Moonlight flooded my body instantly. My clothes tore to shreds and I hulked up into an enormous wolf. My fur shone like diamonds and a streak of gold ran down my chest. I reflected pure moonlight and didn’t waste any time.
I bounded forward. Leaping the outer fence in one move and snapping both the necks of the merls as I flew by. I continued on, bounding down the dusty plain. I slashed at the locks of the cages as I ran. The men began to turn and call out, to shout and cry for help. Their cries pushed me on and I took their power in. Some cheered and others cried out in horror at the wolf sprinting among them.
The merls turned too slowly, the blur that was my wolf running past undisturbed. The Siren Singers had faltered and were looking around for the disturbance. The merls were screeching into the night and the camps of soldiers of Lady Skol behind were awakening. Flames were rising, torches lighting, excitement was building.
I bounded for the platform, the Siren Singers saw me and renewed their singing. They sang louder, stronger. I believed in the anti-melody and ran on. They faltered again at the enormous wolf coming at them. The talisman vibrated against my throat, roared in my ears, it blocked out any disturbance.
With the strength of a thousand bound prisoners, the blood of all my ancestral shifters, and every wolf in the land, I leaped for the platform and flew through the air at the Singers.
It was pandemonium. They weren’t quick enough. I was too strong. I snapped the neck of one Siren Singer, ripped out the throat of another. I broke the back of a third as I kicked out with my hindlegs. It fell awkwardly off the platform. And as the fourth turned to flee, I pushed it down, digging both of my claws into its throat and tore it in half.
Then merls descended on me and all I knew was pain.
I screamed and bucked, swiping and batting at every creature that was near me. I’d killed every singer, but now it seemed I would get killed by the merls. But thousands of wolf cries went up.
The men shifted!
The merls freaked out. Some flew immediately, and the others who had hesitated were slain. The Siren Singer that had fallen on the ground was torn to shreds. Thousands ofhulking wolves were breaking their cages, tearing the merls to shreds, and any of Lady Skol’s guards that had come were killed instantly.
It was a bloodbath.
But I was still pinned.
Ten merls held me down and bit my flesh away. It hurt more than anything I’d ever experienced. I was going to die. I knew it.
This was my end.
Then one merl lost its head.
The next was ripped in two.
Suddenly I was surrounded by wolves.Firepaws.
Brother!The wolf of Locke came to me and allowed me to stand.
I got onto my pads and howled into the moon. The others joined. The talisman hummed louder and their howls became stronger. Each wolf became bigger in my vicinity. Their muscles bulged and claws sharpened. I was double the size of every wolf around me, and the Firepaws werebigwolves already.
Who are you, friend? Where have you come from?Locke asked.
He wears the symbol of the Half-Moon pack!said one of the wolves.He came from the shadows.
I am the son of Roman, nephew of Marcus of Whiteclaw. I am the heir to King Elex of Malwreith. I am the killer of Lady Skol!
A shiver passed through Locke and the surrounding wolves. I heard murmurs across every pack’s wolf sense. I could hear the tones of every pack I knew, every leader that had ever crossed the gates of Moondaj. All except one.
Where is Marcus of Whiteclaw?
Locke bowed. Every wolf did.
The merls had gone. The men had fled. A trail of lights making for Lassig showed the bravery of Lady Skol’s finest.
But every man in the cages, thousands of werewolves transformed and glowing in the moonlight, all bowed down towards the platform we stood on.
But none answered.
Where is Marcus?I seethed.
Locke stood, looking me in the eyes.He is dead. When Lady Skol moved out to the Warlands, it was only the Whiteclaw pack here. They were slaughtered. None survived.
