Black Ice-Completed

Syn walked through the doors of the great hall and didn’t so much as flinch when they banged behind him. Instead, he continued to walk towards the throne where Lyosha was. He ignored the snarling and drooling of the other betas as he walked, several had the blood fever by varying degrees, even Lyosha was infected. You could always tell by the red that rimmed the eyes.

“Osyn,” Lyosha said in surprise, “we weren’t expecting to see you,” he quipped as his eyes strayed to the door, as if expecting someone else to come through.

Syn contained a snort and bowed low, “Yes Alpha, you did tell us, however, to be back around this time. Sadly your cousin fell ill of the blood fever and went crazy. There was nothing else to be done but put him out of his misery,” he said deeply apologetic.

“Yes,” Lyosha said softly as he looked Syn over, searching for any evident wounds. Finding nothing, Lyosha sat back in his seat in contemplation, “Were you able to find the sword?”

“No Alpha, he had trails all over Marais, Skotadi, and Axun. Aleric and I followed several trails but they led to dead ends or even more trails. If you would allow me, I can return and follow more at your convenience,” Syn said, fighting his nature to remain submissive. Without the sword he’d never be able to fight for the position without having to also fight every single beta that outranked him.

“I’ll allow it, but first, I have several women that were taken as prizes. I need you and your delicate touch to train them,” he sneered.

Syn heard many wolves chuckle behind his back and knew they thought he was weak. Like his father, Syn was one of the few wolves that were patient enough to train the rebellious women into receiving the rough and cruel pleasure the wolves participated in. He taught them the ways to please a wolf so that they in turn got better treatment. It kept many women alive and Syn could feel a little less guilty in being part of the pack.

“Of course Alpha, how many women need to have my delicate touch?” he said condescendingly, hiding his smirk behind a face of submission. Because the women needed to be trained it meant that Syn would often be the one to take their virginities before any other male laid their hands on them.

Lyosha glared at Syn but kept his mouth shut. He knew if he attacked Syn in open combat, the other wolf may very well win and that was not something the new Alpha wanted. It would show that he was weak and then he’d be challenged nonstop.

“There are five women,” he grumbled out and waved his hand, all but dismissing Syn.

Leaving the great hall in dismay, Syn sighed. Five women would take all winter, spring, and well into the summer. He’d not get back to his mate until mid-summer, almost a whole year.

As he walked, he looked at the downtrodden buildings that used to house so many pack mates. Now they were either dead or had fled deeper into the mountain to escape their curse. If he thought about the pack memories, the streets used to be lined with fences, children dashing in and out of houses as they played, nobody ever stopping them or putting them in harm’s way.

Opening the door to his parent’s home, he was suddenly bombarded with rapid fire questions, “Did you find the sword? Is Aleric dead? Does Lyosha suspect you? Have you challenged him-“

Syn growled low and gently shoved the woman back from the door and promptly shut it. Then turning he looked blankly at the woman who would very likely be the cause of death to all of them.

Staring into her dark gold eyes, he wasn’t able to say anything before a deep grizzly growl rose up from the kitchen. As Syn’s head snapped to the shadows, he watched as a great hulk of a man came forward. His face was covered in a dark curly beard and a mane of coal black hair that ran down to his shoulders. “Boy,” the man growled low, “What have I said about growling at women, especially your mother!”

“Sorry Ata,” Syn said softly and bent low to kiss his mother’s cheek.

Asper gave a small smile and patted her son’s cheek softly. He was the same size as Rush and would look like him as well if her son didn’t keep his own locks so short and his face shaved, “It’s okay pup,” she said as she ignored the growl of disagreement that came from her mate.

Instead she smiled at Rush and danced over to him, “My love,” she said kissing his knuckles, “He had every right to growl. The door was not yet shut and in my excitement spoke too loud and boldly. Anybody could have heard!”

Rush stared at his golden Goddess and pulled her instantly into his chest as he bent low and sweetly nuzzled her neck, “Nobody but me is allowed to growl at you, my star. The pup knows that,” he grumbled as he continued to paw at his mate’s perfect form.

Syn respectfully looked the other way as his parents kissed passionately. He wondered if he’d have the same kind of relationship with his mate. It was very different because Rush had been like any other red blooded male when it came to sex. Nothing stopped him.

Rush, when he had been a couple of years older than Syn, had been known as the greatest hunter of female flesh. Whether they were willing or unwilling, they always fell into bed with him. Afterwards was always the same, the women would come crawling back to him, wanting his protection or his love but he would always send them away.

That was until Asper had been seen. But at that time she had been shackled to a wolf with blood fever. Rush had tried everything to attain her. He first tried to bargain with his pack mate who refused every deal Rush had made. It was later found out that the wolf had been jealous of Rush and took great pleasure in denying Rush and bruising Asper.

One fateful night, Rush had been walking by his pack mates hut, as he often did, and heard a ruckus from inside. The blood fever had finally taken over the wolf’s mind and was attacking Asper. Rush had busted in and killed his pack mate, buried the body, and stole Asper away into the night.

It had taken a full year for Rush to gain Asper’s trust because her spirit had been broken into small pieces.

But in the end, Rush and Asper had persevered and love grew between the mighty wolf player and the golden desert beauty. Unfortunately they were only destined to have one pup. The fevered wolf had caused so much destruction from his abuse of Asper that she had almost died while giving birth to Syn. The nursing women had told her that if she tried to have another, she would very likely die. Rush wouldn’t hear of it and protected his mate from even the chance of pregnancy.

“So, did you find the sword?” Rush grumbled as he came up for air. Asper sat huffing in his arms, her eyes glazed from pleasure.

Syn shook his head, still aggravated with how many trails that had to be checked, “No, Braytek was an excellent tracker and he hid the sword very well. Lyosha is suspicious of me now that Aleric is dead. It doesn’t matter that the wolf had blood fever!”

“Will you be leaving again?” Asper asked as she gently placed her hands over Syn’s tightened fists which relaxed and held hers.

“Yes, but I have orders to train five women that have come into pack lands,” he growled low, his teeth snapping in disgust.

Rush frowned at his son’s behavior, “You always enjoyed it before Syn. What has your hackles raised up now over the deed?”

Syn paused in his anger and looked at his sire very closely. Did he trust Rush and Asper with his life? Inexplicably. But should he trust them with his heart and soul? Because even though his mate was nothing more than a child, and he knew nothing about her, that was now where his heart and soul rested.

Syn opened his mouth several times but then closed it. Rush laughed softly and thumped his son on the back, “If you’re this closed mouth about it then a woman is involved. I take it you found her?”

Asper frowned and looked back and forth between her mate and her son and gasped, “Syn, oh Gods, did you really find her? Where is she?” Asper shouted as she patted her hands together and instantly went to the door to open it as if expecting to see her on the other side waiting.

“Ata, she’s not here but yes I did find her but it’s also complicated.”

“When it comes to women, my son, it’s always complicated,” Rush grumbled and flinched when Asper smacked his arm.

Syn sighed as he rubbed his nose, “That’s just it, she’s not a women but a small girl,” he contemplated about telling them that she was pure Black Ice but the less wolves who knew about that the better.

“How much younger, Osyn?” Rush asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he watched his son.

“I haven’t touched her Patou,” Syn said with a huff, “Well, that’s not true. I pinned her when she attacked me with a knife. My instincts screamed mate and I had to make sure. That’s when she kicked me in the nose and got away.”

“Got away!” Rush said in laughter.

At the same time Asper cried in outrage, “Kicked you!” and suddenly his mother was growling, “Nobody kicks my baby!”

Syn and Rush couldn’t help but smile as Asper’s mama bear instincts surfaced. She was always so quiet and mellow except when it came to her child. When Syn had been a smaller pup, Asper would go up against other wolves to keep her son safe even though she was nothing but a human.

“Ata, it’s fine, she had just gotten done killing Aleric,” he said and watched his parent’s eyes widen in surprise, he was still feeling pride in his mate.

“What!” both cried?

“And I was still wolf. From what I have gathered she has only heard bad things about our species.”

“Well there’s not much good to be told, son,” Rush bit out, his face reflecting bitterness at the knowledge.

“It’s why I’m going to make sure Lyosha sends me back down there. I don’t need any more wolves going there and making a bigger disaster out of an already disastrous turn of events,” he said and rubbed his neck, “I was hoping to leave immediately but with these women that need to be trained, well I-“ Syn sighed. How was he supposed to ask his father for help with the training when he hadn’t touched the women since he had mated Asper?

“You are wondering if I’d be willing to help with them?” Rush asked as he stroked his beard in thought.

“Yes Patou,” Syn said softly, not wanting to look at his mother.

Rush sighed and pulled Asper back to him, slowly rubbing her shoulders, “I am sorry pup, but if Lyosha ordered you to train them, then he will see it disrespectful should another wolf do what you’ve been ordered.”

Syn closed his eyes, knowing his father was right. If Lyosha caught another wolf training them, especially after that display in the great hall, he’d see it as treason. Sighing in exhaustion, he kept his eyes closed and sent a prayer to Allaidh that the girl had no trouble for the rest of the year.