Wolf

Prologue

We were surrounded.

I whipped around, snarling as my claws dug into the foreign soil beneath my paws. Rowan was at my back, an unfamiliar wolf at my front. The only thing I could hear was the shifting of paws in the underbrush, the snapping of razor sharp teeth, the vicious growls that rumbled in chests. Fear tickled my stomach, making my heart pound. My black fur bristled, standing on end as my lips curled back and I snapped at one wolf who was getting too close for comfort. My flank brushed against Rowan's as I moved, never allowing my gaze to leave our attackers, hardly daring to blink.

A howl split the air, sending a chill down to my bones. Rowan visibly stiffened next to me, and I could feel my own muscles tensing, ready for a fight we were sure to lose. The last thing I expected was to see a man walk through the ranks of snarling, bloodthirsty wolves.

He walked with a confidence that only power can give, gray eyes sparking. He stunk of alpha. Now, my fear was deep set, and I couldn't help but avert my gaze from his.

"I'm sure that Alpha Kimmet will be glad to hear I've found his lost pup," the man spoke up, and a low growl bubbled up in my throat. I was answered with snarls and flashing eyes as wolves stepped forward, but they quickly died down as the alpha raised his hand. "I'm sure we can all manage to be civilized until then?" he said it like a question, but I knew that it wasn't. Another growl escaped me, and it was with great reluctance that I shifted back into my human form. Rowan did the same next to me, brown fur melting away to reveal dark skin as his bones reconstructed themselves. I felt powerless, surrounded by massive wolves three times my size.

Someone within the crowd surrounding us threw two pairs of shorts that landed just in front of us, and Rowan and I each pulled a pair on before standing. My own blue gaze met the alpha's harsh gray eyes, and a low growl pried its way from my chest and through my teeth. The alpha's smile was mocking, and it was the last thing I saw as a sharp pain cracked across the back of my skull and I tumbled to the ground, everything going black.

The next time I woke, my eyes peeled themselves open, a fogginess clouding my mind and making my vision blurry. Above me, moonlight filtered through the canopy of green. I vaguely noted that my wrists were bound with thick chain that was cold against my skin before I fell back into unconsciousness.

My eyes snapped open. The ceiling above me was made of gray concrete and the bed below me may as well have been made from stiff, wooden boards. I groaned, head pounding as I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. "James?" I moved my hands and opened my eyes to see Rowan standing over me, a frantic expression coloring his features. "James c'mon! We have to figure a way out of here!"

"That won't be necessary," another voice replied, and I sat up so quickly I almost headbutted Rowan. My head snapped around so that I was staring through the bars of our cell at a man with dark eyes and darker hair. I glared, hardening my eyes and wiping any and all emotion from my face.

"What are you talking about?" I snapped.

"Some other vermin from your pack" -I growled at that- "came to fetch you," he replied, sounding almost bored if not a little remorseful.

"Who?" Rowan demanded, standing up straighter and stepping forward. I stood as well, crossing my arms over my chest and coming up to my full height; a good few inches taller than the stranger. He didn't look very impressed, shrugging instead of answering Rowan's question.

"I guess we'll find out," he replied nonchalantly. I grit my teeth in irritation, hands tightening into fists.

"Let's go then," I spat. A tight, rather angry smile curling the man's lips, he walked forward and unlocked the cell door. Immediately after, he pulled out a gun.