Wolf Blood (Queen of Wolves Book 5)

The fifth bloodcurdling story in the werewolf shifter romance Queen of Wolves series. Contains explicit action and suspense scenes and adult situations.The compound was silent, the guards complacent and bored. It was obvious no one had come this deep into the woods in a long time. The sentry's never expected anyone to attack in the middle of the night. Getting into the den was easier than he ever imagined it could be. He rose up behind the sentry and slit the man’s throat. He dragged the body easily over to a clump of trees, moving like a ghost in the shadows. The moonless night hid him well as he stalked the next guard. The young wolf was dead before he hit the ground, his hot lifeblood spilled down the front of him in dark rivulets. Rudolph moved on, not bothering to look back. Thoughts of retribution and vengeance made him smile when he finally reached his destination. The old Alpha and his mate slept soundly, trusting their guards to alert them to danger. Rudolph grimaced in disdain. Pathetic. He killed the sleeping toddler in the crib first. It was quick and quiet. He glanced up at the bed where the parents slept. The woman slept on her back, and she died quickly, but not as quietly as he would have liked. The gurgling sound she made woke her mate. It took the man a few sleepy seconds to realize his wife was dead; the iron rich scent of freshly spilled blood filled his nose. “No!” Nathaniel gasped, staring down at his wife. She almost looked asleep still, if it were not for the blood pooling around her. He tackled the man, blind with rage. The two men hit the far wall, cracking it. They tore at each other with razor sharp claws, each drawing blood. Deep cuts sprayed blood on them both. “I'll kill you!” Nathaniel growled. “Your guards are already dead.” Rudolph taunted. “I just killed your son and your mate.” He took a vicious swipe at Nathaniel, tearing the skin across his collar bone, narrowly missing the man's neck. “And when I kill you, I will take over the pack!” “You will never take my place!” Nathaniel hissed. He grabbed the man by the neck, his grip firm. He held the man down, choking off his air supply. Rudolph could feel his lungs and brain crying out for oxygen. His vision blurred, muscles weakening. Desperate, he jammed his fingers in Nathaniel's eyes and dug in deep. Nathaniel howled in rage and pain and fell backward. Rudolph gagged, dragging in precious oxygen molecules. “Help! Intruder!” A woman's shrill voice broke through the still silence of the night. “ATTACK!” Someone had heard the howl and come investigating. Rudolph only had a matter of seconds to finish and signal the others waiting in the darkness. He grabbed at Nathaniel, plunged the silver blade deep, and twisted, breaking the blade off in the former Alpha's heart. Smiling cruelly, he watched the last spark of life fade from the old man's eyes. The job done, he yipped sharply three times, signaling the others from the forest. Chaos erupted outside the den. The pack poured from the den, furious. Woefully outnumbered, and unprepared for the rogue attack, several of the women and older men died quickly. Members of the Guard circled the largest of the wolves and took him down. They only had the advantage for a few seconds as more attackers came out of the trees and surrounded them. Several of their pack was scattered, dead on the ground. Only a few of Guard and women were left alive, their hands tied behind their back, silver blades held to their throats. The scent of blood and eviscerated intestines filled the air. Rudolph emerged from the den holding the severed heads of the old Alpha and his mate. He held them up triumphantly and howled his victory. “Listen to me, Willow; I want you to gather as many of the young ones as you can, and hide with them. I will find you.” Tristan grabbed a pack from the closet and began filling it with water and supplies. “When it's safe, I will come for you.”