The Shadow Howlers

Gunnar hung up the phone and looked at Bianca. They’d only been together for a few weeks, but in that short time, there had been a lot going on. Now, it looked like it was going to continue.

“That was King Zaiden. He asked if we could send some of our best warriors to help his own. Are you okay with going to the palace? I’ll leave Austin and Jessica in charge while we’re gone. He didn’t ask us to come, but I could hear how desperate he was. He said something about Selena being threatened.” He walked over to where she sat on the couch, and Bianca smiled at him.

“Of course, we can go. I’d like to check in on Selena myself. What about the girls?” She asked. They both knew Polly and Trisha wouldn’t be happy if they left them behind.

“We’ll leave it up to them. I’m almost sure they’ll want to go, but who knows with those two?” Since Bianca and Trisha came to the Shadow Howlers pack, Polly and Trisha had become thick as thieves. They went to the girl’s room and listened outside the door for a minute when they heard them talking.

“Do you think when Uncle Gunny and Aunt Bianca have a pup, they won’t pay attention to us anymore?” Polly asked Trisha.

“I don’t think so. We’ll be big sisters. Do you think we can call them mommy and daddy?” Trisha asked. Bianca and Gunnar looked at each other and smiled. There was no question now; they were taking the girls. They never wanted Polly and Trisha to feel like they were going to be pushed aside. Gunnar knocked on the door before opening it.

“Can we come in?” He asked, peeking inside.

“Yes,” The two pups answered simultaneously. They were lying on their beanbag chairs when Bianca and Gunnar walked into the room.

“We just got a call from King Zaiden. He said he needs help, so we’re going to be taking a trip to the palace.” Gunnar told them. They looked at each other and then back at Bianca and Gunnar.

“When will you be back?” Trisha asked sadly.

“You two are coming with us if you want to. We can always go by ourselves and leave our daughters here,” Bianca said, smiling at the two pups. They jumped up and ran over to where they were standing.

“We can go with you?” Polly asked excitedly as she hugged Bianca.

“Yes, you can go with us.” She replied, picking her up as Gunnar picked up Trisha.

“Did you say we were your daughters?” Trisha asked, biting her little lip.

“You had said you two were sisters, so we thought you were our daughters. Are you okay with being our daughters?” Gunnar asked her gently. He felt bad for them. Both had lost their parents when they were too small to remember them. Anara and Karl weren’t her parents, so they didn’t talk about them as if they were.

“What if you have other pups?” Polly asked.

“That won’t change anything. You will always be our daughters. If we have other pups, they’ll be your brothers and sisters. We love you guys, and you would make us so happy if you called us mom and dad,” Bianca answered her. Polly and Trisha looked at each other and nodded.

“Okay, we’ll go to the palace and call you mommy and daddy,” Trisha spoke for both of them. It was incredible that the two girls were already so well connected they could communicate just by looking at each other.

“Good. Now that we have that settled, we need to pack. We don’t know how long we’re going to be there, so we need to take enough clothes in case we’re there for a few weeks.” Gunnar said as he kissed Trisha’s head and put her down. Bianca kissed Polly’s cheek and put her down.

Marisa and Cyril helped Trisha and Polly pack while Bianca and Gunnar packed their things. They met with Austin and Jessica to make sure they were okay running things in their absence. After rounding up their warriors, including Omar and his mate Alani, who had been training with the warriors, they were ready to go. Bianca really liked Alani. She could fight just as well as the men and had been working with Bianca, so she would be able to defend herself if needed.

“So, did the King tell you exactly who was threatening the Queen?” Alani asked as they drove to the palace.

“No, he was being pretty cryptic on the phone. I get the feeling he’s not sure who he can trust. He had asked for warriors only, but Bianca and I won’t stand by if the King and Queen are in trouble,” Gunnar replied. Alani looked at the two pups staring at her.

She wasn’t like the other women in the pack. She was wearing a black halter top and tight black leather pants and boots. Alani saw Polly whisper something to Trisha, who nodded as they continued to stare at her. She couldn’t take it anymore. Most of the women and pups in the pack were intimidated by her because she was outspoken.

“Are you two coming to fight too?” She asked the pups. Polly and Trisha started giggling, and Alani smiled.

“Can you show us how to fight? When we get big, we want to be like you.” Trisha asked eagerly, shocking Alani. She looked at Bianca, who was smiling at her.

“Uh, I don’t know. I’ve never trained pups or been around too many of them.” For the first time, Alani didn’t know what to say. She never dreamt that anyone would look up to her.

“We’re not just pups. We’re people, too. Shouldn’t we know how to fight like our mommy and daddy? You’re so cool, and nobody messes with you,” Polly said matter-of-factly. Omar chuckled next to Alani. He wanted to take a picture because he’d never seen her speechless. She elbowed him in the ribs, and he laughed harder.

“Okay. I’ll show you a few things.” She agreed, looking at Bianca again to make sure it was okay.

“I think that’s a great idea. Pups should know how to defend themselves, too. Besides, who’s better to teach them than the ultimate female fighter?” Bianca turned to hide her smile when she saw Alani’s face turn red. Omar stopped laughing and stared with his mouth open. He had never seen Alani blush, and he thought it was hot.

“What are you staring at?” Alani asked him. He glanced at the pups who were watching them and silently cursed that they weren’t alone. At least he could mindlink her.

“I’ve never seen your face red like that, and I think it’s sexy. I want to rip your clothes off, spread your legs, and eat you until you’re screaming my name.” Alani squeezed her legs together.

“If you don’t stop talking like that when we can’t do anything about it, I won’t let you have any for a month,” Alani smirked when Omar’s mouth fell open again. There was no way she could go that long without him, but damn if she’d let him know. They were passionate and wild when they made love.

“Fine, but you better be ready to raise the roof off of the palace tonight with your screams.” Omar shifted in his seat and put his arm around her. Alani winked at Bianca, and they both laughed. Men always thought they ran the show, but everyone knew that without women, men were just big puppies waiting for someone to tell them what to do.

Aglaura and Cidippe listened to their Earth spy and got angrier and angrier. Who did the King think he was calling for help to stop them from killing Selena?

The spy kept their eyes down as they spoke. They didn’t like being called to the sister’s realm, but the sisters forced them to come. Once finished reporting, the spy was sent back to the palace.

“Oh, there you are. Can you help me, please? I want to get dressed before Gunnar and Bianca get here.” Selena asked with a smile.

“Of course, my queen,” Violet answered. She didn’t like betraying Selena and Zaiden, but it was them or her family. Their deaths were the only way she and her family could live.