14 comments/ 8293 views/ 13 favorites Tatiana's Right Ch. 01 By: Reinhart Prologue I stood in the shade of the trees, looking out into the valley below me. Behind me, the main cave entrance to the den carved into the side of a mountain. With a deep sigh, I walked down the steep slope, down into the gorge for a quick walk through the forest that I knew so well. I took the trail that I hadn't used in so long that twisted on a scenic route to the river. The sun peaked through the branches high above, speckling the ground with the early morning light. Finally, I arrived at the wide river and sat on a rock, enjoying the view. It wasn't more than ten minutes before my advanced hearing picked up a twig snapping and a childish shush. Without turning, I smiled to myself. Though well concealed, my pursuers had made the mistake of standing upwind and allowing me to sniff them out easily. "Anne Marie, Toby, Hannah and everyone behind that bush better come out and give me a proper welcome," I called out, my voice tinged with amusement. These pups would give me a heart attack when they were older, getting into worse trouble than this. High-pitched laughter and shouts met my demand and five children came running. The oldest was Anne Marie, at ten years old. She was a beautiful little girl, with chestnut curls, light freckles and bright hazel eyes. Next were the twins, Hannah and Toby who were nine. Both had their father's flaxen hair, but their mother's dark eyes and fair skin. Then I saw little Jase who had just turned eight. He was an exact copy of his father with his dark hair and olive skin, but still had the haunting green eyes of his mother and her father before her. Last but not least, my darling Isabeau. My favorite. Her eyes were the color of melted chocolate, and her midnight hair hung in ringlets down to her waist. She was only six, but all the trouble of each of her companions combined. "Nana, Nana!" Hannah giggled as she ran to me and clung to my leg. She grinned up at me with her adorable dimples. Jase was right behind her, pulling on my hand to get my attention. "We watched some of the hunters bring down a deer in the woods! Dad said that I could have one of the antlers to keep in my room!" he exclaimed. His face was bright with excitement. It went on like that for a while, each of my grandchildren eagerly telling me the events of their morning in the vivid detail that only young children find important. Isabeau sat on my lap as the children played in the river. Suddenly, she looked up at me with her big eyes. "Nana, Mum took me to town yesterday and I met a girl named Jane and she was with her nana and her nana was way older than you," she said looking confused. "Well, Izzy, was this Jane girl human?" I asked patiently. Before he had mated my daughter, Isabeau's father had been a human. It was natural for children Izzy's age to start asking these kinds of questions. Izzy nodded and I sighed, moving her to my other leg. "Alright. Isabeau, we are not like humans and you know that. We age much, much slower than them. Once we get as old as we need to be, we stop looking older. We look young even though we get old," I told her as she looked up at me solemnly. "Mum said that everyone has to die at some point. Will you die too?" Isabeau asked with a frown. I laughed and kissed her on the head. "Yes, dear one. Everyone dies eventually. Even you and I." Isabeau nodded and slipped off of my lap. "I think it's time you all headed back to the den. I came out here to get some alone time and I'm sure that your parents don't know that you're all out here." As soon as I mentioned their parents, all of my grandchildren bolted for the den. I chuckled and went to the river, taking off my boots and stepping into the cool water with my bare feet. The smell of the forest and the feel of water and sand beneath my feet was invigorating. So much better than being stuck in the den for so long. My children worried about me too much. Of course, who could blame them. I was getting old. My time in this world was coming to an end, and to be perfectly honest the thought brought on a feeling of relief as well as a little bit of sadness. I would miss my family. My pack. I had worked so hard to lead and serve them. As the Dowager Alpha Female of one of the most powerful werewolf packs in the western hemisphere, it had been my responsibility to provide for my pack and ensure that the humans of North America never discovered our secrets. When I resigned I passed on my title and responsibilities to my eldest child, Luke. He now protected our pack lands from rogues, invaders and any other threat to our family. Our territory spanned from Canada to the bottom corner of California to South Carolina, the borders guarded by patrols of ten to fifteen thetas. I looked down into the creek and saw my reflection in the lazy river water. The woman that looked back at me looked like a human in her late forties, with lines around her eyes and mouth as well as a scar that ran from her temple to the corner of her jaw. Her once-raven colored hair was now completely white. However her eyes were still bright and the color of dark chocolate. With a wistful look at my reflection, I turned away. My life had been rough, but I was proud of who it made me out to be. I am Tatiana Dubois, daughter of the Werewolf King Filipe of Spain, widowed mate to Leonardo de Dubois and this is my story. ------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter 1 Tatiana paced her room nervously, every once in a while looking at the clock on the wall of the room. She was in her father's office waiting for him to return from the meeting with the pack council. In the next few minutes, her life would be changed for the better or for the worst. In a matter of minutes she could be betrothed to one of the sons of a pack as part of a peace treaty, or she could be free to live without a mate and inherit her father's pack as rightful heir. Pft. As if. There hadn't been a ruling female alpha in the last four hundred years. She started when the door to the office burst open to reveal her father and two of his most trusted betas flanking him. His name was Filipe, a former prince of Spain before he was cast out after being turned by a rogue wolf. Though he was still viewed as one of the most powerful leaders in the Were community, Tatiana's father was aging. His hair was dark brown streaked with grey and his beard was a salt-and-pepper color. In contrast with his forever-young face, his eyes showed the wisdom of a hardened leader. He wore a black suit and tie as well as a white shirt and dress shoes today for the special occasion. His skin was extremely tan from the years of running wild. "Well?" Tatiana demanded. Her brow was furrowed in worry and her hands were crossed over her chest. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say the words. That he had sold her to another wolf at the price of a little peace on our borders. Filipe winced at her tone and motioned for her to sit in one of the wooden office chairs. Stubbornly, Tatiana placed her hands on her hips and remained standing. This caused her father to sigh and collapse into the chair at his desk tiredly. "The council was adamant about you being mated to one of the sons of James Larson's pack, but I would not allow it. We are already allies and it would be a waste. We argued for several hours before we came to an agreement on mating you to Alexander Gavroche-" he gave a warning look at Tatiana's outraged gasp. She'd met Gavroche before and didn't care to repeat that mistake. "-but then the one council member who disagreed remembered one ancient and important loophole. If the woman being betrothed as a peace offering to another pack is the first born of an Alpha, then she has the right to fight for her own hand against those who wish to mate her. If she is victorious in each challenge, then she may rule the pack as the sole Alpha in her predecessor's place when the time comes. No other female who has accepted this challenge has ever gone undefeated," her father warned. Tatiana stood speechless for a moment before a giant grin broke out on her face. She was the fiercest warrior in the entire pack. No one had beaten her in the training rings or Challenger's Circle in the past twenty years. Though she was well over fifty years old, Tatiana didn't look a day over twenty-two. Her strait, raven black mane was currently pulled back in a tight pony tail and she wore thick, black leggings tucked into combat boots. She wore a skin-tight shirt that was a dark green color, covered by a black leather vest. Her skin was tanned to a light brown and a small smattering of freckles dusted over the bridge of her nose. "I accept this challenge. Whoever challenges me will learn the meaning of challenging a true and rightful Alpha," Tatiana swore. Suddenly she could feel the presence of the pack. They were gathered below the balcony that led outside. It was time for her to announce her decision. With a respectful nod to Filipe, she marched out to the balcony and spread her arms in acceptance of the cheers and howls that met her arrival. "Pack of Filipe Ramirez, the council, my father and I have made our decision. Rather than be sold off to one of our enemy packs hoping that we gain a little peace..." This was met with much booing and snarls. No one in the pack wanted to sell off their alpha's daughter. "I have decided to make a challenge known to any male who dares to try and claim me. I will fight to make this pack my own. So those who believe that they have what it takes to defeat me and take their prize, step forward. I'll fight every one of you until I am victorious and the leading Alpha of this great pack." At the end of her speech, several males her age and older stepped forward to meet the challenge. Tatiana wasn't surprised to see Damien, an old time friend of hers, with the group. She also wasn't surprised to see some of the older betas in the group taking the challenge as an opportunity to go up in rank. Within a few days many males from packs all over the world would come. And Tatiana would be ready. "Let the games begin!" she screamed, throwing her fists up in the air to the howls and cheers from the crowds below. ------------------- Thank you so much for reading! This is my first submission and I hope that you all enjoyed it. I know there weren't any sexy scenes yet, but they will come! Comment below for what you liked or didn't like. xoxox -Reinhart Tatiana's Right Ch. 02 Tatiana's reputation was spread all over the country by the end of the week. By the end of three weeks the entire world of hidden species was buzzing with the news of her. Alpha Ramirez had been known to be merciful to his challengers, but Tatiana didn't appear to be anything like her father. If she succeeded in her challenges, she would not only be known as one of the first and only lone female alphas but also as the most ferocious and merciless. Many wolves had been so angry about their defeat went as far as to attack her after they were beaten. Those dishonorable attacks stopped immediately after a horrific incident. Rumor said that one wolf had tried to attack and rape her when she went for a walk in the forest. His body was found in front of the door to his alpha's rooms completely mangled. After Tatiana completed her challenges on one day she went to her rooms for a well deserved shower and nap. The wolves she had fought that day had outweighed her exponentially and she had almost lost to one brute near the end. When she got to her room, she went to the bathroom and stripped. What she saw in the mirror was a young woman covered in head to toe in dirt and raven hair a tangled mess on her head. She had a split lip that had just started to heal and a black eye. The rest of her body was covered in cuts and bruises under a layer of grime and sweat. Bits of rock were imbedded in her hands and feet from where she had caught herself falling or landed on her feet after being thrown. Her lean muscles were screaming from the seemingly endless challenges, but she was proud of herself. No one had expected her to get so far and the last few challenges would be finished the next day. Unfortunately, these would be the hardest. Now she would be fighting the alpha heirs of the fiercest packs existing. They would have the same training as her as well as have the advantage of size and strength. Tatiana would be forced to rely on her agility and use her cunning in these upcoming fights. With a tired sigh Tatiana turned on her shower and stepped into the hot water. A growl rumbled in her chest when the cuts on her body came in contact with the steaming liquid. She quickly washed her body and hair, then stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. When dry she climbed into bed wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and drifted to sleep immediately. Her dreams were strange, full of blurry images and the feeling of running in the forest. And a voice. A deep, masculine voice haunted her, followed her throughout her dreams. A blurry face there, a laugh here, a howl echoing in the distance. Finally a pair of brilliant eyes so dark that they were almost black, and so intelligent that they pierced her soul. Tatiana jerked awake and was immediately aware of the wetness between her legs and her wolf howling with need. Instead of giving in to the need to howl for the male in her dreams, Tatiana snarled and jumped out of bed to get dressed. Beating down some of the cocky males who thought they could claim her sounded like a wonderful idea. She dressed in a black sports bra, black yoga pants and running shoes, then pulled her hair back into a tight pony tail. She ran out into the clearing and howled to the rising morning sun. Within minutes almost the entire collection of wolves staying at the pack's den were surrounding the clearing and her opponent faced her. He was an ugly brute, with matted blonde hair and large freckles. He was overly muscled and was missing one of his front teeth. She noticed that his nose was crooked where it hadn't healed right after being broken. Rather than waiting for the barreling attack like she usually did, Tatiana surprised everyone by leaping at the huge Were with a battle cry that was echoed by her supporters. The man immediately shifted into his hybrid form of half wolf, half man and leapt forward to meet her. Tatiana kicked him in the jaw before spinning in the air and landing lightly on her feet. With a below of anger the male charged at her again on two feet. Tatiana shifted into her hybrid form as well and dodged him, raking her claws down his back as he passed her. At the same time, they both shifted into their full wolf forms. A lithe grey-black wolf facing off with a huge muddy brown wolf. They clashed in a knot of snarls, claws and gnashing teeth. When they separated the lithe wolf had a deep gouge in her side and the brute bore several bite marks on his face and some fur hung in shreds on his shoulder. When they met for the final time, in a matter of seconds Tatiana had tripped up the giant and gotten her jaws around his neck. The cheering and howls was deafening and the defeated wolf limped out of the ring to treat his wounds. Three wolves backed down from their challenges after that fight. Tatiana won five more fights before the entire clearing went silent. Confused, Tatiana shifted into her human form and faced the crowd. The mass of bodies had opened to reveal a man standing with three large Betas behind him. Immediately Tatiana's wolf whined and instinct told her to submit to this creature. Alarmed at the new feeling of vulnerability, she bared her teeth at the newcomer. "Speak. Let us all know who has blessed us with their presence," she ground out while barely managing not to drop to her knees and expose her neck to the man. He stood at about 6'5 and had dark, wavy hair that fell just below his ears. His skin was a dark caramel color and he had an arabic look to him. His five o'clock shadow covered his strong jaw and Tatiana noticed how full his lips were. Dark brows slashed over his familiar dark eyes that unsettled Tatiana even further. He was dressed in an obviously tailored black suit that practically smelled like money and the shirt he wore underneath was crisp and clean. "I am Amir Dubois, son of Alpha Alexandre Dubois of France and Madame Alpha Aziza Dubois of Saudi Arabia," his baritone voice said. There were gasps from the surrounding wolves. Amir Dubois was the nightmare of the eastern hemisphere. No wolf dared to challenge his position in the pack for fear of their lives. Legendary stories were told to pups about the great wars that the Dubois pack led and their seemingly endless victories. Amir himself had led several battles to victory and his pack's territory now spanned from the Middle East into Northern Africa. The wolves of conquered packs who refused to join his pack were immediately killed. However one flaw to his pack was that it had very few females. Few females meant few pups. Tatiana kept her poker face although her wolf was howling inside of her. Never had the fierce woman felt so at odds with her inner self. She took a deep breath and looked the powerful wolf in the eye. "Have you come to challenge me for my pack?" she growled. A snarl escaped her lips when he nodded and she lunged forward to attack. The crowds screamed and cheered as the battle began with Amir's first block. "You certainly don't give a guy a lot of time to get ready," he said calmly as he eyed the unpredictable she-wolf circling him. With a sly smile that nearly took Tatiana's breath away he slipped out of his coat and unbuttoned his shirt. "Perhaps we should do this the traditional way? As wolves?" He didn't even flinch when Tatiana shifted into an extremely pissed off wolf. Instead Amir only nodded and shifted into a giant sand-colored wolf, easily dwarfing her. He wasn't overly muscular, rather more of a lithe build with plenty of power and and endurance. Most likely he would be very good at running long distances at high speeds. It was Amir who struck first, narrowly missing Tatiana's snout with his vicious claws. Tatiana struck and retreated to test him. He had no weaknesses. This was a battle of will and strength, and it would be the hardest that Tatiana would face. It dragged on for hours, neither of the two wolves willing to back down. For Amir this was a matter of pride. If this female beat him he would lose everything. For Tatiana it was a fight for everything she wanted. Everything she deserved. When they clashed in a final snarling knot of fury and blood, Tatiana saw her opening. She lunged for Amir's open neck with victory just before her eyes. Joy leapt to her heart as she felt her dreams falling into place, only to be stopped short when her teeth gnashed together empty. A hard blow struck the back of her head and she tumbled to the ground in a daze. When she opened her eyes, her heart broke. Above her was Amir's midnight black wolf with his jaws firmly gripping her neck. It startled her to feel that her wolf was quite. The spirit was humbled and respected this beast that had beaten them at their own game. He had proved his worth. The two opponents shifted at the same time, naked as the day they were born with Amir's large, calloused hand around Tatiana's throat. Though the look on her face conveyed hate, her eyes showed awe at the male panting for a breath above her. His muscles were taught in wariness, sweat and dirt covered his caramel skin, and his eyes bored into hers with enough intensity to pierce her very soul. The clearing was completely silent before every wolf dropped down and bared their necks in submission to the new alpha of the former Ramirez pack. Tatiana's Right Ch. 03 Tatiana let out a low growl at Amir and bared her teeth as she beat down every submissive thought in her head. Amir only grinned back and yanked her to her feet, then dragged her through the crowd to the den. As she realized what was happening, Tatiana began to scream and fight yet again in fury. Disbelief clouded her mind as what had happened sunk in. After coming so far and fighting so hard, she had been defeated. She would be forced to have several of Amir's pups and become nothing more than an accessory. A tool used for breeding the next line of Alphas. A slave to the pack rather than the leader. Her inner wolf was ready to submit to the male that had dominated her. The beast didn't understand why the human half wasn't attracted to the stronger male. But that was the thing. A strong male wasn't enough for Tatiana. She needed to be herself. She needed to be the leader that headed the battle parties and protected her pack with every fiber of her being. And Amir was a threat to that. The hold Amir had on Tatiana's neck tightened and she gagged. In her peripherals she saw the pack that had once looked up at her with reverence now looked down on her with pity and scorn. Every one she passed was given a deadly glare or a glimpse of her bared teeth. Amir stopped an Omega in the hall and asked where her room was. Conflicted and terrified by Tatiana's glare combined with Amir's presence, the wolf hesitated before spilling it all to Amir in a rush. In a matter of minutes Tatiana was dragged into her suites and thrown to the floor at the Alpha's feet. When she jolted to her feet, she was startled to see him pacing in front of her as if conflicted. "What's the matter? Not willing to try and dominate me again?" Tatiana goaded. Amir looked over at her with worry and went back to pacing. "I never wanted to mate you, babe. You are the one that issued the challenge that threatened every alpha male's position with their pack. It was to either answer the call or look like a coward," Amir snapped as he hurriedly walked toward the window. He shoved it open and went to Tatiana's room. "What in the hell are you doing?" Tatiana demanded impatiently. She was so confused it was beginning to diminish the anger within her. "Well, darling, I made a few plans before I flew over to challenge you," Amir drawled as he stuffed money, clothes, a new phone, a laptop, and food into an old hiking backpack of mine. "I decided that I did not have any desire to mate or have pups with you if I managed to be the victor in our little scuffle. So I came up with a plan to make it look like you had escaped me while you fought against my attempt to mate you. You will jump through that window and take off for the woods. I can only give you a five-minute head start before sending a patrol after you for appearance's sake. If they capture you I will be forced to execute you. I called up an old friend and he will be waiting for you at 13225 West Broadripple Street in Queens, New York. If you want help, meet him there at 6:47 pm on Saturday. That gives you three days, got it? Three. Days." He shoved the backpack into my arms and hurried me to the window. Before I jumped, I turned to him with confusion in my eyes. "Why are you doing this Amir?" I asked softly. He only smiled and patted my shoulder. "Because you have a strong spirit that doesn't deserve to be trampled. You remind me of my sister before my father got to her," he said kindly. I let out a small laugh and was rewarded with a questioning stare. "Should I be insulted that you don't want to have se with me?" Amir had to hold back his laughter and shook his head. "No honey. I'm not into women," he said, then shoved me out the open window to be swallowed up by the night. ********** Tatiana's breath came in gasps as she ran through the forest that she had once called her home. Howls sounded behind her and she could hear the footfalls of wolves in the distance. They were close. So close. With a huff she morphed smoothly into her hybrid form, which increased her stride length and speed. She plunged into the wide river and was suddenly grateful that the bag on her back was waterproof. Instead of swimming across she let the water carry her farther downstream and clutched a rock that jutted out of the water about 50 meters from where she had entered the river. The water concealed her scent from her pursuers and they would go directly across the river rather than follow it downstream. As the wolves splashed through the heavy currents Tatiana tried to recognize them. Mostly it was wolves from Amir's pack but she recognized a few of her own. James, who was a low Beta and a kiss up to every superior. Melinda, an old classmate she hadn't known too well. What pierced her heart was the sight of one of her best friends, Cynthia, in the lead of the group. Sorrow and betrayal made Tatiana begin to see red, but again her inner wolf was at odds with her. The wolf said to run and leave this behind. To begin a new life where it was safe. Begrudgingly Tatiana had to agree. Getting killed now would be pointless and a waste of Amir's efforts to give her the freedom that she needed. Once all signs of the patrol were gone Tatiana pulled herself out of the river and walked. And walked. Miles and hours passed with the distant howling of frustrated wolves on a breeze. She went west toward the mountains, where she knew a small, private town lay hidden from society. She would get some rest in a tree outside the town and catch a bus to Atlanta the next morning. After that she would get on a bus to Washington D.C. and then New York. After a couple hours Tatiana reached the edge of the trees to reveal the tiny town in the valley below. It was so quiet and peaceful that it made Tatiana yearn for such a life. One where she could live in peace away from the politics of the supernatural world and the burning need within her for something different. Something greater. After heaving a great sigh and pulling herself up onto a wide branch of an ancient Sycamore, Tatiana rested her eyes. She wouldn't allow herself to fall asleep, of course. That would be far too dangerous and nightmares would plague her. It amazed even Tatiana that she was handling this all so calmly. She was watching her life go to hell and instead of letting it tear her apart, she was given the chances to fight back. But why had Amir done this? Why didn't he just kill her, despite her 'strong heart'? Did it really matter that much in the face of losing his position in his pack? Although she had no answers to her questions and no comfort of friends to guide her, Tatiana had hope. She was alive and where there was life there was hope. She would meet this friend of Amir's. At this point, how could it hurt? He was trusted by her savior and so she would give this stranger a chance. With heart empty and her mind full, Tatiana rested. It had been a long evening. But it was so strange not to hear the heartbeats of her pack mates. Not to hear their voices in her mind or see their dreams meld with her own. It was a cold, lonely existence for Tatiana that night, one of many to come. **************** Tatiana stepped off of the subway train in Queens, New York three days later. Her eyes were red from lack of a good rest and crying, her shoulders sagging and the existence without a pack was excruciating. Not to mention that her wolf had been at odds with her the entire time. It was mentally damaging and made Tatiana feel paranoid and self-conscious about every decision she made. She didn't stand out too much, though. Almost every person on the street where she was had bloodshot eyes that darted around suspiciously. When she reached the address that Amir had given her, Tatiana was relieved to see that it was an old cafe. After walking inside and ordering a cup of chili and a glass of water, Tatiana sat down in one of the booths by the window as she looked out onto the street for any sign of Amir's friend. Hours passed. It was nearly closing time and she was the last one in the cafe. After five hours she was ready to burst into tears. Her last hope was gone and she would be driven absolutely mad from the lack of a pack. Wolves were not solitary creatures and whenever one was cast out or runs away from a pack they never last long. Suddenly the bells at the door rang as it opened with a soft creak. Tatiana ignored it after jumping every time the last several hours. It surprised her when the person that stepped up to the table was in fact not the frumpy old waitress but instead a man who looked a few years older than herself. He had sandy hair that fell down to his shoulders and a 5 o'clock shadow covering his angular jaw. A strait nose led up to harsh eyebrows and piercing blue eyes. He had high cheekbones and lips that were almost too full for a man. She dared to say that he was even more beautiful than Amir. And her wolf did not like him one bit. Her eyes lit gold as she bit back a growl. The gorgeous man only chuckled and took a seat across from her. "I'll try not to take offense to that," he rumbled. His voice was like thunder that rolled through his chest. The muscles in his arms and chest bulged slightly against his AC/DC t-shirt as he leaned his elbows on the table. Normally Tatiana's human half would want to lick a man like this, but something about him seemed off. Like he was off limits to anyone. It was all very confusing, but wasn't everything these days? "I'll try to control it," Tatiana quipped. "But you should at least give me the courtesy of telling me your name." "Oh, how rude of me. I'm Grant. My coworker was supposed to meet you, but he was.....delayed. So he asked me to be here in his place. I am here to give you, dear Tatiana, a choice. You may either join our cause or leave peacefully and live a human life away from any pack in the world until we give you the all clear or the no-go. Understand?" Grant said this all with a very businesslike tone as he leaned back in the chair. However his words only managed to confuse Tatiana further. "What is your 'cause' exactly?" she asked suspiciously. Her question caused Grants eyes to open so wide she thought they would pop out of his skull. "You don't know of the wars?" he whispered, then cursed when she shook her head. "Well then you have a lot to catch up on, dear."