Queen of the Lycan, Karina Espinosa [accelerated reader books .TXT] 📗

at the time. We also had a serial killer on the loose and I’d been kicked off the case because I wasn’t playing well with others, so I went to that bar to lick my wounds. Except I wasn’t actually a drinker, and spent the whole time drinking water. When Raven found out I was a cop, she split. I shook my head. At the time, I could have sworn she was human! Was she?

Fenrir froze and his eyes narrowed on me, obviously surprised that I seemed to be familiar with his cohort.

“What the hell is going on here?” I asked, jabbing my finger in the air between them.

“I don’t know her.” She stabbed a finger at me like she thought I was the scum beneath her shoe.

I rolled my eyes. “Of course you don’t. You were plastered when we met. You were on your way to the West Coast, if I remember correctly.”

She frowned and took a moment to process what I said, then smiled. “Sounds about right. Guess she does know me.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Now why did you shoot my fath—Alexander?” I demanded. Frankly, I didn’t care who this chick was. I would take her out for going after Alexander. It was her own fault for keeping such shitty company.

“He was in my way,” Fenrir responded simply, slipping his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t peg you for the sentimental type, little wolf. When he went down, it was quite a sight. Is he dead?” He frowned mockingly.

I growled and my canines and claws extended without thought. My face twisted in anger as I transitioned into a half shift and prepared to attack.

Fenrir made a tsking noise and wagged his pointer finger admonishingly. “We’ll have none of that, little wolf.”

I didn’t care that he could kick my ass. Fueled on adrenaline and righteous anger, I charged him without another thought, but my momentum was halted when Raven darted in front of him and launched an arm out front, sending me flying across the forest until my back slammed against a rather unforgiving tree trunk. I slid down and became hopelessly tangled in the cloak. With a frustrated growl, I ripped it off and scrambled to my feet. I didn’t care what it took – I wasn’t going to let them get away with this.

“Fight me, you bastard!” I snarled.

“Why would I do that,” he shrugged, “when I have her?” He motioned to Raven, who was already prowling toward me with feline grace.

She pulled two daggers from her boots and lunged my direction in a blur. I barely managed to dodge out of the way from their wickedly sharp blades. I stopped the next swing of her dagger with my claws and narrowly missed her other dagger as she attempted to stab me in the gut. I twisted out of her reach and planted my ballet-slippered sole in the center of her back, kicking her and making her stumble forward.

I took full advantage of her momentary befuddlement and wrapped my arm around her neck from behind, squeezing and applying pressure with my other arm. Raven was amazingly strong and resisted with everything she had. I tried vainly to snap her neck, but I’d never felt such strength in another creature since finding out I was a supernatural. Before I could analyze her mysterious origins further, she stabbed one of her daggers in my thigh and plunged it deep. I let out a howl so loud, birds scattered from the trees with angry, startled shrieks.

My grip loosened around her neck and she took advantage of my preoccupation to head butt me with the back of her head, knocking me back and out of her reach. Things were rapidly spiraling out of control. I was dizzy and couldn’t see straight, so when she tossed her next dagger toward me, I was already seeing double and didn’t know which direction to go. But her dagger never hit its intended target.

Metal grated against metal and the dagger was flung aside as something else deviated its direction.

That was when I heard it.

The battle cry of the Highlanders.

I shook my head and my vision started to clear as I took in the unfolding scene. Dozens of lunas swung from the trees while others ran on foot, their spears in hand and ready to do battle.

Raven looked at me and smirked, then she arched her back and a set of golden wings burst from her back.

Holy shit! I couldn’t help it – I gasped in amazement. She grabbed Fenrir and they vaulted into the sky, bursting through the canopy and quickly flying out of sight.

I wobbled on my feet and dropped to a knee just as a horde of Amazonian-like women surrounded me. Their hair was wild, their painted faces fierce, and the animal skins they wore were fitted to their slender forms. I saw a pair of familiar yellow eyes approach and their leader stood before me with a spear in hand, offering me her other to stand.

“Princess,” Ailios greeted, showing her razor-sharp teeth.

I clasped her arm gratefully and let her haul me up. “Hey, Ailios, thanks for the save.” I reached for the dagger still embedded in my thigh and pulled it out with a groan.

“I could smell yer blood from a mile away. What are ye doing here?”

I hobbled on one leg. “Alexander was attacked in the village earlier today. I came here looking for those who attacked him. I think they’re hiding in your forest.”

Ailios’s eyes flashed yellow. “Outsiders are nae allowed in our land,” she replied fiercely.

“I know,” I nodded, “but they’re not like normal supernaturals, as you can tell. They’re something entirely different.” Though how different, I wasn’t entirely sure.

“Do nae worry, Princess. We will handle them. Ye have my word.” She punctuated her statement by placing a fist over her heart and bowing her head respectfully.

“Thank you, Ailios.”

The first time I met the luna, she wasn’t exactly my number one fan. In fact, she made