Enemy Red

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Enemy Red

ISBN #
978-0-85715-280-0

©Copyright Marie Harte 2010

Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright September 2010

Edited by Janice Bennett

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved.
 
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing.
 
Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank,
Ruston Way
,
Lincoln
,
LN6 7FL
,
United Kingdom
.

Warning:
 
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.
 
This story has been rated
Total-e-burning.

Mark of Lycos

ENEMY RED

Marie Harte

Dedication

To Rena. Thanks for all our weekly get-togethers, and your name!

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:

Grateful Dead:
  
Grateful Dead Productions

Chapter One

The Great
Forest
,
Alaska

The poor bastard.

Fenris considered his twin with pity and shook his head. No matter how many times he’d urged Anson to leave with him, his brother had sworn he’d convince their uncle—their alpha—to simply let them be. Fenris knew better. Michael Barton, alpha of the Silver Clan, had a stubborn streak a mile wide. Probably why he and Fenris too often butted heads. Still, Anson should have known better than to wait it out.

Come on, come on,
he silently urged, hoping no one spotted him. He’d be damned if he’d agree to this mating nonsense. Finally, Anson turned and looked directly at him. Fenris motioned for his brother to join him until he saw the anger on Anson’s face…directed at
him
.

“Hell, no. I’m not taking the blame for this. I warned you Uncle Mike wouldn’t give in. You’re on your own, bro.”
Fenris shot his brother a one-finger salute and ran like hell into the woods before his uncle set the wolves on him. He’d been planning this escape for days. Since Anson refused to listen to reason, he’d have to make his own way through that hellish ritual.

With a relieved sigh, Fenris released his hold on his human form and slid into the bones and sinew of a large wolf. Relishing this bid at freedom, he ran with the Wolf in the
Forest
--the great spirit that made life possible for his kind. Faster and lighter, he raced on all fours, scaring rabbits and squirrels from their cover amidst the thick evergreens in the forest.

Fenris ran across rich, black dirt, gnarled tree roots and the occasional poplar leaves drifting to the ground through the late summer air. Birds cawed and bees buzzed, warning him of trouble just ahead. Veering away from two bucks fighting for dominance, he settled into an easy pace to loosen his stress and simply enjoy being wolf.

In the distance, he heard booms and snarls, the sounds of sacrifice made and accepted, before the Wolf in the
Forest
replaced such noise with a swift and invigorating breeze. He thought of his brother with a wistful fondness.
Wishing you wind-speed, Anson. For when I see you again, I have a feeling we will both of us be changed.

Caught in the gentle rhythms of the forest, Fenris continued to run. He put as much distance as possible between him and that farce behind him. He still didn’t understand why his uncle thought it best to find him a mate, now.

Hell, Fenris had only just reached his twenty-fifth year. Most males didn’t mate until well after their first or second century of living. And since once mated a wolf couldn’t stray, most wolves did their level best to fuck anything that moved before being tied down to one partner. He wouldn’t have minded some alone time with Sherri and Sophie again. The last time he’d played with the pair he’d come all night long. Sherri had oral skills that put most wolves to shame. She’d swallowed more than one load, while Sophie played with every part of him she could reach. The pretty little silver wolf liked it rough, and he’d been hard pressed to hold back. Thank the Wolf neither of them had been in heat. Oral, anal, they’d gone every which way and left him happy and exhausted. Problem was, his uncle wanted him to settle down. To have pups and ensure that his line continued well into future generations.

Shuddering at the thought of being bound to one wolf forever, Fenris increased his speed. He knew his uncle would be pissed as hell he’d escaped, but he’d deal with the fallout later.
After
the ceremony concluded, which would give him another ten years before he had to deal with this shit again.

Panting, Fenris slowed down and trotted past a cluster of butterflies dancing on the wind. He could feel the Wolf in the
Forest
very close and wondered at the spiritual purity in this part of the woods.

Glancing around, he noted a spring and wondered just where the hell he’d gone. He hadn’t been running so long that he’d passed into unfamiliar territory. Yet, nothing around him looked familiar.
Odd.

The Silver Clan’s holdings extended for miles. They’d routed the cats and humans a thousand years ago. And since they’d defeated the bears, foxes and Red Clan during his uncle’s time as alpha, only silver wolves populated the magical forest in which he’d been raised. The pesky humans continued to stay away, discouraged from entering thanks to a sorcerer’s spell cast centuries ago, when wolves and magic-users had still been friends.

And thank the Wolf that had ended. Fenris stopped and drank at the spring, rumbling with pleasure as the cold, crisp water soothed his throat. Without thinking about it, he changed back into his other form. More cumbersome and not as tolerant of sharp teeth and claws as his wolf form, a man’s body nevertheless afforded some pleasures. Opposable thumbs were always a plus. And sex as a man trumped sex as a wolf any day of the week.

With a sad glance down at his cock, Fenris promised himself to find a female soon. It had been too long since his last tumble. And it would be just the thing to take his mind off his uncle’s other recent demands. As if Fenris wanted to take charge as the new alpha
and
deal with the headache of a mate.
No, thank you.

He walked down a small hill into the spring’s runoff, a small waterfall that gave him just enough room, and cleaned himself, revitalised by the shock of cold water. When he stepped out he shook himself and felt twice as stupid when he only managed to fling a few droplets from his hair and slick body.

Wishing for a towel, he decided to let himself dry off naturally. As he stood in the calm and listened to the water flow, he noticed the sudden silence around him.
Too quiet. Not good.
As if thinking about trouble conjured it, Fenris suddenly found himself surrounded by unfamiliar wolves, a few foxes and one huge-ass grizzly bear.

“Shit.” Several of the wolves had reddish fur. Red wolves encroaching on his clan’s territory? “What the hell are you assholes doing on Silver land?”

He didn’t expect them to answer, nor was he surprised when they suddenly attacked. Shifting into his wolf, he dodged one set of claws and rammed into another wolf, knocking it back. Teeth tore into his hind leg before he kicked himself free. Turning, he met another pair of attackers and narrowly avoided getting his throat ripped out. With a vicious bite, he ripped into the ear of one wolf and shoved a fox away by gouging down his belly.

Then a large, red wolf hit him in the side and knocked him down. He fought back for a split second before the strangest feeling settled over him. He took the wolf’s scent deep into his lungs and smelled female…and something more.

Animalistic desire knifed through him. Between one heartbeat and the next, his anger turned to lust. He sprang to his feet and shoved the female down. When she rose, he mounted her, his instinct to mate overriding his senses. Fenris forgot everything but the need to release deeply inside the quivering wolf beneath him.

Just as he readied to thrust, something knocked him to the ground. A massive grizzly snarled and razed a blow to his head that stunned him. Other red wolves turned on him, biting and gouging, until he lay covered in blood. Still, the desire inside him throbbed, growing with every painful breath he took of that beautiful, red wolf with the strange, yellow eyes.

She barked at the others
. Cease.
Leave off. This one is mine.
Then she pounced and closed her jaws over his throat. Despite the danger of the situation, Fenris sighed with a strange contentment before blackness overtook him.

Rudra wanted badly to kill this wolf, to assure he would never take another breath. He’d had the nerve to mount her in front of her own pack! Worse, she’d frozen under him, some part of her recognizing his dominance. As if some lowly, enemy wolf could tame her, Rudra Pavtek, alpha of the Red Clan.

Yet as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t cause him further harm.

Swearing under her breath, she let him go. She ignored the others around her and stared down at the golden wolf covered in blood. She hadn’t seen a golden wolf in decades. Nor had she heard of any golden wolves still in existence. And what had he said, something about being on Silver land? The implication being that they didn’t belong, but he did.

Why would he ally himself with her enemy-- what should have been
his
enemy?

The Silver Clan had pushed everyone out of their precious forest years ago. Because of them, the Red Clan had been forced to live close to the humans, sacrificing much to continue their existence. Hell, Rudra was living proof of how far the wolves had gone to remain a clan. The daughter of a wolf and human sorcerer, Rudra laid claim to two powerful backgrounds. Her mother still ran with the wolves when she wasn’t teaching the pups at home. Her father protected the clan from less savoury humans, those who thought they could hunt in Red Clan woods.

But this…this interloper. Who the hell was he to do what no male had done before? To attempt to mate with her? More puzzling, why had she let him?

Rudra, you want me to gut him or what?
Jericho
asked, the large bear probably more than ready to go home and find something to eat.

Beckett Nash woofed.
I don’t know. I say we let Rurik heal him so we can watch the gold one mount her again.
That was hot.
Beckett grinned, only to cast his eyes down at the fierce glare she sent him.

He’s golden, bro. Can you imagine what their young would look like?
His brother Brody teased.
Man, they’d be orange.

Annoyed, Rudra quickly shifted into human form to conjure a stretcher, then shifted back into her wolf. She ordered the brothers to carry the intruder home, where they would take him to her father in hopes Rurik could heal him. Then she’d decide if she should kill him or use him in her upcoming battle against the Silver Clan.

Her efficient group made the trek home in under an hour. In a small village on the outskirts of
Bethel
,
Alaska
, they had created a haven for their clan. Rudra accepted bears, foxes and wolves of any colour, so long as they considered the Silver Clan their enemy.

And speaking of the enemy… She glanced at the limp wolf dragged behind the Nashes. That golden colour, much as she wanted to deny it, appealed to her. Handsome, strong and powerful, he hadn’t been afraid of her. What manner of wolf didn’t fear an alpha in her prime?

Another alpha.

Terrific. She’d almost been topped by an alpha encroaching on her own damn territory. As if the silver wolves weren’t bad enough.

In a thoroughly bad mood, Rudra picked up their pace, ignoring the whining of her pack. As soon as she crossed the spell safeguarding their village, she relaxed.

Jericho
, take the golden wolf to Rurik. The last time Brody and Beckett talked to my father, he nearly fried them. The rest of you, go find your clothes before heading back into town. People think we’re strange enough without strutting around bare-assed naked. We definitely don’t need the attention.

Since most of the pack detested clothing, they grumbled as they reached the hideaway where they changed before hunting.
Jericho
took charge of their prisoner. He continued through the woods towards her father’s place. Rarely in a man’s form, he liked to stay as a bear unless rutting between a woman’s thighs. She thought it a wonder he didn’t already have a dozen or more cubs running around.

With a sigh, Rudra joined the others, shifted into a woman’s form and donned undergarments, a pair of jeans, shoes and a T-shirt. After taking a pass through the village, she answered a few questions, settled two disputes and went in search of her mother. She found her in the schoolhouse instructing several six-year olds on the merits of hunting in pairs.

Rudra studied her mother, caught again by her timeless beauty. Long, red hair, sparkling green eyes and light skin that rarely saw the sun when not covered by fur had snared her father tighter than any spell. Rena Pavtek could have had any wolf she wanted. Instead, she’d chosen a human lover as consort. And not just any human, but a dark sorcerer with an axe to grind.

As much as Rudra loved her father, Rurik Pavtek scared the crap out of her when in one of his moods. She didn’t fear he’d hurt her, but his temper often got the best of him, leaving the pack to deal with the repercussions. It helped that Rurik always cleaned up his messes, but she could have done without the constant threat of sorcerer wars. Still, when the pack needed help beyond that of the Wolf in the
Forest
, Rurik could always be counted on to assist.

Her mother glanced up from her lesson and smiled when she spied Rudra. “Okay, pups. That’s all for today. Tomorrow we’ll identify tracks by sight, not just smell. And don’t forget your red fox reports.”

A chorus of ‘yes, ma’am‘ sounded before the children rushed by Rudra with well-mannered nods.

Her mother teased, “Well, well. The alpha in my humble little schoolhouse. To what do I owe the honour?”

Rudra accepted her mother’s hug. But before she could say a thing, her mother shoved her back, stared deeply into her eyes and drew a long, deep breath.

“
Finally.
” Rena beamed. “I’ve been waiting forever for you to find a worthy male. What’s his name?”