Chapter Text
The African wild dog shifter patrolled the edge of Dahlia’s borders. She kept her head held high, listening for the faintest of sounds echoing through the pitch-black night. Midnight guard duty was a difficult job, but the shifter often volunteered for the role. In her shifted form, her large ears and lithe body suited her perfectly to detect anyone stupid enough to try to invade the prosperous and peaceful Dahlia Empire. So proud to be trusted with such a responsibility and so grateful to have been blessed with the magical aura that allowed her to take the form of human or predator at will, she sniffed the air.
A metallic tang tickled her nose, setting her on edge. She froze, aiming to determine the cause of the scent. It smelled distinctly like…
She sniffed again to confirm her hunch.
…blood.
A great force whooshed past her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She stumbled, but caught herself. Nothing human could’ve ever moved as fast as that.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, blowing her multi-colored hair every which way. Except, she realized with a sinking feeling, it wasn’t wind at all.
Newborn vampires. Lots of them. Red eyes surrounded her as their growls grew louder.
Dahlia was under attack! She instantly shifted and began to howl, but the concrete building muted the sound. The wild dog sprinted towards the tower, white tail swishing. If she could just get there, she knew her calls would be carried to every on-duty guard for miles. Dodging the newborns, she leapt up the ladder, moving as fast as her long and lean legs would let her, just barely moving out of the grasp of a particularly grabby newborn.
When she finally ascended the tower, the sight that greeted her was enough to make her lose her shift. She began to tremble as the large figure approached her.
Snapping herself out of her terror, the wild dog shifted again to let out the loudest howl she could.
That’s it. It was done. She’d fulfilled her duty to do all she could to keep Dahlia safe.
Suddenly, more calls rang out. First a tiger’s roar. Then an elephant’s trumpet. A hawk’s cry. A possum’s hiss. A jackal’s yip. Over and over again, every guard’s station alerted the next that danger was afoot as they assembled their troops and prepared for battle.
Job done, she shifted back into her human form. “Now all of Dahlia knows you’re here,” she proclaimed, sounding much braver than she felt.
She hoped that that was how she’d be remembered when they no doubt found her carcass. As brave.
The vampire listened to the chorus of shifters and smiled. “Perfect.” He moved closer to the wild dog, fangs somehow catching the little light of the moon sliver in the sky.
**********
“Your Majesty!” Alpha Gabe Shaw called to the supreme ruler of Dahlia. “Your Majesty! I bring grave news.”
Empress Marie Greer motioned for the alpha to approach. The humble clothing and unassuming decorations of the palace bedroom betrayed the absolute regality the woman exuded at all times. “Spit it out, Gabriel,” she said, never letting something as trivial as titles interfere with their strong friendship.
“A clan of vampires has broached Dahlia’s northern borders,” Gabe reported, offering a customary bow.
“Impossible!” a squeaky-voiced wolf yelped from behind Marie’s desk. The man always seemed to appear at the most inopportune times. “No one could get through our defenses!”
Marie held up a palm. “Colm, please,” she tutted.
Gabe didn’t bother to give the Empress’s mate a second glance as he stood. Marie was the supreme ruler of the land, and as alpha to her troops, Gabe was her sworn protector. “Quinn Fox is leading them.”
The empress frowned, already deep in thought as she considered that information.
The cruelty of Quinn Fox was well-known throughout the continent. Refusing any semblance of civilization or order, he and his gang of vampires pillaged any village they came across and infamously never left survivors. Most inhabitants were drained after the vampires entertained themselves with brutal torture. Those deemed fit enough or suited for battle were turned and immediately subservient to Quinn’s will through an invocation. And so the cycle of violence and terror continued as the group moved onto the next unsuspecting village.
“My pack will set up defenses around your palace immediately,” Gabe volunteered.
“No!” Marie stood, holding up a long finger. “Your pack will protect the people of Dahlia,” she declared. “Colm!”
“Yes, my love!” Colm yelped, leaping to her side.
“Spread the word throughout all our lands,” Marie instructed, crossing the room with her hands behind her back. “Call up our reserves and recruit as many new soldiers as possible. We’ll need every resource we can manage to collect.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Gabe cut in, “But I do believe my pack can stop him.”
“We won’t take any chances, Alpha,” she responded, opting for the wolf’s formal title. “Sometimes all it takes is a single whisker to tip the scale. One aura might be the difference between victory and defeat.”