. Apostasy . A Luna's Struggle

Mature content : violence, punishment bondage

Anulla spent three days completely alone. She was going cabin crazy with nothing to do. The remaining books in the office were dull texts on political theory, military history, or macro-economics. She had finished the Shakespearean collection and then searched the house for anything else to read. The only other room that had contained books was the kitchen and a single day of reading cookbooks was enough for her. The phone on the desk had rang yesterday, Seneschal Matthias had asked if she required anything. She didn’t so he simply said he would call next week.

She finally found enough courage to leave the house and wander the grounds in defiance of Orion’s command. She needed to be outside among the trees and in the sunshine. She was wading in the water at the lake’s edge when two giant dark wolves stepped out of the forest and bounded up the shore. She had never been so happy to see any wolf in her life, so she ran to them, laughing and calling out their names. Her fierce guardians sat patiently as she fawned over their wolves. Miles pushed her to the ground with a giant paw and snuffed her abdomen and between her legs, looking at Walsh who did the same then howled happily. Miles shifted into his skin and scooped her up in his arms, hugging her so tightly she couldn’t breathe, while Walsh pranced and bounced like a happy pup.

“Miles, what is wrong with you two?” Anulla giggled, holding his face in her hands.

His scarred feature furrowed in confusion then realization. He knelt in front of her, placing his calloused hand on her lower stomach, and he uttered the only word she would ever hear him speak; the only word he had spoken since he was fifteen, “Pup.”

Anulla staggered backwards in shock and sat down hard in the sand. Walsh’s wolf licked the tears off her face, they could smell her terror. Then he shifted into his skin, kneeling next to Miles.

Both bowed their heads as Walsh growled out, “Do not fear, Luna. We protect you, we protect your pup, until death as the Monarch. We kill all who threaten, we promise.” They misunderstood her mood.

Shakily, Anulla stood up, even kneeling they were almost as tall as she, and she was reminded once again of the stone lions at the palace entrance. “How far... I mean who’s pup is it?”

They both looked up at her in surprise. Walsh answered, “The pup is of Monarch Balthazar, only days since begun.”

Anulla put her hands protectively over her belly. She was carrying Orion’s heir; this changed everything. She realized she had not had any of the heat suppressing tea since she came here, spending everyday with Orion, it had only been a matter of time. His affection wasn’t real, it was a byproduct of her heat. Had he lied when he said he loved her, that he changed? She suddenly very strongly doubted everything he had said. No longer could she just go from day to day and wait for the Western Alliance Packs to come, she had to get ready for them, she had to save her child from becoming what his father had been made into.

“Miles, Walsh, don’t tell him. I want to surprise him on my birthday, if he doesn’t realize it first,” Anulla asked softly. She had to get a message to Brenna and Mira, perhaps Victor could help. They nodded and she smiled as beautifully as she could at them, “Good, now let me feed you. I learned some new recipes and haven’t got to cook them for anyone.” She hated that she was manipulating them but she had no choice.

Miles’ scarred lips stretched wide in a grin that would have terrified anyone else, as he picked her up bridal style and strode back toward the house, with Walsh stalking beside them. After eating a huge meal, they ran patrol around the property while she did dishes and bathed. Before she went to bed, they sandwiched her between them in a long hug, both smelling her neck until she giggled. Then they dropped into their great wolves, who each placed a lick on her belly before laying down on either side of her bed. Anulla fell asleep that night feeling safer than she ever had. Her stone lions would protect her from any threat, any threat except her most dangerous one. Her mate.

-^^^^^-

The Monarch Balthazar Orion scowled at his warriors. His first Beta Victor had almost been killed when the cowardly dogs had fled when faced with the warriors of the valley, only the quick action of Miles and Walsh had held the battle line. Most of the inhabitants had escaped, including the wine merchant. But he had the witch and a dozen other females and a few young girls. Once he had arrived and his wolf had taken over, the rogue wolves recruited as warriors had obeyed and attacked as they should have in the first place. It had taken a day to conquer. He had his two lower betas and 6 gammas on their knees in front of him. He saw in their minds and from her memories that all had taken service from his Anulla. His wolf howled for their blood. Anulla was theirs.

“SOoooo tell me again how my first beta had to be rescued by my dungeon masters, who were only there to take charge of prisoners, while you cowardly dogs pissed yourselves and ran from those dreadful and dangerous farmhands?” His voice dripped with dark sarcasm and malevolence.

Even though their heads were bowed, he could see them glancing back and forth to each other, he could smell their fear as they knelt in the bailey yard in front of his assembled warriors. “Monarch, we weren’t expecting them to attack us with such ferocity. They were just farmers,” one of the betas spoke.

“Ahh, you attacked a valley of werewolves and were surprised when they fought back, so you ran like prey instead of fighting like warriors of the Monarchy?” The Monarch paced back and forth like a predator behind a glass wall, but there was nothing between him and his prey except his will at that moment.

The two Betas and six Gammas must have known death was coming for them because they shrank in on themselves. The Monarch wolf shredded his clothing as he shifted and mauled the one who spoke before attacking the others. Two gammas tried to run but the castle warriors surrounded them with silver tipped spears. The Monarch wolf stalked toward them teeth bared, these wolves would die slowly, they would not get the honor of his teeth and claws. In a single step he was naked in his skin before them.

“Pull their teeth and put a yellow collar on them and put them in the stocks without a pommel. If they want to be weak and cowardly like females, let them be treated as such. Let them be screwed to death because they have no honor as warriors or males,” The Monarch growled. The castle warriors hid their disgust behind mask of impassive obedience, but the rogue warriors cheered the spectacle to come.

“Tomorrow, we begin trials to see who will have these wolves’ positions. You will prove to me you are worthy, because I will not tolerate weakness in my kingdom,” The Monarch announced. Things were going to change, he had a continent to conquer.

Inside, he stalked down to the cells; the witch was in Anulla’s old cell. Her scent was faint but still intoxicating, he hated the effect it had on him. He had found that his wolf would not let him get any satisfaction out of his mistresses since Anulla had marked him but if he came to this room filled with her smell and wore a silver cuff, he could trick it into getting at least momentary relief for his needs.

The witch whimpered on the bed when he came in, the mask secured on her face hiding her features and rendering her blind. He inhaled a lungful of his mate’s scent, a knock and his most dominate mistress entered.

“All this can change if you tell me who had you make that tainted wine to harm my mate and my wolf,” Orion purred smoothly, in a soft coddling voice.

The woman shook her head violently. The ball gag in her mouth under the mask prevented her from speaking.

“Then we shall try again to persuade you. Ona, prepare our guest for tonight’s session.” Orion knew the witch didn’t know he could see into her mind through the power of his wolf. The weak, alphaless packs from the southeastern coast had paid her and her siblings lived there. Her refusals amused him, but her fear was a new entertainment he savored.

-^^^^^-

Orion returned to the lakeshore estate near midnight, he had been gone almost two weeks. The manor was quiet. When he opened the door to the master bedroom, he was surprised when two giant wolf heads raised and stared at him from either side of his bed. Walsh and Miles were sleeping on either side of her on the floor. He motioned for them to leave and they obeyed but not before each sniffed her hand. Anulla moaned slightly in her sleep and curled into a ball. He did not know what to make of the scene, so he just walked in and laid down next to her. On her side of the bed was a braided circle of Dandelions, he stared at is curiously. It was the kind of thing a child would make.

His wolf resisted his invasion of her mind as he looked for her memory of making it.

Anulla was sitting between Miles’ legs braiding dandelions into a crown, she put one on his shaved, scarred head and giggled as she whispered, “Just play along, when Walsh comes, I want to see if we can get one on him, he’s so grumpy after chasing away the rogues last night.” Miles nodded, half-smiling. She put the second one on her head and nimble fingers quickly made a third. Walsh’s great dark wolf bounded up to them and she caressed its cheek. “I have a present for you.”

She held up the crown and he growled, “Please Walsh, it would make you look so handsome.” He raised a lip, but she crawled toward him on her hands and knees, pleading, “Please Walsh, we both have them, you need one.”

His wolf backed up as she held it out, “Don’t say no, I made this one just for you.”

Another growl, and she let her lip quiver, in a tremulous voice she whispered, “Okay, if you don’t want it.” And she sniffed like she was sad, looking away.

Miles sat stoically watching the whole exchange. Walsh’s wolf harrumphed and laid his giant head on her lap and she placed the ring of gold and green on his head, flashing a triumphant smile at Miles.

“Told you he’d let me do it,” she giggled.

Walsh reared back and flipped the ring into his mouth, shaking it to bits before stalking toward Anulla. She squeaked like a little mouse and fled to hide behind Miles as Walsh circled this way and that. Miles was wheezing out silent laughs. Finally, Walsh pinned her in the grass and stole her crown too, shaking it until flowers and petals rained on her as she giggled, before he began licking her till she begged him to stop between screaming peals of laughter. Then they laid in the grass watching the clouds together until Anulla fell asleep.

It was a happy, loving memory. In another, she was cooking for them and feeding them. In another, their wolves were splashing in the water with her. Later that night she sat against Walsh with Miles’ head in her lap while they watched the stars as their bonfire burned out. And so many little moments of simple happiness that made her heart full and stole their loyalty from him.

Orion shook with jealous rage. It took every ounce of will for him not to shake her awake and take her hard as punishment, then his wolf snarled at him and they argued.

“She shared things with them she has never shared with me. Always she keeps things from me.”

‘You have never wanted to share such things with her, why do you care now?’ The spirit of the Monarch wolf taunted. ‘Do you value her as you should? Or them? Or any wolf in your kingdom?’

Orion realized he hated his dungeon masters for having moments with his mate that he would never have. His jealousy decided they were traitors as much as those who openly defied him. His wolf gnawed on him as he searched her memory to see how many times they had taken service since they arrived and was surprised to find that they had not. He did not understand, thinking perhaps they were back to choosing each other over a female, but that didn’t make sense to him either. They had always taken their service from Anulla.

He decided something else had changed about her relationship with them. A change he didn’t understand. His jealousy whispered to him that he needed to get rid of them or they would take her away from him. And he knew the perfect person to help him, one he had broken, one who would do anything to change her situation. He rolled against her and buried his face in her hair. The smell of her shampoo and natural scent almost drove him crazy with lust.

“Anulla, my golden one, wake up. I’m home and I need you. I’ve missed you so much,” he lied against her lips as he kissed her into submission.