After the meal, the three women shifted back into their human forms, dressing in ragged robes, and returned to the city. Lyra looked at them, curious.

They let her bathe, invited her to their den, and fed her the best meal she had had in years. She stared at the dominant wolf’s face, wondering how long she could live with this handsome wolf.

A flickering feeling of envy clawed up her throat as her gaze shifted to the smaller silver-haired woman. Her bust was bigger than hers, her hips wider, giving her an hourglass shape, and her pointed features made her look like a gorgeous fae.

Lyra wrinkled her nose and halted.

“What’s wrong?” Sylva, the dominant wolf with the proud face, questioned.

“Why are you doing this? I stole your purse, and you feed me and take me into your den?” Lyra shook her head, shaking the ridiculousness away.

Sylva rolled her eyes, huffing as she walked to another dominant shifter behind a booth. Larissa spoke. “It’s because you’re a fellow wolf like us, and you’re obviously going through a rough time.” She poked at Lyra’s ribcage. “Seriously, do you even hunt?”

Lyra slapped her hand away, annoyed, and stated, “Not all of us are lucky to have an alpha to themselves.” Larissa frowned, and Lyra instantly felt regret. “Sorry, I’m just…” Lyra sighed.

“Confused?” Larissa finished, and Lyra nodded. “I get it.” Crystal eyes lowered to the dirt, and she faintly said, “It must’ve been hard, alone, out here by yourself.”

Lyra blinked, lowering her eyes to the dirt, and feeling a wave of guilt.

She noted the pitiful look Larissa gave her and puffed her chest out, snarling. “You are kind, I get it, but you don’t know me! Or what I’ve been through, so stop with the look already!”

Larissa reacted like she’d been punched, and Lyra immediately felt regret, internally berating herself. Stupid wolf, she’s just trying to be kind! Lyra ran a frantic hand through her midnight locks. Why can’t you just accept it and say thank you!

Before Lyra could apologize, Sylva approached and huffed. “Stop bickering, you two.” She shook her head and dragged them by the hand. “We need to hurry; the vampiric ambassador is making an announcement soon.”

“Vampiric?” Lyra lazily blinked, allowing herself to be dragged and inquired. “Don’t tell me you two are vampire lovers?”

Sylva halted and turned her head to flash her fangs at her. Lyra cowed while Larissa explained. “It’s because of the vampire queen. We need her support to start a pack within these lands.”

Lyra blinked. “You’re trying to start a pack here? On the queen’s land?” Lyra’s gaze wandered to the dominant werewolf and then to the crowd of shifters waiting eagerly for the ambassador to arrive on stage. “Join the club. I’m pretty sure the hawk shifters are trying to start a nest, and the cats are in the lead for a pride.” Sylva grumbled a growl and retorted.

“For now, but I’ll impress her by joining her guard, and she’ll reward me by giving me my own land.”

Lyra lazily blinked, registering the belief around those words and realizing Sylva was an idiot. Sylva knew absolutely nothing about the queen, how she worked, and her reputation.

The vampire queen, cruel, cunning, and the first of her kind. The only vampire able to walk in the sun, and powerful enough to bend human nations to their knees.

“I don’t think—” Lyra stopped herself and grinned. “Sure, why not? Mind if I tag along?”

Sylva grinned, pleased. “I assumed you wanted to join our pack.”

Lyra internally scoffed but held a grin. This pack was a fleeting dream if they intended to get the queen’s aid, but Sylva is a powerful wolf and fed her a grand meal. Her mouth watered at the taste of the buck, and her eyes roamed Sylva’s muscular figure.

“Why not?” She nudged Sylva’s ribs playfully. “Someone’s got to keep you on your toes and keep your senses sharp.”

Sylva guffawed, and Larissa gave her a baffled look.

“Hear ye, hear ye!” A shifter on the stage cried, adorned in rings and rich robes. “I am the vampiric ambassador, Vance, and I come to announce the chosen shifters to join the queen’s guard program!”

Immediately, Sylva crossed her fingers, whispering, “Me, me, great all-mother, me!”

The ambassador listed off the names, and each name made Sylva clench her fingers tighter. A bead of sweat trickled down her brow as the final name was called. “Sylva Silverfang!”

A happy howl escaped Sylva’s lips as Larissa followed suit. She nuzzled Sylva’s neck in celebration, and Lyra detected a few envious glares from the crowd.

Lyra shrugged and followed the two back to their den as they excitedly chatted away the rest of the day.

***

Night came quickly as the three wolves hovered by a lit firepit within their den. It was a closed-off cave, with one entrance and enough room for lying down to rest. Sylva dug with her claws at a certain spot near the back of the den and pulled out a bag of silver.

Lyra whistled. “That sounds like a hefty amount of change. I’m assuming that’s the tithe to enter the guard?” Sylva nodded with a toothy grin, and Lyra flashed her fang in return.

“Indeed, 1000 silvers, courtesy of the arena.”

Lyra blinked and sprang to her feet, prompting Larissa to shriek as she howled. “You fought in the arena? It’s like 50 a fight sooo…” Lyra’s eyes widened. “You really are tough.”

Sylva spread her grin wider, and Larissa rolled her eyes. “70 for one, 100 for most,” Larissa corrected. “She had the sense to haggle.”

Lyra rushed and gushed. “That old man never haggles!” She shook Sylva excitedly, eyes sparkling. “Tough with a good sense!” Her mind wandered back to the vampire queen. “How come you’re so dumb?”

Larissa spat out a laugh, and Sylva snarled. “Pardon?”

Immediately, Lyra covered her mouth and lowered her head. “I mean, come on!” Lyra repeated. “The vampire queen? You do know her reputation, yes?”

Larissa let out a giggle and started. “The Vampire Queen, cruel as she is beautiful. Tougher than steel and unbending as one.”

Sylva waved Lyra off and curled around the firepit by Larissa, guarding her sack of silver like a chewed bone. “Some even say she has a dragon as a lover, or a pet, and was cursed by the fae queen.” Sylva rolled her eyes. “I can understand why a meek sub like you is intimidated, but I refuse to give up.”

Sylva snarled. “This city, the Rose City, is the gem of the vampire kingdom, her home capital. Each ring is home to a species. The outer wall is where we shifters are allowed to roam, the middle houses witches and humans, and the inner ring is where the vampires rest.” Sylva continued, beckoning Lyra to cuddle with her. Lyra didn’t realize her legs moved forward until she was in Sylva’s grasp.

“But even with all these people, they only know rumors of the queen. A hunter always studies its prey, not relying on rumors but keeping them in the back of their mind. I will hunt by getting close, getting an understanding of who she is.”

Lyra immediately flushed with regret and sunk deeper into the cuddle. She closed her eyes and mumbled, “Words are easy to say, but hard to do. Hunter, I wonder when you appear in her sights if you will be her prey instead?” Lyra closed her eyes and sighed. “Warm.”

***

“What do you mean by that?” But silence only answered as Larissa turned to face her old friend.

“Seems she fell asleep, Sylva.” Larissa moved in close, noting the scars on Lyra’s shoulders. “She’s a bit unruly but seems like a good wolf.” Larissa sighed as she touched the woman’s cheek. “Around our age too. I wonder if we would’ve ended up like her if we were born outside the pack?”

Sylva spread a cheeky grin, silver eyes twinkling, as she boomed a laugh. “Whoever mates with you is one lucky wolf.”

Immediately, Larissa shot to her feet, blushing as she settled back onto her bed. She growled playfully at Sylva, and Sylva returned one in kind.

***

Dawn peeked over the horizon as Sylva gently lifted Lyra off her and onto the bedding. She glanced over to Larissa and noted her bed was empty. Getting up, she stretched her limbs, feeling the stiffness ebb away as she scooped the silver into her palm.

She glanced down, her wolf antsy about leaving Lyra alone in the den but relented on finding Larissa. She sniffed around, following her orchid scent outside, leading her towards the lake, and…

Nothing. Sylva blinked. “Larissa, are you swimming?” No response. Immediately, she shifted. Her bones snapped, her face elongated and morphed, causing her to land on her hands as claws jutted out and silver fur grew.

She lifted her moist snout into the air and howled, noting the shuffling from her den as Lyra woke with a mumbling yawn.

Sniffing the dirt, she sensed a faint trail of orchids, Larissa’s natural perfume, mixed with… Ash, scorched flesh? A savage snarl escaped her lips as she connected the dots.

Vampires… How did they…?

Lyra lazily approached her, rubbing her left eye as she mumbled, “What’s going on? You going on a hunt?”

Sylva huffed and grabbed her pouch with her fangs, pushing it onto Lyra to take.

Startled, Lyra accepted the pouch, and Sylva used her snout to lift her from behind and throw her on her back.

“Wah, what?” Lyra bristled, holding onto her pelt for dear life as Sylva bolted, following the ashen trail.

***

Cold, Larissa thought, lying bruised and enveloped by darkness. Groggily, she lifted her head until a sharp pang forced her to settle. Blinking away the tears, her wolven vision adjusted to the gloom. She whined softly, realizing she was trapped like a dog in a cage.

Larissa grimaced, aggravated, and huffed as she snapped the chains off her wrist. Unlike most wolf shifters found outside the packs, Sylva and Larissa were purebred wolves. And the stronger the bloodline, the stronger the wolf.

 She adjusted her position with the agility of a cat and scanned the room, finding no guards. Only cages of unfortunate shifters, unable to return to their human form. “A shifter mill,” she growled, kicking the cage door wide open.

The sudden noise alerted the other shifters to her escape, and she landed gracefully on the cool ground. She sniffed, taking in the distress and fear from the other shifters—and something else. Burnt ash?

“Vampires,” she snarled, but their odor was weak. “They must be asleep by now, sunrise past then, judging by the strength of it.” She glared into the eyes of a raven, its wings banded and hanging like meat. She extended a single claw and swiped at the binds, severing them. “Try to free who you can,” she commanded the raven as it fluttered weakly away. She then moved to release the next one.

One by one, she freed them all, and all but one remained with her. The raven landed on her shoulder, cawing and flapping its wings. Larissa rolled her eyes and moved out the door into a dungeon-like hallway. She wrinkled her nose, glancing to her left and right.

The raven tugged at her shoulder, urging her to move left. Larissa shrugged and followed its direction.

Each step Larissa took drew her deeper into her thoughts, wondering how the vampires had managed to ambush her and take her without even stirring. Her senses were flawless, and Sylva’s were even better. Yet here she was, trudging along some dungeon stairs, leading her to who knows what.

Worry flooded her crystal eyes as Sylvas’s image drifted into her mind. In the years they spent together they never spent a day apart. She bit her thumb, tasting metal, and opened the door leading to a Victorian-style hallway.

Larissa blinked, scowling, and scoured the hallway, searching for any door or window to escape. Minutes passed, and every door and window she attempted to open remained sealed shut.

 The raven abruptly flapped her wings like a signal, and Larissa heard echoing footfalls storming in the distance, growing closer with each attempted door. Another door, another, until her frustration boiled over and she jutted her claws out, eyes glowing, and prepared to fight.

The raven slapped her cheek with its wing and pointed frantically to a highly decorated door, covered in runic symbols that left Larissa breathless. She rushed to the lion doorknob covered in seals, turning it and grinning madly as it clicked.

Without hesitation, she sped into the room, quickly shutting the door and slamming her back onto it. She sighed in relief as the footfalls disappeared, sliding down the door until her bottom hit the cool marble floor.

Larissa blinked. The chamber she entered housed a scarlet-colored pool, the walls lined with blue-flamed torches, and at the back of the hall was a huge arched window letting in the morning dawn

In the center of the pool, a naked woman with the palest complexion slumbered while floating, surrounded by red and pink rose petals. Her blonde locks flowed like gentle waves, and a perfume of sulfur and blood radiated from her.

Larissa stood on her feet, trembling, and glared at the raven that dragged her in here and flapped its wings towards the pool. Larissa smelled danger, and if she didn’t escape, doom.

But her legs refused to move, buckling under the sleeping woman’s scent. She glowered as the raven dipped its beak into the pool. Time stilled, and amber eyes flew wide open. Frantic whines escaped Larissa’s throat as the slumbering beauty began to hover over the pool, pointing a gnarled finger at her. Bones cracked as the raven started to shift.

The figure opened her jaw, and a shriek hurled towards Larissa, flinging her like an annoying ant. She clashed with the door, air escaping her throat on impact as blood spewed from her throat. Her vision blurred as she slid down the door and onto the spinning floor.

And then, everything faded to black.