Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

I was so tired last night, I couldn’t even write that I was tired. So you know it if chappie don’t make sense it’s the muses’ fault. Heh heh.
__________________

Jenna T.
ch. 34-Kodak moments. Ha, I like that expression.
Ch. 35-Depressing waves after some feel goods. Yes, I have an idea which would be very, very depressing if I actually did it, and I might lose readers so I’m kind of torn right now. So, I’ll say no more.

Mihara – Never fear, Az & M will remain bondage bunnies but they have to re-establish a trust. Bondage is supposed to ad spice to their life, not skewer their hearts.

Rosei: Does milk burn as much as soda pop?

K: the were-kid (Ronan) will be discovered soon.

Sesshomarunaraku
Q: Do the werewolves know who x really is? The destroyer of Nations?
A: Only Haley knows that X is Hashmallim. The Pack is coming to terms that there are three brothers; only one of which is Blood Emperor and that each brother has a distinct set of skills and lovers. I think dropping Hasmallim on them would fry their brains right now but they will find out soon enough.


Many thanks. Lots of pocky [insert favorite candy here] to the Loyal and true. The reviews have fallen off but the hits are just getting bigger, so it kind of evens out, if guess. :(

To those who took the time to type, I raise of glass of lactose free milk. Hazah! Jenna T.(x2); Rosemary; Spirit; Laur; Mihara; BlackOpal; Rosei; k; shiden; miles; sesshomarunaraku; and DemonAkasha.


SPOILER ALERT

ATOI – since blood starvation is a big honking thing to recover from, the Royal blue gene has activated some new powers. I think the ability to ‘select’ would be one of them. In the past, would there have been a need for the Lord Emperor to keep scars? Probably not, so this is a new element that even Liam was not aware of. Just goes to show that even the great and powerful Liam is not all knowing or all seeing.

Pirates 3 – I seen it. I have no idea what you are referencing and I’ve wracked my little brain and my eye wants to fall out. Explain away if you please.


Chapter 126: Run

I jogged around the corner of the house a little peeved that they hadn’t waited then skidded to a halt. “You stole X’s car?”

Haley held up the keys and shook them. “We didn’t steal it. We just borrowed it without consent.”

“You scratch it, he’s going to kick your ass.” Haley tossed the keys at me and I snagged them out of mid-air.

“It won’t matter, you’re driving. I don’t have a license.”

“Who the hell drove here then?”

Haley looked at me and waved. “Hello, did I not just give you the keys?”

Ping draped an slender arm around the Pup and pulled him close. “Don’t confuse Alpha. He just woke up.”

There were some hoots and yips from the peanut gallery until Vladimir growled. They were basically commenting on my tiny anatomy that they got a full view of from the ground floor as I stood on the balcony. Vladimir came over to me. I tightened my hand on the keys as he looked down at me a big question in his eyes. Jump the White Russian. Good advice, Marcus. I reached out and pulled Vladimir down to my face. I rubbed my head along his getting a start on scent marking.

Haley’s mouth dropped open. Ping pushed it closed. “I take it, you are riding shotgun, Vlad.”

“Dah.” He leaned closer pressing his lips to my ear, “Is this just for show, Lord Alpha?”

“Barring anything going dreadfully wrong, you’ll get your mating night tonight. But there is something we have to do first.”

Ping nodded her approval. “Listen up!”

“Today, I had my first Blood Starvation. It took me quick and it took a vampire task force to bring me down and out of it. It can happen at any time if I’m seriously injured so…for your protection….” My voice trailed off.

“Lord Alpha needs to scent mark the pack. Front and center.” Vladimir picked up the slack.

Oh god, I’m Sex’s slut. I rubbed myself all over the five Alphas and I got every single one of them excited. Vladimir’s eyes gleam feral gold and he watched me with blatant sexual intent. Haley bounded up and did a little shimmy and bump and grind. I grabbed his hips and pushed him away. He laughed and came back wrapping his arms around my chest and rubbing his face on my chest and against my neck.

“Enough, pup.”

Haley grinned up at me, “I can still smell Marcus on you. You belong to him now?”

“I belong to him.”.

“Good. You don’t do well on your own. None of you do. Now you have to deal with little Vlad.”

“Actually, little Vlad is mine.”

“You’re sad.”

“Marcus gave me the go ahead to dominate Vlad, but I don’t think Vlad wants me to dominate him. I think he wants more than I am capable of.”

“He is not your mate. That ear was punishment, not claiming.” Haley’s face got hard.

“Too late now, Pup.” I rubbed the top of his head. He pressed up against me then let out a contented yip. He kissed my cheek and backed away.

Ping stepped up and looked up at me. I didn’t know what to do. I just remember her saying to Sex that any one touching a mated female was dead. A wry smirk crossed her face as she read my face. “You share information with your brothers.”

“There are a few things each of us keeps private.”

“As it should be. Put your hands behind your back, Lord Alpha. I will scent mark myself.” This was just odd. The pack had fallen silent and watched intently as Ping stepped up to me. This wasn’t a sexual thing. It actually wasn’t unpleasant but I wanted it over. Ping wrapped a hand around my neck and urged me down. She took my hair in her hands and rubbed it against her own. Pure White, Jet Black. She opened her eyes and they flashed gold. “Do we have to worry about you tonight?”

“I hope not. I’m still learning, Elek.”

“We are going to show you something that is usually not shared with others outside of the Pack, but since you are the Head of the Imperials, it is your right. You will always have an invite. It will be up to you if you wish to run with us after this night.”

She tangled a hand in my hair and yanked on it painfully. “This is for melting my family’s heirloom.” She cupped my cheek and pressed sweet lips to the opposite side. “This is for saving my Pup from harm even though it left you mortally wounded. You are everything I could have hoped to be Head of the Pack. Are you ready, Lord Alpha?”

“As I’m ever going to get. What does this run entail?”

“Exactly what it says. We run. You will see. Let’s roll!”

I took a step back and bounced off of Vladimir. His hands came out and settled on my shoulders. “I have you.”

“You are too damn big to have me.”

“You are such a small thing.” He stroked my hair. Compared to the rugby team, yeah I was sort of small, but Ping and Haley were smaller yet I didn’t hear anyone else talking about them. “I look forward to your claiming.” He crossed to the front of the Chevy Nomad and opened the door for me. Oh good lord, I was being courted. I climbed into the car and slid across the massive bench seat to the steering wheel. Aside from a moving van, I think this wagon was the only thing that would hold a whole team of Alphas.

“Where to?”

“I will give you instruction.” Vladimir’s voice sent a shiver through me. That was a promise I didn’t want him to follow up on. He slid across the bench and sidled up right beside me, somehow he slouched and ended up leaning his head against my shoulder.

Haley and Ping took the back seat leaving four hulking men to try and fit in the middle seat. There was little bit of swearing and finally Manu the Maori climbed over the front seat and slid between Vladimir and the door. Vladimir snarled. “Deal with it.” Manu returned rolling the window down. I buckled up and started the car.

“We are heading north out of the city.”

I hadn’t had a chance to really practice driving more since driving off to Father’s rescue. I must have done okay, because no one was screaming at me to watch out, slow down or…I looked in the rear view mirror and Haley and Ping were going at it. Oh for….

Vladimir lifted my right arm up and snuck under it. This was so strange on so many levels. About forty minutes later, Vladimir roused himself into start giving directions. I had no clue were the hell we were. Finally he pointed to an overgrown drive and I eased the Nomad down it wincing as I heard branches and bushed brush the sides of the wagon.

The wagon eased into a wide clearing. I parked it and the Lycan piled out of the car and clothes started flying everywhere. Vladimir unbuckled me and took my arm and pulled be after him across the bench seat. He had me out of my shirt faster that I could register but I managed to dance backwards when he reached for my belt.

There was a whoosh and a blast of warm wind hit me as a prepared bonfire ripped to life. Holy crap, I was at a bush party. Sure enough a wide cooler got pulled out of the back of the tailgate. Haley tossed a bottle of water at me. Everybody else got beer. Pretty soon I was the only one still with clothes on.

Poytr made a clanging noise as he shoved a couple of metal rods into the fire. Ping walked up to me buck naked. I didn’t know where the hell to look. I concentrated on the top of her hairline.

“This is the first Run of the Imperials. This is a bonding, Blood Emperor. Unlike werewolves, we are not chained to the cycle of the moon. We can change at will but we are still feral. We cleared this area earlier today and set this up. We run, we play, we fight, we mate – the rules regarding females still apply, Azrael. Use your wings, Blood Emperor. Don’t fall behind.”

Ping stepped back and began her transformation. I stared horrified and frozen at the same time. Bones shifted and lengthen, widened. The stark shadows of the bonfire gave this massive change a John Carpenter kind of feel. Hands came up my biceps. I turned my head and looked at Vladimir. The light of the fire reflected deepily in his turning that feral gold a deep rich molten bronze. He pressed his chest right up against my back and lowered his head to mine.

“Our Elek is a prize. Many have approached to hope to be her mate. To find she has chosen a pup who isn’t even 50 year was a blow to everyone. But your Zsigmond is destined for greatness. Just being around him, you can feel that. To know that he is a direct descent of the oldest of us, anywhere in the world, tells one that their litter is going to be Alphas of the highest standards.”

Ping had transformed into a large female. Black as pitch. Color absorbed into her coat. Haley, my grey wolf bounded up to her side. He was less than half her size and could run under her stomach easily. “He will be larger than Ping when he comes into the change.

The other Alphas had changed. Pyotr, who X had called a fox was sleek and he was marked like a red fox. You just wanted to run your hands through that pelt. His tail was fluffy, crimson but had a black tip. Vladimir wrapped his arms around me. “I am your Lycan mate. I will not allow you to dominate any other aside from your Zsigmond.”

Pyotr turned to us as if he could hear our conversation. His tail flicked in the light of the fire. Vladimir growled but his eyes were on the red Lycan. There was a barking laugh and Pyotr turned away. Manu ran up and shoved Pyotr in the shoulder. He was smaller than the red Lycan but still twice as large as Haley.

“You are my mate by accident only.”

“I make no other claims over you other than other Lycan. It may have been by accident, but I am still claimed and will be until the end of my days.”

Manu drove Pyotr to the ground and rolled him over. Baojgia came around the fire. He was broad in the chest and had massive shoulders and neck. His eyes gleamed fiery green as he looked over at Vladimir and myself. His coat was dark, browns and black peppered with strands of grey and silver. Manu and Pyotr rolled over to him and he lightly leapt over them.

The biggest Lycan I had never seen came around from behind the Nomad -- Sang Kyu. He looked like he had lived a hard and harsh life. Three white scar trails ran down his face from his eye down his muzzle. There was a tall ridge of steel gray hair that ran from the crown of his head all the way down his spine to the tip of his tail. He yipped in my direction and everyone looked over at Vladimir and me.

“Give us your wings, Blood Emperor.” Since Vladimir had already stripped me half naked, it was easy to will them out. The White Russian stepped back as I slowly unfurled my pastel wings. There was almost a reverence from the Lycan. I was a little taken back. They had seen Xavier’s phoenix but they were in awe of my feathers? All the Lycan before me lowered themselves flat to the ground.

“This is the inaugural Run of the Imperial Alphas. May it not be our last.” All the Lycan before raised their heads and howled. Vladimir brushed past me, soft and white. He was an artic fox with brilliant eyes. He butted my legs with his head.

/Give the command, Lord Alpha./

“Run.”

The Lycan surged as one at me. Holy crap. I jumped and flapped instinctively and rose above them. Haley yipped at me. /Come down…we just want to touch you before we start./

/Catch me if you can?/

/Tag, Lord Alpha?/ Ping circled below me. /You’re it./

Lycan scattered to the four winds. Damn. I wasn’t that good at flying, or soaring. I angled my wings so I could hit the ground running I lightened my weight and lengthened my stride. Alphas were speedy. I spied Sang Kuy and changed direction to intercept him. I kept a careful eye on him as I got closer. A small grey wolf took out my legs. I went splat in the tall grass and skidded on my face for about three feet. I spit grass out of mouth. My wings folded back cross me of their own accord.

I hear the pad pad pad of approaching paws. “You need to keep your eyes open and your senses around you, Lord Alpha.”

I slapped Haley’s foreleg. /You’re it./

I rolled and scrambled away. /Ha,ha,/ That femine laughter was actually a nice thing to hear. It distracted Haley enough so I could get away. Ping danced around the tree line. I was nothing but a memory as Haley tore off after his mate. I made it to the tree line in the opposite direction and stopped to pick grass out of my fangs. This was a bonding/ skills training exercise.

/That looked like it hurt./ Manu’s voice sounded in my head but the direction came from above. I looked up in the tree I was under. He was up against the trunk perched on a branch. I didn’t know Lycan could climb trees.

/Nothing but my pride./

/It was funny./

/Comic relief, that’s me./

/Actually, it makes you approachable Blood Emperor. I understood the need for the Pups death, I had never seen anything like that. It’s no wonder, Orel Wessel would want you disposed of before you master all your gifts. Incoming, two o’clock./

I ducked around the tree and watched as Pyotr came trotting up. He swung his gaze left and right but stopped and sniffed the air. I peaked around the side of the tree and he spied me. /Gotcha./

The red Lycan came forward. Manu dived off the branch and landed heavily on the other Russian Lycan. /Go./

“Why?”

/You are the prize, Blood Emperor./ Manu sat on Pyotr.

I stilled. “Define prize.”

Pyotr twisted but Manu kept on top of him. /Your shadow. Your constant companion until the next run. We all know who wants that. Here he comes/

I turned and looked across the field. The White Russian was bounding toward me in a ground eating lope. Crap. I jumped over the two Lycan. I had an idea what they were doing to go and fled a little deeper into the woods. I felt his presence but that still didn’t stop me from running full tilt into Sang Kyu. I flipped over his haunch but was able to recover and land in a crouch. I needed to practice this mindwalking talent.

/You are a firecracker, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m just a little out of element.”

/Do you want Vladimir hounding your every step until the next run?/

“Truthfully, no.”

/Then you better run, Blood Emperor./

Sang Kyu leapt forward and there was a crash of white and black limbs. I dissolved my wings hoping to blend in a bit more, but I was…what did Detective Nolan call me, white as a glass of milk. I motored through the trees then stopped and grabbed dirt rubbing it into my skin trying to make it a little harder to be seen. Those Lycan noses might sniff me out, but I wasn’t going to make t any easier for Vladimir to run me to ground.

I know damn well that Claudius wouldn’t appreciate the white Lycan around Sex. Xavier has already laid down the law.

Yip. Yip Yip.

I think Pyotr and Manu were having a fine old time and I was the last thing on their mind.
That kind of put a kink in the Hunter thought that Lycan didn’t engage in recreational sex. They just did it under the heading of ritual and away from prying eyes. At least, I think same sex recreational is going on.

I ran at a large oak and clawed, punched my way up the side. A couple of trees were massive and their branches touching. I ran along the bark grateful that my docs had tread. I jumped up and climbed a little higher. I could see the whole clearing from this vantage point. It was beautiful out. I couldn’t see everyone but there was that tell tale heat shimmer. I didn’t see anyone, ha, anyone as in Valdimir the horny Russian Lycan, near my position. I settled myself comfortably and reached out with my thoughts. Gently…just peeking. Leave no trail. If I didn’t force it, it came flowing willingly. It was just like a vapor tendril floating on the faint breeze.

I urged the vapor trails that were intertwined towards me. Manu and Pyotr, there was no real thought going on there. Both were lost in pleasure. It had been so long. So long? I thought this was the inaugural run. They knew each other from before. From the same pack? I dug a little deeper, wave lightly, shift the breeze blow the vapor back to reveal something below it. Pyotr chained by the neck in a dark place. He was just a pup and had been captured. Captured by who? The door to the warehouse was torn down and those that enslaved him died. Manu opened the cage and took off that hated collar. The little red pup followed Manu everywhere after that. Even after he reached the age of change and turned into an Alpha, he followed the Maori Lycan. He followed him to the trials. He followed him to the Imperials. He followed him to me.

Gently retreat…restore everything back how your found it…leave no trail.

If I took my time. If I was given the time, I could do this. With practice, I could probably be as good as X and Sex…with the goal of being like my Babe. I opened my eyes and smiled. I believed him when he said he was mine.

Okay, first things first. I spied my white Lycan prowling the grassland. Hmmm, this was shades of X and Nightshade in the woods. I would have to dominate Vladimir before I could dominate him. Which was rather screwed up but…when it Rome. I allowed my wings to extend slowly, keeping the chimes as still as possible. I would have one shot at this. If I missed…missing was not an option.

A shimmer of body heat was off to his left. He noticed he wasn’t alone as he thought he was and turned his attention to Baojia. I took a few running steps and jumped. I soared through the air. It was liberating. I folded my wings back and dived. Vladimir turned at the last moment as my wings tinkled in the night. I hit him square, using my arms to grapple him and twist him right off his feet.

I dissolved my wings and we flipped twice. Vladimir ended up on his back. I dropped fang and extended them to the fullest and set my mouth around his furry throat. /I have you./

He tensed beneath me. I closed my jaw a bit. He hissed then raised his jaw, offering his throat in submission. /You are mine./

/I am yours, Blood Emperor./

/I am Azrael., I’m not the Blood Emperor./ I pulled my mouth back and worked my jaw. My face was getting a work out tonight. “Change.”

Vladimir changed back into his human like form, still watching me carefully. He was beautiful in an arctic sort of way. He was just the kind of human I attracted. Big, tall, and totally fucked in the head. He did all of this for a poster. I blinked. Could a Lycan be a stalker? “I can’t give you what you want, Vladimir.”

“How do you know unless you try?”

“I just about lost the one I came into this world for. I only truly claimed him today. I won’t lose him. I can’t lose him.”

“Then you know how I feel.”

“You don’t know me, Vladimir. Once you do, you might find out that I’m a total fraud.”

“You would not have others around you if you were.”

I sat back on his chest and held my fists to my forehead. “Why does everyone argue with me?”

“You are not as bad as you claim to be. I submitted to you, Azrael. You offered me a mating night.”

Yes I did. I leaned over and kissed along his jaw. I let my teeth scrape along his skin, down over his jaw, on the soft underside of his chin to his throat. He groaned and surged up to meet me. Damn it. I rolled off him. I was breathing heavy and I must have looked like I was in distress. I raised the heels of my hands to my eyes and pressed. What am I doing?

“You can keep your eyes closed. You can pretend I am Marcus.”

That was not what I wanted to hear. I got to my feet and took off across the grass. A low mournful howl sounded up behind me. I slowed to a walk then finally just stood still. There was a moon but it wasn’t much of one. That seductive whisper was there in the background. That little touch of darkness. I could use it and fuck him like he wanted but what would the cost be? Once you touched that dark wellspring, I would be tainted forever if not sucked under by it. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that it would stop with me. Sex and Xavier would get pulled under too…and the babies. I wouldn’t dare trust myself with children

I was stuck between a rock and a Lycan.

Vladimir’s howl had silenced everyone. I couldn’t keep it in. I screamed. I screamed my confusion; helplessness and guilt to the crescent moon. Damn it. Once I started crying, I can’t stop. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and dropped to my knees. My head hung limply on my neck, getting tickled by the blades of grass surrounding me.
I sobbed silent tears after my initial out burst. Some were my emotions, most where Xavier’s but here I was stuck with them.

“Come to the fire, Lord Alpha.” I felt a gentle touch on my head. Ping knelt before me, her hair pulled forward hiding strategic womanly areas. “The Run has done what it should have for you, now it’s time to bond by the fire.”

Bond. Fire. Haha. Another set of hands came around me from behind. “Lord Alpha, it’s okay.” Haley stroked my hair and hugged me gently. “I can help you if you need it.”

I nodded and then pushed myself to my feet. I had a headache. Since everyone around me was buck naked and I knew I wasn’t packing anything, I was just going to have to suffer through it. Healing fire ripped through me. I staggered surprised. I didn’t do it.

/This is my doing, my guilt. I’m sorry I left you to deal with it, Azrael./

/Thanks, bigger brother./

/Oh and tell Haley, he’s grounded./

The bright blue flare that was me fizzled and I slumped to one side. Sang Kyu caught me. “You need to eat more, Alpha. It’s embarrassing for both of us to pick you up so easily.”

Sang Kyu did a quick march to the fire. I got sat down then a blood pack got slapped on my fangs and the Alpha pack minus a white wolf sat around one side of the bonfire. “We see things a little clearer out in the wild, Lord Alpha. Apparently you do too.” Haley brought Ping a blanket and draped it around her shoulders. He plopped down beside her and looked at me intently.

“What?” I mumbled around a blood pack.

“I have never seen you so dirty.”

“We usually spend the whole night out here, but it looks like you’re at your limit, Lord Azrael…so there is one last thing you must do. We have discussed it amongst ourselves and all have agreed to it.” I didn’t like the sound of that. “The Alpha pack and your Elek and Sigmond need to be marked.”

I pulled my fangs off the bag. “Define marked.”

Sang Kyu pointed to his face “A mark that will travel throughout all changes—from human, to wolf to Lycan.”

“We want you to brand us, Lord Azrael.” Pyotr looked at me with determined eyes.

“What? Are you crazy?”

Haley got up from Ping’s side. “A brand is a sign of traitor, betrayal and weak blood to the Northern Lycan. I turned and showed the ragged branding that I couldn’t remove. The Imperial pack, your pack, Azrael want to wear your glyph.”

I thought back to the start of the night and the clanging Pyotr had made as he through something in the fire. Apparently they were branding irons. “No.”

Ping rose from her seat. The rest of the Lycan rose with her. “It has already been decided, Lord Azrael. You do not have to hold the brands, but you have to witness it.”

Baojia set the cooler at my feet. It was half full of beer, the other side was filled with blood packs. There was no way in hell I could drink all that but it clued in. Those packs were for blood baths after the branding. And Lanseng knew about it.

They were going to do it whether I witnessed it or not. It was every bit as horrid as I thought it would be but the smell. It was enough to make one a vegetarian. I ended up playing paramedic after each brand. Valdimir ghosted up out of the grass and knelt to be the first. Ping held the brand and looked at me for permission. “Let me first in this, Lord Azrael, at least, let me be first in something.” I nodded abruptly. He didn’t scream but he was shaky when I fanged open a blood pack and worked it into his marred flesh of his upper arm. So now when they transformed, that ancient glyph for the House of Von Drachenfeld would show up. One by one the Alphas knelt before the fire and offered up their flesh.

Finally Haley dropped down before the fire. I saw Ping hesitate. I left the blood pack soaking into Manu’s shoulder and crossed over to Ping. “I’ll do it.”

She bit at her bottom lip and nodded stepping backwards digging into the cooler for a blood pack. “Don’t move.”

I used the same quick forceful motion Ping has used on the rest of the Alphas. Haley tried not to cry out, but he was still such a little thing and a Pup. I pulled the brand back off his flesh and saw that it was a perfect likeness. Ping slapped the cold blood onto his burning flesh and then held him as he whimpered.

I pushed the brand back into the glowing orange coals. Ping pulled her hair back and hung her arm outside of the blanket. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I am getting marked as well.”

“No female is getting branded in the Imperial pack.”

“Is that an order.”

“Yes.” I spied Haley’s expensive diamond and onyx ‘X’ hanging from his collar. With this new brand, he wouldn’t need it any more.

“Haley, can I give your pendant to Ping?”

His face was still contorted with pain but he nodded. I leaned over and unbuckled it. “You can get a better collar or a chain, but this pendant, was my mark for Haley when he was alone and the whole of the Northern Lycan were against him. Look where he is now. I hope that luck extends to you, Ping Saitou, Elek of the Imperial Pack.”

She lifted her hair and allowed me to buckle the collar around her delicate neck..
She smiled up at me. “That being said and done, I call…”

“It’s not done.” I lowered myself into reverence pose before the fire waiting for my own branding.

“This isn’t necessary, Alpha.”

“If I can’t show you support, what kind of Head will I be.”

Ping paused then nodded. “On your shoulder, Alpha. Your arms are too small. Vladimir, Kyu, please hold him down. Try not to struggle, Alpha. I want this to be a crisp image.”

It was on my tongue to say, no, stop I changed my mind. Then pain like I’ve never known – until recently ripped through me. The two Lycan pressed hard on me which felt like an eternity until the brand was removed. Sonofahootingfuckingcrapolaidea. I panted and gritted me teeth. Ping sliced a blood pack open and the cold blood was like an immediate balm on my back. The fact that the brand popped and sizzled as the blood hit it was not lost on me. Finally the pack was pulled back.

“Beautiful, Lord Alpha.”

“Home now?”

“Yes, we can go home now. I call the Inaugural Run of the Imperial Alphas to a close.” She threw back her head and howled. The rest of the pack joined in filling the glen with their Lycan song. The howls died out. I felt that tell tale stare on me. “You must howl Alpha. All of the pack must give there ascent.”

I sat up. Now was a time, I really truly and desperately wanted to be able to heal. I howled as best as I could. My voice was laced with pain and exhaustion. Haley joined in with me and soon the whole pack was howling.

“Now the Run is officially over.” Ping reached down and helped Haley to his feet

“Good…good.” My eyes rolled up into my head and I past out to the sounds of a crackling fire, seared meat and yips of my furry children. Aside from almost dying and killing everyone I knew…it wasn’t that bad of a day.

* * *

This is my attempt at what the Von Drachenfeld gylph looks like. I have it posted at deviant art.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/57040030/