Wolf Dominion Volume 2

After receiving my ID tagging chip in my arm, the assessors are reading my bloodwork behind the set up curtain. They’re silenced while I remain seated on the table. Three of them are trying to place me in a category but can’t.

I keep quiet as I swing my legs and I wait and keep calm. I would keep the adrenalin for when it really mattered.

Not too long later, the drawn curtain is pulled back by an impatient soldier, awaiting to escort the Shades back to Cracklen. He snaps out, “What’s taking so long with the last girl?”

“We’re sorry for the delay but we are… well, we will be keeping this one, from her unusual readings –” the lead doctor tries to explain, but immediately gets cut off.

“We have explicit orders from Princess Tyre to return all today,” the irate soldier overrides this discussion. With my assessors silent, the anxious soldier stomps forward and grabs my arm – pulling me from the table, “You’re done here,” he ends this, ready to escort me away.

“Wait, wait please, we don’t understand what we’re seeing!” the head doctor quickly stands back up for herself, deciding she can’t lose me that easy.

The soldier halts to turn around, calming himself.

“Fine. If it’s so important, you take it up with Tyra, and quickly, you’ll have a few minutes,” the solider pulls me aside to dare the doctor forward.

I watch her approach Tyra.

I stand with the soldier, while he taps his foot impatiently, keeping me aside and at a distance from the princess as the doctor approaches with timid steps.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” the soldier murmurs underneath his breath.

“They – no one actually – seems to believe I am a Luna,” I state, smug and unafraid.

He immediately scoffs, “...that’s actually funny... ha.”

“Yeah, hilarious.”

After a few moments of awkward silence, we get our answer.

“Damion! Bring her over!” Tyra commands.

“For fucks sake,” Damion has to look down at me twice. I just shrug.

It’s then that I notice his eyes.

Fuck, fuck, fuck – bright gold irises. He wasn’t just anybody. He was a part of the royals, I thought he was just a soldier – he was wearing their uniform? I expect Damion’s knowing look to develop into something nasty. Instead, he’s lightly humoured by the possibility I might be a Luna, “Luna? Howl and prove it,” he challenges me.

I don’t know what that means, but I just ignore it as he pulls me along with him to meet the princess.

I’m wearing my white tank and cameo pants and sturdy boots – plus I’m well-kept and have eaten a lot more in 3 months than I’ve ever eaten my whole life. I wonder if Skye will even recognise my filled-out face, vs the skin and bone I used to be, even under Jawkin’s training program. I had been living on IVs and drips and their serum’s – and what tasted like salads made from protein rocks. I loved real Cracklen food – and it helped changed my whole appearance.

I walk up with my eyes now heavily focused on Tyra – I do have an objective in mind with this attention.

“What is the problem?” Tyra asks calmly, flanked by her guards – with Skye shoved behind all of them, out of full frontal view, right out of the way. I can’t see him as I focus on Trya, but I know he’ll see me first.

“We don’t know what she is,” the doctor claims, standing by Tyra’s side.

“Did you think to ask her?” Tyra’s brow twitches up in exasperation.

“Ah – well, n –” the doctor blushes and trails off, humiliated.

“What are you? Who are you?” Tyra reprimands the doctor with her tone, but speaks to me directly.

Here goes nothing.

I speak to her dryly and without hesitation.

“My name is Ryder and I am the Messier Luna of Wolf Dominion –”

“No,” Skye’s cracked tone falls through. Well hello, Alpha. I look right past a stunned Tyra to look right at him.

Defeated and hanging back without trying to push forward, Skye stays at the back, completely submissive to Tyra’s rank.

Tyra is quick to read the situation as well, but weirdly, she doesn’t mock me.

“So, what is the problem?” Tyra asks the doctor instead.

“W-well…”

Tyra reaches out to the doctor’s shoulder, holding her firm, “Ryder has no Dominion, so who cares?” Tyra smiles as she looks me over and then turns back to Skye, confidently swiping back for his arm and pulling him right in front to where I can see him clearly, “Kneel, pet,” Tyra speaks into his ear and Skye’s strong knees buckle easily. I watch him fall and with every part of my Messier switched right on – I still find it hard not to flinch as my Alpha’s knees slam down hard and bleed on those sharp tiles.

Skye looks up at me almost euphorically – the kind of look I would get when starved and on the verge of hallucinating.

I look him over as unemotionally as possible, as I look back up to Tyra, who keeps her hands on his wide shoulders.

“Your Alpha, is mine now,” Tyra states fact, “Do you understand that?”

“Does it look like I do?” I ask, still dry as I can manage.

“Answer her question,” Damion warns me, looking at me with disapproval.

“Is she really a human?” Tyra asks the doctor, ignoring Damion’s defence.

“Well – ah – no, not human,” the doctor shakes her head, “We don’t know what she is though...”

“A Messier,” I help out. I don’t know how many times I have to say it.

“Lemeri’s slave has a similar sequence,” the doctor whispers.

Tyra goes quiet for a few moments, “So…” Tyra murmurs, “What is the problem?” back to square one.

“Tyra, don’t you want her slaughtered? Or thrown into the Gladiator’s Ring?” Damion suggests, like it should be obvious.

“Why, she is nobody without a pack –?”

“What about Imperator Opular’s opinion – your father.”

“Check your place, Damion, you’re one of many Sworn I can replace,” Tyra’s eyes harden at the mention of her father.

“I was your first, Tyra,” Damion hisses, “Now you fuck with a dog.”

Tyra actually grits her teeth, trying to compose her response.

Before the other soldiers can apprehend Damion – there is a break in the tension.

“RYDER!” Lemeri screams my name, walking back into the clear with Raygar, Fyre and something wrapped up in her arms…it looks like a b – “You lunatic, what are you doing here?” Lemeri is smiling – she’s happy to see me.

I’m dead focused on what she’s holding.

What is in her arms…?

What the hell is in her arms…?

Why does it… was it… is it…?

My heart almost stops at the thought. Hormones start to rush through me, preparing for something.

Who is she holding wrapped in that swag?

He would be 6 months old.

Lemeri keeps talking to me as she approaches, but I don’t hear her.

Tyra murmurs some disapproval to her sister and I do hear her, “…Meri, please compose yourself…”

Damion keeps his hand on my arm, so when I jerk away from him, his hold tightens.

I snap to risk it all.

I lift my metal foot to slam it down onto Damion’s boot – and it crunches bone. He still doesn’t release me – fine. Turning around, I swing my hand up and stab a straight finger through his eye – he now unleashes me and I turn to launch at Lemeri.

Damion is screaming bloody murder and the soldiers are rushing all around to apprehend me. I’ve already grabbed a hold of Lemeri’s forearms, leaning over to see my baby.

A small… tiny… stack… glittering at me.

She’s holding a stack of Solividian.

I hold her arms even tighter, even as the soldiers try to drag me back.

“Please. Unhand her,” Lemeri hisses at them, while I’m staring up at her desperately.

The fact he wasn’t here – makes my mind break.

“WHERE IS HE?!” My voice cracks as I scream it. My voice echoes across this assembly floor like a Luna. I feel the attention of all eyes roll toward our company – every voice silenced with my scream.

“W-wait. You know… about Ryder?” Lemeri whispers her shock to me, her eyes suddenly widen, as she says my son’s name like he’s very, very real.

“Please, Lemeri. Where is he, tell me, where – WHERE IS HE?!” I refuse to let her go until she tells me.

“Ryder is safe and happy with his nurse,” Lemeri responds very quickly, “Ryder, calm down now.”

“That’s enough dramatics,” Tyra breaks our quick reunion, shoving aside the soldiers to pull me away herself. The first thing I notice is her strength. She hauls me in front of her easily, grabbing my shoulders firm to focus me on her. She leans down to look me eye to eye, “Now, Ryder, you’re going back home – to Hades. Bye,” nothing phases this princess of Cat Dominion – not even a Luna. Just as quick as she grabs me, she unhands me, and my body turns itself toward Skye, who’s still on his knees, staring at the ground. Exasperated, I turn back to Tyra, and to the soldiers crowding around – while the doctor tends to Damion lying on the ground, bleeding, “Calm down, you’re a frightful, skittish thing,” Tyra tut tuts, shaking her head slowly at me, “The thing is, you don’t worry anyone here, Ryder – you’re a Luna without a pack. Please understand that,” Tyra seems to warn me with that as she calmly side steps to Skye’s chain, wrapping it around her fist – she turns and tugs him along.

He stands to fall after her, unable to look back at me.

Lemeri stands aside.

Raygar is watching me through his matted dreadlocks.

Fyre is staring bright eyed at me, spirit unbroken. Good, but…

…before I am escorted away, Lemeri leaves me with this as I am left still stunned to my core, “It’s simply what is true,” Meri speaks softly, “You are nothing really to us here, Ryder – it’s all over now,” she is solemn and final, she just tries to tell me as it is, “Wolf Dominion has officially fallen.”

I respond with silence as I’m taken away.

Back to Hades, to honour his deal. Perhaps his deal had something more to do with Tyra’s indifference. Not a damn hair on Tyra’s head had been ruffled by my appearance.

What of Wolf Dominion?

I had a son – with Skye.

Xrat and his mate Scora would have pups in Ryer Valley, if we were lucky.

I was a Messier Luna that never had a chance to rule – I had just completed training.

And I was told…

…Wolf Dominion had fallen?

No.

It had just been rebirthed.