It was a glorious beast.
Reyland’s mouth fell open.
The wolf stopped three feet in front of him.
On his knees, Reyland’s head came to the beast’s jaw. That’s how large the creature was.
It snorted. Reyland felt its warm breath on his face.
Everything in him wanted to fall backward away from this silent, giant beast; instead, his hands moved forward.
He reached out to cup the animal’s large head in his hands but stopped inches from its face.
The wolf sniffed his left hand, then his right, then stepped forward and licked Reyland’s face with a large, hot tongue.
Reyland shut his eyes and chuckled within his chest.
The wolf stepped back and stared at him.
It seemed to incline its head to the side, and Reyland broke out in a wide smile, even as his mind raced and his hands shook.
“Na…sha…?” Reyland whispered hoarsely.
The wolf nosed Reyland&rsq
Alpha Dax cleared his throat, smiling softly.Luna Diane swept in, hugging Reyland closely as Dax placed his hands on his other sons’ shoulders, talking to them in link, telling them about Reyland’s size change and freeing Zara to join Diane.Dax knew his youngest sons had not seen Reyland since, at best, Boxing Day, at which time, any changes Reyland had been experiencing had been minimal compared to what was evident now.Diane moved to let Zara give and receive her own hug.Reyland held Zara longer than Luna Diane.She had been weeping for days on end. Reyland knew this.Zara had never been as strong as his father’s Luna. Everyone treated her gently. As he ended their embrace, he held her hand as she stared at him unabashedly, taking in his new lookShe, too, had not seen him since his transformation.Of all his family, only Luna Diane and Alpha Dax had.Reyland gazed lightly at his brothers, as casua
It was a glorious beast.Reyland’s mouth fell open.The wolf stopped three feet in front of him.On his knees, Reyland’s head came to the beast’s jaw. That’s how large the creature was.It snorted. Reyland felt its warm breath on his face.Everything in him wanted to fall backward away from this silent, giant beast; instead, his hands moved forward.He reached out to cup the animal’s large head in his hands but stopped inches from its face.The wolf sniffed his left hand, then his right, then stepped forward and licked Reyland’s face with a large, hot tongue.Reyland shut his eyes and chuckled within his chest.The wolf stepped back and stared at him.It seemed to incline its head to the side, and Reyland broke out in a wide smile, even as his mind raced and his hands shook.“Na…sha…?” Reyland whispered hoarsely.The wolf nosed Reyland&rsq
Since she had gotten her hands on him in the morning of the thirtieth, except for the times he passed out that same morning, she had kept him in a meld until the afternoon when the Lightmoon Alpha had barged in, and the Gamma had passed out again.He had been unconscious for three hours, and not much longer after he woke, he had been pulled out to go with her and her leaders to meet the Bloodrayne party.Since then, both of them had been awake.The difference between them was that Tryan had ways to rest both body and mind, even without sleep. Such were her gifts as a Whitehall lead spellcaster and one with the level of psychological control she possessed.The Gamma was running on fumes and didn’t even know it.But Tryan knew it.The Lightmoon pack doctor had sensed it, too.He turned away from Tryan and nodded at Jackson.Then, he stared at Reyland for a moment.“Young one,” Byron stated quietly from th
“My warrior,” Byron said softly, “it is time.”Marian nodded.Her face was pale.A hand slipped into hers and her head snapped up.Misha was gazing down at her, silently.She blinked up at him.She squeezed his hand.Tryan, for the first time, spoke. Her gaze was on the Lightmoon pack doctor.“We want the purest form of the heart blood. Nothing less will be accepted,” she stated in a flat, mechanical tone.The Head Spellcaster of Whitehall, Tryan, was a pale beauty. She was slender and tall, with dark hair and light brown, almost hazel, eyes.Despite her looks, she was far stronger, physically, than she looked. Her mind control skills were second to none, and she spoke very little.Before anyone could reply, Marian’s quiet voice filled the room.“You will get the purest form, Spellcaster. Nothing will prevent me from waking my prince tonight. Let it be
“What did you think would happen? Did you think you could leave all of us, just like that?” the Luna demanded quietly, her tears falling on Reyland’s face.“Did you imagine I would hear of such folly and leave you be? I will never allow such carelessness, little prince, never,” she croaked, still whispering.Marian almost thought Reyland was crying, as tears rolled down his face.But they were all from the Luna as she wept in a way Marian envied – out in the open, without restraint, but yet, with such poise and dignity that she almost looked like a work of art – some Madonna weeping over her dead lover.Marian pushed the thought from her mind.He is not dead.He will not die.I will not allow him to die.Even if he wants to, I will not allow it.Marian mused.She had seen what Reyland had done for Jackson.She had been keeping her
“Had I been born here, had I been raised here, I would have ended up exactly the way she has,” Misha continued in the same even tone.“But I am Bloodrayne. My strength, different as it is, is embraced, not shunned, not caged, not repressed.”“When my eyes fell on her, I saw myself. I can feel the fire deep inside her, and I want to set it free. I want to be the one to give her everything.”“That is not –”“Isn’t it?” Misha droned as he turned, heading out of the dorm.“Her life has not been like your own. She has experienced –”“No. It hasn’t. Because your people have suffocated her. She has a fire that has never been allowed to roar. I can release it,” Misha tossed back over his shoulder.Then, he half turned and locked eyes with Corien.“With us, Father, she will be free,” Misha whispered fiercely.He