Wolf Dominion Volume 2
Chapter 20

I don’t get alone time any time soon. Word is already spreading on the street that ‘I’ killed Opular. It’s only 3am, and everyone on the street is staring at me, then some are even cheering and running up to hug me.

They love a good tale of murder, these Shades.

By the time I’ve navigated my way back to Hades’ apartment for solace, I’m then bombarded by Mila’s potent glare.

I quickly back out to replace somewhere else completely.

Before she rips my head off.

I disappear to a bar, of all places.

I try to disappear into the crowd – which works for a little bit. But not for long. I sit and drink water, while one drunken Shade puts his arm around my shoulder, and slurs, “B-b-better cut yah hair ahf, change yah look – Tyra coming for yah nah –” then he pretends to stumble into my neck – where his wet disgusting tongue licks my neck. Without any permission whatsoever, “mmm,” his groan does it.

I stand up and break my glass, grabbing a shard to shove it through his neck.

The occupants around me watch as a man falls in his own blood, choking loudly.

The silence is loud – but not as loud as the roars of laughter afterward.

“Just like that?” one Shade asks, laughing his ass off, referring to Opular’s death.

More continue to cheer.

I feel so uncomfortable.

I didn’t even kill Opular.

I’m about to scream it at the top of my lungs.

When of course, I see a familiar dog approaching.

And oh my goodness – so that’s what Skye had been doing for the past hour.

Skye has found me from the noise, and he is now decked out in full military gear – hiding most of his new scars. Even his war make up makes me a little wet on the spot. Just a little.

Now he takes the attention, and I’m grateful.

This bar crowd is in awe tonight.

“Is that the Alpha of Wolf Dominion?” one person is aghast with fear and excitement.

Then the cheers abruptly change from me, to cajoling Skye with friendly banter. Though the Shades were enemies of him in the past, they were only enemies for fortune to gain. Now they’d have a reason to make more deals.

“I need an army,” Skye’s death drawl echoes through the room, “The neutral ground must be defended from retribution –”

Now war, I could join in on.

I jump on a stool, then the bar.

I take over fluidly, “Tell everyone, everywhere in Cracklen – an ally of Wolf Dominion tonight, today and hereafter is a friend for life. Let’s join all together as one!”

Everyone goes quiet for a bit, as they all look to Skye for confirmation.

“You’ll have wealth and your freedom, this is a mercenary call to arms,” Skye quickly corrects me, or just fixes the statement. I shrug.

A couple of stray Shades who don’t like Skye anyway, try to tackle him in the moment.

Skye grabs two assailants by the back of their heads and slams them into the bar, while one gets a fist through his face. All kiss the floor by the giant Alpha.

It’s just what the crowd needed to see to be convinced.

Skye, however, is fed up as he explains, “SPREAD THE NEWS. IF WE DON’T UNITE NOW, TYRA IS TAKING THIS HOLE FROM YOU, SHE’S COMING WITH AN ARMY – SHE’LL ENSLAVE US ALL,” Skye then quietens down, “Spread the news quickly. Ryder,” he then looks up at me, as I jump down and approach, “The news is she comes for you. Stay with me.”

I nod. Easy. I’d be the bait.

A few hours later

All mercenary and stray wolves, gather in the shadows of the very early morning.

Skye’s open presence brings their faces forward, and he can see what is left of his Dominion hiding out in Cracklen.

But he doesn’t have to say much more – other than to get into position.

Anywhere you wanted you could line up a shot, as long as every exit was manned.

And Tyra?

Ha.

She’s angry, and she’s stupid.

As her legion of Cat Dominion ascend on an impossible city to siege, to look for me – it’s a blood bath in the caves.

All I have to do is stand in the main passage openly, bringing them forward into one area.

Not one white, brown or gold robe touches foot in Cracklen.

They’re shot while coming for the bait. And there is lots of it. Not just me. But Skye himself.

Many stray Car Dominion guards are all hunted in the caves by united Beasts.

I’ve never felt such a battle, literally felt the ground shake and see blood spill – all while standing completely still.

Skye stands behind me, acting as a further taunt to Princess Tyra.

Tyra goes from attack to retreat within the first few minutes of battle.

Her small ‘special’ army was not enough.

Tyra holds up a hand of short term surrender, as she approaches now out of the main cave in full armour, walking through the blood of her people to pass on a message to Skye and me.

But she doesn’t get the first words.

“Ruling the planet is not a call to luxury,” Skye taunts her, as she stands alone, “You’re not made for it, Princess.”

“Your audacity after what we’ve been through together... I won’t stop until I hold your head in my hands, you stole my heart from me, Skye, and you turn on me like this,” Tyra hisses, “After the mercy I showed you,” Tyra’s eyes focus on me, totally enraged, “You don’t belong to her. You belong to me –” she’s abruptly interrupted as she gets a shock from somewhere as she goes silent, and we all watch curiously. Tyra reaches for her ear, whispering aloud, “…f-father…?”

What.

There is a moment of intense confusion, before Tyra raises her wrist.

And out pops a vision to behold.

No one expects this.

An arrogant hologram appears, of the ‘dead’ Opular.

Very alive.

Just lazy.

He looks like he just had a relaxing morning shower, his golden mane combed through a thousand times so the extra gloss is apparent. And he’s still naked under his robes, with his concubines around him, in the edges of the hologram.

“How are you alive?” Tyra asks, feeling further betrayal, stoic and barely held back from more tears.

“Oh. You know. Rumour – how fast word flies, there must be spies in my Dominion… and your call to arms, how tiny – so Cracklen is even weaker than I first thought,” Opular sounds so calm, speaking directly to Skye, “You escaped my daughter’s chain,” and then Opular looks to me, “You escaped mine. All a common occurrence to Hades’ being too impulsive – our friendship is over. I don’t take to lying snakes. Although, perhaps I simply underestimated you… Luna. Perhaps I should have slit your throat the very moment I lured you in.”

“Why didn’t you?” I ask, already knowing Opular liked to play with his food.

“You caught my eye. I thought you were crazy and easily manipulated; my mistake,” Opular now has the attention of all the rouge Shades, coming out to get a closer look on this very much alive Imperator, “Don’t look so shocked. She didn’t kill me. I played a funny trick on you all. But here’s an offer perhaps you can’t refuse now that I have your rouge attention. Deliver Ryder, Luna of Wolves, to me alive, so I may execute her publically myself, and I’ll remove myself from Cracklen in all form. No IDs necessary. Something to think about.”

“Your fat lion beast wouldn’t even come to battle – too greedy, you want too much, you can’t see beyond your own harem,” Skye insults Opular, ignoring his attempt to turn those in Cracklen against me, “You’re not a leader, more suited to be a manager of your own whore house. And your love of rumour and games will be your undoing. I swear it.”

“Oh, shut up, slave. Your Luna was naked for me… we almost had fun… wolves do submit to their superiors when they’re outnumbered – together, you act the fools, and apart, no better than loners… and so lonely and pathetic,” Opular pouts, while his concubines kiss his shoulders and his back, with Seye kneeling at his front. An assassin still in disguise.

Or perhaps another enemy to watch.

She had lied for him, after all.

Skye points his gun at Tyra’s head, sick of Opular’s speech.

Even though she had come forward in a ‘peaceful’ surrender to talk, Skye’s move still shocks Tyra, despite her actions thus far. She turns off the hologram to stand, now frozen with the gun’s lazer pointed on her forehead, ready to fire.

“You wouldn’t really hurt me,” she whispers, barely holding the reigns on her freshly broken heart.

Skye legitimately prepares to shoot, I hear him, but I stop him.

I turn into him and press the gun down.

Skye gives me a chance to speak.

“My kill,” I whisper up at him.

Mila might want Opular.

But I wanted Tyra.

“Then take it,” Skye shrugs, while I turn and something inside me switches back on.

Time for blood. I run for her.

Tyra welcomes the fist fight with a provocative hiss, “You stupid bitch!”

Tyra avoids my flying fists but her military grace is something I was too skilled at combating.

As she twirls I snatch up the back of her swinging golden robe, and I twist it around her neck just by lifting my arm.

She realises her mistake when she turns to see the noose she created for herself.

Instead of choking Tyra, I let her go – and she’s gobsmacked as I explain to her, “I’d rather make a mess,” I lunge for her neck – and she kicks out, but my hand grabs a panel in her armour and twists to break it off, giving me a sharp weapon.

I shove it into her face as she falls back – and I push it in deep, so she’ll be dead soon. But not before I can remind her through her cries.

“Skye is mine,” I mark him, and I slam the shard of her armour in all the way to her brain, killing her instantly while throwing her words back at her, “…stupid bitch...”

Her skull shatters and I’m pulled back off my kill, grinning in triumph.

While the remaining guards run for their lives, and rouge Shades chase them down.

I turn around, expecting to see Skye only.

Instead, it’s Zrot company. Back all together. It’s a fine sight.

Skye, Vastian, Mila, and Raygar, with the addition of Hades and Fyre.

“You crazy bitch,” Mila takes the words right out of them, smiling as she comes forward to hug me, making the first move.

I note she’s also happy Opular is alive to kill again.

We embrace for a second, then she pulls off and grabs my shoulders, turning me and shoving me into the rest of them, “You should fuck her, she deserves a good time,” Mila stalks off chuckling demonically, while Fyre follows her, mostly because she is grabbed by her ear and dragged away, “With me, little wolf.”

“Whore!” Fyre calls back to me, but in a friendly enough manner.

I’d talk to her tomorrow.

I face my Alphas, who see me in a different light.

“We need to… talk,” I choose my words carefully as I address them, “Let’s go.”

“To my place?” Hades gasps, feigning some kind of shock, “My den? You’re still not paying rent, and now you want to bring all your dogs home with you every day now?” Hades is such an asshole!

“Shut up,” I roll my eyes, “They’re not my ‘dogs’,” I walk forward and beside him, while Raygar is confused – and Skye and Vastian are too shocked by Hades’ audacity that they don’t react straight away.

I guess it somehow saves him a beating from his whole family; the fact he’s hard to predict and therefore difficult to respond to.

“Just don’t scream too loud, okay?” Hades pats my head, “The neighbours don’t like noise –”

“I’m just going back to shower and talk,” I snap, slapping his hand away.

I get a few angry steps ahead, before Hades grabs a bunch of my hair and drags me back into his long strides.

Hades is smiling into my ear as he drawls for me, “…we can smell you, you horny imbecile… you’re so fucking wet after that kill, it’s ludicrous, we won’t ignore it,” he lets me go and I almost explode with embarrassment.

I can’t look at him, or any of them.

I pick up my stride once more, aiming to just arrive first.

They were all behind me.

And none were saying a word.

We’d… talk… about this.

If I could remember how to talk.