Sabeen Moon, Marie Theris, and the child, had been lured out of the relatively safe haven Sabeen had created for them. Marcus Louve was relived, to be honest he was beginning to worry that he wouldn't be able to find them.
Marcus Louvre was leader of the Louvre Wolf Pack. He was tall, well proportioned, and surprisingly young to be the leader of such a large pack. He had been feeling the strain of keeping some of the older wolves under his rule lately, and it showed in the stubble he hadn't had time to shave and the worn leather pants and jacket he was wearing. Not that it mattered what he wore. The women all mooned after his body, and the hair that always seemed to be too long. The way he shook it out of his hard hazel eyes was enough to get the wolves sighing over him. They would have been distraught to see his attention so fully on Sabeen.
Sabeen was the daughter of the wannabe warlord Royce Moon, and a scarily talented fighter. It seemed her talents did not end at fighting - she had turned out to be rather gifted at concealing their quarry. Not that her father had noticed.
She was also beautiful. She had short dark and wavy hair that fell haphazardly around her face and accentuated her grey eyes. She was tall and skinny, and If he hadn't already known it he wouldn't have guessed that she was a tiger. Shifters that took the forms of larger animals, like tigers, generally were a little more heavyset in their human forms. Most of the other cat breeds got away with being long and skinny and tigers seemed to be the only exception there.
Sabeen had an uncomfortable sensation on the back of her neck. She hadn't wanted to leave the house she had commandeered for them, but Marie had been insistent. She was certain that Adam and Royce had been the ones behind the message telling them to meet the pack in Royce's old warehouse. Mostly they used it as a safe-house for large groups, so that seemed to fit, but Sabeen wasn't too sure about the rest.
"Marie, hold up, let me go first." Sabeen yelled running across the car park towards her.
"Oh fuck off would you wonder-cat. I want to see Adam, and I can't stand the sight of the kid anymore. Its not a bloody trick. They're a step down from dogs on the evolutionary ladder, they barely have opposable thumbs for crying out loud."
The weeks Sabeen had spent in uncomfortably close company with Marie had clearly not been pleasant ones.
Marcus watched from his alcove as Marie reached the warehouse. One of his wolves opened the door, and hauled her inside. Sabeen mouthed the work 'fuck' and ran faster stopping for a split second at the door.
"Run away kitty-cat. You're not going to like it in there." He urged.
She ignored him and threw open the door, teeth bared like a barbarian queen. He sighed and made his way down to the warehouse floor.
***
Sabeen fought the werewolves surrounding her furiously. She had been assigned as protector by her father to Marie and her brother's baby Anya. So far she was failing miserably. Marie, clutching the child, had been separated from her and was backed into a corner. Her brother, Adam, was the future leader of the Moon Pack and had chosen Marie for his second wife. Their father, the current leader had approved the match. He wanted to use Marie's powerful family history to stabilise their lead against the other warring packs in the territory. Marie was the last known surviving member of the Theris family who had recently led - and almost won - a war against the ruling family the Devon's. Dangerous blood ran through her veins. Sabeen fought without regard for her body. If she failed in protecting Marie the wellbeing of her body was really a moot point. Adam may forgive her eventually, but her father would have her slaughtered - he had his heir and did not need a daughter. "Sabeen, I need help!" Marie screamed.
A quick glance over her shoulder showed her using the child as a shield against the Shifters surrounding her. Sabeen dropped the man in front of her with a strike to his throat and forced her body to accept the first stages of the change into her tiger form. She did not have the time to change the rest of the way, and there were simply too many wolves for her to win. She used her new claws to slash a path towards Marie, her plan centred on securing an escape at least for the woman and child, if not for herself.
Meters from her destination she was tackled by a large stone grey wolf. Sabeen hit the ground hard, twisting to protect herself from the wolves flashing teeth. Instead of the expected attack she found herself looking down the barrel of a gun, held by a very attractive male.
"Oh Fuck." She said quietly to herself as she recognised the grimly attractive features of Marcus Louvre.
"Indeed." Marcus grinned down at her.
"Loose the kitty claws, move slowly to your knees and put your hands above your head Sabeen."
The fact the Marcus knew her name did not bode well for her. Sabeen did as he asked - much to her surprise. She had thought she did not value her life particularly highly, but there it was, the instinct to live overrode the emotional black hole she was beginning to feel like.
Marcus had a reputation of being a cold blooded killer, and if he was here, then there was little chance of any of them getting out alive. Sabeen felt a pang of despair for Anya. She was only nine months old and deserved better than this.
"Marcus Louvre, you have quite the reputation. Isn't your pack situated in the North? What brings you to this area of the woods?" Sabeen kept her voice light, all but ignoring the man binding her hands behind her back. Once he was done he hauled her to her feet. She tested the ropes once then relaxed, knowing that sheer strength wasn't going to get her free.
Marcus took a step closer to her, lowering the gun to his side. He raked the hair back off his forehead and his eyes bored into hers. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Sabeen you know perfectly well why I'm here, and you have a bit of a reputation yourself. It's a well earned one. You've been concealing our quarry for some time now, although somewhat against your better judgement I'm presuming. You are welcome to go free. Marie and the child will not be leaving here." Marcus then turned his attention to his pack.
"Those of you not needed are welcome to make your way back home." He nodded at a big vaguely Spanish looking man.
"Theo you're in charge until Finn can take over. Don't let it go to your head" he growled, only half jokingly.
Most of the wolves left the building. Sabeen noticed a few of the females giving her nasty looks as they went.
Sabeen thought fast. She knew they were hunting the Theris family. But Anya was not Marie's child, she was born from Adam's first mate.
"Marcus, the child has no Theris blood in her. There is no need to kill her. Return her to her family, and it will go some small way towards repairing the hole Marie's death will leave in our pack."
Marie snarled in the corner almost dropping the crying child on the ground.
Marcus sighed glancing back at Sabeen "She may not have any Theris blood in her, but she has been taken in as Marie's child, and she was mentioned in the orders from the council. Don't pretend like you give a shit for that bloodthirsty army you come from. Pack is family, and that sure as hell isn't like any family I've ever had."
Something quite like pity flashed in his eyes and Sabeen instantly hated him for it.
