David’s Dilemma

David watched as six men with long, blond braids stepped into the clearing and looked at him. “Just now. Six of them but I think there’s more.”

“That means there’s a way in and out of there,” his dad said, excited.

These men were at least seven feet tall with blond hair and braided beards. They didn’t seem friendly.

One of them pointed at him and waved him forward. “Come be my bitch.” The others snickered as they looked at him.

David took a deep breath, realized this was the real deal. Kill or be killed. He refused to be anyone’s bitch while breath filled his body.

“Adam, stand by, I’ll be pulling energy.” That’s the only warning he gave his brother as the full-blood who had waved him forward took exception to his delay and charged. He slammed into David sending him flying backward into the craggy landscape. Pain slashed into David’s back as he hit the unforgiving stone.

“Black box whoever you’re fighting so there’s no interference from the others. We’ll share our energy with you so you can fight as long as you need to win,” his dad said in a calm tone.

David shook his head to stop it from spinning, rolled to the side and avoided having his chest stepped on. He jumped up, tossed a box around him and the big guy and hit his head on the low hanging rock. He released the box, leaped forward to an area with a higher clearance, ensnaring the full-blood again while morphing to his two-footed beast. Standing slightly taller than his adversary and twice as wide, David unsheathed his razor-sharp claws.

The full-blood stared, looked at the others who seemed just as surprised and took a step backward.

Moving fast David punched his adversary in the chest, sending him flying into the wall of the box. He bounced to the ground. Watching David warily, he moved slowly, glanced to the side at the others and ran forward.

Side-stepping him, David slammed his fist into the full-blood’s gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sliding back across the rock floor. Streaks of blood marked the ground at his passing.

The others watched David as he stalked forward to finish it. The full-blood shifted, backed up and sprang forward, his long canines poised for David’s throat.

David back-handed him, sending him crashing into the unforgiving ground where he remained still for a few seconds.

“You’ve defeated the least among us, what will you do with Sage, a true warrior?” A massive full-blood David hadn’t seen before moved to face him. The full-blood had to stand at least eight feet or more, much taller than David’s two-legged beast. Long canines crowded Sage’s mouth giving him a sinister appearance. David’s confidence ebbed as he watched the full-blood prance and swagger.

Hunger tore at David’s stomach. He needed to replace the energy he’d just expended. Rather than respond or allow fear to hold him captive, David fed off the energy from his litter-mates until the hunger abated and he could re-focus.

“Come out of your little box, boy. Either kneel, offer me your throat and ass or die this day.”

David released the box and met his adversary’s silver gaze. “Fuck that. I kneel only to my Alpha, Silas Knight, La Patron.”

The full-blood and the others laughed. “La Patron? I’ve heard of him. He’s weak and pitiful. Either you’ll kneel in front of me willingly or I’ll rip off your legs from below your knees and force you.” With an arrogant swagger, he moved forward.

David had no interest in talking to the wolf.

“You look tasty.” Sage looked at the other men. “Our queen has sent us her left-overs, new meat. Yum.” He grabbed his cock and lifted it as if it were some trophy. The others stared at David as if he were a steak on a platter.

Not happening, David thought as every defense lesson he’d ever had, ran through his mind. He would kill the Alpha first. Since the man was much bigger, David would fight him in human form. That would make him cocky, sloppy. David would use the energy from his litter-mates to bring him down before he realized he had underestimated him. If necessary he would shift in the end, otherwise, he’d fight in human form.

The others might rush him, that was always a possibility. If he moved quickly, put the barrier in place, he’d have a chance. Maybe pick them off one at a time. All he needed was one alive to tell him how to get out of this cave.

“No defense of your Alpha?” the full-blood mocked.

“La Patron needs no defense; the Black Wolf always rises to defeat our enemies.” David morphed to human, took a couple steps, jumped over the Alpha ensnaring him in a black box and landed on the other side in a crouched position.

The Alpha growled, tore off his shirt and lunged at David who rolled aside, sticking out his foot to trip the much larger man. The ground shook from the force of the fall. The other pack members ran forward, trying to get closer but the bubble held.

David stood quickly and watched the Alpha look at him for several seconds before walking toward him slowly. “Who are you?”

David shook his head. The time to ask that question had passed. The Alpha’s death was just a matter of time.

With lightning speed, the Alpha slammed into David sending him rolling across the floor into the wall of the bubble. David kept rolling along the floor to prevent being stomped on.

Finally, he caught the Alpha’s large foot, held it several inches from his face, pulled in more energy from his litter-mates and twisted hard. The bone cracked. Yelling, the Alpha fell backward, bounced off the wall and hit the floor rolling in pain.

David jumped up and repeatedly punched the Alpha in the face.

The Alpha threw up his arms to stop the assault.

David unsheathed his claws. He tore into the skin and flesh of the Alpha. Bones broke, blood splattered but David didn’t stop until there was little left of the Alpha’s face.

Taking a deep breath, David stepped back, shifted to his two-legged beast, tore off the Alpha’s head and tossed it aside. Turning he looked into the faces of the stunned pack members.

“I am David Knight, son of La Patron, Alpha of the United States.” When no one moved or spoke he shrunk the bubble so that it offered protection in case they rushed him.

His beast growled as several of the men stared at him. He unsheathed his claws, prepared to fight. The closest full-blood turned away and offered his throat. Soon they others followed suit. David inhaled and sensed there was someone else.

He pointed to a tent. “Bring them out.” One of the men stepped inside and carried a smaller full-blood out. He placed him near the dead Alpha.

“Sage,” the young man cried and laid his shaggy blond head on the Alpha’s thigh. David watched for a few seconds and then looked at the others.

“Is this everyone in your Pack?” he asked the closest person to him as he turned so he could watch the young man on the floor.

“We serve the Queen.”

David didn’t understand. “Queen?”

“Nadira. Our Queen. This is her home, we have sworn to serve her. She is our leader.”

That must be the female who took Cain. Inhaling, David zeroed in on the food supply and walked toward it. When he found the simmering meat, he placed a box around him, stooped and ate. It lacked flavor but eased the gnawing in his gut. When he finished he realized everyone watched him. Had he eaten their dinner? Their only food supply?

“How do you leave here to find more food?” David asked.

They pointed to the Alpha on the ground. “Our queen gave him the key and instructions. Without him, we cannot leave and replenish our supplies. The protection surrounding us fell as he died.”

A heavy feeling filled David’s belly.

“You killed him and all of us with him,” the weeping fellow yelled from the floor.

Shit.

“Can you repair the wall?” one of them asked.

“What’s your name?” David needed a moment to think.

“Baez. Sage was my litter-mate.” He waved to the other five. “We’re all litter-mates, except the wee one.” He pointed to the man weeping next to the fallen Alpha.

David didn’t know what to say. On one level, he’d made things worse but becoming their bitch was never an option. “I’ll speak to my Alpha, get his instructions.”

“You can speak to him? In here?” They looked at each other, surprised. “The Queen forbids it. We lost that ability a long time ago,” Baez said.

David walked off, threw up the bubble and sat on a large rock. Exhaustion weighed him down as he watched them move the Alpha’s body to a tent and surround it. He realized whatever cloaked them before had disappeared.

“Adam, I need to talk to Dad. I think I messed up,” David said.