Moonlit Majesty
Crystal-Rain Love
Copyright 2014 by Crystal-Rain Love
Smashwords Edition
Moonlit Majesty
Crystal-Rain Love
Special thanks to Jen and Christle.
PROLOGUE
“Zaira Azzul, how do you plead?”
On her knees, Zaira swallowed down the fear clogging her throat. Fairuza paced in front of her, her hands clasped at the small of her back. The soft clack of her heels on the marble floor provided the only sound in the throne room.
“I asked, how do you plead?” The queen stopped in front of her, the long skirt of her dress no longer swishing.
Zaira cast a glance to the empty chairs lining the room. “Your Majesty, there is no jury.”
The queen’s cobalt eyes twinkled as she threw her head back and released a deep, rumbling laugh. Eyes still twinkling, she crouched before Zaira. “Did you really expect a jury of your peers? Where do you suggest I find so many whores?”
“I am not a whore.” She knew her self-defense would only draw the queen’s ire, but no matter what her sentence might be, she would not allow herself to be called such a vile thing. She had given herself to Addix in love, and had not known he belonged to another. It had been his place to tell her and he did not.
“What else do you call a woman who sleeps with her queen’s consort?”
“I did not know he was your consort. He did not tell me.”
Fairuza growled. “I am your queen. It is your duty to know who is my consort and to give that relationship the respect it is due.”
Zaira bit her tongue before she angered the queen further by asking how one could possibly keep track of all her consorts. At last count, she knew of twenty. Yet she was the one being called a whore.
“Maybe if you were not so busy running around with your animal friends you would know more about the happenings of the kingdom. Your duty is to your people, not animals.”
“I am just a simple Immortian. I have no title and no duty to anyone. I am nothing to you. I have never been a threat to your power. I will never speak to Addix again.”
Fairuza frowned. “You think I am threatened by you? Is that what you think this is about?”
“Yes, your majesty, but you needn’t fear. My magic is nowhere near your level, and I do not want power of the kingdom. I would never try to take what is yours.”
“I do not fear you, child. I loathe you and your disrespect.” Fairuza stood and walked over to her throne, settling into it. “You have no idea what it is like to be responsible for an entire race. Every breath I take, I take for all of you. I protect you, keep you alive. Is it too much to ask for respect for all I do? You show more compassion to animals than you show to your own queen. How would you feel if one of those animals you care for turned around and bit you?”
“I did not mean —”
“Silence!” The queen slapped her hand down on the arm of her throne, the sound echoing loudly through the room. “After everything, I still have not heard a sincere apology from your lips. I have only heard excuses. You have wronged me and still your concern is with how you will be reprimanded. You do not care that you have insulted and hurt your queen. Yes, hurt your queen. I am not an emotionless tyrant. I care for my people and only ask for respect, a very simple thing when you consider all I have done for my people. But you do not consider all I have done, do you? That is your problem. You do not see a woman before you, only a title. As your punishment, I will give you your own race to protect, to love, and to spend every moment worrying about.”
Zaira blinked. “My own race?”
“Yes.” The queen smiled. “You love your animals so much, especially those wolves. What if they were people? What if you had to protect them with your very life?”
“I would consider that a great honor.” Zaira raised her chin. If the queen thought this was punishment, she did not know her very well. Zaira had always had a special connection with animals, especially to wolves. They shared the same spirit.
A wicked smile graced Fairuza’s beautiful face. “Then so shall it be. Zaira Azull, I cast you out of Imortia and give you your own race to protect on Earth. I shall watch you as you raise them, protect them, love them, and when I tire of that … I will destroy them, destroying you in the process.”
ONE
Addix dropped to a knee and raised his fist, signaling for the others to do the same. Hidden by the foliage, they focused their eyes on the open clearing before them. His heart raced as adrenaline surged through his veins. They’d traveled so far and now, finally, it was time to come face to face with the person who could either save or destroy them. Maybe she wouldn’t remember him. It would be for the best. A wound to his ego, sure, but if she did remember him, she might have his head on a platter before he could explain why he’d sought her out.
A hawk cried out above them. He looked to the sky to see a pair of the large birds circling directly above them as they continued their cries, almost as if they were pinpointing their location for someone. Oh damn.
“Look out. We’re about to be—”
Several large wolves of assorted colors sprung from the wooded area, teeth bared as they lunged forward. The animals had quietly surrounded them. Stealthy bastards.
Addix rose to his feet and maneuvered his way into the clearing, his people following his lead as the snarling wolves closed in on them.
“We don’t want to fight you,” he said, knowing the wolves would understand. “We came to see your leader. We need your help and are willing to offer our assistance in any way you need, as well.”
The wolves stilled, two in front cocking their heads to the side before one crept forward, its moves slow and cautious.
From the corner of his eye, Addix saw one of his people tense.
“Don’t move, Merta. The wolf is just checking us out, making sure we will not harm them.”
The volatile redhead, one of his best fighters, relaxed her hands at her sides and watched with disdain as the wolf circled him, taking in his scent. He knew it went against her nature to allow a possible enemy so close to him and silently prayed she would keep her cool. If she made a move toward the wolf, it would set off a battle and that was not in his plans. The woman he’d come for was probably already pissed enough at him without him hurting one of her precious wolves.
Having fully circled him, the brown wolf raised its head and howled. The other wolves parted, leaving a path between them, but they did not stand down. They crouched, ready to spring at the intruders if necessary.
Addix didn’t move as he waited for their leader to arrive, knowing the path had been cleared for her. To his surprise, a gray wolf appeared on the path, not the one he’d been expecting. Still, he did not move. This was probably just a precaution she was taking. He couldn’t say he blamed her for being careful. She’d learned the hard way to watch her back, as had he.
The gray wolf stopped six feet before him and shifted into a tall, blond man with unfriendly eyes. “Who are you?”
“I could ask you the same. I asked to see the leader.”
“I am the leader.” Unfriendly eyes turned suspicious. “You’re not a wolf, and you’re not packing silver to kill us. How do you know of us and what do you want?”
Addix clenched his jaw. He’d never been patient, and he’d waited too long to be forced to play these games. “I’ve stated our purpose. Now, where is Zaira?”
The blond man frowned. “Zaira who?”
“Enough with the games, pup. Tell Zaira I need to see her.”
“I don’t know who the hell you’re talking about, but you asked for the leader. I’m the pack leader, Jason. This is my territory you have intruded upon and these are my people
that I’m about to order to attack if you don’t state your business and give me a real reason why you’re here.”
Addix took a deep calming breath. It wouldn’t serve him well to start a fight, especially with Merta chomping at the bit to draw blood. There had to be a reason for this standoff. The wolf was protecting Zaira, or maybe she went by another name. Pissing the pack leader off would not get him any closer to her.
“Forgive me, Jason. I wasn’t clear enough. I am not looking for the pack leader. I am looking for your leader, the White Wolf.”
A low, threatening growl rumbled from Jason’s throat. His eyes flashed red. Around him, the wolves tensed, ready for his signal.
Addix felt his own people brace themselves for battle.
“I need to speak with her. We did not come here to hurt her.”
“Damn straight,” the pack leader growled. “You won’t get the chance to.” He turned toward the wolves. “Destroy them.”
So much for playing nice.
The wolves leapt forward, lips pulled back from long, sharp canines, but his people were ready. They’d learned how to fight in one of the deadliest places in existence, and they’d managed to fight their way out of that hell hole. They could handle the wolves. Addix’s only fear was they’d go too far and kill them.
“Defend, don’t kill,” Addix ordered as he deflected a blow from the pack leader, still in human form.
Confident his people could handle themselves, he sparred with the pack leader, dodging and deflecting more blows than he landed. It would be too easy to release his full power and turn these big, bad wolves into whimpering little pups, but he had to focus on the bigger picture. Zaira was near. He could feel it, but she was too well-hidden for him to get any closer. He needed these wolves alive and willing to help him.
A chorus of loud whimpering sounded behind him, and his gut clenched. Jason quit throwing punches and stood before him, mouth gaping as he stared over his shoulder. Addix already knew what he’d find, but still he turned around to see the large red dragon hovering above the crowd, a whimpering wolf hanging from her claws. Four more lay on the ground, wounded.
“Merta!” He allowed his full anger to flood his voice. “Put the wolf down and shift back right now.”
The dragon snarled at him, exposing sharp, jagged teeth. She shook her head, refusing his order.
“That was not a request. Do it.” He noted the wolf’s limp form, the lack of fight, and silently cursed. He hadn’t wanted any of them hurt. They weren’t the enemy. Merta hadn’t been the enemy either, but right now she seemed determined to go against him. She may be one of his best fighters, but she was the worst follower, especially when she allowed her beast to emerge. Of all the beasts she could have had bonded to her, why did it have to be a dragon?
“Merta.”
Ignoring him, she blew smoke out of her nostrils as wolves, no longer frozen in shock, crept closer to her. Their heads bowed, lips pulled back to expose teeth, their intentions were clear. The pack leader, now in wolf form, joined them. The wolves formed a small army and it was clear that in this army, no man got left behind. They were going to get their pack mate back, even if they burned to a crisp in the process.
Dammit.
The air shifted, causing the subtlest wind to blow through the trees. The wolves stiffened, every muscle held rigid, as the magic of their master rolled over them.
She approached.
Addix scanned the area, but didn’t see her. Wolves of all colors and sizes surrounded Merta, but none of them were white. None of them radiated power like Zaira.
“Addix, what do we do?”
Lana, one of his better tempered and far more strategic soldiers, studied the scene. The rest of his people surrounded the circle of wolves that were no longer focused on them and looked at him, waiting for instruction.
Before he could decide on a plan of action the air next to Merta rippled and he instantly knew why he hadn’t been able to see Zaira despite sensing her so close. She’d been on top of them the whole time, watching from another realm. A realm she was about to burst through in order to save her wolves, killing the dragon threatening them all. And he couldn’t even begin to count how many wolves would die from Merta’s fire in the process. There was only one thing he could do.
Acting purely on instinct, he shifted form as the white wolf he’d sought leapt through a rip in the sky. He inhaled deeply, tearing Merta’s beast from her body. Merta and Zaira tumbled to the ground in their human forms as their beasts evaporated in a cloud of dancing smoke, eliciting startled gasps from the wolf pack.
His own breath caught in his throat as Zaira pushed herself up onto her knees, dark violet eyes threatening to burn him as she snarled. He got the distinct impression she would have torn his throat out right then and there if not for her wolves. Rising shakily to her feet, she noticed the stunned expressions on the faces of her people, all of whom had shifted back into human form.
“It’s all right, children,” she soothed them, her voice still as melodic as he remembered it to be. “I am not hurt.”
The pack leader took a knee before her, quickly followed by the rest of the pack. Zaira shifted, seemingly uncomfortable with her pack’s reverence, before she refocused her sight on him.
“You.” The single word came out a threat of violence, and that quickly the humans before her shifted back into wolves and turned on him.
“This one is mine,” she declared, stopping the attack before a single wolf could pounce.
Addix hadn’t thought their reunion would be the kind of old friends, had suspected the hostility, but the rage burning inside her was more than he’d bargained for. Of course he hadn’t planned of her seeing his beast so soon, but he’d had to shift to protect her and Merta.
The red-headed warrior writhed on the ground, the wolf she’d held in her claws now healing after shifting shape. Unfortunately, Merta couldn’t shift shape and heal so easily after having her beast taken from her so unnaturally. Having one’s beast removed in such a way caused excruciating pain, which was why he hadn’t taken that action until it was absolutely necessary.
Never taking his eyes off the raven-haired beauty before him, he walked forward, slowly so as to not spook the wolves into an attack, and risking losing sight of Zaira, he lowered his head and touched Merta with his horn. Healing power flowed through it and eased the pain in her trembling body.
Once her body stilled, he turned his head toward Zaira. Are you in pain?
Her lip curled in disdain as she subtly shook her head in the negative. Touch me with that thing and pain will be an inadequate word for what you will feel.
Seeing no other people in need of healing, he closed his eyes and willed himself back into human form. Before his eyes opened fully, Zaira had him by the throat.
“Detain his people, but do not kill them … unless I give the command.”
Then they were gone, transported to another realm where they appeared to stand among clouds looking down at their people beneath them. Zaira let go of his throat and wiped her hand on her jeans, as one would wipe away the grime of trash. “I shouldn’t allow you to speak. I should just castrate and treat you to a slow and agonizing death for what you’ve done. To think, all this time I’ve wondered what your punishment was. I actually felt bad for you, but you are not worth the slightest bit of concern.”
Addix folded his arms, chewed the inside of his cheek as he processed her words. She’d worried about him. That was promising. But now she looked at him with those beautiful purple eyes as if he were evil itself, and after what she’d just witnessed, he understood why, but it still angered him. Nothing burned more than being hated for a crime you didn’t commit.
“I know what you think.”
“There aren’t words vile enough to describe what I think of what you’ve done. How could you? Were you that hungry for power that you would curse yourself to eternal damnation? You will burn in Hades for what you’ve done.”
“Did
you kill the white wolf when you took her spirit?”
Hot pain sliced through his cheek as he fell to the ground, knocked off balance by the backhanded slap he hadn’t even seen coming.
“I would never hurt an innocent creature. This form was forced on me as punishment for what you and I did. I was never given a chance to thank you for ruining my life, by the way.”
Addix couldn’t help but laugh as he rubbed his jaw. “Trust me, sweetheart. You got a better deal than I did.”
“Oh really?” Now it was her turn to fold her arms defensively. “The queen mustn’t have punished you too severely if you were able to make it all the way to the Twilight Springs and charm a unicorn. How could you gain the trust of one of those beautiful creatures just to kill it?”
Addix groaned. This was precisely why he hadn’t wanted her to see his beast before he could explain. “You know the price for killing a unicorn. Only one person in Imortia has such a thirst for power that they would risk that curse. I am not that person.”
Her hands slowly lowered to hang at her sides as her brow furrowed. “What are you saying?”
“My beast was forced on me as yours was forced on you. My punishment was taking on this form and fighting for my life every day since. There is nowhere in Imortia I can go without being attacked. I am either hated for what it appears I did or desired for the abilities that came with my beast. The people who came with me, are just like me. We all had beasts forced upon us by Fairuza because we wouldn’t bow to her. There used to be more of us, but it was a bloody fight to get here.”
Zaira looked away from him then. Her gaze focused on the realm beneath them, where her children and his own pack of misfits studied each other, oblivious to the fact their leaders were so close. “Why did you come here? There are other realms than this that you could have gone to after fleeing Imortia. Unicorns, dragons, and who knows what else the rest of your people are, will hardly fit in here.”
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