Once again, a huge thank you to my editor, Archangel_M, for his assistance and friendship.
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Because of my formatting issues, { } denotes italicized text.
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Island of Sardinia - 1052 A.D.
The massive black panther traveled with his Betas through the forests. It had been six days since Erobos had made his demand to take his daughter as his mate. Erobos had given him one week to change his mind and allow the match. But that would not happen!
The panthers made good time to the caves of the werewolves. They stopped at the perimeter, waiting to be greeted by the sentries. Leander recognized Acacio, who had been the second of the previous Alpha.
Leander couldn't imagine what would lead the werewolves to accept Erobos as their Alpha, other than fear. Acacio was gaunt and didn't look well at all. Leander shifted and waited for the wolf to do the same.
Acacio shifted and held up his hand in greeting to the leader of the panthers. "Leander, I welcome you." What else was there to say? He wanted to say "help me destroy my Alpha." But to say it would be to watch his daughter die. But was the life she was leading any better?
He hadn't seen Zosime in three days. She had sent him messages through their bond saying she was well, but he didn't believe her. What had Erobos done to her?
"Is your Alpha present? I have an answer to his ultimatum." Leander knew he might not live to return to his pack. The cubs and pregnant females, along with their mates, had been sent away the day after Erobos had made clear his intentions. Leander would take no chances with their lives. The others had been given the choice of fleeing the island or staying and, most likely, dying. They had chosen to stay. This was their home.
Acacio felt so much older than his three hundred years. As much as he despised his Alpha, he had sworn allegiance and had bonded with Erobos and was bound to follow his orders, no matter what. He shuddered when he thought of what he would be ordered to do today.
{Alpha, the panthers are here.}
Leander watched the Beta carefully and could see his reluctance to communicate with Erobos. He took the moment to speak with his Betas. {We will die this day. Say your farewells to your mates now.}
The panthers moved restlessly, giving their last thoughts to their mates, and readying themselves to fight. They looked up as a flock of birds flew from the nearby trees. What had startled them?
Erobos strode forward, followed by his Betas. The wolves far outnumbered the panthers. Erobos assumed that Leander was here to give his consent to the mating. If so, he would tell Zosime to lead the humans to the wrong location. They would think the monsters had moved on or the girl was daft.
Erobos glanced around the gathered panthers, but no Leona. Perhaps her father wished them to have a formal mating ceremony. That would be expected of an Alpha in any case. He turned his attention to the old werepanther. "So, Leander, have you brought my mate to me?"
"You have no mate, Erobos. You will never see Leona again." Leander clenched his teeth, attempting to hide his apprehension.
"Then the werepanthers will be wiped from this island for eternity. And remember, you could have stopped this, Leander. You could have saved your people. But you are weak. And the weak must die!"
Erobos shifted into the massive monster Leander had seen before. He was stronger than he'd been even one short week before when he'd killed his father. He roared his challenge at the smaller Panther, who stood his ground.
The two animals launched themselves at each other, crashing together and rolling on the ground, saliva and blood spraying around them. The Betas waiting to see who would win could only see brief flashes of teeth and spurts of blood. But whose was it?
The Alphas parted and attacked over and over. The panther tried to ignore the pain as the long teeth of the Dire Wolf tore at his flesh. He knew he was dead already. But he wouldn't give up. He would fight to his last breath. He felt the jaws close on his back, severing his spinal cord. His rear legs went numb and flaccid. This was it. It would be over soon.
The black wolf stood over his foe, paralyzed and bleeding profusely, but still alive. He looked over his shoulder at his Betas. {Kill the panthers, now!}
Erobos watched as the wolves surrounded the outnumbered panthers and took them down, one by one. The Dire Wolf smiled to himself as he looked down at the panther, his sleek, black fur streaked with blood.
He shifted and stood above him as a man. "You have lost, Leander, and I will still find Leona and take her as my mate." He laughed out loud and morphed back into the gigantic beast who leaned down, ripped out the throat of his vanquished foe, and drained the blood from his broken body. He felt the warm tingling again through every inch of his body, to the tip of his tail. When he'd finished, he lifted his head to the sky and howled at the rising moon.
He walked away from the dead panther, reveling in his growing strength. But it still paled in comparison to what he felt when he drank the blood of the Dire Wolves. He would seek them out!
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Sardinia, Italy - Present Day
Seraphina sat on the corner of the Boss' desk, her legs crossed. She leaned across the desk, letting her head lie back, her long blond hair falling to the side, revealing the healing wounds where he had torn open her neck the day before. "Are you going alone?" She spoke in her most alluring tone.
