----


    18. THE VICTORIOUS WARRIOR


    NARRATOR


    Lyra frowned when she saw what the gray wolf had dragged back


    to the tribe with great effort.


    "Help him!" the Alpha roared, thrilled.


    First, because he''d finally get that annoying woman off his son''s


    back, and second, because what a great catch!


    If he''d known thatpeting for females would push the males to


    hunt like suicidal maniacs, he would''ve done it sooner!


    Ran shifted into his human form, puffed up by all the admiration


    and stares-everyone already saw him as the winner.


    "Ran, how did you manage to hunt this giant?!"


    "Ran, don''t you wanna be my mate?!"


    "Yeah, Ran, look! I''ve got nothing to envy that foreign female!""


    The warrior looked at the women throwing themselves at him with


    disgust.


    Maybe before he would''ve been ttered, but who told them that


    with those dark spots, yellow teeth, and greasy, tangled hair they


    could evenpare to Lyra''s beauty?


    ----


    Still, as he walked toward the woman he already considered his, he


    remembered Verak''s proposal.


    But Ran was in heaven and had no intention ofing down.


    The witch had given him a dark brew that filled him with powerful


    energy-he felt invincible, though she warned him it wouldn''tst


    forever.


    He got lucky that a wounded Brontocérax had crossed his path.


    ''The beast was fleeing, barely alive, and he finished it off.


    No one needed to know the details, and when he looked into Lyra''s


    silver eyes, he decided that if the witch had given him a shot, he


    wasn''t handing her over to Verak.


    "Lyra, L... What do you think of me?" He showed off every bit of


    himself, fully naked, so the female could see exactly what she was


    getting.


    "T have a hut, you can move in whenever you want..."


    "stop being so shameless and put some clothes on," the female''s


    growl shut down all his charm.


    His "little buddy" shrank as soon as he saw her fierce canines,


    scared it might get bitten off.


    "You can''t go back on your word! I hunted the biggest prey! You


    have to obey thews of the-"


    ----


    "For heaven''s sake, that...


    that''s Drakkar..."


    "What''s he holding in his hand?"


    Hearing the murmurs, Lyra shoved the exhibitionist wolf aside and


    stepped forward, eyes fixed on the entrance of the pack


    Walking against the sunlight came the brave warrior, his face still


    dripping with blood. He looked more beast than man.


    Dragging behind him the massive paw of his prey.


    In the other hand, the Brontocérax shield, cracked in several


    ces, showing just how fierce the fight had been.


    It was obvious who the winner was-and it wasn''t Ran.


    "IT HAS TO BE A TRICK! THERE''S NO WAY DRAKKAR HUNTED A.


    DRACOTELION! WHERE''S THE REST OF THE BODY?!"


    Verak couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    The whole pack went silent, stunned by the ongoing drama.


    "Drakkar!" Lyra didn''t care about anything else-just her mate''s


    wounds.


    "Oh no, look what they did to him!" Aztoria screamed dramatically.


    "Lyra," Drakkar rasped as he called her name, throwing the bloody


    paw to the ground.