Queen of the Beasts *Sample*

Chapter 3

I was almost certain the pain in my neck would kill me. In fact, I wanted it to. The silver surrounding my throat seared the fur coat beneath it and I could distinctly detect the odor of burning flesh. But I couldn't tell it was the smell that made me want to vomit or if it was the absolute agony that ripped through my entirety. Either way, it was a truly vile experience and I thought of all the things I would trade just to make it end.

The human men and wolves that surrounded me became a blur rather quickly. It was to the point where I couldn't distinguish one creature from the next. I was dizzy from blood loss and with the shock entering my system I was becoming more and more numb with each passing second. That being said, I wasn't numb enough to ignore the hurt that lit up once more when the men grabbed my limbs and lifted me off the ground. It seemed very step, every bump, every twitch made me want to yelp out in pain. After a painful few minutes my limp and feeble body was strewn across the rump of a horse that had been hidden in the bushes, just out of eyesight.

But it wasn't just one horse. It must've been half a dozen. And though I had seen about six wolves before they attacked I could tell that there were more now. And humans too. It seemed like we had been ambushed, but my mind was becoming too weak for me to be certain of this.

Once the rider mounted the horse began moving. I couldn't contain the low groan that left my muzzle as we sauntered through the woods. Between the pain and the blood loss my vision went beyond blurred and black spots invaded my line of sight. I could feel the energy leaving my body as my mind tried to save my rationality by shutting out the pain and consequently all other stimulus. Within minutes I was completely barely clinging to consciousness. I wasn't aware of anything other than the fact that I was alive and barely breathing.

Though I didn't want to die exactly I decided that it would be better if I were to go then Hunter. He was so sweet and so pure. Being casted aside and growing alongside two other youngsters in the wild had not tarnished his spirit. He had always been the soft one, the one that reminded us of our humanity in our darkest hours. He would forever hold a spot in my heart as the kind soul.

And Thorn. My sweet Thorn. We had made a vow that we would be together forever, but it seemed that our pact would not be kept. It wasn't his time yet. He had much work to do and he was the vibrant leader that I could never be. He reminded me of my late older brother back home. Strong and opinionated beyond belief. Hunter needed Thorn to keep his head above water when it seemed all hope was lost. He was the brave frontrunner that anyone could lean on.

Yes, if one of us had to die it should be me.

When my eyes opened again I knew immediately that I was not dead. Death would not be this excruciating, even in hell. The pain was wildly debilitating. Most of my senses were useless and my mind was processing everything so slowly. But my nose still managed to sniff out food and old water.

Walking on unsteady- but unrestrained- legs I followed my nose until I found a very tiny bowl of cooked meat. I hesitated for a moment, worried that it was poisoned as my last memory was of men who had tied me up and put this ghastly collar on me. But I swiped my fears away. Yes, there was absolutely a chance it was poisoned, but eating tainted food would be much better than days or months of violent torture. And my stomach was rumbling so loudly and so agonizingly that I couldn't realistically deny myself the food.

Besides, I needed it to heal my awful wounds. The advanced healing process was already sapping my energy, if I ate enough food to heal myself a little more then I would at least be comfortable aside for this god forsaken collar.

The cooked meat was enough to sate me for the timing being, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I was hungry again. The water helped cool the burning in my throat and ease the dehydration that accompanied the blood loss. Neither were enough. I knew I needed more but I accepted that this was what I had available right now and it would have to do. At the very least it helped clear my head enough to allow me to assess my surroundings.

Dark stone walls were all around me, the only access in and out was a metal grate that served as a door. The lock on it looked heavy and complicated. The air around me was chilling, suggesting that I was below ground. And everything was damp which made the air reek of rot- another clue that I was below the grass. The straw in the corner had gone moldy. The rocks below my paws were slick with a thin layer of mud. Everything smelt old, but what was worse was the smell of urine. And if I strained my ringing ears I could hear the odd cough for another creature and the soft patter of tiny feet on the ground. Rats. The thought of them made my skin crawl but I reasoned that if I could snag one of the disease ridden creatures I could have a small, fresh meal that might do more good than harm.

But as I surveyed my space more thoroughly I realized that having something to eat might be the least of my concerns. The walls between me and the prison softly panting on the other side were completely solid with no flaws that would lead to weakness. There was a single entrance into my cell was a heavy metal door. There were large gaps between the bars, allowing me to see some of the other cells, but I knew it was more for my captors than my comfort. Unfortunately- even with my small size- I would not be able to squeeze out by any means and the limited contact with other species of my kind had dire consequences.

Rogues had such a bad reputation because wolves who roamed alone lost all of their humanity. The rational and logical side would begin to slip every day until there was nothing left but a mangy animal with no reason and no morals. They were often so wild and so deranged that normal wolves refused to accept them. Or, if I was surrounded by humans my wolf would fade. One day I would wake up and be unable to shift back into the creature that had kept me alive for all these years. It seemed terrible and I had avoided each as best as I could because neither extreme was a good option. Even being in my little group of three I could feel some of my logic slipping. We were far better off than lone wolves or those with only human influence, but I knew that it would be better to be too much of a wolf than human.

I never wanted to be the downfall of a pack like my father was because I had lost sight of what I truly was within.

I decided that the best thing to do right now was conserve my energy. The small chunk of cooked meat would not be enough to keep me active for long, especially with my healing process. I curled my body up on the small pile of straw in the corner and closed my eyes, hoping that sleep would fall over me quickly. But it was no use. My stomach was already growling loudly, my mouth was still dry with thirst, and all I could think about was the fact that I was completely and utterly doomed. There was no escaping this prison. I was not at the mercy of someone else.

"Hope you enjoyed your last meal, rogue." A guard called out.

My head snapped up and my eyes narrowed in on a man just beyond the bars of my cell. He was a massive man, larger than Thorn with wide shoulders and a healthy gut that strained against the royal guard uniform. Clearly, the king paid well enough to keep too much food on this man's table. And his chubby little fingers were tying a deep, red ribbon to a hook just outside my cell door, far enough away that I would never be able to reach it.

"Do you know what the king does to filth like you?" the guard asked.

I snarled intensely, ignoring the pain that shot through my neck.

"He exterminates you like the pest you are." He continued, his eyes locking with mine, "Enjoy your sleep bitch because when morning comes..."

He just gave me a sick smile before he walked away.