Black Ice-Completed
Chapter 13

As midsummer came upon her, Nyota had to cut several bushes away from her trails. Usually she would leave them to grow and go around them. But with the potential threat to her and Veronica, it was better to have a straightforward path then a twisty one.

She’d make it back to camp just as it was getting dark and often she had to hunt while out on patrol so that both her and her aunt could eat.

Nyota had been close to the hut on her patrol when she first smelled it. Another wolf had come into her territory. Hope filled her chest at the thought that maybe Braytek was alive but as she inhaled the odor, she knew it wasn’t her father.

Nyota followed the trail for several miles and felt certain that it was headed towards her aunt’s cabin. She knew she had to draw the wolf away, so she threw her head back and gave a howl that challenged the wolf. He would answer the call because all Black Ice wolves felt the urge to challenge an opponent.

Sure enough there was an answering call and Nyota started to run towards it, knowing she was being an idiot. Running into a clearing, she skidded to a halt as she came across the other wolf, his maw was open and drool pooled out. His eyes were much like Lyosha’s, rimmed in red and demonic.

“Well,” he said, with slobber leaking out of his mouth, “This is a surprise,” he growled and Nyota felt revulsion as the wolf continued to drool, “I never expected Uncle Braytek to hide such a delicious morsel.”

“Uncle?” Nyota asked as she kept the wolf directly across from her as he shuffled to the side to get a good position to attack. Its movements were easy to read, unlike Braytek, this wolfs intent was written all over his face.

“Yes, he was the previous Alpha of the Black Ice wolves, the current Alpha is my cousin Lyosha. You may not be what he wanted but I’m sure you’ll make a nice snack for him. You’re a little young but he likes to start training them young. You’ll do quite nicely,” he slobbered and fainted forward.

Nyota snarled as he moved and pulled her knife out, “When I see my brother, he will die by my hand just as you’re about to!”

Her cousin paused in surprise, and she used that surprise. Nyota darted in quickly thrusting her dagger into his shoulder. She had wanted to slash it into his heart but he had recovered too quickly, and she had to jump back as he lunged at her head.

“Brother is it?” her cousin growled, and Nyota watched as the lust entered into his eyes, “Then that means you belong to the whole pack little female. I can see it now,” he said as his glazed over at the prospect of coming home a hero, “You’ll be offered to the whole pack, mated with over and over until more females are produced. I’ll be given a huge reward for the salvation of the pack!” he preened and then his eyes narrowed onto her and he licked his lips, “But first I will have you! My pup will be but the first in your belly!” he snarled and lunged forward.

Nyota was put on the defensive to keep out of her cousin’s reach. As she dodged him and jumped away, she felt herself growing tired. She and Braytek had never fought, it had never come up and she was using her skills from hunting to attack the wolf.

Fear climbed up her throat, wanting her to freeze but she swallowed it down. Instead she ran at the wolf who immediately threw her back to the ground. But instead of tumbling, she used the momentum to roll and go at a run towards a tree, pushing off against it and using more speed, she slid under her cousin and cut him open from neck to belly, killing him quickly.

Nyota struggled as she was stuck under her cousin. It had taken a lot of maneuvering to kill this black ice wolf and he wasn’t even fully sized. He was a little bit bigger than the Thurian wolves that resided in the forest.

Wrinkling her nose at the smell he gave off, a mix of wet dog and death, she knew that had he lived, he wouldn’t have lived long. The wolf was riddled with diseases throughout his body. If this was what the pack was now producing in offspring, it didn’t have much time left.

Finally struggling her way out from underneath her cousin she growled low in her throat and kicked him across the muzzle before turning around and freezing. She felt fear come up to choke her once again when she noticed twenty feet away stood another wolf, a healthier wolf, well into his prime. It didn’t bode well for Nyota who was still huffing from the fight with her cousin.

She swallowed down her fear once again and flipping the knife in her hand, she growled low, her eyes staying level with the other wolfs in obvious challenge, “Come on skieva! This girl wants another wolf cloak!” she snarled, trying to egg the wolf on.

They stood at a standstill, each watching the other and Nyota began to panic as her adrenaline began to leave her body, making her shake from exhaustion. Trying hard not to show it, she growled once again, her patience running thin as the wolf just stood there, “What are you waiting for! Come get me!”

Deep laughter echoed around the forest and in her head as the wolf sat down nonchalantly and flipped his bushy tail across his front paws, “Only cowards fight little girls.”

Nyota narrowed her eyes and jerked her head at the dead wolf behind her, “Then explain your pack mate!”

The wolf tilted his head and gave a wolf grin, his tongue lolling out to the side, “An uncompromising burden,” he said and Nyota watched as the wolf got up and began to walk away.