A groan escaped her lips, and Larissa’s eyes fluttered open.

“You’re awake,” a woman stated, unfamiliar and yet nostalgic. Larissa groggily turned her head and gasped.

Fiery eyes glowed back at her inches away, housing a wild spark that lit a fuse within Larissa’s belly. She reached for it but immediately drew her hand back like she’d been burnt.

“I…” Larissa drifted off, noting she was lying in a hay bed with the enchanting stranger, blushing as she felt smooth, warm skin. The stranger shot her a smirk. “Where are we? Are we by Rose City at least?” Larissa continued, eyes bashfully wandering anywhere but her companion’s toned abs and full breasts.

A chuckle hit Larissa’s ears like musical chimes, and she felt the corner of her lips quirk. “We are still in Rose City, the middle ring. Somehow, I was able to drag us both out of the queen’s castle.”

Funny how you neglected to drag in robes.

“The queen?” Larissa perked up. “Why would she snatch shifters? Knowing her, she could just pay for them.”

The stranger shrugged. “Who knows? She’s lived for quite a while. Who’s to say she isn’t bored?”

“I suppose…” Larissa murmured and sniffed her savior. “You smell of roses, blood, and command.” Her eyebrows knitted together. “Are you a hybrid? Only shifters can be dominants,” she distastefully wrinkled her nose, “but you reek of vampire as well.”

The stranger hesitated, bending up and laying her elbow on her knee. “You wound me, beauty, but yes. I suppose you can call me that.” She bopped Larissa’s nose, prompting her to whack it, and the vampire hybrid chuckled. “However, I prefer to be called Raven.”

“Raven?” Larissa recalled the first shifter she rescued, assuming the two to be related.

Unlike the raven before, this creature had silky tresses of scarlet red, like blood, while the raven’s feathers resembled a pitch-black night. A shifter’s hair often reflects the transformed animal’s fur, or in this case, feathers.

Seeds of doubt sowed within Larissa’s gut, her wolf instincts howling at her to be on guard, and she snarled. “You were the first shifter I rescued, yet your feathers do not match you.” She drilled her crystal eyes into fiery hues. “Even your eyes are different.”

“Very astute.” Raven’s head swiveled to the sunlit entrance of the stables, silky locks brushing gently against her broad back. Larissa grumbled a growl, almost forgetting her challenge in favor of the heat swelling in her loins.

She instantly squashed the heat as Raven continued. “I’m quite the collector’s find amongst my kind to be sure; some attribute it to my vampire ancestry.” She added the last part, facing Larissa with a lopsided grin and sparkling eyes. “Others assume it is a curse, but I’m curious with your wolf snout.” She gently clasped Larissa’s cheek and ran a soft thumb upon it. “What do you think it is?”

“I…” Her eyes drifted to the vampire’s plump lips, and back into the fiery depths threatening to swallow her whole and lull her into bliss. “How did you know I was a wolf?” Raven’s eyes slightly widened as her smirk grew, and she playfully released her.

Larissa sluggishly blinked and wiggled her nose, accusing. “You,” she fumbled, “you charmed me?!” Raven shrugged sheepishly in response, standing up with a stretch. “You pervert! Why?”

Raven guffawed. “Pervert? A bit dramatic. I only meant to warm up. Not do something horrid, and I couldn’t afford to have you start snapping your jaws at my throat when you woke.”

“Horrid?!” Larissa shot up, pointing an accusing finger towards the cheeky vampire. “Says the woman who cuddled me naked while I slept!” Larissa pushed past the smirking twit. “I swear, I bet you must charm all the subs to get them to sleep with you! Let alone tolerate a conversation!” And she stomped towards the exit, pausing at the doorframe, and slowly turning back. “You,” she hesitated, “didn’t meet my challenge? Why?”

Raven musingly tapped her lips. “I’m more vampire than beast, beauty.” Heat overwhelmed Larissa’s back as Raven embraced her from behind, tying a sash to a common-looking robe around Larissa’s waist. “And I get the feeling so are you.” And then she vanished, enveloped in a murky mist and tumbling towards a silver rampaging wolf

***

Sylva dug her paws into the dirt, skidding to a halt as she witnessed the wolf she’d been searching for appear from the mist and tumble from the sky.

“What the…?” Lyra questioned. “What in all mother’s sorcery is this?” she announced while getting off her unexpected wolf steed.

Bones cracked, and Sylva stood gloriously naked. She stomped over towards Larissa, pulling her into her arms with worry etched all over her face. “What happened? Who took you?” she snarled the last part. “Did they hurt you?!”

“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Larissa calmly explained, tilting her head to show off her neck. “I think the queen’s guard runs a shifter mill, and they snatched me. I don’t know how though, or why; seems a bit redundant to me.” She mumbled the last part.

Disbelief morphed on Sylva’s expression, and she lowered her nose to Larissa’s neck. Her nostrils flared a few times, and she growled. “Rose and blood?” Larissa’s back straightened. “Did this person harm or help?”

Larissa sighed, reluctantly admitting, “Helped, confusing as it may be. I rescued her, and she in kind.” Larissa left out the details that she’d been comatose for Raven’s rescue attempt, waking up naked by the dominant, and had no idea what happened. She doubted Sylva would take that part gracefully.

“Then we should find her and thank her.” Sylva narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps she can explain why the guard snatched you.”

“Oh? Then look no farther.” A familiar cocky voice rang around them, and in a puff of misty smoke, Raven appeared with a smug bow, garbed in black robes. “For I am here to accept your thanks.” She jangled a coin purse containing Sylva’s silver and teased, “I assume this is it?”

Lyra, startled, jolted behind Sylva, and Larissa groaned. “I think Sylva meant in words, Raven. Please return it before you regret it.” Too late… Larissa thought as Sylva pounced at the vampire.

Sylva’s claws jutted out, and she swiped at Raven, who dodged it with a twirl. “And here I thought you wanted to thank me!” she mocked, and Sylva snarled.

“Return what’s mine!” And she swiped again, nicking Raven’s bangs. “Or I’ll rip out your throat!”

A brief alarm flashed in Raven’s eyes as she tossed the pouch back to Sylva with a flourish. She shrugged. “I meant no harm, just wanted a bit of sport.” Sylva snatched the pouch in the air, scoffing her doubt as Raven stood on alert, explaining, “But I can see you’re a simple one, so I’ll make this short.” She sighed. “I need your help.”

***

Lyra watched the two dominants enter a parley and let out a sigh of annoyance.

“Something wrong?” Larissa whispered, placing a comforting hand on Lyra’s shoulder.

Lyra admitted, “She should just rip out the vampire’s throat.” The hand on her shoulder clenched tighter. “All they do is charm you and spout lies.” She jerked the hand off her.

Startled, Larissa shook her head, confessing, “Perhaps, something in my heart tells me not to trust her, but even still…” A twinkle lit her eyes. “I want to see where she takes us.”

Lyra shot Larissa a dubious glare, huffing internally. She spends the morning with this vampire and suddenly now wants to spread her wings and fly! She wrinkled her nose, disgusted. Perhaps legs, going off her scent.

“Your alpha won’t like that.” Before Larissa could speak, she strode towards the dominant duo and announced, “You wish for the alpha’s help, vampire?” She pointed an accusing finger. “And yet you snatch her things to toy—”

Dominance hit her nostrils like a raging flame, and immediately Lyra cowed, pulling her hand to her chest as she witnessed Sylva’s cruel fangs snap. “Get back and be silent!”

She jumped back towards Larissa, using her as a shield as she whined quietly on her back. Larissa shivered as well but remained tall even at the onslaught of dominant pheromones. “Be at ease,” Larissa soothed her. “She’s just concerned for your safety.”

Lyra rolled her eyes but kept them focused on the enraged woman.

Sylva turned her snarls to the vampire. “Help?” she snapped. “How do I know you’re not the cause of all this frustration?”

The vampire snorted. “Because I was dangling like butchered meat in a dungeon that reeked of fear, and the only reason I escaped was because of that strong beauty you seem intent to coddle.” She pointed to Larissa. “She can attest to that fact.”

Larissa’s back drew straighter as she moved closer, but Lyra instinctively dug her nails into her back, praying she’d stay. She did and said, “It’s true, alpha, maybe not about the coddling party, but the vampire was in no state to concoct any nefarious plans. If anything, she is seeing us as an opportunity.” The vampire seemed amused by her admission. “I’d say we go with it in cautious strides.”

Sylva scoffed, holding out a hand for Larissa to take. Larissa moved to take it despite Lyra’s clawing protests. Lyra remained and watched as Sylva growled, “On whose authority does your reason guide?”

“Yours, alpha.” Larissa grinned. “Judging by the fact her throat is still intact.” Sylva barked a laugh and grinned at Larissa.

It was only a fleeting second, but Lyra’s keen eyes caught a scowl forming on the vampire’s lips, replaced instantly by her trademark smirk, and a passing memory floated into her mind: witnessing a woman kneeling in front of a priest, surrounded by aristocrats, and accepting a ruby-crested gold crown.

“I’d say we help her too!” Lyra blurted out, and the two wolves shot her a questioning look. “But for a price.” She glanced at the alpha, Sylva, and lowered her eyes to avoid a challenge. “And make it steep, alpha.”

Sylva eased her dominant odor and faced the vampire. “Perhaps we should hear her out first. Over a meal.” And she waved for them all to follow.