Running Ember: Wolf Shifters of Norse Lore

Chapter Three

Steffen’s body jitteredas his muscles twitched in pre-run warmup. Tristan’s huge body quivered, too, and his ember pulled at Steffen’s to share in the excitement.

The run on Fyn had been fantastic. This? This was going to be out of this world. This would be the most feral run in Steffen’s life. In all the Alphas’ lives, he surmised.

Looking around, everybody was gathering and preparing for the shift. They stood on the road leading off the island, and the road south had been cleared of traffic. They’d follow that down a fair way, then break off and cross into the wild. Following the road was to give the humans a good opportunity to film, yet they knew there would be cameras stationed here and there along the route, and helicopters would follow them almost non-stop so that the entire run could be shown live. They’d been denied entry to the airspace above the Cubi House, though, so they’d have privacy then.

It was almost noon, and cameras were mounted everywhere around them already, trained on the thousands of naked human forms as the Alphas waited, while reporters talked to their channels’ viewers. V?lsung stalked around in either human or V?lsung form. Sleipnir walked around in their centaur form and aided Cubi and human soldiers in getting their horses ready. Not all of the horses were thrilled at the many excited predators around them, and without Sleipnir’s ability to communicate with them, they’d probably never have gotten the horses to stand still long enough to be saddled and mounted.

In fact, they were the ones the wolves were waiting for.

They’d planned for the run to start at nine in the morning, but it had been easy to move due to the many news people showing up. The decision to delay had partly started in order to give Isbait time to run off and pull a tree root in a little girl’s backyard.

Steffen wouldn’t be bringing anything at all, and he stood as naked as the day he’d been born. Cubi and Sleipnir held some of the Vargr’s valuables like cellphones and wallets, but most everything else had been left on the ferries to be taken home.

Matt, Hati, Geri, and Freki were being interviewed about the run and their expectations, but they weren’t generous with details.

Steffen stood close enough to see that Matt’s eyes were that of the V?lsung, so he was probably eager to just get to the point of them being there. To run. The way he stepped around, yeah, he was eager to run.

“Hey! Can I interview you!” someone shouted. Steffen and Tristan looked around, finally spotting a young man, a big teenager, really, with a digital camera, a microphone, and a t-shirt with a podcast logo on it. He looked around with excitement burning in his young eyes, apparently hoping for any Vargr to step up. “I run a YouTube channel where I talk about Norse Mythology and stuff!”

Tristan chuckled and looked at Steffen.

“Let’s do that.”

An Alpha Bitch was making her way there, so Steffen and Tristan hurried up to join him. The Bitch was the Regional Alphas daughter, Steffen realized, as they made it there, hearing her questions. Where he was from. He’d traveled all the way from Oslo to see the start of the run.

“Straight-up Norse Lore?” Tristan asked. “Or did our revelation shift the focus of your podcast?”

“I always believed it was real, and I’ve been called a conspiracy nut, but I was really just playing with what-ifs.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you mind if we do it in English? My viewers are from all over the world, and a lot are from the States.”

“We can do that,” Steffen said.

“Okay.” The kid got to it, and another stepped up to man the camera, while the Alpha Bitch left them. “I’ll be doing introduction stuff as voice over before we get to this, so can I have your names? I’m Nikolaj.”

“Regional Alpha Tristan of the mid-east region of Jutland and north Fyn, Denmark, and Pack Alpha Steffen of Aarhus, Denmark. We’re Alpha mates.”

“Cool, cool, so how did you come to run with the Alphas of all?”

Tristan chuckled and looked at Steffen for the answer.

“I’m Pack Alpha to Sk?ll and Hati, and Freki rose from my pack. And he’s Sk?ll’s uncle.”

“Holy shit! We struck gold with you two stepping up!” The kid waved off his own comment. “Sorry. It’s clear to see that you’ve recently seen battle. Were you in the battle against V?lsung in the cities in Denmark?”

“No, we were both laid out from the battle that happened the day before at Moesg?rd, but we did aid in the cleanup,” Tristan said.

“How do you feel about running with V?lsung now?”

“Honored,” Steffen said.

“How so?”

“An ember burns for a cause, and those who stand for the same run together. Those whose embers burn for something different aren’t necessarily against us. They just fight for something else that might be equally important to the whole.”

“Look at it like this,” Tristan said. “Is you running a YouTube podcast because you want to become an anchor person at a big news network some day?”

“No, there is no free media left because it’s the same five networks that own everything, and they only show what’s allowed by them.”

“So you’re the free press?”

“Yes, I get to ask the provocative questions. As long as they’re not too controversial for YouTube.”

“So, not free press but provocative press within reason.”

“I don’t see your point.”

“First of all, those five don’t own all western media, but my point is that they follow one philosophy of news. You follow another. Roll it way back to something simpler that’s already known to you. Human society. What do your parents do?”

The kid thought for a moment. “My dad’s a schoolteacher, and my mom’s a nurse.”

“Great example,” Steffen said. “Both are called callings in life.”

“So you mean that they do different things that both contribute to society.”

“Exactly, kid,” Tristan said. “And you provoke thoughts and questions about the known world. The V?lsung running with us share a common goal with us. The V?lsung who attacked in town had a different goal.”

“And we’re honored that they run with us because of the strength they lend to our common goal,” Steffen added.

“They say all adversity teaches us something important about the world and about ourselves. Running with the Alphas of all, what have you learned about the world and yourselves?”

Steffen was impressed by the kid’s question. “I learned that the world runs in cyclical patterns, and I’m not the center of it. Lore functions as markers of previous patterns playing out. If we can remove ourselves from that centrist view, then we may glimpse a bigger world. From not being at the center, it allows us to see what value we can bring to the world from being a part of it and not merely what selfish value we can gain from simply existing in it.”

That answer clearly provoked some thought, and the kid clearly took the opportunity to mull it over.

“Is Ragnarok part of such a cycle? And when do you think it’ll occur?”

“The Late Antique Little Ice Age fits the Fimbulwinter, yet it was caused by a volcanic winter in the year five-thirty-six. Volcanic eruptions are cyclical. Add to that that people mainly write down what’s important to them from their centric viewpoint and that writing rarely survives for long unless etched in stone. Stone can’t be carbon dated, so how old are the writings or temples dug out of the ground, and how much or little of that is interpreted correctly by humans who try to fit facts to a specific worldview?” Steffen played on that one because the kid had already said his channel was visited for conspiratorial content and provocative questions. The smile that spread on his face? Yeah, Steffen had played perfectly into that one.

“Or academically approved views of the past,” the kid said. “Like the age of the Sphinx.”

“Exactly,” Steffen said, except he had no idea what the kid was talking about, considering his focus had always been on Norse Lore, and he didn’t spend a lot of time watching TV. He did know that several stones in the North had been too controversial to make it into textbooks. Even Steffen’s dad hadn’t held all the answers, but he’d been fascinated by them. All that really tied them to Norse Lore was the mention of a rainbow and a flat earth placed in a multi-world idea like the nine realms connected by the tree Yggdrasil. And mentions of the god Heimdal.

“Alphas! We shade, then we run!” Matt shouted.

Embers fired up and roars started up, urging Steffen and Tristan to shift and join in.

The kid and his cameraman didn’t back up. Instead, they stared in rapt attention, smiling and filming. “I so want to interview you when we have a lot more time,” the kid said, once the roaring died down and shade exploded from Sk?ll. “Can I, please?”

“You travel to get your footage, right?” Steffen asked.

“Yes.”

“Go to Brussels. Meet us there.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Alpha.” Steffen winked at the kid. “Yes, Alpha.”

The kid grinned. “Yes, Alpha.”

Steffen and Tristan returned to their spots as some of the first runners after the Alphas of all.

“Interesting spin you put on that,” Tristan said.

“Questioning dualistic dogma might be the best remedy for a polarized world, and I hope it plays into how the young King works, considering he’s using dancing and influencers to bypass mainstream narratives like the kid is trying to do.”

“Good thought. Let’s remember to tell Daniel about it once he calls in. I’ll let my fathers know we need to tell him something, too.”

Steffen nodded. “Wonder how many subscribers he has.”

Tristan chuckled. “Well, that interview will hopefully gain him a few more.”

The shading fell, and the excitement of the running bond rose, firing them up even more. The horses neighed and stepped around, and Isbait kicked the ground twice. His body quivered, and the color of molten lava stepped forward on his gray skin and up his humanoid torso.

The Alphas of all set off, and the power of their pull thumped so hard in Steffen’s chest that he almost lost his breath. But his body shot into motion, and he fell to all fours to follow.

Life coursed through his veins, and the pull kept thumping in his chest as the Alphas of all put out the call for all to follow. The running bond grew stronger, and more and more embers joined in and clashed with his and Tristan’s.

It occurred to him that he could feel the mate bonds of the other Alpha mates clash, adding to the thumping and the strength of the bond. This power was what the Warlord in Sk?ll had gained full control over by Matt merging his human, Vargr, and V?lsung side.

It felt amazing, and as the hard sprint from the starting line slowly lowered to a constant running speed, the strong pull and embers bonding kept fueling the stubbornness that was the core of an Alpha to keep going as the first wall of tiredness set in.

That initial sprint had felt awesome. Being all fired up like that. The run on Fyn had felt like that for all nine hours, yet as they broke off from the main road two hours later and crossed into the vastness of the wilderness of Norway, that initial excitement soon tapered off, leaving only the insane distance ahead.

This was where their embers needed to pull the hardest and where they dug deeper for the determination to keep going. Where the stupid stubbornness of Alphas to keep going for their packs would raise their embers, and the feel of so many agreeing with their own gave them strength as all that was left was the run, the heat inside, the growing pain in their straining muscles, and the rhythmic sound of paws and hooves against the ground. The need for that stubbornness would only grow as they put more and more distance behind them and taxed their bodies, minds, and determination to the breaking point.

Some would fall to the wayside, others would prove themselves strong enough to stand with the Alphas of all at the end because there was no way the power of their embers wouldn’t carry them the entire distance. The same went for humans, Cubi, and Sleipnir. This was the run for glory and the honor to have their names remembered by history. In Steffen’s case, this was where he earned Rolf’s trust for not leaving his pup’s side, like he’d promised that fateful day he’d ducked to the Beta he’d wrongfully lowered to Omega.

Soon, they’d have to take a break because Tristan felt worried. More than Steffen, but he, too, had a bond to the Beta racing to stay on his lover’s heels. Rasmus was not made for this run, but he kept up.

The horses would need rest, too, not to mention the humans on their backs. And the Cubi King and Guards needed to feed.

Isbait ran ahead and threw out an arm to the left, and Geri took the pack that way.

Ten minutes later, they slowed down. A big plain, shielded by trees, opened up. The scent of fresh water drew Steffen’s attention to how parched he felt. The line to get to the water was manageable, and by the time he got back, Rasmus had been joined by Klaes, his Alpha mate Silas, Torben, and Thyra.

Steffen and Tristan went to plop down on the ground near them. “You okay, pup?”

“Running with Alphas.” Rasmus smiled tiredly. “That’s insane.”

Tristan chuckled.

“You’re doing well, brother,” Torben said.

Shading took over, offering them some coolness. Imagine that. Steffen could appreciate shading.

Warlord Sk?ll, Hati, and Freki came over, and Sk?ll licked Rasmus’ neck. Then he looked off into the distance, and his eyes turned dusty blue. “Thyra, can you estimate the running time to the House?”

“Three and a half hours at a regular horse’s trot.”

Sk?ll looked at Rasmus. “The horses need an hour’s rest, and we’ll slow down for the last stretch of the day.”

“Good.”

“Vargr and Sleipnir can run far harder and longer than regular horses.”

“I know, I know,” Rasmus grumbled. “I should run with the Cubi and humans as they cut straight across instead. Have camp ready for the Alphas when you come in.”

“Like we said, son, it’s up to you,” Klaes said.

“And I was the stubborn one saying I could do it.” Rasmus sounded disheartened by admitting that the Alpha run was too much. Without an ember, only loyalty to the Alphas pulling him made him go so hard, and Steffen was proud of his pack member.

“Run with us some of the times, but not every time,” Sk?ll said.

“Yeah, this run is stupidly far with a tight schedule, even for Alphas,” Freki said.

“And unmated Alphas feel like you, brother, trust me,” Torben added.

“Really?” Freki asked. “I’ll just go investigate that.” Freki walked off.

Thorleif came over. “Warlord. The King asked for a hunting party to break off on our way to the House to bring meat for us. Half an hour early or so. Who do you want to go on the hunt?”

“Five V?lsung. I’ll have to be present as we knock on that door, so...”

“I’d like to remain with you,” Thorleif said.

“Why?”

“Because I’m the biggest and thus not one they’d favor arriving last. Surprise could be negative, I imagine.”

Steffen chuckled. The big guy had a point.

“Good thinking,” Sk?ll said. “Put Henning on it.”

“Yes, Warlord.” Thorleif walked off again, crossing paths with Geri.

“Jack, Mikael, and I counted the new Alphas we pulled up here,” Geri said.

“Already?” Tristan asked.

“Eight Alphas, two of them Geri Freki. Both are now mated to someone in the war bond.”

“We have Alphas coming in from that direction.” Thyra pointed.

“ETA?” Sk?ll looked that way with dusty eyes.

“What teases your senses, my pup?”

“I have trouble sensing distance when I run in shadow.” He turned and looked another way. “But I can tell we have a three-day run to that shade.” Sk?ll pointed to where Steffen remembered them saying Thorleif’s mom’s pack was located. Going knocking at a V?lsung pack’s front door was not something Steffen looked forward to.

“Any thoughts on the shadows running with us?” Thyra asked.

Steffen jerked up.

“They seem curious at best,” Sk?ll mumbled. “No V?lsung feels challenged by their presence, but I have to admit I’m surprised at how many run up here.”

“The shadow wolves?” Steffen asked.

“Yes.” Sk?ll looked at him. “I’ve seen one or two in Denmark, keeping distance. Up here, a good handful have run with us for a while.”

Steffen glanced at Tristan, who merely shrugged. He felt uneasy, too, but not enough to upset Steffen.

“Only V?lsung see them in shade, it seems,” Thyra said. “That would make sense, considering they are of the shadows.”

“I see them, too,” Hati said. “Must be because I see them through Sk?ll’s senses, but it’s only out of the corner of my eye. If I look for them, they blur into the surroundings.”

“But they’re not hostile?” Rasmus asked. “Are we...imposing on their territory?”

“No,” Sk?ll said. “I feel quite calm around them on an instinctual level. They are not a threat. In fact, I trust them.”

Sk?ll’s comment left Steffen feeling less worried about the news of the unknown kind of wolves following them. His attention went to the sound of a chopper closing in. Probably one with cameras to check on their run. The other chopper had left them fifteen minutes earlier. Maybe to refuel.

Freki returned. “So, yeah, single Alphas rate the difficulties of the run higher than the mated Alphas.”

Sk?ll grunted but said nothing. “We run in ten minutes.”

Rasmus pulled himself up. “Okay.”

“Need a horse?” Freki asked.

Rasmus growled ferally and turned to face the provocative Alpha.

“Save your strength, pup, and channel that anger into proving him wrong,” Tristan said.

“Yes, Uncle,” Rasmus grumbled, still glaring at Freki.

Steffen got to his feet. “Stick with us, Rasmus.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Sk?ll licked Rasmus’ ear and walked off with Hati and Freki. Steffen smiled because the full merge of the three sides of Matt left even the V?lsung form tending to the lovers’ bond. If he hadn’t been able to tend to Rasmus like that, considering how much Matt had to be in that huge and sometimes unpleasant personality form, their love probably wouldn’t survive the run. Witnessing this level of affection toward the Beta, even in the Warlord form, calmed Steffen. He and Tristan had prepared to be there far more for Rasmus as their love would otherwise have been put to a serious test.

The shading fell.

“We run!” Sk?ll shouted. An ember pull got everybody to their feet, and Steffen and Tristan boxed Rasmus in between them.

Steffen was sure he’d sleep like the dead that evening.

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THE SUN STILL RODEhigh in the sky as they exited a big forest and headed up a rocky slope. Nol-Elakdon galloped past them and up the slope with Randr and ten Guards with golden flags whipping in the wind.

As Steffen made it over the top, a huge estate, looking like a hotel, popped up by a fjord. Smaller houses were spread out on either side and behind the huge structure, and lots of people walked around the place but stopped and looked their way as the thousands of wolves spilled over the ridge and ran toward the area.

The flags had the King’s crest on them, and the Cubi were apparently awaiting his arrival because they cheered and ran around, making everything look like a suddenly busy anthill from that distance.

They closed in fast, and Elakdon had only just dismounted his horse and kissed a woman on the lips before the Alphas of all slowed down and trotted to meet up with them.

Steffen and Tristan were among the first fifty, and Rasmus staggered onto the grass and collapsed, heaving for breath.

V?lsung spread out in a circle to guard the perimeter, apparently not intending to say hello, except for Thorleif, who stepped up to Sk?ll, who was luckily in his Vargr form. Insecurity hung as a dense aftertaste in the air, even when the primordial enemy came with their King.

Showing Elakdon honor won out, though, and the beautiful Lady stepped forward. “Welcome to my House, allies of my King, Nol-Elakdon. I’m High Mother Aradin. We’ve expected you and hunted extra meat.”

The Alphas of all took point and introduced themselves, mentioning the numbers arriving. That put a baffled expression on the Succubus’ face, and she stretched to peer toward the top of the ridge. Steffen glanced that way, and wolves and horses were still spilling over it, while the huge forms of V?lsung broke from the line and spread out to find their posts to guard the House and everybody there.

They didn’t move with the same grace and choreographed fluidity as the Cubi Guards, but they looked formidable all the same.

“My second Warlord, Thorleif,” Sk?ll said.

“V?lsung seek hospitality, and we bring meat for your House. A House we will protect while we’re here.”

“Thank you,” the House Mother said.

Elakdon put an arm around her shoulder. “Now, a lot of these Alphas already know that Cubi can throw a mean party. They’re running, though, so that’s not in the cards. The good news is that there are single Vargr among them who’d love to introduce new Cubi to the knot or the feral intensity of a Bitch’s attention. And human soldiers.”

High Mother Aradin looked at Elakdon with a small smile playing on her lips. “Better start those grills then, huh.”

Just the mention of food made Steffen’s mouth water, and the added saliva helped his dry airways a bit. The sound of the fjord beckoned. He wasn’t the first to think about that, though, and several Alphas had already ventured there to quench their thirst.

“Paddy!” Elakdon waved Tristan closer. Tristan scooped an arm around Steffen and marched them over to join his Cubi fathers and the Succubus, while Sk?ll shifted to his Warlord form and left with Hati and Thorleif. “My feral son, Tristan.”

“I finally get to meet you.” She greeted Tristan with a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve heard so much about you in letters.”

“Does that include how you got the pet name Paddy?” Freki asked. “Because I don’t think I ever heard that tale.”

“It’s short for pup adli,” Elakdon said. “Once my son Harrodon had been born to be Tristan’s Cubi brother, he botched that to publi, padli, pudli, and so on, so Randr came up with the brilliant halfway word the cub could pronounce, which was Paddy. It stuck.”

Steffen hadn’t known how Tristan had gotten the pet name, but he’d heard it many times, considering Thyra also used it. He was still sad that their separation had meant the Cubi had to remain a secret from even him, so he’d only heard tales of two men, close with Thyra, who’d been a great influence in Tristan’s life growing up. At least Tristan had promised that there were no more secrets like that.

Rasmus cried out, so Steffen turned to see Torben and Klaes hauling the struggling Beta to the fjord, laughing, while Silas jumped around.

“Let’s go throw Klaes and Torben in, too,” Tristan whispered to Steffen.

“Okay.”

Just as the mean brother and father had hauled Rasmus to the edge and tossed him in, Steffen and Tristan sprinted to the edge of the fjord and pushed Klaes and Torben in, too.

Silas laughed loudly but stopped immediately when Tristan and Steffen turned to look at him. “Shit!” He decided to follow his mate into the water on his own accord, making Steffen and Tristan laugh.

“That water actually looks like heaven after that run,” Steffen said.

“You’re right, it does.” Tristan grabbed Steffen, lifted him up into his arms, and stormed into the water after the others.

If they had enough energy to horse around and play in the water, the run hadn’t been too taxing. But it was the first day so that was bound to change. In the meantime, Steffen would enjoy the hell out of it.

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THAT EVENING, FIFTYor so Alphas and the human soldiers joined the Cubi in a grand hall made for Cubi partying. The most elaborate bunkbed system Steffen had ever seen ran all along the sides of the room, making up small enclosures with beds. The humans and traveling Cubi had each been given one of those tiny rooms, while the Vargr would sleep outside around the bonfires like they had in Elakdon’s backyard.

Sk?ll, Hati, and Rasmus were the only ones who weren’t present as the Warlord was outside, shading, but he’d join them as soon as the V?lsung had stalked their territory.

Rasmus had been majorly popular with the cubs as he’d handed out his winnings, which Alpha Stallion Bjark had carried there in bags over his back. Rasmus had since set up competitions with Hati and a few Guards, who would apparently be spotting Guard potential to be kept an eye on as the cubs grew up.

In the meantime, they chatted, listened to live music, and ate from the piles of steak from all sorts of wildlife. Elakdon mingled with his people, while Randr sat with Tristan and Steffen. Whether he was camouflaged to the Cubi, Steffen didn’t know, but he’d been warned that that could be the case due to his scars. Apparently, Daniel had given his own people a not-so-subtle verbal rebuttal for it, yet it hadn’t made it to the other Kingdoms yet.

“Haven’t had meat like this for years,” General Madsen said, forking another elk steak onto his plate. The human would be rolling from being so stuffed if he kept it up. “When I was younger, me and a few guys used to go bow hunting in Sweden and Poland. Wild boar, mostly. That’s good meat, too.”

Tristan chuckled. “You fit right in with Vargr, huh?”

“His appetite certainly does,” Steffen said.

“Does it fit in a Cubi House, too?”

The general looked around, chewing and savoring his meal. “I seriously shouldn’t, but...” He looked at them. “Anything else would be rude. If I’m pretty enough, at least.”

“Guards might think so,” Randr said. General Madsen’s perplexed expression let Steffen know that the scarred Cubus sat camouflaged with them. “The Guards of the Viking King’s Kingdom see our scars differently. Warriors in general.”

“Grand Sire Randr?”

“Yes. The younger Cubi are not accustomed to the sight of me, so I stay hidden.”

Tristan moved around a bit so that he could take Randr’s hand without letting go of Steffen. “Since Father will be busy with his people tonight, sleep with me and Steffen.”

“We’ll feed you,” Steffen said.

Randr smiled at Steffen, while Tristan winked at him, flashing his sexy-times smile.

“I’ll be open to feeding a Guard Lady, yes,” General Madsen said.

“Go tell a Guard, and they’ll let the word spread,” Randr said. “Give your room number, too, in case none of them manage to catch you before you retire for the evening. Their shifts may delay them.”

“Yes, Grand Sire.”

Sk?ll, Hati, and Rasmus came in and joined them around the fire, and Sk?ll groaned from hunger as he plopped down and grabbed a huge chunk of elk. “Fantastic.”

“Alpha Sk?ll, Alpha Hati.” A Guard came over. “We were only waiting for you before the call to Nol-Beaudon.”

Sk?ll paused his chewing, while Hati halted just shy of shoving his steak into his mouth.

Tristan chuckled. “It’ll take five minutes to get Father’s attention away from that sweet-looking young Incubus anyway, so eat. Also, Steffen and I need to be on that call at some point because we have information regarding his social media offense.”

“Yes, Alpha.” The Guard left again, and the two Alpha pups continued eating.

Steffen really didn’t want to bother with screens or phone calls more than he already had. He’d chatted briefly with Tanja, Sanne, and Patina, listening to grunts from the newborn pups, considering even just having given birth didn’t make the Warlord Bitch hand over responsibility.

Nothing exciting was happening at the pack, but everybody missed them, and the live footage of the run was on the big screen in the communal building twenty-four-seven.

Steffen just wanted to go lounge around a fire with his mate. And bond with Randr. The Alphas of all had to stay inside to build trust and cooperation with the House Mother, though, so that they could help Elakdon prepare his people for when they’d be revealed. The House Mother had smelled increasingly nervous after that bomb fell, letting Steffen understand Elakdon’s rising nervousness at the revelation of the sibling races even better.

Tristan tightened his grip around Steffen. “What bothers you?”

“Screen time.”

Tristan chuckled. “You don’t have to tell the young King. I can do that, and you stay here with Randr and make sure no one trips over his invisible form.”

“Deal.” Steffen turned and kissed his understanding mate.

The Guard finally managed to pry Elakdon away from the Incubus he’d been chatting up, so Tristan gave Steffen a quick kiss on the cheek and rose along with Sk?ll and Hati.

“How did the cub games go?” Steffen asked Rasmus.

“That was fun. They’re little whirlwinds, and one of them definitely has a knack for throwing things.” Rasmus kept going, telling them about the different games they’d set up, and Steffen relaxed near Randr and helped himself to more elk.

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THE SUN HAD FAR FROMset before the Cubi started hauling people to beds, and Elakdon had rolled out of one three times to go seduce a few more. Everybody wanting his attention got it, but not all were hauled off to the biggest enclosure. It made sense that that would be his, considering he hauled two or three with him at a time.

“I think it’s time we go join the fires,” Tristan said.

Steffen looked up but followed Tristan’s gaze as it shot toward Randr. The hiding Incubus scratched at his arm. Hunger itch. “Yeah, let’s do that.” Steffen reached over Tristan and stroked Randr’s thigh, immediately getting pinned by a dark green eye. Steffen flashed a smile. Oh, he was hungry alright, and Steffen looked forward to hopefully feeling that skilled mouth on him.

Loud retching sounded a moment before all Guards stormed across the room. A foul stench spread in the room, but it wasn’t only the scent of barf that satiated the air.

Randr hurried to his feet and followed them. “Move! Get me to my King!”

He definitely wasn’t invisible now as he pushed his way through the confused people stopping everywhere. Even the music stopped.

“Randr!” Elakdon shouted, but it sounded so pained. “Lover, dose me, please! Dose me.”

Guards moved people aside, and one led a confused and naked young Incubus away, not answering the insistent questions about what had happened.

“Shit,” Tristan mumbled, staring in shock at the end where the retching still sounded.

“What is it?”

“Father found a foul dose.”

“What does that mean?”

Tristan looked at Steffen with worry. “It means the party’s over.”

“Paddy! Go check that dose!” Randr shouted.

“Yes, Father!” Tristan grabbed a glass from the table and stalked out of the hall, and Steffen followed swiftly. Tristan sniffed his way to where a Guard stood with a very upset red-eye, who kept asking what happened to the King and whether Nol-Elakdon was alright. It sounded like he thought the King had choked on his dose. Tristan walked up to them and held out the glass. “Dose in this for me.”

“Why?” the Incubus asked, puzzled, reaching for the glass.

“So I can smell it.”

Still puzzled, the Incubus put the glass to his open mouth, and about a spoonful of reddish liquid ran into it. Steffen caught a whiff of something bad, and he recognized it as what had lingered above the scent of vomit in the hall.

Tristan growled at it but smelled the contents several times, focusing as if trying to catch subtle notes of something. He held the glass to Steffen, who moved back. “Smell it and tell me what emotion it invokes in you.”

“From here, I’m angry and want to kick ass.”

“Yes, but...why.”

Steffen grumbled and stepped closer to sniff the rancid liquid. Fierce protectiveness rose along with fear and a sense of powerlessness.

“What does it mean?” the Incubus asked, looking from one to the other, worried.

Tristan sighed and poured the dose onto the grass. “It means you can feed on sour energy.”

“What?” It looked like realization hit the Incubus, and fear rose.

“We need a list of all humans in the House you remember having fed on, dosed and undosed,” the Guard said.

The Incubus scratched his head in frustration. “Uhm...”

“I’ll go check on Father. Guard, do you need a second?”

“I will be that second.” A Warlord in full V?lsung form walked closer.

“You can be dosed, Warlord, and Cubi can use that dosed lust to distract a prison guard in order to escape,” the Guard said.

The V?lsung smiled at the Incubus, and the smile almost made Steffen shudder. He still didn’t like their smiles as they often looked sardonic. “Yes, but I volunteer since I’m attracted to the Incubus. He’d definitely prefer me not to be dosed, since he might not enjoy how V?lsung claim what they like...”

A new kind of fear rose in the Incubus, and Steffen understood why. This time, the V?lsung Warlord had intended the sardonic smile and tone, it seemed, and it worked.

“I appreciate your backup, Warlord,” the Guard said. “Now, let’s compile that list of human names.”

Tristan put an arm around Steffen and led him back to the hall.

“What will happen to the Incubus?” Steffen asked as they rounded the house.

“The last one...” Tristan slowed down before they made it to the doors where Cubi ran in and out, disturbed by the evolution of the festivities that it was being visited by their King. “Father had to kill him.” Worry tugged at their mate bond, and Steffen stepped in to offer up what support he could as Tristan worried for his father. “With the revelation of the Cubi so close, I can’t imagine another fate for this one, either, even though he seems utterly ignorant about it.”

“Sour energy is...”

“Rape energy.”

Steffen grumbled, sad he was remembering right, but he understood what Tristan meant about the Incubus being seemingly ignorant about it. But he hadn’t denied it, either. Either way, Steffen understood Tristan’s worry on many levels. For Elakdon, for the Cubi people in general, and for humans who might have been harmed that way.