market square. There was Igor, suspended in a cage with shackles and chains keeping him in place. She ran up to the bars and kissed him through the gaps.

  “Igor.”

  “My love. Are you okay? I am sorry, I did not foresee an ambush. I hope they did not hurt you.”

  “I am fine. I need to get you out of here. We need to escape.”

  “There is a key. Or was a key. You have to find it. Check the chests over there by the houses,” Igor motioned towards a group of wooden structures about twenty yards away. She darted in that direction and frantically opened chest after chest. All she could find were some pieces of armor and some woolen clothing. In the last chest that she checked, the sixth one, she found a key ring with about five or six iron keys attached to it. She raced back to Igor.

  “Is this it?” she asked, holding up the keychain for Igor to inspect.

  “We’ll have to see. Try them. The key hole is right here.” Igor motioned towards the key hole with his head. She saw that he had cuts and bruises on his face and chest. Her heart sank as she realiz
ed they had been mistreating him. She nervously attempted each key. On the third attempt, the rusty lock clicked, and she was able to open the iron door.

  “What about your chains?”

  “I should be able to handle these.” Igor summoned a herculean amount of strength and as he flexed against the restraints the chains began to shake and eventually break. He let out a howl and was suddenly free of his bondage. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Igor grabbed her hand and the two of them ran towards the village gates – only to meet a gigantic brown bear with razor-sharp claws darting towards them. Igor let out another ferocious howl and charged to the attack. His fangs bared, he swiped at the monstrous animal… And connected! The attack was stopped and the bear swerved aside in pain, growling and whimpering at once.

  “Let’s keep moving,” suggested Igor. Hand in hand, they pressed onward until they were out of the gates and on their way back up the hill. They managed to bypass most of the bear insurgence and after about fifteen minutes of their upward journey were finally at a point where they could stop and rest. Erica got off of Igor’s back and they stood and glanced around. Looking down upon the village, now, they saw a mixture of black and brown figures cluttered around the various buildings. Some of the figures were lying limp on the ground, it was possible to see, and some were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Every so often, between the mayhem, would be a splotch of red contrasted upon the white snow. Igor was breathing heavily.