Legend (A Wolf Lake Novella) (18 page)

"Are those...?" Maddie slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide.

"Bite marks," Sam said. "Human and wolf." Behind her Roland swore with a low vicious snarl.
 

"Grab one of the blankets," Sam told Maddie. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at her mate. "Most of the cuts are superficial and the bruises will heal with time. I'm concerned that the blood we're smelling is internal bleeding. How much of that can werewolves heal?" She was still learning about their abilities, their strengths and limitations.

"It would be better if she shifted," Roland volunteered.

"Sam, take a look at this."
 

Sam bent over to where Maddie held Natasha's head in her hand.

"I think she hit her head or..." Maddie trailed off, looked up at Roland.

"Or someone hit her," he finished.

Maddie nodded. "I think this may be why she's not waking up - she can't."

Nafarius swore. "If she doesn't shift, she could die."

That answered one of Sam's questions. "Who would do this to her? And why leave her here?"

"Dimitri," Roland growled, a low angry sound that raised the hair on the back of Sam's neck.

"Her father did this?" Maddie asked, horrified.

"His is the only other scent on her." Roland walked angrily away before turning and pacing back. "To beat someone like that, you have to get up close, personal. You leave your scent all over them."

"But, why?" Sam was surprised. Werewolves could be violent. Trespassers were often hunted down and killed - without question. And internal power struggles for dominance could leave a wolf seriously injured. But the pack was family, and you didn't hurt family.

"To strike at me," Nafarius said and saw a hint of something in his beta's eyes.
 

"She's his daughter!" Maddie exclaimed.

"She was to be my mate," Nafarius said softly, watching Sam's face. "There is no greater insult than to attack a wolf's mate."

"Then why not attack me?" Sam looked down at the young woman. She was built more like Maddie, small boned and beautiful. But that was where the similarities ended. Maddie was soft, gentle while Natasha had a rod of steel running beneath the surface of seemingly delicate features. Sam remembered her first glimpse of the young woman, the set of her chin, the rigid tightening in her shoulders. She was strong and beautiful, and someone had purposefully set out to break her.

"Sam." Nafarius could feel his mate's guilt morphing into anguish, threatening to become rage. "You are not responsible."

"This is because you took me as your mate."

"Dimitri and I have been at odds for years. He's old, his pack small and getting smaller. He was hoping for an alliance."

"But all of that would have been settled, peacefully, if it weren't for me." Sam refused to let him absolve her of her guilt.

"Maybe," he hedged. "The deal wasn't exactly official, there are no guarantees we would have reached a final agreement."

Sam shook her head. First Marcus, now this.
 

"I wouldn't have let you go," Nafarius insisted, sensing Sam's despair through their bond. "And even if you had refused me, I would have spent the rest of my life alone rather than live a lie with another woman."

Sam looked up at Nafarius, felt the truth of his words. "So we're both responsible," she said.
 

"That still doesn't explain why," Maddie said, smoothing a hand over the blanket covering Natasha.

"He intends for her to die on our territory, use it to issue a challenge." Roland said.

Nafarius nodded. Staring down, watching as his mate tried to help a complete stranger, he knew he would never regret his decision. "We'll need to prepare..."

"We can't just let her die!" Sam said. "We have to do something. And not just to avoid war with Dimitri. This is our fault, our responsibility."

"I don't disagree with you," Nafarius said. "But short of getting her to shift, there isn't much we
can
do. We don't have the kind of medical supplies she needs or the know-how and it's a three day hike out of here. The trip alone would probably kill her."

"How do we get her to shift?" Sam asked.
 

"We don't, she has to do it. You can't force someone to..." Nafarius crossed his arms over his chest and shot his mate a stern look. "No."

"I have to try," she insisted.

"The hell you do. She's not pack, not yours to protect. Besides, you have no idea what kind of condition she might come to in. An injured wolf is not something to mess with. She'll be hurt, confused and likely attack whoever is closest. No. I won't risk it."

"I will," Sam said stubbornly. "She may not be mine but what if she was? What if it was one of ours that was hurt, dying and someone could have helped but didn't even bother to try?"

"What are - " Roland started to ask.

"That's the way things are!" Nafarius growled, fear making him short.

"Well that's not the way I am!" Sam shot back.

"Excuse me..." Roland interrupted.

"I will not let you put yourself in danger, Sam." Nafarius stood, his fists clenched at his sides, ignoring his beta.

"It's my choice!" Sam stood and shoved her face at her mate.
 

"Like hell! You're my mate and you'll do as I say!"

"Since when?" They were yelling, their voices echoing off the walls.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT?" Roland's voice exploded in the small space, effectively ending the argument.

"Sam..." Nafarius growled in warning.

"I might be able to help her shift," she admitted.
 

"Then do it," Roland said.

"No." Nafarius barked at his second. "I will not put my mate at risk."

"Not even for the female that was supposed to be yours? Yours to protect?" It was an unfair question. Even more unfair to ask in front of his alpha's mate. But he couldn't stand by and let Natasha die. Too clearly, he remembered the beautiful woman she had been, the invitation in her eyes. This wasn't about sex, but for the first time in a long while someone had seen
him
, not his scar.
 

Nafarius' jaw clenched so hard, he thought he heard a tooth crack.

"Nafarius, please." Sam had backed down, taken a less aggressive stance. "This is partly my fault. Let me at least try. I might not be able to do anything but at least then we'll know that we did everything we could."

"She's not pack" he said, holding up his hand when his beta started to comment. "What Sam is talking about - basically the reverse of what she did to Rose - she used the pack bond for that. You don't have a bond with her," he said.

"No," Sam said softly, gently touching a large bruise on the female's face. "But I can sense her wolf. I can reach her."

Nafarius' eyes narrowed. "You already know, don't you?"

"That I can do this? Yes." Sam hated to admit it, to acknowledge there was just one more thing different about her.

Nafarius was silent so long, Roland thought for sure he would refuse. Honestly, he wouldn't blame him. A wolf's mate was always protected, never to be put in harms way. It was that sense Roland had hoped to trade on by reminding Nafarius that Natasha was to have been his mate. Before Sam.

Sam - who had protected Maddie before she had the strength to back up her words. Sam - who had stood up to Roland, showed him what a human could do. Sam - who had accepted every single member of the pack as hers.

"Fine," Nafarius said at the same time that Roland shook his head.
 

"No, you were right," Roland said. "No matter what may have happened, Sam is your mate. She's also my alpha just as much as you. I have no right to ask her to risk her life."

Sam felt her eyes tighten, tears threaten. It was the first time Roland had recognized her as alpha. Oh, he'd offered up his neck at her first shifting, but reluctance had marred every line of his body. But this, this declaration - given freely - was a gift and one she would treasure.

Swallowing back tears that would embarrass them both, Sam looked up at Roland to find him watching her, an earnest expression on his face. "I want to do this. And for what it's worth, I don't think she'll be much of a danger. Even if I can force her to shift, she'll still be wounded..."

"That's what makes this so dangerous," Nafarius cut in.

"Yes, but she's too weak. Besides, I'm not trying to wake her. It may be that she remains unconscious."

"We should be so lucky," Nafarius muttered. "Jeff, alert the others, I want everyone on their guard. Marcus, if Natasha attacks, she had better not make it to Sam, clear?"

Marcus nodded, stepped up to stand across from Sam, prepared to put himself between her and the injured wolf.

 
Sam didn't think it would come to that, but bit her tongue. She was walking a fine line with Nafarius, much more and he might snap, leaving Natasha to fend for herself.
 

"Maddie, I want you back with the others." Once again Sam knelt beside the unconscious woman.

"I can help," Maddie offered, her blue eyes bright with concern. "Please."

Sam reached out, brushed her finger tips down one delicate cheek. "No, I won't have you hurt. Go."

Realizing she wouldn't be swayed, Maddie rose and retreated to wait with the others.

"Not so easy when it's someone you care about, is it?" Nafarius stood back watching, arms crossed over his chest.

"Nafarius..." Sam started, meaning to reassure him.

Nafarius brushed her words away with a swipe of his hand. "Later."

Sam sighed and settled in. Behind her, Nafarius and Roland stood watching, waiting. Twin towers of strength. She drew comfort from their presence, used it to settle her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, Sam closed her eyes and concentrated. She had spoken the truth. She could feel Natasha's wolf, could sense the animal and the link that bound wolf to woman. There wasn't a bond between her and Natasha, no road to travel down to reach the woman's wolf. So Sam created one.
 

Nafarius knew the moment Sam connected with Natasha.

Sam felt the connection slip into place along with the pack bond and her bond to Nafarius. It was weak and unstable but it was enough.
 

Reaching through the bond, Sam tried to coax the wolf forward, to guide her through the shift. The process was more instinct than knowledge which made it hard to explain. Sam tried sending thoughts, images and the emotions she associated with shifting but none of it seemed to help. Unable to shift, knowing they were dying, Natasha's wolf remained trapped.
 

Sam moved closer, down the mental connection jumping back when Natasha's wolf snapped and snarled at her.

"Sam..." Nafarius voice was low and close.

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." But she wasn't fine, she was failing. She could feel herself growing tired, her concentration weakening causing the bond to weaken. A second later, she lost the connection, watched as Natasha's wolf flickered in and out of existence. Natasha was fading fast.

"Shit," she said and dove towards the dying wolf.

One minute, Sam had been sitting next to an unconscious Natasha. The next minute, Natasha seemed to explode, her wolf bursting through skin and muscle covering them all in blood and other bodily fluids.

"Jesus Christ!" Marcus exclaimed, jumping back.

Sam lay covered in...in...gore was all she could think. But next to her lay a small, beautiful silver wolf. "Huh," she said, letting her head fall back in exhaustion. "I thought she'd be red."

"Holy shit," Roland said. "Did you see that?"

Nafarius ignored his second in command. "Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling beside Sam.

Sam nodded. "Exhausted and desperately in need of a bath but yeah, I'm okay."

Nafarius searched her face, felt her exhaustion through the mating bond. He had felt her power, felt it flowing like an endless river through the bond she'd created with Natasha. He had also felt her growing tired, had known she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. The explosion of power at the end had nearly knocked him off his feet. Sam had connected to Natasha in a way no other wolf ever had.

"Roland, see to Natasha..."

"She can stay in my quarters," Roland bent down, scooped up the small wolf.

"She can stay in the alcove. She's not pack," Nafarius said, cutting off any objections. "There is still enough stuff in there to make it comfortable."

Reluctantly, Roland nodded and disappeared to get the young woman settled.

"Marcus, give the all clear. As for what happened here, not a word. To anyone. Clear?"

"Of course," Marcus nodded to Nafarius, tipped his head to where Sam still lay flat on her back.
 

Not a very dignified position for alpha
, she thought, staring up at the ceiling but she couldn't find the energy to move. "So what now?" she asked.

"First, we get you a bath." Uncaring of the mess, Nafarius slipped his arms behind her knees and shoulders, picking her up and cradling to his chest.

"And then?" Sam tucked her head under his chin.

"Then, we prepare for war."
 

Stay tuned for the next Wolf Lake Novella...

Author's Note

Thank you for reading Legend, the first of the Wolf Lake Trilogy. I hope you enjoyed Legend and getting to know Sam and Nafarius, two of my favorite characters.

Please be sure to rate Legend and let me know what you think about the book.
 

I enjoy hearing from fans and you can find me on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/JenniferKohoutWriter