The rumours were true. Only a minute or two after we got Howen and Pearl onto the ground did a silent shaft of light blaze down. Watching from outside the fortress it appeared painful, the way everyone dropped to the floor covering their eyes. Even I had to shield my eyes with my hands.From what I could see amidst the whiteness Elvie appeared to have lost her mind, stood tall, flailing her arms and shouting upwards. Declan held me close, wrapping his leather jacket back around my shoulders and kissing the top of my head.“Thank you,” leaning into him, loving the warmth of his huge body against mine.“What for?”“For not wanting to change us.”Declan shifted, leaning against the black truck door. “Can I say I am happy with myself without sounding like a dick? I’m covered in damage but I don’t care anymore.”“Well you are perfect, to me at least.” I smiled, watching him roll his eyes even though he squeezed me a little tighter. As quickly as it descended the beam vanished. From a dista
### FIVE YEARS LATER ### The truck has seen better days. More grey than black it trundles us wherever we need. Declan has become the expert at fixing it, fully aware that I absolutely love it when he gets oil on his hands or face. Rolling up his sleeves, showing his huge forearms that are solid from hard work, I offer up a daily prayer of thanks to the Goddess. “You are sure this is the place?” “I heard about it from the others back home.” Home was our small fishing village named Filney. Today was an unusual adventure for us, having barely left our little world for so long. Leaving the fortress all those years ago we had just headed south. With no more diversions or magnetic tourist attractions to show me, Declan took me to the very furthest tip of our nation. It still took a couple of months to get so far south. Just as he had dreamed, I fell asleep in the truck, waking up to him gently nudging me. However back then there had been no bump, just the first twinges of nausea and
Panic is rising. You can smell it in the air. There are maybe only hours until the Freeze descends. Every servant, including myself, hurries goods down into the packs underground concrete base for the next six months. Luna Corina still has trunks of furs and gowns to transport. We are her, vile, scuttling bugs. We say nothing because her slaps and pinches are nothing compared to her father. To be truthful,he is my father too, not that he has done anything but add to the suffering in my life. Valdis is a tyrant of an Alpha, delighting in the life or death power he wields. Especially at this time of the year. Metres of snow is due to fall any day. Vast, lethal ice fields form that even the thickest, furriest wolf cannot withstand. We are hundreds of miles from the next settlement. Once that bunker door slams shut, you can’t hear the begging of those trapped outside. Those first burials are the worst jobs of spring. It never gets easier. Alpha Valdis was more willing to make an exa
We all dealt with our situation differently. Mara was naturally curvier, all hips, thighs and breasts despite our meagre food rations. She enjoyed attending the Black Hall despite everything. She allowed herself to forget, for a few hours, lost in the heat, muscle and power of any man's touch. Her rounded thighs bore the mark of different hand prints every time . Elvie wanted love. Above ground, during spring she refused to associate with any man. She was the only one of us three who still looked at the horizon and imagined living over there, away from the cold and the fear. Underground, she dived enthusiastically into the anonymous antics every full moon. I have never ventured inside the Black Hall. My wolf pushes me to feel something, anything but I can’t cross that line. I have enough fear in my life without risking someone I despise taking the last of my dignity from me. I doubted I would enjoy the dark, unrecognisable touches even if I allowed my heat to overwhelm me. “You
The crew has been planning this for months and that bastard Valdis had no idea. He withdrew his scouts as the Freeze approached, just as we knew he would. We walked right up to the fucking door. Nearly all the crew are the offspring of people he has murdered. Joined together in shared hatred for the tyrant that has dominated the northern half of our world. Trekking through the tall black mountains none of us said a word. Memories of this place ran too deep, scars reopened. I could have started a new life, down in the warmer southern lands. Never see snow and ice again, endure another Freeze. Allow my wolf to shift form and prance along the fucking beach without a care. Except I can’t. For twenty years, since a small boy of seven, my dreams have been filled with burning visions of what he took from me. Every mirror reminds me of what Valdis left me with instead. We knew if we waited until the final hours before the Freeze struck we could take them by surprise. Half a dozen pur
The scent of terror mixed with the metallic tang of blood. We had all heard that last hail of bullets. I was crouched with Elvie in one of the grey shelf-filled storerooms. We didn’t lock the door, hoping anyone searching would just casually glance and walk away. The shouts and sounds of those being gathered up echoed throughout the building. “Where are they taking everyone?” Elvie whispered. “It must be the Black Hall, that’s the only space big enough for everyone?” “They might be setting us free, lets go!” Elvie whispered quickly. Her long silvery hair had come out of its bun and hung around her shoulders. “Are you insane! We’ve just survived a massacre! They’ll be setting up a firing squad next!” “If they’ve killed Valdis, I’ll bow down and give them anything they want,” Elvie muttered, “those guys can’t possibly be worse.” I thought of poor Mara. Valdis has almost completely broken her spirit. His Beta’s too. Ronan and the rest had made our lives hell. I don’t think about
This phase had been the hardest plan to gain approval from the others. A lot of the Rogue committee had wanted to kill everyone outright. Slit the throat of every man, woman, even child and leave it scorched once the team survived winter. Burn the place to the ground with them all in it. I had argued for a fairer method. I wanted to kill Valdis, but not at the expense of becoming just like him. The bunker and fortress served an important purpose. Just because Valdis had sat on the powers available underground didn’t mean they were gone forever. In the end the compromise was agreed. Allow those who wanted to attempt safe passage. Realistically it was almost impossible without vehicles. Perhaps those who were determined, smart and resourceful might get far enough before the huge ice sheets and blinding snow descended. I would not lose sleep over the Beta’s who wanted to attempt it. The one with the tattooed face was making me itch to fire another bullet. The way his icy eyes glared a
Only when Declan left the room did I shakily exhale. Even when he shot Warren. I was drawn like a magnet to that bearded, grizzled face. He viciously smeared Ronan against the wall, I still couldn't stop staring. Those dark eyes had a power I had never experienced before. Would he really shoot us too? If not him, what about these eleven new men? All of them, clad in black leather, look pissed. Especially when Coraline outed me, I could feel the heat of their eyes. Declan promises freedom but that is an easy declaration to make at the start of a Freeze. He could be lying through his teeth. Elvie immediately walked off, chattering excitedly with another girl about freedom. Punishing me for not leaving with the Beta’s into the Freeze. Mara had passed out on my legs, her body hot and clammy. Corina stood over me, a grin of triumph on her face. “You know, I’m going to introduce myself properly to Declan. My life won’t be changing here so neither will yours.” Then she trotted off do